Writing update

I spent a LOT of time on Lady Anne's journal for A Generation's Secrets, all the while feeling odd because I wasn't making any progress on the main story. I did think it was important to finish a really solid draft of the journal, though, so that I could complete Lady Anne's arc as one unit. I have to admit, I cried when I got to the end. Spending that much time with one character, and particularly writing it all out long-hand, which I find to be more intimate, I suppose that was inevitable. For of course her last entry would be the last one before her death, and that meant that aside from filling gaps, our journey together was done. I might write Lady Anne Darcy again, in another work outside of this series, but not this particular characterization.

I typed up the entries, did I think three more as gap fills -- entries I'd realized later on were needed -- and by the time that was all done the journal came in at about 37,000 words, which is a not insubstantial novella! It will be integrated into the main story, though. I know many people were not tremendous fans of the dream sequences in Legacies (which make a little, tiny echo in this one), but I'm hoping the journal comes across as different because much of it is unknown for Elizabeth, and parts even for Darcy, and what Elizabeth reads has ramifications for their own lives (not to mention how it will impact Georgiana, who has long wondered about her mother). And while we know how it ends, Lady Anne and George Darcy's courtship is the book's primary love story.

And the really good news is that now that the journal is done, I'm on a real roll with the main body of work. It's up to 137,000 words now and I'm about halfway through the outline. So it's still on pace to be longer than A Season Lost, but how much longer is tough to tell at this point.

For those of you curious about Lady Anne's journal entries, I'd intended to post the excerpt I read at the Writer-Reader Get-Together when I wrote about that, and totally forgot. So here it is!

December 18, 1778

I do not know what is happening to me. Whenever I am in company with Mr. Darcy, I feel this strange dizziness and a churning in my stomach. It is not just that he is handsome, although he is, exceedingly so. He is so kind, and solicitous, and intelligent. I find it difficult to converse with strangers, but when I speak with him I never feel uncomfortable, as tho I have nothing to say. Even with the physical affect his presence has on me, I can still converse with him. Much of this is to his credit – he asks questions at just the right time to keep the conversation going. He seems to be one of those people who is exceedingly skilled in conversation. I admire it – O, I admire so much about him!

Today he expressed an interest in seeing the old castle, and Andrew said he would take him on a tour and invited Cathy and I to go with them. Cathy says he is a commoner and surely this is why she immediately said she had no interest in going through the droughty old castle, but I think I would have gone anywhere to spend more time in Mr. Darcy’s company, so I went with them. I think we were there for half the day and yet it felt like no time at all. Andrew and Mr. Darcy told me many tales of their travels but Mr. Darcy also asked me many questions about myself and what it was like to live at Stradbroke. I am given to understand that Pemberley, his family estate in Derbyshire, features a much newer house although the family have been in England since William the Conqueror – the former house has gone to ruin, he said. He quite enjoyed the castle and all its dusty corners because it is novel to him. He says he enjoys dining in the great hall for the same reason. I wish I could find his enthusiasm contagious in this. I would much rather live in a house where Robert Adam had recently designed the state rooms over old Stradbroke with its sad brick façade and old medieval furniture. I am always ashamed when we have people to visit, although at least that no longer happens with any frequency, since we have retrenched so much.

We also talked about my accomplishments and again he was very complimentary of my playing the harpsichord. He must think me terribly old-fashioned, although he has been kind about it. How I wish mama and papa would let me get a pianoforte instead, but they see it as an unnecessary expense. It makes me so angry at papa that he can lose five times the cost of a new pianoforte in one night at Almacks Club, and thus it is considered something I cannot have. I am sure all the other debutantes will have changed to that instrument and I only hope I will not be a laughingstock. Sometimes I wish for nothing more than to get away from Stradbroke, from debt and retrenchment and Cathy and papa.

I will not admit this anywhere but here, but over the past few days I have been wondering if it could be Mr. Darcy to rescue me. It is terribly forward of me! Yet everything about his situation save his lack of a title is so very eligible, and I would gladly give that up to be joined to such a man. I never believed in love at first sight but now I do wonder if it is indeed real. Or is this just an infatuation that will pass? I cannot tell at this time – I feel the desire to be in his company as much as I possibly can, and I have never felt that way about anyone before. I think his appearance of goodness must match what is inside his head and heart – Andrew would not have travelled with him for two years if it did not. And of course beyond my own feelings I am being very premature in presuming anything about his. He often initiates conversation with me, but he seems the sort of man who endeavours to make every member of his party comfortable in conversation, and perhaps he senses that I am least comfortable, even among my own family. And I know not whether he is even allowed to consider his own heart. It may be that there are other plans for him – plans involving a more well-dowered bride. All I know is that when he is gone I will miss him terribly, and I am glad that he has already promised to see us often in town during the season. His father is a member in the Commons and the whole family will be coming to town. Given his friendship with Andrew I have hopes of seeing him often.