I’m excited to have P.O. Dixon here today to celebrate her latest Pride and Prejudice variation, By Reason, by Reflection, by Everything. I’ve long been a fan of P.O.’s books, and as soon as I read the blurb for this one, I was intrigued. The book sounds fascinating, and I hope to read it soon. I also hope that once you read P.O.’s inspiration for the novel and the excerpt, you’ll feel the same. Please give her a warm welcome!
Thank you so much, Anna, for having me here at Diary of an Eccentric. I am honored indeed to be able to share an excerpt of my newest release, By Reason, by Reflection, by Everything, with your readers.
I’ll start with the story’s premise: what if the elder Mr. Darcy’s first-born son is promised to Mr. Bennet’s first-born daughter?
If ever there were a Jane Austen fan fiction taboo, a romantic alliance between Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Jane Bennet would surely fit the bill. As a reader, I’d find such an entanglement unconscionable. However, that does not mean the writer in me would balk at such a possibility. Indeed, I have asked myself what if Darcy and Jane were promised to each other numerous times since I wrote my first Pride and Prejudice variation.
Finally, I took the time to fashion my frequent musings into a story during last year’s National Novel Writing Month. Otherwise known as NaNoWriMo, it’s an annual event during which writers around the world commit to writing fifty thousand words during the month of November.
I do not know that I have ever had such fun writing a novel in one month—so much so that I crossed the fifty thousand words milestone with nine days to spare. Of course, my rough manuscript would require months and months of editing, fine-tuning, and polishing to deliver the final story. Upon reading the excerpt below, I hope everyone will find that my effort to deliver a wonderful Pride and Prejudice what-if story proves to be time well spent.
Enjoy!
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Excerpt from By Reason, by Reflection, by Everything (Reprinted with Author’s Permission. All Rights Reserved.)
Chapter 3
Wonder and Intrigue
Today is everything it ought to be. My Jane shall meet the gentleman whom she very well may marry and with whom she may spend the rest of her life. Elizabeth could not imagine being anywhere but by her sister’s side during such an auspicious occasion, and thus the two of them sat next to each other, arm in arm, as their carriage rounded the bend headed for Pemberley.
Everywhere Elizabeth looked she beheld the estate’s natural beauty. When at last the manor house came into view, she gasped on behalf of her sister as well as herself. There stood a massive stone mansion backed by a ridge of high woody hills. In front of it, flowed a large stream, its banks neither formal nor falsely adorned
Never have I seen such a place as this, Elizabeth silently reflected. Pemberley. Is there any wonder it is hailed as one of the finest estates in all of Derbyshire?
One glance at her sister and she rather supposed their thoughts must have tended along the exact same lines. Both of their faces overspread with contagious smiles.
“Dearest Jane,” Elizabeth remarked, “how fortunate you are. To be mistress of such a place as this must surely be something. How fortunate you are indeed.”
Jane squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “Dearest Lizzy, I appreciate your enthusiasm over the prospects for my future life, but truth be told, I feel more overwhelmed than fortunate at this moment. What if the gentleman takes one look at me and concludes he wants nothing to do with me? What a considerable distance to travel to be summarily sent on one’s way.”
“Not like you! Jane, do not be ridiculous. I posit Mr. Darcy will fall madly in love with you the moment he lays eyes on you. How could he not? Unless of course, the gentleman is a fool. But even a fool would fancy himself the wisest and the luckiest man in the world to proclaim himself your future husband.”
“We shall see,” Jane replied in a voice that lacked the joy the moment warranted.
“Jane, I can see you are not as convinced of your unmitigated charms as you ought to be. But you need not worry, for I have enough confidence for the two of us. Mark my words, there will be a wedding here at Pemberley in under three months, or my name is not Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Oh, Lizzy! Where would I be without you?”
“Pray you will never find out.”
“Then does that mean you will accompany me on my wedding journey?” Jane bit her lower lip sheepishly. “That is to say, should events unfold as you anticipate.”
“I agreed to spend this time with you here at Pemberley, did I not? I see no reason to abandon you once you have accepted your prince.”
A little while later, a mixture of wonder and intrigue commanded Elizabeth’s thoughts as their carriage drew to a halt in front of the imposing manor house. The number of people awaiting them was such that she had never witnessed before.
What a welcoming reception.
Two tall, very distinguished looking gentlemen were flanked on either side by lines of servants uniformly attired in stark black and white. The older of the two, Elizabeth quickly surmised as being the master of Pemberley, Mr. George Darcy. His countenance was stern and dignified, but there was something about his eyes that gave a real glimpse into his character. While indeed a man to be reckoned with, Elizabeth suspected buried beneath his austere outward appearance was a heart of gold.
The gentleman who stood beside him, much to Elizabeth’s surprise, wore a military uniform.
How can it be that the future master of Pemberley is an officer? Elizabeth immediately questioned herself in silence. As they were mere moments from meeting their magnanimous hosts for the summer, she suppressed her urge to ask her father how he had overlooked conveying such a fascinating tidbit of information to any of them.
How pleased Mama will be upon learning not only does her eldest daughter stand a chance of being the next mistress of such a grand home, but moreover her would-be son-in-law is a dashing officer.
Not very long afterward, Mr. Bennet, Jane, and Elizabeth descended the carriage and awaited the approach of the two gentlemen. Elizabeth tossed her sister a tentative smile. Any irksome reservations she suffered that Jane might be subjected to a less than desirable alliance faded with each step the eminent gentlemen took.
A good measure of formality was cast aside as the older gentleman eschewed the expected handshake and embraced her father. “Bennet, my old friend, after all these decades it gives me enormous pleasure to say to you, ‘Welcome to my home. Welcome to Pemberley.’”
Her father responded to his old friend in the warm manner that was to be expected of acquaintances who had not had the privilege of sharing each other’s company after a great long absence, and soon thereafter it was time for introductions to the other members of the assemblage.
All at once, a quiet hush spread throughout the gathering as all heads swung in the direction of a new addition to the welcoming party. Elizabeth could hardly believe her eyes. She knew without being told that she had been mistaken earlier as regarded the officer’s identity. The tall, handsome gentleman with dark hair, brooding dark eyes, and noble mien who appeared before them was the most beautiful sight her eyes had ever beheld.
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.
My sister Jane is a most fortunate woman, she could not help but think, even though the gentleman’s eyes were not fixed on Jane. To Elizabeth’s bewilderment, his eyes were fixed on her. She was powerless to turn away. But turn away she must, for this was Jane’s moment, and Elizabeth truly did not want to miss bearing witness to a single second of her sister’s joy.
Elizabeth must have blinked an instant or two, for before she knew it, the gentleman stood by the elder Mr. Darcy’s side and was introduced to her own father. And no sooner had her father been introduced to the officer did the three gentlemen focus their full attention to Jane and Elizabeth.
“Allow me to present my eldest daughter,” Mr. Bennet began, directing everyone’s eyes to Jane. “Mr. Darcy, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Colonel Fitzwilliam, meet Miss Jane Bennet.” Each of the gentlemen, starting with the eldest, greeted Jane in their turn. Elizabeth could not help noticing the decided contrast in the manner of the gentlemen’s addresses. The elder Mr. Darcy’s expression was lively, his manner warm and welcoming—very much the same as it had been toward her father. Colonel Fitzwilliam’s greeting was equally pleasant, but the other gentleman’s – the one that mattered the most – was rather wanting.
Before Elizabeth had too much time to mull over the implications of what such a reception might mean for her sister’s prospects, it was her turn to be introduced. Once again, she detected in the gentlemen the same measure of civility that had been extended toward Jane with but one exception, for she was confident that the younger Mr. Darcy’s eyes held fixed with hers a second or two longer than was necessary—his hand lingered upon hers just a bit longer than that.
The situation righted itself moments afterward when the two older gentlemen moved side by side and turned toward the manor house, the colonel took his place by Elizabeth’s side, and finally, the younger man fell into place beside Jane. As the party proceeded inside, Elizabeth threw a look in her sister’s direction and was pleased to observe that Mr. Darcy seemed to be focused entirely upon his companion. What a relief this was for Elizabeth to see that things were exactly as they ought to be.
Soon after, upon entering the grand foyer with towering ceilings, glorious paintings, black-and-white marble floors, and gilded stairways, Elizabeth was pleased to know Jane and she would be escorted to their respective apartments to allow them a bit of a reprieve before joining the rest of the Darcys’ houseguests. It was a much-needed reprieve at that, for the last part of the journey had been filled with such wonderment of what was to come that Elizabeth had not bothered to sleep for fear of missing a single moment of the adventure unfolding before her.
How happy she was upon discovering that she and Jane were assigned apartments just across the hall from each other. Of course, she would have been just as pleased if she and her sister had been assigned a single room, for no doubt they would be spending a prodigious amount of time with each other as they were wont to do while at Longbourn. Aside from a much-needed reprieve to refresh herself, there was but one thing uppermost on Elizabeth’s mind, and that was discovering what her dearest sister thought about Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. On second thought, there was another matter for Elizabeth to dwell upon in private.
What precisely is my own opinion of the heir apparent of Pemberley?
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About By Reason, by Reflection, by Everything
Promised to one sister. Bewitched by the other.
What if Mr. Thomas Bennet’s first-born daughter is promised to the elder Mr. Darcy’s first-born son? Are promises made always promises kept? Or is a love like Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s destined to prevail?
You’ll fall in love with Darcy and Elizabeth all over again while reading this heartwarming Pride and Prejudice what-if story. Grab your copy now!
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Giveaway
P.O. is generously offering an ebook copy of By Reason, by Reflection, by Everything to my readers. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address and tell us what most interests you about the book. This giveaway will close on Wednesday, September 20, 2017. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!
Thanks, P.O., for being my guest today! Congratulations on your latest release!
Thanks Anna for hosting this post. Ms Dixon, thank you for the generous give-a-way. I look forward to reading this variation. I love taking our canon story and turning it on its ear occasionally. This is a different twist and I am really anxious to see how this goes. Well done on the creativity. jwgarrett13@hotmail.com
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It’s my pleasure. I’m delighted to know how much you like this different twist on canon. I hope you’ll love the story.
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Oh dear. It’s perfectly obvious that Darcy can’t possibly marry Jane and luckily I have read a number of Pam’s books so I am assuming she would never put us through that.
I am looking forward to seeing what happens next (hopefully Bingley will be there and sweep Jane off her feet or maybe the Colonel will step in)
Thanks for sharing this excerpt and for the giveaway.
glyniswhitelegg(at)gmail(dot)com
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You’re welcome, Glynis. Great insights. I hope you’ll love what’s in store for Jane.
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Oooo, Jane promised to Mr. Darcy? Very interesting premise! Congrats on your newest book, Pam! It’s already on my wish list.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Pamh5230(at)yahoo(dot)com
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Thanks so much for your kind words, Pam. I’m so glad you’re looking forward to reading the story. I hope you’ll love it.
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I wonder what Jane thinks of this arrangement
meikleblog(at)gmail(dot)com
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Cautiously optimistic best describes Jane’s sentiments. 🙂 Thanks, Vesper.
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Oh dear what a muddle! Wonder if Bingley will appear or if Jane’s paired with the Colonel in this book? I’ve always thought Col. Fitzwilliam would probably be a better (more mature and steadfast) match for Jane.
Beautiful cover. Thanks for the giveaway.
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It’s my pleasure. I tend to like the idea of Jane and the colonel as well. I really hope you’ll love the way the story unfolds.
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I’ve loved all of Pam’s books that I’ve read. Looking forward to loving this one too, and to falling in love with Mr Darcy all over again. And to yet another happily ever after for Darcy and Elizabeth. Many thanks for the excerpt and giveaway offer!
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You’re welcome, Janis. Thanks for reading and enjoying so many of my stories. I hope you’ll love By Reason, by Reflection, by Everything just as much.
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Unfortunately, I cannot be very original or introspective in answering your question. My answer is that I am interested in this book because I’ve read and enjoyed all of Pam’s other books, so I know that I will enjoy this one too. I like the premise, and I look forward to seeing how she brings about the HEA that we all want.
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Thanks so much for reading and enjoying my books, Ginna. I’m delighted to know how much you’re looking forward to reading By Reason, by Reflection, by Everything.
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Fascinating guest post and excerpt! This excerpt is very well-written and I’d like to read more of the story. Thank you for this giveaway! I will add a link to it to my blog’s sidebar.
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It’s my pleasure, Suko. I appreciate your kind words.
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Anna,
What a very clever premise to centre a story around!!! Darcy promised to Jane yet naturally bewitched by Lizxy!
Can’t wait to read this and be privy to the heavy stares,the innocent conversation and the oft times sublime meaning behind their words,not to mind the growing attraction between these two most suited partners.
I’m presuming Bingkey appears and gives Jane cause to question who she should marry!
Such an angsty read!!! Can’t wait!!
Best of luck with this book!
Cheers for such a great post,Anna!
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Great story insights, Mary. I hope you’ll enjoy how everything unfolds.
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Seriously, this line is most intriguing… “Promised to one sister. Bewitched by the other.” How ever can it be resolved?
1riakt@gmail.com
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Thanks for your kind words, Ria. I hope you’ll love how everything works out for ODC.
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Oh dear! How will this work out…..
Cherringtonmb at sbcglobal dot net
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I think you’ll be pleased, Becky. 🙂
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I like what I have read so far. Immediately Darcy and Elizabeth are attracted to one another, so that leaves the question as to who will be Jane’s love interest?
Congratulations on release!
Patty Edmisson at gmail dot com
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Thanks for your kind words, Patty. I’m glad you enjoyed the excerpt. I hope you’ll enjoy the story just as much.
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Oh, my, love it! Will Mr. Bingley arrive for a summer visit so the right couples will end up together? Thank you for the giveaway. evamedmonds(at)gmail(dot)com
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It’s my pleasure. Yes, Bingley will arrive along with his sisters. I hope you’ll love what’s in store.
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Love your books just waiting to read this latest one
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Thanks, Gail. I hope you’ll love the story.
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Looks interesting and well-written as always.
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Thanks so much for your kind words, Jan. I hope you will love By Reason, by Reflection, by Everything.
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What a wonderful excerpt to read. Is Mr Bingley one of the Darcys’ houseguest who will capture Jane’s heart so that the younger Mr Darcy is free to court Elizabeth? I’m dying to know. Thank you for the giveaway, Pam.
evangelineace(at)yahoo(dot)com
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It’s my pleasure. I’m so glad you enjoyed the excerpt. I hope you’ll love what’s in store.
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Reblogged this on podixon.com Blog.
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Thanks! It was fun having you as a guest!
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Thank you everyone for stopping by to check out the excerpt. I hope you all get a chance to read the book.
The winner is Ria. Congrats and happy reading! (Please check your email)
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Oh, this would be a good one to read. I missed the giveaway, but next buying spree, it will be on the list.
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I can’t wait to read it myself!
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