The Mist of Her Memory
What happened that fateful morning in Lambton?
What brutal attacker caused such grievous, near-fatal injuries?
Does she remain in danger? Elizabeth cannot remember!
Sequestered in her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner’s London home, Elizabeth Bennet tries to recover from a devastating incident that stole her memories during their Derbyshire tour. She continues to suffer from strange, angry voices in her head and to recall events that people tell her never happened. Even those who love her refuse to believe her. Elizabeth can barely endure the confusion!
Fitzwilliam Darcy is desperate for any hint of his beloved’s well-being, yet he lacks the information he seeks as her family forbids him contact with Elizabeth. His frustration mounts when he learns that her mental impairment incited taunting and torment in her home village of Meryton.
Which of Elizabeth’s recollections bear the closest resemblance to the truth? And what is the result of her sister Lydia’s elopement with Mr. Wickham? How is Mr. Darcy to rekindle his romance with Elizabeth when her aunt and uncle strictly shield her from him?
Prepare to grip the edge of your seat during this original romantic tale of suspense and mystery, another Pride and Prejudice variation by bestselling author Suzan Lauder.
“Suzan Lauder skillfully weaves a story that submerges you into the plot and doesn’t let go. The Mist of Her Memory’s twists and turns hold a well-guarded secret that keeps you guessing until the very end.”
Read an excerpt
March 1813
London
The orchestra played the introductory notes to the next
dance, signalling to anyone promised for the dance to join
the lines within the centre of the throng and saving Miss Bingley from continuing to make
untoward comments about the Bennets. He had suffered more than enough of the three ladies’ sycophantic behaviour, and he
was relieved when they were collected by their respective partners. Miss Bingley tried
to tarry as long as she could, but her dance partner wanted a prime spot in the line and led
her away while she gazed over her shoulder at Darcy. He turned away.
He himself had not committed to any lady other than
relatives tonight, and those sets would be later on in the
festivities. As the current dance commenced, he procured some mulled wine and wandered the edges of the ballroom, nodding and
acknowledging acquaintances and stopping to speak briefly to those he called friends.
Few of these conversations took place, and Elizabeth’s words rang in his ears, challenging him to
practise his skills of speaking comfortably to strangers. He took the easy course and began with his
cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“I feared I might have to extract you from the situation you
became entangled in near the entrance,” the colonel said.
Richard could be counted upon to divert an awkward moment in any situation. “It was brief, thanks to Mr. Dahl’s quickness in collecting
his partner for the best spot in the formations.”
The colonel smirked. “Ah, Dahl. His estate is entailed, and
his tastes never fail to be more expensive than his income. A bit of love for wagering on
sport as I understand it. He needs an infusion of money from a wealthy lady,
and Miss Bingley is not so difficult to look at.”
“I did not know you were well acquainted with him.”
Richard’s head jerked back as if he were affronted. “I am
not. I merely like to keep abreast of what is happening in the world. I must
save myself by deflecting ladies like Miss Bingley towards men like Dahl.”
Darcy nodded. “So merely a distant acquaintance then?”
“Indeed. Speaking of such, I have no new information for you
on the old acquaintance you seek. I do not believe you wish to call him
friend.”
The light mood was done with. “I am sorry to hear it.”
“On a similar bent, another acquaintance appears to be
missing, which causes me some grief, and I cannot, for the life of me, figure
out how to deal with it.”
This caught Darcy’s attention. His frame stiffened, and he
sat a little straighter. Did the colonel speak of Elizabeth? After all, she was
supposedly on the continent, yet also believed to be in Bedlam. Richard knew of
Miss Lydia’s disappearance with Wickham. Who else could be missing?
Fitzwilliam continued, “Sir Frank Nelson-James of
Mellonleigh in Sevenoaks was courting my sister all season last year.”
“Yes, I recall seeing him dance with Lady Margaret as much
as propriety allowed.”
“He has not been seen for nearly a seven month. Maggie is
crushed, alternately thinking she has fallen out of favour with Sir Frank and
blaming herself, and other times, thinking the worst has happened. Some said he
was at his country home, but he was expected at Matlock after a critical race
with his driving club. He was last seen on his way north in early August.”
Darcy rubbed his chin. “That does not sound like Sir Frank.”
The gentleman in question was well respected and reliable, and the Fitzwilliams
had held the expectation of a brilliant match with the quiet and unassuming
Lady Margaret.
“I probably should have mentioned it earlier, but I half
expected him to show up out of the blue. Yet it has not happened. No one wanted
to cast aspersions on his character, as if he were doing something nefarious
rather than following through on expectations.”
~~~
My thanks to Maria Grazia for hosting this excerpt and to
Claudine for organizing the blog tour.
Suzan Lauder
About the Author
Her first effort at a suspense novel, The Mist of her Memory is the fifth time Lauder has been published by Meryton Press. Her earlier works include a mature Regency romance with a mystery twist, Alias Thomas Bennet; a modern short romance Delivery Boy in the holiday anthology Then Comes Winter, the dramatic tension-filled Regency romance Letter from Ramsgate, and the Regency romantic comedy, A Most Handsome Gentleman.
She and Mr. Suze and two rescue cats split their time between a loft condo overlooking the Salish Sea and a 150 year old Spanish colonial home near the sea in Mexico.
Suzan’s lively prose is also available to her readers on her blog, road trips with the redhead www.suzan.lauder.merytonpress.com, on her facebook author page https://www.facebook.com/SuzanLauder, on Twitter @suzanlauder, and on Instagram as Suzan Lauder. She is a lifetime member of JASNA.
Author Links
9 comments:
Like mystery mixed with a romance story rather than a straight romance
Enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book!
This is an intriguing scene: it sets up another layer of mystery to the story, and readers are assured, even if Elizabeth is not, that she is very much on Darcy's mind.
Thanks for the intriguing excerpt, Suzan Lauder. I, like Vesper, love romance and mystery mixed. You did it well.
Thanks for hosting the excerpt, Maria.
Vesper, I recall your need to read stories about secondary characters--I hope you'll read this one for its special deviation from most JAFF. Thanks to you, darcybennet, Kelly, and Janet for commenting, and best of luck on the draw. This has always been a fave site for a blog tour. Thanks, Maria, for having us join you!
Elizabeth on the continent or in Bedlam? Oh my. I must read this. Thank you for the generous give away.
Yes, those are the possibilities one would come up with for someone missing after a head injury in the Regency. You're welcome, and thanks for dropping by!
I'm quite curious of this mystery as it drew me in the moment I read the blurb. Lots of questions are in my mind but the answers can be found by reading the novel. Thank you for sharing a snippet from your book, Suzan.
I look forward to knowing what you think about it, Lúthien.
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