Austen Variations 2025 Advent Calendar

Welcome to the 2025 Austen Variations Advent Calendar, where our amazing authors will bring you a new gift every day from now until December 24th.

Hello, everyone!! Well, we’re only two days away from the big day! It’s all been happening too fast! Have you finished wrapping your presents? I’ve wrapped a total of ONE present so far! It’s panic time! :0

Fortunately, I have been working on something else. So today, I’m doing a mystery reveal! I’ll be sharing with you the cover of my brand new novel in the form of a jigsaw puzzle!!!

I hope you have fun putting it together!

Meanwhile, I’ll be sharing a little snippet with you to give you a flavor of what to expect 😉

Snippet from Noblest Intentions:

Mr. Darcy took her breath away, just by entering into the room. Heat flooded her face. She was in such a state, she did not believe she could utter a single word. She calmed herself by putting aside her needlework with deliberate slowness.

Mr. Darcy bowed to Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth. “Good morning. I hope you are both well? I was actually hoping to speak to Mr. Gardiner. Is he available, by any chance?”

“Of course. Luckly, you will just be able to catch him. He was about to leave on some business, but he is still in the library, I believe. I will ring for the footman to take you there.”

At least she did not have to worry about talking to Mr. Darcy. Still, Elizabeth felt the bitter bite of disappointment. He had not come to see her at all. He had come to see Mr. Gardiner, no doubt on some business matter.

She felt stupid for thinking otherwise.

“If you will excuse me,” he said, with another bow, as the footman appeared in the doorway.

He disappeared. Elizabeth told herself she was heartily glad of it. She needed time to calm the unfamiliar sensations that were gripping her.  She was worried she was having a nervous fit like her mother. It would not do. It simply would not do. She had to control her agitation and find a way to speak to Mr. Darcy without revealing the chaos inside her.

She fought. She struggled.

Fortunately, she succeeded.

Such was her coolness, that when Mr. Darcy reappeared, accompanied by Mr. Gardiner, she was able to face him a reserved indifference. She now was as serene and self-possessed as her sister. Jane would be proud of her.

“Mr. Darcy would like a private moment with you, Lizzy,” said her uncle.

Even then, her composure held.

Then, when her aunt and uncle stepped out of the parlor, leaving her alone with Mr. Darcy, her composure still held.

“Miss Bennet,” he said. “I am here to tell you some disturbing news.”

A sinking feeling settled in her stomach. “Miss Georgiana!” she exclaimed, “She has not taken ill, has she?”

He looked startled.  “Oh, no, nothing of the sort. This is something entirely different.” He paused to clear his throat. “It has come to my attention that our misadventure in the park had led to serious consequences. Apparently, my cousin has heard serious rumors which implicate you.”

He hesitated.

She was serene before. Now it was as if he had thrown a pitcher full of cold water on her. Pursing her lips together, she strove for a different kind of equilibrium.

“Are you saying—?” It was impossible for her to complete the sentence. Uttering the implications out loud meant acknowledging the situation.

He nodded as if she had made a statement, his face expressionless. “Indeed.”

The unspoken word filled the room. It changed everything. Compromised. No well-bred young lady ever wanted that word associated with her.

His eyes were fixed on the window, as if wishing he could fly out of it. His hands were clutched behind his back. She could not see them, but she imagined him twisting and turning them in agitation. He stood very upright, anxiety written plainly into the tightness of his pose.

Why had he come to tell her this?

The realization suddenly sunk in. He had asked for a private word. Oh, heavens! He intended to propose! How could that be? Everything about his demeanor indicated that the last thing he wanted was to ask for her hand in marriage.

“I see,” she said, striving for equilibrium, her voice little more than a whisper. “You believe I have been ruined.”

Mr. Darcy had done his best to avoid this situation. He had suspected this might happen. She was the one who chose to ask him into the carriage. She knew when she did it that it was a risk. It seemed a risk worth taking at that point, under the circumstances.

“It is not a matter of belief. I know it to be true. It is all over White’s.”

“But how do they know my name?” she said, suddenly. “Surely you did not tell them?”

He winced. “Of course not. They have their own nickname for you. They call you The Siren of the Serpentine.”

Her shoulders relaxed in relief. “Well then, how is that a problem? I cannot be ruined if no one even knows my name.”

“It is only a matter of time. Bets have been placed in the betting books. When money is at stake, people will find a way.”

She was bewildered. Clubs. Bets. Betting Books. It all seemed unreal.

“The Siren of the Serpentine. I like the ring of it,” she said, thinking how absurd it was. All this fuss because she rode in a carriage with a man, a sister, and a young child! “At least they did not call me an eel, which would have been more appropriate under the circumstances.”

A laugh escaped Mr. Darcy, and for a moment, the gravity of the situation disappeared.

“The Eel of the Serpentine does not quite have the same resonance,” he said, in agreement. For a moment, the gentleman she had first met returned, a spark of amusement in his eyes. Then his expression turned grave.

“It is no laughing matter, I can assure you. Society can be ruthless and very cruel. You cannot hope to escape intact. They will track you down. It has become a challenge, now that there is money at stake.”

He went to the window and looked down at the street. “You can be certain that they have posted a boy to watch my house, to run after my carriage, to discover where I go and who I meet. He may already have followed me here yesterday, when I came. Or he may be waiting outside right now, hidden around some corner. And there are ways to bribe the servants.”

He came from the window and hovered over her, looking ill at ease.

“That is why I feel I have no choice but to offer you the protection of my name and ask for your hand in marriage, Miss Bennet.”

The words sank like a stone inside her. It was all too sudden, too extraordinary.

“But this is only the third time we have ever seen each other!” she blurted.

His mouth twisted. “I am very well aware of that.”

I hope you enjoyed this short introduction to Noblest Intentions 🙂

The book is available on pre-order here: https://mybook.to/NoblestIntentions

Meanwhile, I wish you a very jolly Christmas, Season’s Greetings, and plenty of good cheer!!! 

Jigsaw puzzle courtesy of https://www.jigsawexplorer.com/

Check back tomorrow for your next gift. 

To see each day so far, visit austenvariations.com/2025-advent-calendar/