Shall we start the week with a traditional Irish song and a story excerpt about a couple who is courting? (The courtship in the story turns out better than the one in the song. 🙂 )
The lines from Unravelling Mr. Darcy below are from when Darcy and Elizabeth meet after Rosings when Elizabeth and Jane are still at the Gardiners.
Here’s something a little different for today’s musical selection — a harp solo. 🙂 I have a couple of books where the harp is mentioned, but today, I’m going with a line from a book where the heroine actually plays the harp — because that’s how Jane Austen wrote her. 🙂 I’m talking, of course, about Mary Crawford.
The lines below are from the first time Mr. Durward calls on Mary at her sister’s home.
Mary: To Protect Her Heart is book 3 in my Other Pens series, and, as the title suggests, is where Mary Crawford finally finds her own happily ever after.
Not a fan of Mary Crawford in Mansfield Park? Neither am I. However, this Mary — well, she’s gotten the Leenie treatment and you might just find yourself rooting for her.
Before the beginning of the story Hope at Dawn, Nicholas and Kathleen, the hero and heroine, were separated by her father and brother because they did not find Nicholas, a banker, to be good enough for the daughter of an earl. Now, Kathleen is returning to England from a tragic time away in Ireland.
Today’s excerpt is the beginning of a letter Nicholas gave to Kathleen before she left, begging her to wait for him. Despite having little hope, Nicholas has been waiting for her, but has he waited in vain?
Hope at Dawn is one of four sweet Regency novelettes in First Blooms and Second Chances: Nature’s Fury and Delights Anthology 2.
This anthology, along with the first one, are both now just $1.99 (USD, EUR, GBP) / $2.99 (CAD, NZD, AUD), with all other currencies also reduced.
Elizabeth placed her hand on Darcy’s arm and allowed him to escort her from their supper box and toward one of the numerous paths in Vauxhall Gardens. The vast number of people that filled the supper boxes and paths was astonishing, and then when the torches were lit, and the orchestra was playing while waiters scurried back and forth making certain that all in attendance were happy, it was nearly overwhelming. She had heard stories of this place, but until now, she had never truly imagined its grandeur.
Darcy drew Elizabeth closer to his side as they strolled. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Immensely.”
[from Unravelling Mr. Darcy]
Because St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in March, I thought that this month would be a good month to feature some Celtic music on Mondays.
I’m pairing today’s song with a story where the father of the hero surely would have cried out to be saved from the waters of the Irish Sea. Unfortunately, he was not. (That’s a sad note to start the month on isn’t it? Sorry. The song, however, is much more upbeat than this quote. So, there’s that. 🙂 )
At All Costs is book four and the conclusion of my Willow Hall series. The hero of this story, who lost his father at sea, is perhaps my most-favorite Bingley. Bingley is not the only gentleman who finds his happily ever after in this book. The colonel is also so fortunate. Bingley and Richard work together on a few things in this book.
