Georgette Heyer

But Richmond, his grandfather's darling, after one thoughtful glance cast under his lashes at that uncompromising countenance appeared to lose himself in his own reflections.

But Richmond […] appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw, peeping around the massive silver epergne that almost obscured him from her view, that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either.

Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour.

He had come to see Ralph, but my lady took him off to one of the solars, and said briskly: 'Now, I charge you, John, no prating to my lord about all this gainstrife that is sprung up over my brother Somerset's ending, for he is nigh diswitted already by the debate, and he will not for his life mell himself in it!