A More Engaging Guest Review...The Exile: Kitty Bennet & the Belle Époque

Available at Amazon

Sophia Rose is back with her "more engaging' guest review of The Exile: Kitty Bennet and the Belle Époque, Don Jacobson. This is the third review by Sophia Rose of The Bennet Wardrobe Series. If you missed the first two, find them here;
The Keeper: Mary Bennet's Extraordinary Journey and Henry Fitzwilliam's War. There's a giveaway so don't forget to have your share in the conversation.

*****

The Exile: Kitty Bennet and the Belle Epoque by Don Jacobson

#2 The Bennet Wardrobe

Time Travel Romance, Austenesque

Publisher:  Self-published

Published:  6.2.17

Pages:  286

Format: ebook

Source: author

Sellers:  Amazon; Barnes& Noble; GoodReads  

Blurb:

Longbourn, December 1811.

The day after Jane and Lizzy marry dawns especially cold for young Kitty Bennet. Called to Papa’s bookroom, she is faced with a resolute Mr. Bennet who intends to punish her complicity in her sister’s elopement. She will be sent packing to a seminary in far-off Cornwall.

She reacts like any teenager chafing under the “burden” of parental rules—she throws a tantrum. In her fury, she slams her hands against the doors of The Bennet Wardrobe.

Her heart’s desire?

"I wish they were dead! Anywhere but Cornwall! Anywhere but here!"

As Lydia later said, “The Wardrobe has a unique sense of humor.”

London, May 1886.

Seventeen-year-old Catherine Marie Bennet tumbles out of The Wardrobe at Matlock House to come face-to-face with the austere Viscount Henry Fitzwilliam, a scion of the Five Families and one of the wealthiest men in the world. However, while their paths may have crossed that May morning, Henry still fights his feelings for another woman, lost to him nearly thirty years in his future. And Miss Bennet must now decide between exile to the remote wastelands of Cornwall or making a new life for herself in Victorian Britain and Belle Époque France.

The Exile follows the story of Kitty Bennet as she grows from the coughing follower of her younger sister, Lydia, into a bright and engaging young woman living in the exciting world of the late 19th Century. However, she must pass through many trials before she can fully understand why the Wardrobe sent her 75 years into the future—and for her to become one of the most important fixtures in the Bennet Wardrobe Universe. 

Review:

It started with the making of a magical wardrobe and turned into a family legacy.  Keepers of the wardrobe have stepped up in their turn to show their worth and this time its Kitty and Henry's turn.

I am so glad I was able to read the novella Henry Fitzwilliam's War before embarking on The Exile, here.  It definitely helped to shape my understanding and deeper interest in this first volume of Kitty's story.  Ah yes, this is indeed part one.  I'm glad of that or I'd feel consternation about requiring more.

Though, that said, this one started slow with the laying down of the foundation of the story that takes place predominately in the 1880's before it catapults the reader into an intense, darker, grittier path than expected.  I'll issue a trigger warning here for those who are unable to read about abuse at this time.  Kitty must go through the fires of hell before coming out on the other side and I was moved deeply over her plight.  I wished Henry could have been fleshed out more during all this which is why I made the comment earlier that it was good to get that earlier story that lets the reader in on why he's so reticent.

I do not wish to spoil for other readers the shocking events in store for Kitty so I won't detail out the events.  I will say that she goes from petulant teenager to deeply introspective woman who is ready to take her place as a mover and shaker in the world.

On a side note, I got a kick out of the cameos from Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Renoir, and Freud.  What could be better when one is getting a Time Travel Family Saga than to see the characters rubbing shoulders with great literary and real famous figures.

The ending was gravely ominous without ending on a dreaded cliffie and set things up for the next part of Kitty's story.  My only disappointment was wanting a longer denouement before the epilogue for Kitty and Henry after all they experienced in this one.  Perhaps it comes later.

I continued to be quite captivated by this riveting series and am eager to press forward for what is to come.  Again, I am nudging this series toward Austen lovers particularly if they enjoy a strong ration of magical time travel with their variations and sequels.

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Author’s Bio:

Don Jacobson has written professionally for forty years. His output has ranged from news and features to advertising, television and radio. His work has been nominated for Emmys and other awards. He has previously published five books, all non-fiction.

He now exclusively writes Regency Romance fiction. In 2016, he published The Keeper: Mary Bennet’s Extraordinary Journey which began the Bennet Wardrobe saga.

Subsequent books in the series include:

Henry Fitzwilliam's War (e-novelette) (2016)
The Exile: Kitty Bennet and the Belle Epoch (2017)
Lizzy Bennet Meets the Countess (2017)
The Exile: The countess Visits Longbourn (2018)

He also published the paired novellas Of Fortune's Reversal and The Maid and The Footman which examine the same event from two different perspectives: that of the gentry and that of the servants.

He holds an advanced degree in History with a specialty in American Foreign Relations. As a college instructor, Don teaches United States History, World History, the History of Western Civilization and Research Writing.

He is a member of the Jane Austen Society of Puget Sound (JASNA). He is also a member of the Regency Romance writers' collective Austen Authors.

Author’s Website:  http://donjacobsonauthor.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AustenesqueAuth

Sophia Rose Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate. Writing has been a compelling need since childhood.

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose

*****

Thanks for taking the time to drop by and read the review of The Exile: Kitty Bennet and the Belle Époque. Have you read it yet? If so, what did you think? Sophia, thanks for telling us what you thought of this book in The Bennet Wardrobe Series. I am enjoying reading your reviews of these books that are so unique. Until April...when we share your thoughts on Lizzy Bennet Meets the Countess. The giveaway is one eBook of The Exile: Kitty Bennet and the Belle Époque. The giveaway ends at 11:59 on the 25th of March. Good luck to all. The giveaway is international.

Guest Review by a Great Reader...The Child

Available at Amazon

Good morning, Dear Readers! We have a special treat today. Christina Boyd is visiting and is sharing her thoughts on Jan Hahn's new release, The Child. Her review will give you a taste of what will be coming during the blog tour for The Child, which starts on March 21st. 

Thank you, Christina, and welcome to More Agreeably Engaged.

A Review: The Child by Jan Hahn

Accomplished author Jan Hahn’s latest Austenesque novel, The Child, beseeches “can love overcome all, even the prejudice against a child born to an archenemy?” She writes just the kind of tale that lures me in, consumes me. In Hahn’s stirring re-imagining of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, two years after Miss Elizabeth Bennet baldly refused his hand in marriage, Mr. Darcy beholds her from across a London street...with a young child in tow. A child! Whose child? But before he can approach her, he is called into the church: “I say, Darce, are you coming? ... The bride is waiting, Darcy!” Bride! Whose bride? Thus, within the first pages, I was addicted.

Years have changed Darcy and Elizabeth since that ill-conceived proposal at the Hunsford parsonage and each has their own cross to bear. Darcy learns that while he and Charles Bingley toured the continent to escape heartache, the Bennets of Longbourn have been embroiled in scandal—the Wickham affair. George Wickham, his boyhood friend, now foe, had eloped with a Bennet daughter, abandoning her with child. Hearing the rumors, all fingers point to Elizabeth as the unwed mother. Yet, when the Bennets’ horse throws a shoe and waylays their carriage on the road to Hertfordshire, Fate intervenes, once again propelling Darcy and Bingley into the company of Miss Jane Bennet and Elizabeth. Offering to deliver the ladies and “the child” home, Darcy cannot but observe the interaction between Miss Elizabeth and Baby Fan:

Naturally, Elizabeth tended to the little girl, I observed she was a most proficient mother. How tender her touch and her tone as she petted and soothed the little one! Just the kind of mother I had envisioned her to be. I remembered dreams of old that had contained a child of mine suckling at her breast. Long vanished now, man!

Back in the neighborhood, the gentlemen see with their own eyes how even the four and twenty families of Meryton have shunned the Bennets. Gossips declare that Wickham is the father and Darcy is tested like never before—guilt, resentment, and pride clash with his enduring, unrequited love and his need to somehow, some way, restore the Bennets’ honor. How could she not have heeded his warning and eloped with the blackguard, resulting in these shameful consequences? Told in the first-person narrative through Darcy’s eyes, the warring between his sense and sensibilities is honest and intimate.  

Abruptly, she withdrew her hand from mine. I realized she could not bear the shame of my disapproval, for I represented society, the same society that condemned her and her family. Our hypocrisy be damned! Neither Elizabeth nor her sisters should suffer the degradation Wickham had inflicted upon them.

Darcy knows Bingley can never marry Jane Bennet as long as the child remains in the Bennet household—a constant reminder of their misfortune and fall from grace—and he takes it upon himself to find Wickham and convince him to claim the child (read: bribery). Alas, nothing ensues as Darcy expects and he must disguise these machinations—and his yearning—or risk losing all he has ever desired.

Immediately, I realized how I had exposed my feelings. What in blazes had I been thinking? That was the problem—I had not been thinking at all. I had been caught up in the pleasure of walking with Elizabeth and basking in the delicious scent that wafted over me when we inadvertently stepped too close to each other.

Further, several beloved and anticipated characters from canon add color to this heart-stopping tale.

I first discovered the elegant writings of “JanH” in February 2007 on-line at Mrs. Darcy’s Story Site. I inhaled all she had published on the Web and when she was posting her “work-in-progress” (WIP) on Sunday evenings, Sunday became “JanH Night” in my house—and soon after the dishes were put away, I was on-line, reading her latest installment. In 2011, she began posting The Child; this WIP became my weekly high, my drug of choice. To my delight, seven years later, I find this tightened and edited version exceptional as anticipated, nay, as expected. Hahn’s absolute understanding of Austen’s characters, imaginative story, and adept research of the language and mores of Regency England create powerful imagery and emotive reading. I heartily recommend you read The Child sooner than later. But be warned, once you start it, you won’t be able to stop. You’ll find yourself at midnight swearing, “Just one more chapter. I can stop any time.” 5 stars. —Christina Boyd

Christina Boyd wears many hats as she is an editor under her own banner, The Quill Ink, a contributor to Austenprose, and a commercial ceramicist. A life member of Jane Austen Society of North America, Christina lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her dear Mr. B, two busy teenagers, and a retriever named BiBi. She is the editor of anthologies The Darcy Monologues, Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues, and another coming later in 2018. Visiting Jane Austen’s England was made possible by actor Henry Cavill when she won the Omaze experience to meet him in the spring of 2017 on the London Eye. True story. You can Google it.

Jan Hahn's much loved eBook, The Journey, is on sale for $1.99. Thank you Meryton Press.

Christina, I want to say a special thanks to you for agreeing to visit my blog and post your thoughts on The Child by Jan Hahn. I loved everything you said about the book. It is such a good novel and I'm thrilled to see it published as well. It's been a privilege to have you share your review with me and my readers. I invite you to come back anytime. Thank you again.

If you haven't already purchased the eBook, you have a chance to win it here. I'm giving it away and the giveaway is international. Please leave a comment for a chance to win. The giveaway ends March 19th at 11:59 PM. Good luck to all.

MAE Favorites of 2017 and the Ides of March

March was the first month of the year in the Roman calendar and March 15th always fell on a full moon. The Ides of March was the deadline for the Romans of old to pay off debts and settle affairs. I'm not a Roman but I will settle some affairs today. Even though some may consider the Ides of March an unlucky day, I'm choosing to consider it a good day for me to share some of my favorites. While I may be a little late posting my favorites of 2017, according to our calendar, I'm not late according to the Roman calendar. ☺ ♥ 

There were so many books that I did not get to read in 2017, but I've started reading some of those this year. I hope to get to many more of them and some being released in 2018 too. Isn't it wonderful how many good books we have, allowing us to spend time, reliving with the characters, the wonderful plots and twists imagined by the authors. I love getting immersed in their world and their lives for a short while.

The reads that made a lasting impression are below and not necessarily in any order. How many of these were your favorites too? I know some of mine also made it on a few other blog lists for favorites of 2017.

To read an interesting article on the Ides of March, click this link.

Variations:

These Dreams by Nicole Clarkston

Two lovers are torn apart by a horrendous act, yet are beautifully connected by a strong thread that forever binds them together. This epic novel is much more than a Darcy and Lizzy love story.
It has many layers and as you peel back each layer, the story gets richer and more in depth. 

The Best Part of Love by A. D'Orazio
I truly enjoyed this first release by author, A. D'Orazio.
It was a neat change having Lizzy's true identity unknown to Darcy. Hiding in plain sight, 
Lizzy is much more than she is thought to be. Her story is different and fraught with danger.

A Quest for Mr. Darcy by Cassandra Grafton
Cassandra Grafton wrote a lovely story whose Darcy made me swoon. Oh my!
There are many exquisite unplanned moments with Darcy and Lizzy. A stranger in the woods,
a mistaken fox, a bucket of water, and the Bingley twins all add to the mystery and fun.

Mr. Darcy's Brides by Regina Jeffers
This was such a unique plot and I loved it! Regina Jeffers can spin a good tale. It was great
spending so much time with Darcy and Lizzy. As they got to know each other,
it was wonderful experiencing it with them.

Mr. Bennet's Dutiful Daughter by Joana Starnes
Aww, what can I say? This was another excellent story by author, Joana Starnes. I'll read anything she writes! I love a forced or arranged marriage scenario with much Darcy/Lizzy time and a little (or a lot) of angst thrown in. Nobody tortures Darcy and Lizzy like Joana Starnes! 

When We Are Married by Caitlin Williams
This was such a good story. Darcy was in quite a predicament with Jane and her misunderstanding.
It was interesting to witness this different turn of events. This is one of the few books that show another side to Jane Bennet and did so in a way that felt believable.

Mistress by Sophie Turner
I was unsure about reading this in the beginning but was curious about the premise. I'm so glad I chose to read it. Sophie Turner convinced me, while keeping the characters true to their originals, that the story could have happened just like she wrote it.

Mini-Novel:

A Most Handsome Gentleman by Suzan Lauder

This comedy made me laugh more times than I can remember. It was quite fun!
Collins, may have been handsome but what about his personality? 

Christmas Anthology:

A Very Austen Christmas by Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis and Barbara Cornthwaite

Each of these stories was so well-written and entertaining.

I was left with a satisfying and good feeling. It is an excellent read at Christmas but would be enjoyable any time of the year. I highly recommend these four stories.

Anthology:

The Darcy Monologues edited by Christina Boyd
The short stories were all from Darcy's point of view and were divided into Regency
and contemporary settings. With this many authors and the quality of their writing,
there should be something for every reader. 

Series:

The Bennet Wardrobe by Don Jacobson

This includes all the books I read in 2017. I love this series of novels and novellas. The Wardrobe takes on a life of its own, helping those of Bennet blood to reach their full potential. Mr. Jacobson incorporates other fictional characters, as well as historical people to interact within his story.
This series is an 'extraordinary journey'.

The Keeper: Mary Bennet's Extraordinary Journey 

Henry Fitzwilliam's War 
The Exile: Kitty Bennet and the Belle Époque

Elizabeth Bennet Meets the Countess
The Exile: The Countess Visits Longbourn

Most Unique and Fun:

Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice in 61 Haiku by James Gaynor
This is the most unusual book I've read in awhile. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this author's take of the first lines of each chapter. I laughed out loud numerous times.
The Haiku made me think and taught me a thing or two.

*****

That's my list of most memorable reads of 2017. How many are the same as yours? What are some of your favorites? I would love to know and add them to my TBR list if they are not already there. :) I have a rather lengthyTBR list that is growing daily!

Thanks for stopping by and looking at my favorites. Of all the books I read last year, none of them were poorly written. I enjoyed things about each of them. I'm already making my list for 2018. I'm hoping there will be some North & South variations to include in it! Hint, hint!

Cover Reveal...The Child by Jan Hahn

My guest is not only an excellent author but also a dear friend. I'm thrilled to host Jan Hahn and the cover for her soon to be released novel, The Child.  This long awaited book is set to release around the 16th of March and her blog tour will follow soon after. I can hardly wait to see what all Jan has in store for us. I'm excited for the fun to begin!

Before we get to the actual reveal of the cover, Jan is going to talk to us about some similarities in creating a book cover and writing a book. Jan, it's all yours.

THE CHILD

Thank you, Janet, for not only hosting the cover reveal of my new book, but for designing the cover. I’m very happy with it, and I loved working on the project with you.

Creating a book cover and creating the book itself have several things in common.

As an author, I find plot is the first hurdle. Naturally, the overall focus of all my books is Darcy and Elizabeth’s love story―how they fall in love, overcome obstacles, and find their way to a happy conclusion. The obstacle is the sticky point. In my last book, A Peculiar Connection, Elizabeth struggled with the assumption that she was an illegitimate child. Evidently, the idea of scandal still hovered somewhere in my subconscious when the scheme for The Child began to take form. I knew I wanted to do something I had not attempted before―write a story from Darcy’s point of view―and I wanted to begin years after Elizabeth refused his offer of marriage at Hunsford. I wanted the difference in status between Darcy and Elizabeth to be even more pronounced than it was in Austen’s original Pride and Prejudice. Adding a child to the mix produced the necessary wrinkle.

When Janet and I began to discuss ideas for the cover, I sent her a portrait of a child. That, and the story were my sole contributions. As she always does, Janet went through the book and marked scenes that might be pertinent for the front and back covers. Since I like oil paintings, she began her search for appropriate nineteenth century art.

In 2011, I posted The Child online on a couple of Austen-based websites. Although it was well received, I wasn’t satisfied with it. I found writing from a male viewpoint difficult, and I wanted to change parts of the book. I really did not intend to publish it. During the past seven years, however, readers have continued to ask about the story and strongly encouraged me to release it. Last year, Meryton Press agreed to publish it in early 2018. Thus, I began rewriting parts, omitting some passages, and creating new scenes.

In the same vein, Janet tried several different approaches when designing the cover. She found the right art work of the child and played with it until she had a pleasing format. She selected the background and lightened it until the flowers could be seen. St. George’s Church played an interesting part in the plot, and a lovely painting of the building existed. Janet worked her magic on the print until it turned out just right. She also found other paintings we could possibly use―a hut hidden in the woods, men on horseback obviously searching, and a woman lying in the snow―all reflecting significant scenes in the story. Janet made various drafts using these works of art. Although we ended up using only two paintings, I enjoyed seeing the choices she created. Her beautiful finds made me wish I was writing an illustrated book!

 

Our final product contains a story I’m happy to send out into the world all wrapped up in a beautiful book with simple but elegant front and back covers. I hope you enjoy The Child.




Now for the cover reveal of The Child...

Thank you Meryton Press and Jan Hahn for allowing me the privilege of working on the cover

and working with you again, Jan. It was a pleasure, as always. Readers, what do you think?

Isn't this child beautiful? She has such a sweet little face and lovely hair. Although, I must admit, much like her relationship with Darcy in part of the book, we had a similar beginning.

I'll leave it to you to figure out what that might be when you read the book. :) 

Thanks to you, Claudine Pepe, and to Meryton Press, for giving me the opportunity to host

the cover reveal for The Child and Jan Hahn. This one is special for many reasons.

We hope you love the cover that encases a lovelier book within.

The blurb will give you a bit more information about the story inside. Enjoy.

Blurb: 

Will Darcy ever grow to love a child he never wanted?

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth Bennet at Hunsford is disastrous. In Jan Hahn’s The Child, Darcy flees England soon afterward, striving to overcome his longing for her. Upon his return two years later―while standing on the steps of St. George’s Church in Hanover Square―he spies the very woman he has vowed to forget. But who is the child holding her hand?

Darcy soon discovers that Elizabeth and her family are suffering the effects of a devastating scandal. His efforts to help the woman he still loves only worsen her family’s plight. His misguided pride entangles him in a web of falsehood, fateful alliances, and danger.

Will Elizabeth be able to forgive Darcy for his good intentions gone awry? And what effect will the child have on Darcy’s hopes to win Elizabeth’s love?

Author Bio:

Award-winning writer Jan Hahn is the author of five Austen-inspired novels. She studied music at the University of Texas, but discovered her true love was a combination of journalism and literature. Her first book, An Arranged Marriage, was published in 2011, followed by The Journey, The Secret Betrothal, A Peculiar Connection, and The Child. The anthology, The Darcy Monologues, contains her short story entitled Without Affection. She agrees with Mr. Darcy’s words in Pride and Prejudice: ‘A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.’

Jan is a member of JASNA, lives in Texas, has five children and a gaggle of grandchildren.

Giveaway:

We hope you enjoyed today's cover reveal for The Child and learning a bit more about Jan and her creative thoughts when writing this book. We had a great time with the pictures and design that wrap it up. I agree, Jan. An illustrated book would have been fun! 

Claudine Pepe is hosting a giveaway for the cover reveal. She is giving away one eBook of The Child to be gifted at the time of the book's release around the 16th of March. The giveaway is international and will end at 11:59 PM on the 14th of March. Good luck to all. Please share your thoughts and some love in the comments below. If you want a chance at the giveaway, leave me your contact information, unless you know that I already have it! If in doubt, leave it again. Thanks to each of you for stopping by. Please feel free to share about the cover reveal on social media. 

Meryton Press has a nice surprise for you and has given me the honor to announce it with this post. In conjunction with the cover reveal and release of Jan Hahn's The Child, Meryton Press is having a special sale on two of Jan's other books, An Arranged Marriage and The Journey. What a great time to get these eBooks if you do not own them. 

The sale dates are as follows:

March 8-14; An Arranged Marriage will be $1.99

March 15-21; The Journey will be $1.99

Isn't this great news! Thank you Meryton Press for this sale. These are the first two published books by Jan Hahn and if you haven't read them, I encourage you to get them and dive in. I highly recommend both. They are two of my all time favorites. I've lost count on how many times I've read An Arranged Marriage, and I've read The Journey almost as many times. Great books! Don't you just love these banners too! They look so fresh and make me feel like spring is around the corner! An Arranged Marriage is on sale now and The Journey sale starts on the 15th!

Mark Brownlow...Cake and Courtship

Available on Amazon US & UK

I am so excited to have Mark Brownlow visit us today. This is his first time at More Agreeably Engaged. His book, Cake & Courtship is 'a tale of love, regret and nerve tonic'. Don't you just love that line? I do! I bet we can guess about the nerve tonic! lol

I invite you take a little time and get to know Mark Brownlow. If you have been following his blog tour, you have been treated to some delicious, I mean, great posts. I can't seem to get my mind away from Mark's giveaway, or maybe it's the title of his book! Either way, I hope you enjoy this stop and comment for a chance to win.

Blurb:

When John Barton falls in love with the elusive Anne Hayter, there is only one man he can turn to for advice. Unfortunately, that man is Mr Bennet of Longbourn, a world-weary gentleman with five daughters pursuing their own marital ambitions.

To help John, Mr Bennet must emerge from his beloved library and face the challenges of the tearoom and dance floor one more time. In doing so, he finds his own romantic past catching up with him.

In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Mark Brownlow takes you on an Austenesque journey full of wry humour and Regency romance (with a few slices of sponge cake).

“As you get older, Lizzy, you will discover that life does not
bow easily to the wishes of even the most romantic of souls.
Quite the opposite. Life must be mastered with pragmatism
and sense, which explains why so few people succeed at it.“

Cake and Courtship is a standalone story, but also the first book of Mr Bennet’s memoirs. Look out for the sequel in 2018.


*****

Mark, I turn it over to you! :)

Thanks so much, Janet, for having me over!

My novel Cake and Courtship tells the story of how Mr Bennet is thrust into the unusual and alarming position of having to help a young man (John Barton) court a young lady (Anne Hayter). And all while the first part of Pride and Prejudice is going on around him.

The book also deals with Mr Bennet’s changing relationships, particularly to his own past. As John and Anne’s story develops, events and conversations force our dear Mr Bennet to reflect on his own youth and character, and we learn a little more about just why he is touched by cynicism.

There is, however, one relationship within the book that remains unchanging throughout – the one he has with Elizabeth.

We know from Pride and Prejudice that Mr Bennet has a high opinion of his second-oldest daughter and that they share some common characteristics, such as intelligence, wit and a marvellous way of jousting with words. His love for Elizabeth is perhaps best expressed in the scene after Darcy asks for his consent. Mr Bennet wants to be sure she has a husband that deserves her, one she can truly respect. In other words, he doesn’t want her to suffer like he has. As he says:

“I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to anyone less worthy.”

Since the Cake and Courtship story all takes place pre-Hunsford, Elizabeth is still at home.  She is the only female at Longbourn that Mr Bennet regards as his intellectual equal, particularly once Jane leaves for London. So Elizabeth plays a vital role in the novel’s plot. But I also wanted her there to highlight that special father-daughter bond between the two characters. There is plenty of teasing and verbal sparring, but also moments of tenderness.

In the original, Mr Bennet refuses to insist on his Lizzy marrying the delightful Mr Collins. This leads to one of the most memorable lines in the book:

“An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

In my variation, we learn a little more of Mr Bennet’s frustration with his guest from Hunsford, who is a comic gift to any writer, but we also see some more of the aftermath of the failed proposal. In this little excerpt, he explains his decision to Lizzy. Enjoy!

 *****

The following day began ominously. The rain got in and ruined my copy of the Chronicle. Then Peggy took ill and Froggat spent all morning nursing her. Presumably it was something she ate, since our pig would eat anything and everything. The time she got hold of some rum cake was still a fresh memory for us all. We pursued her across the meadows all the way to Meryton, where she put a small gathering of officers to flight. Discretion appeared to be the better part of their valour when confronted with two hundred pounds of drunk sow.

Then Mr Collins proposed to Lizzy.

I was not privileged to hear the exact words he used, but he likely managed to mention the name of his patron and express his affection in as insulting a manner as possible. Lizzy turned him down, of course.

Such a marriage would have solved many problems. But Mr Collins as a son-in-law? I would rather have dined with Peggy, who at least would be silent on the topic of Lady Catherine and fireplaces.

Naturally, Mrs Bennet saw the proposal differently. Once I refused to intercede on Mr Collins’s behalf, I knew the future would soon contain the words “my nerves” and “vexing.” The study seemed the best place to retreat to.

Lizzy found me there, hunched over my desk, gripping a pinned dragonfly. She rested her hands on my shoulders and leant down to whisper, “Thank you.”

I stared up at her, all deep brown eyes and high cheekbones. She had much of Mrs Bennet in her looks, but, fortunately, less in her character. “Today has not been an easy one for us all, especially your mother.”

“And you seek refuge from her anger in your collections?”

“Some men flee their cares through drink or a mistress, but for me there is nothing better than sending colours cascading across a set of wings as they turn in the sunlight. Insects interest me far more than any loosed cork or looser woman. Also, your mother does not like the smell in here.”

Lizzy nodded and then moved to leave. Before she reached the door, she turned. “May I ask why you said no?”

“I could not imagine you having to listen to descriptions of fireplaces every night for the rest of your life.”

She smiled, waiting for more.

“My dear, there are so many rational reasons why a match with Mr Collins would be advantageous and I will not question your sensibility by listing them.” My new resolve, forged in the fire of those smiles in London, pulled more words from me, though I hesitated before continuing, glancing at the wings of the dragonfly in my hand. “I have seen what it is to live with someone you neither love nor respect. I wish such a fate for none, least of all a favourite daughter. Some say that love can grow with time. Respect, too. This may be so, but not between two people so unequal in intelligence and character as you and Mr Collins.”

“I could not learn to love Mr Collins.” It was half a question.

“Love needs a foundation to prosper, good soil to plant its roots. Mr Collins is rock and sand—love will never grow there, excepting his own love for himself.”

“Does a marriage need love to succeed?”

“No, but a marriage without love cannot bring true happiness. And I would wish such happiness for you, Lizzy. Your mother is fond of saying that Jane’s beauty cannot be for nothing. I believe the same of your intelligence. It will find its reward, though it will take a special kind of man, of that I have no doubt. Mr Collins is certainly special, but not in that way.” I returned her smile. “And there, now you have witnessed my romantic side. Let us not talk of it again. I have a reputation to keep and it will do no good to expose myself so.”

*****

Contact:

Mark’s website
Mark’s author page at Goodreads
Mark’s author page at Amazon.co.uk
Mark’s author page at Amazon.com
Mark on Twitter
Mark on Facebook

*****

Author Bio:

Mark Brownlow is a British-born writer living in Vienna, Austria. His debut novel, Cake and Courtship, is a Regency romance narrated by Pride and Prejudice’s Mr Bennet. He has also written a novella, The Lovesick Maid, a cozy mystery set in Jane Austen’s fictional village of Hunsford. You can find Mark at LostOpinions.com, where he is known for his reimagining of classic literature as emails.

Science degrees from the Universities of Oxford, Aberdeen and Reading prefaced a short-lived career as a research academic. Since turning from facts to fiction, Mark has also worked as a translator, agony aunt, marketing consultant, journalist, business writer, web publisher and copywriter. None of which kept his soul happy in the way that creative writing does. When not writing, he works as a part-time lecturer in medical and scientific English at a local university.

If there is no pen to hand, he can be found watching his kids play football or sharing a glass of wine with his wife in front of a costume or historical drama.

Giveaway:

It's giveaway time and Mark Brownlow leaves with quite a dilemma. Which should you choose if you are the winner? Chocolates or a paperback of Cake & Courtship? Of course, you want the paperback, but...those Viennese chocolates are calling your name! Decisions, decisions! I have it on good authority that those chocolates "may" all be gone! They are next to Mark's desk AND they are also calling to him! LOL The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time on the 12th of March. Good luck to all of you. The giveaway is international.

Mark, thank you so much for stopping by. It has been such a pleasure having you visit. I enjoyed your post and the excerpt immensely! I'm ready to read the book and munch on some chocolates! Mine may not be Vienesse but, they are still chocolates! 

I hope you are having fun on the blog tour. I have read your posts and liked every one! They've been great! Best wishes with your book.

If you have missed some of the stops, the blog tour schedule is above. 

And the winners are...

Thank you to all who stopped by and commented on Sophia Rose's reviews and on my review. Sophia Rose shared her thoughts on The Keeper: Mary Bennet's Extraordinary Journey and Henry Fitzwilliam's War, both by Don Jacobson. I shared mine on These Dreams by Nicole Clarkston. From your comments, winners were randomly selected and those winners need announcing! 

Drum Roll......

The Keeper: Mary Bennet's Extraordinary Journey

by Don Jacobson

eBook: Eva Edmonds

*****

These Dreams by Nicole Clarkston

eBook: BeckyC

Once again, thanks to each of you for stopping by and having your share in the conversation. I love reading your thoughts. Congratulations to the winners. Enjoy reading your new eBooks.

Thank you for supporting More Agreeably Engaged. Thanks to the authors for creating such fabulous books for us to love!