Book Blurb: Loving Miss Tilney
Here's an exclusive excerpt from "Loving Miss Tilney" to catch a glimpse of Eleanor and Philip's poignant journey introduced by the author herself. Enjoy reading!
Thanks for welcoming me back Maria Grazia to talk about Eleanor Tilney! Loving
Miss Tilney takes place mostly at Lord Longtown’s house in Herefordshire,
the contrived visit that General Tilney puts together at the last moment as an
excuse to kick out Catherine Morland. And that’s where Eleanor puts her plan in
place to settle for any rich husband her father will approve of just to get
away from Northanger Abbey.
In this excerpt, Eleanor and her long-time
love, the poor Philip Brampton, are talking about their friend Vaughan’s affair
with a married woman.The elephant in the room is Eleanor’s intention to marry
the rich but unlikable Sir Charles Sudbury just to get away from her
controlling father. Eleanor and Philip are in love with each other, but General
Tilney will only allow Eleanor to marry wealthy man, and Eleanor has reached
her breaking point living at Northanger.
Heather Moll
Eleanor fell quiet, and an uncomfortable
silence ensued. Philip wondered if she felt the troubling hint at a married
woman carrying on an affair with a lover as much as he did. Neither of them
would countenance such a thing.
The marriage of either of them would
ultimately end their friendship. The longing looks, the heightened feelings
that always came to the surface when they were near had grown from a childhood
love, and had only intensified over the last five years.
He slowly took hold of her hand. “You
really want to try for Sir—”
“He is a means to an end,” she said
firmly. She stared at their joined hands for a moment before giving a wry
laugh. “Although I doubt Sir Charles is interested; I tried to talk to him at
breakfast and he hardly replied.”
That is because you are wearing a day gown
and he did not have as clear a view of your breasts as he did last night.
Rather than say something rude, Philip
said, “Your father noticed, and has already inquired as to Sir Charles’s
fortune. General Tilney shall see it all arranged for you and you can be Lady
Sudbury before the end of the summer.”
“Of course he did,” Eleanor muttered. “How
dare anything on earth be brought forward if he does not interfere?”
Philip stroked his thumb across the top of
her hand. His modest, poised, self-confident Eleanor rarely admitted to such
things about her father. Philip gave his head a shake. Not my Eleanor.
He gave her hand a little squeeze. “I will
do anything to see you happy. You will not ask me, but do you want me to help
foster Sir Charles’s interest in you?”
“Philip! That, that would be cruel to ask
you to—” She stopped suddenly and gave him a piercing look. “Tell me, do you
think I am cruel? I do not want to hurt you. I am doing what I must to
be free from—”
“No, you are not the cruel one.” It was
the closest he could come to saying that her father was a cruel man, even if
they both knew it was true. “I can talk with Sir Charles when our being in the
same house throws us together and encourage him in the idea of matrimony. The
rest shall be up to you.”
“I am still uncertain that he is
interested, but I shall try.”
“He seemedinterested in you last night,”
he said cautiously.
“He seemed interested in looking at my
chest.”
“Eleanor!” he cried with a shy laugh.
She laughed along with him. “And I would
be a fool to presume that means he would like to make me mistress of
Colborne Park.”
“You could try wearing a different style
of gown during the day and drop a great deal many things that you must slowly
bend over to retrieve.”
“You are wicked!” She swatted his arm
playfully with the back of her hand, still holding his hand with the other.
“No, I dare not scandalise any discreet matrons or older gentlemen.” She gave
him an earnest look. “I do not think I truly could make an exhibition of
myself.”
“I know you would never, my dear.”
She gave him a soft look. “You treat me
better than I deserve,” she said before giving his hand a fierce kiss.
Philip remembered the first time he kissed
Eleanor Tilney. It was a tentative, warm brush of lips to lips when she was
seventeen; and over time they grew to kissing for a long while in stolen
moments until her cheeks were flushed and her lips swollen. The embraces grew
in intensity and frequency over the years, finally culminating last January in
Northanger while they were snowed in together and her father was gone.
And when we accepted that General Tilney
would never allow us to marry.
Philip kissed her hand and gently let it
go. She gave him a sad look at first, and he watched understanding fill her
eyes as she nodded knowingly and moved as far away as the sofa would allow.
At that moment, the door opened and
General Tilney entered; and Philip was grateful for their fortunate good timing
as they both rose.
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Happy reading, dear friends!
1 comment:
This blog tour is a literary treat, akin to stumbling upon a 'biolife returning donor coupon $1000' for book enthusiasts. The excerpt hints at an engaging tale, making it a must-read for those seeking an escape into the world of 'Loving Miss Tilney.
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