Hello dear readers! I am very excited to welcome back author Linda Beutler to Austenesque Reviews today! Linda’s first visit here was quite a few years back when she published her first Austenesque novel, The Red Chrysanthemum! I’m so happy to have Linda here today to share an extra special exchange between Jane and Mr. Bingley (looks like she knows me well!) from her new release, My Mr. Darcy and Your Mr. Bingley!
Hi, Meredith! Thank you for hosting today’s stop on the blog tour for My Mr. Darcy and Your Mr. Bingley. I know the great affection you hold for Charles Bingley, and hope you will enjoy this tale of a Bingley who is just a bit more his own man. Just for you, and the readers at Austenesque Reviews, I include here an exchange of correspondence between Jane and Bingley not included in the story, but certainly easily imagined. If it were in the story, it would take place in Chapter 16, after Elizabeth and Darcy have met unexpectedly at the theatre. Jane and the Gardiners witness the awkwardness of this first “post-Hunsford” meeting, which does not go at all well!
20-24 Gracechurch Street
London
Dearest Charles,
I have such astounding news to relate, I hardly know where to start after reminding you how very dear you are to me, lest you lose sight of it amidst my revelations. But you will not lose sight of me ever again, not with your marvelous spectacles. I had better not dwell on them, or I shall go distracted and forget all I have to say.
Last evening Aunt and Uncle took Lizzy and me to the theatre. The play was Othello, but it could have been anything because the more compelling performance of the evening was presented by Mr. Darcy in the adjoining box! Yes, Mr. Darcy! He was with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. The colonel seemed agitated, and I could only wonder why until the conversation Lizzy and I had later, but I do not want to get ahead of myself. Mr. Darcy was graciousness itself when Lizzy informed them we are to be married. He made an acceptably sincere expression of congratulations, but otherwise he was as ever. Lizzy stared at him until the first intermission—nervous as a cat—as if she might fear him and wish to flee. She mirrored his grim countenance, and yet there was something unspoken between them. They were not happy to be in company with each other, and I could only wonder why. Lizzy was not at all herself and barely spoke. On the return to Cheapside we quizzed her, and it ended in a flood of tears! Oh, Charles, you will never believe it. Once we were alone, I japed and prodded and cajoled until she admitted she is in love with him!
He declared himself to her when they were in Kent apparently, expressing a profound affection, and she would have none of him. She told him so! Knowing how sharp her tongue can be, and the many sins she accused him of well, it cannot have been a pretty conversation. (I do shake my head at having some culpability in this, as I gave her direction wrong to Aunt Gardiner, who had explained much of Mr. Darcy in a letter.) Mr. Darcy gave her a letter the morning after their set-to, explaining himself about everything, and Lizzy had our Aunt’s letter, too, but too late to avert the contretemps. She realises she has wronged him, but had no chance to apologise. I daresay neither was ready to see the other last evening.
The upshot is this: Mr. Darcy and Lizzy are in love, but they do not know it, and have wholly misunderstood themselves. She believes he cannot still hold her in any esteem after all she said, but I saw how he looked at her, and how quick he was to retrieve a shawl she dropped. I have never seen my sister gaze at anyone as she did him—a look of sadness and regret. She assumes he cannot care anymore, but I am certain he still does. Men are not such fickle creatures are they? You were not! Dear Charles, you regretted me through the Festive Season, and you returned. You persevered even though I was an unconscionable trial to you and my family. What can I have been thinking? It matters not. For now we are to be the happiest couple in the world.
Lizzy would have my hide if she knew I was confiding all of this to you. These to-doings have made her a little wild. Am I misguided to hope on their behalf? Are they truly suited, do you suppose? I can talk to Lizzy about how honourably Mr. Darcy has acted, and how he seeks to restore your good opinion until I am weak from the effort, but how are they to come together?
You call me your dear daft daffodil, but I hope my wish to see my sister happily settled with Mr. Darcy is not too ridiculous. It is true we shall be reunited in a fortnight, but do respond promptly if you know Lizzy has no hope. Has Mr. Darcy expressed anything of his feelings to you? You have not been close since your return to Netherfield—at Lizzy’s request—but her feelings have materially changed, and if you are no longer quite so angry with him, perhaps you might extend a stouter olive branch? Perhaps an olive limb?
Imagine our joy, my love, if we could stand up with my dear Lizzy and your Mr. Darcy as we take our vows! Nothing would make me happier.
Your adoring Jane
Jane’s letter went out by the morning post, and Bingley had it by the next morning. His agitation upon receiving her news necessitated a quick response and a Netherfield footman was sent directly to London with it, arriving just before dinner that same day.
My dearest Jane,
Drat. Caroline has mended the pens very ill, but I shall continue as best I can. Your news explains some highly cryptic undecypherable scribbling of Darcy’s, which I have only just received. He congratulates me and wishes us well, before going on at great length in an surprisingly uncharacteristically woeful. He says he cannot imagine such happiness as ours, and intimates implies much sadness.
Your lovely note explains so much. In intend to write him directly that all may not be as dire as he now thinksbelieves. What a turn of events! Perhaps I shall write his cousin the colonel, too. He may know more of this. It is all very exciting. They are so alike, Lizzy and Darcy, when
one comes to think on it.
Drat again! I must close, sweetest Jane, and send a man into the village for new pens.
Your adoring Charles
~~~
Oh, I love how the tables have turned! Instead of Darcy trying to reunite Bingley with Jane, it looks like Bingley and Jane will be trying to reunite Elizabeth with Darcy! Mr. Bingley and Jane are so adorable together!!! I really, really can’t wait to read My Mr. Darcy and Your Mr. Bingley now!
Connect with Linda
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Meryton Press is generously giving away 8 ebook editions of My Mr. Darcy and Your Mr. Bingley in conjunction with this blog tour!! Woot woot!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Commenting on this post and entering through the rafflecopter widget on this blog enters you in a chance to win!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Meryton Press!
- This giveaway ends April 22nd!
~ My Mr. Darcy and Your Mr. Bingley Blog Tour ~
Thank you to Janet Taylor, Meryton Press, and Linda Beutler for making this blog tour possible! Click the image above to check out the rest of the tour!
Wow! Super excited to read this new variation. Red Chrysanthemum is one of my favorites and Linda’s work is a pleasure to read.
Thank you, Colleen! I’m blushing. I hope you enjoy this story just as much!
I love Charles Bingley’s letter. How creative. It is funny because Caroline wanted so desperately to mend Mr. Darcy’s pen and now we learn that she does not do a good job of it. Many of Charles’ errors are due to her being at his pens again. His last comment, that he needed to send for more pens, was a hoot. I loved that interaction.
Meredith and I had a lot of “fun” (if that’s the word I want) getting the splotches from my word doc to her blog! She did a great job!
Good word choice, Linda! 😉 I wish I could have gotten it exactly as you had it *sigh* technology limitations!
Thanks Meredith for posting the letters, they were so much fun. 🙂 So typical for both Jane and Bingley. 😉
Meredith is great to work with: always a good sport!
Thank you, Kate and Linda! It was so much fun for me to feature this awesome post!
I love this!! I love seeing a more grown-up Bingley, and love the idea of Jane and Bingley helping along Darcy and Elizabeth. Can’t wait to read it, would love to win! Thank you for sharing!
Jane & Bingley, Georgiana, the colonel, the Gardiners…everybody gets into the act of convincing E&D of what’s right in front of their faces! Best of luck with the giveaway!
It’s very exciting to see a new book out by Linda Beutler! Will of Iron was a thrilling read and the Red Chrysanthemum is one of my all time favorites. I’m particularly drawn to meet this Bingley who seems to have more breadth and dimension than seen in many tales.
You will so love this book Meredith. I couldn’t wait to read it and really enjoyed it. I love Linda’s sense of humour which runs through the book and especially at the Netherfield Ball Obviously I have not entered the giveaway but I did like this vignette! Thanks for this post.
Glynis, thanks for following the blog tour. I knew when I wrote this that Meredith, at least, would love it! At least I hope so!
Oh yay! 🙂 I love a good sense of humor! 😉 Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Glynis!
Thanks, Meredith, for hosting this vignette today and being a part of Linda’s tour. The letters were fantastic! Thanks to you, Linda, for writing these ‘extras’. They fit in perfectly! 🙂
I love the ‘olive limb’!I laughed out loud on that one and am still laughing! I also thought Bingley’s letter was so ‘Bingley’. The scratch-outs and blots made that letter as much as what he wrote! Thank you for your creativity, and your wit, as always, is such fun!
Meredith and I had quite a time wrestling with the ink blots. I can’t wait for Meredith to read Bingley’s first letter in the story. He was sooooo careful!
Thanks, Linda! Mr. Bingley is so adorable!
Thank you, Janet! It was such an honor to take part in the tour!
Excellent excerpt. Yes, Jane will be skinned and her hide tanned. Cute little blobs on Charles’ letter. Between Jane and Charles, miracles will happen.
Yes, indeed. Once Jane and Bingley get together, Darcy and Lizzy don’t stand much of a chance against the forces of family and friends!
I loved Bingley’s letter — splotches and all! He and Jane are just so very cute in their happy relationship.
They are cute, once they get there. So are Lizzy and Darcy, it just takes longer (as Bingley will complain, later).
Can’t wait to read this one! Very interesting to imagine Jane and Bingley as matchmakers for Lizzy and Darcy.
Pam, I do hope you enjoy it, and best of luck with the giveaway!
Love Linda Beutler’s works. Just reread The Red Chrysanthemum in the last few weeks. This book looks cute from the cover and this letter exchange between Jane and Bingley, sounds like there will be at least some angst in there too. Very exciting. I love it when Jane and Charles get more page time.
Don’t expect much angst, just a little! Speaking strictly for myself, it’s more fun to write funny dialogue than tension. Jane and Charles definitely get their share of time in the limelight, even if Jane doesn’t handle it very well. Luckily her father snaps her out of it!
This vignette looks amazing!! I would love to win one of the e-books, and I love to write and post reviews.
Thank you for posting this little gem for us!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Thanks for commenting, Susanne! Best of luck on the giveaway, and I look forward to hearing what you think of my little bit of fluff. Other than the evening in the theatre, low angst.
Love it! It should have made it into the book 🙂
Thanks, Mira! I added a lot to what was posted at AHA, but the colonel’s late night musings (posted elsewhere), and these letters, would have fit, too!
Why did you decide not to include the letters?
The letters were written for Meredith and the blog tour! They arose well after publishing! Contact Meryton Press and let them know we need to have a new, improved edition! 😉
Great vignette, can’t wait to read!
Thank you, Darcybennett!
Ah, what a pity these letters aren’t in the book! I love all of Jane’s underlining and Bingley’s crossings out, misspellings and ink blotches. His is just what I imagine a Bingley letter to be from the way his writing is described in canon. The scene at the theatre, which I presume IS in the book, looks fascinating: both Darcy and Elizabeth trying not to take notice of each other, by the sound of it, and failing extremely badly!
Thanks for sharing it with us, Linda.
Unless a blogger requests only an excerpt, all of the vignettes and guest post I write for blog tours are original, and written AFTER publication. But given how misunderstood this Jane Bennet is (yeah, she takes her power over Bingley a bit far, but she’s on untrod ground, plus, she dials it all back in once Mr. Bennet provides a visual of how she appears to others), a new edition with these letters might help. The theatre scene is indeed in the book—a whole chapter unto itself. Thanks for following the tour, Anji!
Ha! I love Bingley’s endearment ‘dear daft daffodil’! That’s a far cry from ‘angel’! But maybe with the ‘new spectacles’ he sees her differently! Thank you for the generous giveaway!
When you look at the front cover, and read the proposal scene between Jane and Bingley, you’ll understand about the daffodils! Jane can take some teasing! Best of luck with the giveaway!
I just finished Linda’s new book and LOVED it! As with her other work, it’s beautifully and cleverly written, well-proofed and unique – I recommend it highly! It’s a “settle in” book – you’ll want to “clear your calendar” and spend the day in Austen bliss!
Jean, thank you so very much! I hope my editor sees your comment, too! She’s my editor-beyond-price. There must have been an angel on my shoulder (or maybe Jane Bennet?) when Meryton Press assigned her to me!
Love the letters back and from Jane & Bingley! I love how the roles have been reversed. Looking forward to finding out what happens!
excuse my typo… I meant back & forth
Very early in the story, Bingley does produce a very finely crafted letter to Darcy, but then he slowly slips back into his true form. The last letter Darcy sends to Bingley in this story is shockingly Bingley-esque, because Darcy is nearly out of paper! The roles reverse for the gentlemen!
What wonderful letters! I especially liked Charles’ with ink splotches and all. Thank you for the giveaway.
You are most welcome, Eva, and best of luck with the giveaway. The letters were written especially for Meredith to post here, and she struggled with including the ink blots but emerged victorious!
It was such a cute idea, I’m glad they were at least able to be somewhat how you wanted them. 🙂
Dear daft daffodil – LOL, I love it!
Loved the excerpt with an interesting twist in the story. Thanks for the giveaway. Leslie
The vignettes you’ve offered us readers is a nice bonus. I like learning a little bit more about what’s going on.
Jane in this letter is so lovely, and I like the dot of ink near Charles’ one, it seems so true! Thank you for this vignette!