Title:
Leave Her Wild: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary
Author:
Regina Jeffers
Genre:
adaptations, British historical literature, vagary, classic historical fiction, pastiche fiction, Regency romance; clean romance; romantic adaptations
Book Blurb:
A Mandate from His Uncle
The only reason Fitzwilliam Darcy has come to London for the Short Season is to save his beloved Pemberley. He requires a bride fast. Unfortunately, only a man’s of Darcy’s prideful nature would laggardly think one female is the same as another. Quickly, he realizes he is in love with his betrothed’s hazel-eyed and highly-opinionated sister, and he has proposed to the wrong sister, but propriety demands he must not abandon Miss Jane Bennet.
Sitting on the Shelf
After Lydia’s elopement with Mr. Wickham and the family’s ruin, Elizabeth Bennet understands the need for her sister Jane to marry well, but why must Jane bring home the one man Elizabeth both despises and loves? Elizabeth’s one ball...one dance...had been ruined by the man her sister means to marry. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy’s opinion remains the marker by which she looks upon all others. Can she deny the tender feelings she carries for the gentleman and silence her traitorous heart?
Excerpt:
“I appreciate your honesty, Mr. Darcy,” Mr. Williamson said as they finished their negotiations.
Beside Darcy, Miss Bennet had offered less than a half dozen opinions. He wondered if Miss Elizabeth had spoken to his betrothed already. The woman was proving quite useful. Last evening, as he fell to sleep, he wondered if he might convince Miss Elizabeth to come live with her sister and him. She was set to assist her mother, but that would be several years removed. Briefly, he had even considered the possibility of marrying Miss Elizabeth if he lost Miss Bennet in childbirth. Unfortunately, he could not, for marrying the sister of one’s late wife was against the law in England.
“Do you have anything to add, Miss Bennet?” Darcy asked his intended.
“All is agreeable,” she said softly.
Irritated by her mellow response, he summarized for the clergyman, “My cousin must return to London to report to his superiors. I will spend several days there organizing all the necessary paperwork, then fetch my sister, and return at the beginning of next week. The ceremony will occur at ten of the clock on Thursday next.”
“Everything will be as you wish, Mr. Darcy,” Williamson assured.
With that, Darcy stood and reached a hand down to Miss Bennet, who accepted his gesture without the show of revulsion that he half expected.
A few minutes later, as he assisted her into his carriage, he stated, “You were excessively quiet in Mr. Williamson’s office. I pray you have not changed your mind. However, if you feel strongly that you must withdraw, I will step away with as much grace as possible.”
“No, I could not do so, without my family losing honor. Yet, I admit I am quite fearful of disappointing you.”
“I must say,” he attempted to remove the caustic tones from his words, “I can more easily forgive the mistakes you may make than your inaction. My estate requires a mistress who is willing to roll up her sleeves and assist my tenants.”
“I shall follow your lead,” she assured, but Darcy wished to shake her. He did not know what else to do to express his concerns, for he feared if he said anything, she would withdraw further.
Instead, he turned to look at the scenery. “You will find the area about Pemberley not so flat. The mountains in the north of England will make your Oakham Mount feel like an ant hill.”
“You know of Oakham?” Miss Bennet asked. “It is Elizabeth’s favorite place.”
He would not mention his climbing the hill with her sister. “The colonel and I noted it when we walked into the village.” The scene of Miss Elizabeth’s anger remained vividly in Darcy’s mind.
When they returned to the house, they followed the sound of laughter coming from the sitting room. “What have we here?” Darcy asked as they entered.
The colonel looked up with a smile. “Mr. Bennet and I have taken on the Misses Elizabeth and Mary in Shove Ha’Penny.”
“Who is winning?” Darcy asked with a smile as he handed off his hat and gloves to Mrs. Hill.
“Miss Elizabeth and her father, but Miss Mary has claimed another bed for us,” the colonel continued to respond for the group.
Darcy drifted over to watch the game, while Miss Bennet crossed to sit beside her mother.
“Only two more beds,” Darcy counted the chalk marks on the sides of the boards. “You could still win if you can claim the last two beds, Fitzwilliam.”
Mr. Bennet declared, “But Lizzy and I only require one more to claim the victory.” He squeezed his daughter’s hand. “I am counting on you, Lizzy, my girl.”
Darcy smiled upon the woman. He could easily imagine calling her “Lizzy” in the throes of passion, which was not an idea to which he should give credit, for it was truly an impossibility.
Miss Elizabeth teased his cousin. “You are a mere soldier, sir, while I am named after a famous queen.”
“I, too, am named after royalty,” the colonel retorted. “More than one king bears the name ‘Edward,’ while there was only one ‘Elizabeth.’” His cousin played his coins and claimed a bed that still remained open. The score was tied.
“It only took one ‘Elizabeth’ to clean up the mess of nine ‘Edwards,’” the lady said with a smile of confidence. “And Elizabeth reigned for five and forty years and did so alone on the throne.”
In a means to intimidate her, the colonel retorted, “If you place your coin in the same bed as mine,” he warned, “yours does not count.” To Miss Mary, Fitzwilliam said, “Be prepared to call ‘mine’ if such happens so we may claim the bed as our own.”
Miss Mary offered his cousin a playful salute, and Darcy finally noticed a bit of comeliness in the girl’s features he had not observed previously.
“All on your shoulders, Lizzy,” Mr. Bennet whispered, but they had heard him. “Just do not bet on love.”
“I have never bet on love, Papa,” the lady said with complete seriousness. “In truth, I know very little of affection beyond a Shakespeare sonnet or two.”
“Your favorite sonnet, Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy asked, though doing so before an audience had been pure whimsy.
As if the result was scripted, the lady placed her coin on the board. Eyeing the only open bed—the second to the last one on Fitzwilliam’s side, she studied the space, as if she was willing her success.
At length, she released her breath in a steady exhale and with a quick press of the heel of her hand, she sent her ha’penny sliding across the board’s polished surface to land dead center in the only bed still available.
His cousin groaned and covered his eyes with his hands.
Miss Mary declared, “Unbelievable!”
Mr. Bennet exclaimed, “I taught her everything I know!”
Darcy said, “Well done, Miss Elizabeth.”
“Sonnet 29, Mr. Darcy,” she announced, “is my favorite.” As she pranced past him, under her breath, she retorted, “I am confident a man of your intelligence also knows it by heart.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Kindle - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQL8CJ2R
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Clear out the clutter in my life. I keep things I have for which I have no use.
Why is your featured book a must-read in 2025?
Though this story features easily recognizable characters, when an author writes pastiche fiction, he/she must remember to abandon the cliches. Good characters draw readers in, but the author must still provide the reader with characters that are multifaceted and flawed, along with an absorbing story and sharp memorable dialogue.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Open internationally.
Runs January 1 – 31, 2025
Drawing will be held on February 3, 2025.
Author Biography:
Regina Jeffers writes books about corsets, rakes, daring heroines, dashing heroes and all aspects of the Georgian/Regency era. She is an award winning author of cozy mysteries, historical romantic suspense, and Austenesque vagaries. Jeffers has been a Smithsonian presenter and Martha Holden Jennings Scholar, as well as having her tales honored by, among others, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, the Frank Yerby Award for Fiction, the International Digital Awards, and the Chanticleer International Book Award.
Social Media Links:
Every Woman Dreams (Blog) https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com
Always Austen (Group Blog) https://alwaysausten.com/
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Regina-Jeffers/e/B008G0UI0I/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1479079637&sr=8-1
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/jeffers0306/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darcy4ever/
You Tube Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzgjdUigkkU