Book Description
Could anything be worse than to be trapped in a confined space with the woman you love?
Fitzwilliam Darcy knows his duty, and it does not involve succumbing to his fascination for a dark-eyed beauty from an unheard of family in Hertfordshire. He has run away from her once already. Yet fate has a wicked sense of humour and deals him a blow that not only throws him back into her path but quite literally puts him at Elizabeth Bennet’s mercy. Stranded with her at a remote inn and seriously hampered by injury, Darcy very quickly loses the battle to conquer his feelings, but can he win the war to make himself better understood without the ability to speak?
Thus begins an intense journey to love and understanding that is at times harrowing, sometimes hilarious and at all times heartwarming.
Excerpt from Speechless with an Introduction from Jessie Lewis
Hello,
Ceri, and thank you for inviting me to your blog to share a little of my new
novel, Speechless, with your readers. It’s a Pride and Prejudice variation
in which, as the title suggests, our dear couple have a serious impediment to communicating.
I’d like to share an excerpt from the middle of the story, at a point when
Darcy and Elizabeth have begun to make what they’re saying to each other a
little better understood but are still learning to fully comprehend one
another’s characters.
***
“Mr
Darcy?”
He
started, having not heard Elizabeth approach, and carefully rolled his head so
as to see her. She was standing at the foot of the bed with an unusually
contrite turn of countenance.
“Forgive
me for waking you. I am going downstairs to get some food. I thought you would
like to know where I am going.”
He
smiled warmly at such a conciliatory gesture. She did not leave directly, but
remained rather awkwardly, unable to meet his eye. Though he knew not what
troubled her, he could not but be endeared by her manner, in particular the
conscious way in which she rubbed her temple with the tip of her middle finger.
Just as he thought he must put her at ease somehow, she found her tongue.
“I
beg you would forgive my poor manners, sir. No matter how little I like this
situation, I recognise it is not your fault, and that you have even more reason
to be unhappy about it than I. It is particularly ungenerous of me to be so
captious when you are this ill.”
“Pray,
do not concern yourself. I perfectly understand.”
She
smiled lightly. “I have no idea what you just said, but here—” She came
forward, holding out the pen. “I mended it for you. It seems only fair that you
should have equal opportunity to express your displeasure.”
He
accepted it, as well as the paper she then passed him, then dipped the pen in
the watered-down ink she held out for him.
No
apology is necessary.
He
held it up and smirked when she rolled her eyes at it, for he was so rarely
gainsaid in the normal course of things that it made the challenge of
convincing her of his sincerity all the more appealing.
It
would be entirely forgivable were you scandalised or inconsolable, yet you have
been nothing but attentive. Your courage and dignity amaze me.
He
passed her the note and watched her read it. She did not roll her eyes again,
though it was not a complete victory for her reply made it clear she still was
not persuaded.
“I
am beginning to think you are teasing me.”
“How
so?”
“One
moment you are in high dudgeon, the next you are saying something astonishingly
generous. I have not the slightest idea what to expect from you from one moment
to the next.”
I
apologise if I have seemed angry. I am—
He
sought for a polite way to explain that unceasing pain and hunger, fear for his
recovery, concern for her safety, and the constant battle against his
impermissible feelings towards her were somewhat affecting his ability to be
civil.
—not
feeling myself.
It
only made her laugh. “You are more yourself when you are angry than when you
are not! It is all this forbearance and generosity that is puzzling me.”
He
frowned, unsure of her meaning.
“That
is more like it,” she said with a grin. “I know where I am when you are
scowling in that fashion.”
Was
it her design to vex him into an ill humour simply to prove her point, or was
this her real opinion?
You
think me an ill-tempered man?
“Mr
Darcy, even you think you are an ill-tempered man. You told me as much
that evening at Netherfield when we were discussing the evils of each other’s
characters.”
He
extended a finger in objection, then wrote,
Nay,
I said my temper might be considered resentful.
“Oh.
And yours is a cheerful sort of resentment is it?” she asked saucily.
He
opened his mouth to protest and was exasperated to find that it widened into a
smile instead. He could not resist it when she engaged him in this manner. He
renewed the ink and his challenge with it.
Perhaps
not, but, though deep, intricate characters may be no more estimable than those
composed of few sentiments, I hope there is more to me than resentment alone.
“Yes,
I am beginning to see that,” she replied pensively, satisfying him that she had
recognised the words as those she had said to him at Netherfield. After a brief
pause, she smiled wryly and added, “I meant to apologise, not insult you again.
You bring out the worst in me, sir.”
The
admission set off a minor explosion beneath Darcy’s breastbone.
No
offence taken I assure you.
“Then I had better leave before I cause
any.”
* * *
About the Author
Jessie Lewis, author of Mistaken and The Edification of Lady Susan (in Rational Creatures), enjoys words far too much for her own good and was forced to take up writing them down in order to save her family and friends from having to listen to her saying so many of them. She dabbled in poetry during her teenage years, though it was her studies in Literature and Philosophy at university that firmly established her admiration for the potency of the English language. She has always been particularly in awe of Jane Austen’s literary cunning and has delighted in exploring Austen’s regency world in her own historical fiction writing. It is of no relevance whatsoever to her ability to string words together coherently that she lives in Hertfordshire with two tame cats, two feral children and a pet husband. She is also quite tall, in case you were wondering.
You can check out her musings on the absurdities of language and life on her blog, LifeinWords.blog, or see what she’s reading over at Goodreads. Or you can drop her a line on Twitter, @JessieWriter or on her Facebook page, JessieLewisAuthor.
Speechless is available to buy now in paperback and ebook. It's also available in the Kindle Unlimited programme - Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Add to Goodreads shelf
Quills & Quartos Publishing is giving away one ebook of Speechless per blog tour stop. All you need to do to enter the giveaway is comment on this blog post, and Quills & Quartos will randomly choose winners for the entire blog tour on 19 December, so make sure you join the conversation! Good luck!
Note regarding comments: I love to read your comments, but a few blog visitors have reported difficulties in commenting while using the Safari browser. If you are unable to comment, please try using another web browser, such as Google Chrome, or please contact me and I will add your comment for you :)
Blog Tour Schedule
Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
* * *
If you don’t want to miss any of my future posts, please subscribe:
Subscribe to Babblings of a Bookworm
If you'd like to be friends on Goodreads then please invite me - just say that you visit my blog when it asks why you'd like to be friends with me.
Subscribe to Babblings of a Bookworm
If you'd like to be friends on Goodreads then please invite me - just say that you visit my blog when it asks why you'd like to be friends with me.
Loved their interaction!
ReplyDeleteThese two are such good fun to write! Thanks darcybennett!
DeleteWasn't this a great excerpt!
DeleteDoes he think he is making progress with Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteOf course he does! He's Darcy! Don't worry, she'll put him in his place ;) Thanks Vesper!
DeleteWell compared to what he might have said if he could speak, perhaps he is :)
DeleteFirst, please leave me out of the draw as I have this wonderful book.
ReplyDeleteI love how Darcy manages to improve Elizabeth’s opinion of him even with (or perhaps because of) his inability to speak ��. This is a definite must read and is on my reread list!
Thank you Glynis! :)
DeleteConsidering how much you have to read, it's a real compliment to the book that you've added this to your re-read list. So glad you enjoyed it Glynis.
DeleteI love these interactions, and Darcy can’t even talk! Great bantering!
ReplyDeleteThey're great fun to write together - such quick wits and intense chemistry. Thanks Heather!
DeleteIt's such a great excerpt isn't it Heather!
DeleteCannot wait to read this!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get the chance! Good luck in the draw monkee :)
DeleteI hope you enjoy it when you read it.
DeleteGreat excerpt! Thank you, Ceri, for hosting this terrific post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christina, and I echo your thanks to Ceri for having me here!
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by Christina! I was very happy to host this post, though any credit for your enjoyment of it must go to Jessie :)
DeleteI read and loved this book. I highly recommend it also. It is one I will definitely reread.
ReplyDeleteThat's so lovely Sheila, thank you!
DeleteSo glad to hear that you enjoyed this Sheila. I have Jessie Lewis on my TBR for next year.
DeleteWhat delicious banter! Loved the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteYou know, these two almost write themselves, their chemistry is so potent. i'm really glad you enjoyed this exchange. Thanks Sophia!
DeleteI loved it too! Glad you enjoyed the excerpt Sophia :)
DeleteSo much information was given with Darcy not able to speak. What a unique and most excellent variation. This was delightful. I loved this Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It being that painful for Darcy to say what he needed to definitely made all that he conveyed more convincing! I'm super pleased you enjoyed it :)
DeleteGlad to hear you enjoyed, Jeanne!
DeleteI am more intrigued with each blog stop! Love the excerpt! A must read for me! Congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Becky, and good luck with the draw!
DeleteGlad you've been enjoying the blog tour, Becky.
DeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteI treated myself to this book as I’d seen all the wonderful reviews of it.
I must say that I loved it and thought it a wonderful story. Highly recommended!
Good for you, Mary, you deserve the treat. Glad you enjoyed it :)
DeleteYa done good, Lady. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Betty!
DeleteEven without a voice, you can sense FD's sternness. Love EB's honesty. Thank you fr the excerpt
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the excerpt Buturot :)
Delete