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A Quest for Mr Darcy – Chapter Thirty Seven
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Hello!
I'm Cass, and I write the sort of stories I love to read - heart-warming, character driven and strong on location. I lean heavily towards the upbeat in both my reading and my writing.
As one of my favourite authors, Jane Austen, once wrote, ‘let other pens dwell on guilt and misery’.
Cass Grafton - Writer 
Again she leaves us in the lurch. The letter … Yes! Not to mention I would like to know more of these “private” conversations. Hopefully Latimer is sound asleep. Waiting………….
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She? Who’s that? 😉 lol
Yes, wouldn’t it be a shocker if the door opened and Latimer was in there! I’m sure he’d have plenty to say about Elizabeth turning up after midnight outside Darcy’s study! Hmm, now why didn’t I throw that complication in too? Ah yes. It’s complicated enough! 😉
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That would be great Cass! I can’t wait. I am on the edge of my seat reading this chapter!
Thank you for giving us this exciting story!
As an aside, can I just say that I loved The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen and I have enjoyed it very much?. I loved the characters of Rose and Morgan.
Cristina
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Thank you, Cristina!
And I’m SO happy you enjoyed The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen! Ada and I had so much fun writing that story, and we love Rose and Morgan too! ❤ We're hoping to start a sequel later this year. 😀
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I certainly would love to read that. I want to get to know the two male characters a bit better. Dr Trevelyan was very detached for most of the story. Of course, we learnt at the end that he thought Rose was attached… I did like him even though he was a bit challenged when it came to express his feelings. Cap.Wentworth’ s words were a perfect choice.
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We were so focused on the mystery element of the story, the romance was a slow burner, very low key. It is likely to step up in the sequel! ❤
I enjoyed giving Aiden those words from Persuasion! 😉
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I have high hopes that mrs latimer will stop any conclusion that her husband forces! I believe she picked up the vibes between Darcy and Elizabeth.
And that letter …… too many questions… with little answers!
As much as I like you Cass, you are an evil author! I can hear that laugh now!!
However, My opinion can be swayed with more of this story before Tuesday
What say you??
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Moi? Evil? Tee hee! Sorry, Carol!
I’ll post the letter; I’m not sure it will help, but it’s a little extra! 😉
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I definitely take anything you’ll share !!
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Mrs Latimer is growing on me. I am sure she will be of some help to ODC in a way. At least I hope she will. Was it just me or this chapter was way too short? 😉 I need more and Tuesday is really really far. I will be happy if you could throw us anything before, of course, even if it is a small letter. Thanks, Cass! 🙂
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LOL, Daniela! Hmm, that may be just you over the length! This one was over 3,700 words, longer than all the more recent ones!
A letter? Yes, I can let you see the letter!
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Now the Colonel has me uneasy! I wonder now if Wickham is maimed in some way and again feels it is not only Darcy’s fault but Mr. Bennet’s as well?!!!
It appears that Miss Latimer is very much like Mr. Darcy as far as social situations seem. I am surprised that Darcy hasn’t seen it! I think he is too busy figuring out how to handle Mr. Latimer! I knew Elizabeth couldn’t like Mrs. Latimer for nothing…I like her even more now. She doesn’t want her daughter to marry for position but for love! Looking forward to how you plan to arrange that!
What were the the twins thinking!!! The fearlessness of youth indeed…but they are certainly learning about who is enamoured with whom now! I just hope they turn their schemes on Mr. Latimer rather than Miss Latimer. In some ways, I think she has built a wall around her heart to protect herself.
Oh this letter is burning a hole in everyone’s pocket! Yes, put us out of our misery even if the letter is short and probably cryptic! We can speculate all weekend as to what it means!
Thank you again for another wonderful chapter…the longer this book is the better in my opinion!
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The twins are indeed fearless and perhaps a little foolish, but they are such innocents too and don’t realise the risks.
I’m quite distressed by how long the story is getting, Carole! I was trying not to overdo it this time! 😉
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Yes, please do…post Wickham’s letter…even if it is short. And with whom will she read it? Jane and/or Darcy or even with the Colonel present.
Darcy, you think you’re sly but that twin knows what is best for you…winking at your attempt to move your hand near and then against Elizabeth’s.
But the twins need a babysitter at night. What on earth did they think they would do if a mad man is in the woods? I do not believe it is just a harmless homeless man or boy. But maybe I will be proven wrong.
Mrs. Latimer seems wise. No good mother would want her daughter to repeat what she has done – marry for position…or money…anything but love?
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One letter coming up shortly!
You’ll have to speculate on who opens it, reads it etc but you’ll find out on Tuesday.
Have a lovely weekend!
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We have to wait until Tuesday for the mystery to be solved! Aaahhh! The tension you are creating in this story is at times overwhelming and having to wait for installments is a struggle. It is the first item I open when a new chapter appears in my inbox. I cannot speculate what is in the letter and cannot wait to find out more! By the way, I get a distinct feeling Miss Lattimer does not want a proposal of marriage and that her mother knows and agrees that her daughter will not be happy with Darcy. Unfortunately, I still feel that Mr. Lattimer will be a real problem.
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Yes, the Latimers are at odds with each other, it seems. More to come on that!
Sorry about the wait, Lizzybel! If it such a struggle, why not wait until the story is complete?
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Since I do not know how long that will be it would be a more difficult wait! I will be anxious to purchase this as I believe it is one I might enjoy rereading!
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I hope you do, Lizzybel! It will definitely be more polished and with far fewer typos etc!
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I wonder how Darcy got himself mixed up with the Latimers. Didn’t he know that Latimer’s finances are in dire straits? And now you have me feeling sorry for Miss Latimer again. Even though she appears to be a cold fish, it seems that she is just a pawn in her father’s schemes. Darcy needs to get rid of them, pronto!
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Yes, Darcy has a lot on his plate and it’s not just cold fish! I’m sure we can rely on him to sort things out, Carol!
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What a great chapter! The twins’ book sounds delightful. I wonder if Mr. Latimer will make an appearance in the book. He would quite nicely fill the role of a giant pig or wild boar. The man has no sense of drawing room manners. His interruption of the conversation surrounding the twins’ book almost sounded like an adult reprimanding misbehaving children — hardly behavior that would make someone want to become his son-in-law.
Elizabeth’s conversation with Mrs. Latimer was interesting, especially Mrs. Latimer’s comment concerning her own personal fortune and that she would know when to make a stand. It was also interesting to learn that Miss Latimer did not want to visit Pemberley, but her father paid no heed to his daughter’s wishes. Miss Latimer probably thinks that she will leave her demanding father only to go live with an equally demanding husband (especially if the husband has been picked by her father). How sad that Mrs. Latimer fears that her daughter has accepted that life should be a trial. I still don’t particularly like Miss Latimer, but I can imagine that having such a domineering father would squelch any enthusiasm for life.
Finally, the twins’ outdoor midnight excursion — dangerous, yes, but so like adventurous teenagers to do something so recklessly foolhardy. I find myself hoping that somehow their shenanigans lead to the unmasking of the lurker/poacher. If it does turn out to be Wickham, he should make an appearance in their book as a weasel.
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I so pleased you enjoyed it, Jan. I do worry sometimes that people will get bored with the story because it’s been going on for so long! I’m just not good at being succinct, I fear! :O
Seriously LOL re Wickham as a weasel and Mr L as a boar/pig! 😀
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Good chapter. I feel for Lizzie, not knowing DARCYS true feelings. Please put her out of her misery. Thanks.
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I will do my best to put her out of her misery as soon as I can, Fran! 😉
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Mrs. Latimer’s remarks are quite confusing. She and her husband are obviously not “kindred spirits” although she and her daughter are close. And Eleanor herself is puzzling. Is she extremely shy? Nursing a broken heart from a previous alliance? Or is she simply a cold fish? Yet I can’t believe that she and her mother would be so close if the latter were the truth. I suppose that we shall see….
Tuesday is a long way away, so I look forward to reading the letter at least. Sigh. These cliffhangers are really something else!! 😉
Thank you, Cassandra, for sharing this story with us. It’s so much fun to read serial-style because of the various mysteries and cliffhangers. Thank you!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
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Yes, I think Mr and Mrs Latimer are complete opposites, but I think Mrs Latimer will be the bigger influence on her daughter and hopefully the good company around the latter will bring on a ‘thaw’! 😉
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Thinking of your above-mentioned concerns about the length of your story…. When you publish, just squash the 37 current chapters into 13 chapters. There! It is just right! (BUT do not leave out a single word done so far!) Easy! Now you are half way done! LOL
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LOL Dave! You are such a reassurance! 😉
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Well that was intriguing to be honest, I think Mrs Latimer is more observant than her husband! And I doubt Miss Latimer wants to marry Darcy at all but does as her father demands?! And the letter my god! What the hell is Wickham up to this time?! Lydia is dead right?! Which daughter is he then talking about? Jane and Elizabeth is save at Pemberley and Kitty and Mary is at boarding school… “curiouser and curiouser” Alice said… 😉😊😁
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I think you may be right about Miss Latimer, Sophia. Perhaps she just sees it as a way of getting away from her horrid father! :O
Ah, Wickham. How like a coward to use threats to get his way… I’m not sure Darcy is going to stand for it, though! 😉
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Another great chapter. I am really liking Mrs. Latimer, and I think she will be a good advocate for her daughter and for Lizzy.
Those twins. They may be a bit foolhardy, but they make me smile. I wonder what other pictures are in that book.
So, I am guessing Darcy and the Colonel will be in on the letter opening. Should be an interesting late night encounter!
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Thank you, Maureen. 😀
I cannot draw to save my life, but I almost wish I could see this story and the sketches too!
Have a fab weekend!
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I remember reading some chapters ago when you answered someone about the length of the story and you said it was closer to the end and that in your opinion it was way longer than you had planned. I was just wondering how much ODC quality together time you intend to give us? I hope a lot and I guess I speak for all readers here when I say you don’t need to worry about the length. Really. The more, the merrier, especially if it means more cute moments for ODC. 😀
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It’s funny you should ask, Daniela.
Many years ago, I posted A Fair Prospect on line (from 2006-2010 – that sounds an appalling amount of time, but there was a break in the middle because I became ill and needed some treatment etc)! That version of the story ended at exactly the moment Elizabeth and Darcy got together.
When I decided, some years later, to publish it, I added several additional chapters after their ‘under the tree’ moment and an Epilogue because the readers had expressed the same thing you have about wanting them to have some time together before the story ends.
So I suppose the answer is, I’ll do my best to give the readers what they want! 😀
It’s very kind of you to say the length doesn’t matter, but I was trying SO hard not to have this story become too long! I’ve already failed on that score! Well, at least one thing has improved! It’s only taken three months to get this far (posting, not writing. I wrote the first 15 chapters or so six years ago!), and as it will conclude at some point this Spring, I can at least show that I can finish a story in months, not years! 😉
Thank you for asking, and thank you also for being happy with more rather than less! ❤
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I didn’t know that about A Fair Prospect. I bought the ebook version with all three books together some years ago and loved it all, so I never got to read the online version. I am happy now to know you decided to add the extra bits in the book. 🙂
And you started writing this story 6 years ago? Oh my! Thank goodness you decided to post it, since it is a great story. And thank you for listening to your readers. 🙂
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Ah, first a kiss on the cheek and now barely a touch with the hand.
My, my ,Mr Darcy, you are rather slow about it. 😁
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Yes, he is. But he thinks it’s the right way at the moment. After all, he took her into his house under his protection! 😉
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Another great chapter! I look forward to seeing how this is resolved. Mr. Latimer is just like Lady Catherine… I am enjoying the tension!!
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Thank you, Claudine. I’m finding it all a bit tense myself to be honest! 😉
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I love how Olivia’s drawings are of people as woodland creatures. I remember reading one of your older works where Lizzy goes for walks and is studied by a fox…? Or am I wrong?
Thank goodness Mr. Darcy saw the twins! The bravery of the innocent – endearing, but it could have ended terribly (too dark for this story, probably, but I am wary of that cloaked figure).
Lizzy going to Mr. Darcy’s study! I do hope Latimer isn’t there!
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Oh gosh, Mel, I’m not sure re the fox in another story! There certainly could be. I didn’t realise I had such a liking for them, with there being one in this story too! lol
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Once again, I’m playing catch-up. Someone else said this chapter seems way too short, and it does. You may say it’s longer Cass, but we know better! The twins will be turning us all white haired if they’re not careful and I’ve got enough “natural highlights” already, thank you. And although Mrs Latimer seems a very pleasant lady, I want them all gone, gone gone!
Now I’ve got to go and have a look at this letter and find out who’s in the library – please not Mr. Latimer!
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lol. I still don’t know why it seems short! It’s in line with the others (except yesterday’s – that was a tad longer than usual). 😀
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