Happy Friday, friends! I’m so thrilled to welcome the lovely Cherith Boardman to Austenesque Reviews for the first time today! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Cherith and talking with her at all three JAFF Writer/Reader Get Togethers and she is the loveliest person! 

As you may have seen, Cherith celebrated the releasee of her new series last month – Total Want of Propriety. And today she is visiting to share an excerpt from the beginning of the book. We hope you enjoy!! 🤗

~ Excerpt From Chapter 1, Escape from Netherfield, of Total Want of Propriety, Volume 1: Darcy’s Reformation ~

Pulling out his travel desk, Fitzwilliam Darcy listed these causes of repugnance lest he forget them, since the family would no longer be immediately before him. He detailed what he had learned from his younger cousin, Alexander Fitzwilliam, who, as Bingley’s guest, attended the August ball in honour of the marriage of the commander of the militia. Alexander claimed the entire family, excepting the second eldest, exposed their impropriety that evening. The father, laughing in ridicule at the spectacle created by his wife and daughters. The mother, gossiping with the matrons, plotting which of her girls would marry the most eligible gentlemen in the room – her piercing voice rising above the general tumult. The bluestocking middle daughter, sitting out the evening, refusing to dance. The two youngest daughters, flirting with the officers and drunkenly disrupting the dinner.

Darcy shuddered at the thought of such shameless and wild girls spending time with, and influencing, his innocent sister. Thank Providence, THAT shall never happen! He was even now in his carriage to protect his sister against such corruption.

The father’s property consisted of an estate of two thousand pounds a year. Unfortunately for the man’s daughters, the estate, Longbourn, was entailed, in default of heirs-male, on a distant relation. Through the local gentlemen, Darcy learned of the mother’s siblings. The mother’s portion, though ample for an attorney’s daughter, could but ill supply the deficiency of the estate’s lack of prosperity: the girls would share equal shares of their mother’s settlement, reported to be one-thousand pounds each.

It was short-sighted of the man to care naught for the estate’s prosperity simply because he failed to father a son. New methods of crop-rotation and careful breeding would improve Longbourn’s crops and herds – thus its income. Inspecting Netherfield, Darcy discerned that Bingley’s landlord and Netherfield’s steward implemented these practices; but the neighbouring estates and farms disregarded these advances. With proper management, Longbourn’s current freeholder could put aside money to provide dowries for his plethora of daughters. With an income of two thousand pounds, the father had no justification for not better preparing for his family’s future, should they outlive him. With sensible budgeting and prudent economies – fewer new gowns, for example – the patriarch could lay by an annual sum to provide for his family and bribe young men to marry his daughters – every shilling could help his family after the man’s death.

Darcy gleaned that Longbourn’s master’s passion was books, and he spent much of the day in his book-room. What little the father said bespoke a well-read intellect (which gainsaid the man’s every life choice). Darcy inferred the man possessed no affection for his wife: respect, esteem, and confidence similarly having vanished forever – if it ever existed. That the patriarch never checked his family’s excesses and, at times, exacerbated the chaos by teazing his wife before company – a woman ill-equipped to cope with being made-sport of – Darcy found despicable. Even could he not enlarge the mind of his wife, Darcy judged it negligent that he had not used his talents and intellect to guide his tactless bride to preserve his daughters’ respectability.

Darcy had previously met the beneficiary of the entail at the home of his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, last Easter – the most miserable excuse of a man I have ever had the misfortune to meet! The preposterous parson had dared to approach the master of Pemberley last evening without Darcy first acknowledging his aunt’s latest lickspittle. For the pompous little toadeater to presume the right of approach belongs to him – the barely literate, inept son of a shopkeeper from Southampton – versus Fitzwilliam Darcy – grandson of an earl and master of one of Derbyshire’s grandest estates for the last seven years – is absurd! Nor did his position as Longbourn’s heir presumptive elevate the pudgy, prolix parson to a status approaching Darcy’s peer.

The aunt who lived in Meryton was none better: living in her small rooms over her husband’s solicitor’s office and the stationer’s shop beside it – hanging out the window to watch her neighbours and bellow gossip to passers-by below. This lady’s husband was the younger brother of the master of a neighbouring estate; the country attorney was a quiet man – likely the result of his wife’s never holding her tongue – and appeared to enjoy his dinner and port. The man’s wife was so vulgar that not even frequent attendance with the local gentry could render her more elegant. After watching the two sisters together, Darcy concluded this woman made Longbourn’s mistress seem merely silly by comparison.

At the dinner party at Netherfield – Darcy again paused, wincing at the memory of what he had said of the second sister that evening. When asked if he found her attractive, he declared he “would as soon call her mother a wit.” He justified his remarks to his protesting heart as an attempt to stop Miss Bingley’s growing incivility to her, and increased teazing to himself. Though this falsehood pricked his conscience, he was correct to fight said attraction.

Returning to the dinner at Netherfield, he recalled the blunders of the maladroit middle sister. She had arrived in an unadorned, long-sleeved gown of dark-blue muslin, with a neckline higher than most day dresses. She curtseyed not to him or her hosts, saying a simple “Good evening” to Bingley, then she had greeted Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst by their Christian names – without leave to do so – thanking them for the invitation. She repeated this same odd ritual as the family left, leaving most of Netherfield’s residents to decry her rudeness.

This same sister was central to a display of the family’s gaucherie. Miss Bingley had asked the middle sister to play, explaining that their neighbours had described this sister as the most accomplished girl in the country. Paling to a most unbecoming shade of grey and shaking her head, the girl clutched the tome she brought with her to her chest as a shield, refusing to entertain the company.

While the girl stammered her negation, the mother cried from across the room, “Oh, playest thou a concerto, Mary! None of us wants thy religion here!”

Darcy had suppressed his eye roll at the matron’s unusual wording, as the middle sister first blanched white, before flushing a painful red. The dauntless second sister jumped from her seat and, with no entreaty from her hostess, prepared to oblige the company at the piano-forte. Darcy might have considered this a strike against her – proof that she delighted in exhibition and refused to understand Miss Bingley’s wishes – had he not seen the look shared between the sisters: one, a shiny-eyed smile of gratitude and the other, a flashing-eyed nod of understanding.

Darcy could exonerate the intrepid beauty, whose loyalty was admirable (in truth, the scene made him wish Georgiana had such an adept and valiant champion, one willing to expose herself to ridicule to protect another). He could not likewise excuse her sister. In their society, a host or hostess expected the daughters of gentlemen to exhibit their talents when asked. A courteous hostess learned who amongst her guests played or sang and asked the talented young ladies to entertain the company. Miss Bingley did her duty by not asking the eldest sister, instead she requested the accomplished sister demonstrate her skill. Refusing her hostess, thereby forcing her sister into her own act of rudeness in her defence, created a most awkward circumstance.

This girl was a spinster in the making for sure – with her plain, ugly gowns, severe hair, lack of display, and always reading in the corner at evening entertainments! The yokels of Meryton might accept her rudeness, supplying her with a chair and light; but Fitzwilliam Darcy knew such an odd girl had but poor manners to offer his sister.

The mother was the worst of the lot: mean, brash, and unrefined. She declared her lack of education and understanding with a piercingly shrill voice, blabbering her unending torrent of nonsense wherever she went. At the ball last evening, the matron was incapable of fatigue when speculating on an understanding between her eldest daughter and Mr Bingley, enumerating the advantages of the match. Bingley’s wealth had been chief amongst them and seconded only by what a promising thing such a marriage must be for her younger girls – throwing them into the paths of other rich men. The cleverest of the mother’s daughters had again shown herself astute and tried to check the rapidity of her mother’s words or, at least, to persuade her to adopt a less audible whisper in place of the strident tone the matron favoured.

Darcy, foolish mooncalf that he was, had seated himself opposite the object of his puerile infatuation. He missed none of the matriarch’s words, nor her daughter’s entreaties. He had struggled to contain his fury when the mother sneered at her daughter. “What are you to me, pray, that I should pay heed to you? Mr Darcy has no demand on my civility that I am obliged to say nothing he may not like to hear.”

She tried once more to work on her mother’s sense of propriety, and the matron had proven she lacked that sensibility. She, who he would not name, had blushed, and blushed again, in consciousness, as her frequent glances in his direction likely convinced her of his growing contempt and resolution.

He hoped her perspicacious eyes had not discerned all his thoughts. Several times during his stay in Hertfordshire, Darcy had been indignant over the parents’ – particularly the mother’s – treatment of this most sensible and worthy of their daughters. Listening to the mother at supper scorn and cut her second daughter created an upwelling of emotion in Fitzwilliam Darcy. The urge to call for his carriage, gather her in his arms, and whisk them both away to Gretna Green – removing her from her mother’s influence forever – had well-nigh blinded him as he sat across from her at the table. The necessity of justifying his hypocrisy in eloping with a dowerless woman with little breeding and no connexions, to Georgiana checked him. He instead crafted his resolve to remove himself from Meryton – and her beguiling presence – at first light.

***

That night at the inn, he rewrote his meticulous notes in his neatest hand and on his best paper. Darcy would read these pages whenever tempted to return to Netherfield, though he doubted he would need to read them more than a few times. Once at Pemberley, surrounded by the portraits of his ancestors and the journals of his forefathers, he would forget any extraneous matters.

The ladies were not at Pemberley; their widowed cousin, Lady Mathilda (Tildy), had escorted Georgiana to Bath for the Festive Season. Their absence allowed Darcy the opportunity to focus on the business no doubt accumulating on his desk during his visit to Hertfordshire. He, too, would prepare himself for the Marriage Mart this Season, resolved to find that perfect sister for Georgiana – the one capable of helping her through her current troubles, guide her as she entered Society, and encourage Georgie as her dearest friend throughout the rest of their lives.

Now resolved upon his course, Darcy read his words through again, before folding them into his coat pocket. There, it is done! I have nothing more to add and nothing to reproach myself for. I will cease to think of her as of this moment!

Yet, succumbing to sleep that night, the image of a beautiful young lady traipsing up the hillside danced across his mind’s eye. A last image of the beloved figure – moving with grace and purpose, glowing in the light of an autumn dawn, the wind playing with her skirt and bonnet ribbons – seared into his memory, which must now carry him throughout his lifetime.

This internal reflections shows us both Mr. Darcy’s ardent admiration for Elizabeth Bennet and his propensity to be prideful and  “think meanly of all the rest of the world.” 

Thank you so much for sharing, Cherith. I am eager to see how this will all play out!

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Book Description ~ Total Want of Propriety, Volume One: Darcy’s Reformation

At the first light of dawn the morning after the dance at Netherfield, a carriage speeds north as Fitzwilliam Darcy flees the temptation wrought by Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s pert opinions and fine eyes. His heart yearns for the intelligent beauty, but he knows his duty to Pemberley, and his family, and cannot risk exposing his beloved sister to the total want of propriety evidenced by the rest of the Bennet family.

A month later – and now resolved to follow his heart – Darcy hastens towards Bath after learning of Elizabeth’s expulsion from her family for refusing to marry Longbourn’s heir, Mr Collins.

Soon confronted with the truth of his own family’s wanton lack of propriety – and Elizabeth’s dislike of him – Darcy must do all he can to protect his sister from her own folly, while hoping to earn Elizabeth’s forgiveness for his arrogant presumptions…

And ultimately win her heart.

Book Description ~ Total Want of Propriety, Volume 2: Georgiana’s Reformation 

In the aftermath of their tumultuous early acquaintance, the newly married Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy spent their months in Portugal building a flourishing relationship built on respect and the deepest love as they learned to support each other through the myriad trials besetting them – especially the peevish and bitter Georgiana.

Returning home to England, the Darcys reunite with their loved ones and take up the reins of their duties at Pemberley and elsewhere, whilst finding their place within Society. When suddenly faced with disastrous opposition from the Fitzwilliam family, Darcy and Elizabeth must present a united front before London’s Upper Ten Thousand. Can they endure the unforeseen attacks, unparalleled scrutiny, and unwarranted gossip as they defend their marriage and love against the onslaught?

Battle lines have split Society, and the war has begun. Who will support them? Who will betray them? And might Fitzwilliam’s and Elizabeth’s growing communion provide the means of Georgianna’s Reclamation?

Total Want of Propriety is a Pride & Prejudice variation, re-imagining Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in different circumstances against the backdrop of Portugal’s historic locations and family opposition at home.

Both volumes are clean stories, novel length, and feature British and historical spellings.

Please Note: Total Want of Propriety is a single story spread across two volumes, Darcy’s Reformation comes first, and Georgiana’s Reclamation comes last. Both volumes are necessary to complete the story.

Warning: Total Want of Propriety: Darcy’s Reformation has an instance of fade-to-black, non-sexual violence, and both volumes deal with the themes of physical, emotional, and mental recovery from the trauma of physical and verbal abuse.

~~~

~ About Cherith ~

Cherith Boardman has always been an avid reader, amusing herself by changing stories in her mind since childhood. Due to life’s little quirks, she somehow managed to miss the Austen novels, including Pride and Prejudice, until she was placed on bedrest during her fifth pregnancy. Her husband (now of thirty-one years) went to the bookstore to purchase bribes to keep her in bed – one being an omnibus of Austen’s works, which she immediately loved.

Cherith found a wonderful outlet for her two favourite hobbies (reading and changing stories) when a librarian (and fellow Janeite) introduced her to Jane Austen Fan Fiction in 2009.

Cherith and her dh are the parents of the ten best children (yes, they are all ours) ranging from middle school to medical school, and grandparents to the cutest grandbaby ever. Cherith entertains herself (and maintains her sanity) by writing her changed stories between chauffeuring, being Gamma to the grand, helping with schoolwork, and grabbing hugs and kisses whenever she can.

Total Want of Propriety is Cherith Boardman’s second novel. Her first Pride & Prejudice variation, Second Son, was published in e-book and print editions in November of 2017. She has already started her third story, Mistaken Premise – and has 3 others outlined, and a half-dozen more in development.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Today, Cherith brings with her one complete ebook set of Total Want of Propriety  for me to give away to one lucky winner! Woot woot!!! 😃

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

• This giveaway is open worldwide.   Thank you, Cherith!
• This giveaway ends December 17th.