Part 1: The Mistress of All: Book Excerpt and Insights from the Incomparable Lory Lilian

As you may know, the Jane Austen State of Mind blog and Facebook page are relatively new. As such, this is my first formal post about a book. I was so excited and honored when one of my favorite authors in the Jane Austen Fan Fiction (JAFF)/Austeneque fiction genre agreed to provide information for my very first book preview and review! Unlike some reviews, I did not receive an advanced copy of the book and have no incentive to provide a positive review. Instead, I'm a long time fan of the author, and I pre-ordered the book, as I have with many of hers.

It is my pleasure to share an excerpt and Q&A from one of the best JAFF authors, Lory Lilian! Her most recent book, The Mistress of All, has been out for just over two weeks and, as of the date of this post, has already had 134 reviews averaging 4.5/5 stars. That number of reviews in such a short time is almost unheard of!! I see this as an indicator of just how overwhelmingly positive this book's reception has been. I will give my review of the book in a forthcoming blog post. For now, I wish to share a bit about the author.

Lory Lilian is a prolific writer. The Mistress of All is her 17th book. Her works include a mix of novellas and full-length novels that can be found via Lory's Amazon Author Page. I've yet to read a book of hers that I did not like, but I definitely *LOVE* a few of them including Sketching Mr. Darcy and A Man With Faults. 

Lory shared that she has two more works in progress including a "forced marriage scenario with a twist." I'm excited as that is one of my very favorite angst-filled tropes! 

I want to start by sharing Lory's bio. I recently attended a talk she participated in as part of the 2020 Jane Austen Fan Fiction Reader/Writer Get Together. She presented along with several other authors in this genre who live in non-English speaking countries and write in English (their non-native language). As a native English speaker myself, I can assure you that Lory's command of the English language is amazing. I'm in awe of the talent she and the other authors who presented possess. That subject could honestly fill another blog post...but, I digress. Here is her author bio:

"Lory Lilian is from Romania, and she lives in Bucharest. She had spent over 20 years working in management positions in big corporations , until two years ago when she decided to become a full-time writer. She has been obsessed with Pride & Prejudice and fell in love with Darcy when she was 13.She adores the 1996 BBC adaptation which was the beginning of her obsession for more Elizabeth and Darcy stories. She discovered the JAFF world in 2004 and spent many months reading everything she could find until she gathered enough courage to write her first story, Rainy Days, in 2005. Since then, she has written 17 books (and counting). For many years, she has been called "the queen of hot mush" and she struggles to keep up with her nickname, adding as much romance as possible in her Elizabeth and Darcy stories."

The JAFF world is unique in that it allows readers and authors to comingle on social media in unique and often personal ways. As a reader/fan and Facebook friend, I followed Lory's progress as she was writing and working to publish The Mistress of All. Months ago, I clearly remember her drawing on the collective knowledge of the JAFF writing community by asking questions about women's rights with regard to regency-era estate and inheritance law. That line of research piqued my interest. Later, she floated the title and then revealed the beautiful cover. 

The Mistress of All is a unique book in many ways; which I will expound upon in a later blog post. Suffice to say, the storyline is original and not one I will soon forget! Sadly, there are many well-written JAFF novels from great offers that are forgettable or with plot lines that blend together with similar books in my mind. This book is in no jeopardy to joining that club.

The Mistress of All is a departure from Lory's previous books in several ways. It is high angst (which I love), but instead of the stress and drama stemming from Darcy and Elizabeth working out differences on their way to a happily ever after, outside forces and trauma impede their path. Elizabeth must dig deep within herself to find inner strength that, bolstered Darcy's steadfast but often quiet support, allows her to conquer seemingly insurmountable challenges, heal physical and psychological wounds and, ultimately, positively impact the lives of those in her increasingly complex sphere of influence. The book is also remarkable in that it includes a significant character who is a person of color.

I'm including a teaser in the form of the book's blurb and then an excerpt chosen by the author herself:

 “The Mistress of All” is a complex novel, that mixes romance and angst. It is    recommended for a mature audience, due to the subjects of violence and abuse – that are often mentioned but never detailed other than in Elizabeth’s recollections.

This is the story of Elizabeth Bennet, thrown by fate and unfortunate circumstances into the middle of an ordeal from which she struggles to escape, fighting for her life. Her character, her strength and her determination are tested more than ever before. She has to enter into a battle which she must win, or the loss will be immeasurable. She has a strong ally in Darcy, first from afar, then by her side. The man she rejected just a month before will return to prove his loyalty, and the depth of his feelings. 

Elizabeth also benefits from the loyal support of a friend – a young woman of colour – who struggles to prove her worthiness and find her deserved place in a society unwilling to accept her. 

The story begins when Elizabeth returns from Kent and stays in London for several days. She is surprised to find her sister Jane and aunt in a new, but rather close acquaintance with a young earl and his mother. Over those several days, the nightmare slowly envelops the Bennets and Gardiners, and the threat of ruin and misery weighs heavily on them. 

To their apparent salvation came a hasty and strange – but so timely – marriage proposal from one of the most illustrious gentlemen of the ton. Despite her reasoning, her suspicions, her fears and her lack of feeling for the man she barely knows and even less respects, she does not dare refuse a third marriage proposal, which would throw her entire family into ruin. 

By the time of her marriage, Darcy has returned to London and Mr. Bingley has returned to Jane. Things appear to have improved for the Bennets. But for Elizabeth, it is too late. Trapped in a marriage as dark as a nightmare, never consummated but dreadful nevertheless, she must protect herself and those around her from the evilness and cruelty of a horrid man and his supportive mother and friends. With fate’s mercy, Elizabeth’s ordeal will not last long. Circumstances turn her into a widow, one of the wealthiest and most influential women in London, with a power she is not yet ready to use. 

Darcy’s feelings are the same, while Elizabeth's are quite the opposite compared with those she expressed in Kent. Darcy is the only man she can trust. Near him she feels safe, protected and supported. But her heart is so full of hate, distrust and plans for revenge, that it has little room for love and happiness.
Darcy’s feelings for Elizabeth have remained strong and deep, but the woman he adored had changed dramatically. She is now above him in terms of position, wealth, and power. While she accepts him as a friend, and gratefully benefits from his support, Elizabeth is not ready to surrender to the power of another man yet, even if she has no reason to doubt his affection, his honour or his character.

Elizabeth Bennet is now Lady Barrington – smart, well educated and beautiful, with the power and means to treat those around her as she pleases. Her old sweetness, her teasing wit, the smile that made her eyes sparkle, her musical laugh and tendency to joke seem lost. But they are only deeply buried under fear, and hate and are just waiting for the right moment and the right man to bring them back up into the light again.

“Elizabeth forced a smile but suddenly her face hurt. He did not miss her frown of discomfort. His eyes rested upon her and she sensed his gaze searching her wounds. She suddenly pulled her loose hair around her neck.

“Are you in pain?” Darcy whispered.

“Not much. It will go away soon.”

“What can I do?”

“You have done everything. Perhaps pour me a little bit of port?” she replied in jest.

He was surprised but gladly obeyed, handing her the glass. For a heartbeat, their fingers brushed against each other.

“You know, he intended to marry Jane, not me,” she suddenly said. “Nobody knows that. Can you imagine, my sweet Jane being trapped in that nightmare?”

He stared at her in disbelief. She smiled bitterly.

“Yes. He first met Jane and my aunt in Hyde Park. He was in a great hurry to marry and meet Lady Sedgewick’s requirements in a bride before she passed away, so she would change her will in his favour. When Papa’s accident occurred, Jane also fell ill from a bad cold. The doctor insisted she keep to her room for a few days. So Lord Barrington proposed to the only available fool. Me. It served his purpose well enough, as he intended to be a widower soon.”

 She looked so troubled that he could barely refrain from embracing her.

“His only moment of honesty was when he proposed to me. He did not even attempt to pretend any partiality. He proposed to me a trade, for the benefit of my family. I knew that his inheritance depended on him meeting Lady Sedgewick’s requirement of marrying properly. I knew the countess had to approve his marriage to sign the documents. The countess knew too. It was simply a business arrangement. My uncle and aunt, Jane, even my father opposed it. They tried to convince me to reconsider but I could see no better way out of the mess that my family was in. After all, many women marry for financial interests.”

Their eyes met and held for a moment. She understood his unasked question and sensed he deserved at least an explanation.

“It was not the same,” she whispered. “That day, you spoke to me of love, and affection and desire. And, although my opinion of you was utterly wrong, it was powerful and provoked my temper. Even when my opinion of you was ill, I never denied your qualities. Not for a moment was I tempted to deceive you, or to accept your proposal only for my personal gain. The circumstances were different. Do you understand my meaning?”

“I do—quite well...”

“Thank you...I am relieved...I never expected anything good from Lord Barrington, not even to dine with me, or to include me in his daily schedule. I only hoped to be worthy of Lady Sedgewick’s trust and to carry out my duties properly. But he did not allow me to. He did not keep his word, he never intended to. He was a vicious man, a blackguard of the worst sort.”

She struggled to fight her tears, and her suffering broke Darcy’s heart. Her pain was his sorrow.”

I hope the post has convinced you to move The Mistress of All to the top of your "to read" list! I know from first hand experience that it's hard to prioritize what to read next, since so many great new JAFF works are published each month. As the Amazon reviews suggest and my next post will expound upon, you will not be disappointed. This book brings challenges that our dear couple have yet to face in any JAFF novel I've read, and these trials bring out new facets of their personalities and relationship.

Lory has graciously agreed to give two eBooks away to readers who comment with a question on either this post and/or my upcoming book review post. **I originally wrote the eBook giveaway would happen on November 23, but I am was a bit behind posting Part 2 (I blame life craziness!). As such, the giveaway winners will be announced on 11/30--which happens to be exactly one month since the book was released. Well, technically the book was released for everyone on 10/31, but I received it a day earlier due to having pre-ordered it.