Dear Austenians,
Welcome, one and all, to My Jane Austen Book Club! I am thrilled to extend a heartfelt welcome to each of you who decided to join us on the second day of a truly special journey.
Today, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce our esteemed guest, Christine Combe! Welcome back and thank you for being a part of this delightful gathering.
Today, we have the privilege of exploring Christine's latest literary marvel, The Husbands of Elizabeth Bennet. This brilliant duet, crafted with Christine's masterful pen, promises to whisk us away to the enchanting world of Jane Austen's iconic characters.
We are invited to unravel the mysteries and marvels of Elizabeth Bennet's world. From the tranquil beauty of the countryside to the elegant ballrooms of Regency England, Christine's prose effortlessly transports us to a world where love, laughter, and longing dance hand in hand.
In the excerpt shared with us, we catch a glimpse of Elizabeth's indomitable spirit as she navigates the tumultuous waters of love and loss. Christine's narrative prowess shines brightly as she weaves a tapestry of intrigue and suspense, drawing us ever deeper into the heart of Austen's beloved universe.
Please, scroll down and embrace the magic that awaits within the pages of The Husbands of Elizabeth Bennet.
Christine, once again, I extend my sincerest gratitude for gracing us with your presence and for sharing your literary gifts with our community. Your talent and passion illuminate our shared love for all things Austen, and we are truly privileged to have you with us today.
To our cherished readers, I extend a warm invitation to lose yourselves in Jane Austen's world as recreated by our guest. May your journey through Austen's world be as delightful as the company you keep along the way.
***
Greetings fellow
Austenians, and welcome to the second day of my blog tour! I am very excited to be visiting My Jane
Austen Book Club once again, this time to talk about two new books!
That’s right, two — I’ve written and published a duet (or duology, if you prefer) in the last six months, entitled The Husbands of Elizabeth Bennet.
In volume two…
Aren’t these covers lovely? Now, how about an excerpt from volume one? Read on…
***
A pleasant walk in the country—Elizabeth Bennet had taken many
simply to enjoy the beauty of nature.
This one, she had taken to escape her home.
A small part of her felt guilty at leaving her sister Jane to suffer
the continuous lamentations of their mother without her support, for Mrs.
Bennet had bemoaned the departure of Netherfield’s current leaseholder each day
of the fortnight since Charles Bingley, his family, and his friend Mr. Darcy
had gone to London. Constant was her chatter on the subject, wondering why
Bingley had gone, why he hadn’t come back, what had Jane done to drive him
away…
Elizabeth was sensitive to her sister’s feelings on the subject—she
knew Jane had cared for Mr. Bingley very much—but when their mother wasn’t
decrying the young man for his fickleness, Jane was crying on her shoulder
because she missed seeing him. Because she wished he hadn’t gone away. She
cried over her fear that Caroline Bingley—Mr. Bingley’s unmarried younger
sister—was right and that Mr. Bingley had not cared for her at all because his
heart was already set on another.
Considering Georgiana Darcy is the same age as Lydia, I would have thought her brother of the mind that she is far too young to marry,
Elizabeth mused as she walked.
With a sigh, she dismissed all thoughts of Mr. Bingley and Jane’s
disappointment, and through her nose she drew a deep, fortifying breath—she’d
stepped out on this unusually warm December morning to avoid the drama going on
at home and clear her head, not bring it along with her. Elizabeth walked a
steady, slow pace along the road that would take her to Oakham Mount, her
favorite spot to think, read, or just enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.
As she approached a section of the road which was lined on both sides
by a small wood, where the trees closest to it created something of a canopy
through the spring and summer months, Elizabeth’s eyes widened at the sight of
a horse with what looked to be a carriage harness around to it, or at least
part of such a contraption. The chestnut beast lifted its head when it took
notice of her, then turned and started toward her. They met halfway between
their positions, and it was with a hesitant hand that Elizabeth reached for the
horse’s bridle.
“Dear creature, where did you come from?” said she in a gentle voice
as she stroked the horse’s velvety nose with her free hand. “What’s happened to
the rest of your carriage, and your master, hmm?”
The horse lifted its head and gave a short neigh, then it turned
toward the wooded part of the road. Elizabeth went along, a mixture of
curiosity and trepidation filling her. She began to pray that the creature
beside her was leading her to nothing, but she sensed it would bring her onto a
scene most dreadful.
She was not wrong. Soon after their reaching the edge of the wood,
Elizabeth gasped at the sight of an overturned carriage several feet away. Her
companion’s partner was still hitched to the vehicle and prancing anxiously in
place. She saw a man dressed in livery lying eerily still on the ground by the
back of the carriage, a large red stain coloring the dirt road beneath him.
“Oh, dear God,” Elizabeth cried softly as her eyes darted about.
Were the culprits still here? Where was the driver, and the occupants of the
carriage? Could the latter still be inside?
As much as she wished it otherwise in that moment, she knew it was
her Christian duty to see if there was any hope of saving the man on the
ground, and to lend aid to any other person who might have survived the
accident. She let go the bridle of the horse that had brought her to the
horrible scene and approached cautiously. Bile rose in her throat as she noted
that the man on the ground was unmistakably dead, for he had what she assumed
was a gunshot wound to his temple.
This was no simple carriage accident.
Elizabeth looked around again. She neither saw nor heard anyone but
that did not mean she was alone. Her eyes fell to the ground again, and she
looked about for anything that might be used as a weapon to defend herself; her
heart sunk when she saw nothing but thin twigs.
Again, she drew a fortifying breath, and stepping around the body,
she approached the carriage. The curtain about the back window was askew, so
she stepped as close as she could to peek inside it. There was a single
person—a man—inside, but she was certain that he was deceased also, for his
neck was bent at an odd angle, his eyes were open wide, and he did not move.
Elizabeth’s own eyes began to sting with tears for the loss of the two men. The
carriage had clearly been attacked by highwaymen, and her sense of fear was
heightened at the thought, as such a thing was almost unheard of this close to
Meryton.
A sharp neigh from the horse at the front of the carriage caused
Elizabeth to emit a short screech of fear. She then heard what sounded like a
moan—and knowing it could not possibly be the gentleman behind her or the one
inside the carriage, she moved around the vehicle and noted another liveried
man on the ground a few feet from the carriage. A second weak moan told her he
was most definitely alive, and she hurried over, her fear temporarily
forgotten.
Elizabeth knelt beside him as she took in his appearance; he had
brown hair shot with gray around the temples, though there were no age lines
about his face, and he seemed quite fit. His left leg was bent at an odd angle
below the knee, suggesting a bad break, and there were multiple wounds to his
chest and abdomen that still bled.
“Sir? Sir, can you hear me? Talk to me, tell me your name,” said she
as she picked up his hand and patted it.
The man turned his head toward her, his eyes fluttering as they
opened. “H-help me…” he muttered so softly she nearly did not hear him speak.
Elizabeth nodded vigorously. “I will, sir. You must hang on; I will
go and get help!”
The man’s hand tightened ever so slightly around hers. “No… stay…”
“But sir, I cannot help you if I stay!” Elizabeth cried softly. “I
must fetch help—men to carry you, the apothecary—”
The sound of approaching horses drew a gasp from Elizabeth, her attention
drawn sharply in the direction from which she’d come. Two men on horseback
approached—slowly, at first, but then their pace picked up as they took note of
the overturned carriage. The man in front seemed familiar, but she could not
place him until he called out:
“Hello there, is there anyone alive?”
Mr. Bingley! Elizabeth’s mind cried out
in relief. She looked down at the carriage driver as tears of relief spilled
from her eyes. “Help is come, sir! Help is come to us!”
His only reply was to moan again. Elizabeth patted his hand again,
then she set it down gently and stood. “Mr. Bingley, over here!” she cried out,
waving her arms that he would see her.
***
The die is
cast! Tell me what you think in the comments below and remember to visit each
blog on the tour and write down the keyword for each day. Comment on the last
blog (All That They Desire) with the sentence the words create to enter for
your chance to win print copies of both novels! Contest open worldwide!
Keyword:
HUSBANDS
If for any reason you cannot comment on the last blog, reach out to Christine via email or Facebook with the full sentence to qualify for the drawing.
Thank you for stopping by to learn a little more about The Husbands of Elizabeth Bennet today, and thanks again to Maria Grazia for having me!
Christine Combe
***
Links
Email: authorchristinecombe@gmail.com /
Blog: All That They Desire
/ Facebook: Christine
Combe
2 comments:
Congratulations on both of the books. I look forward to reading them ~ Glory
Thank you for this excerpt. I'm intrigued and certainly looking forward to reading this story.
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