Hello, my friends! Riana Everly is visiting today with a fun interview with Elizabeth Bennet and an excerpt from her new book, The Bennet Affair! I hope you enjoy both the interview and the excerpt as much as I did!
Riana's interview with Miss Elizabeth Bennet
Riana: Good afternoon, Miss Bennet. Thank you for joining
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Image of Lady Caroline Gordon,
my version of Elizabeth Bennet |
us today. It is a pleasure to have you here.
EB: It is my pleasure to be here. I am pleased to answer your questions.
Riana: First of all, our readers would love to know more about your bedchamber at Longbourn. I think we would all like a room like that. What can you tell us about it?
EB: Oh, I love my bedchamber! Longbourn started off as a Medieval stronghold, with high walls and towers, a place to defend against attackers and to protect its inhabitants. Over the centuries, much of the old buildings crumbled or were taken down, to be replaced with newer, more modern buildings. At this moment, the only part of the Medieval stronghold that survives is the tower, which now is attached to a very modern building with all the amenities of our times. My parents and sisters have their rooms in this new building, and there is a long passageway that connects to the tower on all three stories of the house.
But my bedchamber is in the tower! I loved this room as a child, and when I made my discovery, I knew I had to have this room as my own.
Riana: What discovery was that, Miss Bennet?
EB: You seek to discover my secrets! (She laughs) Very well. When the tower was built, there needed to be means of moving throughout the structure and even escaping the building in times of attack. There are secret passages and hidden stairwells built into its very walls, and when I was a child I discovered one of these sets of stairs. There is an entrance from my room through a panel by the fireplace, leading up to the storage space above and down to the small sitting room below. No one else seemed to know about this hidden passage, and it became my refuge, there to sit with a lamp and read, free from the noise of my family.
Riana: How wonderful! Were you never frightened there?
EB: Oh, no indeed! The stairwell is narrow but not overly so, and I was the only person in the house who seemed aware of it. I felt very safe there. It was my own perfect magic kingdom.
Riana: Our readers would also love to hear about your first encounter with Mr. Darcy. Are you willing to talk about that?
EB: (Her face clouds over) Very well, although I do not look back on that memory with much pleasure. It was at the Meryton Assembly, where men were scarce. Our new neighbour, Mr. Bingley, arrived with a small party of guests, and he urged Mr. Darcy to dance with me. The man refused, saying it would be painful to stand up with one such as myself.
Only later did I discover that he meant the words literally – that he had been gravely injured, and that dancing was beyond his capabilities at that time, that such an activity would bring him a great deal of physical pain. I ought to have forgiven him at once, but his initial words had been so callous and rude, it was a long time before I could tolerate his company with enjoyment.
Riana: Thank you so much for your time today. It is always a delight to speak with you.
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| Image of Drum Castle in Scotland, which I imagine to look a bit like Longbourn, with its ancient tower and more modern main house |
Excerpt:
“What are you doing here?”
This time he was able to formulate a response. “I awoke and heard a noise…” She levelled her eyes at him. “That is, I was looking for something to read and…” His eyes were wide and the expression of disbelief upon his face almost convincing. “I came in here and…” He shook his head and raised a hand to brush his dishevelled hair from his face, then grimaced at the pain the motion seemed to have caused. At last he took a deep breath and burst out, “There is a secret staircase in your walls, leading into this room, and three men emerged, then escaped into the night.”
Now it was Lizzy’s turn to be stunned. If he were so shocked, if he were telling her this, he could not at all be one of Papa’s collaborators. Nor could he be a professional spy, like the one she had overheard in the carriage. Could he? Besides which…
“What? Another staircase?” the words escaped her before she could think to hold them back.
He blinked again, but this time his expression was of surprise. “Another one? You mean to say that there is more than one hidden staircase?” And then, after a moment he added, his voice more even, “Why were you more alarmed at the presence of another hidden stairwell than at the presence of three strangers in your walls? What do you know about them?”
Now it was her turn to search for words. “I do not completely trust you, Mr. Darcy, but these days I find I trust no one. I believe we need to have a candid conversation. We could use the sitting room, but even now I fear being overheard. I may be mad to suggest this, but I beg your indulgence and your discretion. Please follow me.”
Whatever was she thinking to do this? She had been so careful earlier to have both Mr. Darcy’s footman and a maid in his room whilst she was tending to his megrim, but now she was considering something so very much more scandalous. She claimed she did not trust him, and she had tried very much not to like him, but despite both her efforts and Mr. Wickham’s words, she felt that this man was no threat to her, whatever danger he may be to her reputation were they to be found together alone at this hour of night.
With a fortifying breath, she led him from the library and into the drawing room, where she turned to face him again. “Please close your eyes, sir. I would keep as much of this secret as possible.” He obliged by both squeezing his eyes shut and turning around. She found the knob on the side of the fireplace that matched the one in her room above and waited for the panel in the wall beside it to open. “You may look again.”
“Most interesting,” was all he said, and he followed her up the narrow curving stairwell until she reached the landing by her chambers. With a push of a lever, the panel opened, and she led this most unexpected guest into her private bedroom.
She set the lamp upon a small table near the fireplace, and drew up two chairs, offering one to her guest. He seemed surprised by his surroundings, although he kept his movements calm, allowing only his eyes to rove around the space.
“Your bedchamber, Miss Elizabeth? I understand now why you asked for my discretion.” He nodded, which she took as an acceptance of that charge. “I would have imagined you to reside in the main wing of the house with your family.” He left unsaid the question of her choice, but she chose to answer it, regardless.
“I had to plead for months to be allowed this room. Mama was set against it, but after I discovered the stairs…”
“So you have known about these for a long time.” He bestowed upon her one of his private smiles, and she knew he understood her.
“Yes, and I was certain Papa did not know. But the other stairs, the ones leading to the library, those I knew nothing about!”
The Bennet Affair
by Riana Everly
Blurb
A tale of secrets, sweethearts, and spies!
Elizabeth Bennet’s bedroom in the ancient tower of Longbourn has always been her private haven. So what are those footsteps and shuffling noises she’s now hearing from the room above her head? Drawn from her bed one dark summer night, her clandestine investigations land her in the middle of what looks like a gang of French spies!
William Darcy’s summer has been awful so far, especially after barely rescuing his sister from a most injudicious elopement. Then he is attacked and almost killed nearly at his own front door in one of the best parts of London. Luckily his saviour and new friend, Lord Stanton, has a grand suggestion—recuperate in the countryside and help uncover the workings of a ring of French spies, rumoured to be led by none other than country squire Thomas Bennet!
Drawn together as they work to uncover the truth about the Frenchmen hiding in their midst, Elizabeth and Darcy must use all their intellect as they are confronted with an ingenious code machine, a variety of clockwork devices, ancient secrets and very modern traitors to the Crown. And somewhere along the line, they just might lose their hearts and discover true love—assuming they survive what they learn in the Bennet affair.
The Bennet Affair is a full-length JAFF novel of about 112, 000 words.
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About the Author
Riana Everly was born in South Africa, but has called Canada home since she was eight years old. She has a Master’s degree in Medieval Studies and is trained as a classical musician, specialising in Baroque and early Classical music. She first encountered Jane Austen when her father handed her a copy of Emma at age 11, and has never looked back.
Riana now lives in Toronto with her family. When she is not writing, she can often be found playing string quartets with friends, biking around the beautiful province of Ontario with her husband, trying to improve her photography, thinking about what to make for dinner, and, of course, reading!
Riana’s novels have received several awards and citations as favourite reads of the year, including two Jane Austen Awards and a Discovering Diamonds review.
You can follow Riana's blog, and join her on Facebook, and Twitter (@RianaEverly). She loves meeting readers!
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Thank you, Riana, for visiting here today! It's always a pleasure to have you here!
Wow! I love Elizabeth's bedchamber! It would be so fun to explore the secret chambers! This story sounds so interesting! I'm really looking forward to reading it! Thank you!
So, friends, what do you think? Are you intrigued by that excerpt?
Monica Fairview writes Jane Austen variations and sequels. After graduating from the University of Illinois, she worked as a literature professor and then as an acupuncturist in Boston before moving to London.
