Catherine Blog Tour ~ Excerpt & #Giveaway!

Hello, my friends! I'm thrilled to be part of the Catherine Blog Tour! Sue Barr's Catherine is the second in her Pride and Prejudice Continued series. The excerpt below sounds delightful, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

Be sure to enter the giveaway! Details are at the bottom of this post! 

EXCERPT:

     Catherine Bennet, better known as Kitty to family and close friends, could barely eat, so consumed was she by nervousness. The multitude of Lords and Ladies gathered around the table made her feel as if they were in St. James Court instead of the formal dining hall at Pemberley

     Across from her sat Miss Georgiana Darcy, with whom she felt a real kinship, and to Miss Darcy’s left was Maxwell Kerr, the Fifth Duke of Adborough. Further down the table sat the Earl and Countess of Matlock, the Marquis of Dorchester, and a host of other nobility. Although the room fairly burst with members of the beau monde from London’s society, none of them filled her as much disquiet as the gentleman on her immediate right.

     Lord George Kerr.

     Never had she met someone who was so attractive. Not even Jane with all her serene beauty came close. Their Father in Heaven must have been feeling most generous when He formed this man. At that exact moment, to her utter dismay, Lord Kerr turned his attention from the Dowager Viscountess Dalrymple on his right side toward her. Unprepared for his direct attention, she froze. Almost against her will, her gaze zeroed in on his mouth which had begun to move.

     Oh, dear heaven. He said something, yet the blood rushing in and around her ears drowned out all sound. Then, that sensuous mouth curved into a slight smile revealing perfectly even, white teeth. She ducked her head and concentrated on her bowl of soup, hoping against hope her face hadn’t flared a crimson red, for then he would think she was a gauche child and not a young lady of eight and ten. When her composure returned, she risked another glance and caught him watching.

     Confound the man! Why must he still look her way? Was he not hungry? Did he have nothing better to do than discompose her so completely? With great care she dipped her spoon into the savory broth.

     “Did you enjoy the wedding ceremony, Miss Catherine?”

     Startled, she sloshed a bit of soup over the side of her spoon. Even his voice was heavenly, all deep and rumbly and flowed like rum sauce over one of Mama’s Christmas puddings. Counting to five, because that’s what Lizzy once told her to do when nervous, she willed her nerves to settle. All she had to do was maintain her composure and behave as though dining with near royalty was a common occurrence.

     “I did. I am very happy for my sister and Mr. Darcy.”
She turned her attention back to the soup and steadfastly ignored the rapid staccato of her heart. However, Lord Kerr continued to engage her in conversation, seemingly oblivious that she was nothing but a pile of nerves. A very hungry pile of nerves. In the mad rush to get Lizzy to the church on time, after a fit of vapors by Mama, she’d had nothing to eat all day.

     “As I only arrived yesterday in time for church, I had not the pleasure of being properly introduced to your sister. She and Darcy seem well suited.” He reached for his glass of wine. Unlike her, he had no problem eating and conversing.

     This would not do. At this rate she’d die of starvation. She almost sighed in relief when the footman whisked away her untouched soup and placed in front of her the second course.

     “Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are very well suited,” she replied. “They both have strong opinions and are not afraid to voice them. Some of their future breakfasts will be very interesting.”

     Lord Kerr barked out a laugh at her observation, causing more than one head to turn in their direction. She reached for a glass of water, grateful her trembling was not too visible and took a sip. Papa always said she was a silly girl and here she was, proving him right by embarrassing herself in front of important strangers.

     Lord Kerr picked up a knife and fork and sliced into the meat on his plate. Surreptitiously, she cut a sideways glance to see which cutlery he used. Why did there have to be so many forks and spoons and knives lining the perimeter of her place setting? Mama always put up such lovely dinners, but none of them compared to the pomp and ceremony here at Pemberley.

     Her stomach rumbled in protest. Lord Kerr turned slightly and smiled again.

     “You are famished. Why are you not eating?”

     Embarrassed, she stared the thick slices of ham on her dinner plate and tears threatened to trickle down her cheeks. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed him tapping one of his forks and when her left hand touched the proper fork he gave a slight nod.

     “Thank you,” she murmured.

     “You are welcome,” he whispered back.

     Less than two hours later, standing near the French doors which led out to a pretty terrace, Kitty surveyed the rolling grounds of Pemberley. After the hustle and bustle of the morning where her nerves had been stretched to near breaking, she was glad for this respite, away from the busy parlors where most of the guests still lingered.

     She blew out a small sigh.

     Other than the plethora of elevated guests, the wedding had been perfect. When saying their vows, Lizzy and Jane had positively glowed, and one couldn’t miss the soft looks of love that Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley bestowed on each of their brides.

     As happy as she was for her eldest sisters, she couldn’t wait for all the excitement to die down. Once Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and Jane and Mr. Bingley exited for their wedding trip, she and Mary planned to escape to their rooms and talk about the day. She rested her head against the window frame and with eyes closed, willed her soul to quiet.

     “Miss Bennet, we did not get to finish our conversation in the dining room.”

     For the second time that day, she gave a small start. In the midst of her daydreaming, she hadn’t heard anyone enter the room.

     “Lord Kerr.”

     For such a large man he moved with stealth and grace. She turned and gave him a polite curtsy.

     “You may call me Lord George, if you like. Otherwise Nathan and sometimes even Maxwell will answer you as he is not accustomed to being called ‘Your Grace’,” Lord George teased. He stopped a few feet from where she stood.

     “Oh… of course. Thank you, Lord George.”

     The silence stretched long between them and she twisted her fingers together, determined to not clutch her skirt and wrinkle the fine material. She cast about for something to say. Anything to break the awkward silence.

     “Are you pleased—”

     “How long are you—” 

     Both of them spoke at the same time.

     “Pray, excuse me Miss Bennet. Please continue.” He gave her a quick nod.

     “I was going to ask you if you were pleased with your brother’s announcement, after Lizzy and Darcy’s banns were read the third and final time.”

     “You are speaking of his engagement to Miss Bingley?”

     “Yes, it came as quite the surprise to most of us.”

     “I must admit I have never met the lady, but then I only arrived the evening previous and have not had much time to converse with my younger brother.”

     “In some ways your brother will become part of our extended family.” At Lord George’s quizzical expression, she explained further. “Miss Bingley’s brother, Charles is now married to my sister Jane.”

     “Ah, the Angel of Hertfordshire he sighs about.”

     Kitty stifled a giggle. “Mr. Bingley is quite besotted, as is she.”

     “How long are you and your family staying at Pemberley?”

     “We leave this coming Thursday. With Lizzy and Mr. Darcy away on their wedding trip, Papa made the decision to return home, although I am sure he’d like to stay longer if only to enjoy the library.”

     “Pemberley does have a massive library. Generations of Darcy’s have contributed to the contents.” He gave her another one of his beatific smiles. “And you. Will you miss anything from Pemberley?”

     Kitty paused and thought for few moments. “I shall miss the grounds. I do not walk as often as Lizzy, but I enjoy a ramble every now and then and the gardens are beautiful.”

     “That they are. I am staying with my brother Nathan for a few days—”

     “Kitty!” Mrs. Bennet called from the doorway, unmindful that she was in conversation with Lord George. For the first time in her young life Kitty became aware of her mother’s coarse behavior and felt exposed in front of him. “Come quickly. Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are leaving.”

     “I must go, sir.” Cheeks flaming, Kitty gave Lord George a quick curtsy and turned to follow her mother, faltering only slightly in her progress when she thought she heard him say.


     “I hope to see you again, Miss Bennet.”

Book Description: 

Some secrets are not meant to be shared.

Catherine Bennet, known as Kitty to close friends and family, knows this better than anyone. She also knows that she will never marry and it never bothered her before she met Lord George Kerr at Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding. He’s determined to breach the walls of defense she’d carefully constructed around her heart, and she’s just as determined to stay the course.



Some secrets cannot be shared

Lord George Kerr knows this better than anyone. For five years, as a spy for His Majesty the King, he played the part of a Rake, concealing his espionage activities beneath a blanket of brothels, drink and loose women. Even though he’s forced to resume his regular life within London’s finest society, he still must keep some things hidden.

One thing he does not hide is his attraction to Miss Catherine Bennet of Longbourn. Enraptured by her beauty and warmth of character, he plunges headlong into winning her heart, only to find it carefully guarded and she’s unwilling to give him even a small pinch of hope.



Some things are beyond your control

When circumstances bring Kitty’s secret into the open, she fears the tenuous bonds of friendship she’s forged with Lord George will be lost forever along with whatever love he proclaims to have for her. With the very lives of England’s vast network of spies working undercover in Bonaparte’s France hanging in the balance, she’s forced to face her worst nightmare.



Her secret is laid bare, can he love her enough to overcome what he learns?

Buy: Amazon - Also available through KindleUnlimited
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About the Author

Sue Barr resides in beautiful Southwestern Ontario with her retired Air Force hubby, two sons and their families. She’s also an indentured servant to three cats and has been known to rescue a kitten or two, or three…in an attempt to keep her ‘cat-lady-in-training’ status current. Although, she has deviated from appointed path and rescued a few dogs as well.

Sue is a member of Romance Writers of America and their affiliate chapter, Love, Hope and Faith as well as American Christian Fiction Writers.

http://www.suebarrauthor.com

From there you can follow her on Facebook or Twitter or hop on over to her blog and find out how boring her life really is…. While there, don’t forget to sign up for her announcement only newsletter. No spam. Pinky promise.

Connect with Sue Barr

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Blog Tour Schedule

May 28 / My Jane Austen Book Club/ Launch Post & Giveaway 

May 29 / From Pemberley to Milton/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

May 30 / Just Jane 1813/ Guest Post & Giveaway

May 31 / More Agreeably Engaged/ Author Spotlight & Giveaway

June 1 /  So Little Time… / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

June 2 / Liz’s Reading Life / Book Review & Giveaway 

June 4 / Diary of an Eccentric /Book Review & Giveaway

June 5 / My Vices and Weaknesses / Book Review & Giveaway

June 6 / Savvy Verse & Wit / Guest Post & Giveaway 

June 7 / Margie’s Must Reads/Book Review Post & Giveaway

June 8 /  Obsessed with Mr. Darcy / Book Review & Giveaway

June 9 / My Love for Jane Austen / Excerpt Post & Giveaway 

June 10 /  Babblings of a Bookworm / Excerpt Post & Giveaway 

June 11 /  Austenesque Reviews/ Guest Post & Giveaway

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time! Sue Barr is generously giving away three copies of her new book! Woohoo! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below! 

• One winner will receive a signed paperback of Catherine. 
• Two winners will receive an e-copy of Catherine! 
• Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once each day and by commenting daily on a blog post or review that has a giveaway attached to this tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented.
• All giveaways are open to international winners. 

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Many thanks to Sue Barr for visiting here today with a lovely excerpt and for her generous giveaway!

Also, a big thanks to Claudine @ Just Jane 1813 for organizing this tour and including me! :) 

So, what did you think of the excerpt? I'm intrigued with Lord Kerr! And I would like to see Kitty mature into the beautiful woman she can be without the bad influences of Lydia - at least that's my hope! Enough from me! I would love to hear your thoughts!