Today I'm welcoming the lovely
Victoria Kincaid who is treating us again, this time with a guest post and a giveaway of an audio copy of
The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth. This is one of Victoria's earlier novels which has now been made available in audio. I'll start by sharing the blurb with you, and then hand over to Victoria for a guest post.
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!
Here’s an excerpt from near
the beginning of the book:
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 Bio
Victoria 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.
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