No More Than The Truth

Happy Christmas Mr Darcy is a brand new Pride and Prejudice variation anthology that is available now! My story is called No More Than the Truth and involves Elizabeth Bennet discovering how amazing Mr Darcy is when she is invited to a Festive Season ball at his house in town. Hope you enjoy the excerpt! The book itself is available in KU so I hope you’ll give it a go!

An Excerpt from Chapter 2: Yuletide Churl

“Introduce me, man!” Saye ordered Darcy just as Colonel Fitzwilliam came up and jostled himself into the group. Darcy was pressed back against the wall, and his shoes were again scuffed. Not that he was any sort of dandy, but he had had his shoes specially shined!

He had said nothing of Elizabeth to either cousin, and neither appeared to perceive any undue interest as he made the introductions to her and her sister. Saye was quick to ask Miss Bennet for a dance—no surprise there, he always had favoured blondes—and Fitzwilliam did likewise with Elizabeth.

“I had hoped,” said Darcy interrupting them before Elizabeth could answer, “that Miss Elizabeth Bennet might open the ball with me.”

Elizabeth’s brow raised. “Open your ball with you?”

“You would honour me,” he said. “My aunt is serving as my hostess, and she is lately—”

“Gouty,” Fitzwilliam supplied. “But pray do not mention it or she will box my ears. She said having gout makes her feel like an aged crone.”

“I-I thank you, Mr Darcy, but the colonel did ask me first,” she said, giving Fitzwilliam a concerned look. “I would not wish to offend your cousin.”

“Dance the second with me,” said Fitzwilliam genially, “and I shall be satisfied.”

She hesitated slightly, much to her credit; likely she comprehended that the situation was uncommon, to say the least. But at length, she overcame the objections of her natural modesty and accepted.

There was no doubt his cousin did now perceive that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was something out of the common way to Darcy. Fitzwilliam’s gaze had sharpened, and he looked back and forth between Darcy and Elizabeth until Mr Gardiner interceded.

“We have lingered too long, and Mr Darcy has other guests to be greeted,” he said. “Lizzy, Jane?” So saying, he escorted them off into the ballroom, and Darcy turned his attention to the small party that had just entered. He could not help but glance after her and was thrilled when she—while attempting to be surreptitious—glanced back over her shoulder at him.

“Well, well,” said Fitzwilliam as soon as the influx of guests had ceased. “This suddenly became much more than your usual Festive Season ball.”

“Why?” Saye demanded. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” said Darcy quickly while Fitzwilliam answered, “A great deal, in fact.”

“You do know that everyone here will be exceedingly interested in a previously unknown young woman with whom the very taciturn Mr Darcy opened his ball,” said Fitzwilliam with a wag of his brows.

“Scandal!” Saye cried out happily.

“Hardly a scandal,” Darcy retorted. “Can a man not dance with a lady without being the object of inquisitors?”

“Some can but not you,” Saye replied, leaning far too near for Darcy’s liking. “Tell us more about Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

Darcy gave him a light push to create some space for himself; the receiving hall had emptied, and there was no reason for his cousin to be standing on top of his shoes. “I met her while I was with Bingley in Hertfordshire, and there is nothing more to say than that.”

“I think you like her,” Saye said smugly, again stepping too near Darcy. “In my opinion, the elder is the more classic beauty.”

Darcy gave another small push. “I care nothing for your opinion and have long considered Miss Elizabeth the handsomest woman of my acquaintance.”

Saye drew back and smirked. “Twenty pounds if she lets you kiss her tonight.”

“I am in for ten,” Fitzwilliam said.

“I would not so dishonour her,” Darcy snapped.

His reply caused both cousins to pull back. While Fitzwilliam merely studied him, Saye raised one hand to his face and tapped his chin with his finger while he considered Darcy with a gimlet eye. “Since when is a little mistletoe kiss dishonour?”

“I did not play kissing games when I was green, and I am not going to start now.”

“But you do want to kiss her?” Fitzwilliam enquired. “I would like to kiss her, and I scarcely met her five minutes ago.”

“I would not be averse to kissing both of them,” Saye agreed. “And Mrs Gardiner is not far behind. Quite the toothsome bit I daresay. That Gardiner is a lucky man.”

“You will not kiss any of them,” Darcy said firmly. “Mistletoe or not. No kissing any Bennet or Gardiner, or I shall toss you out on the street.”

“Do not be such a yuletide churl,” Saye protested.

“I am not a churl,” he said. “In any case, dancing awaits, and I have no longer the patience for standing here with you two.”

With that, he turned on his heel and began to stride towards his ballroom, but not quickly enough to avoid overhearing Saye tell Fitzwilliam that Darcy was most certainly in love.

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