Page 61 of The Secret Diary of Anne de Bourgh

Mr Byerly took the offered place.

Richard turned away before we had even opened the book, going to speak to Darcy.

I watched him cross the room. He did not look back.

Mr Byerly wished to direct my attention to one of the illustrations in Twelfth Night. It showed Malvolio appearing before Olivia, and the expression upon her face made me laugh despite myself.

“She looks as though she wishes somebody else would deal with him,” I said.

“A very reasonable wish.”

“Yes, but nobody else understands what he is doing either.”

“Maria does.” Mr Byerly touched the edge of the illustration.

“And is enjoying herself exceedingly.”

We examined the picture for a little while. I thought the artist had made Malvolio rather more pleased with himself than any man could possibly be, but Mr Byerly said that this was the very quality which had led him into difficulty.

“He is prepared to believe almost anything which agrees with his opinion of himself.”

“Then it is fortunate that the rest of us are so entirely free of that failing.”

He laughed and conceded the point.

I do like that he does not take offence when I answer him in such a manner. I should never have dared say anything of the sort to Lady Catherine, even if I had intended no particular reference to her.

Kitty came to look over my shoulder. “Those are very remarkable clothes,” she exclaimed.

“They are intended to be,” I told her, inviting her to sit down next to me.

She wished to see how the rest of the figure had been drawn, and Mr Byerly moved the book so that she could examine it more easily. Presently she was pointing out how the artist had suggested the folds with only a few lines.

I had been looking at the faces. It had not occurred to me to consider how the clothes were made to hang.

Richard returned while we were discussing another scene, in which Sir Andrew appeared considerably less eager to fight than he had previously claimed to be.

“I think I could have arranged that duel very satisfactorily,” he said, looking at the page.

“By preventing it?” I asked.

“By assuring each gentleman that the other was quite willing to accept an apology.”

“Would they have believed you?”

“With the greatest readiness. It would have been precisely what both wished to hear.”

Mr Byerly said that there were other quarrels which might benefit from such an arrangement, and the gentlemen spoke for a few minutes about the difficulty of allowing somebody to retreat without appearing cowardly.

I was pleased to have Richard with us again. I moved the music aside to make more room upon the table, thinking he might remain.

Instead, he looked down at the open book.

“You have chosen very well, Byerly. Anne will find a great deal to interest her in this.”

“I hoped she might.”

“Have you shown her the other pictures?” Richard asked, glancing at the open book.