Persuading Miss Mary – Page 9

Music Monday: Always There (Canadian Tenors)

Walter looked up the hall and then down. Seeing it was empty, he pulled Grace into his arms for a quick embrace – not long enough by half but enough to assure himself that she was truly there with him. Two days of travelling and stopping at inns in search of her had been two very long days.

“Do not ever leave me again,” he whispered before releasing her. He grasped her face between his hands. “Promise me, you will not leave me.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Again, it was far from how he wished to kiss her.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by LYRICS on October 10, 2014.

Sometimes when I am looking for a song to share on Mondays, I get sucked into YouTube for hours (and that is no exaggeration). I love music, and I find it very inspiring to my imagination. Tonight (Sunday night) was one of those nights. I finally came across this song about an hour and a half after opening YouTube. 🙂 On my home screen, YouTube likes to show me “The Best of…” for various talent shows. I occasionally give in to my curiosity and click on them. While I was listening to a group on one of those videos, I thought, “Oh, I haven’t listened to any tenors music lately. I should do that.” That is how I came to be listening to the Canadian Tenors. When I heard this song, I knew I had to share it with you because it immediately made me think of Walter Blakesley. The lines above the song are how tomorrow’s chapter of Her Secret Beau begins. Continue reading Music Monday: Always There (Canadian Tenors)

Proposal (John Pettie)

John Pettie [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

There is no marriage proposal in this chapter, but there is a gentleman kneeling before a lady he loves, so this painting seems to fit. :)

~*~*~

He pressed a handkerchief into her hand. “Oh, my love, I am so sorry,” he whispered. “I did not mean to hurt you. I never would. Well, that is not entirely true,” he smiled sheepishly. “I would not purposefully hurt you. I might out of ignorance.”

Mary’s quivering lips tipped up into a small smile. Even now, he was being honest with her.

“Which it appears I have done.” He was kneeling before her and held one of her hands.

[from Persuading Miss Mary, Marrying Elizabeth book 4]

~*~*~

Confounding Caroline ~ Delighting Mrs. Bennet ~ Loving Lydia

MAILING LIST PATREON

Music Monday: Tears of Joy (Joe Bongiorno)

It was lovely to be off the road again, and this inn was a touch nicer than yesterday’s, but none of that truly soothed her as it would have on her trip to Bath. Several days on the road when anticipating adventure were much easier to endure than the same number of days spent travelling while one’s heart was breaking.

She closed her eyes. A tear slid down her cheek, and she brushed it away quickly.

“Are you still so disappointed?” her mother asked from where she sat at a table with her needlework spread out. Felicity was flopped across the bed, and their father was below stairs, likely talking with some gentlemen at the bar.

[from Her Secret Beau, Touches of Austen book 3]

Published to YouTube by Piano Haven – Sedona on June 16, 2011.

I chose to share this song from my Spotify Music to Write By playlist because of the title. Tears and joy will be present in this week’s story offerings on both Tuesday and Thursday. 🙂 We only have three chapters left of each story, so the happy conclusion is upon us. Continue reading Music Monday: Tears of Joy (Joe Bongiorno)

Etude de tete de Femme Blonde de face (William-Adolphe Bouguereau)

William-Adolphe Bouguereau [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

I wanted to share this picture of a pretty lady, but one who could very easily blend into the background depending on how she is dressed, for a few reasons today. First, it could represent Mary, who sees herself as nothing exceptional but Wes sees as beautiful. Second, because of the lady's ability to fade into the background as just one of many threads in the tapestry of life, it could be representative of all the ladies Mary wishes to see respected. And third, because her wide eyes observing all she see is representative of how, in this chapter of our story, Wes begins to see things from a different perspective -- through the eyes of a woman.

~*~*~

She was not just another pretty face in a light-coloured gown who lined the walls with the other hopeful debutants waiting, eagerly, to be selected by the likes of him. Mary was more than that. She knew her mind. She knew what she wanted. And she was not going to be swayed by all the charm, money, or titles in the world to give up that which she held to as important. She was the prettiest immovable force he had ever met.

[from Persuading Miss Mary, Marrying Elizabeth book 4]

~*~*~

Confounding Caroline ~ Delighting Mrs. Bennet ~ Loving Lydia

MAILING LIST PATREON

Still Life with Silver Pot and Pie (Willem Heda)

Willem Claesz. Heda [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)] via Wikimedia Commons.

I'm not sure what kind of pie that is in the painting above, but it looks like a lovely meat pie to me. Perfect as part of an evening meal. :) I wonder if they were serving meat pie at the dinner mentioned in the excerpt below? Of course, the real question is what has Lady Matlock said to Mary?

~*~*~

Lord Westonbury was not at dinner.

The fact should have put Mary’s mind at ease since she would not have to look at him while unsettling thoughts from what his mother had said scurried around her mind, bumping into this memory and that.

It was a very quiet dinner for Mary. She said barely a word and attended to only a few more than she spoke. No one seemed to do much more than cast a questioning look her way. Not one person pressed her to join a conversation. They gave her time and space to ponder.

[from Persuading Miss Mary, Marrying Elizabeth book 4]

~*~*~

Confounding Caroline ~ Delighting Mrs. Bennet ~ Loving Lydia

MAILING LIST PATREON