It’s been a while since I’ve released a new JAFF novel. I’ve been busy writing, of course—in the past year I had JAFF short stories published in two terrific anthologies (Darcy Ever After and In the Path of Jane Austen) and released two non-JAFF novels as part of the multi-author Noble Hearts Historical Romance series. But I haven’t had a full-length P&P variation ready… until now!
I’m thrilled to announce that A Soldier’s Tale is very close to completion. It’s been long in coming. I started writing this novel back in 2019, but I’ve always had something more pressing on the front burner. Still, it’s been calling to me for more attention for a while now, and I think that the long incubation period has let me refine my thoughts to create what my beta readers have said is a very good story. I hope you’ll agree.
So, what is A Soldier’s Tale all about? The title might give you a hint. We’ll pull aside the curtain of Pride and Prejudice and let the spotlight focus on our favourite secondary character, Colonel Fitzwilliam. What is his story? What happened before the action of P&P? What were his hopes and dreams? What happened afterwards?
Jane Austen gives us so little about the colonel; he’s really a plot device to create more animosity between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, but oh, he’s a charming one. We know he’s Darcy’s cousin, he’s a colonel, he’s most friendly and in many ways, his cousin’s opposite, and as the younger son of an earl, he needs to find his own fortune through marriage.
I’ve always had a very soft spot for Colonel F, and I have to admit that actor Anthony Calf’s portrayal of him in the 1995 miniseries did nothing to lessen my regard. Such a man needs his own story, and (hopefully) his own Happily Ever After. And so, I set to work.
A Soldier’s Tale is not really a variation, since I’ve left the events of Pride and Prejudice pretty much untouched, but more of a diversion. Austen’s wonderful novel is now the background story, against which our colonel’s tale takes centre stage. All our favourite characters have their roles, of course. Elizabeth, Darcy, Georgiana, Lady Catherine, even Wickham, all appear and influence the course of the tale. But other characters also appear and step into the spotlight, and this story is really about them.
I am looking at a release date in early- to mid-March, and I’ll have more information as we get closer. In the meantime, please enjoy this excerpt from A Soldier’s Tale. It takes place part-way through the novel. As per canon, Darcy and Richard (yes, I’ve stayed with fanon here) are heading down to Rosings for Easter, at their aunt’s behest. But Darcy has something on his mind…
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From A Soldier’s Tale (c) Riana Everly 2026
Two days later the cousins left Town for Kent.
“You still have that haunted look,” Richard remarked as Darcy’s fine carriage rattled down the streets of London on its way out of town. “You put on a fine show for the world, but I know you better than that. You pine for this young woman, do you not?”
“Nonsense!” The word carried the heft of righteous indignation, and Darcy’s expression turned cold. Opaque. He could certainly present a hostile demeanour when the mood took him, and Richard was relieved to have known Darcy all his life. He was a good man and an excellent friend to have, but Richard could not imagine trying to befriend his cousin as an adult. That stony aspect could seem as impenetrable as armour and would deter many a less intrepid soul from making the effort to get to know him. He briefly wondered how Darcy’s unnamed Innamorata had reacted upon first meeting him.
Still, Darcy was not always so unsociable as to repel all new acquaintances. He had, after all, become quite close to Bingley over the past few years, and had proven, so it seemed, most solicitous and loyal. As Richard pondered his cousin’s odd temperament, a thought came to him.
“Darce, whatever happened to Bingley and that beauty with whom he was besotted? Did I miss an announcement in the newspapers whilst I was overseas? We did get the newspapers, albeit several weeks late, and I did try to keep abreast of the social pages, but I might have been away from the Dockyard at the time. Has there been a wedding? I am not close to the man, but I ought to send a gift.”
Darcy sniffed and turned his head to stare out the window at the passing structures that lined the streets south of the Thames. Oh… so there was a tale there!
“Nothing came of it.” The words were quiet, barely breathed. Darcy clamped his jaw tight and sat in silence as the carriage passed the last buildings in the city and rolled into the countryside.
Richard waited a few minutes, thinking about what he knew of Charles Bingley. The two had met on several occasions and Richard found Darcy’s friend to be a pleasant enough fellow, if a bit effusive for his tastes, but did not know the younger man particularly well. Their encounters had mostly been at larger social events, or at drinks after a horse race or a night at the theatre; there had been little time for intimate discussions about one’s innermost sentiments and affaires du coeur. Bingley was one to wear his heart on his sleeve, however, and Richard could not imagine the man to be one to toy with a young lady’s affections. If Bingley felt some regard for her, the whole neighbourhood would know of it, possibly before he did himself.
At last, Richard spoke up. “Was his attachment not deep, then?”
“Eh?” Darcy had also been wool-gathering, it seemed. Pining over his lady love, perhaps?
Richard bit back a smirk and spoke with his most disinterested voice.
“Bingley. Was his attachment to this young lady in Hertfordshire not so deep, that he broke it off without damage to the lady’s name? Does he remain in the neighbourhood? That must be rather awkward.”
Darcy gave another sniff. “No, he left. I do believe he shall not renew his lease on the estate. He is one to make quick decisions, and I consider that had we not intervened, he would have offered for the girl’s hand. But we were successful in our endeavours, and he is gone from the neighbourhood and still single.”
“We? Who was your associate?”
“Why, his sister Caroline.”
Now it was Richard’s turn to groan. Caroline Bingley he did know, and it was not a pleasant recollection for him. Bingley’s sister—the younger of his two—had long before set her cap at Darcy, and was determined to forge some sort of alliance between the families. As well as throwing herself in Darcy’s path whenever possible, she also hinted—and with precious little subtlety—that Georgiana would make a fine bride for her brother. What Darcy thought of this suggestion, Richard knew not. Georgie was still but a child after all, not quite sixteen years old. But Caroline Bingley was not a woman in whom he placed any sort of trust. He must pry further.
“It was fortunate that his affections were not much engaged.”
Now Darcy looked right at him, a strange look upon his face. He seemed to fight with himself over the choice of words, and it was several moments before he spoke.
“No, indeed that is far from true. I have never seen Bingley so enamoured with a lady. He has been known to fall in love with a new person every three months, so it seems, but this was different. He seemed quite set on having her. It took all our efforts and powers of persuasion to convince him to quit the house before entering into an engagement.” He paused for a moment. That strange look had not left his face. “All the journey back to London, I thought he might start to cry. I half expected him to call to turn the carriage around, but he held firm and once we made Town, he seemed much more settled.”
“But was it your place to intervene?”
Another sour look. “I have the best interests of my friend at heart.” He would not elaborate. Richard scowled.
“Is he now over this attachment?”
Darcy rubbed at his chin and shifted as the carriage rolled over some uneven patch in the road. “He has not regained his spirits, but I have full confidence that he will in good time. It has only been a few months, after all.”
Richard furrowed his brow. This was rather high-handed, was it not? “But what was your objection? Surely, if your friend was happy in his choice, it was not your, or Caroline’s, place to intervene. He is a full-grown man, after all, and capable of making such decisions on his own.”
“Richard, have I not explained this adequately? The lady was totally unsuitable! It would never have been supportable. We rescued him from a rather unpleasant fate. I count this one of my finest victories.” He pushed the hair back from his forehead and frowned. “Now, let us turn to matters more pleasant. I would not think of those days if I can at all help it.”
Darcy closed his eyes and turned to gaze out the window again and Richard knew the conversation was over. His cousin could be a rather stubborn sort, especially when he was uncomfortable. And this topic, for some reason, made Darcy extremely uncomfortable.
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Keep your eyes open for more about this release over the next few weeks! I hope you enjoyed the excerpt.
And if you’re curious about my two Noble Hearts novels, you can read more about them here: https://mybook.to/RoslynCourt
https://mybook.to/BrookviewHall
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