As you can probably see by the title, this post was supposed to be published yesterday. For the delay I offer sincere apologies, for I was anticipating this post, which is an excerpt! I hope you will all forgive me if I offer this little tidbit to you, a story that you’ll be able to read for yourself by the end of the month!

The story is called Mr. Darcy’s Return, though that might change if whim and fancy take me in another direction. The premise is this: just before Christmas, rumors of Mr. Bingley’s return to Netherfield Park fly about the neighborhood, but Elizabeth discovers the identity of the returning gentleman is not the amiable gentleman, but his dour friend! I hope you will enjoy this excerpt!

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As Elizabeth had apprehended, all Mr. Bennet’s threats on the subject of Mr. Collins’s aborted proposal could not silence his wife’s tongue completely. In the ensuing days, Elizabeth noted that her mother took care to make her jibes out of her husband’s hearing, and Elizabeth was mercifully spared her mother’s shrill cries on the subject. Her mother would not be denied, subjecting Elizabeth to a constant stream of invective on the subject, warnings of what happened to disobedient daughters liberally seasoned with predictions of all manner of calamities to befall them all if she did not “do her duty.” In time, Elizabeth began to consider suing the Gardiners for refuge from her mother’s constant harping.

On another front, Jane grew more miserable as the days passed, for Elizabeth’s prediction did not come true and Mr. Bingley remained stubbornly absent. Had Jane had only her own crumbling dreams to consider it might have been hard enough, but in this too, Mrs. Bennet proved a tax on her daughter’s composure, for she lamented on the subject all day long. The observant reader will not be surprised to learn that the twin subjects of Elizabeth’s recalcitrance and Jane’s disappointment often found their way into their mother’s lamentations at the same time.

Thus, the week before Christmas arrived and the time for the Gardiners to arrive approached, Elizabeth desperately hoping for her aunt and uncle’s arrival if only to distract her mother. A distraction did come, though it was not a matter any of them had expected, not as nearly a month had passed since the departure of their neighbors.

“Mama!” exclaimed Lydia that morning upon entering the house at a run. “You will never guess the news from the village!”

“Of course, I shall not, for I have other matters with which to concern me!” Mrs. Bennet’s dark glare at Elizabeth left no one in doubt as to what those matters might be. “Why I should concern myself with Meryton when other, greater matters are afoot is beyond my understanding.”

“But Mama!” protested Lydia. “When you hear our news, you will understand. For word is all over Meryton that Netherfield Park is to be opened again!”

Mrs. Bennet’s eyes grew wide. “Mr. Bingley is to come again?”

“Yes,” replied Lydia, appearing as proud as any peacock. “Mrs. Nichols has sent an order to the butcher, and several of the servants who were dismissed are being hired again. Talk is all over the town about Mr. Bingley’s coming!”

“How delightful!” exclaimed Mrs. Bennet, clapping her hands. “Oh, I knew how it must be, Jane! I know Mr. Bingley must return to you, for how could he resist?”

From that moment forward, no other subject could capture Mrs. Bennet’s attention, for she bent all her thought to Mr. Bingley’s return, how soon she could reasonably expect him to propose to her eldest daughter, and the varied stratagems she could employ to give him every opportunity. Elizabeth’s misadventure with Mr. Collins ceded its place in the forefront of her thoughts such that nothing on that score passed her lips, leaving Elizabeth relieved and thankful to the gentleman for this salvation.

The following day, the Gardiners arrived to find a happier house than they might have otherwise, and both teased Elizabeth mercilessly, having heard what the previous weeks had been like through her letters. Elizabeth allowed their wit to flow freely, for she was far too happy for her mother’s distraction to allow it. That night was the yearly Christmas party at Lucas Lodge which they were all to attend; Elizabeth had some teasing of her own in mind.

“Well, Jane,” said she as they were preparing for the evening, “tonight you shall see Mr. Bingley again. I hope you will avoid a display that will be talked about for years to come.”

“I have no notion of what you speak, Lizzy,” replied Jane, though her rosy cheeks belied her words.

“Oh, I am certain you do,” said Elizabeth, grinning openly at her sister. “Take care that you do not make Mr. Bingley so much in love with you that he falls at your feet and proposes before our neighbors in the middle of Sir William’s parlor!”

“Lizzy!” exclaimed Jane.

“You know it must be possible, Jane dearest,” replied Elizabeth. “While I cannot fathom what has kept him away for nearly four weeks, I am certain he is desperate to be in your company. Desperate people cannot always restrain themselves you know.”

“I shall take the greatest of care, dear sister,” replied Jane, her tone indicating she did not mean to endure Elizabeth’s teasing any longer.

Elizabeth drew her into a one-arm embrace and excused herself to her room to make her final preparations. She had teased Jane enough, she supposed. Now she was eager to bask in the warmth of her prediction coming true.

At Lucas Lodge, Elizabeth stepped into Sir William’s parlor, noting the door to the adjoining room was open in deference to the gentleman’s love of company and expectation of all those in attendance. He was correct to anticipate it, for in Elizabeth’s experience, this evening’s festivities were usually among the most popular events of the year. The man himself jovially welcomed the Bennets and Gardiners with his usual brand of civility, and soon he and Mr. Gardiner were speaking of business with no little animation. Elizabeth, however, was more interested in speaking with Charlotte.

“Well, Lizzy,” said Charlotte when Elizabeth reached her, exchanging a warm embrace. “Have you endured your mother any better since the last time we met?”

Elizabeth could not help her glance heavenward. “These new rumors of Netherfield Park have quite driven the matter of Mr. Collins from her mind. I cannot be more grateful, Charlotte, for I was on the knife’s edge of running away to a nunnery if only to escape her.”

The matter of Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet’s lamentations was long known to Charlotte, of course, given their close friendship. Charlotte had learned of the parson’s departure soon after the man had left, and while Elizabeth suspected Charlotte might not have been so opposed to a proposal from him given a few comments she had made, she was at least pleased that Elizabeth no longer needed to endure him. The notion of Charlotte accepting any assurances that Mr. Collins offered was no less than nauseating, but Elizabeth made no mention of it, for Charlotte had not been explicit.

“I apologize for being the bearer of bad news,” said Charlotte, appearing a little grave, “but it seems you have a misconception about what the news of Netherfield means.”

Confused, Elizabeth asked: “What do you mean?”

At that moment, Sir William’s welcoming voice interrupted their conversation and Elizabeth looked toward the gentleman and the door beyond. There, standing just inside and speaking with Sir William was the tall and imposing form of Mr. Darcy. There was no sign of Mr. Bingley.

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And that is it! Mr. Darcy’s Return is scheduled for release two weeks from today, so look for it on Amazon on that date!

As a bonus, I have a pair of offers for you. The audiobook publisher is currently running discounts for two of my audiobooks, Only Exceedingly Shy and Something More Substantial. Please see the following two images for deep discounts on those two stories.