Excerpt & GIVEAWAY: Misunderstandings & Ardent Love by Susan Adriani!

Below you'll find a sneak peek of Susan Adriani's Misunderstandings & Ardent Love, a brand-new Pride & Prejudice retelling that released just days ago! Check it out below, and then make sure to click through to enter to win a copy!

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“I have never been able to forget you...I am yours, in body and soul, for as long as I am able to draw breath.”

AFTER MONTHS OF BROODING DESPAIR while Bingley prepares to wed Jane Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy realises he has no choice but to put his heart at risk and try to win the only woman he will ever love. 

ELIZABETH BENNET WOULD MORE THAN WELCOME his return to Longbourn. Yet despite such mutually ardent feelings, her most beloved sister and Darcy’s own uncle hold quite the opposite points of view.

TORN BETWEEN PERSONAL LOYALTIES and responsibilities, the couple must balance finding a discreet solution for a family scandal in London and dealing with new outrageous actions by Mr and Mrs Wickham, all while facing a Jane Bennet who cannot forgive Darcy his interference in her love story.

Can the two overcome misunderstandings and meddling and find their way to one another at last?

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Elizabeth could hardly credit that he, of all people, could be standing directly in front of her; but as she stared into his eyes, as dark and piercing as ever, and observed the strong line of his jaw, which was clenched so tightly his temples throbbed, she could not deny that it was indeed Fitzwilliam Darcy and no other.

What on earth is he doing here? she wondered in astonishment. He is far too early for Jane’s wedding to Mr Bingley if that is his purpose in coming. Oh! Confusing man! Why can I not be free of him, even for the span of one night?

Mr Ellis touched her arm, a fleeting brush of his fingertips against the sleeve of her glove, and enquired as to her well-being. His voice, as he spoke her name, held a note of puzzlement as well as concern and prompted Elizabeth to remember herself. She quickly tore her eyes from Darcy and fixed them on her friend instead.

The host of distasteful expressions that had crossed Darcy’s face mortified her, but Elizabeth’s manners prevented her from repaying his show of disdain with her own incivility. She acknowledged him more formally with a brief curtsey and swiftly re-joined the dance. Within seconds she and Mr Ellis were enveloped by the energetic mass of swirling ivory skirts and dark-coloured tailcoats as they moved about the set. Forcing a smile to her face, Elizabeth reminded herself to breathe.

As soon as the dance ended, she excused herself and made her way with alacrity through the back hall to one of the dressing rooms, where she stepped inside and locked the door. Her breathing was as rapid as her heartbeat.

He had come! But why had he chosen to return on this night of all nights, when she was finally enjoying herself for the first time in many months? Why tonight, when she was finally, finally able to put him from her mind without her traitorous heart wishing for his presence or mourning his absence?

Elizabeth glimpsed her reflection in the looking glass upon the wall and expelled a shaky, rueful laugh at the sight of the elegant young woman who stared back at her. She could not deny that tonight she was in excellent looks, an observation reinforced again and again by the countless compliments and admiring glances she had received, as well as her full dance card. Though Elizabeth had been invited to dance on countless other occasions, her popularity on this night was such that she would not have to sit out during any of the sets unless she required rest or refreshment. It was a delightful novelty for her, and the reality of it had brought a smile to her face. For the first time in her life, Elizabeth had been given a taste of what it was like to be Jane.

At Mrs Bennet’s insistence, Longbourn’s upstairs maid had gone to great lengths to transform Elizabeth into the graceful beauty reflected in the mirror. In honour of the occasion, her mother had presented her with a lovely gold and ruby necklace that perfectly matched her new gown. It was a precious family heirloom passed down through many generations of Bennets. The expensive piece of jewellery not only completed her rich ensemble but gave Elizabeth the appearance of a well-dowered young lady of some consequence and restored a good deal of the confident sparkle she had lacked for so many months.

But Elizabeth was not fooled. She knew that her mother’s sudden focus on her appearance was only a ruse, done with the hope that her least favourite of her five daughters might soon secure Mr Ellis for a husband, or perhaps some other eligible gentleman. Despite her mother’s intent, Elizabeth found such attentions oddly edifying. Though she had no interest in securing Mr Ellis for anything beyond a few dances—and certainly no intent to encourage a romantic attachment—she determined to enjoy the advantages to be reaped from her newly acquired elegance. She had succeeded in doing so—and with great amusement and satisfaction—until the moment she had come face to face with Darcy.

With some effort, Elizabeth willed her racing heart to calm. Absolutely nothing had changed. She was still the same person she had always been. For the moment, she was dressed in jewels and satin, her hair was arranged with more sophistication than she was used to wearing it, and her lips were painted with just a touch of rouge; but she knew that none of her accoutrements altered her circumstances. She would forever be sister to George Wickham, a man who deserved no distinction or recognition from any of them, least of all Darcy. If she were to believe Mr Ellis’s intelligence―that Darcy had finally acquiesced to Lady Catherine’s demands to marry Miss de Bourgh―it mattered little in any case.

Elizabeth expelled a short, humourless laugh. Did it honestly matter who or when Darcy eventually married? With a scoundrel for a brother, a man of Darcy’s notoriety and consequence in the world could never afford to sink so low as to offer a second time for her. It was a testament to the strength of his friendship with Mr Bingley that he had come back to Hertfordshire at all.

Struggling to keep her composure, Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and removed her gloves so she could splash some water from a porcelain basin upon her flushed cheeks. She could not stay within the dressing room for the rest of the evening, nor could she claim a headache and escape to Longbourn. Her mother would never permit it. There was nothing to do but return to the assembly and hope that Darcy’s presence in Hertfordshire would not succeed in discomposing her for long.

Misunderstandings & Ardent Love can be found here:

 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098KPNB4H

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About the Author

When she was five, Susan Adriani wanted to be an opera singer, but changed her mind when she realised she would have to perform in front of an audience instead of her bedroom mirror. She attended art school instead and became a graphic designer who spends more time writing stories and researching the social niceties of Regency England than she does cleaning her house. She has a teenage daughter who dearly loves to laugh, and a handsome husband who is not the least bit intimidated by Mr Darcy. She makes her home in New England, and cannot imagine a world without books, Google maps, copious amounts of tea, or Jane Austen.

****GIVEAWAY****

To celebrate the release of Misunderstandings & Ardent Love, Susan has offered up a paperback copy to one lucky Austen in August reader! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below. This giveaway is international! Full terms can be found in the Rafflecopter. 

Please do not leave email addresses or sensitive information in the comments. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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