Blog Tour: A Peculiar Connection by Jan Hahn Excerpt + INT Giveaway!

Hello! Today I am delighted to share an excerpt from Jan Hahn's new Austenesque romance, A Peculiar Connection, that is both humorous and intriguing. Check it out, and enter to win a paperback copy so you can read the rest!

From Chapter Three:

One may well ask why I agreed at last to the Darcys’ invitation after I had insisted I would not go.  One might think it because of Mr. Darcy’s renunciation of any feeling for me, other than that of a brother.  Or one might consider the attraction of solving the mystery of my mother’s identity compelling enough to alter my decision.  

In truth, I grew bored and lonely at Longbourn without Jane.  She had asked that I accompany her and Charles on their wedding trip, but I declined.  I feared that being a daily witness to their devotion would simply reinforce my own loneliness.  Within days, I wished with all my heart that I had accepted.  Since the prize of Pemberley had been paraded before me, I could no longer find contentment in the existence I had always known.  It seemed I wished to experience what life with the Darcys might offer after all.

And if I were honest, I should admit I craved the excitement of Mr. Darcy’s company.  Even if he was but my brother, I felt more alive in his presence.  His intelligence and wit matched mine, and I knew I would not tire of sparring with him.  I also found Georgiana amiable, and I trusted that the time I spent with her would be agreeable.  Besides, I longed to see the great house again, and anticipation of the beauty of Derbyshire’s peaks and dales made my spirit soar.

Mr. Darcy shared the carriage seat with his young sister on the journey while Mrs. Annesley sat beside me.  She was an older woman, pleasant and quiet in the presence of her employer.  As the miles rolled by, Georgiana chattered about all that awaited us.  She made a verbal list of families in the area and urged her brother to plan a dinner or even a ball to welcome me.

“A ball?  Surely not,” I said. “For I know with what distaste your brother considers dancing.”

“Ah, Wills,” she said. “Could you not forego your displeasure for the sake of Miss Bennet?”

He raised one eyebrow but said nothing.

“We could ask the Whitbys and the Stones, and perchance Lord Darnley’s nephew has not yet left for the Season in Town.  Oh, Wills, could we not have a ball?”

“Let us give Miss Bennet time to settle in before we impose Derbyshire society upon her.”

“That suits me perfectly,” I replied. “Remember, I shall not stay long, Miss Darcy.”

“But you must!  It is such a distance from Longbourn.  We may not have opportunity to visit for some time.  Pray assure me you will stay for several months at least.”

“Georgie, do not inflict your wishes upon her.  We will not force Miss Bennet to remain at Pemberley unless she is content to do so.”

Georgiana frowned, and I noted how pretty her countenance, even when pouting.  “Oh, I am tired.  Shall we never reach Derbyshire?”

Mr. Darcy took her hand.  “Rest your head on my shoulder.”

She gladly took advantage of his proposal and, within a short span, fell asleep.  I was fascinated by their intimacy.  If I were his legitimate sister, would I ever feel that comfortable with him?  At ease enough to sleep on his shoulder?  I could not imagine it.

Within moments, Mrs. Annesley’s head began to fall forward as she, too, drifted into slumber.  Mr. Darcy and I rode in silence for some time before I spoke again.  I kept my voice low so that I might not disturb our companions. 

“So you are ‘Wills’ to your little sister?”

He nodded.  “And you are ‘Lizzy’ to yours, am I correct?  To my mind, the diminutive does not suit you.”

“Oh?  And what would you have me called?”

“I do not think I could ever think of you by any name other than ‘Elizabeth.’”

“And I cannot fathom calling you by any name other than ‘Mr. Darcy.’”

“Is that not formal?  Our close connection does not warrant addressing each other in that manner in private.”

“Pray, sir!  Mrs. Annesley might hear you.”

“She is a sound sleeper; do not worry.”

I leaned forward and peered closely at the woman.  Assured that she truly was insensible to her surroundings, I felt easier and took up the conversation again.  “What should I call you then?  ‘Wills’ belongs to Georgiana, and I fear my tongue would trip over ‘Fitzwilliam,’ so what else other than ‘Mr. Darcy’?”

“You are clever enough.  I believe you will select a name for me.”

“I suppose there is always ‘Fitz’ or ‘Fitzy.’”  I cut my eyes at him to see how he responded to my mockery.

“I call my cousin ‘Fitz,’ and no one shall ever call me ‘Fitzy.’  I forbid it.”

“Forbid?  Oh my.  Then that leaves but one option. I shall have to call you ‘Willie.’”

“Under no circumstances!”  He spoke with such force that Georgiana stirred in her sleep.

“Shush,” I whispered. “You will wake the child.”

“Then soften the provocation.”

I struggled to subdue my laughter.   Silence ensued, and I turned my attention to the passing landscape.  The farther north we traveled, the whiter the countryside appeared.  I had rarely seen so great an amount of snow, and I loved the artistic purity of it.  It was as though the woods and meadows had been washed clean, scrubbed with a generous helping of soapsuds.

“I have it!” I whispered at last.  “The perfect name for you, sir―ʻFitzwilly’!”

His left eyebrow shot up like a bullet.  “Then I shall call you ‘Bessie.’  Shall that please you?”

“My father’s cow is called ‘Bessie.’”

A satisfied smirk settled about his mouth.  “Then I suggest a compromise:  I shall be ‘William,’ and you shall be ‘Elizabeth.’  Agreed?”

“Oh, very well…although I do think ‘Fitzwilly’ possesses a certain distinction.”

“As does ‘Bessie.’”

 I could not help but laugh, and I was pleased to see the hint of a reluctant smile emerge upon his face at last.

About the Book:

Will a mysterious note from the past doom the love of Jane Austen’s most beloved couple?

A Peculiar Connection begins near the close of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Bent on preventing the engagement of her nephew to Elizabeth Bennet, Lady Catherine de Bourgh declares that any union between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth would be “a sin against Heaven itself!”  Her shocking revelation, along with a cryptic message written over twenty years earlier, thrusts the couple into a whirlwind of heartbreak and disbelief.

Could a deserted mansion in Derbyshire or a small church hidden in the wood hold the key to solving the puzzle?  And why is Elizabeth inexplicably drawn to the portrait of three young boys in Pemberley’s gallery?  

Determined to confirm or refute Lady Catherine’s accusation, Darcy and Elizabeth are forced to embark upon a twisted trail into bygone days and family secrets.  All the while, they must endure the exquisite torture of denying the indisputable desire that still hovers between them. 

 About the Author:

After leaving a long career in the world of business, Jan Hahn began writing stories based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in 2002.  
 Her first novel, An Arranged Marriage, was published in 2011 by Meryton Press and won Best Indie Novel from Austen Prose that year.  Her second novel, The Journey, was selected by Austen Prose as one of the Top Five Austen Inspired Historical Novels of 2012, and it won the Favorite Pride and Prejudice Variation/Alternate Path award from Austenesque. In 2014, Austen Prose listed Ms. Hahn’s third novel, The Secret Betrothal, among the Best Austenesque Historical Novels. She is a member of JASNA and lives in Texas. 

Visit Jan on Facebook or at Meryton Press

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