Looking Back, Looking Forward

Hi! I hope you’ve enjoyed the Austen Variation posts on ‘January 2021 Retrospective and Prospective’. The ‘looking back’ part of my post is going to be pretty short, mostly because I’ve spent most of 2020 looking back and thinking of the times when we were free to roam, meet, hug, chat and have tea and scones at some of our favourite places.

I’ve been looking at old photos for most of the year, both for inspiration and as a ‘head in the sand’ or a ‘hiding under the bonnet’ kind of thing.

Somehow, with everything that was going on, I didn’t felt like writing one of my usual angsty novels until later in the year, so the one I published in 2020 (A Timely Elopement) was short, cheerful and cutting to the chase: what if something came to stop Mr Darcy from making his appalling first proposal, and Elizabeth had the chance to spend more time with him early on, and get to know him better?

The story was written mostly at night, or rather in the very early hours of the morning. I’ve always been a night owl, but the 2020 MO kept revolving around a 3.30 am start, so that I’d get some writing done before the normal hours, when my family had their school lessons on Zoom and their business meetings.

And now it’s 2021 and the MO is still the same (no surprise there, we’re still in lockdown). The only difference is that I’m once again excited about writing angsty novels. Well, sort of angsty. In my current WIP, some of the rubbish is cleared out of the way very early in the story. Wickham, for instance. Elizabeth learns very soon just what a toerag he is. Also, she discovers soon enough that she is no stranger to the odd feeling of butterflies fluttering in her stomach on account of Mr Darcy.

Our dear characters have their issues (but of course 😀 ). I shouldn’t be surprised if you’ll want to bang their heads together at some point or another. But I’m sticking to a promise I made: that I’ll balance the angst with many sweet moments and plenty of besottedness (you coined such a perfect word, Glynis! I love it!!).

Right, I’ll stop teasing now and I’ll come back with more later. I still have a few chapters to write, and I’m still stuck with imaginary travel. But thank goodness for Google Street-view and Wikimedia Commons, and huge thanks to Hazel Mills, to whom I owe some very happy days around Christmas, when I was planning Mr and Mrs Darcy’s route to Pemberley and looking for the best stops on their wedding tour.

Magically, two perfect inns popped on my radar: the Swan in Bedford and the Angel in Grantham. Both of them existed at the time. Of course, all this begs the question ‘What does it matter if the inns are real or not?’ The short answer is that it doesn’t. The long answer is that I’m obsessed and I would like to think that Darcy and Elizabeth were real people (La-la-la, they were, of course they were!) so it would be nice if the inns that feature in the story were real too.

The Swan was designed by Henry Holland, a very successful and much sought-after architect, and was completed by 1796. The Angel, now the Angel and Royal, has been in operation since 1203 and has been visited by royalty.

Beautiful, both of them, and likely to be chosen by a diligent and thoughtful Mr Darcy when he plans the journey with great care, so as to give his rushed marriage a good start. So I thought that our dear couple might stop at both those inns. (I really wanted them to get to Pemberley sooner, but Hazel made me see that one overnight stop just wouldn’t have been enough at that time of year).

Here comes a very short peek at overnight stop #1. Then please don your bonnets, forget about the en-suite and the Wi-Fi and tell me, if you were a Regency lady, what would be your idea of a good inn? What comforts would you have liked to find there, apart from your very own Mr Darcy next door, and a flower on your pillow?

Excerpt from my 2021 WIP

(The title is a work-in-progress too)

The bedchamber that would be hers for the night was ludicrously large, to Elizabeth’s way of thinking – and so was the bed. An expanse of pristine white, against which the vibrant splash of colour was all the more eye-catching: a camellia placed on the nearest pillow, its petals dark-pink and velvety.

Source: Pixabay

Sarah had left it where it was when she had turned down the counterpane, once she had assisted her in changing for the night. And then the dear soul had dropped a hurried curtsy and, with an awkward smile, had mumbled, “Sleep well, ma’am,” and vanished, little knowing that her newly married mistress was to sleep alone. That this was to be a wedding night like no other.

The best part of an hour later, as she sat warming herself before the cheery fire, Elizabeth had yet to ascertain her own feelings on the matter. Relief might have been the sensible response, but by the looks of it she had bidden adieu to her famed common sense, for she felt no measure of relief.

With a little huff, Elizabeth uncurled herself out of her snug spot in the armchair by the fire and stood. She might as well go to bed, even if sleep was likely to elude her. A pity that she had not packed a book into her trunk. That might have taken her mind off bittersweet thoughts of home and all manner of unanswerable questions. But then she made a little moue that was both wry and sheepish. Who would have imagined that she should supply herself with reading matter for her wedding night?

She carefully banked the fire, then put out the candles – all but the one on the bedside table – then draped a shawl around her shoulders and ambled towards the bay window. She parted the curtains by a fraction and peeked out, deciding that the river must make for a majestic sight in daylight. At this time of night, all she could distinguish was the outline of the trees on the opposite bank and, to her right, the vast bulk of the bridge, now free of the earlier throng of carts and carriages, just one solitary figure walking across, barely visible in the faint glow of the oil lamps.

Elizabeth gave a little sigh and let the curtain drop. Unerringly, and with no little frustration, her thoughts circled back to the conundrum that was her husband and his notable absence. A thoughtful gesture, to give her time to grow accustomed to this new life? She grimaced. He might have taken the trouble to ask her if this was what she wanted.

She walked to the bed and reached out for the rose-coloured camellia left on the pillow. Cradling the bloom in the palm of her hand, she examined it from one angle, then another, as though the answers to her mystifying questions were hidden among the petals. And then she set it down alongside the candlestick on the bedside table, divested herself of her shawl and dressing gown, blew out the candle and slipped into bed.

The sheets were crisp and cold, but pleasantly scented with lavender. Elizabeth tucked the corner of the counterpane under her chin and, as was her wont, methodically worked to empty her mind of fruitless speculations and let the morrow look after itself.

Her tried and tested method was successful. And dreamless sleep was her reward.

(WIP Excerpt © 2021 Joana Starnes)

 

Sources – Own photos; candlestick and camelia image derived from artwork by James DeMers and Beverly Buckley from Pixabay; the Swan Hotel  and  the Angel and Royal from:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swan-Hotel-Bedford-20050921-008.jpg (This file is made available by the author, Gary Houston, under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angel_and_Royal_Hotel,_Grantham,_front_elevation.jpeg (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: © Richard Croft). https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7387195

54 comments

1 ping

Skip to comment form

    • Anngela Schroeder-Author on January 29, 2021 at 12:08 am
    • Reply

    This sounds wonderful! Cannot wait, Joana!💗

    1. Thanks for reading, Anngela! I’m so glad you liked it!

    • J. W. Garrett on January 29, 2021 at 12:10 am
    • Reply

    Lovely pictures, Joana. I can just imagine D&E touring and enjoying the sights. This excerpt is certainly intriguing. I look forward to seeing what you have for us. Blessings on all your hard work. Stay safe and healthy.

    1. Blessings to you too, dear Jeanne! Thanks for reading! I’m so glad you liked the pics. Stay safe and healthy too, and all the best!

    • denise on January 29, 2021 at 12:13 am
    • Reply

    Enjoyed your photos.

    loved the excerpt.

    1. I’m so glad, Denise! Thank you!

    • T C on January 29, 2021 at 12:19 am
    • Reply

    Thanks for the tease. When I think of what I would want in a Regency inn, I think I would like an extra blanket, as I always imagine it will be cold. I’m definitely looking forward to reading this when it is finished. I am also looking forward to traveling again. A friend of mine said last week we should go to England in 2025, and without knowing how it will happen, I agreed and invited my sister to join us. Thinking of the places I visited more than 20 years ago and more places I didn’t know then to visit has given me such a different perspective and something to look forward to, even if it is far off. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos.

    1. The extra blanket sounds like such a great idea, TC! So true, chances are that it would be pretty cold.

      Can’t wait to travel again either! I’m so glad you’re making plans to travel to England! Hope your trip is everything you’d like it to be, and that you have a fabulous time with your friend and your sister!

    • Dung on January 29, 2021 at 2:26 am
    • Reply

    Joana, you are such a tease! A forced marriage scenario? Your excerpts are always leaving me wanting more! So glad there a WIP filled with angst and sweet moments! I’m also holding out hope for a sequel on “The Unthinkable Triangle” to get Colonel Fitzwilliam’s side of the story…

    Wishing you a healthy, safe, and productive 2021!

    1. Aww, Dung, thank you! Have a great 2021 too, and I promise I’ll write that sequel, if it’s the last thing I do 😀

    • Chris on January 29, 2021 at 2:45 am
    • Reply

    Definitely looking forward to your newest book. Flower, yes. Darcy, most definitely. Maybe a little wine or some delicacy-strawberries perhaps. A fire in the hearth.

    1. Oh, I love the sound of that, Chris!
      Thanks for checking out the post, I’m so glad you liked it!

  1. Nice excerpt, Joana. I look forward to the finished product.

    1. Thanks for reading, Gianna, and all the best!

    • Glynis on January 29, 2021 at 4:50 am
    • Reply

    I do hope travel will be possible some time this year!
    The room sounds really lovely but is obviously missing one thing (or person?) I’m a little disappointed with Elizabeth though, if she wasn’t in total agreement with Darcy’s decision what was to stop her going to his room? Really!!! (Although I do wonder if he was the lonely person on the bridge?)
    They’ve obviously married for a reason so they should start the marriage ASAP as I’m certain it would make things better (well that would be my feelings on the matter!)
    I’m happy to know there will be much besottedness, you definitely know how to keep your readers glued to your work Joana. Happy writing!

    1. Oh, I hope so too, Glynis!! The mother ship has been calling me home for over a year now 😀

      Ah, you know me so well :)) . And you have such an eye for reading between the lines! You’ll know what I mean when you read the book 😉 . Thanks so much for your wonderful words about my books, and see you soon, fingers crossed!

    • Marie H on January 29, 2021 at 8:16 am
    • Reply

    Oh, what a marvellous post! First, your MO is likely familiar to many night owls these days, except that I read instead of write! A Regency inn for me would definitely require a sitting room with a comfy settee for two in front of the fireplace. A great view would also be a must.

    I appreciate soooo much the research you take the time to do. In my opinion, this truly sets apart the best variations/retellings. So thank you for that! I look forward to reading this with anticipation!

    1. Thank you, Marie! I’m ever so glad you liked the post and the snippet!
      Your comfy settee for two sounds so dreamy and cosy!
      Take care, and huge thanks for your anticipation! I hope you’ll like the finished story too.

    • Sarah P on January 29, 2021 at 8:43 am
    • Reply

    Now that was a teasing snippet, can’t wait to see how this latest story plays out, when it’s published.

    1. I’m so glad you liked it, Sarah! Thank you!

    • Alexandra on January 29, 2021 at 8:56 am
    • Reply

    Just seeing there’s a Joana Starnes post on AustenVariations, I made a fresh cup of coffee and sat to enjoy it. 

    So, regarding the new WIP, I’m so glad you cleared out the rubbish soon–Wickham is such a bore sometimes. Well, most of the times…

    Your choosing real inns for your very real couple though is a real torment for the reader. Now I want a very real trip and that is out of the question. 

    Reading the excerpt I thought “a book”! Why Mr Darcy didn’t provide one, along with the camellia? If he’s so thorough in planning and decision making without her… Of course that would put him in a vulnerable spot…what kind of book would he think she would enjoy etc. 

    I half expected for him to be the one outside but I don’t know his feelings about her. Her feelings though are pretty obvious…or the absence of them. A dreamless sleep, huh?
    Can’t wait for the rest of the chapters to be written and the book to be released! 

    1. Wow, Alexandra, thanks so much for this!!

      LOL yes, that’s how I feel about Wickham too. I just can’t drum up the energy to give him more time in the limelight. 😀

      So sorry about the torment! I hope the very real trip happens soon. I’m putting these on my bucket list too. I haven’t stayed at the Swan or the Angel either.

      That’s a great question, why didn’t Mr Darcy provide a book as well? Fordyce’s sermons might have fitted the bill (but he’s not Mr Collins, thank goodness).

      Can’t wait to hear what you think of the whole story! Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend.

  2. Loved seeing the images of your travels in the past and reading the beautiful imagery in your excerpt. I was right there with Elizabeth. Looking forward to your new release! Hope you may soon return to traveling and visiting as you used to do! (Hoping that for us all!)

    1. Thanks so much for this, Christina, you’re ever so kind! I’m so happy you liked the post and the pictures. Have a great 2021, lots of inspiration and all the best!

    • Joan Rye on January 29, 2021 at 9:20 am
    • Reply

    I loved this excerpt. I am intrigued. I look forward to reading the entire story!!!

    1. I’m so glad you loved it, Joan! Thank you! Best wishes and hope you’ll like the full story too!

    • Carole in Canada on January 29, 2021 at 10:41 am
    • Reply

    What? I’m with you, Elizabeth and Darcy are real! Of course, they are! Love all the pictures and those two inns look delightful…I would love to stay in them! Yes, I’m liking the term ‘besottedness’! As for the excerpt, I pictured it so clearly in my mind…her movements, her thoughts. I wish I was able to clear my mind at night like Elizabeth. I sometimes think I have a hamster in a wheel running furiously through it! LOL! Continue to stay safe Joana (we are in lockdown/stay-at-home order too) and thank you for the wonderful images you posted.

    1. I’m so glad you loved the pictures, Carole! Sorry to hear you’re under stay-at-home order too. I hope it won’t be long until we look at all this in the rearview mirror.

      LOL I’m with you re the hamster wheel, and I’m so happy you’re with me on ‘E & D are real’! Stay safe and well, and thanks for reading.

    • Sharon Legg on January 29, 2021 at 11:32 am
    • Reply

    Can’t wait milady Joana!!!

    1. Thanks for reading, Sharon! I’m so glad you liked it.

    • Jennifer on January 29, 2021 at 12:18 pm
    • Reply

    Ooh can’t wait to read this one, I have always thought Elizabeth believed Wickham too easily. Can’t wait to find out how ODC sort their way through this. I think my inn would have a nice roaring fire, blankets, flowers and someone wonderful to share it with!

    1. Your inn sounds magical, Jennifer! Such a perfect picture of cosiness!

      Thanks for reading, I’m so glad you like the premise. Best wishes and I hope you’ll like the rest too.

    • Sheila L. Majczan on January 29, 2021 at 4:45 pm
    • Reply

    I am always excited to learn you are writing another story. Where might I follow it as a WIP? Of course, I am wondering what the story is with Elizabeth being alone on her wedding night. Interesting information about those two inns. Always nice to see photos. Here is the USA we don’t have buildings going back too far, as you know. We have cliff dwellings in the Southwest which are old. I would love to hear how they kept up with things such as indoor plumbing, electricity and heating over the years. Did those changes make a difference in the looks inside or out? Thanks for sharing.

    1. Hi Sheila! Thanks for asking, I’m so glad that my WIP caught your eye. I’ll share the opening chapters here, once I get closer to figuring out how the story is supposed to end. Of course, we already know how it’ll end for Darcy and Elizabeth, that’s always a done deal, but a couple of secondary characters took me by surprise a few days ago. They’re very opinionated and seem quite keen to go their own way 🙂

      I’m so glad you liked the photos too. The cliff dwellings sound so fascinating! I was pretty amazed by the Angel in Grantham too. It’s mind-boggling that it started life as a hostel set up on that site 818 years ago! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_and_Royal) Compared to it, the Swan is a tiny baby.

      I also came across a coaching inn in York where people can still see its Roman foundations and part of a Roman column. I’m not sure how much of the 1203 building is still visible or recognisable in the case of the Angel. The Swan Hotel is in the original building. It must have been a massive undertaking to bring places like these up to modern standards, and these days it’s hugely expensive too. In grade I and II listed buildings any work that’s on show has to involve material and craftsmanship that was used at the time, which must be good news for traditional stonemasons etc, but not such good news for the owners. I think it’s easier with the plumbing, as most of it can be hidden under the floors and the main pipes have traditionally been external, but there have been a number of country houses that met with a nasty end because of faulty wiring.

      Thanks again for reading! Take care, and stay safe and well!

    • Jen D on January 29, 2021 at 6:54 pm
    • Reply

    There are so many dreams that popped out of my head of visiting England when I saw your photos. Truly I long to go to those adaptation locations and daydream of the characters there. Besides the gorgeous photos, thank you for the excerpt. I thought it was enough of a temptation although it leaves me with loads of questions. Where is Darcy? (for example)

    I hope this year turns out to be better for you.

    1. And the same for you, Jen! I hope you visit all the locations you’d like to see, and have a wonderful time there, daydreaming about our favourite characters.

      I’m so glad you liked the excerpt! I hope you’ll like the answers too, once I start posting more chapters. Thanks for reading, and also for playing ‘Where’s Darcy?’ with me 😀 (Nudge – wink: Glynis and Alexandra spotted him going for a walk across the bridge).

      All the best and have a relaxing weekend.

    • Hazel Mills on January 30, 2021 at 3:19 am
    • Reply

    This is so intriguing Joana, and so pleased I could help. I did have a bit of a wobble at the thought that Darcy and Elizabeth might not be real, but dismissed that immediately. You can imagine I too am quite obsessed over old coaching inns and have even brainwashed Keith, he will invariably point out the arch that gives away the remnant of what once must have been one. Incidentally we have loads of old inns here in Denmark too. King Frederik II in the late 1500s made a law that there had to be an inn with stabling every mile in the country! I don’t know if a Danish mile is the same as an English one. Most are now beautiful, private, thatched properties.

    My requirement for an inn room would be a comfy window seat, and I would not be travelling without a book!

    Can’t wait to read the book after this teasing snippet!

    1. That’s such a good law, Hazel! King Frederik II must have had his priorities right.

      So wonderful, you sharing your passion with Keith. I love to think of the pair of you enjoying things together!

      Sorry about the wobble at the thought that Darcy & Elizabeth might not be real, and thanks again for all the Regency travel tips, they were an absolute godsend! I’d like to put it on record that I’m to blame for the crazy idea of Mr & Mrs Darcy travelling to Pemberley via Bedford and Grantham. You must have looked at that and thought ‘Eh?’. (But there is a teensy bit of method in madness 😀 )

      Take care, dear Hazel, and all the best to you and Keith. Hope we get to meet again soon when the real-world madness is over.

        • Hazel Mills on February 3, 2021 at 10:38 am
        • Reply

        Nothing wrong with going via Bedford and Grantham! Some of my best book hunts have been in Bedford especially at the amazing Salvation Army shop. I have had a couple of good book finds here too! A Danish book on carriages which is incredible, so many amazing illustrations and a book in English on old country inns!
        I really do hope we can be together again soon but we have decided we will not be in Alton in June even if it goes ahead. Stay safe and love from us both.

        1. I’m so glad you think so about going via Bedford and Grantham!!

          Oh my goodness, those books sound fabulous!! Fancy finding the Danish one on carriages in a shop in Bedford. Talking about serendipity 🙂 . I’m going to have to check out the Salvation Army shop if/when I make it to Bedford. So far I’ve only seen it on Google Street-view (and on a gorgeous 1807 map, which was such a lucky find!!). I did see Grantham on the way to Rosings & stayed overnight too, but sadly not at the Angel & Royal. Maybe next time.
          So sorry you won’t come to Alton this year! Keeping my fingers crossed that we get to meet next year, there or somewhere else. Stay safe too, dear Hazel, and love and hugs to you both!

    • LeslieGB on January 30, 2021 at 4:38 pm
    • Reply

    Awe Joana – makes me want to know more of this story…

    I would love a cozy inn room with a large fireplace and a warm fire, a comfy bed that you sink into and my own Mr. Darcy!! –Leslie

    1. I’m so glad you liked the post, Leslie! Thanks for reading, and wishing you lots of lovely stops at cosy inns.

    • Buturot on January 31, 2021 at 5:25 am
    • Reply

    These are lovely pcituresThank you for these pictures and sharing a part of your new story. Will be looking out for your new book.

    1. Thanks for reading the post, Buturot. I’m so glad you liked the pictures and the excerpt. The last chapters might still take me a while, but fingers crossed. I’ll post a few more scenes when ‘The End’ is in sight 🙂 . Best wishes and I hope you’ll like the full story too.

    • Simone on February 1, 2021 at 10:17 pm
    • Reply

    Thank you for the pictures to remind the articles you have written in 2020.
    I’m sorry for GB that they said goodby to the Euoropean Union. It is a little like losing a dear friend. I ordered often things, like tweed from GB, but not any longer. It’s to expensive.
    I think in the rooms of the inns with the possibility to make coffee and tea and the english breakfast, so different from ours, I liked the most. The rooms are sometimes very cozy, with a lot of wood and fabrics.

    Your exerpt of the wedding night shows that E and D married for other reasons than love. He’s a conundrum for E and she is unsure why he left her alone in the wedding night. But with the flower I think it’s a clever hint to show that D is not without feelings for her. Why did they marry and how does the story goes on from here?

    1. I’m so sorry too, Simone. Ours is not to reason why, I suppose… I hope you’ll still come to stay at inns with cosy rooms, and visit the places you like most. Sorry it took me so long to see this and reply (I was hiding under the bonnet again, to write some more). As you’ve probably guessed, I’m having another go at the ‘early marriage’ premise, where they start a life together before they both know that they are not ‘without feelings’ for each other (I loved how you put that! 🙂 ). It’s a journey of discovery and, as I’ve promised to Glynis, there will be plenty of besottedness to make up for the odd setback in the relationship.

      Thanks for reading this snippet and I hope you’ll like the finished article. All the best and have a lovely weekend.

    • Laurie McClain on February 6, 2021 at 3:55 pm
    • Reply

    Interesting snippet, Joana! Looking forward to reading this one, just as I have all the rest. I really, really like your style! :))

    1. I’m so happy you do, Laurie!! Thanks for this, much appreciated! I hope you’ll like this one too when it’s baked, iced and everything 🙂 Take care, have a good week and thanks for reading!

    • Buturot on February 15, 2021 at 12:04 am
    • Reply

    Wow, these are great pictures. Wish to see them in person. Looking forward always to your new books. Thank you for sharing.

    1. I hope you visit these places soon, Buturot. I’m so glad you like my books!
      Thanks and all the best!

    • Shifra on March 4, 2021 at 1:47 pm
    • Reply

    Thank you for the exquisite morsel, I’ll be on bated breathe till the release!

    1. Thanks for reading, Shifra, and I hope you’ll like the full story too!

    • Abi on March 10, 2021 at 11:43 am
    • Reply

    Lovely. I look forward to experiencing Darcy and Elizabeth falling in love over and over again in every parallel universe of your creation. 🙂

    1. Ay-ay-ay! This is what happens when I forget to tick the ‘Notify me of comments’ box :((( So sorry, Abi!, and thank you!!
      Huge thanks for your other comment to Mr Wickham’s comeuppance and for the morning giggles. ‘Isn’t my husband a fine horseman?’ 😀 😀 😀 LOL Indeed! Popping over there right away.

  1. […] Finally, let me share photos of a couple of places you might recognise from one of my older posts. […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.