Love and Laughter

by Jann Rowland

  The rest of the evening passed in a haze of music, conversation, and a pair of enchanting eyes. Darcy was aware that the tenor of the conversation around the room had changed, and more than once, he heard comments concerning his attention to the lovely second-eldest Bennet daughter. But for once, Darcy did not mind the whispers. He had never felt such interest in a woman so quickly, and he was not loath for others to know about it.

  After engaging in the last dance of the evening with Miss Elizabeth, Darcy had the opportunity to speak with the young woman once again.

  “Thank you for making this evening one of pleasure, Miss Bennet,” said he. “I have enjoyed our conversations immensely.”

  “As have I,” was her quiet reply.

  “Though I regret that the evening must end, I shall take pleasure in the fact that we shall meet again. May I call on you tomorrow?”

  “Of course, Mr. Darcy,” said Miss Elizabeth with a bright smile.

  “Until tomorrow then,” said Darcy. Grasping her hand, he leaned over and bestowed a tender kiss on the back. The blush which spread over her countenance was once again fetching, and Darcy knew that she was not unaffected by his attentions.

  They parted then, but as she left, he watched her, noting how she looked back at him several times while she walked away. Feeling a warmth which had long been absent from his heart, Darcy turned and made his way to Bingley, who was even now gathering his coat in preparation for the return journey to Netherfield.

  “I say, Darcy,” said Bingley as he approached, “when I recommended you dance with Miss Bennet, I could not have imagined that you would end up spending the entire evening in her company.”

  “Nor could I,” said Darcy, contemplating the evening. “I suppose you expect me to thank you for your interference.”

  “Not at all, old friend. I am simply happy that you enjoyed yourself. I invited you in order to briefly remove you from your cares. I could not be happier that you were able to forget them for a time and spend a few pleasant hours in company.”

  “I find myself in agreement with you, Bingley,” said Darcy, thinking back to a pair of fine eyes and the beautiful woman who had made his evening enjoyable. “It was a very pleasant assembly indeed.”

  The End

  Please enjoy the following excerpt from the upcoming novel On Wings of Air, book one of the Earth and Sky fantasy trilogy.

  Tierra had rarely seen such a fog as had fallen that evening. It drifted throughout the courtyard, slinking around statues, creeping along the cobblestones, sneaking through the shrubs. Its undulations were almost otherworldly, as if some mysterious force were pushing it through the air like waves of incorporeal water. The fog was so thick that it seemed almost impossible to penetrate, and the notion of returning to her warm bed was a tempting one.

  But Tierra knew that she needed to be the one to prevent Skye from escaping, and so she continued to step forward carefully, her eyes darting here and there in search of the rogue slave.

  “I know you are here, Skye,” she said. Her voice sounded eerily loud in the seemingly empty courtyard. “If you give yourself up now instead of forcing me to bring you in, your punishment shall be much lighter.”

  A soft snort sounded in the air above her.

  Tierra looked up in surprise. There, squatting among the eddying currents of the fog, was Skye. A self-satisfied grin stretched across his face, and his blue eyes glittered with amusement.

  For a moment, Tierra froze in surprise. How was Skye actually able to stand on the fog, of all things? But the question soon disappeared from her mind. She was caught by the ethereal beauty of the Skychild as wisps of fog swirled about him, the light of nearby torches causing the air to shimmer like the dance of moonlight on newly fallen snow.

  Skye reached down and grabbed her. She did not struggle as he lifted her into his arms. She was too surprised to do more than gasp.

  He sprinted upward into the rising fog and over the castle walls, moving toward the countryside beyond. In a night of surprises, the act of actually going over the walls on stairs made of nothing more substantial than air was the greatest shock to Tierra’s already alarmed state. After they made it over the walls, they descended a little closer to the ground, the fog unfurling before them to create a path.

  It was impossible for her to process much at that point. Changing from captor to captive in an instant was enough to draw anyone up short. Yet despite the whirlwind of confusion assaulting her brain, she was able to register two things.

  The first was that Skye was holding her in a rather intimate way while she was in her nightgown. He had one arm was wrapped around her waist, and the other was beneath her legs, almost as a man might hold his wife. She had not simply been thrown over his shoulder as she might have expected from a Skychild carrying off a captive Groundbreather, and she shivered at the realization. The second (and more important) thought that occurred to her was that she had not been tied up . . . and that the ground was not so far beneath her that a fall would kill her.

  She looked up at the Skychild, noting the amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth and the way he clutched her tighter when he felt her gaze on him. Beneath that smugness hid something soft and perhaps even warm. He did not wish to hurt her.

  Tierra smiled to herself. Then she jammed the edge of her palm up against his chin.

  “Celesta’s skies!” he swore, his grip on her loosening.

  She tossed her sword down to the ground and struggled out of his grasp, pushing away from him. As she fell, she grabbed the bottom of his legs, trying to slow her momentum right before she let go. But all she did was bring him down with her.

  They fell in a heap onto the grass, with Skye landing heavily on top of her. She let out a grunt of pain and glared up at him.

  Ignoring her discomfort, the arrogant Skychild grinned down at her. “I should have expected more of a fight from you. Just be glad my sword didn’t accidentally bring a quick end to our night with that foolish move you pulled. It could have gutted one of us, you know.”

  The close proximity of their faces made Tierra’s stomach twist, as if someone had stirred up a nest of ground-snakes which writhed in her abdomen. Yet she ignored the feeling and shoved Skye off her. She sprinted over to her sword and picked it up, feeling a sense of relief once the familiar hilt was in her hand. This was territory she could handle.

  In the meantime, Skye was calmly rising to his feet and pulling a sword out of his belt.

  She took a few steps forward and pointed her own blade at him. “You cannot win this fight, Skye. You might as well give up now.”

  Coming in 2015 from

  One Good Sonnet Publishing

  For updates on publications, join the OGSP mailing list:

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  For Readers Who Liked Love and Laughter

  A Bevy of Suitors

  When a chance remark from Mr. Darcy causes Mr. Bingley to rethink which Bennet daughter he wishes to pursue, Elizabeth Bennet finds herself forced to choose from among a bevy of suitors.

  Acting on Faith

  Though Darcy has no assurances of Elizabeth’s regard after her rejection of him, he nonetheless moves forward in his quest to secure her hand. Unfortunately, neither Caroline Bingley nor Elizabeth’s childhood friend Samuel Lucas intends to make it easy for him.

  Implacable Resentment

  A grudge forces Elizabeth Bennet from Longbourn, necessitating her removal to the Gardiners’ home in London. Ten years later, she returns to Hertfordshire at the request of her father and learns that the prejudice has not subsided. Armed with tenacity and determination, Elizabeth must withstand her family’s machinations if she is to have any hope of finding her happy ending.

  Open Your Eyes

  Elizabeth Bennet is forced to reevaluate her opinion of Mr. Darcy when Mr. Wickham contradicts his own words. In the course of her dealings with the two men, she realizes that first impressions can be deceiving.

  A Summer in Brighton


  Elizabeth is invited to travel to Brighton instead of Lydia with her dear friend Mrs. Forster. But what is supposed to be a relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but. Amid intrigues and newly discovered love, Elizabeth discovers that there exists in one man an evil so vile that it will drive him to do anything to hurt his hated enemy.

  Waiting for an Echo, Volumes I and II

  When Mr. Darcy comes to Hertfordshire to decide between two prospective brides, he has no idea that his eye will be caught by someone so much lower in consequence than him as Elizabeth Bennet.

  For more details, visit

  http://rowlandandeye.com/

  Also by One Good Sonnet Publishing

  The Smothered Rose Trilogy

  Book 1: Thorny

  In this retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” a spoiled boy who is forced to watch over a flock of sheep finds himself more interested in catching the eye of a girl with lovely ground-trailing tresses than he is in protecting his charges. But when he cries “wolf” twice, a determined fairy decides to teach him a lesson once and for all.

  Book 2: Unsoiled

  When Elle finds herself constantly belittled and practically enslaved by her stepmother, she scarcely has time to even clean the soot off her hands before she collapses in exhaustion. So when Thorny tries to convince her to go on a quest and leave her identity as Cinderbella behind her, she consents. Little does she know that she will face challenges such as a determined huntsman, hungry dwarves, and powerful curses . . . .

  Book 3: Roseblood

  Both Elle and Thorny are unhappy with the way their lives are going, and the revelations they have had about each other have only served to drive them apart. What is a mother to do? Reunite them, of course. Unfortunately, things are not quite so simple when a magical lettuce called “rapunzel” is involved.

  About the Authors

  Jann Rowland

  Jann Rowland is a Canadian. He enjoys reading and sports, and he also dabbles a little in music, taking pleasure in singing and playing the piano.

  Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interest in Jane Austen stems from his university days when he took a class in which Pride and Prejudice was required reading. However, his first love is fantasy fiction, which he hopes to pursue writing in the future.

  He now lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years and his three children.

  Lelia Eye

  Lelia Eye is an Arkansas native. She loves reading and misses the days when she was able to be a part of the community theater group in her hometown.

  Lelia has enjoyed writing since she won a short story contest in the sixth grade. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Master’s degree in English. It was while she was obtaining her undergraduate degree at Hendrix College that she took a Jane Austen class which sparked her interest in Pride and Prejudice.

  She now lives in Conway, Arkansas, with her husband, her daughter, and a houseful of pets.

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