Hope For Mr. Darcy ~ Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hello, Friends! I have the lovely Jeanna Ellsworth Lake visiting with us today! She has brought with her an excerpt of her new book, Hope For Mr. Darcy, and she is giving away a copy of her book to one lucky winner! Details about the giveaway are at the bottom of the post. 

Thank you, Candy, for hosting me again! It is always a pleasure! I thought today I would share an excerpt from my latest release, Hope For Mr. Darcy, the first book in the Hope Series Trilogy. The series is about never giving up hope on love, even if it is unrequited love. We may not always see how it could work out, and there will be times we feel there really is no hope, but love always prevails!

I thought I’d share this scene where Elizabeth is really quite ill, even a little delusional, but that does not matter to Darcy . . . (what?? You say??)  Ha Ha, I meant the delusional part! Because for some reason in her illness, she seems to not feel as negative about the man from Pemberley. In fact, she is open and welcoming to his kindnesses. Of course, that only feeds his hope that even though Elizabeth had refused him the day before, and he has found he is quite protective of her, as well as, shall we say, hopeful??? ☺

The scene opens with an introduction of a new character, Mr. Osborn, a doctor who will be examining Elizabeth for the first time. Enjoy!

*****

“Naturally we are concerned for her and would like to offer our assistance,” Colonel Fitzwilliam interjected. “She has become a favorite of ours, and a favorite of Lady Catherine’s as well.”

“A favorite of Lady Catherine’s? Well, I will give her my upmost attention and care. Lady Catherine funds a great deal of my research. My name is Mr. Osborn. My specialty is mysterious illnesses, especially ones like this, where the patient cannot provide any clues. I find it fascinating to study a subject and look at it from all sides. Take for example my last three patients. They all died, unfortunately––although I am sure that will not happen to Miss Elizabeth! But the last one in particular was most interesting. He had so many symptoms that I had to start writing them down!” He pulled a notepad out of his satchel and started listing them. “Red raised rash on arms and trunk, fever, sore throat the week before, swelling in the legs, fatigue, and malaise—that simply means being tired. Anyway, he also had swollen tonsils, red blotchy cheeks, glassy pink eyes—”

Oh dear Lord! Another Mr. Collins? Darcy interrupted him with as much civility as he could muster, “Fascinating. But perhaps you should examine this patient?”

Mr. Osborn closed his book and replied, “You are correct to redirect my attention. I commend you for your intuitiveness and insightfulness. But of course, I would expect any nephew of Lady Catherine to do nothing less.” He put his book away and walked over to the patient and started to feel her forehead and open her eyes and perform other ministrations.

Colonel Fitzwilliam’s words startled Darcy out of his scrutiny of this obvious nut-of-a-man: “Would you like us to step out while you examine her, Mr. Osborn?”

“Actually, we would prefer to stay with the patient,” Darcy declared, glaring at his cousin in frustration. How could he suggest leaving her in the care of such an imbecile? He gave his cousin a subtle shake of the head and then flicked his head towards the man hunched over Elizabeth. His cousin just smiled politely, completely ignoring Darcy’s attempt to refute his offer.

Mr. Osborn looked up slightly and scratched his balding head. “I will not need to expose her in any way, so I see no reason why you cannot remain here to observe. Lady Catherine is always present when I examine her daughter Lady Anne.”

Darcy smiled, thinking for a moment that the man might exhibit just a sliver of sense after all. 

“Wonderful!” Colonel Fitzwilliam replied. He firmly seized Darcy’s elbow and led him over to the corner. “Then we will just stand here, Mr. Osborn, observing your fine skills.” He murmured to his cousin, “What are you doing?”

“I told Miss Elizabeth I would not leave her,” Darcy muttered. “I am merely keeping my word.”

“Ah, I see, just keeping your word,” he teased. “Of course! How could anyone construe your behavior as anything but honorable?” Darcy frowned slightly, but otherwise ignored the comment. “Very well, cousin, enlighten me. How exactly do you plan on keeping your word for more than a few hours? As soon as the sun sets, you will have to return to Rosings.”

“Then I will be back at first light. I do not trust that man. Does he have any training? Or any patients who have lived to see the morrow?”

“Darcy, be reasonable. She seems much improved since we arrived. A little overly-chatty on certain private subjects perhaps—” Darcy shot him another look to kill, and Richard grinned in reply. “But I believe she is in good hands. Osborn is a man of science. He is a researcher.”

“Then he will not object to me researching his credentials,” Darcy argued.

They both turned away from each other and watched silently as Mr. Osborn began his examination, opening her mouth and peeking inside. He turned her head to the left and then the right. When he tucked her chin down to her chest, she let out a small moan and Darcy stepped forward protectively. Colonel Fitzwilliam restrained him and shot him a warning look. 

Darcy returned the look with one he had mastered over the years. All it did was make his cousin grin and hold back a chuckle.

“Darcy, you fool, I am only trying to help you!” the colonel whispered. “You must show at least some restraint! I can hardly believe I am lecturing you on decorum. Unbelievable!” 

Darcy ignored his cousin and returned to watching the apothecary poke and prod Elizabeth. How could he have changed so drastically in such a short time? Half an hour ago he did not think he could even bear to hear about her; it hurt too much. And now he had committed himself to stay by her side as long as she wished? But her minuscule request had changed something deep inside him. He felt needed. He felt useful. She wanted him by her side. She had even squeezed his hand. 

For the first time since the proposal, he took a deep breath and sighed. She must have read his letter. There was no other explanation for it. 

She believed him.

He was grateful Mr. Osborn stepped to the side a bit to write a few things down because then he could fully examine her beauty without scrutiny.

Elizabeth started mumbling again. “Where are you? You said you would not leave me.”

*****

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt! I want to thank all of you readers as well as those in the blogging community, especially Candy, who has been so kind to welcome me! As a thank you, I would like to give away either an eBook (available internationally) or if you are in the United States, I am happy to mail you a signed paperback.  I would love to hear what you thought of the excerpt!

Jeanna Ellsworth Lake

Still shaken from his horrible proposal, Elizabeth Bennet falls ill at the Rosings Parsonage upon reading Fitzwilliam Darcy’s letter. In her increasingly delirious state, unfathomable influences inspire her to write an impulsive response. The letter gives Mr. Darcy hope in a way that nothing else could. 

As her illness progresses, Darcy is there at her side, crossing boundaries he has never crossed, declaring things he has never declared. A unique experience bridges them over their earlier misunderstandings, and they start to work out their differences. That is, until Elizabeth begins to recover. 

Suddenly, Elizabeth is left alone to wonder what exactly occurred between the two of them in her dreamlike state. And for the first time since meeting the man from Pemberley, she finds herself hoping for Mr. Darcy to return and rekindle what once was. 

Hope for Mr. Darcy is the first volume of the Hope Series Trilogy, a Regency variation series based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This trilogy promises hope will always light our way through the darkness of unrequited love, but eventually bringing tremendously gratifying outcomes for our three favorite characters: Mr. Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Georgiana Darcy.

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FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks! 

About the Author:

Jeanna Ellsworth Lake entered a new era in her life in December

2015. Through all her single years, she kept searching for a Mr. Darcy, but didn’t realize that what she needed was a Colonel Fitzwilliam! And she found him: a second son with a passionate heart, who never fails to make her laugh. She is so proud of her three daughters, who have supported her through her writing, and have always been her inspiration.

She also proudly states she is the eighth of thirteen children. When she isn’t writing, blogging, gardening, cooking, or raising chickens, she is thoroughly ignoring her house for a few hours at a time in order to read yet another romance novel, and does not feel the least bit guilty in doing so. She absolutely loves her chance to influence lives as a Registered Nurse in a Neurological ICU. She finds great joy in her many roles she juggles, but writing especially has been her therapy. She claims she has never been happier. 

Jeanna fell in love again with Jane Austen when she was introduced to the incredible world of Jane Austen-inspired fiction. She can never adequately thank the fellow authors who mentored her and encouraged her to write her first novel.

She is a member of Austen Authors and regularly blogs at www.austenauthors.net. She loves hearing from her readers and cherishes the chance to interact with them. For more information on her books and writing, please visit her website: www.HeyLadyPublications.com.

Connect with Jeanna Ellsworth

Twitter • Facebook • Website

Thank you, Jeanna! You are always welcome here on So little time...! I loved the excerpt, and it left me wanting more! And thank you for offering to give one lucky reader a copy of your book!  

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

• One person will win either an e-copy (Internationally) OR a signed paperback (U.S. ONLY).
• To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment with a way to get a hold of you, i.e. your email or twitter handle. If you leave your email, please put parentheses around (at) and (dot).
• A winner will be picked randomly.
• Last day to enter the giveaway is June 23rd, 2016, midnight Pacific Time.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the excerpt! Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaway! Good luck!