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Regency and Austenesque News Update
*All new* exclusive excerpt from The Darcy Cousins below. The Darcy Cousins, UK edition now available for ordering at a discount at Amazon.co.uk and The Book Depository (free international postage)! The Darcy Cousins I've received my UK hardcover copy of The Darcy Cousins, and I'm quite thrilled with it. As usual, Hale have delivered a quality hardcover product. Here is the Robert Hale Cover 
The Hale covers
are all produced by in-house artists, so they are original artwork.
I particularly like the sense of casual ease suggested by the two young bucks, and the conspiring attitude of the two young ladies. As I mention in my blog, writers don't always get to pick their covers. In fact, they often don't have any imput at all. I'm fortunate
at Sourcebooks to be able to provide feedback on the cover.
I loved the colors and sense of movement in the first Sourcebook cover (below), but the fashion was not quite right. 
The designers modified the cover (right) to make it more Regency-like by adding this charming young lady to the foreground. What an expressive face! I am sure Mr Darcy would be tempted to comment on her fine eyes. The Darcy Cousins: Description One might reasonably expect that a young lady dispatched in disgrace across the Atlantic to England would strive to behave with decorum, but Mr. Darcy's incorrigible American cousin, Clarissa Darcy, manages to provoke Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr Collins, and the parishioners of Hunsford all in one morning! And there are more surprises in store for that bastion of tradition, Rosings Park, when the family gathers for their annual Easter visit. Georgiana Darcy, generally a shy model of propriety, decides to take a few lessons from her unconventional cousin. And Anne de Bourgh, encouraged to escape her "keeper," Mrs. Jenkinson, simply… vanishes. In this tale of friendship, rebellion, and love, two young women entering Society forge a strong connection. A connection that is sorely tested when they both set out to win the heart of a most dashing gentleman. The Darcy Cousins Excerpt
One pair of eyes – dark and insistent – stood out from the sea of eyes turned towards her. Her tremulous serenity collapsed. A glance across the empty space to the pew opposite theirs – one of the pillars of the community, clearly – revealed the source. A dark-haired, impeccably dressed young gentleman was watching her – not the others – but her in particular. His knowing gaze rested on her deliberately, and she had the uncomfortable sensation of being evaluated. She looked away quickly at the sea of eyes to her left. She preferred them to that one single evaluation. But looking away did not help, for she could still feel the touch of that steady gaze upon her. Unable to resist, she turned to him again. He nodded at her politely, with a hint of a smile that suggested sympathy with her predicament. She flushed this time, flustered more by his pity than by anything else that had transpired. Fortunately by now the new arrivals appeared sufficiently cowed by Mr Collins, or Lady Catherine, or both, for neither of them uttered a sound until it was time to sing the next hymn, upon which they sang with voices like angels. At least, that was what old Miss Alton said to her sister, Miss Emily, when they had left the church behind them and started on the path towards their cottage. Miss Emily, who was partially deaf, could neither agree nor disagree, but acknowledged generally that they appeared to be very agreeable young people. This seemed to be the general consensus in the village of Hunsford. Much was made of the fact that they had requested Lady Catherine to move. But the explanation given for such an obvious social faux-pas was that it was only to be expected, since they were Americans. This explanation seemed enough to satisfy most people. A few less easily persuaded souls, however, pointed out that though Mr Robert Darcy was American, he was as fine a gentleman as could be, and married to an English lady, moreover, and he would never have thought of forcing Lady Catherine to move. Nothing remained to be said except that, since the two young people in question were actually Mr Robert’s brother and sister, one would have to blame their extreme youth for the mistake. They were by no means to be condemned in any case, for how could they know that Lady Catherine de Bourgh had occupied that exact same seat for at least the last thirty years, since the Sunday after Sir Lewis de Bourgh had brought her home as a new bride? The mistake was even more quickly forgiven when it became known that they possessed respectable fortunes. The young lady, Miss Clarissa Darcy, was worth at least £25,000 a year, while the young man, Mr Frederick Darcy, was worth far more. It was Mrs Channing who put her finger on the pulse of the matter as she addressed her son, who had not attended the service, and so had to be apprised of all the excitement he had missed. “Their behaviour would be enormously presumptuous, were it not for the fact that they are known to be cousins of Mr Darcy. Any cousins of Mr Darcy must be respectable enough to be received in any household in the county. The fact that they are American pales in significance to that very important connection.” “But, Mama,” said Mr Channing, an easy, cheerful young man whom his mother fondly described as the handsomest young man in Kent, “you have told me nothing at all of Miss Clarissa Darcy’s appearance. For all you have said will weigh nothing with me, unless you can tell me she is pretty.” “Weigh nothing?” replied his mother. “What can be more important than family connections, especially when they come with a considerable fortune? A young lady can look like a toad and still receive offers of marriage when blessed with such advantages.” “Still, Mama, I am not so desperate as to try my luck with a young lady who looks like a toad.” This threw his mama into an agony of confusion. “But I did not say she looked like a toad, Percy. If I did, I did not mean it.” Mr Channing smiled at her obligingly. “You did not say it. But you have not told me either if you think her handsome enough to tempt me.” His mother sniffed. “She is not unpleasant looking. Not as fine-looking as you, but acceptable.” “You sound unsure, Mama.” “That is because I am not sure she would suit you,” said Mrs Channing. She picked up her work and pierced the cloth with quick, tight stitches. “You would do better to cast your line at Miss Georgiana Darcy. She combines all the advantages we have spoken of, and she is a biddable type of girl, the type who will not cause you any trouble. I suspect Miss Clarissa Darcy has a mind of her own.” “You pique my interest, Mama. I must meet such a paragon, for I quite admire a young lady of spirit.” Mrs Channing jabbed her finger with a needle. Peevishly, she tossed her needlework to the side. “You will do as you wish, I know. You have never set much store by anything I say. But I think such a young lady would not do well for a wife.” She was quite out of breath by the end of her little speech. Her son’s astonishment was readily apparent. “I have not heard you express such a strong opinion for a long time, Mama. You need not worry! I do not intend to marry any time in the near future. But that does not mean I will abstain from meeting young ladies of fortune.” Mrs Channing, satisfied that he was in no immediate danger of riding over to Rosings to propose to Miss Clarissa Darcy, took up the discarded needlework, and fell back into old habits. She was generally inclined to agree with others who were more forceful than she, and rarely took her own position on anything. Only the most dire fears moved her to express her opinion openly. “No, of course not. It is advisable to foster good connections whenever one can,” she observed placidly. “Then we are in agreement,” said Mr Channing. “I am to meet the young lady in question. But since Lady Catherine has issued no invitation for me to visit her at Rosings Park, I fear that my chances of becoming acquainted with the Darcy ladies are rather reduced.” He paused a moment to let her mull over his words, knowing full well that Lady Catherine’s failure to invite the Channings for more than two weeks while her relations were visiting was a sore point to his mother. “I cannot force Lady Catherine to invite us if she does not wish to,” replied Mrs Channing, once again stabbing at her needlework. “Of course not. But I have a perfect solution. If I cannot go to Miss Darcy, Miss Darcy shall come to us. We shall have an informal dance, and Lady Catherine’s guests shall be invited.” However little the idea of organizing a large event for such important guests may have appealed to Mrs Channing, she could not refuse. Her first thought was that such an event, with the presence of such prominent personages, would be food for conversation among the ladies of the neighbourhood for months, and would add greatly to her consequence. Her second was that perhaps such an amusement might keep her son longer with them in the country. For she had noticed that her son visited her less and less frequently, and that his friends and London amusements occupied most of his time.
“My father may not approve of lavish entertainment,” said Channing, “but he is far away in India and, as long as you refrain from writing to tell him about it, will not know anything about the matter.” Mrs Channing, quickly relieved of her one cause of apprehension, allowed herself to be persuaded. “There shall be a dance, then, if you insist, and you shall meet everybody.” A sudden doubt struck her, and she added, “That is, if Lady Catherine and her guests agree to attend.” Mr Channing grinned. “I can assure you they will, Mama,” he said. “For after spending so much time in Lady Catherine’s presence, they will be more than ready to seek other company. We must invite the Darcys directly as well as Lady Catherine, for that way, even if Lady Catherine refuses, they will not.” Monica Fairview, The Darcy Cousins The Darcy Cousins is available at Amazon.co.uk and The Book Depository (free worldwide shipping) |
