Hello, my friends! Do you love Little Women and Pride and Prejudice? Brigid Huey has entwined the two stories in her new book Learning to Love! Brigid is here today to share an excerpt from the book. There's also a giveaway happening! Details for the giveaway are at the bottom of this page.
Learning to Love
by Brigid Huey
Blurb
In this exploration of Little Women and Pride and Prejudice, can Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy help unite two young lovers?
Amy March has been in love with her neighbor Laurie for years, but he only had eyes for her older sister. Now living in Europe, Amy is choosing her path to happiness despite her heartache. But her equilibrium is challenged when a single and melancholy Laurie pays her a visit.
Soundly rejected by his childhood love and best friend, Laurie is now wandering around Europe, taking little interest in anything or anyone. Things change in France, where he reunites with his old friend Amy. Disappointed in his behavior, she convinces him to take charge of his life and engineer his own happiness.
Laurie returns to London to make a fresh start, but he cannot get Amy out of his mind. Confused and lovestruck, he appeals to his grandfather’s close friends, the Darcys, for advice. Will this wise, elderly couple be able to guide him through his heartache?
Candy, thank you so much for having me here at So little time! I’m pleased to be back, and even more excited to share with you and your readers my newest work! Learning to Love is inspired by my two favorite historical novels, Pride and Prejudice and Little Women. I’ve brought a little excerpt to share. I do hope you all enjoy it!
Oh, I should probably mention that a key plot point from Little Women is revealed here. So if you haven’t read the original, be warned! Here we find Amy in a little garden in Vevay.
Excerpt
The yard offered a green sanctuary shaded by trees with an excellent view of the water, and Amy sat for hours each day staring out across its wide blue expanse.
She sat there now, alone as usual, with a pile of letters in her lap. Behind her, a bed of flowers bloomed with roses, her black crepe dress standing in stark contrast to the riotous blooms of pink and yellow behind her. How she wished for Laurie to be here! But she had told him to stay with his grandfather, and she would not be so selfish as to pull him away. Nevertheless, she felt certain that, once he heard the sad news, he would come. Her dear sister had been gone almost a month now.
Tears slid down her cheeks once again. She should have gone home long ago. How would she ever bear this heartache alone? And how could she have missed the opportunity to say farewell to her beloved Beth?
She dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief, absentmindedly fingering the black cross she wore around her neck. Laurie had given it to her many years ago. Jo had laughed at such a serious gift, but Laurie knew her better. Amy had a solemn, serious side that her sisters did not often appreciate. Meg understood, perhaps, but Jo never would. Though they had quarreled often as children, she and Jo had come to a pleasant place of understanding as they grew older. Her sister’s letters were full of affection and came with endearing regularity. Jo’s pages overflowed with snippets of stories she was working on, tales of her life in New York as a tutor, and the everyday ups and downs of life at Orchard House. All that would change if Jo ever found out about Amy’s love for Laurie.
Amy thought that Beth might have suspected, but—as was her gentle sister’s way—she had never asked about it, unwilling to force a confidence. She should have confided in Beth. Now she would never get the chance. A fresh wave of tears overcame her, and she buried her face in her handkerchief. The loneliness of Vevay was suffocating.
She longed for Laurie with a force that shook her confidence. She had practiced for so many years! Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on the mantra that she often repeated to herself: He does not care for you in that way. You will be respected if you cannot be loved.
But the words did not bring her comfort now. The letters from Laurie had drawn him too close to her heart. She loved him so very much but was still in ignorance of his feelings. He had never shown her more than brotherly affection.
Yet the tone of his letters had changed. He spoke to her now as an equal, not a younger sister to be teased. His words were of a man to a woman. And though they were friends as they always had been, she felt that their friendship had deepened in a way she didn’t quite understand.
Laurie—would he not come?
She looked up and gasped. He stood on the other side of the courtyard, handsome as ever, though he wore a suit of mourning. Blinking to be certain she was really seeing him, her lips formed his name, though no sound escaped them.
In a moment, she was on her feet and running toward him. The forgotten letters fluttered to the ground as she opened her arms. “Oh, Laurie! I knew you would come to me!”
The words escaped her lips without her realizing it. In a moment, she was safe in his embrace. His strong arms came around her and she rested her head on his lapel, taking in his familiar smell and the comfort that only his presence could bring.
“I came as soon as I got your letter,” he muttered against her hair.
After a long moment, she realized she was still holding onto him. She stepped back, feeling the flush on her skin. “I’m so sorry! I couldn’t help it. I was just so lonely, and I looked up and saw you, and…well…”
He took her arm in his, leading her back to the bench. She sat and watched him gather up the forgotten letters. She felt her cheeks heat again when she realized just how many of them were from him. As he sat beside her and handed her the letters, his look was almost shy. She tucked them away in her reticule and struggled to meet his gaze.
“How are you doing, my dear? Really?” His voice was gentle, and she felt tears coming on again.
“I shall be well in time.”
“I wish I could say something to comfort you for the loss of dear Beth, but I can only feel and…” Unable to finish his thought, Laurie took her hand instead, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“You needn’t say anything. This comforts me.”
They sat for a moment in silence, thinking of Beth and all they had lost.
“Beth is at peace now,” Amy whispered at last. “I am so grateful you have come, Laurie. My Aunt and Flo have been very kind, but they didn’t love Beth the way we did.” She looked at him with sudden anxiety. “You need not return right away?”
“I shall stay as long as you want me, my dear.”
Something in his voice struck her heart in a way that stole her tongue. She could not trust herself to reply, so she nodded instead. Still, he said nothing, and she whispered, “I do want you. Very much.”
She chanced a look at Laurie’s face and saw something there that made her heart beat faster. He was looking at her tenderly—in a way he never had before.
The moment passed, and he said in his usual way, “Poor little soul! I am going to take care of you now. Come. It is too chilly to sit still here in the shade. Let us walk together.”
He slipped her arm through his and led her out into the sunlight. They walked along the stone walkway near the lake’s edge, admiring its beauty together.
About the Author
dreams of living on a farm where she can raise as many chickens, ducks, and goats as she likes and write romance novels in an airy study overlooking the wildflowers.
Connect with Brigid Huey
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Other Books by Brigid Huey
Blog Tour Schedule
July 2 - So little time... you're here!
July 5 - From Pemberley to Milton
July 8 - Interests of a Jane Austen Girl
July 10 - My Jane Austen Book Club
July 12 - Delighted Reader Book Reviews
July 15 - Austenesque Reviews
* * * GIVEAWAY * * *
It's giveaway time! Meryton Press is giving away an eBook of Learning to Love to one of my lucky readers! To enter, leave a comment below with a way to contact you, or check back here, where I will announce the winner.
- One person will win an e-copy of Learning to Love.
- Winner will be randomly picked.
- To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below and provide a way of contacting you, or check back for the winner announcement.
- Open internationally.
- The last day to enter the giveaway is July 9th, 2024, by the end of the day.
Good luck!
Congratulations, Brigid, on the release of Learning to Love! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Thanks to Meryton Press for the giveaway, and a heartfelt thanks to Janet Taylor @ More Agreeably Engaged for organizing and including me in this blog tour!
So readers, what are your thougths about a Little Women/Pride and Prejudice mashup? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks so much for having me!
ReplyDeleteHello, Brigid! It was my pleasure! That's a beautiful cover on your book!
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