Book Description
When Elizabeth Bennet meets the new residents of Netherfield at Meryton’s monthly assembly, she does not expect to make a fast friend in the perpetually cheerful Catherine Morland -- nor does she expect the surprise of being asked to dance by the proud and haughty Mr. Darcy.
Fitzwilliam Darcy doesn’t care to dance unless he is particularly acquainted with his partner, so no one is more surprised than he when not only does he accept the challenge presented to him by Miss Morland, but he also asks the playful Miss Bennet for a dance as well.
Catherine Morland joined Mrs. Allen in accepting the invitation of Mr. Bingley, great nephew of Mr. Allen, to visit Netherfield for the simple pleasure of making new acquaintances and seeing a new place. She is most delighted to have found in Elizabeth Bennet and her elder sister Jane the kind of dependable friendship she found in Eleanor Tilney.
When an old nemesis of Darcy’s comes to town, trouble quickly brews in which both Elizabeth and Catherine become entangled. While one young lady battles the workings of her heart, the other is caught in a compromise which could damage her respectability in society. Each is forced to look deep inside herself to discover the strength that proves she was born to be a heroine.
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Excerpt from Born to be a Heroine, Introduced by Christine Combe
Thank you for having me again, Ceri. I’m so excited to be visiting Babblings of a Bookworm today to talk about my latest Austenesque novel, Born to be a Heroine. This new story is a Pride and Prejudice tale with a few Northanger Abbey characters thrown in!
Now that I’ve piqued your interest with the blurb, how about a look at chapter 2?
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While they waited for the dance to
begin, Elizabeth roamed her gaze over her partner as surreptitiously as she
could. He was taller than herself, with large, expressive eyes and a mop of
curly dark hair. His figure was well formed and he wore his fashionable jacket
well, but it was his posture and his expression that captured her attention
most.
It was as if he both wanted and did not
want to be there.
Not wanting their time together to be
awkward, Elizabeth asked him, “Is this your first visit to Hertfordshire, Mr.
Morland?”
He nodded. “It is, yes. Mrs. Allen and
my sister were invited by Mr. Bingley to come for a visit, as he thought Mrs.
Allen might appreciate the distraction.”
Elizabeth lifted an eyebrow. “Only
they?”
Morland grinned sheepishly. “Technically
speaking, yes. But ever since my sister came into her inheritance, I’ve felt
rather…protective of her. Well, I have always looked out for her, of course,
but now that she’s so rich…”
His voice trailed off and it was clear
that he’d not meant to reveal so much. Elizabeth could sympathize with trying
to keep things to oneself, but if Miss Morland had a fortune…
“Sir, I fear that whatever the amount of
her dowry,” she began slowly, “your sister will be the object of desire in the
eyes of men and of jealousy in the eyes of other young women—and the mothers
trying to marry them off.”
Morland snorted softly, then bowed to
her curtsey as the dance began. “That’s what I’m afraid of, Miss Elizabeth.
Especially that first part.”
They moved apart and were unable to
speak for a few moments due to the moves of the dance, and when they came
together again, Elizabeth asked, “You fear she will be prey to fortune hunters?
Your father must be a wealthy man indeed if he can so well endow the number of
daughters he has.”
Her partner laughed. “My family are not
rich at all, Miss Elizabeth,” said he. “There are ten of us, after all—twelve
when you include my mother and father. No, my father is simply a very respected
clergyman with more than one very good living. All four of my sisters were to
have three thousand each upon their marriage, but since Cathy was named Mr. Allen’s
heir, she has since said that Father should divide her portion equally amongst
our sisters.”
The dance separated them again, though
when they were next together, Elizabeth naturally took up the conversation
where they had left off. “Your sister is very generous. Mrs. Allen’s husband
must have left her a great deal of money if she is so willing to part with
three thousand pounds.”
“Have you an idea of Mr. Bingley’s
fortune, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Not that I purposely sought the
information, but yes, Mr. Morland, I do. The size of a gentleman’s fortune is
often bandied about when he is new to a neighborhood, especially by the mothers
who have daughters to see well-settled.” She cocked her head to the side and
eyed him with one eyebrow lifted. “Why do you ask?”
Mr. Morland scowled briefly. “Then I’ve
no doubt my sister’s will soon be as well,” he said. “In that case, I may as
well tell you as not, for you’re sure to hear of it anyway.”
“Hear what, sir?” Elizabeth asked.
“Why, that the fortune Catherine
inherited is equal to Mr. Bingley’s.”
For the first time in all her life,
Elizabeth was so distracted she missed the cue to move on her next turn—it was
not until Mr. Morland moved ahead of her that she realized she’d been
woolgathering. She performed the required steps and turns automatically, her
mind still very much amazed by what she had heard.
A few minutes later the dance ended, and
still Elizabeth had not gathered her thoughts together enough to speak. For a
man to be in command of five thousand a year was common enough, but for a woman
to be so was unheard of! At least, she had never personally met such a lady.
Her musings were interrupted by the
approach of the subject of them—and with her was Mr. Darcy. Jane and Mr.
Bingley came upon them from the opposite direction, and Miss Morland smiled
triumphantly.
“Do you see, Mr. Bingley? I told you I
would get Mr. Darcy for a partner,” she said.
Bingley laughed, then performed the
office of introducing his friend to the Bennet sisters. “Were you not standing
together before my eyes, I should not believe you,” he replied to Miss Morland.
“Tell me, how did you convince him to dance?”
“I simply told him that you were quite
sure he would not dance, and that I
had determined to prove you wrong.”
Elizabeth found herself suddenly
enraptured by the face of the gentleman in question as Mr. Darcy smiled,
revealing the most endearing pair of dimples.
“Having heard this,” said he, taking up
the narrative, “I could not in good conscience allow Miss Morland to lose your
challenge by my usual taciturn refusal.”
“Certainly not, sir—that would be
scandalously ungentlemanly of you,” Elizabeth heard herself say.
Darcy’s brow furrowed as he turned his
gaze to her, but before he could speak, Miss Morland said, “Oh, indeed it
would, Miss Elizabeth! So you can imagine how very much I appreciate Mr. Darcy
not allowing me to stand before him looking foolish.”
“I can imagine how much, Miss Morland,
but he could still have made you look very foolish if Mr. Darcy did not
actually know how to dance,” quipped Elizabeth.
“Lizzy!” said Jane with a gasp.
“I assure you, Miss Elizabeth, that I am
well educated in the common dances,” Mr. Darcy said archly.
“Oh, indeed he is!” chirped Miss
Morland. “I can assure you as well, Mr. Darcy is a very graceful dancer.”
Elizabeth smiled at her cheerful
disposition. “Well, I shall have to take your word for it, or try to catch a
glimpse of you during the next dance.”
Even as she spoke, the caller was
announcing the second dance of the set. The pairs of partners moved to take
their place in line, and for a time Elizabeth’s attention was once again
commanded by her partner. James Morland was also well educated in the common
dances, and the glimpses she stole of his sister and Mr. Darcy said that
neither had been exaggerating.
“You are examining the competition, I
see,” said Morland. “A poor clergyman’s son like me hasn’t a chance in the
world with rich men like Darcy and Bingley around.”
“I merely looked to see if Mr. Darcy’s
claim was true, that is all,” said Elizabeth. “Though even were I so inclined,
such a man as he would hardly take notice of me. As a gentleman’s daughter I
may be Mr. Darcy’s equal, but without a fortune to make him richer, I would not
be handsome enough to tempt such a man. My father’s income, you see, is enough
to make us comfortable while he lives but not enough to secure men of
consideration in the world for his daughters’ husbands, nor to maintain us when
he is gone as his estate is entailed. And I’ve no one to leave me a grand
fortune as was done for your sister. In that manner, she has great advantage.”
Mr. Morland scoffed. “You mean to say
that she’s more attractive because of her inheritance.”
“It is the simple truth, Mr. Morland.
Even my sister Jane, who is obviously a great beauty, has little chance with
such a man.” Elizabeth sighed. “Having an independent fortune—or so I assume it
to be from what you have said—means Miss Morland will have her choice of
suitors, and for both your sakes I do hope there will be no fortune hunters to
try and swindle her out of it. I commend you for your desire to see her
protected from the like. Being independent, she has the liberty of taking her
time to choose a husband. My sisters and I have only a little beauty and our
charms to recommend us.”
Morland smiled. “And what charms you
possess, Miss Elizabeth,” said he. “Ready wit and a brilliant smile go a long
way with some gentlemen, I can assure you. And I can sympathize with your
plight, to an extent.”
“Oh? Pray tell, sir,” Elizabeth
prompted.
“I recently learned that I am to have a
living of a four hundred pounds a year,” Morland replied. “There are few young
women willing to marry a poor clergyman.”
“You are to be a clergyman?”
He nodded. “I am. I have been studying
at Oxford, but as a result of the Clergy Ordination Act of 1801, I cannot take
orders for another two years.”
“What do you intend to do in the
meantime? Will you search for a wife willing to live on four hundred a year?”
Mr. Morland’s expression darkened. “I
thought I had already found such a woman, but… I was wrong. She wanted to be
rich, and I could never make her so.”
“I am very sorry to hear it, Mr.
Morland,” Elizabeth replied sincerely.
Morland drew a breath and blew it out.
“’Tis of little matter—as Cathy would say, I am better off, knowing her true
nature now instead of learning it after we married. But to answer your
question, I intend to assist my father in carrying out his duties in whatever
ways I am able, that by the time I am of age to be ordained, I shall be fully
educated in the profession for which I am intended.”
“It is a noble course you have set for
yourself, Mr. Morland,” said Elizabeth with a smile. “And I am sure you will
yet find a young lady willing to marry a man of only four hundred a year, for
when one considers the average yearly salary of a housemaid, four hundred is no
trifle.”
Mr. Morland returned her smile. “You are
very kind to say so, Miss Elizabeth. And really, I shall eventually have eight
hundred a year, for my father told me there is also an estate of at least equal
value to the living that I am assured of as a future inheritance.”
“And a sure eight hundred a year was not
enough for this girl you spoke of?” asked Elizabeth. Her partner nodded, and
she scoffed derisively. “Then she is a fool, and you most assuredly are better
off, sir. Eight hundred pounds a year may not equal your sister’s newly
inherited five thousand, but it is not to be laughed at. If I may be so bold,
sir, your plan to learn all you can about your intended profession is an
intelligent one. Concentration on improving yourself will surely reward you
with your heart’s desire in due time.”
Her partner studied her countenance
earnestly for a long moment, then he smiled. “Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. You
really are very kind.”
A few moments later the second dance of
their set ended, and Elizabeth was prepared to join her sister Mary, and
perhaps also Charlotte, for a round of sitting out the next set to watch others
enjoying themselves. She and James Morland were again approached by Miss
Morland and Mr. Darcy, the former saying cheerfully, “I have convinced Mr.
Darcy he should dance again!”
“Did you really?” asked Bingley as he
came upon them with Jane on his arm. “And who shall your partner be this time,
Darcy?”
Elizabeth was greatly surprised when Mr. Darcy turned his gaze to her. “I should be very much obliged if Miss Elizabeth would do me the honor.”
Well now… What has Catherine Morland gotten started here? Find out by checking out the book on Amazon, where Born to be a Heroine is available in eBook, paperback, and hardcover!
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About the Author
Christine, like many a JAFF author before her, is a long-time admirer of Jane Austen’s work, and she hopes that her alternate versions are as enjoyable as the originals. She has plans to one day visit England and take a tour of all the grand country estates which have featured in film adaptations, and often dreams of owning one. Christine lives in Ohio and is already at work on her next book.
Links:
Blog: All That They Desire / Facebook:
(1) Christine Combe |
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Born to be a Heroine is available to buy now in Hardback, Paperback, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
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Good for Catherine! Darcy dancing with Elizabeth? No insult? Excellent. Definitely a big plus.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting beginning isn't it!
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