Welcome to (or back to) Austen Promises!
Below are my news and updates for this week. Enjoy!
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How are things?
This is another week with not a lot of writing news to share. I wrote more this week than last. My word count was over 2,000, though I don’t have a specific number. It’s not adequate, since I should be doing at least that every day, but it’s something! LOL
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My Austen Authors post was this past Monday. It was about quilts in the Regency. If you’ve not read it, feel free to drop by and have a gander.
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As a special treat (and a way to actually fill up this embarrassingly sparse newsletter), here’s an excerpt from the new (untitled) book:
Fitzwilliam Darcy stood rigidly at the altar of the church, his mien stoic and resolved. Beside him stood his bride, a young lady he had only met the day before. He glanced at her as he listened to the rector begin the service.
Elizabeth Bennet’s cheeks were red. Indeed, her entire face was brightly burning. Like Darcy, her posture was stiff. Her jaw clenched; he could hear her teeth grind together periodically.
“Wilt thou, Fitzwilliam George Darcy, have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”
Darcy’s attention snapped back to the rector. He swallowed. He could feel his father’s gaze drilling into his back. He closed his eyes. “I will.” His eyes opened once more and he focused them on the wall behind the clergyman.
Mr. Pound nodded and turned to Elizabeth. “Wilt thou, Elizabeth Rose Bennet, have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”
For a long moment, there was only silence from Elizabeth. Darcy heard Mr. Bennet’s throat clear behind them and he turned his head to look at her.
“I will.” Elizabeth’s voice was clipped and full of defiance. Darcy could see angry tears forming in her eyes.
A few moments later, Darcy was called upon to take Elizabeth’s right hand with his. Through his gloves and hers, he felt a jolt travel up his arm. He gasped at the same moment she did. Their eyes met and locked. They remained that way until his attention was called to the ring, which his father, serving in the office of best man, carried.
Darcy and his bride stood side by side through the remaining prayers and sermon. They retained the feelings of anger, resentment, and resolve that had carried them through the first part of the ceremony. Now that they were not touching, the spark that had struck them was nearly forgotten.
At the end of the ceremony, after they had signed the register, Darcy offered his arm to Elizabeth. Struck again by the shock of feeling when she curled her hand around his elbow, he remained mute as they strode down the church aisle and out the door. He escorted his new wife through the small crowd of well-wishers, handing her into the open carriage and seating himself beside her. The driver slapped the reins, putting them into motion. The trip to Longbourn was short – no more than five minutes, at most – and before Darcy could think of something to say to this stranger he had married, they were pulling to a stop in front of the house.
In personal news, we were struck with a heat wave, which in part explains my lack of productivity for at least a day and a half. I ended up putting air conditioners in the windows on Wednesday, so I have a cool place to write and a cool place to sleep now. However, I cannot go to the lake to write when it’s hot like this, because Wickham has no air conditioning. :’(
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For those who are following my Burton Cottage Crochet page on the book of faces (Facebook), I added a new sweater to the collection. The color is called Bonbon and it’s a combination of reds, blues, and greens that is quite pretty. The official size is Large, but to be honest, it feels bigger than that to me. It could be that the ombre yarns are lighter weight than the solids, or it could be the new hook. It has me almost convinced that the one I was using for the first sweaters was not really a P.
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I must confess my mental state is one of frustration again. It’s totally my fault, because there are things I should be doing that I’m not, but it exists just the same. I’m trying to do better. 🙂
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How are you? Are you taking care of yourself? Have your kids driven you nuts yet? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what’s new. I love to hear from my readers!
