Hello Dear Readers,
Today I’m pleased to celebrate with all of you the release of Jennifer Joy’s new book!
It doesn’t seem too long ago that she released her last book Win, Lose or Darcy, but after writing Accusing Elizabeth, Jennifer Joy developed a tender regard for mysteries, and some ideas could not get out of her head, so a few months later The Honorable Mr. Darcy came to life and today it’s being released for sale in Amazon. You can check it by cliking here.
The Honorable Mr. Darcy is the first volume of the Meryton Mystery Series and revolves about the murder of George Wickham, but do not fear, you will have some closure with this book as the identity of the murderer is revealed, quite surprisingly I might add!
Curious about the premise? You can read more about it below:
***Book Blurb***
Everyone has a secret. Who will kill to keep theirs?
.
Lieutenant George Wickham is dead.
The shot rings out in Wickham’s tent as the good citizens of Meryton dance the night away at Mr. Bingley’s Netherfield ball. The only person who can confirm Fitzwilliam Darcy’s alibi faces the loss of her reputation and her freedom if she comes forward.
Convinced that her sole motive is the pursuit of justice— and not her growing attraction to Mr. Darcy— Elizabeth Bennet begins an investigation to clear his name and evade an unwanted marriage.
If Darcy didn’t shoot Wickham in cold blood, who did? Which of Longbourn’s neighbors is not who they seem?
With a killer on the loose, can Elizabeth avoid being the next victim as she comes closer to revealing the truth?
Bestselling author, Jennifer Joy, brings you The Honorable Mr. Darcy, the first standalone book in the A Meryton Mystery romance series. If you like falling in love with characters as they fall for each other while uncovering shocking secrets, then you’ll love this mystery romance.
***
To celebrate the launch of the book we bring you today an excerpt of my favourite scene in the book.
I hope you like this little teaser 🙂
***Excerpt***
A rustle in the corner of the room startled Darcy from his thoughts. Squinting his eyes against the darkness, he saw a lump on top of the couch.
He drew closer, his steps hushed against the carpet. When he saw that it was a young lady, he started. He ought to leave the room. But something about the lady made him peer closer.
Her dark hair blended into her surroundings. However, the familiar curve of her lips and the mischievous arch of her brows– even in sleep– identified her. It was Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She had avoided him all evening, and now here she was. He would have enjoyed her conversation.
Leaning down, he appreciated how peaceful she looked in slumber with her eyelashes spread across her cheek. She sighed and shifted her weight, freezing Darcy in place. Slowly and deliberately, he shifted his weight to his toes so that he might depart without waking her. He took a step back and lost his balance when he stumbled on an object lying on the floor. Flailing his arms out to avoid toppling over, his hand whacked against a vase or lamp or something inconveniently placed. It clattered to the floor in the one place not covered by a rug to soften its fall just as the clock struck the top of the hour. Darcy reached for the offending object which had caused his stumble and soon held in his hands one of Miss Elizabeth’s slippers.
“Who is there?” asked Miss Elizabeth in a startled voice.
Darcy groaned. “I apologize if I startled you, Miss Elizabeth. I was not aware anyone else was in the library. I shall depart.”
He had closed the library door behind him. If anyone chanced upon them alone in the dark room, Miss Elizabeth’s reputation would be compromised.
“What time is it?” she asked, looking around her frantically.
“The clock just struck midnight.”
“Midnight? Drat it all, I must have fallen asleep. I must go.”
She scrambled to her feet, her stocking toes searching for her slippers. Darcy reached down and placed the one he held before her.
The door widened and Bingley’s housekeeper peeked in. “Is anyone in here?” she asked.
Miss Elizabeth moved forward. If they were seen… Darcy clamped his hand over her mouth, pulling her against him further into the shadows.
With a cluck, the housekeeper closed the door, locking it behind her. They were stuck.
***
Elizabeth’s immediate inclination was to bite Mr. Darcy’s thick fingers, which she did with enthusiasm. Though she heard him suck in air sharply, his arms did not loosen from around her. She would scream if only she could breathe.
“Hush!” he hissed, his breath tickling her ear and annoying her further.
She found herself stuck in Mr. Bingley’s library with Mr. Darcy. Alone. Together.
The clattering of the housekeeper’s keys stopped and after a few seconds, Mr. Darcy released his hold on her.
Taking a large step away, she spun around to face him. “Why did you prevent me from leaving? Now, we are locked in!” She ought to have stomped on his foot.
Taking off his glove and rubbing the finger she had bitten, he visibly controlled his breath. Only one angry tremor marred the control in his low baritone, “If Mrs. Harris saw you, she may very well have seen me too. Can you imagine the consequences to your reputation had she seen me attempting to hide from her in a dark library?”
His smooth voice and sound reasoning stood no chance before her ire. “And can you imagine the consequences when I am missed and it is discovered that both of us have gone missing from the ballroom?”
Mr. Darcy paced, reminding Elizabeth of a black panther she had seen at an exhibition once. “If we are caught here, you will be compromised and I will have to make an offer for you.”
“You would act honorably toward me when you have failed to do so for others?” she spat.
Running his uninjured hand through his perfect hair, he said, “I can only guess that you refer to Mr. Wickham. Let me assure you, Miss Bennet, that there is more to that tragic story than he would dare admit to you. He is not to be trusted.”
“And I am to trust you?” She poured as much sarcasm as she could muster into her tone.
“Trust is earned, not seduced with charm.”
She scoffed. “And what do you know of charm, sir? Perhaps you can enlighten me as I have yet to see its display in your behavior.”
He closed the distance between them with one step. His dark eyes lit with a smoldering fire which made her skin tingle. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and lifted her chin before her thoughts muddled.
“Of what use is charm when it is used to disguise one’s flaws?”
“Of which you have none, I suppose?”
“I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding nor so grave as those of Mr. Wickham.”
“You believe yourself more honorable than he when you are the one locked in a dark room with an unmarried lady?” It was a low blow, but the irony of his claims and their present situation was too great to ignore.
“I will marry you if it comes to that.” He sounded as thrilled about it as she did.
“And what makes you think I would accept your offer? Nay, Mr. Darcy, neither of us wants to be trapped in a loveless marriage. No more than we want to be trapped in this room. There must be a way out.”
She pulled out a hairpin and scurried to the door.
“You must be quiet lest someone pass by,” ordered Mr. Darcy.
Annoyed, she answered, “I suppose you have a better way?”
The doorknob rattled and Elizabeth jumped back, clamping her hand over her mouth to keep from exclaiming aloud. Jovial voices on the other side of the door conversed.
Mr. Darcy tugged his hand through his hair, resting it on the back of his neck. “This is lovely,” he mumbled.
Elizabeth remained by the door, hoping that the gaggle of people on the other side would leave.
“We must find another way out,” said Mr. Darcy. He turned to the window, pulling the curtains aside.
“I could climb out the window,” she suggested, opening the glass and peeking out. Nobody was about.
“Absolutely not!”
Crossing her arms, she asked, “Why not? I am light and can easily fit through the opening.”
“What if you fall?”
Must he object to her every idea? What an agitating man. “There is a nice ledge running around the house and I am certain that it will be no more difficult to jump down from it than from the branch of a tree.”
Mr. Darcy looked shocked. “You have experience climbing trees?”
Squaring her shoulders, she said proudly, “I have had sufficient practice over the years.” What did she care if he thought her a hoyden? His opinion meant little to her.
“Why does that not surprise me?” he smiled, disarming Elizabeth’s witty retort on the advantages of tree-climbing. He had a nice smile. A beautiful smile. She nearly smiled back at him before she remembered that she did not like him. Not in the least.
He continued, “I do not doubt your skills, Miss Elizabeth. However, I doubt you have attempted the feat in a gown and slippers. Were you to return to the assembly with your dress torn, it might prove difficult to provide a satisfying answer without compromising yourself further.”
There was that. She dearly wanted to contradict him, but she could find no fault with his reasoning.
“What do you propose then, Mr. Darcy?” She looked him squarely in the face, determined he not see how greatly his smile had disturbed her.
“I will do it.”
“But will you fit through the opening?” His superior height and wide shoulders would not allow it. Only the most agile of men could make such a climb without his size hindering him.
“I can squeeze through the side. Do you doubt my abilities?” he asked, his eyes full of… mischief? Mr. Darcy knew how to tease? He even appeared to look forward to the risky descent. Elizabeth did not know what to make of him, and it grew increasingly difficult for her not to smile at him.
“Who am I to doubt you, sir? The fact is that we need to leave this room before we are discovered, and our only other escape is blocked,” she said, keeping her voice down. She still held the hair pin with which she had planned to pick the lock. Frustrated and confused, she shoved it back into place, jabbing her scalp. Oh, how she wished she did not need Mr. Darcy’s help. She could manage well enough on her own.
“I will enter the house again as if I had merely stepped out of doors for some fresh air, and I will ask where you might be so that I may request a dance.”
So much for refusing to dance him. She really had no choice. “Ask Jane. She will know to look for me here.”
“It is the first place I would have thought to look.” He looked at her as if he expected her to say something, but his understanding of her only made her wonder why he would remember that unimportant detail. He had given no indication during her stay at Netherfield Park to care for Jane that he noticed her at all.
Accepting her silence, to which she was grateful, he bowed. “Very good. Now I must be on my way.” Like a cat, he hopped up and through the window, his coat slipping across the frame as he squeezed through in one smooth motion. “Please be so kind as to close the window,” he said as he inched across the ledge and leapt down to the ground with ease.
Elizabeth reached out to the glass, letting the cold breeze cool the spark of admiration and flame of curiosity. Tugging at the curtain, she paused. Was that a shadow behind the fountain?
***It’s giveaway time***
Don’t you just love these cliffhangers? When I read this part of the book I could not stop to find out what would happen 🙂
But…Now it’s giveaway time!
Jennifer Joy would like to offer 4 ebook copies of The Honorable Mr. Darcy to her readers across the globe.
The giveaway is international and to participate all you have to do is comment this post. Let us know what you thought about the story or the excerpt, congratulate Jennifer on this new release, or ask her anything about the story. The comments can be anything you like 🙂
The giveaway is open until the 23rd of October and the winners will be announced shortly after.
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