Sweet Regency Romance – Page 32

Music Monday: How to Impress a Woman (MozART group)

PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY MOZART GROUP ON MARCH 1, 2018.

My older sister shared this humorous video with me a couple of weeks ago, and I thought it would be a fun one to share on the Monday after Valentine’s Day. 🙂 I also thought it would be fun to pair it with a story with a very different Darcy who, having had his proposal refused and been granted a second chance, is working very diligently to unravel his pride and impress a woman. And today, I am giving you a full chapter just so you can properly meet Darcy’s grandmother and be just as delighted with his change in demeanor as she is. : )

Chapter 6 of Unravelling Mr. Darcy:

Perhaps you might. Remembering Elizabeth’s words from yesterday made Darcy smile as he accepted a cup of tea from his aunt, Lady Matlock. He shrugged in response to the questioning look Richard shot him and turned his attention to his tea.

“I hear Mrs. Anderson’s daughter has refused another suitor,” said Lady Matlock, peering over the teapot and looking at Darcy with a raised brow. “She is a pretty thing. Her taste in gowns is exquisite, and she dances very well.”

Richard guffawed. “That is the fatal shot, Mother dear. Darcy does not care if a lady can dance well, for he intends not to dance more than absolutely required. “

His mother turned to him with a smile. “But you adore dancing, and she is generously dowered.”

Darcy chuckled at the widening of Richard’s eyes and slackening of his mouth.

“I do not adore dancing,” he said stiffly. “I just tolerate it better than Darcy, and so it appears I adore it.”

Music Monday: Niall Horan – Finally Free (Home Free Cover)

PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY HOME FREE ON OCTOBER 19, 2018.

By the end of the excerpt below, Richard is feeling as upbeat and free as today’s song choice — and it is all thanks to the lady standing with him. This is a proposal scene, and as you can see from the header below, it happens in chapter 5. That seems a bit soon, now doesn’t it? Let’s just say that by the scene right after this (as in the second half of this chapter) that happy, upbeat, free feeling is about to get burst in a most distressing fashion. But for now, let’s just focus on the happy, ok?

His Inconvenient Choice, Chapter 5

Sometime later that day, after the sun was gone and the darkness of night had fallen, Richard stood before the Gardiners’ home, waiting to be allowed entry. He did not wait long, for the door was opened nearly before the sound of his knock had faded. Giving his name along with his hat and coat to the servant, he again waited, this time in the hall, to be introduced. He took note of his surroundings with an eager eye. This was the home of a well-to-do merchant, and as such, it was the sort of living arrangements he might hope to one day have for himself.

“Colonel Fitzwilliam, a pleasure to see you, sir. A pleasure.” Mr. Gardiner greeted him with a firm handshake and motioned for him to have a seat. “Dinner will be served shortly. Might I offer you a drink while you wait? A bit of wine perhaps?”

“My husband prides himself on his wine selections, Colonel,” said Mrs. Gardiner with a laugh. “It would do you well to enjoy it.”

“Then I shall,” said Richard, taking a seat near Kitty, who smiled and gave a brief greeting.

“My wife and niece tell me that you are thinking of stepping down from the first circles of society to join my realm.” Mr. Gardiner handed Richard a glass of wine. “I shall refill it for your supper. No need to sip like a lady, so to speak,” he said with a wink.

Music Monday: This I Promise You (Ronan Keating)

Published to YouTube by ronankeatingofficial

Today’s song choice is being paired with an excerpt from Her Heart’s Choice where Anne finally realizes what Alex has been promising her all along, and she can see her forever right there in front of her. However, will it be a realization which is just a little too late?

Her Heart’s Choice, Chapter 9 Excerpt

Mary stood between Rycroft and Kitty, waiting to welcome her new cousin and friend. “I am so happy to see you, Anne. I have wished for a visit from you, but Lady Sophia tells me you have been very busy with interviews.”

“I have,” Anne leaned close to Mary, “but it has not been enjoyable. They are all rather dull. I would much rather spend time with you and your sisters.”

Mary smiled and pulled Anne into an embrace. “Tomorrow, you must join us at the museum.”

“I would like that.” Anne felt a sigh of relief pass through her that she would not be subjected to yet another round of dull interviews.

Kitty took Anne’s hand. “You have not yet met our sister Lydia. I can assure you that our visit will be anything but dull with her along.”

Mary chuckled. “She has improved in the last month, but she is still Lydia.” A rather loud giggle was heard from the drawing room. “That is she. Lydia is rarely quiet. Come.” She wrapped her arm around Anne’s, ignoring the look of displeasure from her husband at being displaced by his cousin. “I will introduce you. Everyone else is here, so we are just beginning with some wine in the drawing room while we wait for our meal to be ready.”

“Georgiana was allowed to come,” said Kitty, “since we did not wish the men to outnumber the ladies.”

“Samuel invited some friends.” There was a hint of concern in Mary’s voice. “There was one he did not wish to invite, but things have changed, and it really could not be helped.”

Anne stopped walking. They were just outside the door to the drawing room, and she could clearly hear Alex’s voice. “And who might these guests be?” she asked, turning toward Rycroft.

Music Monday: Remembering You (Robin Spielberg)

PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY MEOWMEOWBB ON JUNE 25, 2011.

This is one of the songs on my Music to Write By playlist. It’s really pretty and has a wistful romantic air to it. It’s definitely just the right sort of music to get the writing mind working. I have decided to pair it today with this scene from His Darling Friend because Roger shares a sweet little remembrance about Victoria and a frog. Do you remember it from when it was the Sweet Tuesday story last year?

AN EXCERPT FROM His Darling Friend (Chapter 7):

“We will start from the top of the table, of course, with Amelia.” Mrs. Abernathy waited for her daughter to join her where she stood near the door to the drawing room in which all the houseguests were gathered to wait for dinner.

“Shall we see who it is who will dine with you?”

Miss Abernathy said an eager yes as her mother shook a bowl containing several small pieces of paper. She swirled her hand inside the bowl and pulled out a name. “Oh! How delightful! Mr. Carlyle.”

The gentleman straightened his jacket, crossed the room, and offered his arm to Miss Abernathy, whose waited only until her daughter and Mr. Carlyle had left the room before looking around and calling Victoria forward.

Of all the inane ideas! Roger crossed his arms and leaned against the wall near the window. The woman was obviously assigning gentleman dinner partners at random, but she was proceeding through the ladies based on status. Victoria was well-dowered. It was not something she published nor was it a fact she kept secret. He glowered at two gentlemen who had started whispering when Victoria’s name was called. He did not like it. His friend did not need any fortune hunters scampering after her.

“Mr. Clayton,” Mrs. Abernathy said.

Roger blew out a breath. It could be worse. She could have been stuck with Carlyle or one of those whispering gents.

Lady after lady was summoned forward and gentleman after gentleman was assigned as a partner.

“Is this not the best?” Grace said as she took Roger’s arm. “It is such a surprise! I do like surprises.”

“I do not,” Roger replied.

Grace giggled. “I will admit I had hoped I would be assigned someone different.”

“I hear Ainsley has a chit waiting for him at home,” Roger whispered.

Grace’s smile slid into a frown. “Does he indeed?”

“I have not asked him, of course, but that is what I have heard. We should proceed with caution.”

She tipped her head. “What do you mean we?”

Music Monday: My Luve is like a Red, Red Rose (Arr. Ešenvalds)

Happy New Year!

I am making a few changes to the Music Monday posts (which will cause some other changes on the blog). I’ll explain all that below.

PUBLISHED TO YOUTUBE BY VOCES8-TOPIC ON JANUARY 17, 2019

Every year as one year changes to the next, I evaluate what I am doing and look for ways to try to improve. Sometimes, I try new things. Sometimes, those new things work. Sometimes, they don’t. 🙂

Last year, I made a change to the blog and added Sweet Tuesdays. They have been going well, although, honestly, adding that third story to work on consistently with two others has been challenging. But it is a good challenge and has been worth the effort, I think. I plan to continue it.

This year, I am going to try shifting my writing news out of the Music Monday post and give it its own post called The Saturday Broadsheet. I’ve been typing up my weekly writing news for my mailing list for a couple of months now. I’ve been doing it on Thursdays, but the week isn’t over yet. There’s still one day of writing to be done. So, I think I will move writing those emails until Friday and then send them on Saturdays. If I am doing that for my mailing list, I should be able to easily copy out the information I want to post here on the blog on Saturdays at the same time.

This should (hopefully) streamline some things for me, and it should make my Monday posts focused more on the writing inspiration I find in music.

I figure it’s at least worth a try. If it doesn’t work, I can revert back to the way Monday posts have been, right?

I really don’t have a lot of writing news this Monday. I took a good bit of time off over the holidays — way more than I had intended to, but it was so good that I can’t really feel sorry I did it. 🙂 The only real writing-related thing that got done was my final proofread of Her Secret Beau. I’ll share details about the preorder and release and all that later this week. I would say Saturday — but…there will be a Friday Feature this week which is related to Her Secret Beau. 🙂

So, I’m not making any huge changes to the blog. Just a few small ones. You can let me know if you like them or loathe them in a month or so. 🙂 We have to try them for a while before we can say if we like them or not. That’s the rule. 🙂

Ok, so Mondays… I hope to bring you videos of music that inspires me while I am writing or which sparks writing ideas. I also want to highlight some of my already published works over the course of the year. (Did you know that Her Secret Beau will be the 43rd book I have published? I just need 9 more to cover a year of Mondays. Maybe by next year? LOL)

The video I shared today has a direct connection with one of the books I have written because Robert Burns’ poem “My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose” is a poem Darcy is reading in Netherfield’s library when a scheme is put into play to force him to marry Elizabeth.

Here’s how that scene goes. This lengthy excerpt is from Her Father’s Choice, Chapter 1.