Anne and Wentworth: A Persuasion Prequel and Variation Novelette

Samantha Lord brings Jane Austen's enchanting story of Persuasion back to the beginning, when Anne and Wentworth first meet and fall in love. What if events had unfolded differently, and a new understanding of life, and death, made Anne more difficult to persuade?"Breathtaking! You captured the personalities so well and the descriptions of their physical attributes. I was imagining that this would end when Anne declined the Captain's marriage proposal...but I will not spoil the ending with other readers. Well done!" -- Review from an Amazon customer Based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Samantha Lord holds an Honors BA and MA in English Literature. (At the risk of sounding unprofessional, I must point out that one of the negative reviews (a long one, making false assumptions about my age) was written by someone with whom I had been in a FB dispute. Sadly, I feel they may have left the review in retaliation. It's hard to believe that people could be so petty.) *Correction of the few typos present, and uploading of the revised manuscript, took place in late November 2020.* Sample Passage 1: "It was Captain Wentworth, holding an umbrella and beckoning her to join him beneath its shelter. She was overwhelmed with confusion. 'Oh, I do not know, Captain. I thank you for your offer, but would it be quite proper?' The Captain laughed. 'Miss Anne, you will risk a fever if you stay unsheltered in weather such as this. Please, allow me to offer the service of a gentleman and shelter you from the rain.' Anne realized that she would look quite foolish and unaccountable if she did not comply and so, her cheeks burning red, walked over to the Captain and took her place under the umbrella." Sample Passage 2: "Anne's heart fluttered and almost skipped a beat. And for the first time since her mother's death, she felt something akin to happiness and expectation. She looked at her reflection in a mirror near the hearth of the library. She looked very lovely, in a soft periwinkle blue dress and gauzy fichu of the purest white, setting off the transparency of her complexion. Her face glowed with excitement and wonder at the fact that this fascinating gentleman seemed so taken with her. She later took a candle and proceeded up to her chamber to enjoy a night of sweet dreams filled with fond looks and dancing." Sample Passage 3: "Lady Russell led Anne further away, hoping to introduce her to some other young men in the room, and to remind eligible gentlemen already acquainted with her of her presence and charm. But no matter where they went, the Captain's eyes intently followed. Lady Russell was pleased that he had not approached to ask for Anne to accompany him in the dance. Just as she was comforting herself with this happy circumstance, he suddenly began to approach. He strode over, in a determined way, as if to say to Lady Russell, it's no use trying to stop me. I will dance with Anne Elliot, if she will have me. And so he approached. Lady Russell tried to resist the situation, but she quickly perceived he would not be intimidated. He spoke, addressing Anne. 'Miss Anne, may I have the honour of your accompanying me in the next dance?' he asked. 'Yes, Captain Wentworth, ' Anne replied. She could barely contain her happiness under any sort of veneer of propriety. Lady Russell watched the two as they stood, continuing to look into each other's eyes." Sample Passage 4: "'Captain, ' Anne responded in a whisper. She could say no more, trapped in an agony between joy and regret. If she had cried at this moment, her tears would have held a perfect mixture of those feelings. Before she could even believe what was happening, Captain Wentworth had fallen to one knee. He himself appeared in a state of disbelief, taking one of her gloved hands into his."

• | Author: Samantha Lord
• | Publisher: Independently Published
• | Publication Date: Nov 19, 2020
• | Number of Pages: 102 pages
• | Binding: Paperback or Softback
• | ISBN-13: 9798567311622