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.
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