Part 1, Chapter 11 Summary

Everyone is nauseated by the thought of a big meal in the hot, airless dining room. Robbie has no appetite. He notices a scratch on Marshall's cheek and feels Cecilia's warmth beside him and the glare of Briony's eyes. Leon mentions England in hot weather is a different place because gentlemen are allowed to remove their jackets. Emily proclaims her parents' view, "Out of doors, out of control." Cecilia blushes when Leon asks how she has behaved worse today than usual, then jokes about having persuaded Emily to have a roast in Leon's honor, regardless of the weather. As Leon asks the same of Briony, Robbie worries she will blurt out the contents of his note. To his relief, Briony declares that, boringly, she has done nothing wrong today. Jackson corrects her, saying she would not allow them to put on...