Today marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, and to celebrate her life and her novels, my guest today is Rose Servitova, with an excerpt from The Longbourn Letters: The Correspondence Between Mr. Collins & Mr. Bennet.
Please give her a warm welcome:
I love minor characters and believe they add so much to novels. What I loved about writing this book, is the licence it gave me to allow Austen’s brilliant characters such as Lady Catherine and Anne de Bourgh, Mary Bennet and Mrs Philips as well as Mr Bennet and Mr Collins more ‘air-time’ to develop and become more tangible. It also enabled me to introduce new, comical minor characters such as the charismatic Reverend Smellie, the eccentric inventor Mr Lucas, the carriage-driving Baroness Herbert and Reverend Green (who walks an invisible dog).
This excerpt is taken from the second chapter of The Longbourn Letters – The Correspondence between Mr Collins & Mr Bennet, when the plot of Pride and Prejudice is coming to an end (Lady Catherine’s fury at Darcy and Elizabeth’s engagement sparks a sudden visit by Mr and Mrs Collins to Lucas Lodge). The relationship between Mr Collins and Mr Bennet, although in its infancy, is on the cusp of taking on, as it does for the remainder of the novel, a life of its own.
****
An excerpt from The Longbourn Letters, courtesy of Rose Servitova
Lucas Lodge
11th October, 1792
My Dear Sir,
We have just now arrived at Lucas Lodge and wish to let you know of our unexpected arrival into the Hertfordshire countryside and your neighbourhood. Charlotte, in her condition, was eager to spend time with her family, while her health permits it but, in truth, we are moved more speedily hither due to a matter of great concern to me.
Lady Catherine was rendered so outraged by the news of her nephew’s engagement and left lose all her disappointment and fury that much of it fell on my own head. She stated that my being Elizabeth’s cousin and Charlotte as her childhood friend were responsible for throwing the lovers together and, indeed, almost conspiring against her. In such a state of trepidation, we felt it safest to remove ourselves immediately to Lucas Lodge to take cover and wait for the worst of the storm to pass, though I must confess, that it may take some time. I should never wish to witness her ladyship in such a distressed state again and pray that it shall not happen for the remainder of my residence at Hunsford.
I can only wonder that her deep disappointment perhaps stemmed from not soon calling Darcy her own son, adding vinegar to the wound, for it was certain in her mind that fate would have it so. Indeed, I too am bitterly disappointed for my vision of their wedding ceremony is crushed and there is no occasion now fitting my great passages. I shall bear it as best I can but I must confess I am perplexed that you did not heed my warning and part the lovers until a more convenient route be found. One wonders how he could be thus tempted to act in such a rash and unguided manner when he could have had Rosings in addition to Pemberley. I will, however, put aside my displeasure to add that I sincerely wish them well and hope that, although it would be impossible for Lady Catherine to degrade herself by attending the wedding ceremony, both Charlotte and I would be flattered to be present. I believe I heard from the servants that, not one, but two, pineapples have been ordered for the celebrations of this momentous occasion.
We encountered Baroness Herbert, her dog and carriage on the final stretch of our journey. Indeed she does move at alarming speed, displaying a wildness of character quite unbefitting a member of the aristocracy.
We will no doubt, sir, be delighted to see you within the next day or two.
With compliments to your wife and daughters,
William Collins
Postscript: I am all astonishment with regards your prize-winning blackcurrants for when I first visited Longbourn last year, I shook my head with regret that the bush was in such a sorry state. I will not tell you, sir, that it was dead but it was certainly not alive. Your lettuce, which I momentarily mistook for cabbage, existed for the sole purpose of feeding the local population of rabbits and slugs. That the blackcurrant bush not only survived but went on to win first prize with its crop is a miracle, cousin, of biblical proportions. I myself have enjoyed some little success at the Westerham Fair, third prize in the categories in which I entered, but as the first and second prizes were all won by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, I was deeply humbled and delighted to witness my name listed next to hers in the winners logbook. In her current fury, however, all that is forgot.
Longbourn,
11th October, 1792
My Dear Sir,
I congratulate you, for you must be delighted. Elizabeth’s impending marriage to Darcy makes you practically a nephew-in-law of Lady Catherine in all but name. Little did you think when you were casting yourself at her feet as a humble servant that you would one day look her in the eye as an equal and relative? I hope in time, when her fury takes a turn for the better, that she will relish, nay enjoy, the connection as much as we do. Fear not, your wonderful ‘passages’ will get a day out, at some future time. Keep them safe, sir, for you never know when your eloquent passages will be in great demand amongst the upper gentry of this fair land.
May I caution you, sir, not to trouble yourself with rushing to our sides on this visit. We know that you will be tending to the needs of your wife during this delicate time of expectancy and we would not have it on our consciences, if she should need you at Lucas Lodge while you were entertaining us. Yours is a generous spirit and one we must take care not to take advantage of. If we see you within the week, we will consider ourselves most fortunate.
Another reason which would have me delay the pleasure of your company is that you would find us not quite ourselves as wedding preparations have taken over our lives, minds and purses. The weddings will be joined – Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley. The date will soon be fixed and if you hold tight at Lucas Lodge, you most probably will be in attendance, for these lovers have no patience.
As you can imagine, Mrs Bennet has already made her way to the draper in Meryton for the sole purpose of returning to inform me that there is nothing therein fit for the clothing of one who will be soon the mother-in-law of both gentlemen. She must, she declares, absolutely must, visit the best warehouses in London in the company of her sister-in-law, Mrs Gardiner. I encourage it, and choose to forget the cost, for the few days of peace it will afford me. The older I get, it seems, the greater value I put on my time rather than my money. Mrs Bennet will take our daughters with her and so, I will once again be free to roam my house without interruption and, temporarily at least, become the head of the house once more. Only last week, while searching for an old map of the West Indies, I entered the back room, wherein the lady of the house occasionally retires when she has one of her headaches, to discover I had not set foot in it for over a year and it had new wallpaper, a bureau and armchair which I had never seen in the course of my life. A veritable stranger, I have become, in my own home!
I will send for you to join me for dinner on one of these quiet evenings, when I have the house to myself and we can do as we please without offence to any other. It will also give me the opportunity to show you the first prize ribbon which my blackcurrants won for me and we can marvel together at this miraculous happening.
Your cousin,
Henry Bennet
Thank you, Rose, for sharing this delightful excerpt with me and my readers. I can’t wait to read the book!
****
About The Longbourn Letters
Where Pride and Prejudice ends, a new relationship begins.
Good-humoured but detached and taciturn, Mr Bennet is not given to intimacy. Largely content with his life at Longbourn, he spends his evenings in the solitude of his library, accompanied only by a glass of port and a good book. But when his cousin, the pompous clergyman Mr Collins, announces his intention to visit, Mr Bennet is curious to meet and appraise the heir to his estate.
Despite Mr Bennet’s initial discouragement, Mr Collins quickly becomes a frequent presence in his life. They correspond regularly, with Mr Collins recounting tales of his follies and scrapes and Mr Bennet taking great pleasure from teasing his unsuspecting friend.
When a rift develops between the men, Mr Bennet is faced with a choice: he must withdraw into isolation once again or acknowledge that Mr Collins has brought something new and rich to his life.
Tender, heart-warming and peppered with disarming humour, The Longbourn Letters reimagines the characters of Pride and Prejudice and perfectly captures the subtleties of human relationships and the power of friendship.
Check out The Longbourn Letters on Goodreads | Amazon
****
Book Trailer
****
About the Author
Irish woman, Rose Servitova, is an award-winning humour writer, event manager and job coach for people with special needs. She has published in a number of literary journals as well as being short-listed in the Fish Flash Fiction Prize and at Listowel Writers Week. Other than PG Wodehouse, Rose is a lifelong fan of Jane Austen. Her first novel, The Longbourn Letters – The Correspondence between Mr Collins & Mr Bennet, described as a ‘literary triumph’, has received international acclaim since its publication earlier this year. Rose is also curating Jane Austen 200 – Limerick, a festival celebrating Limerick’s many links to Austen while nodding at its extensive Georgian heritage through literature, architecture, screen, theatre, fashion, talks and, of course, tea!! Her next novel is in the offing.
Connect with Rose Servitova on Facebook | Twitter | Website
****
Giveaway
Rose is generously offering 2 signed paperbacks of The Longbourn Letters, open internationally. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address, and tell me how you are celebrating Austen’s life and works or what intrigues you most about this book. This giveaway will close on Monday, July 31, 2017. The winners will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!
I love the idea and illustration of how friendships change and enrich our lives. I will add a link to this wonderful giveaway to my blog’s sidebar.
LikeLike
Thank you Suko x – Rose
LikeLike
Lol, oh that Collins
LikeLike
I bet you’re secretly in love with him.Thanks for your comment! Rose
LikeLike
Anna,Rose,
I read this book of letters some time ago and absolutely loved it! I reviewed it on GR and gave it 5*!
Its contents made me smile as the characters and their antics were so vivid,their plans and pursuits so apt to their individual characteristics and true to Austen’s depiction,that you could not fail to chortle as you imagined the different scenarios taking place.
I would like to think that Jane is looking down on us all amazed to think that her writing has endured,secretly chuffed that her beloved characters are still being fondly thought of,discussed and loved and proud that her literary ‘children’ provided the world with such a bountiful and rewarding legacy.
Thank you,Jane,wherever you are for penning such unforgettable characters!
(No need to include me in the giveaway!)
LikeLike
Mary, thank you for stopping by and adding such a lovely comment. I really do appreciate it…and glad that my book brought you such enjoyment. Many thanks, Rose
LikeLike
I’m on a re-read at the moment with Emma and enjoying it once again.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
LikeLike
Austen is so re-readable, every time as enjoyable as the first. Thanks for commenting. Rose
LikeLike
The book is free on Kindle today:
LikeLike
Thanks for spreading the word Anna, there were lots of downloads. Rose
LikeLike
My pleasure!
LikeLike
This excerpt had me adding this story to my to read list. Looking forward to reading.
LikeLike
That’s great alp1788! Thanks for comment – Rose
LikeLike
Thanks for this wonderful feature and giveaway. This book sounds captivating and beautiful and a real treasure which I would cherish. i have my well worn copy of P&P by my desk and enjoy it greatly.
LikeLike
Every copy of P&P should be well worn. Thanks so much for stopping by to comment Anne. – Rose
LikeLike
I am spending time reading a book about Mary Bennet.
Love the cover
meikleblog (at) gmail (dot) com
LikeLike
Thanks Vesper. The cover design was very important to me too…thanks, Rose
LikeLike
Honoring Jane Austen today by retreading my favorite passages in the novels: Darcy’s first proposal, Wentworth’s love letter to Anne, Mr Knightley’s admonishing Emma after
Box Hill, Catherine and Henry dancing in Bath, etc.
Thank you for the giveaway.
ladysusan46(at)yahoo(dot)(com)
LikeLike
Wentworth’s love letter to Anne is incredible. Thanks for stopping by to comment. – Rose
LikeLike
I’m always intrigued when the focus is on minor characters from Austen’s novels and this one seems interesting. Thanks for sharing. jadseah4 (at) yahoo (dot) com
LikeLike
Thanks darcybennett. I love her minor characters and thinks they’re every bit as splendid as her major ones. She was a very gifted writer. – Rose
LikeLike
I am not a great fan of epistolary novels, but I think I will give this one a go. The premise is ‘way too hard to resist, and yes, I agree that the secondary characters add a great deal to the original stories. I particularly like the dates here, which IMNSHO more accurately reflect the time and place of the story rather than 1813. While I prefer to commemorate Jane’s birth rather than her death (esp inasmuch as I also tend to commemorate an activity that occurred in Boston Harbour exactly two years before Jane was born) I spent the day tracking down a USA vendor of the Jane Austen commemorative currency. Turns out the company we do business with regularly will be getting them into stock sometime soon! Thank you for the excerpts and for the giveaway offer. TeaGuide dot net at gmail dot com.
LikeLike
Thanks JanisB, fortunately I did not realise when writing that the epistolary novel is one of the more difficult narratives (because in my mind it was the only way to tell this story) and fortunately for me, it worked in this instance. Cheers – Rose
LikeLike
I have a huge smile on my face after that excerpt! I’m looking forward to reading it! Yesterday I started reading ‘Jane Austen’s Guide to good Manners’ by Josephine Ross with delightful watercolour illustrations by Henrietta Webb.
Thank you so much for the giveaway!
LikeLike
Thanks Carole, I should really have a read of that book on good manners! Best, Rose
LikeLike
I’ve been posting all over facebook about Jane Austen things to celebrate her life. This sounds wonderful.
LikeLike
Good for you sagustocox – can’t get enough of Austen. Thanks for commenting – Rose
LikeLike
Hello, My friends and I are celebrating
by going to a High Tea. We think it is a very fitting way to celebrate the Austen’s!
Many thanks, Cindi
LikeLike
Hi Cindi, I did the very same thing myself on Sunday. Hope the tea was to your taste. Best, Rose
LikeLike
Thanks for the giveaway (and for making it international!). I’m really looking forward to reading this, I’ve read so many variations, but this is a totally new idea! Love that!
LikeLike
Hi Arjanne – only seemed fair to make it international – there are Janeites everywhere. Have a good weekend.Rose
LikeLike
Seem like an odd correspondence…knowing that Mr. Bennet is often describes as not very good in such. And his opinion of Mr. Collins…leaves a lot to be desired. I do have this on my kindle. But getting to it? Well, we’ll see when. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment Sheila…I found Mr Bennet a terribly negligible correspondent for a long time much to Mr Collins’ frustration but even that leads to some funny letters. I hope you’ll enjoy it when you do get to read it and thanks
LikeLike
Yay, I can’t wait to read it! Love the book trailer too!
LikeLike
Hey Dung, thanks – the book trailer sets the tone (which is totally relaxed and ridiculous). Enjoy
LikeLike
I genuinely love reading both letters. I think Rose perfectly captured Mr Bennet’s tone. I cannot wait to read more correspondence between those two men as this novel offers something unique and totally different from the usual Darcy and Elizabeth love story.
evangelineace2020(a)yahoo(dot)com
LikeLike
Thanks Luthien84 for your very kind comment! Best regards, Rose
LikeLike
OMG! I’ve been wanting to read this book since I heard about it. Thank you so much for your post and for the giveaway Anna and Rose. I would love to win a signed copy, not only because this is a book I really want tor ead, but also because the cover is irresistible! 🙂 The promo vídeo is very good, I really liked it and think it is a great idea to promote the book 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Rita for your great, fun comment….greatly appreciated. Rose
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Thehouseai’s Weblog and commented:
A Jane Austen fan fiction (JAFF) book with letters exchanged between two characters.
LikeLike
One of my favorite books in # Charing Cross Road, about the letters exchanged between an English bookstore owner and an American woman. I found that format to be delightful. You had me at the cabbages. It sounds so much like him.
LikeLike
Thank you so much. That’s so kind. I loved writing these letters…getting to know Mr Collins and Mr Bennet more intimately has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.
LikeLike
Thanks to everyone who checked out Rose’s guest post! I hope you all get a chance to read the book.
The winners are ladysusanpdx and caroleincanada! I’ve sent you both emails. Congrats and happy reading!
LikeLike
Congratulations. Enjoy.
LikeLike
I know the giveaway is over, but I look forward to reading this one. Thanks for the recommendation Anna!
LikeLike
My pleasure! Hope you enjoy it!
LikeLike