Book Description
What if Darcy and Elizabeth were plunged into the war between England and France?
In 1803 a treaty has allowed England and France to enjoy a brief peace in the midst of the Napoleonic wars. With Darcy despondent over Elizabeth’s refusal of his proposal, Colonel Fitzwilliam proposes a trip to France as a distraction. In Paris Darcy unexpectedly encounters Elizabeth, who is visiting with the Gardiners. This is his opportunity to court Elizabeth properly. But before he can make much progress, England declares war again and Darcy must help Elizabeth flee France.
En route, Elizabeth and Darcy must battle brigands, French soldiers, illness, and their own mutual attraction – all without a chaperone.
When they return to England, they have their own secrets to conceal – even from those closest to them.
* * *
Guest Post from Victoria Kincaid
Hi Ceri, Thank you
for having me back so soon! I am
thrilled that The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth is finally out on
audiobook. Narrator Stevie Zimmerman did
a terrific job (I particularly like her voice for Darcy). Readers are in for a real treat!
Slumping
into his chair, Darcy regarded Richard through half-closed eyes, unwilling for his
cousin to realize how shaken he was by the news about Georgiana. “I can see you
will not grant me any peace until I have revealed all.”
“Now
you are talking some sense.”
Darcy
grabbed the bottle of port from the table next to Richard and quickly poured himself
another glass, quelling Richard’s incipient protest with a glare. He would not tell
the humiliating story without fortification. But after sipping his port, he fell
silent, reluctant to relive the farce.
“Well?”
Richard prompted.
“I…proposed
to a woman, and she turned me down….Something many a man has had to grapple with.
Not much to tell actually.” He strove to keep his tone matter-of-fact and his voice
steady.
“What?”
Whatever Richard had expected, it was not that. He simply stared at Darcy. “You—?”
“Yes.”
Darcy found his cousin’s shock oddly disturbing, as if it confirmed the enormity
of his failure.
“I
cannot believe it! All of London has been holding its breath waiting to see who
you will marry. For eight years, you have not favored a single woman. You have been
leaving a trail of broken hearts in your wake—”
“I
hardly think…”
Richard
ignored his protest and barreled on. “She refused you? Who in the world would do
that? Who did you propose to? A princess?”
“Believe
it, there are women in England who do not care about my fortune. At least one. She
refused me because she does not care for me.” She was right to do so, a
voice in his head whispered.
“She
does not like you? Darcy, who is this paragon who has seen through you?” Richard
meant it as a light-hearted jest, but it struck Darcy to the quick. He scowled;
that was exactly what Elizabeth had done.
“Does
it matter?” The words came out almost as a groan. Darcy rubbed his face, realizing
how tired he felt. Hopefully, Richard would leave soon so he could stumble up to
his bedchamber.
“Yes,
because I am dying of curiosity.” Richard sat up straighter in his chair.
“I
think I would rather let you perish.” Darcy no longer attempted to conceal his irritation.
“Wait,
is this Miss Bennet we are discussing?”
Darcy
sighed. “Yes.”
“I
noticed you were in a foul mood when we departed Rosings, but I believed that was
because you wanted her but thought she was beneath you.” Richard’s teasing tone
disappeared, apparently sensing how seriously Darcy took this situation.
“It
appears I
am beneath her.”
Darcy gave a mirthless smile.
“Come,
it cannot possibly be that dire. I know she found pleasure in matching wits with
you at Rosings. What reasons did she give for her refusal?”
“I
am proud, arrogant, and insensitive.” Darcy ticked the points off on his fingers.
“Also, her opinion of my character was shaped by conversations with our great friend
George Wickham….And….I helped persuade Bingley to separate himself from her sister.”
“That
was her
sister you told me about?” Richard groaned. “I am afraid I conveyed that information
to Miss Bennet.” He appeared genuinely contrite.
Darcy
waved this concern away. “It does not matter. No doubt she would have discovered
it another way.”
“These
do not seem to me to be insurmountable obstacles. You can explain the truth behind
your dealings with Wickham and fix the situation with Bingley. Then you only need
to be nicer to her…I know that will be the hardest part.” He gave Darcy a wicked
grin, his teasing nature resurrecting itself.
Darcy
stood and started pacing, rather unsteadily, on the carpet before his desk. “I already
refuted Wickham’s lies in a letter to her. I also confessed my sins to Bingley two
weeks ago. Hopefully, he will forgive me someday.”
“That
was well done.” Richard nodded approvingly. “Will he return to see the sister?”
“I
believe he will visit Netherfield next week.” Darcy stared bleakly at the pattern
on the carpet.
“You
should accompany him. Perhaps you can change Miss Elizabeth’s opinion of you.” Richard’s
voice was full of hearty encouragement.
Darcy
considered it for a moment; perhaps his letter had altered her view of his character,
but, no, it could not possibly change enough. He shook his head in despair. “I am
afraid it is a hopeless cause. She made that abundantly clear.”
“Surely
there is some small reason for hope.”
“She
said she had not known me a month before she knew I was the last man in the world
she could be prevailed upon to marry. I defy you to find cause for hope in that.”
Richard
gave a low whistle. “That is…impressive.…”
Darcy
raised his eyebrows in appreciation of Richard’s reaction. “Indeed.”
Richard
rubbed his chin with his palm. “Well, she is a spirited woman with decided opinions.”
“Yes.”
That is
why I love her.
“So,
may I ask, what purpose does the port serve?” Richard’s voice was gentler and less
teasing. Did he sympathize with Darcy’s despair?
“The
theory behind the port is that it dulls the pain and causes me to forget, at least
for a little while. It also helps me sleep. And then the following day, I feel so
awful that I cannot think of anything else.”
“So
that is the theory. How does it work in reality?” Richard asked.
Darcy
shook his head, realized that it made the room sway, and stopped. “A life in tatters
with drink is still a life in tatters.”
* * *
Author BioVictoria has a Ph.D. in English literature and has taught composition to unwilling college students. Today she teaches business writing to willing office professionals and tries to give voice to the demanding cast of characters in her head.
She lives in Virginia with an overly affectionate cat, two children who are learning how much fun Austen’s characters can be, and a husband who fortunately is not jealous of Mr. Darcy. A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count – and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice.
Visit her at www.victoriakincaid.com
Goodreads • Twitter • Amazon US Author Page •
Buy Links
You can buy this book in print, e-book or audio to enjoy today - Amazon UK / Amazon US, Audible UK / Audible US. Or, you can enter the giveaway to win an audio copy.
Giveaway Time
Victoria is offering an international giveaway of The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth. To enter, just comment on this blog post by the end of the day on 29 August 2018. Please leave a way for me to contact you, should you be the lucky winner.
* * *
If you don’t want to miss any of my future posts, please subscribe:Subscribe to Babblings of a Bookworm
I loved this book. I bet the audiobook is awesome! Thanks for hosting and sharing such a great excerpt! Ceri, you have my email. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
ReplyDeleteHi Janet, I'm happy you enjoyed the book, and good luck with the giveaway!
DeleteHi Janet! I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as reading it :)
DeleteI've already won this audiobook and I'm listening to it. The book is great, and I love Stevie's French accent.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Stevie does a great job.
DeleteGlad to hear it's a good audio, KateB! A good narrator really helps the enjoyment of a story.
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and the premise is so interesting. I am a walker and can only motivate myself by listening to audiobooks. How I would love to read this one in audio! Thank you for the giveaway. evamedmonds(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHi Eva, Audiobooks are good motivators. They definitely make driving more pleasant for me. Good luck with the giveaway!
DeleteHi Eva. I listen to audios when I'm walking too. I find it good because I can read and walk safely at the same time. I've been known to read a print book and walk at the same time, but I don't recommend it, audio is much safer :)
DeleteI could not walk and read a book at the same time!
DeleteI don't think I can either! I used to do it sometimes when I was a child but I have more sense now and walk listening to audio. That being said, it's much the same as walking with your face buried in your phone, which is a common sight these days!
DeleteI enjoyed reading the excerpt; now I'm off to Amazon to buy the book! Would love to hear the audio version.
ReplyDeleteHi Helen, I hope you enjoy the book and good luck with the giveawy!
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the excerpt, Helen! Good luck in the giveaway.
DeleteI enjoyed the excerpt and really love the premise. Sounds like a very action-packed story with them fleeing France together. Thanks for the giveaway, I believe you already have my contact info but if not, please let me know.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you find the story intriguing. Good luck with the giveaway!
DeleteHi Darcybennett, I have your info. Good luck in the giveaway!
DeleteI thought I'd read all her books, but lookie here, I missed one. And, now its out on audio. Congrats to Victoria and now I must add it to my list and enter the giveaway. :)
ReplyDeletesophiarose1816 at gmail dot com
Hi Sophia, I'm happy to have you add this to your collection! Good luck with the giveaway.
DeleteIsn't it great to find an extra book to read, Sophia! Hope you enjoy it :)
DeleteI absolutely LOVE this book!! I've read and re-read this book many times over the past few years!! I own the Kindle edition. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I loved watching Darcy and Lizzy's admiration and love grow in France. There were so many plot twists and turns...that once I started reading this lovely, engaging novel, I couldn't put it down. LOVE it!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you loved this one, Lisa! In case you didn't know, Victoria's latest book, The Unforgettable Mr Darcy, also takes the characters to France. I haven't read it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
DeleteGood luck in winning the audio of The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth!
Hi Lisa, Wow, you made my day! I'm so glad to know you enjoyed Secrets so much. Good luck with the giveaway.
DeleteI was lucky enough to win a Kindle version of this when it was first published but hadn't realised it was Victoria's first book back then. It's amazing, as have been all of hers published since. Now I'm listening to the audio version on my commutes and, as Victoria says above, Stevie Zimmerman's performance is just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're enjoying the audio, Anji.
DeleteIt's great to learn that our dear couple is in a different country other than dear old familiar England. That will surely level the playing field and allow them to depend on each other. And it's also timely to that this audiobook is released at almost the same time when The Unforgettable Mr. Darcy is published. Both novels has France as the setting where the stories takes place.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the generous offer, Victoria.
evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com
I think that's a great coincidence too, Luthien, as if you get a taste for a book with France as a setting, then Victoria has another for you to enjoy :)
DeleteI have read and enjoyed this one very much - I would love to listen to the audio! I'm so glad many good books are being published in audio format as well. It is useful to fill some otherwise unused time like commuting or housework alone with listening to audiobooks.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, Agnes. Although I prefer to read with my eyes rather than my ears, I think many of us would like more reading time, and listening to audio books is a great way to make a little more time to read.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this book and having listened to Stevie narrate other books, I know that she does a beautiful job.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear this praise of Stevie's narration. I haven't listened to a book that she has narrated yet.
DeleteThe winner has been posted here: http://babblingsofabookworm.blogspot.com/2018/08/winner-audio-of-secrets-of-darcy-and.html
ReplyDeleteThanks all for stopping by and commenting.