Hello friends! I am so excited to welcome back Belén Paccagnella to Austenesque Reviews! Bélen is celebrating her second release with Meryton Press and I love the sound of it – a forced marriage scenario where Darcy and Elizabeth do something improper…😏 yes, please! Belén is here to share an added-then-deleted scene from her book, When Duty Calls. And I quite love it… oh, Mr. Darcy! 🥊I cannot wait to see more of Darcy and Elizabeth together… I have so many questions! ❓

Hello, Meredith, and thank you for having me back! I had a great time at Austenesque Reviews during Obstacles’ Blog Tour and I’m sure my second visit, now with my first ever written story, When Duty Calls, will be just as great.

For this stop I selected a scene that was not part of the original story. It was added in 2009 when I posted a revised version on the boards. When I started working on this rewrite, I realized it didn’t add much to the plot, and decided to delete it and save it for the blog tour. That way I could give your readers an exclusive look at our dear couple early in the story. Since this is a forced marriage scenario, things are quite tense between them at the beginning. Sparks fly, but not in the manner one would expect. This specific scene takes place during the second week of marriage, at the London townhouse, and shows us Elizabeth and Darcy in all their newlywed misery. I know, right? Call me a cynic, but I do love these dynamics; there’s nothing better than some angsty interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth

***

That morning, after her daily conference with the housekeeper, Elizabeth took a turn around the townhouse to become better acquainted with the rooms and galleries, especially those of the west wing that were rarely used this time of the year. Some of them were of considerable size, and since the family was not hosting balls and large gatherings at the time, they were kept shut to avoid unnecessary expenditures. She had been told that her husband was not at home at present, and Elizabeth was at leisure to explore the manor without having the preoccupation of crossing paths with him.

Her first stop was at the gold sitting room, a very distinctive looking chamber, adjacent to the ballroom, usually opened during banquets and balls so the ladies could retire for coffee while the gentlemen smoked at the dining table. The fabrics on the walls were richly decorated in shades of gold and silver, and the furniture was more stylish and luxurious than the family’s habitual quarters.

Opposite to the window was the large oak door that connected the sitting room to the ballroom, the largest of the house. Certain it was now empty, Elizabeth opened the door and peeked in, ignorant of the frightful activity that was happening inside the solemn room.

Her breath was caught in her throat when she saw none other than her husband with another man, both shirtless and dishevelled, circling each other over a square carpet. Both men had white wraps around their hands, which they held up near their faces, curled into tight fists. Their attitude was both alert and menacing, and blows were thrown and dodged with practiced defence and attack techniques. Elizabeth had seen a fist fight before, one day two young men quarrelled on the street in Meryton and were separated by some officers. But the scene that she was witnessing now was quite different from that innocent scrape between whimsical lads. This was a boxing match between two grown and very fit men, a dangerous dance where the contenders studied each other and launched all their manly power against their opponent’s flesh with the intention of inflicting damage. Mesmerized, she observed the way Mr. Darcy’s muscles rippled and flexed, struck by his virile grace and the ferocity in his eyes.

A punch hit Mr. Darcy on the shoulder, and he stumbled back a few steps. The boxing master gave his pupil a few instructions and her husband hunched his torso and lifted his fists closer to his face. They circled each other once again, measuring their next moves, and this time Mr. Darcy launched a couple of punches aimed at the instructor’s face. The two men came closer on the carpet and a succession of quick, short blows followed, one after the other, taking their sparring to a level of unprecedented violence. Grunts of exertion preceded loud thuds and painful exhalations.

“Good Heavens!” Elizabeth gasped, shocked by their fierce exchange.

Her voice was recognized by her husband, who turned to look at her, thus distracting his attention from his contender for a fraction of a second. He never saw the blow that hit him squarely on the chin.

The young wife observed in horror how her husband wobbled back and brought his hand to his mouth, now bleeding with profusion. The boxing master stepped closer to assess the damage, then chastised his pupil for letting down his guard and allowing external factors to distract him from their sparring.

Perturbed by what she had just witnessed, Elizabeth fled from the room and ran to her chambers.

***

Later in the day and deeply mortified for intruding in her husband’s boxing lesson and accidentally causing his injury, Elizabeth went to Mr. Darcy’s study with the intention of apologizing. There she found him nursing a goblet of brandy and an unfriendly look in his eyes. The bruise on his chin was painfully evident, as was the cut he sported on his lower lip.

“Mr. Darcy,” she began with great repentance. “I want to apologize for interrupting you in your boxing lesson today. I fear my unexpected appearance distracted you and caused your injury.”

Mr. Darcy just glared at her and said nothing. Elizabeth saw herself in the necessity of saying more.

“It was utterly incorrect form on my part to venture into that room without knocking; I thought it was empty. I am truly sorry for importuning you in that manner. It shall not occur again.”

“There is no need to apologize, madam. It was not your fault.” He replied sternly.

“I believe it is, sir.”

“No,” his voice was almost a growl. “I averted my eyes from my opponent. If there is someone to blame for my injury, it is myself, for my inattention and carelessness.”

Moved by compassion at seeing him in physical pain, Elizabeth walked towards him.

“I shall bring some ice for the bruise; it will ease the swell.” She raised her hand to his face to inspect the cut. He pulled away abruptly before she could touch him.

It took her a moment to comprehend that the comfort she was offering was unwelcomed. Also, the strong scent of liquor in his breath warned her that he may not be fully in his senses. Elizabeth decided it was best to quit the room.

“I am sorry, I should not have come,” she muttered as she turned to leave.

A strong grip on her arm stopped her. Mr. Darcy spun her around so they were face to face and brought her closer until they were barely half a step apart.

Elizabeth’s heart was racing. Her knees trembled. Their gazes locked, scared orbs fixed on tortured ones. He leaned down slowly, almost unwillingly, fighting against himself now, as if resisting the spur of inner demons that pushed him towards her. There was raw desire in his eyes, but also pain and anger. She swallowed hard and stayed very still, all the time praying he would stop before they both did something they would surely regret.

Darcy must have felt the distress that radiated from her and succeeded in finding some clarity in his inebriated state. The hold on her arm eased, and he let her go, turning his back to her.

When they met later at the dining table, the couple acted as if nothing had happened. The subject was never discussed again.

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~ About Belén ~

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Belén Paccagnella discovered the world of Jane Austen fan fiction after watching the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. In her teens, she lived in Brazil when her family moved to the city of Curitiba due to her father’s work. She moved back to Buenos Aires a few years later, where she studied agronomy but finally pursued a different career and started working in the development and administration of shopping centers.

In 2001, she began writing both Regency and modern stories, adapting the Pride and Prejudice storyline to different backdrops, merging drama, humor, and adventure while creating characters with unique traits. Almost two decades later, she published Obstacles, a modern variation released in 2018 by Meryton Press.

Belén still lives in the suburbs of Buenos Aires where she shares her home with her pets while spending her time working, reading, and writing.

~ GIVEAWAY TIME! ~

Meryton Press is generously giving away 8 ebook editions of When Duty Calls in conjunction with this blog tour!!  Woot woot!  

 Commenting on this post and filling out the rafflecopter widget on this blog enters you in a chance to win!

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• This giveaway is open worldwide.  Thank you, Meryton Press!
• This giveaway ends March 26th!

 

Thank you to Janet Taylor, Meryton Press, and Belén Paccagnella for making this blog tour possible! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!