Every Woman Dreams…

If you are one of those people who think Christmas should not come before Halloween, then maybe this is not the post for you. However, in both the US and the UK, retailers are bringing out their Christmas displays. So, you may ask why Regina Jeffers, a normally Bah-Humbug type of person, is so looking forward to the holiday season. My most compelling reason is that this year I shall share it with my first grandchild. My son Joshua and his wife Stephanie are expecting their first child at the beginning of November. Secondly, my newest “baby,” Christmas at Pemberley, hits the stores late October in the UK and mid November in the US. (Amazon has it listed for November 15, but the publisher says October 27.)

In January 2011 (notice this is after the Christmas holiday), my publisher, Ulysses Press, pitched me an idea for a Christmas Pride and Prejudice sequel. As is normal, Kelly, the acquisition editor, sent me an email and asked if I would be interested in doing a Christmas story line. Luckily, our relationship is strong enough that once I have accepted their proposal, they pretty much leave me to my own devices. I can take the story in any direction. Unfortunately, Ulysses idea of a Regency Christmas and my knowledge of the time period did not quite immediately coincide. (Of course, I did not expect it to. I am a Jane Austen freak. They are not.) That fact is obvious when one looks at the first cover Ulysses pitched to me. Although the scene around the Christmas tree is perfectly lovely, it is not the Regency Period.

When most people consider a Regency Christmas, they are really envisioning a Victorian Christmas. The Regency Christmastide began with Christmas Day and ran through Twelfth Night celebrations. There are few references to Christmas day celebrations in Regency literature. English Christmases of the time were entrenched in religious observances. One must remember that in the 16th Century, to prevent subversion, the government banned Christmas celebrations. According to the Jane Austen Centre Magazine, “We have accounts from early 19th Century journals of Christmas days where the writer mentions the holiday but makes absolutely no fuss about it. Likewise, there are records of newspapers, published on December 25 that do not even contain the word Christmas.” (http://www.janeausten.co.uk/magazine/index.ihtml?pid=387&step=4)

The gathering of greenery–rosemary, holly, laurel, and mistletoe–to decorate the household appears often in period literature. The mistletoe-kissing ball became quite elaborate during the Victorian Period. Many believe the tradition remained below stairs in the servants’ quarters during the Regency Period, but it is a plot device several authors who write Regency romance use. A Yule log to burn throughout the festive days would have been common, as well as the “Christmas candle.” Groups of performers–mummers–date back to the Middle Ages. They sang and performed short plays, and because of their lack of education, they often mixed bits of history with the British Napoleonic heroes. Of course, Saint George remained a staple of these plays. Parlor games entertained houseguests, but there were no caroling or stockings or Christmas trees. Gifts were limited and often took the form of charitable acts by the aristocracy.

With all this in mind, I was not given much upon which to build a gripping holiday story. So, what could I do, but improvise? I set the story two years into the Darcys’ marriage. Elizabeth has been plagued by several miscarriages, and she is haunted with the idea that the “shades of Pemberley had been thus polluted” by her inability to give Darcy an heir. She is struggling with whether she is worthy of his devotion. Encouraged by her physician to bring some joy into his wife’s life, Darcy has invited the Bennets and the Bingleys to spend Christmastide at Pemberley. Darcy has taken Elizabeth with him on a business trip to allow time for his invited guests to arrive. Upon their return to Pemberley, the Darcys are, unfortunately, unable to outmaneuver a blizzard, and Darcy and Elizabeth are stranded at a small inn, along with a young couple, whose name ironically is Joseph and whose first child is likely to be born during the night.

Meanwhile, Georgiana tries desperately to manage the chaos surrounding her brother’s six invited guests (Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Kitty, Mary, Jane, and Bingley) and the eleven unscheduled arrivals, including Mary Bennet’s betrothed Mr. Grange (who Mrs. Bennet invited without asking the Darcys), Lady Catherine (who has not been at Pemberley since that infamous argument with Elizabeth and whose sudden presence will only confirm Elizabeth’s feeling of inadequacy), Anne De Bourgh, Mrs. Jenkinson, Mr. and Mrs. Collins (who Lady Catherine invited without anyone’s knowledge), Caroline Bingley (who decided to spend the holidays with the Bingleys rather than the Hursts), Mr. Winkler (the local minister who, during the storm, escorts the Collinses to Pemberley, but who is really there to woo Kitty Bennet), Colonel Fitzwilliam (who has returned from the American front), his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Southland (whose cousin once held the living at Rosings Park and who is “fascinated” with the De Bourgh family), and an American, Beaufort Manneville (who the colonel has been ordered to escort to London, but of whom he is suspicious).

With a mix of eclectic characters all residing under one roof, it is not surprising that bitter feuds, old jealousies, and intimate secrets quickly rise to the surface. Has Lady Catherine returned to Pemberley for forgiveness or revenge? Will the manipulative Caroline Bingley find a soul mate? Shall Kitty Bennet and Georgiana Darcy know happiness? And what does all the disorder have to do with the Prince Regent? Yes, I even work our favorite indulgent monarch into the story line. Despite the bedlam, for all involved, a reminder of the love, the family spirit, and the generosity, which remain at the heart of Christmas, prevails.

(Spoiler: The characters from this book are the ones involved in my newest mystery The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy, slated for a Feb. 2012 release.)

Chatsworth makes an exceptional location for weddings, receptions and civil partnerships. Set in 1000 acres of stunning parkland, and housing one of the most important private art and sculpture collections, it is a unique venue that epitomises quality and elegance.
For the complete article, visit http://www.chatsworth.org/weddings-conferences/weddings-at-chatsworth

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Demonstrating a way for authors and publishers to make old books new again by adding fresh, relevant content, Copia ( http://www.thecopia.com ), the innovative social eReading platform and website, announced today that it is giving away two exclusive annotated eBooks: Pride and Prejudice, annotated by Jane Austen scholar Susan Fraiman, and The Diet Detective’s Automatic Diet, by Dr. Charles Platkin. And for readers transfixed by Joe McGinness’s controversial portrait of Sarah Palin in The Rogue, Copia offers a specially annotated look at another side of Palin in The Quotable Rogue by Matt Lewis.

Anyone using Copia’s free eReader will be able to enjoy new entries that appear in the margins of each eBook, side-by-side with the original text. Automatic Diet (Diversion) readers will find links to new strategies, statistics, and clarifications (not every workout needs to be 60 minutes long), as well as recipes and calorie reality checks.

For the complete article, visit http://www.marketwatch.com/story/copia-brings-the-footnote-and-jane-austen-into-the-21st-century-with-first-ever-contextually-annotated-ebooks-2011-09-27

Academy Award winner Colin Firth and Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt will star in “Arthur Newman, Golf Pro,” which has opened offices at EUE/Screen Gems Studios and will shoot in the area from mid-October to mid-November.

Those familiar with the production say it’s a lower-budget, independent dark comedy.

According to IMDb.com, the movie follows a man played by Firth who missed his one shot at living the dream. He decides to fake his own death in an attempt to reinvent himself and meets a woman (played by Blunt) who’s also in the process of trying to escape her old life. Eventually, they begin to break into empty houses to steal the identities of the absent owners. Soon they find a kinship amid all the deception.

For the complete article, visit http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110902/ARTICLES/110909942/-1/sports01?Title=New-movie-starring-Firth-Blunt-to-film-in-area

Colin Firth is to teach a Cockney flower seller to “talk proper” in the remake of “My Fair Lady.” Word has it that he will be cast as Professor Henry Higgins opposite Carey Mulligan. Originally, reports said that Keira Knightley would be cast in the role of Eliza Doolittle.
For the article from The Telegraph, see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8713253/Colin-Firth-is-to-star-in-My-Fair-Lady-remake-opposite-Carey-Mulligan.html
Emma Thompson is writing the script for the film.

I found the greatest site that gives hundreds of common phrases from the Regency Period. Below is a sample. For the complete list, visit https://sites.google.com/site/regencymurdermystery/slang

abigail A lady’s maid.
Ace of Spades A widow.
a fudge A false rumor. Also referred to as a damned hum.
all the crack To be very fashionable.
angelic Simple young women.
Apartments to Let A widow on the catch. Also referred to as empty-headed and shallow cove.
ape-drunk To be very drunk. Also referred to as drunk as a wheelbarrow.
ape-leader An old maid or spinster. (Their punishment after death for failing to procreate, it was said, would be to lead the apes into hell.)
a trifle disguised To be slightly drunk. Also referred to as half-sprung.

Many viewers will forever associate Jennifer Ehle with her career-making role as Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC’s Pride & Prejudice, the sumptuous adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel. But the 41-year old actress, the daughter of the actress Rosemary Harris and the writer John Ehle and now a mother of two, has been producing a steady body of work for both the stage and film, since she first donned a curly black wig to play Austen’s outspoken romantic heroine back in 1995. On Broadway, she won a Tony award in 2000 for The Real Thing and another in 2007 for The Coast of Utopia.(Coast of Utopia is by Tom Stoppard of Shakespeare in Love fame. He is writing the screen play for Joe Wright’s newest project, Anna Karenina, starring the other Elizabeth Bennet, Keira Knightley.)

Recently, Ehle starred alongside her Darcy, Colin Firth, in The King’s Speech, though the two only shared one brief scene together; she played Lady Catelyn Stark in the original pilot for HBO’s Game of Thrones, but departed the role before it went to series. This month, she’s in Steven Soderbergh’s big-budget germaphobe’s-worst-nightmare flick, Contagion, in which she plays a CDC scientist, and next month she’ll appear as the wife of George Clooney’s politician character in The Ides of March.

For the complete article, see The Daily Beast at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/09/22/jennifer-ehle-on-a-gifted-man-game-of-thrones-pride-prejudice-colin-firth.html

Jane Austen movies are like chocolate for women and grueling trips into quicksand for men. Of all her stories, Pride and Prejudice has enjoyed the most adaptations, including a long BBC TV movie, a theatrical release with Keira Knightley, a Bollywood version with Sayid from “Lost” and, soon, a version with zombies. Maybe that last one will finally give the guys in the audience something to cheer for.

For the complete article,visit Screen Junkies at http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/genres-movies/drama/jane-austen-movies-queen-of-british-romance/

The recent news that an unfinished Jane Austen manuscript sold at an auction for $1.6 million is no surprise to her fans.

Her literary legacy is quite lucrative, spawning no end of creative works including movies (such as Clueless, based on Emma), television shows, and even video games.

Books that take up Austen’s mantle are legion—there are sequels, prequels, mysteries, romances, and all manner of re-imaginings. Some try to remain faithful to Austen’s writing style and historical time period; others attempt to play up the kind of situations that people in Austen’s day did not discuss openly.

For the complete article, see “Remixing Jane Austen” at Inroads, http://www.inreads.com/blog/2011/08/05/remixing-jane-austen/

Pride and Prejudice’s 200th Anniversary Retellings
Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy discuss Mr. Bingley’s desire to let Netherfield Park.
(The Scene: Bingley has taken up residence at the estate, but the neighborhood has yet to make their morning calls. Bingley has asked for Darcy’s assistance in determining the estate’s fitness, and Darcy is all too happy to guide his friend’s choices.)

Darcy closed his eyes and pictured Georgiana. For a fleeting moment, he could vividly see the sweetness of her smile. He slowly refolded the letter, savoring the moment as if it were a magical interlude, and then placed it in the inside pocket of his morning jacket. The sound of Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst in the morning room interrupted his reflections. He would need to join them for breakfast, but he would sorely prefer to dwell awhile longer on his thoughts of his sister’s recovery. Reluctantly, he unfolded his frame, stood, adjusted his clothing, and strode purposely from the library to join his hosts.

“Ah, Mr. Darcy, I see you have risen before the rest of our party,” Caroline said as he entered the room.

Darcy made a quick bow to both Caroline and her sister before crossing to the breakfast repast to refill his cup one last time. He politely replied, “It is true, Miss Bingley, I prefer to rise early. It is a habit my late father instilled in me many years ago. This morning, besides your family’s hospitality, I have read a letter from my sister.”

“How is dear Georgiana?” she replied without any true concern evident in her voice.

Typical for Caroline Bingley, thought Darcy; she knows the right words to say in each situation, but Miss Bingley possesses no real emotion—no real thoughts of her own. The lady mimics those about her. “My sister enjoys her time in London with her favorite pastime—music.” He had hoped that this would end Caroline’s attentions, but unfortunately, the lady strolled over to where Darcy examined the choices under the covered dishes. Supposedly, she wished to refill the chocolate in her cup, but they both knew she sought a closer proximity to him. She would display her “wares” for his pleasure: a glance at her long, elegant neck, her creamy complexion, and her décolleté. As a man of wealth, a man often targeted by women in pursuit of a husband, Darcy recognized her game. He had learned to gracefully avoid such claims on his time by employing a haughty, prideful manner; his esteemed father had pointed out long ago that a man of fortune could offer indifference to such ambitions. Now, as Caroline sashayed across the room playing up her feminine qualities, Darcy took on a familiar somber attitude.

“I do wish Georgiana could have joined us at Netherfield,” she said, refilling the cup and taking a step closer to him. “Surely, you could send for her, Mr. Darcy. I so long to renew our acquaintance.”

Again, the lady says what is polite, Darcy reminded himself, but not what is sincere. If Caroline knew the real Georgiana, the lady would understand that keeping company is one of my sister’s least favorite activities.

“She has her studies to which to attend,” Darcy responded as he purposely walked away, increasing the distance between them, and taking up a position by the window. Turning to observe the grounds, he continued, “Will your brother be down soon? I had hoped we could survey the estate today.”

As if on cue, Charles Bingley sauntered into the room. “Come, Darcy, tell me I am not tardy? You speak, Sir, as sternly as my former tutors regarding my punctuality,” he said good-naturedly as he bent to kiss his eldest sister’s upturned cheek. “We will have plenty of time to explore my lands.” He winked at Darcy. “Of course, they will never compare to your Pemberley, but it will be a fit beginning, do you not think?”’

Making a slight nodding bow to his friend, Darcy could not help but get caught up in Charles’s enthusiasm. Darcy’s smile came easy when he was with Bingley. Although their acquaintance had been a short one, he and the young man had become fast friends. “In my opinion, nothing can compare with Pemberley except possibly Inveraray in Argyll or that property I observed in Rambouillet, outside of Paris. Of course, it had an English style park,” he said genially, as he accepted another cup of dark tea from the servant. “I suppose St. James might measure up.” He laughed at his own attempt at humor. In a more serious vein, he said, “We should survey the fields, the fence line, and observe the homesteads on the estate.Then we may assess what to address immediately and what to delay until the new growing season. We should do so before the obligatory calls from your neighbors begin and before you decide to stay in Hertfordshire.”

“I am most agreeably considering my new neighbors,” Bingley replied as he fixed himself a plate of eggs and ham and sliced fruit.

“I fear,” said Darcy assuming his superior attitude once again, “you will find little true society in Hertfordshire. It is a country setting and is likely lacking in manners and refinement.”

“Darcy, you should open yourself more to new adventures,” Bingley teased.

“I concur with Mr. Darcy,” Caroline intoned haughtily. “I cannot imagine what would lead anyone to think that Society existed outside of London. Surely, Hertfordshire lacks any idea of fashion or fine manners.”

Bingley’s countenance took on its usual teasing attitude. “If that be so, Caroline, you will be credited with changing my neighbors’ lives forever. Every woman will want to copy your style, and men will be eating from your hand.”

Caroline dropped her eyes in a coy manner after darting a glance at Darcy. The lady, obviously, hoped that he found her “style” to his liking. Not today, Caroline, he thought. Your feminine wiles are wasted on me. When I choose a mate, she will be refined and a credit to the Darcy name. She will possess an innate intelligence and a temper remarkably easy. She will, of course, be everything that is generous and considerate, especially to my sister, and the lady in question will be sensible of her uncommon good fortune of marrying into the Darcy family.

Darcy changed into his riding coat and boots and rushed toward the stables; since he was in leading straps, he had loved being in the saddle. Cerberus waited for him at the mounting block. Normally, a man of property rode such an inspection of his land in the springtime, but Charles Bingley had made an impetuous decision. He had only of late decided that he should take possession of Netherfield Park – without the usual inquiries of the soundness of the structures or the condition of the land. Then Bingley had “begged” Darcy to lend his expertise in what to address in the estate’s upkeep. Bingley was quickly learning that in Society land ownership determined acceptance. Darcy had inherited Pemberley through a system of primogeniture. As Bingley’s father had made his wealth in trade, he held neither ancestral ties to the land nor any real knowledge of the accountability involved in owning an estate.

As they prepared to ride out, Darcy, in his element, noted, “I have observed several points of interest over the past few days of which you should be aware.” He watched while Bingley climbed into the saddle aboard a gray gelding. “Netherfield Park holds areas where drainage needs to be addressed in a timely manner, but it also possesses immediate grounds offering paths and parkways for its owner’s pleasure. You may have stumbled across a slightly tarnished gem. The question to be determined is how tarnished?” Darcy smiled largely as he kicked Cerberus’s sides.

“A treasure hunt!” Bingley declared as he followed Darcy into the forested area behind the main house. For the next hour they rode together, stopping periodically for Darcy to point out what Bingley’s untrained eyes could not see. Finally, Bingley led them to a small hill where they might get a better view of the prospect leading to Netherfield’s main drive. Smugly, Bingley queried, “Well, Darcy, do I have your blessing in this matter?”

“Let us wait a bit longer, my friend,” Darcy began, “until you have spent a winter at Netherfield. A fine home in the late summer or early autumn may be a drafty pit in the winter.”

“Darcy, you are the voice of gloom,” Bingley laughed. “Why can you not be happy for me?”

Darcy flushed with his friend’s taunt. Despite Bingley’s sometimes-impetuous nature, he truly enjoyed the man’s company. He had missed having a close male companion with whom he could share moments such as these. With his duties to Pemberley and to Georgiana, he sometimes saw life with a stern resentment. Bingley’s spirit of activity brought a new aspect to Darcy’s life. “Gloom seems like sound reason from my perspective,” he reasoned, but thought once again of his consciousness of misery. Of late, he could not quell the loneliness that had invaded his soul.

Bingley turned his mount toward his new home. Shaken from his thoughts, Darcy circled Cerberus to follow, but a glint of color moving along the road below them and to the right caught his attention. He pulled up on the reins to keep the horse in place, and upon closer inspection, he realized a young woman strode along at a robust pace. How unladylike he thought. Yet, her obvious joy at ignoring propriety had momentarily intrigued him, and he had found himself smiling at the sight of such unbridled freedom. She is delightfully happy. He watched her until she was out of sight, and while he looked on, he could not help but wonder if he had ever been so delightfully happy. Had he ever known pure abandonment in something as simple as walking along a country road?

Upon their return to Netherfield, both men washed the dust of their rides away and retired to the study to recapture their thoughts on Bingley’s investment. “The lodge is stately and will serve you well, especially for shooting parties.”

“The stream is adequately stocked, although the wooded area was a bit over grown,” Bingley observed.

“Being able to harvest some of the wooded area for heating purposes will serve the estate, Bingley, and you may choose to sell off some of the lumber for profit. Yet, be sure seedlings are available to replenish the area.”

“I never considered those possibilities, Darcy. Your counsel is invaluable to me.”

Darcy again felt the comfort of friendship. Something missing from his life of late. “As for the house itself, the lighting in the dining room, morning room, and study is pleasantly suited – picking up the early light. Of course, for my taste, I hope, Bingley, you will address the library’s need for comfortable furniture and adequate evening lighting.”

“Sometimes, I forget, Darcy, how much you pride yourself on the reputation of Pemberley’s library. Although I am not the reader you are, I will certainly address my home’s shortcomings,” Bingley mocked.

Their conversations continued along this vein until dinnertime when the gentlemen dressed for the meal and escorted the ladies into the formal dining room. Congenial conversation followed the meal of several courses. “We received,” confided Miss Bingley, “several cards and invitations from our neighbors. I expect some gentlemen to call tomorrow to pay their respects.”

“I am anticipating becoming acquainted with the locals,” Bingley beamed.

“Do not imagine that the local gentry has much to offer in the way of polite society,” Darcy had returned to his earlier disparagements. As he said the words, h thought of the girl on the road again. She had certainly abandoned all propriety. “Country manners, I find, are greatly lacking in a sense of decorum. One might note the preponderance of gross ignorance, some meanness of opinions, and very distressing vulgarity of manners. No doubt many of your neighbors will be intolerable.”

Caroline added, “I expect Mr. Darcy to have the right of it, Charles. In the country, the peoples’ very rank, fortune, rights, and expectations will always be different from what we know in Town.”

(The scene comes from Regina Jeffers’ first novel, Darcy’s Passions.)