Welcome, dear readers, to my very first blog! In anticipation of the release later this year of my quartet, The Victorian Vagaries, I will soon be posting regular features of independent and daring ladies (British and American alike) of the Victorian era.
But before we begin that delightful endeavour, allow me to start my very first blog post with a spotlight on another daring authoress, The Queen of Mash-ups, Jayne Bamber, and her newest release, “A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings.”
Dear readers, I will not perjure myself and suggest that I was instantly enthused by the prospect of visiting the characters of Mansfield Park, a novel which I unapologetically admit that I dislike intensely.
After a week or more of debating whether the premise interested me, by chance I revisited a classic of Ms Bamber's, “Happier in Her Friends Than Relations.” As I endured sincere empathy for Lady Catherine DeBourgh, a feat no other author has ever accomplished before for me as a reader, I was reminded that Jayne Bamber also holds the trophy for making me love Emma, also a previously unlikely prospect. This made me resolve to give it a chance.
As I dug into the story, the characters all begin by behaving quite as expected, eliciting my typical distaste for certain characters, but as the story progresses, something magical happens that I experience with all of Ms Bamber's work: the skillful character development of those I had previously disdained or dismissed drew me in and as I observed Jane Bennet begin to recognize her strength and claim her heart's desire, Henry Crawford show never before seen chivalry and reliability, and Mary Crawford reveal vulnerability and sincerity never expected, I was again drawn into a sincere enjoyment of the masterful storytelling and character development I have come to always expect from Ms Bamber.
ODC Elizabeth and Darcy are prominent and swept up in the succession of busy nothings happening in Meryton and do their best to know one another better amidst great misunderstandings, as Mrs Bennet prevents their spending time in each other's company while she attempts to order the couples to her liking.
The appropriate characters who deserve their comeuppance the most are appropriately pompous and absurd. Ms Bamber does not disappoint with her sharp wit and humour when the occasion calls for it, and I laughed out loud more times than I could count.
I enjoy it very much when so many other characters that I like well end up finding their HEAs, and so there was a great deal of satisfaction from my corner by the time Mrs Bennet saw her two most worthy daughters married. Those characters who deserved ridicule met with their share, the worthy got, after a little trouble, all that they desired, and they all lived happily ever after. Miss Austen would approve, I think, and I'm so glad I took the time to enjoy this volume.
Jayne has kindly consented to answer some questions about “A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings,” and her perspective on bringing this story to life.
CC: Jayne, my first question must be, how do you feel about being called by so many fans and reviewers, “The Queen of Mashups?”
JB: Wow! It’s an honour for sure! I have seen this appellation in reviews a few times, and whoever you are out there, you made my day/week/year with that compliment! I will say that while 7 of my 10 books have been mash-ups, and I have several more in the early stages, my next will be all P&P, so I hope I will be forgiven for occasionally deviating from the mashup format.
CC: I'm certain I can forgive you nearly anything, if you're providing us with such high quality JAFF content. So your next project is a purely Pride & Prejudice variation? Anything you wanna tell us about it?
JB: I’m always happy to gush about my WIP! This one is inspired by my favourite Taylor Swift song (hint: it’s 10 minutes long….) Darcy and Lizzy have a whirlwind romance but circumstances separate them for a few years. When they are reunited, it is as guests of the Bingleys, who are having marital problems. Jane has invited Lizzy to comfort her and ease the situation, just as Bingley has done with Darcy. But before they can help the Bingleys, Darcy and Lizzy have to hash out the lingering feelings from their youthful love affair (which they remember All Too Well….)
CC: Ooh, sounds angsty - I’m looking forward to it! Back to ‘Quick Succession’ though, lots of angst there, too.
JB: The angst of so many unlikeable characters!
CC: Yeah… I know I’m not alone in ranking Mansfield Park pretty low on my Austen list….
JB: First of all, same! But that just makes it all the more tempting to play around with.
CC: You mixed up the Mansfield Park characters pretty wildly with Sense & Sensibility in ‘Outmatched!’ Can we expect a happier ending for Fanny and Edmund in ‘Quick Succession?’
JB: Nope! While Fanny does get an HEA with a different Austen hero, it takes place “off-screen” and is mentioned as an aside while Maria Rushworth is taunting Edmund Bertram, and he doesn’t fare very well in this novel. In fact, one of my favorite moments in the story is when Mr. Bennet calls him a “sanctimonious little shit.”
CC: LOL, accurate, and also one of my favourite scenes from the book! He’s not the most appealing Austen hero, spending most of the novel pining after the wrong woman before settling for the right one.
JB: And speaking of the wrong woman, Mary Crawford plays a significant role in this story as the Bennet sisters’ cousin.
CC: Their evil cousin?
JB: Not quite! Mary and Henry Crawford both have redemption arcs that I’m pretty proud of.
CC: That’s a tall order! I can’t imagine anything making me like those two.
JB: I knew going into this project that that would be the prevailing opinion. My approach was to examine why Mary and Henry are the way they are. Their relationship with the Bennets allowed me to explore the Crawfords’ youth, how losing their parents and being raised by aunts and uncles shaped their world view. Even in canon, we know that Henry was influenced by his womanizer uncle the Admiral, and I go into more depth about how he believes he deserves no better than easy conquests like Maria Bertram, whom he ultimately rejects.
CC: Okay, I can see that - as long as he doesn’t revert to his old ways! But Mary?! Yikes, she’s so awful, right up there with Caroline Bingley.
JB: Ironically, the two can’t stand each other in ‘Quick Succession.’ Kinda makes sense, right? They don’t like competition! But I have defended Caroline before, and it’s the same with Mary - she is a product of her environment and her experiences. She has been taught by the world she lives in that she can only attain true security in life by making a good match. Even so, she’s not completely mercenary - in canon, she preferred Edmund over his elder brother (the heir to a baronetcy!) It was only his chosen profession that bothered her, rather than his lack of wealth. I explore her coming to terms with the fact that she is simply not compatible with Edmund, and learning that love matters most.
CC: I hope this means she doesn’t eat Jane and Lizzy alive!
JB: She adores her Bennet cousins. She and Lizzy are so similar, both sparkly and bright. Mary is more mercenary, but with Lady Susan Vernon present as a cautionary tale, Mary begins to see what she might become if she continues her scheming.
CC: Lady Susan is truly a horror! She’s like… if Mrs. Bennet was actually smart. Yikes!
JB: Right?! And those two form an unholy alliance - I couldn’t help myself. It was fun to play with, because both women have very legitimate fears about their futures and their daughters, in a world where marriage and inheritance can take their fate out of their own hands if they’re not careful. Mrs. Bennet, at least, can be argued to mean well, although in this variation she has some pretty backwards notions of which daughters to match with which gentlemen. Lady Susan wishes to be seen as a mere victim of her circumstances, and maybe she would be, if not for her outrageous scheming, vanity, and dalliances, all of which run rampant in this tale.
CC: Sounds like there’s a lot going on - but what about Darcy and Lizzy?
JB: They’re the only couple that I won’t match with anyone else, as usual! They start out with less contention than usual - in fact, Mary is more upset about Darcy’s insult than Lizzy herself. Lizzy laughs off the “tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me” comment just as she laughs it off when Darcy discovers her venting her displeasure by ranting at the shrubberies in an unguarded moment, and when she falls into a stream during a storm. Of course, the storm requires Lizzy and Jane to stay at Netherfield for a few days, and during this time the principal characters stage a play, just like in canon MP. We get to see Darcy and Lizzy speaking words of love to one another in the play just days after he heroically rescues her, and both of them come to understand their attraction a lot sooner.
CC: So it’s smooth sailing for Darcy and Lizzy?
JB: Haha, of course not! As in canon, there’s bound to be a misunderstanding (courtesy of Wickham) that builds to what I have been told is a pretty devastating Hunsford moment.
CC: As long as we get our Happily Ever After!
JB: There are several of those, in fact! Darcy and Lizzy are the only true-to-canon couple in the end, but I really enjoyed building all the alternate pairings, particularly those of the minor characters in the background.
CC: So much fun! Anything other favorite moments you’d like to share? Give us your Top Five!
JB: Talk about a tall order! Hmm, let me see - I don’t want to give too many spoilers but here are some of my favorite smaller moments….
1: Mr. Bennet pranks Mr. Collins by pretending to be deathly ill. It’s an excuse for Mr. Bennet to avoid his annoying heir, and he is amused by the way Collins cannot conceal his covetousness. These shenanigans ultimately lead to Mr. Collins appearing to be a highly eligible match….
2: Pretty much everything that comes out of Lady Susan’s mouth is one of my favorite lines. I had so much fun writing her self-serving banter, with things like “I am far more discerning than any gentleman need ever trouble himself to be,” and “The only thing I like more than a challenge is complete capitulation.”
3: Lizzy daydreaming about a close encounter with Darcy while taking a steamy bath. Its not a spicy scene per se, but there’s definitely some low-key lusty vibes in the back of her mind. It’s also a moment of projection for me, since I love taking bubble baths when I brainstorm for my writing.
4: The banter between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet when the latter tries to defend Mr. Darcy…
“Folly? He has ten thousand a year, Mr. Bennet – what should we care for his folly? I am sure I suffer your folly, sir, and you have not a mighty fortune!”
Mr. Bennet grinned at his wife. “Yes, well, let us hope our daughters have more sense than you, my dear.”
“I should hope so,” Mrs. Bennet cried.
5: Saving the best for last, one of my absolute favorite parts of the book is a scene where Darcy is scolded by Richard and Bingley for bungling things with Elizabeth. I always add a quote from Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ somewhere in all my novels, and up until this novel my greatest triumph was sneaking the line “Bunbuy was quite exploded” into ‘Five Daughters’ but I have outdone myself. I was finally able to work in some dialogue from the muffin scene - Darcy is accused of being heartless for eating muffins after behaving so badly, and its such a fun scene as he is wildly hung over at the time.
CC: Those were all great scenes, and I have to say that I enjoyed them all immensely. As stated, I have always thoroughly enjoyed your skill in character development, and this has been no exception. Thanks for sharing your insights into this novel, I can tell you had a lot of fun with the mash-up, I certainly had fun reading it! Anything you care to tell us about the excerpt you’re sharing?
JB: Yes! So this takes place in the middle of the book, after the Bertrams have retrenched and settled at Purvis Lodge due to Tom’s outlandish spending. The Rushworths come to visit, and Maria instantly sees that Henry likes his cousin Jane Bennet, and is jealous, despite being newly married and covered in finery….
Henry had not noticed Maria stalking over to him. She had given up her attempts to torment Jane for now and come to try the same with him. He could see the devilish glint in her eyes, and for a moment he felt a shadow of that pull which once drew him to her. He recognized it now as the lure of an easy conquest. How comical that the lady herself should be so utterly unaware of it; she carried herself with such confidence, as if she believed herself to possess some power over him.
As she approached Henry, Sir Thomas seemed to be beckoning to his daughter. She sneered with derision for a moment before she resumed her smile and linked her arm through Henry’s. With a little tug, she led him away.
“I shall not speak to my father tonight, if I can help it,” she said lightly. “He has already asked Rushworth for funds, and I have no wish to hear of his woes.”
“Cruel as ever, Maria,” Henry said, with not much feeling in his voice.
“Oh, I will coax my husband into offering him something. What a pity if he should force my brothers into fates that will bring them fortune but not felicity. I would not wish them as lonesome and desolate as I have been.”
Henry had begun to think so little of Maria Rushworth that he did not endeavor to conceal a scoff. “I do not believe you were forced to marry Rushworth any more than I believe you are unhappy with your choice.”
She pouted prettily. “Why Henry Crawford, how can you say such a thing?”
“To begin with, I saw your father’s reaction to meeting Rushworth when he returned from Antigua – the whole day he wore the look of a man bewildered by the enormity of his own error in judgement. And you, Madam, have this very evening spoken to my cousin of the material considerations that must alleviate your desolation.”
“It is true, Papa knew that Rushworth is a fool; I am reminded daily of what a dullard I have married. Can you blame me for craving something more satisfying? I am sure I yearn for stimulating conversation,” she purred, thrusting her chest out a little as she looked up at him and winked.
Henry ignored her brazen flirtation. “As a married woman, you have more consequence than you did as your father’s daughter. You might do more to secure your own amusement, such as hiring a companion or paying visits in Town, and receiving your friends in turn. I have no doubt you are talented enough to arrange whatever pleasures and amusements you desire,” Henry said, his final sentence said in a tone meant to mock her own use of such evocative language.
If she perceived his contempt, she chose to ignore it. “That is just why I have come to visit,” she said with a sly smile.
Henry refused to acknowledge the insinuation that she had come to Meryton for any reason having to do with himself. Instead he grinned at her and observed, “Lord Mainwaring must have been an excellent companion to travel with, if his reputation is to be believed. I feel certain he kept you well entertained on your journey.”
“I have given in to my temptation,” she said. “I simply could not resist inviting him to come to Hertfordshire with us – not when I learned who else was here.” Her eyes flicked deliberately in the direction of Lady Susan. “It is said they are lovers,” she whispered, her hand stroking his arm. “But then, people will say all sorts of incredible things. For instance, I heard there was another theatrical organized, and you and she were set to play lovers.”
Henry said nothing, letting Mrs. Rushworth make herself wretched with conjecture. “What an intimate acquaintance you must have formed with her,” she mused. “Especially if you rehearsed with her as rigorously as you did with me at Mansfield, before all our amusement was ruined. And you have suffered the same disappointment again! What a pity your fun should have been curtailed. Did you enjoy it while it lasted, your play-acting with the wanton widow? I hope her performance was not superior to mine.”
Henry could bear her licentious insolence no longer. “The experience was just what one might expect; actresses have a certain reputation for a reason, I daresay.”
He began to extricate himself from her grasp, but Mrs. Rushworth was determined to have the last word. “But not your sweet cousin. She did not act in the play – what a good little girl. Edmund has told me all about her many virtues. Indeed, he seems most interested in her virtue,” she taunted him.
“Perhaps you ought to take an interest in virtuosity yourself, Mrs. Rushworth,” he said coldly. “Such an occupation may offer you some respite, since it is so very lonely at the top of the social ladder.” He gave a terse bow and stalked away from her, fervently wishing they might never speak again.
CC: That was SUCH an angsty scene! You can literally feel Mrs Rushworth's venom dripping from the page! I can see how this interlude confirmed Henry's feelings for the goodness and virtuosity in Jane Bennet.
JB: Henry and Jane have some history, and this encounter with Maria is significant for Henry as it pushes him to examine his rakish ways.
CC: Jayne, this has been a blast! I am so thrilled to have made this review of 'A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings' my very first blog post! Thanks again for sharing this with us! I can't wait to read your upcoming P&P variation, and whatever mischievous mash-ups you think up next!
JB: And thank you for having me! ‘A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings’ is available on Kindle Unlimited and the audiobook will be out soon! I will also be sharing updates on my next novel on social media, for those of you who would like to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!
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