As they walk along a sunny country lane, two handsome young men turn away from each other, looking extremely disgruntled – each clearly wishing his rival was not there. The young girl they are accompanying positively beams with delight.

The Victorians loved anecdotes, or pictures that told a story and Pettie's pictures were extremely popular because of their frivolous or light-hearted nature. His work was almost always historical or literary in content, so although this picture was painted in 1887, the three central characters wear Regency costumes dating from around 1815 to 1820. Period costume pieces were extremely popular with middle-class patrons at this time, as they evoked a cosy age of certainty, charm and simplicity.