Hi readers! I’m excited to welcome a new author to Austenesque Reviews today! Author Gill Mather has published two Austenesque novels this year, and today she is here to talk about her first book – Intrigue At Longbourn – and share an excerpt. And with the story beginning some months prior to P&P, introducing some new characters as they take on some new challenges…it most definitely sounds…intriguing!

 

Before I wrote Intrigue, my novels had been mainly contemporary crime/mystery/romance, with a considerable emphasis on the law since my profession is that of an English solicitor, though now retired. I decided about a year ago that I wanted to write in a genre that was more specific, so that readers would have a better idea what they would be getting.

I’ve always loved Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen and have read it many times over the years, and when I thought about writing historical fiction, a derivative of Pride & Prejudice seemed a good choice. It turned out to be hard work from the point of view of all the research necessary for the period and into the detail of Pride & Prejudice itself, but I hugely enjoyed finding out about the late eighteenth century. I set the novel in 1797 for the reasons set out in the author’s note at the end of the book.

The essence of the story is two interconnecting threads .

During the six months before Netherfield Park is let at last, Elizabeth Bennet is appalled to learn that a pregnant teenage kitchen maid, Alice, was dismissed from Longbourn House eight or nine years earlier with no thought for her welfare or that of her unborn child.

She enlists the assistance of the recently arrived handsome, young rector of Longbourn parish to investigate Alice’s fate. She and the dark-eyed, charming Mr Wilde meet and talk in secret. Their apparently clandestine association is noticed and misinterpreted by some.

Meanwhile, to save the family estate, Mr Bennet embarks on a risky scheme which is ultimately in danger of spiralling out of control.

Holidays provide welcome diversions and the social scene is enhanced by a young scientist named Julius Fairweather but as the summer of 1797 advances, father’s and daughter’s separate manoeuvres inevitably clash, stoked up by the intervention of a jealous mischief-maker…

My aim was to make the book as authentic as possible. The sorts of subjects I had to research while writing the book were the language of the period and in Pride & Prejudice specifically, the currency and working out today’s values of money at that time, the capacity of private carriages, prostitution, workhouses, transportation to the colonies, child labour, the weather in 1797, agricultural practices, the Church, and of course all the day-to-day things like social behaviour, houses, dress, fashion, literature, household practices, food and drink, et cetera. 

~ Excerpt from Intrigue at Longbourn ~

Since an excerpt from the book in the form of Chapter 2 is available on my website, I’ve chosen a different passage for this blog. Not wishing of course to give away the plot, it is an early chapter following an accidental meeting with the rector in the churchyard when Elizabeth was fruitlessly examining gravestones to see if any grave might be that of Alice the kitchen maid. She had also obliquely quizzed her Aunt Philips as to Alice’s surname and afterwards wished she hadn’t approached her aunt.

Chapter 8

Saturday 15th April 1797

THE Easter ball at the Assembly Rooms in Meryton had passed off pleasantly enough. Julius Fairweather had attended with his parents, his sisters and a friend of his from Cambridge who had been staying with the Fairweathers over Easter, so Sir William told the Bennets.

Elizabeth was aware that Julius had visited Mary a couple of times, but he paid her no particular attentions at the ball, he and his friend dancing and conversing instead throughout the evening with other young ladies. Mary appeared to be unaffected by such lack of regard. She was known to dislike dancing and gatherings such as this and, Elizabeth knew, would probably have preferred to be at home with a book.

It seemed hers and Julius’s relationship was of a peculiar kind, much to Mrs Bennet’s consternation, though unusually she said little on the occasion, mindful of how impervious Mary was to any stated ambitions for social or material advancement. She could only hope, she confided to Elizabeth and Jane, that when the time came for Julius to take a wife, he would remember his meeting of minds with Mary—that is if he had by then established the wealth and power predicted by Sir William.

It was a relief to Elizabeth following her afternoon with Aunt Philips that her aunt was indisposed and unable to be here.

Mr Wilde frequently applied for Elizabeth’s hand and she danced four dances with him, though he also danced once with Jane as well as with other young ladies who were clearly much in his thrall. In Elizabeth’s opinion, he was the only young gentleman in the room worthy of regard.

The Assembly Rooms were the heart of the community where balls were held several times a year and all manner of other events took place. Elizabeth cast about the elegant room with its

She had not forgotten her resolve to take up Mr Wilde’s offer of help with her interest over Alice’s fate. Now was barely the time to importune him in detail, but she looked during the course of the evening for an opportunity to have a brief word with him and such arose after a particularly lively French country dance. She saw in one of the mirrors that he was standing alone by the opposite wall, recovering with a glass of wine. She turned in his direction.

“Mr Wilde,” she said, approaching him, “the orchestra exceeded itself during the Boulanger. I fancy they increased the tempo somewhat.”

“Indeed. Let me get you a glass of wine.”

“Why, thank you.”

He placed his own glass on a small side table next to him. She watched him weave through the throng, bowing politely to but avoiding being detained by a number of young ladies and he was soon returned with a glass for her.

“I have received intelligence that a militia regiment is possibly to be billeted in the neighbourhood, with Meryton as the head-quarters,” he said, no doubt to fill the silence which had ensued.

“Oh, that is interesting, Mr Wilde. I had not heard of that.”

She forbore to lower the tone of the conversation with predictions of how Lydia and Kitty would greet such news. They had all been frequently treated to their mother’s allusions to her partiality for a red coat during her own youth, at which time Britain was attempting to exercise greater control over the colonies leading to a war with America.

Instead she made a casual observation. “I am sure that everyone will make them very welcome, if it does occur.”

“Doubtless they will. I have found the society hereabouts most congenial in the several months since I was admitted to the benefice and took the living in Longbourn so generously recommended for me by your father.”

Mr Wilde, Elizabeth knew, had been a very remote relative of the Bennets when he wrote to Mr Bennet after the living became vacant and Mr Bennet, after considering the man’s education, had decided to make presentation to the Bishop of Mr Wilde as a suitable person to become the incumbent of the church.

“Oh, Mr Wilde, we are fortunate indeed to have you here. But,” Elizabeth quickly said, conscious that they may be interrupted at any moment, “may I ask whether you would still be prepared to help me with the matter of the former employee of our household about whom I spoke to you in the churchyard that day? Could I perhaps call upon you at the Rectory to provide you with more particulars?”

Elizabeth perceived that Mr Wilde was taken aback at this request as she knew would be likely. It was an unusual request from a young woman to a man, even though he was the local parson. After a moment, he said:

“Do your parents know of your enquires about this girl?”

“I regret not, Mr Wilde. I had not wished to involve them.”

He examined her face, fixing on her eyes. He had such fine eyes and Elizabeth grew warm under his gaze. At that moment, as the orchestra scratched out the final notes of a Cotillion, from the corner of her eye, Elizabeth saw her parents and Jane approaching.

Mr Wilde shook his head and sighed. “Come to the Rectory at eleven o’ clock in three days’ time, Tuesday, if you can,” he said quietly, his head down, and then more loudly, “Why, Mr and Mrs Bennet and Miss Bennet, I see that sadly this most enjoyable evening is almost at an end.”

“Yes, we must bear you away, Lizzy,” Mr Bennet said. “The carriage is come. We would offer you to travel with us, Mr Wilde, but I regret that we will be overcrowded with the family alone.”

“No matter,” replied the clergyman. “I have ridden here, but I thank you.”

MR Bennet told the coachman to drive slowly. The carriage was indeed cramped, having been designed for four people only. Mr and Mrs Bennet and Jane faced forward, with the others wedged into the rear-facing seat. The thin, austere Mary, and Kitty’s and Elizabeth’s slight frames rendered this marginally possible. Lydia as usual bounced up and down, not helping.

“Mama,” she stretched across and touched her mother’s knee, “I am sure I heard Mrs Long telling you that a militia regiment is to be billeted in Meryton later in the year. Ooh,” she squealed, “officers; the regimentals of an ensign. What do you say, Kitty?”

Mr Bennet responded before Kitty could reply. “Do not over-excite yourself, child. It is by no means certain and will not be so until some time in the autumn.”

“Well, I for one will get no sleep until we do know. Oh, officers in their red coats, decorating our dreary gatherings.” Lydia sighed and settled back. “You never know, Lizzy, one of them may take your fancy. Or are you too much enamoured of a certain gentleman to be enticed by the charms of militiamen?”

“That is quite enough, Lydia.”

Mr Bennet saved Elizabeth from voicing any opinion. Had she done so, she might have surprised herself by the realisation that a denial on her part would almost certainly be disingenuous. Or would it? She couldn’t decide.

Mr. Wilde seems to be quite the compassionate and gentlemanly character. And it sounds like Elizabeth thinks highly of him too! I wonder what will happen when Mr. Darcy arrives…?

The Sequel

Intrigue At Longbourn is the first novel in The Elizabeth Bennet series. The sequel is entitled Menace At Pemberly which takes up the story just after Elizabeth and Jane are married in the autumn of 1798. All of Elizabeth’s relations visit Pemberley for Christmas as foretold in Pride & Prejudice and, as the title indicates, an ill-wisher causes trouble which escalates to dangerous, life-threatening levels.

~~~

~ Connect with Gill ~

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~ About Gill ~

I am a solicitor by profession and started writing seriously in 2012. It took time to grow in confidence and also, for me, to hone the skill and learn by my mistakes. I’ve been greatly assisted by the writer’s group, Write Now!, to which I belong. Before Intrigue, I had 8 novels and 6 novellas self-published on Amazon.

I have two grown-up sons and live in rural Essex in England with my husband. My mother is also presently living with us and is looked after by me and our cat, Suzie. Suzie likes to come for a walk with me daily, when she’s not out hunting small creatures, thankfully mostly unsuccessfully.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Gill Mather is generously giving away  3️⃣  ebook copies of Intrigue At Longbourn in conjunction with her visit today!  

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

• This giveaway is open worldwide.  Thank you, Gill!
• This giveaway ends August 30th!