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Twenty Pages a Day - Reading Good Books One Day at a Time
a special feature by J. at Snortyville.
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Today's Installment:
Atonement by Ian McEwan Pages 161 - 180
Go to the beginning
(Brought to you by jat impatientreader.com) The dinner starts with Leon saying a short grace and the food being served by the maid Betty. It's very quiet at first, and then Paul Marshall tries to start a conversation by asking Robbie if they are still going to play tennis. Robbie says yes, and then asks Pierrot (one of the twins) about the weather.
Briony speaks up and tells Robbie to leave him alone and tells Pierrot that he doesn't have to answer. Emily tells Briony that it was rude to speak to Robbie like that and that she should apologize, and she does so reluctantly. Leon then tries to start another conversation, and he's more successful than Paul or Robbie was. He asks Briony if she's done anything bad today, and Briony says no, but the twins speak up and say that she didn't allow them to be in the play.
While Leon is talking, Robbie is staring at Cecilia, hoping that he'll be able to be alone with her again. He thinks of what happened just minutes before. He was undecided as to whether he should apologize or just leave for his house without speaking to her. He decided to talk with her, and he rang the bell. She answered the door, and he saw that she had the note in her hand.
He told her it was a mistake and that he put the wrong letter in the envelope. They went into the library. She told him that Briony read the note, and he apologized. He moved closer to her, and she admitted that she has felt something between them in the past few weeks and months. He said that he has felt it too. Noticing that she was crying, he came up and kissed her. He expected her to push him away, but instead they got carried away in the moment. They had just begun to make love standing up against the bookshelves when Briony walked in on them. They quickly stepped away from each other and Cecilia left the room.
Back in the present, dinner is followed by dessert, and everyone is on edge in the heat of the house. The twins ask if they may be excused, and when they leave Briony sees that they're wearing her socks. Cecilia scolds Briony for being so loud, and Briony is shocked that Cecilia would treat her that way, especially because of all she has done to protect Cecilia from Robbie.
Emily scolds Cecilia for being harsh to Briony, and Cecilia says that she's been over the top all day. Robbie tries to help out by telling Lola what nice boys her brothers are, but Briony speaks up and points out what they've done to Lola's wrists. Lola is embarrassed, but points out that she's already put something on her irritated skin.
More to come on Twenty-Pages-a-Day!
Go to the Index of Short Summaries
Go to the Index of Detailed Chapter-by-Chapter Summaries
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