Jennifer Joy's Blog
May 29, 2025
The Most Romantic Darcy I’ve Ever Written!
Coming May 30! A Pride and Prejudice variation bursting with merriment and romance!
COMPROMISED… OR NOT?Fitzwilliam Darcy has always prided himself on his impeccable propriety. So when he finds himself repeatedly trapped in compromising situations with the spirited Elizabeth Bennet, he braces himself for the inevitable: a forced marriage to a woman from a family he deems beneath him.
Except… the demands never come.
With each new scandalous circumstance, Darcy finds himself increasingly bewildered—and increasingly captivated by the one woman in England whose family seems determined not to secure him as a son-in-law. As misunderstandings clear and truths emerge about Elizabeth and her family, Darcy makes a startling discovery: he wishes they would insist on a match.
Now the man who avoided being trapped must attempt something far more daunting: winning Elizabeth’s heart on merit alone. But after initially dismissing her, can his awkward attempts at courtship convince her his feelings are genuine?
In this charming twist on Jane Austen’s beloved classic, Darcy must overcome his pride to win the heart of the one woman who won’t be caught by anything less than true love.
Preorder your copy of Once Upon a Compromise today and fall in love with the most romantic Mr. Darcy yet!The post The Most Romantic Darcy I’ve Ever Written! appeared first on Jennifer Joy Writes.
November 7, 2024
A New Story…
A stolen painting, a meddling cousin, and a clever country girl with a mind of her own—can Fitzwilliam Darcy recover a masterpiece without losing his heart?
Find out November 30!
The post A New Story… appeared first on Jennifer Joy Writes.
January 22, 2024
A New Romantic Adventure
Are you ready for a merry-go-round of love, laughter, thrills, and adventure? I sure hope so! Because that’s what I wrote for you. My goal was to write a story you can escape into—one to lighten your heart, give you cheer, and make you swoon. I can’t wait for you to meet this Darcy and Lizzy!
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Here’s what it’s about:
No mission is impossible for this Agent of the Crown… until he meets his match!
Fitzwilliam Darcy is the Crown’s most formidable secret weapon—a Master Spy. His latest mission will test his limits when he’s assigned to protect England’s foremost code decipherer, Mr. Thomas Bennet… and his wife and five unmarried daughters.
Elizabeth Bennet does not suspect that her father’s puzzles are for anything more than the improvement of their minds and her sisters’ dowries. When she’s thrust into Mr. Darcy’s company, she is captivated by the mysterious gentleman. There is something dangerous about him… something she can’t quite put her finger on but is determined to discover.
Surrounded by danger and secrets, Darcy’s greatest challenge is to protect the woman he’s falling for without embroiling her in his perilous world of espionage and deadly foes—a mission doomed for failure until he accepts that two are better than one and that Elizabeth is the key to overthrowing the machinations of a criminal mastermind.
The post A New Romantic Adventure appeared first on Jennifer Joy Writes.
October 8, 2022
Listen to my audiobooks for FREE on YouTube!
Yes, you read that right! I’m putting my audiobooks on YouTube where you can listen to them for free. It’s equal parts exciting and terrifying, but I’m diving in and I’m hoping you’ll help me make a big enough splash.
Why put your audiobooks on YouTube for free?Great question, and one I’ve put A LOT of thought and research into over the past few months…
Ultimately, it’s an experiment.
My goal is to reach a wider audience. I enjoy using YouTube to find and learn about new things, so maybe having my audiobooks there will help new readers discover the world of Jane Austen fanfiction. How wide that audience is, I don’t know. I hope it’s enough to make this experiment successful so that more authors will follow suit.
Until then, I’m willing to take one for the team because it means that I can make my stories available to readers on a fixed income and the visually impaired as well as anyone, like me, who is fascinated with the Regency era and Jane Austen fanfiction.
Okay, then, so why aren’t all of your audiobooks on YouTube already?I would love to put all of my audiobooks on YouTube immediately, but some of them are locked into contracts that don’t allow me to share… yet.
Until those titles become available, I hope you enjoy what’s already available as well as my upcoming new releases!
Wait, your newest release will be available on YouTube?!Yes! In fact, Stevie Zimmerman signed the contract and is currently producing A Cleverly (Un)contrived Compromise.
Are your audiobooks available anywhere else?Yes. Besides Audible, I’m working on uploading them everywhere—even libraries!
Cool! How can I help?The success of this experiment depends entirely on my audience, and that’s you! So please click here to visit my new YouTube channel, hit the Subscribe button, and enjoy listening! It’s that easy.
September 17, 2022
Do you like light-hearted, feel-good romance?
I hope so! Because that’s what I wrote.
Pride, Prejudice, and Kittens! Want a little more? Here’s an excerpt from the chapter that inspired the title:
“What are you doing?” Mr. Darcy grumbled beside her.
“I am going to pick the lock,” she replied with as much confidence as she could muster.
“Do you have experience picking locks?”
“Not especially. Do you?”
“No, but I fear how your hair will look when we are finally discovered.”
As if she had not considered that! Of all the pompous, know-it-all… A quick reminder of Mr. Darcy’s kinder qualities curtailed her irritation and bolstered her forbearance. Good heavens, the man tried her patience! “You would have me cross my arms and wait for someone to discover us? How long might that take? Does Mr. Bingley even use this room?” She had appreciated the comfortable seating area around the fireplace, but she had not failed to notice the lack of glowing embers as well as the desk’s lack of a chair.
“I only mean to point out that it is to our advantage not to appear disheveled when we are finally found.”
She turned to face him directly, one hand holding her pin, the other fisted on her hip. That he was right only irritated her more. “Do you have a better idea?”
“I am thinking.”
“Excellent. While you think, I shall attempt to pick this lock.” Returning to the door, she twisted her pin with too much enthusiasm. The pin bent and snapped. Confound it!
What do you think? Would you read it?
August 12, 2022
A Weekend Sale!
I can’t believe it’s been over a year since A Splendidly (Un)Suitable Match released! Anniversaries are my favorite, so I have a little surprise for you. A SALE!
Have you met Clarice, Jemima, and Duchess yet? It’s a humbling thought for Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Bingley to credit their Happily-Ever-Afters to braying, waddling, barking critters, but it sure makes for a fun story!
If you haven’t read it yet, you can grab your copy here for only 99 pennies this weekend. I hope you enjoy it!
February 8, 2022
A Perfectly (Un)timely Proposal, Chapter 3
Having secured Mr. Fowler’s word to give the errant pup more time, Darcy now felt at liberty to stomp back to Rosings to lick his wounded pride.
He had panicked. At a puppy.
Now that he knew that Ruby posed no danger to him, his fear had yielded to embarrassment and, finally, to frustration. It was harder for him to remain angry at the excitable miscreant now that Elizabeth had given her a name, but Darcy gave it his best effort.
He found the housekeeper in the kitchen. Elizabeth’s tonic secured, he tread softly upstairs to avoid his aunt’s notice, ruing the day gawky Ruby had taken it upon herself to ruin his proposal… and his breeches.
Chalmers poked the fire in the bedchamber to life. “I had the cook set aside a tray. Shall I send for it?” He faced Darcy and, with the improved light, saw the ruination of the fabric he had painstakingly brushed and pressed minutes before. His eyes pinched slightly and the corners of his lips spasmed, but Chalmers was too discreet to voice his thoughts.
An explanation was in order. He owed Chambers that. “I had an incident with a boisterous escapee from the kennels.”
“I shall see to them immediately.” He pulled another more comfortable pair of breeches from the top of the dressing screen. Darcy donned them, glad to be rid of all signs of Ruby’s intrusion.
He sat beside the fire and tended to his dinner tray, feeling his muscles uncoil and relax as he assessed the damage. He had decided to propose to Elizabeth and would not allow a rambunctious dog to spoil his plan.
Elizabeth had taken an immediate liking to Ruby and, upon reflection, Darcy determined that he had not uttered any unfavorable epithets aloud. In fact, his manners toward the dog, especially under the circumstances, could only recommend him to the lady. It would be easier for him to strike up a conversation with her at their next meeting. Perhaps she would tease him about the interloper, and he could say something charming about the playful pup. Really, that was all Ruby was. She was too young to be of any harm. This knowledge and the fact that Darcy had no reason to ever see Ruby again made him more forgiving.
Feeling more hopeful for the morrow—his last full day and night at Rosings before returning to London—Darcy sipped tea and read from a book not likely to keep him up past his usual time to retire. One could only dwell on irrigation methods for so long before the eyelids became heavy.
Hours later, he was jarred awake by a kick at the door. He groggily arose and opened it to find Richard clutching a decanter in one hand and two glasses in the other.
“Uncle Lewis kept a fine cellar in his day.” His cousin entered without invitation and sank into the chair opposite Darcy. Pouring brandy into the glasses, he handed one over. “Aunt Catherine was most displeased with your absence. You shall hear of nothing else on the morrow.”
Darcy regretted provoking her over what amounted to nothing. However, he had never been one to be swayed by the opinion of his imperious aunt, and he was not about to begin now. “It shall be a welcome reprieve from her usual complaint.”
“You and Anne?”
“What else?” Darcy groaned. One innocent comment from his mother about how well he and Anne played together as infants, and his aunt had taken it upon herself to assume an attachment. Her expectation had grown with each passing year until she was convinced that such an arrangement had been made at their birth. Unfortunately, Aunt did not take kindly to change, or Darcy would have succeeded in disabusing her of such a disagreeable engagement years ago.
Richard leaned forward, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Have you seen how Anne looks at her physician? It is no wonder she is so often ill.”
Darcy had not, although he was not surprised his cousin had. There were few things that slipped past Richard’s notice. “I wish her well with whomever she chooses.”
“So long as she does not choose you!” Richard cackled. Darcy raised his drink, and they drank to the frustration of their aunt’s plans. Richard topped off their glasses. “Has Miss Bennet’s headache improved?”
Darcy nearly spilled his brandy in his haste to set it down on the table.
Richard chuckled. “You forget how often we have called at the parsonage since her arrival. You fancy her.”
“Am I so obvious?”
“Hardly! An onlooker would never suspect. In fact, given your reticence, I doubt that the lady herself suspects your regard.”
“Surely not!” Darcy shifted his weight, Richard’s claim as uncomfortable as his chair.
Richard snorted. “The day I see you flirt with a young lady is the day you shall see me flouncing down the lane with an ostrich feather stuffed in my hat.”
Darcy scowled, contemplating all the conversations he had enjoyed with Elizabeth at Netherfield Park, their snappy exchanges, the times their paths had crossed during her walks over the park, the set they had danced at Bingley’s ball. Too many times, their eyes met over the table in his aunt’s parlor. “Miss Elizabeth can be in no doubt of my regard.”
“Really? How is that? Because you condescend to speak to her at all?”
Darcy did not dignify Richard’s sarcasm with a reply.
“Because you sit stiffly on the parsonage settee and drink Mrs. Collins’ tea while you listen to us converse for the appropriate fifteen minutes allotted to general acquaintances? It is a wonder Miss Elizabeth does not swoon at your mere presence!”
Darcy had allowed Richard quite enough fun at his expense. Flipping the tables, he commented, “At least my conversation does not leave her with a pounding headache.”
Richard’s smile melted. “Yes, I had opportunity between Aunt Catherine’s counsel and Mr. Collins’ supercilious praise to consider if perhaps it was something I said which might have provoked her discomfort. Miss Bennet is one to jest, and I understood her conversation as such, but I might have misread her reaction.”
Elizabeth was always ready with a smile and a witty retort. It was one of the qualities Darcy most admired about her. He could not count on his fingers all the times she had teased him. She had even poked fun at him for not dancing at the assembly in her comments to Richard. “You have sketched her character well in so short a time.”
“Still, as my father always counsels us, it is not for a man to understand the heart of a woman. It would be the height of pride for me to presume insight when I have no basis for such a claim.”
How Uncle could utter that nonsense after over thirty years of marriage astounded Darcy. Did he not know his own wife? Darcy had determined that he would do better. Nestling against the back of his chair, he reached for his brandy. “What did you discuss? Perhaps I might help you discern whether you have cause for concern.”
“We only spoke of Bingley.”
Darcy sat forward. “Bingley? What could you possibly have to say about him?”
“Do not tell me you were not congratulating yourself on having lately saved—and I quote—‘a friend from the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage.’ Who other than Bingley would get himself into a scrape of that sort? And after you had spent the whole of last summer with him at Netherfield.”
Darcy grimaced. He had never intended for Elizabeth to learn of his interference, but a union to a family such as the Bennets would be the ruin of gullible, easily swayed Bingley. His friend did not have the strength of character to withstand the overbearing family, and for what? A tepid love from an indifferent wife? Bingley had asked for his opinion, and Darcy had replied honestly. He refused to regret his interference when it had been sought. “What else did you say?” He braced himself.
“Miss Bennet asked for your reasons for this interference. I merely told her my understanding.” Richard shrugged.
“Which was?”
“That there were some very strong objections against the lady.”
Darcy pressed his fingers against his temples, which had begun to throb. “And you did not notice any change in Miss Elizabeth’s manners at this?”
Another shrug. “She enjoys a good jest. When she asked what arts you used to separate them, I initially assumed she was teasing. She prompted me to continue.”
“I imagine she did.” Darcy scoffed, his confidence in her regard wavering. Elizabeth was clever to extract all the information she wished, smiling prettily while his oafish cousin revealed every damning morsel. “How did you reply?”
“I said that you did not talk to me of your own arts, and that she now knew everything I did. Surely you can take no offense at that.” Richard frowned and sipped from his glass. “However, I have to wonder… She did say that your conduct did not suit her feelings. She asked why you were to be the judge, what right you had to decide on the propriety of Bingley’s inclination, and why, upon your judgment alone, you determined and directed in what manner Bingley was to be happy.”
Darcy clenched his jaw. He thought his head might explode. “And you did not sense her pique?”
“I might have sooner had she not expressed her consideration, saying it was inappropriate to condemn you without knowing the particulars. I commiserated, adding—in jest, mind you—that it lessened the honor of your triumph very sadly.”
Ignorant dunderhead! Of all the things he could have said to Elizabeth, the fool had stumbled upon the one subject certain to foment her ire.
Richard downed the last of his brandy. “I suppose you had to be there. I praised you most effectively, holding you up as a model of exemplary friendship.”
Darcy stopped his cousin before he could congratulate himself further. “The young lady I separated from Bingley was her sister.”
Richard coughed, spraying Darcy as he gagged and stuttered. “H-her sis-ter?”
With the aim of increasing his cousin’s guilt, Darcy added, “I had every intention of making an offer of marriage to Miss Elizabeth this evening.”
Richard poured another glass, spilling over the edge in his haste, and downed it in one gulp. Darcy held his peace while Richard cleared his throat, no doubt preparing to utter an apology. Instead, he slammed his glass on the table and exclaimed, “Darcy! How could you?”
Darcy sucked in his breath, too stunned to reply.
“How is one Bennet unsuitable for Bingley when you would attach yourself to a family you deem objectionable? I have never known you to be such a hypocrite.”
Darcy jerked back as though he had been struck. “Miss Bennet demonstrated no particular regard for him.”
“An observation anyone might make about your regard for Miss Elizabeth!”
“Would you have Bingley marry without love?” He had to make Richard understand that he had acted as a good friend should, with Bingley’s best interests at heart.
“And you determined Miss Bennet’s motives by what means?”
Darcy folded his arms over his chest, certain that he was on firmer ground. He prided himself on being an excellent judge of character. “Through months of observation.”
Richard rolled his eyes. “Since when were you granted the ability to read a lady’s heart? Is not Bingley’s happiness his own choice? Who made you the judge?”
“Bingley sought me out himself and asked for my opinion.”
“Which you gladly gave, knowing how easily persuaded he is by you. He trusts you!” Richard shook his head. “I never thought I would see the day you abused that trust.”
Darcy reeled as Richard continued mercilessly, “Tell me, has your counsel brought Bingley happiness, or has he been miserable since leaving Hertfordshire?”
Sucking in a deep breath, Darcy suddenly felt sick. He had spoken the truth and answered honestly when Bingley had asked his opinion. This should not be happening.
“And the young lady. Darcy, what if you were wrong about Miss Bennet? From the little I know of her family, you have dealt them a harsh blow, depriving Miss Bennet of a beneficial match to a gentleman who would graciously care for her and her family.” Richard scrubbed his hand over his face. “It was fortuitous you did not propose to Miss Elizabeth tonight, I can promise you that. She would certainly have refused you.”
Over a matter that could so easily be resolved? He would simply tell her the truth–that he had spoken at Bingley’s request. He had told the truth as he knew it. He had been honest, for heaven’s sake!
To Darcy’s chagrin, Richard had more to say on the subject. “I am appalled by your lack of consideration toward a worthy lady you claim to love. Did you not think how Aunt Catherine would react if she found out you made an offer to someone other than Anne while residing as her guest? How she would punish the Collinses for inviting Miss Elizabeth here? Our aunt is capable of introducing more misery than they have ever known in their lives, and for what? So you can congratulate yourself on your condescension? Create more mayhem in Miss Elizabeth’s family, as though you have not caused enough? It is unconscionable!”
Richard’s face twisted in disgust—a look he had never before directed at Darcy, who felt his cousin’s censure like a kick in the ribs.
Darcy continued to sit by the fire in numb silence, only stirring long after Richard left the room and when Chalmers returned to assist him out of his coat and into his nightclothes. He struggled to understand his error, but he could not deny the truth of Richard’s accusations.
All that mattered right now was what Elizabeth thought. If she considered him the destroyer of her sister’s happiness, then there was only one thing to do. Somehow he must improve her opinion of him.
Angry at himself, angry at Richard, and angry at the circumstances which had upset Elizabeth, Darcy stayed awake several hours longer committing his thoughts to paper.
He thanked Heavens for Ruby, or he would never have had the opportunity to explain himself to the woman he loved.
Darcy needs a reliable wingman. Will Colonel Fitzwilliam be tempted to rally behind his cousin?
Release Day is February 10!
PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RKLY7LS
Everywhere Else: mybook.to/PerfectlyUntimely
February 5, 2022
A Perfectly (Un)timely Proposal—A Teaser
When your best friend is maddeningly right…
What has happened to disquiet our sassy heroine so much?
Release Day is February 10!
PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RKLY7LS
Everywhere Else: mybook.to/PerfectlyUntimely
A Perfectly (Un)timely Proposal, Chapter 2
Elizabeth Bennet dropped her letters onto the table, grateful for the intrusion. (The dog’s—not Mr. Darcy’s.)
“Heel! Sit!” He pointed at the floor at his feet, his voice stern.
In a flagrant (and adorably sweet) display of disobedience, the puppy licked and nibbled at his fingers, insistently raking the front of his impeccably brushed and pressed breeches with her muddy paws.
It served him right. His unwelcome presence certainly had not improved Elizabeth’s headache. Until now. The expression of absolute horror and disgust on Mr. Darcy’s face made her hold her breath lest a delighted and slightly vengeful giggle escape.
Calling the dog over with low whistles and clucks, Elizabeth patted her legs and clapped to get the puppy’s attention. It was not until Elizabeth crouched down on the floor that the Dane noticed her. She trotted over to sniff Elizabeth’s skirts and lean into her hands when she scratched behind the puppy’s ears.
She was a spindly thing—all ears and feet, with a sleek, white coat and black splotches on her rump and over one ear. Elizabeth rubbed behind her ears, talking in a soothing tone. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance, little miss. However did you find your way here? Did you escape from the kennels? Your blue eyes would be the envy of many ladies of my acquaintance. Yes, you are a beautiful girl, no doubt a gem among puppies! The kennel keeper will want to know how you escaped, and I fear you will not like your punishment very much. What does he call you, I wonder?”
The puppy nudged the ruby necklace at Elizabeth’s throat, entirely unconcerned about the consequences of her escape.
“You like my necklace, do you? It is a ruby, a similar shade to your lovely pink nose.” She ruffled the dog’s fur, teasing, “Now, there is a name! Rambunctious Ruby. Is that what I shall call you?”
As Elizabeth felt Ruby licking her wrist, she looked up to see Mr. Darcy standing in the farthest corner, watching her and the dog, as composed as a gentleman accustomed to perfection could be with mud-stained breeches.
What had he wished to tell her? Whatever it was, it would wait for another day. She could not imagine what was so important he would call in the evening when he should have been dining with his aunt.
Elizabeth certainly had nothing to say to him. Nothing kind. Not after what he had done to separate Mr. Bingley from Jane. Colonel Fitzwilliam had been a veritable fount of knowledge. “Strong objections to the lady,” indeed!
The gentleman opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word, there was a loud knock at the door. The maid soon joined them with the kennel keeper. Mr. Mansell doffed his hat and ducked his head. “My deepest apologies.”
Elizabeth did not know if it was the work of her active imagination, the poor lighting in the room, or a valid observation, but the man paled at the sight of Mr. Darcy. “I am very sorry, sir,” he mumbled as he passed the stuffy, disapproving gentleman. Grabbing Ruby by the scruff of her neck, he pulled her away.
Elizabeth rose to her feet, brushing off her hands. “She meant no harm.”
“She never does.” Mr. Mansell’s smile was sad. He looped a lead around her head and pulled her closer to the door.
Mr. Darcy glared at the man, his tone sharp. “Is this a common occurrence?”
“It is the first time she has escaped her pen.” Mr. Mansell sighed and rubbed his free hand over his face. “I had best return her to the kennel. My apologies, Mr. Darcy, Miss Bennet.”
Ruby tugged against the lead, raising up on her back feet and making a cute squeaky noise as if she wished to give her regards to Mr. Darcy, who did not look impressed to be the recipient of the dog’s attentions.
Mr. Darcy stepped away, hands crossed over his chest. “A Great Dane,” he mumbled under his breath, as though the breed were a curse.
Ruby did not seem to understand she was in trouble. She trotted away, her tail whipping back and forth happily, a stark contrast to her keeper’s sad expression.
Mr. Darcy watched them go, his gaze glued to the puppy, until the maid handed him a clean cloth with which to brush off mud from the breeches his valet would have to attend to later. With a bow, he took his leave from the parlor to the entrance hall. God forbid the great man would have to cross the lawn in muddy breeches. It did her humor good to observe the great Mr. Darcy seeing to such a humble task.
Feeling much better than she had minutes before, Elizabeth turned to the window and the pile of Jane’s letters resting on the table in front of it. Poor Jane! If only Mr. Darcy had not influenced Mr. Bingley to leave Netherfield Park. What right had he to interfere? She pressed her fingers against her temples, the pounding beginning anew.
The source of her malaise bowed to take his leave. Good riddance.
“Mansell!” The voice coming from the other side of the window drew her attention away from the disagreeable gentleman.
From the soft glow of the moon, Elizabeth saw Mr. Mansell on the path leading out to Hunsford’s gate. His shoulders rose to his ears. His head tipped toward the puppy prancing at his feet, and his entire posture slumped in defeat.
The same voice she had heard a moment before sounded. “I told you to get rid of her.” It was the gamekeeper, Mr. Fowler.
Surely Mr. Fowler did not mean what Elizabeth suspected. She moved closer to the door, where Mr. Darcy still stood in the shadows of the entrance. Fortunately, his attention was not on her but on the two other men.
Mr. Mansell bowed his head. “I have only to find a way to teach her, and she will be an exemplary specimen. Look at her lines, her size. She is a beauty.”
“She is untrainable.”
“In all fairness, sir, her training has only started.”
“She does not look at you when you speak. The other puppies have learned to acknowledge your voice, but she does as she pleases. I have never seen a more rebellious dog.” Mr. Fowler pulled a bag off his shoulder and handed it to Mr. Mansell. “She will discredit Her Ladyship’s kennel. The problem must be dealt with whether you like it or not.”
“No!” Elizabeth gasped. How could he be so cruel?
The two men turned to face her, and she stepped around Mr. Darcy to give Mr. Fowler a piece of her mind.
Mr. Darcy beat her to it. “Surely Mr. Mansell should be given sufficient time to train the dog first.” His haughty tone suited the occasion perfectly and her vexation at his interruption turned to triumph when Mr. Fowler stiffened and cleared his throat.
“Her Ladyship is particular about defective animals. They reflect poorly on her estate.”
Mr. Darcy turned to Mr. Mansell, ignoring the gamekeeper. “How old is she?”
“Just over ten weeks, sir.”
“When did her instruction begin?”
“Two weeks ago.”
Mr. Fowler interrupted. “Something is wrong with the dog. No amount of training will beat that out of her.”
“I should hope that beating is not necessary.” Mr. Darcy stood taller, his tone as imposing as his posture. Too bad he was not as considerate to people. “Young puppies require consistent direction over a long period of time. You cannot rightly determine that this one is without hope when her training has only just begun.”
“Forgive me, Mr. Darcy, but your aunt has entrusted me with keeping the game at Rosings, and the kennels are under my authority. If she has any cause for complaint, she will take the matter up with me.”
Mr. Darcy held up his hand. “You fulfill your role admirably, Mr. Fowler. The streams teem with fish. There is ample game at my aunt’s table, and during my rides over the property, I have yet to see a poacher’s snare.”
The gamekeeper softened his stance and, with a healthier measure of affability than he had demonstrated when he first arrived, he bowed his departure along with Mr. Mansell.
Mr. Darcy, too, bowed, his eyes pinched and his mouth bunched. With an exhale that communicated resignation, he said, “I shall speak with my aunt’s housekeeper so she can send you some of her tonic. I wish you a prompt recovery.”
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy. That is… kind of you.” The praise stuck in her throat, but she forced it out. As she watched him catch up to the other men and continue down the path away from Hunsford, Elizabeth marveled at how quickly Mr. Darcy had gone from severe displeasure at the misbehaving Dane to rising in her defense.
Returning to the parlor, she collected her letters and went upstairs to her room. Elizabeth’s headache subsided before Mr. Darcy sent the housekeeper’s tonic, but her heart still ached for Jane.
Why does Mr. Darcy’s kindness disquiet our sassy heroine so much? Could it be there is much more for her to discover about the gentleman?
Release Day is February 10!
PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RKLY7LS
Everywhere Else: mybook.to/PerfectlyUntimely
January 31, 2022
A Perfectly (Un)timely Proposal—First Lines
There’s nothing like talking about the weather to warm a young lady’s heart! 
Keep trying, Mr. Darcy.
With a start like that, what could possibly go wrong?
Release Day is February 10!
PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RKLY7LS
Everywhere Else: mybook.to/PerfectlyUntimely
