My introduction to Jane Austen and the Regency era was through her first novel Sense and Sensibility. From the beginning, my favorite characters were Colonel Brandon and Elinor Dashwood. I loved the genuine respect and esteem they had for one another. It was easy to imagine this devoted friendship developing into a lasting love match. True Love Comes to Delaford is their story.
In this excerpt, Elinor Dashwood has an unwelcome encounter while at a Ball in London:
When the final dance began, Elinor stood near the doorway that led out to one of the corridors. She was approached by a man she had not seen since her first Season.
“Good evening, Miss Dashwood. It has been a long time since I have had the pleasure of seeing you at a ball. Instead of dancing, we shall take a stroll through the gardens. Where this time, we will finish what we started.”
He grabbed her wrists before she could turn and leave. When she asked him to let go, he leaned close enough for her to smell the foul stench of liquor on his breath.
“That was not a request. I intend to collect what I am due.”
The demand sent chills up her back. He dragged her halfway down the passageway before realizing it did not lead to the terrace. Cursing under his breath, he opened the door to the nearest room.
“This will have to suffice. Now get in there, you hussy.”
When he faced her once again, Elinor knew this was her last chance. She kicked him in his groin with all her might. He dropped to his knees. Letting go of her, his hands reached for the inflicted area.
Not wasting a second, the young woman raced towards the safety of the ballroom. Chancing a look behind her, she did not notice the decorative rug before tripping over it. As she righted herself, the man caught up with her. He took hold of her left wrist and forcefully pulled her to face him. When she involuntarily swung around, he grabbed her right one before she had a chance to react.
“I will teach you to run away from me, you damn trollop. Your little act has earned you an especially painful experience,” he growled, digging his fingers into her skin.
Her eyes darted up to him. She expected to be dragged back down the hallway, however, to her astonishment the drunkard suddenly let go completely.
A strong, male hand grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn. A fist collided with his nose, sending him to the ground. He looked up in anger, blood covering his face.
“What in damnation? Find your own bit of muslin, this one is mine!”
His expression turned to one of genuine fear when the taller stranger took a firm hold of his lapels and pulled him up quite easily. The newcomer’s eyes darkened with a look of absolute fury, as he slammed the other man against the opposite wall.
“The lady is not yours. If you so much as touch a hair on her head ever again, I will hunt you down, not only in this life, but in the next. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
He was fully Colonel Brandon now. His usual warm tone was replaced by the militaristic one he had used so often in his army days. He loosened his grip, following several seconds of the libertine’s fervent nods. Dropping down to the floor, Elinor’s attacker quickly scrambled to his feet and ran off without looking back.
After making sure the man was truly gone, the soldier turned to Miss Dashwood. When he suggested going to the terrace for some fresh air, the fiercely independent woman stiffly nodded without saying a word. Christopher had seen the same look numerous times on the battlefield—she was visibly shaken by the confrontation.
If you enjoyed this excerpt, True Love Comes to Delaford is available in both Kindle and trade paperback.
True Love Comes to Delaford by Virginia Kohl
Book blurb:
Elinor Dashwood’s father dies, leaving the fate of his family in the hands of two self-serving vultures. With diminished chances of making a respectable match and several uneventful Seasons behind her, the fiercely independent, bibliophile focuses on helping her family adjust to their new life. However, as her friendship with an honorable gentleman grows, the twenty-year-old begins experiencing feelings she never thought possible.
When Colonel Brandon resigned from the army to become the master of his family’s estate, he thought his best days were behind him. For years, the bachelor of five-and-thirty has successfully avoided every attempt of his well-meaning friends to find him a suitable wife. Although, he soon finds himself questioning his long-held beliefs regarding his single status, when Miss Dashwood strolls into his life.
In this refreshing whimsy, Virginia Kohl explores the possibility of Elinor Dashwood and Colonel Brandon’s devoted friendship turning into more.
Book blurb:
Elinor Dashwood’s father dies, leaving the fate of his family in the hands of two self-serving vultures. With diminished chances of making a respectable match and several uneventful Seasons behind her, the fiercely independent, bibliophile focuses on helping her family adjust to their new life. However, as her friendship with an honorable gentleman grows, the twenty-year-old begins experiencing feelings she never thought possible.
When Colonel Brandon resigned from the army to become the master of his family’s estate, he thought his best days were behind him. For years, the bachelor of five-and-thirty has successfully avoided every attempt of his well-meaning friends to find him a suitable wife. Although, he soon finds himself questioning his long-held beliefs regarding his single status, when Miss Dashwood strolls into his life.
In this refreshing whimsy, Virginia Kohl explores the possibility of Elinor Dashwood and Colonel Brandon’s devoted friendship turning into more.
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About the Author
Virginia Kohl has been fascinated with the regency era since discovering Jane Austen’s works at the age of eleven. While others dreamt of Willoughby, it was Colonel Brandon who stole Virginia’s heart from the very beginning. Originally from Germany, she shares her Texas home with her illustrator mother and faithful rescue dog. When not passing her love of learning on to her students, this college math professor enjoys reading, writing, and being an active member of her local writer’s guild.
The accompanying tea blend can be found at www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=127735
Connect with Virginia Kohl
* * * GIVEAWAY * * *
It's giveaway time! Virginia is generously giving away one Kindle e-copy of True Love Comes to Delaford to one lucky So Little Time... reader! To enter, please leave a comment below!
- One person will win one e-copy (Kindle) of True Love Comes to Delaford.
- To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below and include your e-mail address (with parentheses around (at) & (dot)).
- Open Internationally.
- Last day to enter the giveaway is December 19th, 2017, 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
Good luck!
Congratulations, Virginia, on the release of your debut novel! That's awesome! And many thanks for stopping by today and for offering one of my readers a chance to win an e-copy of the book!
Wow! What did you think of that excerpt! Pretty exciting! Poor Elinor being man-handled by that scoundrel! And Colonel Brandon to the rescue! *sigh*
Wow! What an exciting scene. I've seen few variations for S&S and they usually involve more of Marianne's story so I'm curious about this one's focus on Elinor.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway opportunity.
sophiarose1816 at gmail dot com
Hi, Sophia Rose! I thought so too! Very exciting scene! Best of luck in the giveaway!
DeleteI like the idea of these two together and the book is already high on my 'to buy list'
ReplyDeletemeikleblog(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi, Vesper! I like the idea too! I've always thought they would go together well. Best of luck on the giveaway!
DeleteSo few S&S variations out there. Wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteCherringtonmb at sbcglobal dot net
Hey, Becky! True, there doesn't seem to be very many S&S variations. This one sounds like a good one!
DeleteElinor and Col. Brandon are my two favorite characters from S&S and yet I never thought of them as a couple before. I think they would be great for one another. Enjoyed the excerpt and hope to read more. jadseah4(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHello, jadzia! I've always thought they were a better fit than Marianne and Col. Brandon. Although, I do think Elinor and Edward are a good match too. I just never thought Col. B was a good match for Marianne. Maybe that's why S&S isn't one of my favorite of Austen's books! Lol! :) Best of luck on the giveaway!
DeleteThat was heroic for Colonel Brandon to rescue Elinor from that scoundrel. Brilliant excerpt btw. I hope Virginia continues to write more non P&P-related stories.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! I forgot to include my email address. It's evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com
Delete