I saw this picture and thought of two little girls who end up becoming the responsibility of their uncle in Sketches and Secrets of Summer. Maggie is the oldest and five. Rose is the youngest and three. Rose is also the more cautious of the pair, while Maggie is a good bit more independent.
Both of them adore Miss Bennet (aka Mary), and so does their uncle, though he hasn’t figured that out by the time they make this call at Pemberley in the story.
Continue reading Never Mind (Frederick Morgan)
It’s finally here! Sketches and Secrets of Summer (Mary Bennet and Stuart Alford’s HEA story) is finally available for everyone to read. This book is on my list of favourite stories I have written. One of the characters who made this story for me was sweet and timid three-year-old Rose Alford. She’s not sure she trusts her uncle at first, and he has to wait some time before she accepts him whole-heartedly. In contrast, she takes to Mary straightaway and snuggles in beside her new friend quite readily.
Here’s one scene where Rose just jumped off the page and into my heart a little further. I can just hear a little lisp on the s of her yes and see the delight sparkling in her eyes.
This is from chapter 11 so it’s a good way into the story, and Stuart, Maggie, and Rose have just arrived at Pemberley to call on Mary (and everyone else — but mostly Mary 😉 ).
The girls stopped at the foot of the stairs that led up to Pemberley’s door and waited for him to join them. Then, they followed him up the steps.
“Are you ready?” he whispered, crouching down, and looking each of his nieces in the eye.
They both nodded eagerly. Maggie was currently silent, but ever since he had returned home two days ago and told her about the upcoming visit to Pemberley, she had been an absolute chatterbox about her friend Miss Bennet and what she hoped would happen today.
“Best behaviour?” he asked as a reminder of Miss Leslie’s instructions before they had climbed into the carriage at Wellsworth. Miss Leslie was to have the day to herself. Harriet and Susan, the two nursery maids, had been sent as companions for the girls should their services be required.
Again, both heads bobbed up and down.
“You will say good day and thank you and other such things?” he asked Rose with a wink.
Her little mouth turned up into a smile that shone in her eyes. “Yes,” she replied.
“I am very happy to hear it.” Stuart stood and smoothed his jacket. He was not entirely certain why he felt as nervous as he did. But there were butterflies having quite the raucous party in his stomach. He silently told them to leave off as he lifted the brass knocker and let it fall with a thud.
Something pulled at the edge of his coat’s tails, and looking down, he saw Rose standing at his side with her hand firmly grasping the material of his coat. Maggie still stood beside her sister, holding her hand. Could it be that he was not so far from being trusted by Rose as he thought he was? That thought seemed to do a better job of quieting his nerves than the scold he had given them had.
The door in front of them opened, and soon they were all gathered inside, following Pemberley’s butler to the drawing room.
“Do you want to hold my hand?” Stuart offered Rose.
She shook her head and kept her grip on his jacket. Apparently, holding his hand was a step too far in trusting him and one that she was not yet willing to give him.
“Mr. Alford, Miss Margaret Alford, and Miss Rose Alford,” the butler announced.
When Stuart stepped into the room, his coattail followed, but not immediately, because Rose was somewhat reticent to greet everyone gathered. That is, she was reticent until she saw Miss Bennet. Then, Stuart found his coat freed so that Rose could do her duty in waving to her friend.
Isn’t she sweet? Maggie is wonderful, too. She’s five, much more talkative, and equally as enamoured with Mary as her little sister is.
Below is the book’s description.
Once betrayed, always a bachelor. At least, that was the plan.
Stuart Alford never expected to return to Derbyshire. Indeed, he never wanted to return. However, when his brother dies, leaving him both his daughters and the family estate, Stuart must do what he does not want to do.
When he arrives to claim his inheritance and take up guardianship of his two wards, he discovers they have befriended a young woman who is visiting her sister and brother-in-law at Pemberley.
Mary Bennet is not like any other lady he has ever met. She’s refreshingly candid, and he begins to understand why his nieces adore her.
Be that as it may, Stuart, whose heart is just beginning to mend, has sworn off marriage, and he’s not reticent in sharing that fact. But despite his adamant proclamations, as sketches are made and shocking secrets are revealed, he’ll discover that offering his heart to another might be the only way for it to ever be fully restored.
Sketches and Secrets of Summer is a Leenie Brown Pride and Prejudice variation novel of just under 45,500 words (spread between 16 chapters). The paperback edition of the book comes in at 280 pages, which includes all the front matter (like the table of contents) and back matter (like acknowledgments, contact info, and a sample of another one of my books).
The Saturday Broadsheet, with all my writing life updates, is now available at the link at the bottom of this short post. In this issue of the Broadsheet you will find:
I’ll be back on Tuesday with the first two chapters of Tom: To Secure His Legacy.
Sketches and Secrets of Summer is in the final days of being prepared for publication, which is slated for August 20. It should be on preorder soon. I’ll post here on the blog when it is available. Now, how about a little teaser of an excerpt from the book that hints at why the word secrets is in the title. 😉
Aaron’s hands were clasped behind his back as he walked at a sedate pace towards where Miss Bennet and Miss Darcy were seated. He glanced warily at Stuart.
“Just say it.” Stuart knew that look. Aaron was thinking something that he thought needed to be said but was something which might make Stuart angry.
“A wife might make your job easier.”
“I am sure you are correct, which is why Broderick should have left the girls to you.”
“I have no wife.”
“No, but you also have no aversion to taking one.”
Aaron huffed. “Are you going to allow Sarah to steal all your happiness?”
“It was not Sarah who did the stealing.”
“Yes, it was.” Aaron took hold of Stuart’s arm and stopped him. “Broderick was not without fault, but the greatest share of the blame must fall to the schemer who played brother against brother to gain all she wanted.”
Stuart’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I cannot say. Not yet.”
[from Sketches and Secrets of Summer]
Today’s our last week of songs with Summer in the title, so I thought this title seemed appropriate. 😀
Also, the lyrics “Hello, Summer. Goodbye to my heart” are fitting for Mary and Stuart’s story as you can sort of tell from the excerpt below.
These few lines come during a conversation that Mary and Stuart are having during an outing with his nieces. Poor Mary has most certainly lost her heart by this point in the story.
Would you like to see the cover for Stuart and Mary’s story? Then, come back on Wednesday to see it and read one last excerpt.
