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Friday 8 March 2013

Vanities and Vexations

It's coming, finally!  the long threatened sequel to Pride and Prejudice is on its way, I have finished editing and as you can see I have the cover done.
The editing had to remove reference to the characters of one of my favourite authors alas, I did not gain permission to use them.

Pity Mr Darcy, surrounded by female relatives for a London season, with a Gothic novelist amongst them, and fortune hunters, and a cousin with philanthropic tendencies.  Add a mixture to complications surrounding the Wickhams and stir.

For those of you who know the first versions, I've added 'what's in a name' as a prologue AND! I got around to writing some of those slightly frisky charades that were requested.

And here they are - how many of you can decipher them?



My fourth is a vessel that sails on the sea,
And might be my first which draws closer to me,
My second a Greek god whose pipe melody
Makes satyrs and nymphs dance with wild glee.
My third smooths off everything beautifully,
Removing all wrinkles that any might see.
My whole is as precious as any can be,
And something I value between you and me!

***



My first is the sign for valuable wealth,
The whole more of value than money or health,
The rest of the word holds the threat of an end,
But without the last letter adds all to heart’s friend

***



Let me give you a riddle but spell out the word,
And I hope you will not think my efforts absurd,
My first in a key that is really the start
My whole will unlock the frostiest heart,
The second, myself, who is laid at your feet,
And my third is a kettle’s song set on the heat!”  


3 comments:

  1. How exciting! I look forward to reading it again. It's a shame you couldn't use some of the characters from the online version but I'm sure it will be just as enjoyable, at least for me, who was not familiar with them to begin with. I'm so bad with charades, I'm ashamed of myself!

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  2. Thank you Monica!
    I suspect aficionados may guess anyway... I added the charades to make up for taking out the short piece about their background and because it was fun.
    I give the answers anyway in the text! And it might be that I'm bad at writing them... first charades I ever wrote, though I studied long on the excellent blog 'Charades of Jane Austen's time' which is on my list of favourite places on the side bar.

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  3. By the way I've also thrown in a bit more period background in this version as compared to the online version!

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