Happy December, readers! I am so excited to start this month by welcoming back author Jessie Lewis to Austenesque Reviews. You all were so kind to welcome and share your enthusiasm of Jessie’s new release – Speechless – last month during her cover reveal post, and now I am happy to share an excerpt from Speechless…an excerpt that makes me even more eager to read this story (who knew that was possible!) 🤗
Thank you, Meredith, for letting me kick off the blog tour for my new novel, Speechless, here at Austenesque Reviews. I’d like to share an excerpt with your readers. It’s taken from the middle of the story, where Darcy and Elizabeth have begun to learn to communicate better and have moved past their horror at being stuck with each other. Communication and understanding are not the same, though, and they are not yet able to work out exactly what the other is thinking…
***
When she returned with more food, Darcy was washed, changed and somewhat miraculously still vertical in his seat. Elizabeth would never know how close pulling shirts on and off over his head had brought him to fulfilling her prediction of falling insensate onto the table.
They ate together again, though this time with less conversation. Whilst Elizabeth appeared content to say no more on the matter, their earlier debate had left a pall over them that Darcy knew not how to alleviate. He could not be certain whether she were angry, distressed or merely fatigued, yet talkative she was not.
For his part, there was a grave sense of unease. Elizabeth challenged him as no other person ever had, and he disliked enough of what her interrogations revealed of him to be troubled. He held no ill will towards her for doing so. Indeed, he supposed he ought to be grateful that if there really was so much objectionable about his behaviour, she was willing to object to it, for it seemed nobody else would. “Though it is probable,” he admitted to himself privately, “that I would not be as receptive to such critique from any other person.”
“What is it?” Elizabeth said impatiently.
Darcy started, mouthing “Nothing” in bemusement.
“Then why are you staring at me in that manner?”
He reached for the pen that had lain on the table next to him throughout their meal and dipped it in the newly replenished ink.
There is nobody else at whom to look.
He held it up for her to see, unable to keep his mouth quite straight, for though it was a most convenient excuse, it was so far from the truth as to be absurd. Were there a hundred people in the room he would still only wish to look at one.
“Oh,” she said, leaning back into her chair after she had read it. Was that disappointment in her tone? “Well, you ought to know that when you look at things, you appear excessively grave.”
Darcy was not naturally given to cheerfulness, but in any case, his reflections when he regarded Elizabeth were often so consuming that he did not wonder at his appearance of gravity. It was one of the things that had alarmed him most upon first making her acquaintance, for never had he been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her.
Some things require excessive reflection.
This she read, then with a small huff, she pushed her bowl away and picked up the book she had been lent by one of the other guests. After staring at the same spot on the same page for a minute or more, she said quietly, “I find it intimidating.”
Even had it not been evident in the tone of her voice and turn of her countenance how little she liked making the admission, Darcy would have known. Independence as fierce as hers was bound to chafe against being afraid of anything. After a moment’s consideration, he picked up the pen again.
Does it help to know that I find you equally intimidating?
He twisted the sheet of paper to face her and pushed it across the table. She picked it up, and he did not miss the small flash of surprise upon her countenance. After a moment, she gave in to a small smile. “Yes, a little. Though I cannot imagine why you should.”
Scarcely about to commit the explanation to paper, Darcy pointed instead at her book, then at himself, then cupped his ear and raised an eyebrow in question.
“You wish me to read to you?”
He smiled hopefully, and to his delight she consented.
It was so very easy, in the cocoon of the small, remote inn, away from the complications of honour and duty, to lose himself in her voice. Here, he need not torture himself with reminders of why he may not enjoy her company, for they were marooned here, and he had no choice. It could wait until they were rescued before he must return to pretending he did not delight in her enjoyment of reading, or the way her larynx danced up and down in her throat when she did so aloud, or the way she brushed her hair from her forehead every time she turned a page.
She reached a diverting passage and giggled slightly as she read it, and something contracted in Darcy’s chest. He closed his eyes and allowed himself, ever so briefly, to imagine they were at Pemberley. The image his mind conjured, and the warmth of Elizabeth’s tone, afforded him a greater sense of calm than he had felt since the accident. Surrendering to it was the most gratifying thing in the world—until pain ripped him from his dreams.
In confusion and panic, he opened his eyes wide in time to see Elizabeth throw her book aside and dash around the table towards him. He still had not regained his senses sufficiently to comprehend what was happening before she pushed the table away and edged between it and him to take his head in both her hands and tilt it up, holding him face to face with her, their lips mere inches apart.
“I think you must have fallen asleep,” she said gently. “Your head fell forwards.”
Darcy was transfixed—too surprised to do ought but stare into her eyes, and too overcome with pain to lie convincingly to himself any longer. Returned to laborious, rasping breaths and light-headed for want of air, he lifted a hand to cover one of hers and squeezed it with something far more significant than gratitude.
“Tis well,” she whispered. “Come, allow me to help you back to bed. You need to sleep.”
Gah!! I love these kinds of moments alone! Elizabeth tending to Darcy is so sweet! 💕
~ 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.
What do you think, friends? Have you read Speechless yet?
Are you planning to?
~ About Jessie ~
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.~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!
The lovely people at Quills and Quartos are offering an ebook copy of Speechless to ONE lucky reader who comments on this blog post! 📗🙌🏼
To enter this giveaway leave a question, comment, or some love for Jessie below.
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Quills and Quartos!
- This giveaway ends December 19th.
Follow along on Jessie’s Speechless Blog Tour.
Our sincere gratitude to Jessie Lewis, Christina Boyd, and the wonderful people at Quills and Quartos for putting this lovely tour together! We are so happy to take part!
Between the cover, the excerpt and the weather outside, I would love to read this book! I plan to add this to my book order this week. I’m just finalizing some of my Christmas present decisions before hitting the ‘buy’ button! Congratulations and thank you for a chance at the giveaway!
It is definitely getting chilly out there isn’t it?! Hopefully this will give you a warm fuzzy feeling to warm you up on the inside, Carole! Happy reading 🙂
This sounds like such an intimate moment. Can’t wait to read this one. The reviews have been outstanding.
Thanks, Meredith, for launching the tour!
Yes, huge thanks to Meredith for hosting me today, and thank you, Christina, for arranging such a fabulous blog tour for me 🙂
I’m lucky enough to have read this glorious book! I absolutely loved it and definitely recommend it!
I love stories where Darcy and Elizabeth are ‘stuck’ with each other and her opinion starts to improve.
No spoilers but I really love the ending
Thanks for sharing this lovely excerpt!
Thank you, as always Glynis, for your support and lovely comments. I’m so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
Thank you for the excerpt. This is certainly a new variation plot. Elizabeth is very compassionate and caring. I’m looking forward to the rest of the tour!
Elizabeth just can’t help but be nurturing. It’s in her nature. There are definitely points when she wishes she weren’t in this story though! Thanks Eva 🙂
Another great moment with Darcy and Elizabeth. I love moments in book when you feel what is unwriiten. Added to my TBR list
Hooray! And I agree, those moments are fun to both write and read. And scarcely has there ever been a couple better at “unspoken moments” than Darcy and Elizabeth! Thanks you Sharon 🙂
Wonder how many people Darcy insulted before he lost his voice
All of them?
LOL! Thanks for commenting Vesper 🙂
How touching, Darcy wanting Elizabeth to read to him 🙂 Sounds like such a moving story! Love to read this one myself!
I hope you get the chance, Charlotte. It’s certainly got lots of feels. 🙂
Such a warm and intimate scene with Elizabeth and Darcy. This book is at the top of my wish list.
Hooray! I hope your wishes come true, Pam 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
A beautiful story which is memorable and very special. What a treasure to enjoy.
Ahhh, thanks so much April! You’re very sweet to say so. Good luck in the draw!
I have this book, and I WILL be reading it soon! Eagerly looking forward to it.
Oh wow, that’s super exciting! I hope you enjoy the time with ODC 🙂
I love the word “insensate”! So much of the fun of Austenesque fiction is getting to use words like that!
So many words are off limits because they are anachronistic, you find yourself having to plumb the wonderful depths of the English Language to find alternatives. And they spoke so eloquently in the Regency era – communication today feels so rushed and truncated by comparison. Sigh… Still, I suppose that’s why we’re all here, languishing in historical fiction! Thanks Abigail 🙂
I am tantalized by this book. I bought it but am saving it as a special treat for my fast up-coming vacation. I loved Mistaken, which I got at the same time as Speechless.
I’m really happy that you enjoyed Mistaken, Beatrice. Thanks for letting me know. Speechless is a very different kettle of fish, but I hope you enjoy it just as much. Have a lovely vacation!
Glad to see you’re writing again. Good luck with the new novel.
Thank you, Debbie, that’s really kind 🙂
Wow this is a really intriguing excerpt and so tender and sweet! I missed the cover reveal so I don’t know the premise for the story but I really want to read it now. I enjoyed ‘Mistaken’, so this is definitely one to add to the ever-increasing TBR pile! Congrats on the new release Jessie. 🙂
Thank you, Elaine. I’m always thrilled to hear people enjoyed Mistaken. I hope you enjoy Speechless just as much when it makes it to the top of the pile. (They do stack up those TBR piles, don’t they?!)
Oooh, oooh! (Imagine me waving my hand to get the teacher’s attention.) I’ve read it (twice now)! I highly recommend it and think if the predicted snowstorm arrives, I just might read it again.
That’s really lovely, Jan, thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed it that much! I hope it gives you warm and fuzzies to survive the cold weather 🙂
“Insensate” I had to look it up! So wonderful. I cannot wait to read this new story in full.
Thanks for the nice review.
Did I mention I love words? LOL! I’m glad it’s not just me and other people get pleasure from them too 🙂 Thanks for commenting Nancy, I hope you get to read Speechless soon.
Ohh, what an intriguing excerpt – looking forward to reading the entire book!
Aw, thank you, Anniina 🙂
Loved the excerpt especially Elizabeth’s concern and care for him.
Darcy quite enjoyed it too 😉 Thanks for popping by to comment and join in the fun!
I’m currently reading Speechless and am totally captivated by it! I just read this passage yesterday. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Oh, I’m excited for you, Katie!
*Jessie gestures for the room to quieten down so Katie can finish reading*
Enjoy! 🙂
Such an intimate and tender moment. I’m so intrigued!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you for popping in to join the fun Heather 🙂
Fabulous!!! I love the cover. Thank you for sharing the excerpt.
Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more snippets, Mary!
This is an amazing story and I believe Jane Austen herself would have loved it! I gave it 5 stars on Amazon. The writing is excellent, the editing is spot on, the plotting and characters are perfect!
Wow, thank you, Cheryl, that’s high praise indeed. I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
What a marvelous except, I felt I was watching them from above as they weaved through their “conversation”
Conversations with these two were never easy in Canon … they’re even trickier in Speechless! Poor ODC. Thanks for commenting, Lynn 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful excerpt. I haven’t read the book yet so this gives me a peek at the story of ODC. Not sure what happened to FD, but EB will be a good nurse to him, which will further endear her to him.
Yes, he really struck lucky falling into this pair of hands didn’t he? Not sure he thinks so to begin with, mind… 😉
Thanks for commenting and good luck with the draw!
What a beautiful moment between them
denise
It’s definitely a turning point for both. Thank you, Denise.
This excerpt makes this book rise even higher on my “want to read” list!! The cover and the blurb definitely piqued my interest, and this excerpt seals it!! I can’t wait to get this novel ensconced happily in my Kindle so that I may enjoy it to the fullest!!
Thank you for sharing this except, Jessie!! Congratulations on the new release!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Thank you, Susanne, that’s really kind. I hope it gives you lots more warm and fuzzy feels when it reaches the top of the pile 🙂
Definitely on my TBR list for the originality of the idea!
Thank you, both, for the giveaway and I wish the book a smooth sailing. 🙂
Thank you Alexandra! Funnily enough, I think the idea of ODC being stuck together in an inn is not overly original – but I just couldn’t shake the notion of stealing Darcy’s voice, and these seemed a good way to arrange the story. And if you get the chance to read it, you’ll see that he’s not the only one left speechless during the course of events…
Now I’m even more intrigued!
(Have no doubt. One way or the other, I’ll read this story 😉 )
*bighappysmile*
What a great premise for a story and love the interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth in the extract. Thanks for the fantastic giveaway <3
Thank you for stopping by to check it out, Nina. Good luck in the draw! 🙂
This is plainly a wonderful book which will provide me many hours of D&E ecstasy. I can’t wait for the Audible version, since that is how I “read” these days. Any updates on who will be reading it for Audible, Jessie? I am SO looking forward to Speechless speaching.
Love it! The speaching of Speechless is in the works, Julie, and due to be let loose on the JAFF community very soon. Thank you for stopping in to join the fun!
Added to my TBR pile. Lovely excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway. Congratulations on this release.
Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy it when it gets to the top of the pile!
What a heart tugging scene. Looking forward to reading your new release!
I’m excited that it’s on so many TBR lists. Thank you for commenting!
I haven’t read Speechless yet, but it is sitting in my Kindle app waiting for me. I actually just finished Mistaken (which I loved) and am very excited to get to Speechless once work slows down a bit. The excerpt was great. All the best with the new book!
Thank you Lucy! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed Mistaken, too 🙂
Another great story that I have to read, my pile is getting taller and taller 🙂
Ha ha, I know the feeling, Silvia! My problem is, I prefer paperbacks to eBooks, so I’m running out of space to store books I haven’t even read yet! I hope you enjoy this one when it reaches the top of the pile, metaphorical or otherwise 😉
Oh my!! You have my attention!!!! Looking forward to reading! Congratulations!
Hooray! I hope you enjoy it, Becky. Good luck with the draw 🙂
Loved this book. Plan to reread it sometime. A must-read IMHO.
Thank you, Sheila! That’s such a lovely endorsement, and I’m so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂