Coming Soon—An Offer of Marriage by Amy D’Orazio

I have a new book coming this month! An Offer of Marriage is currently available for preorder. An excerpt is below, from a part where Darcy and Elizabeth are engaged but Bingley knows nothing about it. Hope you enjoy!

You can preorder it here or begin reading it here.

“Elizabeth, perhaps I might show you the house? Jane—shall you join us?”

“I would like that,” Elizabeth said with a smile, but her smile turned to a shocked look as the door opened…and Bingley was announced.

There were a select few friends who never needed to present their cards at Darcy’s door; Bingley was one of them. He entered the room with all the air of a beloved friend, smiling and bringing the feel of a sunny spring day along with him. “Good lord!” he exclaimed. “Forgive me, I had no notion that you—”

His voice died as his gaze fell on Jane. Darcy’s eye moved to her as well and, though he often had difficulty comprehending what people were thinking and feeling, in that quarter he had no doubt. Jane looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide and unmoving from Bingley. Elizabeth put her hand clandestinely on her sister’s back, a seeming wish to give her strength.

Bingley gave no heed to Georgiana or even to Darcy himself, striding through the room to join their small group. “Miss Bennet! How do you do? I confess I had not expected to see you here!”

Jane was blushing furiously by then, and her chin was nearly pressed to her chest. Her words were unintelligible but somehow made Bingley beam even more.

“How are your family?” Bingley enquired. “They are all well I hope.”

“Some of them you may see for yourself,” Darcy answered, and the ladies and Bingley turned to look at him, almost immediately somewhat abashed.

“Forgive me. Miss Elizabeth! How do you do?” He bowed to Elizabeth, and she curtseyed in reply, telling him how good it was to see him.

“The ladies’ aunt and uncle are over there. Come and I shall introduce you to Mr and Mrs Gardiner.” He laid one hand lightly on Bingley’s shoulder and with the faintest pressure moved him towards the ladies’ relations. Mr and Mrs Gardiner had been seated with Georgiana and were lately joined by Saye; all four smiled pleasantly as the two gentlemen approached.

He made the introductions, then beckoned Georgiana aside, wishing her to ask Bingley to join them. They had just walked a few steps off when he heard Mrs Gardiner say to Bingley, “I had the pleasure of meeting your sister this winter. I hope she is well?”

Darcy froze in his steps then turned back to the sure disaster about to unfold.

“You met Caroline?” Bingley asked, surprise in his tone. “Where?”

Very genially, Mrs Gardiner replied, “She called on us in Gracechurch Street, at our home. To see Jane, of course.”

Darcy had heard it said before that the colour ‘drained from his face’, but he had never seen it happen quite so vividly. Bingley was plainly stupefied, staring at Mrs Gardiner in utter shock.

Mr Gardiner was quick into the breach. “Perhaps you were mistaken, my dear?”

“Yes,” she agreed quickly. “It may have been that—”

“I doubt you were,” Saye informed her. “Miss Bingley has a unique quality, in comportment if not looks.”

The rest of the room had fallen silent; at Elizabeth, Darcy dared not look. With his own mind whirling with notions of how to right the course, Darcy said, “Bingley, will you be so good—”

He was interrupted by Jane who had hurried across the room. “It is true, sir,” she said, no doubt imagining that she was being helpful. “I had called upon both your sisters in Grosvenor Street, and Miss Bingley was so kind as to return the call at my aunt’s home. She did mention that you were very busy, else you would have accompanied her.”

Bingley’s pallor had been marred by two bright red spots on both cheeks. His curls, never much contained anyhow, fairly quivered with his fury. “I would never have been too busy,” he said in terse accents. Then he demanded, “How long have you been in town? When was it you saw Caroline? Your aunt said winter? It is nearly May now!”

“Oh! I-I have been in my uncle’s house since after Christmas.”

“Christmas!” Bingley nearly shrieked.

Jane’s eyes flew wide and she took a step backwards.

“Bingley,” said Darcy. “You are frightening the lady. Come, let us go into my study and discuss the matter.”

“Forgive me, Miss Bennet,” said Bingley and allowed himself to be led into Darcy’s study. They passed Georgiana on the way and Darcy murmured, “One more for dinner?” Georgiana nodded, also looking somewhat astounded, and Darcy thought it was surely going to be the worst dinner party in the history of London Society unless he was able to somehow manage to mollify his friend’s rightful fury.

Elizabeth Bennet—shocked, dismayed, and emotional following Mr Darcy’s offensive proposal in Hunsford parsonage—makes a flippant remark to her friend Charlotte Collins. She observes that, given Mr Darcy’s disdain for her family, accepting him would be the worst punishment imaginable for him, for then he would be forever connected to the very people he so despised. She speaks in jest…but Mrs Collins fears she might be serious.

Mr Darcy leaves Hunsford parsonage following his proposal feeling a measure of joy at his beloved’s acceptance of his proposal. Alas, his news is received less than joyously at Rosings Park and he fears Elizabeth might be in some danger. With the help of his cousin, he hurries her out of Kent and to the safety of her relations in London.

Caught in a grave misunderstanding, whereby Mr Darcy thinks she has accepted him, Elizabeth soon finds that Mr Darcy is a vastly different man than she had previously understood him to be. A man that she likes…a man that she might perhaps come to love.

As the days of happy courtship pass in London, the secret of how she really felt the night of his proposal lingers. When the truth comes out, Mr Darcy feels he has been made an object of ridicule, and Elizabeth fears she might have lost him for good.