Page 56 of The Secret Diary of Anne de Bourgh

“Thank you for coming.”

“I would have been very sorry to miss it.”

I do not know whether he meant the dance or the evening. I have considered both possibilities a great many times today.

I have also remembered exactly what I called him; Dearest Richard.

He did not appear to object.

14 August

Mr Byerly called this afternoon, when I was very comfortably employed in listening to Richard.

He had been telling me about a pony which Georgiana used to ride. Whenever it considered that it had been exercised sufficiently, it turned towards the stables and went home. The pony’s determination of how long the exercise should be grew progressively shorter until one day, Georgiana had not been riding for five minutes when the pony decided they were done for the day.

“Darcy said that she must learn to be firm with it,” Richard told me.

“And was she?”

“She attempted to explain, very sweetly, to it that they had not finished their ride.”

I laughed.

“She was very young,” he said in Georgiana’s defence, though he was laughing too. “And exceedingly polite. I believe she asked whether it would please be so obliging as to turn about.”

“What did the pony do?”

“Continued to the stable.”

I had just asked how, or if, they had ever overcome this difficulty when Mr Byerly was announced, with his sister.

Richard rose to greet them. I ought to have done so with equal pleasure, for they are both agreeable people and had behaved very kindly at the ball. Instead, I found myself wishing they had chosen to come half an hour later, or not at all. I had been enjoying Richard’s company all to myself and quite resented the intrusion, though I was at pains not to show it.

Mrs Matthew Thurston went to speak to Elizabeth, who was just outside the doors on the terrace, and Mr Byerly approached us.

“I hope you have recovered from Friday evening’s exertions, Miss de Bourgh,” he said, once he had shaken Richard’s hand and bowed over mine.

“Quite, thank you. I enjoyed the evening very much.”

I became conscious of Richard reaching for his cane.

“Take my chair, Byerly. I must find Darcy.”

There was another chair nearby. Richard could perfectly well have remained where he was.

He did not.

Mr Byerly waited for me to sit down again before taking Richard’s chair, and then began to speak of the ball, extolling its virtues. He had been pleased to see his sister enjoying herself, and hoped Georgiana had been satisfied with the evening arranged in her honour.

I assured him that she had.

“Then I trust we may persuade Mrs Darcy to permit some further dancing before the summer is over.”

“There is to be a masquerade,” I said. “In September, I believe. Will you still be at Thurston Hall?”

“I shall make it a point to stay until after such an auspicious event. I hope you will allow me to engage you for a dance when the time comes.”

“I should be pleased to do so.”