Hi friends! I hope you are enjoying a great Monday so far! I’m very happy to welcome the lovely Kelly Miller to Austenesque Reviews today! Kelly’s newest release – A Consuming Love – is part of Meryton Press‘s Skirmish and Scandal series. And today Kelly is stopping by to share an excerpt from A Consuming Love. We hope you enjoy! 🥰

~ Excerpt from A Consuming Love ~

The following excerpt is in Darcy’s point of view and takes place at Netherfield Park.

Mr. Bennet removed his spectacles and cleaned them with his handkerchief before replacing them. “Gentlemen, did you have any further questions?”

His heart raced. Their meeting neared its logical end, yet a strange compulsion urged him to act, so his mind made a desperate scramble for possible queries—anything to prolong this time with Miss Bennet. For the next fifteen minutes, Darcy posed a number of questions to Mr. Bennet pertaining to the estate, tenants, surrounding area, and weather until his questions bordered the realm of repetitiveness.

By this time, a modest carriage had entered the courtyard from the stables, followed by two grooms leading their horses. “Well”—his friend looked around them as if he too searched for more to say—“I am sorry to have missed meeting Mr. Stone, but Darcy remarked even before we met you that the man appears to have managed the estate well.” Bingley spoke with the inflection of a question.

Miss Bennet replied. “The estate is fortunate to have such an attentive steward as Mr. Stone. The tenants of Netherfield Park are far more content than before he arrived.”

His friend’s grin raised his cheeks. “I am pleased that you think so, Miss Bennet. I wonder…is it your opinion that I should do well to take this lease?” A crease erupted on Bingley’s brow as he awaited her response.

“I do not suppose you would regret such an action. You would be taking on the largest estate in the neighbourhood, and I am certain everyone would give you a warm welcome. Netherfield Park has been vacant for too long, so we should be pleased to see it occupied. I shall warn you that you would be much in demand for dinners and parties.” Her expressive eyes glimmered at Bingley with a brow delicately arched, a habit that might have been learned from her father, but the effect she made on Darcy could not have differed more.

A wide grin engulfed Bingley’s face as he shook Mr. Bennet’s hand. “I thank you very much for meeting with us.” He addressed the lady. “Thank you as well, Miss Bennet. This has been most helpful and informative, has it not, Darcy?”

“Yes, indeed. Mr. Bennet, Miss Bennet, you have provided my friend with valuable information today.”

“You are most welcome,” said Miss Bennet.

The elder gentleman nodded. “Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, I am glad you found the meeting helpful.”

Beside him, Miss Bennet added, with a heretofore-unseen touch of shyness, “It was nice to have met you both.”

Before he could form a response, Bingley blurted a reply. “It has been a great pleasure to meet you, Miss Bennet.” Almost as an afterthought, he added, “And you, Mr. Bennet.”

“Yes, it has.” Darcy might have said more—perhaps too much—but Miss Bennet chose that moment to lift her gaze and meet his eyes. His throat closed in, making further speech impossible.

The beating of Darcy’s heart accelerated again until it pummelled against his chest wall. She would leave now. An irrational, unfathomable impulse to delay her departure encouraged his legs to move forward, but he locked them in place. He clasped his hands behind his back as a secondary means of self-control. This foreign sentiment that threatened to dominate him defied rational explanation. He did not know this lady, yet he had learnt enough to have no doubt of her unsuitability for him. This fact, though indisputable, failed to dull his flaring emotions.

With a final bow from Mr. Bennet and a curtsy from Miss Bennet, the pair entered their modest carriage and departed. After several minutes, the beating of Darcy’s heart resumed a reasonable pace.

“Darcy, I think the house is in fine shape. The ballroom is as grand I could hope for in a country manor. There are more guest rooms than I shall ever require, and other than its need of a thorough cleaning, it appears nothing would prevent me from moving in right away. Mr. and Miss Bennet could not have been more cordial or helpful. If they are representative of the others in the neighbourhood, I shall be most content here. Unless you have a compelling reason against it, I am inclined to take this lease.” Bingley stood before him, his chest out, chin raised.

His sudden, virulent urge to deter his friend from taking the lease had naught to do with the estate itself. Darcy defied the twisting discomfort in his gut to voice his response. “I think…this estate would be an acceptable choice for you. The proximity to town should appeal to your sisters and brother-in-law, and the repairs needed for the house and outbuildings appear to be minor.”

Bingley blinked. “So you are saying, that is, your recommendation is that I take the lease?”

“Yes, I believe it would suit your purposes.”

Now in an easy posture and sporting a flushed complexion, Bingley exclaimed, “This is wonderful. I am to have my own estate!”

Darcy smiled at his friend’s enthusiasm even as his stomach muscles cramped. “Indeed, this is an important step for you.” What in blazes was wrong with him? His response to Miss Bennet, a lady unknown to him two hours earlier, defied all reason.

Nevertheless, it would be the work of a moment to exterminate this trifling attraction. After all, he prided himself on his ability to maintain a consistent control over his words and actions. As the master of a large estate, he managed to remain composed even in situations where others around him became heated. Who was Miss Bennet, after all, but a country miss unknown to London society or anywhere beyond this country hamlet? No doubt, she would vanish from his mind long before he reached the cobblestoned streets of Mayfair.

Twenty minutes later, they entered the main road back to London. They spoke less than usual on the journey. Bingley, garrulous as a rule, must have been pondering the significant changes inherent in his decision to lease Netherfield Park.

Darcy, meanwhile, could not prevent a bewitching pair of fine hazel—or perhaps green—eyes from commanding his thoughts.

Oooh! I love being in Mr. Darcy’s head and I love seeing how he is already becoming deeply enamored with Elizabeth Bennet (I’m assuming…😉) I wonder if he will behave less haughty!

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~ Book Description ~

The methodical world of rich, proud Fitzwilliam Darcy is in chaos: a country lady of modest origins has utterly captivated him.

The knowledge that Elizabeth Bennet is an unsuitable match fails to diminish Darcy’s fascination for her, nor does his self-imposed distance from the lady hinder her ability to intrude upon his thoughts at all hours of the day. What can solve his dilemma?

When circumstances compel Darcy’s return to Hertfordshire in assistance of his friend Mr. Bingley, he must confront his unfathomable attraction to Miss Elizabeth.

In this “Pride & Prejudice” Regency novella, one afternoon spent in company with Miss Elizabeth Bennet is enough to make an indelible and life-altering impression upon Darcy, setting him on a rocky course towards the fulfillment of his desires. Will Darcy attain happiness, or will his ingrained pride be his downfall?

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~ Connect with Kelly ~

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~ About Kelly ~

Kelly Miller is a native Californian and Anglophile, who made her first visit to England in 2019. When not pondering a plot point or a turn of phrase, she can be found playing the piano (although like Elizabeth Bennet, she is errant when it comes to practicing), singing, and walking her dogs. Kelly Miller resides in Silicon Valley with her husband, daughter, and their many pets.

A Consuming Love is her fourth book published by Meryton Press. The first three are novels: Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley, a Pride and Prejudice Regency romantic sequel with a touch of fantasy; and Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match, a Pride and Prejudice Regency romantic variation, and Accusing Mr. Darcy a Pride and Prejudice Regency romantic mystery.

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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Meryton Press is generously giving away 1️⃣ ebook of A Consuming Love in conjunction with this blog tour!!  Woot woot!  

To enter this giveaway leave a comment, a question, or some love for Kelly!

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

Thank you to Janet Taylor, Meryton Press, and Kelly Miller for making this blog tour possible!