I am pleased to have Pamela Lynne with me today. I have been following her and the launch of Dearest Friends on Facebook. Not only has Ms. Lynne given Leatherbound Reviews readers a heartwarming excerpt but she is also providing a copy of Dearest Friends for giveaway! See below for more info.
Dearest Friends is a love story. Of course it is a love story; that is what draws us all to JAFF,
right? The experience shared by our dear couple is timeless and resonates with
us two centuries later. Dearest Friends adds a different twist to the tale. In spite
of Darcy’s reluctance and Elizabeth’s willfulness, we readers knew their
attraction to each other in Hertfordshire. What if something happened that hurt
them both irreparably, but drew them together for solace and support? Let’s
watch as Darcy and Elizabeth discuss their shared grief.
***
Elizabeth sat on the window seat in her uncle’s piano room.
She had practiced for what seemed like hours and was now enjoying a quiet
contemplation of the previous days with her new friend. Georgiana was such a
sweet girl, with charm and wit beyond her years. Elizabeth wondered if others
knew this about her or if, like her brother, she kept the more tender parts of
herself private. Whatever the answer, she was grateful to now have two friends
in the city where she had previously felt so alone.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a carriage
coming to a stop outside the house.
“Fitzwilliam!” she exclaimed in surprise.
She had not expected him for another hour. She quickly rose
to adjust her gown and make sure her hair was in place. She had just finished
her ministrations when Darcy was shown into the room.
Darcy bowed and greeted Elizabeth civilly, then, looking
around the room, noticed she was alone. He smiled and walked toward her,
reaching her in two long steps. He took her hands, kissing one then the other.
He bent down and captured her lips in a soft and gentle kiss, keeping it light,
not knowing how long they would be left to themselves.
“You find me quite alone this morning, Fitzwilliam,”
Elizabeth sighed as she settled into his embrace.
“Forgive me, I would not wish to intrude on your privacy,”
he said into her neck.
“For you, sir, it is never an intrusion. I will welcome your
presence at any time.”
“That is good to know, my girl, for I would wish to never
leave your side were it at all possible.”
He could no longer keep his hands still as they began to
caress her back, up and down in long strokes, nearly reaching her bottom before
they came up again. Elizabeth let out a contented sigh then looked up at him.
He laid his forehead on hers and asked, “Where is your
aunt?”
“She is upstairs. She will not be coming with us today. Her
eldest, Phillip, developed a fever in the night and she does not want to leave
him.”
Darcy drew back slightly and looked at her with concern. He
laid his hand alternately on her forehead and cheek and asked, “It is not
catching is it? It will not do to have you ill, Elizabeth.”
She was amused by his actions and she clasped his hands in
hers in order to still them.
“If it is catching then your concern would be better placed
with my aunt for she is the one nursing him, not I.” She could tell he was not
satisfied with her answer. “Truly, I am in little danger of succumbing to my
cousin’s trifling cold. My aunt is not even very concerned, but Philip is at an
age where he wants little attention from his mother, so she welcomes the
opportunity to lavish him with it whenever she can.”
The look on his face told her that he was not listening, but
planning her escape from the disease infested surroundings that were sure to
kill her if he did not intervene.
“Fitzwilliam!”
“Hmm? Perhaps you should stay with us until this fever has
run its course. We cannot be too careful with your health.”
“You are not listening to me. It is merely a cold.”
“Elizabeth, your aunt has been very generous by allowing us
time alone, but she will not allow me into your chamber to care for you if you
are ill and I do not trust. . .”
His protest was silenced by Elizabeth’s kiss. Her ardent
attentions successfully cleared his mind of all thoughts of sweeping her away
from sudden death.
“You beautiful, obstinate man,” she said as she held his
face in her hands. “I promise, if I become ill, I will be a most troublesome
patient and throw myself into the biggest snit, they will have no choice other
than to let you see me, if only to calm my poor nerves. Now, are you going to
take me to your house? I am sure your sister is waiting for us.”
Darcy’s brow furrowed and he took her hand, leading her to
the couch where he sat, then pulled her into his lap.
“Let us sit and talk for a while. It is unlikely we will
have another opportunity to be alone this afternoon.” He kissed her nose and
gave her a tender smile. Her heart warmed at the sight and she lightly traced
the outline of that smile, causing it to grow further.
“I am still growing accustomed to your smile, Mr. Darcy. I
do not believe I saw it once the entire time you were in Hertfordshire. You
seem so different now.”
“Have you forgotten whose company I was in that entire time?
In addition, it was right after the whole Ramsgate affair. My sister nearly
ruined herself and I had to spend weeks under the same roof as Caroline
Bingley. You try smiling under those circumstances.”
Elizabeth giggled and stroked his face. “You have my
sympathies, sir.”
“Do you realize how different you are now?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “How so?”
“You seem much more confident, which is strange considering
all you have lost. You hold your chin up with pride instead of defiance. Your
wit, though as sharp as ever, is less cutting and you no longer use it as a
shield. I believe being around people who truly love you has allowed the real
Elizabeth to shine through. You were never meant for Longbourn, my love, and
you were right to flee. I am glad I was here to find you when you did.”
Elizabeth kissed him as tears rolled down her cheeks. “And
you said I was too observant. How is it you know me so well?”
“Because I did not laugh and dance and make merry in
Hertfordshire. I left Bingley to play that part while I watched you. I saw
everything, Elizabeth, even things no one else saw, like your brief flashes of
hurt and shame, so carefully hidden under your humor. And I saw the lightening
quick acknowledgment of Jane and your father’s true selves.
“You knew, Elizabeth. You knew who they were, but you did
not want to see it because you loved them so; your father because he was your
hero and Jane because she was your lifelong companion. I know because I
experienced the same with my own father and Wickham.”
“Oh?”
“My father was a good man, but there are things about him I
struggled to understand. One of those was his relationship with Wickham. His
father was Pemberley’s steward and for a time he managed it practically on his
own. When my mother died, Father just disappeared for a while. He was there
physically, but he was broken on the inside. He recovered enough to eventually
return to estate and family duties, but he was never quite the same.
“I understood the loyalty he felt to the Wickhams, but I did
not understand why he chose the younger as a companion as he grew older. I was
hurt, I will admit, but I realize now that it was because he had no deep ties
to Wickham. He was easy, just as Bingley was for me. Of course, he had no idea
what kind of man he truly was. I resisted seeing it myself until we were at
Cambridge together. So you see, you and I are much the same.”
Elizabeth nodded and Darcy dried her tears with his
fingertips. “Do not cry, beloved,” he said while still caressing her face. “We
were both betrayed by the ones we considered our dearest friends. We have been
hurt and we have been alone, but that is all behind us and we are better for
our trials. We have each other now.”
Elizabeth’s throat tightened as her deepening need for him
began to overwhelm her. She once again nodded and then clung to him as if her
life depended on the connection that grew stronger with every touch. Her heart
shattered with love for this man and she wondered how she had ever managed to
live without his genuine care and understanding.
***
Dearest Friends is now available at
Amazon. You can connect with Pamela on Facebook
and Twitter.
***GIVEAWAY TIME***
Pamela Lynne is generously giving away ONE (1) paperback or e-book (winner's choice) copy of Dearest Friends to one lucky commenter.
Giveaway is open internationally.
To enter, please leave a comment for Pamela Lynne in the comment section.
Note: You must leave a Twitter handle or email address so that I know how to contact the winner.
Giveaway ends Monday, November 24!
Winner will be announced Tuesday, November 25!
Best of luck! :)
