September Storm Relay Story

We are raising money for Hurricane Dorian relief! See the original post with cameos, writing critiques and books up for grabs here.

Here is the first scene to our group relay story, September Storms, featuring Abigail Reynolds, Elizabeth Adams, Nicole Clarkston, L.L. Diamond, Monica Fairview, and Diana Birchall.

Every time $150 is collectively donated (not by one individual, though you are certainly welcome to donate as much as you like), a new scene will be posted. The more you donate, the more you read!

Each writer is following the scene before her, in true relay fashion. The end of this tale is as much a mystery to us as it is to you!

How to Donate:

Click here to donate to AmeriCares. Right now, they are MATCHING DONATIONS!

Your money helps the hurricane victims twice over AND gets you a little entertainment. I call that a win/win (win). Mark the donation for the relay story and we’ll tally the numbers. If you have already donated to a group other than Americares, take a screenshot or picture of your receipt and email it to ElizabethAdamsWrites@gmail.com. Then watch the numbers rise in the meter on the sidebar.

September Storms

Darcy’s hopes had been high for this dinner at Longbourn. Seeing Elizabeth at Pemberley had rekindled both his ardor and his hopes, and now that he had returned to Netherfield with Bingley, Darcy was determined to win her love.

But first, he had to win the opportunity to talk to her, and there were far too many people standing in his way.

It could have been worse. At dinner, he had been seated next to silly Mrs. Bennet, but he could see Elizabeth’s vibrant face at the other end of the table and had made an excuse to speak to her briefly after dinner by returning his coffee cup to her. She gave him hope by asking about his sister, and he had stood beside her for a few heavenly minutes, drinking in her scent of lavender and the sheer magic of being in her presence. Then he had then fallen victim to her mother’s rapacity for whist players. But he still had the pleasure of stealing glances in her direction, which was far more agreeable than attending to the game.

Especially given the company. Mrs. Bennet had placed him at a table with three out-of-town guests. Darcy had hardly heard a word from two of the other players since they sat down. The third, the elderly Miss Bates, gave a new meaning to the term garrulous.

“I am so fortunate in my friends, Mr. Darcy!” exclaimed Miss Bates. “I have been longing for years to visit my dear cousin, Mrs. Long, but the idea of journeying alone was simply too much for me. When dearest Miss Morland took pity on me and agreed to accompany me, I thought that was the perfect solution, but when kind Mr. Knightley heard of our plans, he said we must have a gentleman to accompany us, and offered to escort us while he was en route to London. Have you ever heard of such generosity? I do not know what I have done to deserve it!”

Darcy, determined to show Elizabeth he had attended to her reproofs about his manners, allowed that it was most kind. At least Knightley seemed a decent sort, and Miss Morland was well-behaved, if overly preoccupied with the nonsensical question of whether Longbourn harbored any ghosts. And he could look past her to see Elizabeth’s head bent gracefully over her cards.

Thunder sounded in the distance. Darcy glanced at the window, where the sky was growing dark. He hoped the drains he and Bingley had inspected the previous day at Netherfield were still clear. The fields were saturated after an entire week of rain. But he hoped it would pour down, keeping their party at Longbourn long enough for him to speak further to Elizabeth. She seemed more withdrawn than she had been at Pemberley, and he had to know the reason.

“Oh!” cried Miss Morland as a bright flash of lightning lit the room. An ear-splitting crack of thunder followed an instant later. “That sounded nearby.”

Mr. Knightley frowned. “It certainly did.” He rose and peered out the window, but the rain began to pound down, blocking his view, so he returned to the table and led the next trick.

They had just finished the trick when a heavy pounding at the front door echoed through the house. A minute later, a manservant entered and spoke to Mr. Bennet loudly enough that everyone could hear. “There’s been an accident down by the bridge, sir, a tree down on a carriage, and people are trapped.”

“Tell the grooms to go to their assistance, then,” said Mr. Bennet with little interest.

Elizabeth cried, “By the bridge, with the water rising? They may need our help this instant!”

Darcy was already on his feet, with Knightley beside him. “I will go at once to see what I can do.”

“Thank you, gentlemen,” murmured Elizabeth, but the gratitude in her eyes was all the thanks Darcy needed, and it brought a glow to his heart.

He hurried from the room to find a familiar figure standing in the entrance hall, water dripping from his hat and the many capes of his sodden greatcoat. “Good God, Richard, what are you doing here?”

“Trying to keep Lady Catherine from committing a great folly. And failing,” said Richard grimly. “Come, we must hurry!”

To read the next scene of our little tale, start donating! $150 collective donations earns another scene.

Thanks to our donors, you can now read Part 2!