The Jane Austen Marriage Manual (42 page)

“I’m not sure.”

“I love you very much and know you were in a desperate state and were doing what you thought was right, even though it was a half-baked scheme,” he pleads. “If I could take back those words, dear Kate …”

I look into his eyes, so big and blue, they are a beacon to me.

“Will you have me?” Griff asks.

I wait just long enough to make him squirm; not enough to be cruel, but enough to make him wonder. I have fantasized about this moment for months, whether stirring sauce or lying awake on the sofa, and yet the reality of it far exceeds my dream. There is only one possible answer for me to give him. I smile and nod. He grins widely and kisses me again.

“Then let’s go home,” he says.

It’s two weeks after the christening and I’m on my hands and knees, scrubbing at the scuffmarks on the white-and-black floor in the entranceway. I’m living the fairy tale, only it’s the reverse Jane Austen story, where I become a scullery maid instead of a wealthy wife. I have no idea where Griff and I will end up. I’m still not sure about marriage. Neither is he. We are going to live together and see what develops. What we both know is that we’re in love. Unconventional has been a sort of code my whole life and I see no reason to stop it now.

I work at the house all day helping Doris and Herbert keep it clean. There are many improvements to be made and I have this idea of opening a spa on the estate. I’m going to London to meet editors at the fashion magazines so I can flex my beauty editor muscles and drum up buzz. It makes sense. Penwick is a relaxing place when you’re not marrying the wrong man or passing yourself off as someone you’re not.

I look up from my scrubbing and see Griff come toward me. He was out riding. I ride nearly every day now, too. It’s great exercise. He sees me give him the look. The look that says “Don’t even think about crossing my clean floor in your dirty riding boots,” and he retreats to the mudroom. I smile.

I’m finished with the floor and it’s time to change. We have a party at Penwick tonight. My forty-first birthday is today and as usual, I’m not the least traumatized by turning another year older. In fact, despite my harrowing debut, I’m okay with the forties—in fact, I’m perfectly fine with forty-one.

Ann, Doug, and Iris are still here, as are Fawn and Marco, Emma and Clive, and in a final feat of sisterly love and indulgence and a large order from Waitrose, so are Brandon, Lucy, and their daughter, Stella, and Marianne, Frank, and Thomas. Sauce sells. If only my grandmother could see me now. She would have loved Penwick and Griff. I like to think she is watching and smiling. I have the great estate I always wanted, albeit with a debt load to match, but we’re working on that. As I climb the great staircase, the opening line of
Pride and Prejudice
plays in my mind. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” And as
I begun my story with my own twist on those words, I’m going to end my story with this variation: “It is also a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman of forty who is in want of love, needs to follow her heart and when she finds the right man, rich or poor, that is fortune enough for her.”

I
wouldn’t have completed this novel if it hadn’t been for the encouragement of my early readers and “critics”: Kate Mayberry, whose first name I borrowed for the main character and who spurred me on to make it as funny as possible, Athena McKenzie, Vivian Vassos, Arlene Stacey, Suzanne Boyd, Meredyth Young, and Jamie Reid for providing support and insight.

The novel would have remained a personal exercise if it weren’t for the invaluable judgment of my film-rights agent, Jerry Kalajian, who, after reading the first draft, gave spot-on notes and believed in me as a fiction writer. Then there is the incomparable Diana Beaumont, my dear friend, wise editor, and superlative agent, who saw something in this story of mine and pushed me to get it right. And the glamorous Grainne Fox, who jumped on as coagent and made it happen in North America. Huzzah, indeed!

I’d like to thank my fabulous editors, my own version of the “three tenors,” namely Isobel Akenhead from Hodder & Stoughton, Brenda Copeland from St. Martin’s Press, and Jennifer Lambert from HarperCollins Canada, who believed in this book and willingly worked together across borders and time zones and made it so much better. And to everyone behind the scenes at all three publishing houses in London, New York, and Toronto, some of whom I’ve met and others I know only by name, who gave their expertise in copyediting, design,
layout, marketing, sales, publicity, and the digital universe, I say thank you, thank you!

I’d also like to thank Griffith Saunders for the use of his name. I also thank his parents, Doug Saunders and Elizabeth Renzetti, for saying yes and for giving me a roof in London for my research trips.

And continuing gratitude to my family and my friends and colleagues at
Zoomer
magazine, particularly Julie Matus, and my slew of “horsey” friends and others who continue to cheer me on.

Finally, thanks and love to my own Mr. Rich, Richard M. Ilnycki, who makes my life complete, and that is certainly fortune enough for me.

KIM IZZO
is the co-author of the international bestseller
The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Decorum
and its sequel,
The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Grace Under Pressure
. She has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, including
Oprah, The Today Show, The O’Reilly Factor
and
Canada AM
.Her advice and opinions have appeared in the pages of
The New York Times
Sunday Style section,
InStyle, Marie Claire, Glamour, Redbook, Cosmopolitan
and
Vogue
(UK). She lives in Toronto. This is her first novel.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

“Kate Shaw is the Bridget Jones for our age. Unstoppable, unflappable, full of charm and quick-witted manoeuvr es, she trips, stumbles, and soars her way into our hearts. This is a seriously funny book!”
—W
ILL
F
ERGUSON
,
three-time winner of the Leacock Medal for Humour

“Kim Izzo has written a humorous and engaging modernday love story. Kate Shaw is a romantic who will inspire a new generation, whether they’re looking for love, or have already found it.”
—N
IA
V
ARDALOS
,
screenwriter and actress,
My Big Fat Greek Wedding

“An engaging and amusing read…. Dares to explore a desire that most modern women would deny, namely the wish for a Mr. Dar cy who will sweep us off our feet and pay off all our credit cards—and not necessarily in that or der.”
—L
AURIE
V
IERA
R
IGLER
,
author of
Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

“This delightful and witty book contains a meaningful
message. A very satisfying read.”
—K
ATIE
F
FORDE
,
bestselling author of
Summer of Love

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