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And Then, Well . . . He Might Have Slept For A Bit. He Rather Hoped He Was Sleeping, Because He Was Quite Certain He’d Seen A Six-foot Rabbit Hopping Through His Bedchamber, And If That Wasn’t A Dream, They Were All In Very Big Trouble. Although Really, It Wasn’t The Rabbit That Was So Dangerous As Much As The Giant Carrot He Was Swinging About Like A Mace. That Carrot Would Feed An Entire Village.

-Julia Quinn

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And Then, Well .

Julia Quinn

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And Then, Well . . . He Might Have Slept For A Bit. He Rather Hoped He Was Sleeping, Because He Was Quite Certain He’d Seen A Six-foot Rabbit Hopping Through His Bedchamber, And If That Wasn’t A Dream, They Were All In Very Big Trouble. Although Really, It Wasn’t The Rabbit That Was So Dangerous As Much As The Giant Carrot He Was Swinging About Like A Mace. That Carrot Would Feed An Entire Village.

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I Don't Like Your Tone," Was Violet's Standard Answer When One Of Her Children Was Winning An Argument.

Darling," He Said Distractedly,"about The Moon..." "yes?" "i Don't Think It Matters Whether You Want It Or Not." "what Are You Talking About?" "the Moon. I Think It's Yours." Victoria Yawned, Not Bothering To Open Her Eyes. "fine. I'm Glad To Have It." "but--" Robert Shook His Head. He Was Growing Fanciful. The Moon Didn't Belong To His Wife. It Didn't Follow Her, Protect Her. It Certainly Didn't Wink At Anybody. But He Stared Out The Window The Rest Of The Way Home, Just In Case

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I Don't Know Whether To Toss You Through That Window Or Shake Your Hand And Say 'well Done'" Henry Said In A Tired Voice.

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You Don't Always Have To Kiss A Lot Of Frogs To Recognize A Prince When You Find One -henrietta Barett

Annabel Looked Down. Her Hands Were Shaking. She Couldn't Do This. Not Yet. She Couldn't Face The Man She'd Kissed Who Happened To Be The Heir To The Man She Didn't Want To Kiss But Whos She Probably Was Going To Marry. Oh Yes, And She Could Not Forget That If She Did Marry The Man She Didn't Want To Kiss, She Was Likely To Provide Him With A New Heir, Thus Cutting Off The Man She Did Want To Kiss.

I Have Thoroughly Compromised Your Niece," Alex Declared. "will You Plase Insist That She Marry Me?" Caroline Didn't Bat An Eyelash. "this", She Announced, "is Most Peculiar.

It Was Heaven. Forget Angels, Forget St. Peter And Glittering Harpsichords. Heaven Was A Dance In The Arms Of One's True Love.

I Am Going To Kill You," He Hissed. She Gulped. "don't You Want To Lecture Me First?" He Stared At Her With A Heavy Dose Of Stupefaction. "i Take That Back," He Said With Precisely Clipped Words. "first I Am Going To Strangle You, And Then I Am Going To Kill You." "here?" She Asked Doubtfully, Looking Around. "won't My Dead Body Look Suspicious In The Morning?

When The Dead Body Said, "good Evening," Annabel Had To Face The Grim Conclusion That It Wasn't As Dead As She'd Hoped.

Interesting, He Later Reflected, Was Perhaps Not The Correct Word.by The Time He And Henry Arrived Back At The House For Their Midday Meal-a Scrumptious Bowl Of Hot, Sticky Porridge-he Had Mucked Out The Stable Stalls, Milked A Cow, Been Pecked By Three Separate Hens, Weeded A Vegetable Garden, And Fallen Into A Trough.

Francesca: It's Still A Bit Cold Yet. Michael: Never Stopped John And Me. Francesca: Yes, Well, You're Scottish. Your Blood Circulates Quite Well Half Frozen.

But She Was Already In. Gareth Couldn't Help But Stand Back In Admiration. Hyacinth Bridgerton Was Clearly A Natural Born Athlete. Either That Or A Cat Burglar.

This Has To Be The Most Self-centered Thing I've Ever Said, But No, I Think You Just Wanted To Vex Me.

James - "are You Paying Attention Or Just Trying To Make Me Look Like An Idoit?" Elizabeth - "oh, I'm Definately Paying Attention. If You Look Like An Idiot It Has Nothing To Do With Me.

Have You Seen Frances?” He Tilted His Head To The Right. “i Believe She’s Off Rooting About In The Bushes.” Anne Followed His Gaze Uneasily. “rooting?” “she Told Me She Was Practicing For The Next Play.” Anne Blinked At Him, Not Following. “for When She Gets To Be A Unicorn.” “oh, Of Course.” She Chuckled. “she Is Rather Tenacious, That One.

Don’t Tell Me Your Name. It’s Likely To Awaken My Conscience, And That’s The Last Thing We Want.

I Can't Imagine A Romance Novel Published Today Where The Hero Rapes The Heroine And She Falls In Love With Him.

Falling In Love

Tonight," He Whispered, His Voice Hoarse And Hot In Her Ear, "i Will Make You Mine." -simon To Daphne

How Do You Feel?” She Asked, Trying To Fluff His Pillow. “other Than Terrible, I Mean.” He Moved His Head Slightly To The Side. It Seemed To Be A Sickly Interpretation Of A Shrug. “of Course You’re Feeling Terrible,” She Clarified, “but Is There Any Change? More Terrible? Less Terrible?” He Made No Response. “the Same Amount Of Terrible?

Raw Toast," Lucas Said Grimly, Shaking His Head. "it Goes Against The Very Nature Of Man.

To Call That Writing, Madam, Is An Insult To Quills And Ink Across The World.

It's The Curse Of Motherhood. You're Required To Love Us Even When We Vex You.

You Might Wish To Revisit Your Understanding Of The Word Everything.” Gregory Turned To His Mother. “vocabulary And Comprehension Were Never Her Strong Suits.” Violet Rolled Her Eyes. “every Day I Marvel That The Two Of You Managed To Reach Adulthood.” “afraid We’d Kill Each Other?” Gregory Quipped. “no, That I’d Do The Job Myself.

Reformed Rakes Make The Best Husbands,"violet Said. "rubbish And You Know It." -anthony To Violet

The Biggest Challenge Of My Career, Which Is Something That Authors Of Genre Fiction Face All The Time, Is Writing Something Fresh And New And At The Same Time Meeting Reader Expectations.

Watch Over Honoria, Will You? See That She Doesn’t Marry An Idiot.

She Hated That She Was Still So Desperate For A Glimpse Of Him, But It Had Been This Way For Years.

Unrequited Love

A Lot Could Happen In A Week. Just Look At The Last One.

So He Decided To Stay Out Of It And Instead Turned Back To Lady Bridgerton, Who Was, As It Happened, The Closest Person To Him, Anyway. “and How Are You This Afternoon?” He Asked. Lady Bridgerton Gave Him A Very Small Smile As She Handed Him His Cup Of Tea. “smart Man,” She Murmured. “it’s Self-preservation, Really,” He Said Noncommittally. “don’t Say That. They Wouldn’t Hurt You.” “no, But I’m Sure To Be Injured In The Cross Fire.

Besides," He Said Breezily, "were It Not For Misunderstandings, We Would Be Sadly Lacking In Great Literature." She Looked At Him Questioningly. "where Would Romeo And Juliet Be?" "alive.

It Was The One Dream He'd Never Permitted Himself To Consider.

Miss Butterworth And The Mad Baron,” Sebastian Said Approvingly. “excellent Choice.” “you Have Read This?” Alexei Asked. “it’s Not As Good As Miss Davenport And The Dark Marquis, Of Course, But Worlds Better Than Miss Sainsbury And The Mysterious Colonel.” Harry Found Himself Rendered Speechless. “i’m Reading Miss Truesdale And The Silent Gentleman Right Now.” “silent?” Harry Echoed. “there Is A Noticeable Lack Of Dialogue,” Sebastian Confirmed.

This Is Why I Didn't Get Married Last Year," She Said To Him. "i Wouldn't Be Here To Nurse You." She Thought About That For A Moment. "of Course, One Could Make The Argument That You Wouldn't Be In This Situation If Not For Me. But We're Not Going To Dwell Upon That.

Felicity," Mrs. Featherington Interurupted, "why Don't You Tell Mr. Brdgerton About Your Watercolors?" For The Life Of Him, Colin Couldn't Imagine A Less Interesting Topic (except Maybe For Phillipa's Watercolors), But He Nonetheless Turned To The Youngest Featherington With A Friendly Smile And Asked, "and How Are Your Watercolors?" But Felicity, Bless Her Heart, Gave Him A Rather Friendly Smile Herself And Said Nothing But, "i Imagine They're Fine, Thank You.

What?" "you're So Neat," She Said, Looking Almost Embarrassed. He Glanced Pointedly Over His Shoulder. "there Are Four Hundred On The Other Side Of This Door." "but You're Ruining Me." "i Can't Do It Neatly?

There Was A Certain History To This. While Heavily Pregnant With Amelia, She Had Asked Him If She Was Radiant Or If She Just Looked Like A Waddling Duck. He Told Her She’d Looked Like A Radiant Duck. This Had Not Been The Correct Answer.

He Smiled, And Suddenly She Knew That His Words Were True. Everything Would Be All Right. Maybe Not Today And Maybe Not Tomorrow, But Soon. Tragedy Couldn't Coexist In A World With One Of Colin's Smiles.

He’d Spent His Life Being A Perfect Gentleman. He’d Never Been A Flirt. He’d Never Been A Rogue. He Hated Being The Center Of Attention, But By God, He Wanted To Be The Center Of Her Attention. He Wanted To Do The Wrong Thing, The Bad Thing. He Wanted To Pull Her Into His Arms And Carry Her To Her Bed. He Wanted To Peel Every Last Inch Of Her Clothing From Her Body, And Then He Wanted To Worship Her. He Wanted To Show Her All The Things He Wasn’t Sure He Knew How To Say.

Perriwickturned To Penelope As He Set The Tray Down On A Table. "if I Might Be So Bold, My Lady-" "perriwick!" Blake Roared. "if I Hear The Phrase 'if I Might Be So Bold' One More Time, As God Is My Witness, I'm Going To Toss You Into The Channel!" "oh Dear," Penelope Said. "perhaps He Does Have The Fever, After All.perriwick , What Do You Think?" The Butler Reached For Blake's Forehead, Only To Have His Hand Nearly Bitten Off. "touch Me And Die," Blake Snarled.

I’m Trying To Embroider.” Hyacinth Held Up Her Handiwork As Proof. “you’re Trying To Avoid—” Her Mother Stopped, Blinking. “i Say, Why Does That Flower Have An Ear?” “it’s Not An Ear.” Hyacinth Looked Down. “and It’s Not A Flower.” “wasn’t It A Flower Yesterday?” “i Have A Very Creative Mind,” Hyacinth Ground Out, Giving The Blasted Flower Another Ear. “that,” Violet Said, “has Never Been In Any Doubt.” Hyacinth Looked Down At The Mess On The Fabric. “it’s A Tabby Cat,” She Announced. “i Just Need To Give It A Tail.

Sometimes There Are Reasons For Our Fears That We Can’t Quite Explain. Sometimes It’s Just Something We Feel In Our Bones, Something We Know To Be True, But Would Sound Foolish To Anyone Else.

Anthony Sneezed And Pushed Them Aside. "mother, I Am Trying To Have A Conversation With The Duke." Violet Looked At Simon. "do You Want To Have This Conversation With My Son?" "not Particularly." "fine, Then. Anthony, Be Quiet.

And If That Weren't Bad Enough, The Next Sound He Heard Was A Loud Click. The Damned Woman Had Locked Him Out. She'd Taken All The Food And Locked Him Out. "you'll Pay For This!" He Yelled At The Door. "do Be Quiet," Came The Muffled Reply. "i'm Eating.

Mother,” Hyacinth Said With A Great Show Of Solicitude, “you Know I Love You Dearly—” “why Is It,” Violet Pondered, “that I Have Come To Expect Nothing Good When I Hear A Sentence Beginning In That Manner?

I Vow To Spend The Rest Of My Life Keeping Your Hands And Feet Warm.

I Love You With Everything I Am, Everything I've Been, And Everything I Hope To Be. I Love You With My Past, And I Love You For My Future. I Love You For The Children We'll Have And For The Years We'll Have Together. I Love You For Every One Of My Smiles And Even More, For Every One Of Your Smiles.

If He Was Planning To Attack And Ravish, He Gave No Indication Of Being In A Hurry To Do So.

Men Are Sheep. Where One Goes, The Rest Will Soon Follow. -lady Whistledown

To This Day, The Duke And I Remains Particularly Close To My Heart; I Felt It Was The Novel In Which My Writing Took A Huge Leap Forward.

A Man With Charm Is An Entertaining Thing, And A Man With Looks Is, Ofcourse, A Sight To Behold, But A Man With Honor - Ah, He Is The One, Dear Reader, To Which Young Ladies Should Flock.

Miss Wynter, I Think You Should Be The Evil Queen,” Harriet Said. “there’s An Evil Queen?” Daniel Echoed. With Obvious Delight. “of Course,” Harriet Replied. “every Good Play Has An Evil Queen.” Frances Actually Raised Her Hand. “and A Un—” “don’t Say It,” Elizabeth Growled. Frances Crossed Her Eyes, Put Her Knife To Her Forehead In An Approximation Of A Horn, And Neighed.

In This Room,in This Minite,she Was His Everything

Nothing Like Trapping The Gentlemen Where They Couldn't Get Away.

Gregory,” She Said, “you Cannot Leave Me Here. What If Someone Finds You And Removes You From The House? Who Will Know I Am Here? And What If…and What If…and Then What If…” He Smiled, Enjoying Her Officiousness Too Much To Actually Listen To Her Words. She Was Definitely Herself Again. “when This Is All Over,” He Said, “i Shall Bring You A Sandwich.” That Stopped Her Short. “a Sandwich? A Sandwich?

Milk?” Lady Bridgerton Asked. “thank You,” Gareth Replied. “no Sugar, If You Please.” “hyacinth Takes Hers With Three,” Gregory Said, Reaching For A Piece Of Shortbread. “why,” Hyacinth Ground Out, “would He Care?” “well,” Gregory Replied, Taking A Bite And Chewing, “he Is Your Special Friend.

The Smythe-smith Musicale. Thankfully, It Came Around Just Once Per Year, Because Hyacinth Was Quite Certain It Would Take A Full Twelve Months For Her Ears To Recover.

She Was Petite, Small In That Way That Made A Man Want To Slay Dragons.

Phillip Looked To Eloise. "perhaps Introductions Are In Order?" "oh," Eloise Said, Gulping. "yes, Of Course. These Are My Brothers." "i'd Gathered," He Said, His Voice As Dry As Dust. She Shot Him An Apologetic Look, Which, Phillip Thought, Was Really The Least She Could Do After Nearly Getting Him Tortured And Killed, Then Turned To Her Brothers And Motioned To Each In Turn, Saying, "anthony, Benedict, Colin, Gregory. These Three," She Added, Motioning To A, B, And C, "are My Elders. This One"—she Waved Dismissively At Gregory—"is An Infant.

It Was A Damned Good Thing Men Couldn’t Have Children. Gregory Took No Shame In Admitting That The Human Race Would Have Died Out Generations Earlier.

Anthony Bridgerton Leaned Back In His Leather Chair,and Then Announced, "i'm Thinking About Getting Married." Benedict Bridgerton, Who Had Been Indulging In A Habit His Mother Detested—tipping His Chair Drunkenly On The Back Two Legs—fell Over. Colin Bridgerton Started To Choke. Luckily For Colin, Benedict Regained His Seat With Enough Time To Smack Him Soundly On The Back, Sending A Green Olive Sailing Across The Table. It Narrowly Missed Anthony's Ear.

I Am Asking You To Marry Me Because I Love You,” He Said, “because I Cannot Imagine Living My Life Without You. I Want To See Your Face In The Morning, And Then At Night, And A Hundred Times In Between. I Want To Grow Old With You, I Want To Laugh With You, And I Want To Sigh To My Friends About How Managing You Are, All The While Secretly Knowing I Am The Luckiest Man In Town.” “what?” She Demanded. He Shrugged. “a Man’s Got To Keep Up Appearances. I’ll Be Universally Detested If Everyone Realizes How Perfect You Are.

I Didn't Think I Should Die But I Did Not Know How I Would Live.

But Looking Beautiful Isn't, I Think, As Important As Feeling Beautiful.

The Ranks Of Society Are Once Again Filled With Ambitious Mamas, Whose Only Aim Is To See Their Darling Daughters Married Off To Determined Bachelors

He Gave Her A Sly, Sideways Look. "did You Bring It?" "my List? Heavens, No. What Can You Be Thinking?" His Smile Widened. "i Brought Mine." Daphne Gasped. "you Didn't!" "i Did. Just To Torture Mother. I'm Going Peruse It Right In Front Of Her, Pull Out My Quizzing Glass—" "you Don't Have A Quizzing Glass." He Grinned—the Slow, Devastatingly Wicked Smile That All Bridgerton Males Seemed To Possess. "i Bought One Just For This Occasion." "anthony, You Absolutely Cannot. She Will Kill You. And Then, Somehow, She'll Find A Way To Blame Me." "i'm Counting On It.

Click. The Door Swung Open. "three," James Said With A Slightly Self-satisfied Smile. "well Done," Caroline Said. He Smiled Back At Her. "i've Never Met A Woman Or A Lock That Didn't Love Me.

There Were Only So Many Ways A Man‟s Heart Could Break, And He Had A Feeling His Couldn‟t Survive Another Puncture.

Everyone Has Secrets. Especially Me.

She Tried To Remind Herself That Beauty Was Only Skin Deep, But That Didn't Offer Any Helpful Excuses When She Was Berating Herself For Never Knowing What To Say To People. There Was Nothing More Depressing Than An Ugly Girl With No Personality.

Is There Anything Else I Can Do To See To Your Comfort, Miss Trent?" Perriwick Inquired. "she's Fine," Blake Growled. "clearly, She--" "perriwick, Isn't The West Wing On Fire?" Perriwick Blinked, Sniffed The Air, And Stared At His Employer In Dismay. "i Do Not Understand Sir.

But Hyacinth Bridgerton, Who At Ten Should Have Known The Least About Kisses Of Anyone, Just Blinked Thoughtfully, And Said, " I Think It's Nice. If They're Laughing Now, They'll Probably Be Laughing Forever.

You Have A Mother?" He Quirked A Brow. "did You Think Mine Was Some Sort Of Divine Birth? My Father Was A Remarkable Man, But Even He Was Not That Talented.

It’s A Curse, Really,” Lady Danbury Said. “i’m The Only Person I Know My Age Who Has Perfect Hearing.” “most Would Call That A Blessing.” She Snorted. “not With That Musicale Looming Over The Horizon.

"are You All Right?” He Asked Olivia. His Heart Was Still Racing With Terror That She’d Been Hurt. “i Heard A Woman Scream.” “ah, That Would Have Been Me,” Sebastian Said. Harry Looked Down On His Cousin, Face Frozen In Disbelief. “you Made That Noise?” “it Hurt,” Sebastian Bit Off. Harry Fought Not To Laugh. “you Scream Like A Leettle Girl."

Will You Be Quiet?" He Asked, Smiling Down At Her. She Nodded. He Pretended To Think About It. "i Don't Believe You/" She Planted Her Hands On Her Hips, Which Had To Be A Ludicrous Postition, Naked As She Was From The Waist Up. All Right," He Acceded, "but The Only Words I'll Allow From Your Mouth Are, 'oh, Gareth,' And 'yes, Gareth.' He Lifted His Finger. What About 'more, Gareth?'" He Almost Kept A Straith Face. "that Will Be Acceptable

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