Page 42 of The Secret Diary of Anne de Bourgh

“I shall take better care of them now,” I assured him.

He stayed with us for only a little while before Darcy persuaded him to rest. I was sorry to see him go, though I could not object when the journey had plainly tired him.

This morning he looked more rested, and joined us at breakfast. He and Darcy began a reminiscence of some mischief they had committed as boys, involving a pony which had found its way into a part of the garden where it was certainly not wanted.

“Your mother never believed it had been my idea,” Richard said.

“It was your idea.”

“Yes, but you were the one who opened the gate.”

I asked whether he had often stayed at Pemberley when they were young.

“Whenever I could contrive it. Pemberley felt more like home to me than Matlock ever did, truth be told.”

“It is your home,” Darcy said warmly. “And always shall be.”

Richard looked towards him and smiled.

After breakfast, my cousin remembered something else he had brought. He put his hand into his pocket and produced a shilling.

“My debt, dear Anne. I hope you will forgive the delay.”

“I had begun to think you meant to forget it.”

“Never. I was merely hoping you would.”

I took the coin and closed my fingers about it. It is the first money I have ever won, and I do not think I shall spend it. I have put it in the little box with the remaining sweets, though I shall remove it before Kitty next asks to examine the contents. She watched as Richard put the shilling into my hand, and she will certainly know I would have no reason to keep any other coin there. Perhaps I shall make a little pocket for it, and stitch it into the back of this journal.

18 July

Luna has made Richard’s acquaintance, and appears to consider him a very suitable person to climb.

We were sitting in the morning-room after breakfast. Richard had chosen a chair near the window, and I was beside him with some sewing which I had been making very little progress upon. Luna had occupied herself for a while with the hem of my gown, then went to examine his shoes. He watched her sniffing about them with great interest.

“Does she expect to find something edible?”

“I hope not. She has had her breakfast.”

“Then she has come to inspect me.”

Apparently the inspection was satisfactory, for a moment later she fastened her claws into the cloth above his uninjured ankle and began to climb.

“Oh, Luna!”

Richard laughed, putting out his hand to catch her before she could ascend any further.

“An ambitious little creature.”

“I am so sorry. She ought not to do that.”

“She is scarcely heavier than my pocket-book, Annie. I believe I shall survive.”

He lifted her carefully and put her into my lap, where she immediately began to make herself comfortable upon my sewing.

“There. A much better situation, and one to which I suspect she has become accustomed.”

“She does like to sit with me.”