"You are absolutely beautiful," Anne said. "But if you see yourself, you'll want to pin your hair back like a shepherdess in a bad play." {Eleanor} "Are you saying that I normally look as if I'm tending sheep? With straw in my hair? As if I might yodel?"
This excerpt from Eloisa James's A Duke of Her Own underscores a delightful mix of admiration and humorous self-deprecation. Anne's initial compliment—'You are absolutely beautiful'—sets a tone of genuine affection and warmth. However, the subsequent advice to pin back hair "like a shepherdess in a bad play" introduces a playful critique, implying that sometimes one's self-perception or appearance can be awkward or off-putting despite inherent beauty.
Eleanor's quick, witty retort highlights...
