How is the new year, dear readers? Hoping all is going well for you so far. We are fortunate to have returning guest author Victoria Kincaid joining us today to celebrate her latest release titled Darcy and Deception. Much like The Unforgettable Mr. Darcy, this Pride and Prejudice variation share a similar theme. Espionage and intrigue are found in both as the stories occur during the height of the Napoleonic Wars where the threat of a French invasion of England was real. Let's welcome Victoria and read her thrilling insight of that time period followed by an excerpt.
There was extensive smuggling — particularly with boats travelling from the English shores to France in order to purchase luxury goods like silk and brandy. Napoleon actually encouraged this trade and eventually set up an official "smuggler's village" in Normandy to facilitate his acquisition of British gold.
I was also surprised to learn how often the smugglers took French prisoners across the Channel. While French soldiers were imprisoned in sometimes horrific conditions, French officers were released on parole throughout England. Taking escaped French officers back to France was apparently a lucrative business for English smugglers. Go figure. All this information provided rich fodder for my imagination as I was writing Darcy and Deception. I hope you enjoy the excerpt below!
As the ladies donned light wraps in the front hallway, the younger Miss Bennet treated Darcy with such complete indifference that his fears were allayed. Within minutes the quartet was strolling along the dusty country road.
Jane and Bingley were immediately engrossed in earnest conversation, which apparently required a walking pace that a slug would find tedious. Kitty and Darcy soon left them far behind.
Darcy strode beside the younger Miss Bennet in silence. What could he possibly say to a girl of this age? All he knew of her was that she liked men in red coats — hardly an appropriate subject for conversation.
However, Kitty might have copious information on one topic of keen interest to Darcy and no doubt she would be indiscreet enough to share it. "I was surprised to learn that your sisters were gone to Brighton," he said.
Kitty kicked at a stone in the road. "Everything is so dull in Meryton now, and Lydia is enjoying herself in Brighton. It isn't fair! I am older; I should have been the one to go!”
Best to direct the conversation in other directions. "I was surprised that Miss Elizabeth accompanied her. Is she a particular friend of Mrs. Forster's as well?"
"She is not, to be sure!" Kitty's tone turned peevish. "Lizzy is scarcely acquainted with Mrs. Forster, but Papa insisted that she must go."
This lent credence to the idea that Elizabeth was to serve as a sort of chaperone for her younger sister, hardly an enviable position.
Kitty continued. "There is nothing for her in Brighton. Lizzy does not even care for the officers!" Relief surged through Darcy, but then she added, "Well, except for Mr. Wickham, of course."
Darcy nearly tripped over his own feet. "Wickham?"
Kitty's sidelong glance suggested she had heard much of Wickham's slander. "Yes, he is quite Lizzy’s favourite."
Darcy was finding it difficult to breathe. "When I encountered her in Kent, I was of the impression that her friendship with Mr. Wickham had, er, waned," he managed to say.
Kitty squinted at him. "You saw Lizzy in Kent?"
Elizabeth had concealed his presence at Rosings? Why? He could understand avoiding the details of his disastrous marriage proposal, but was it necessary to hide their entire encounter?
"Er, yes. Mr. Collins is my aunt's parson." Darcy thought it best to give as little explanation as possible.
"Huh."
Darcy needed to learn more. "I thought Miss Elizabeth did not care for Mr. Wickham," he prompted.
Kitty shrugged. "She was vexed when he was courting Mary King, but that came to an end while Lizzy was away."
Surely Elizabeth would not have returned Wickham's interest after returning from Kent. When she read Darcy's letter... "Miss Elizabeth was still on good terms with Mr. Wickham?" Hearing the incredulity in his own voice, Darcy was not surprised at Kitty's searching look.
"Oh yes!" Kitty declared without hesitation. "It was as if Mary King had never existed and Lizzy had never left. I actually" — the girl lowered her voice and inclined her head toward Darcy's, although there was no one nearby to hear her secret — "spied them in the garden! They didn't even notice me." She giggled.
"Alone in the garden?" The mere image filled Darcy with horror.
"I even saw him" — she paused for dramatic effect — "kiss her!"
"K-Kiss?" Darcy could not breathe.
Kitty held a hand to her heart. "It was so romantic — just as it was described in The Castle of Otranto. Have you read it? It is terribly good!"
Darcy tried and failed rather spectacularly to avoid picturing Wickham kissing Elizabeth. It was all too easy to imagine. His chest ached from lack of air — or was that pain in his heart?
A sudden thought struck him. "Did he force her into it?"
Kitty's brows drew together. "Of course not. She was smiling."
Turning away from Kitty, Darcy concentrated on not being sick by the side of the road.
"He is frightfully handsome, particularly in his regimentals. He appears exactly as an officer ought to. Don't you think?" Fortunately, she continued without expecting an answer. "And he's so noble. He could be bitter and angry, but he's all amiability despite the horrible way he's been treated by — "
Darcy twisted his head around to glare at Kitty, whose mind finally caught up with her tongue.
" — by other people," she finished lamely.
Darcy immediately dismissed any consideration of telling Kitty the truth; her opinion was of no matter. But how could Elizabeth — ? He had given her the letter. She knew the truth of Wickham's nature. Darcy had even revealed the truth about Georgiana. Elizabeth could not possibly trust the man.
But what if she had not read the letter?
Panic blazed through him like a lightning bolt. Writing a letter to an unmarried woman was highly improper, but Elizabeth had never seemed overly concerned about propriety. Had he shown a casual disregard for her reputation? Had he further provoked her rage? Perhaps she had never opened the letter. Perhaps she had thrown it into the fire.
He bit his tongue to stifle a cry of dismay.
I should not have quitted Kent without ensuring she would read the letter. His account of Georgiana's experience would have armed Elizabeth against Wickham, but why should she deign to read a letter from a man who had so thoroughly insulted her and her family? In all probability she had assumed the letter contained self-justifications or pleas for her to reconsider his proposal — and it had immediately been consigned to the fire.
Now she was in Brighton, believing that Wickham was a trustworthy man who had been wronged by Darcy.
Darcy rested his hand on the trunk of a nearby tree to keep his balance. "What have I done?" he whispered to himself.
"Mr. Darcy?" Kitty Bennet's face was screwed up with anxiety. "Are you about to be ill? You look so strange."
Good Lord, he had entirely forgotten her presence. "I believe something I ate may not have agreed with me." He touched his stomach briefly.
She backed away, saying in alarm, "My slippers are new."
"Perhaps we should return to the house," he said.
She nodded in fervent agreement. Darcy straightened his jacket and turned toward Longbourn. He needed to get to Brighton.
Returning home from Kent, Elizabeth Bennet is still distressed over Mr. Darcy's insulting marriage proposal. However, her attention is diverted by the local militia commander who asks her to observe Wickham, now suspected of being a French spy. Pretending to be besotted with Wickham, Elizabeth accompanies the regiment when they relocate to Brighton.
Darcy arrives at Longbourn with the intention of making amends to Elizabeth, only to discover that she is now at Brighton with Wickham. Desperate to save her from the scoundrel, Darcy follows her to the seaside, where he hopes to woo her away from the other man.
Deception piles on top of deception as Elizabeth attempts to carry out her mission without betraying confidences — or breaking Darcy's heart. However, the French plot runs deeper than she knows; soon she and Darcy are plunged into the confusing and dangerous world of international espionage. Can Darcy and Elizabeth escape with their lives and their love intact?
She lives in Virginia with an overly affectionate cat, two children who are learning how much fun Austen's characters can be, and a husband who fortunately is not jealous of Mr. Darcy. A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count — and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice.
If the premise of this novel has caught your attention and you would like the chance to get it for free, the author has kindly sponsored an e-book of Darcy and Deception to go with this post. Just leave a comment or some kind words about this variation by 11.59 pm GMT+8 on Monday, 14 January 2019. The giveaway is open worldwide.
The winner's announcement will be up a few days after the competition has ended. She/he should respond within 72 hours by writing on the contact page to claim the prize. If no reply is received within the allocated time, a new winner will be picked instead. Please do not leave your email address in the comment section.
Guest Post
Hello, Lúthien84, and thank you for having me as a guest to your blog! Darcy and Deception relies heavily on research I did regarding spies and smuggling during the Napoleonic Wars. It's a bit shocking to understand quite how much intercourse occurred between two nations at war with each other, but perhaps it was inevitable given their proximity.There was extensive smuggling — particularly with boats travelling from the English shores to France in order to purchase luxury goods like silk and brandy. Napoleon actually encouraged this trade and eventually set up an official "smuggler's village" in Normandy to facilitate his acquisition of British gold.
I was also surprised to learn how often the smugglers took French prisoners across the Channel. While French soldiers were imprisoned in sometimes horrific conditions, French officers were released on parole throughout England. Taking escaped French officers back to France was apparently a lucrative business for English smugglers. Go figure. All this information provided rich fodder for my imagination as I was writing Darcy and Deception. I hope you enjoy the excerpt below!
Excerpt
Apparently, Mary Bennet did not care for walks, so the party consisted of Miss Jane, Miss Catherine, Bingley and Darcy. Remembering Kitty from his previous sojourn in Hertfordshire, Darcy fervently hoped that she remained fixated on red coats and had not acquired an interest in men of large fortune.As the ladies donned light wraps in the front hallway, the younger Miss Bennet treated Darcy with such complete indifference that his fears were allayed. Within minutes the quartet was strolling along the dusty country road.
Jane and Bingley were immediately engrossed in earnest conversation, which apparently required a walking pace that a slug would find tedious. Kitty and Darcy soon left them far behind.
Darcy strode beside the younger Miss Bennet in silence. What could he possibly say to a girl of this age? All he knew of her was that she liked men in red coats — hardly an appropriate subject for conversation.
However, Kitty might have copious information on one topic of keen interest to Darcy and no doubt she would be indiscreet enough to share it. "I was surprised to learn that your sisters were gone to Brighton," he said.
Kitty kicked at a stone in the road. "Everything is so dull in Meryton now, and Lydia is enjoying herself in Brighton. It isn't fair! I am older; I should have been the one to go!”
Best to direct the conversation in other directions. "I was surprised that Miss Elizabeth accompanied her. Is she a particular friend of Mrs. Forster's as well?"
"She is not, to be sure!" Kitty's tone turned peevish. "Lizzy is scarcely acquainted with Mrs. Forster, but Papa insisted that she must go."
This lent credence to the idea that Elizabeth was to serve as a sort of chaperone for her younger sister, hardly an enviable position.
Kitty continued. "There is nothing for her in Brighton. Lizzy does not even care for the officers!" Relief surged through Darcy, but then she added, "Well, except for Mr. Wickham, of course."
Darcy nearly tripped over his own feet. "Wickham?"
Kitty's sidelong glance suggested she had heard much of Wickham's slander. "Yes, he is quite Lizzy’s favourite."
Darcy was finding it difficult to breathe. "When I encountered her in Kent, I was of the impression that her friendship with Mr. Wickham had, er, waned," he managed to say.
Kitty squinted at him. "You saw Lizzy in Kent?"
Elizabeth had concealed his presence at Rosings? Why? He could understand avoiding the details of his disastrous marriage proposal, but was it necessary to hide their entire encounter?
"Er, yes. Mr. Collins is my aunt's parson." Darcy thought it best to give as little explanation as possible.
"Huh."
Darcy needed to learn more. "I thought Miss Elizabeth did not care for Mr. Wickham," he prompted.
Kitty shrugged. "She was vexed when he was courting Mary King, but that came to an end while Lizzy was away."
Surely Elizabeth would not have returned Wickham's interest after returning from Kent. When she read Darcy's letter... "Miss Elizabeth was still on good terms with Mr. Wickham?" Hearing the incredulity in his own voice, Darcy was not surprised at Kitty's searching look.
"Oh yes!" Kitty declared without hesitation. "It was as if Mary King had never existed and Lizzy had never left. I actually" — the girl lowered her voice and inclined her head toward Darcy's, although there was no one nearby to hear her secret — "spied them in the garden! They didn't even notice me." She giggled.
"Alone in the garden?" The mere image filled Darcy with horror.
"I even saw him" — she paused for dramatic effect — "kiss her!"
"K-Kiss?" Darcy could not breathe.
Kitty held a hand to her heart. "It was so romantic — just as it was described in The Castle of Otranto. Have you read it? It is terribly good!"
Darcy tried and failed rather spectacularly to avoid picturing Wickham kissing Elizabeth. It was all too easy to imagine. His chest ached from lack of air — or was that pain in his heart?
A sudden thought struck him. "Did he force her into it?"
Kitty's brows drew together. "Of course not. She was smiling."
Turning away from Kitty, Darcy concentrated on not being sick by the side of the road.
"He is frightfully handsome, particularly in his regimentals. He appears exactly as an officer ought to. Don't you think?" Fortunately, she continued without expecting an answer. "And he's so noble. He could be bitter and angry, but he's all amiability despite the horrible way he's been treated by — "
Darcy twisted his head around to glare at Kitty, whose mind finally caught up with her tongue.
" — by other people," she finished lamely.
Darcy immediately dismissed any consideration of telling Kitty the truth; her opinion was of no matter. But how could Elizabeth — ? He had given her the letter. She knew the truth of Wickham's nature. Darcy had even revealed the truth about Georgiana. Elizabeth could not possibly trust the man.
But what if she had not read the letter?
Panic blazed through him like a lightning bolt. Writing a letter to an unmarried woman was highly improper, but Elizabeth had never seemed overly concerned about propriety. Had he shown a casual disregard for her reputation? Had he further provoked her rage? Perhaps she had never opened the letter. Perhaps she had thrown it into the fire.
He bit his tongue to stifle a cry of dismay.
I should not have quitted Kent without ensuring she would read the letter. His account of Georgiana's experience would have armed Elizabeth against Wickham, but why should she deign to read a letter from a man who had so thoroughly insulted her and her family? In all probability she had assumed the letter contained self-justifications or pleas for her to reconsider his proposal — and it had immediately been consigned to the fire.
Now she was in Brighton, believing that Wickham was a trustworthy man who had been wronged by Darcy.
Darcy rested his hand on the trunk of a nearby tree to keep his balance. "What have I done?" he whispered to himself.
"Mr. Darcy?" Kitty Bennet's face was screwed up with anxiety. "Are you about to be ill? You look so strange."
Good Lord, he had entirely forgotten her presence. "I believe something I ate may not have agreed with me." He touched his stomach briefly.
She backed away, saying in alarm, "My slippers are new."
"Perhaps we should return to the house," he said.
She nodded in fervent agreement. Darcy straightened his jacket and turned toward Longbourn. He needed to get to Brighton.
Book Blurb
Darcy arrives at Longbourn with the intention of making amends to Elizabeth, only to discover that she is now at Brighton with Wickham. Desperate to save her from the scoundrel, Darcy follows her to the seaside, where he hopes to woo her away from the other man.
Deception piles on top of deception as Elizabeth attempts to carry out her mission without betraying confidences — or breaking Darcy's heart. However, the French plot runs deeper than she knows; soon she and Darcy are plunged into the confusing and dangerous world of international espionage. Can Darcy and Elizabeth escape with their lives and their love intact?
Author Bio
The author of best-selling Pride and Prejudice variations, historical romance writer Victoria has a Ph.D. in English literature and has taught composition to unwilling college students. Today she is a freelance writer/editor who teaches business writing to willing office professionals and tries to give voice to the demanding cast of characters in her head.She lives in Virginia with an overly affectionate cat, two children who are learning how much fun Austen's characters can be, and a husband who fortunately is not jealous of Mr. Darcy. A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count — and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice.
Giveaway
Thank you for writing this intriguing piece from your research, Victoria. As a history buff myself, I like to learn new information. I knew smuggling goods was a profitable business during that time. However I didn't know that they sneak French officers too. Is this new to you too, dear readers?If the premise of this novel has caught your attention and you would like the chance to get it for free, the author has kindly sponsored an e-book of Darcy and Deception to go with this post. Just leave a comment or some kind words about this variation by 11.59 pm GMT+8 on Monday, 14 January 2019. The giveaway is open worldwide.
The winner's announcement will be up a few days after the competition has ended. She/he should respond within 72 hours by writing on the contact page to claim the prize. If no reply is received within the allocated time, a new winner will be picked instead. Please do not leave your email address in the comment section.
Always good to read that Darcy misinterprets Elizabeth's actions though I am concerned if Elizabeth did allow Wickham to kiss her
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on this delightful novel!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this great excerpt and for a chance to win a copy :)
I love Victoria’s books, The Unforgettable Mr Darcy is a favourite and I can’t wait to read this one! ❤️
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the excerpt and felt so badly for Mr. Darcy. Hope he finds out the truth of things so he stops blaming himself.
ReplyDeleteI have been fascinated to read of intrigue during the Napoleonic Wars. One must remember that there were spies, etc, then. The premise of this book is fabulous! I can only begin to imagine Darcy’s jealousy. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of Victoria ‘s books so will always pick up a new one from her. Love the excerpt. I am intrigued by this twist and look forward to reading!! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your latest release, I’m looking forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteAh Darcy! Always quick to misunderstand where Elizabeth is concerned, isn't he? Never fear, there's plenty of scope for more when he gets to Brighton! Victoria has written another really good tale here. No need to put my name in the giveaway hat, Luthien.
ReplyDeleteSo many times, a JAFF consists of problems and misunderstandings which could be solved if they would only open their mouths and talk! This one seems as if they *can't* explain things, so I can see lots of misunderstandings occurring.
ReplyDelete