The Mistletoe Bough (Francis Wheatley)

The Mistletoe Bough, Francis Wheatley, circa 1790. Yale Center for British Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

That was a step too far, and Caroline could not contain her anger any longer.

“How dare you,” she spat. “Who placed you in a position to reprimand me on anything?” She stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing.

“No one,” he replied. “Just me.” He left his place of repose against the door and matched her advance with a step of his own. Did she always smell of oranges and spice? The scent fit her.

She lifted a brow. “Why?”

He blew out a breath. “I’ll be hanged if I know.” He had attempted to keep his thoughts to himself, but for some reason he felt compelled to see her improve, to reach her potential. It was likely that glimpse of her thoughtful, quiet nature at breakfast which had done it.

She shook her head in bewilderment. He was making little sense. How could he not know why he thought it his place to admonish her?

He stepped to the side so that the door was free, but he once again caught her arm as she moved past him. Pulling her close, he whispered, “You are a beautiful, accomplished young woman who does not need to belittle others to make herself look better.”

Then, before he could do something foolish like make use of the kissing bough which hung just in front of the door, he released her.

[from One Winter’s Eve]

One Winter’s Eve can be found either as a single title or as part of Darcy Family Holiday, Volume 1, which is currently on sale (until the end of July).

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Leenie Brown

Leenie Brown fell in love with Jane Austen's works when she first read Sense and Sensibility followed immediately by Pride and Prejudice in her early teens. As the second of five daughters and an avid reader, she has always loved to see where her imagination takes her and to play with and write about the characters she meets along the way. In 2013, these two loves collided when she stumbled upon the world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction. A year later, in 2014, she began writing her own Austen-inspired stories and began publishing them in 2015. Leenie lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her two teenage boys and her very own Mr. Brown (a wonderful mix of all the best of Darcy, Bingley and Edmund with healthy dose of the teasing Mr. Tillney and just a dash of the scolding Mr. Knightley).

4 thoughts on “The Mistletoe Bough (Francis Wheatley)”

  1. This was a lovely excerpt. I liked seeing Caroline at odds with the Colonel. She just didn’t know what to do with him.

    That picture was hilarious. One lady was so taken by surprise she dripped her basket. I’m not sure what happened that put one lady on the floor. Perhaps she swooned. LOL! That lady on the right looks like she is pregnant. Perhaps her husband is wanting to kiss her. There is always so much to see in old photos. You never know what the artist saw or is trying to say. Thanks for sharing.

    1. I’d really like to know how that one lady ended up on the floor. 🙂 And is that mother and father sitting calmly to the side watching all the proceedings while a small group of gossips share stories on the other side?

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