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"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."

-Julia Quinn

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"are You All Right?”

Julia Quinn

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"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."

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The Girl Doesn’t Need A Violin,” He Added. “she Needs To Have Her Hands Bound So She Can Never Touch An Instrument Again.

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Let Me Drive," She Said, Reaching For The Reins. He Turned To Her In Disbelief. "this Is A Phaeton, Not A Single-horse Wagon." Sophie Fought The Urge To Throttle Him. His Nose Was Running, His Eyes Were Red, He Couldn't Stop Coughing, And Still He Found The Energy To Act Like An Arrogant Peacock. "i Assure You," She Said Slowly, "that I Know How To Drive A Team Of Horses.

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.

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I Thought You Wanted Food," She Gasped. "i Do," He Murmured, Tugging On The Bodice Of Her Dress. "but I Want You More.

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.

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Caroline Trent Hadn't Meant To Shoot Percival Prewitt, But She Had, And Now He Was Dead. Or At Least She Thought He Was Dead.

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Stirlings Of Old Had Been So Damned Besotted With Their Newfound Earldom That They Couldn't Think To Put Any Other Name On Anything...it Was A Wonder He Didn't Drink Kilmartin Tea And Sit On A Kilmartin-style Chair. In Fact, He Probably Would Be Doing Just That If His Grandmother Had Found A Way To Manage It Without Actually Taking The Family Into Trade.

Heartache, Daphne Eventually Learned, Never Really Went Away; It Just Dulled. The Sharp, Stabbing Pain That One Felt With Each Breath Eventually Gave Way To A Blunter, Lower Ache—the Kind That One Could Almost—but Never Quite—ignore.

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He Loved Her. He Wanted Her. He Needed Her. And He Needed Her Now.

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Anthony Looked Down At His Evil Clutches -- Hands, He Reminded Himself, Hands -- And Grinned Anew.

Michael Nodded Tersely, Eyeing A Table Across The Room. It Was Empty. So Empty. So Joyfully, Blessedly Empty. He Could Picture Himself A Very Happy Man At That Table. "not Feeling Very Conversational This Evening, Are We?" Colin Asked, Breaking Into His (admittedly Tame) Fantasies.

It Wasn‟t Even Desire. It Was Far More Than That. It Was Love. Love. With A Capital L And Swirly Script And Hearts And Flowers And Whatever Else The Angels— And Yes, All Those Annoying Little Cupids—wished To Use For Embellishment.

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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.

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He Sucked His Lips In An Attempt Not To Laugh. "aren't You Spanish?" She Raised One Arm In A Salute. "viva La Queen Isabella!" "i See. Then Why Are You Speaking With A French Accent?

Love's About Finding The One Person Who Makes Your Heart Complete. Who Makes You A Better Person Than You Ever Dreamed You Could Be. Its About Looking In The Eyes Of Your Wife And Knowing All The Way To Your Bones That She's Simply The Best Person You've Ever Known.

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You Always Get More Respect When You Don't Have A Happy Ending.

The Look Anthony Shot At His Sister Was So Comically Malevolent Simon Nearly Laughed. He Managed To Restrain Himself, But Mostly Just Because He Was Fairly Certain That Any Show Of Humor Would Cause Anthony's Fist To Lose Its Battle With His Brain, With Simon's Face Emerging As The Conflict's Primary Casualty.

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?

If You Do Not Apologize To Lady Honoria,” Marcus Said, His Voice So Mild As To Be Terrifying, “i Will Kill You.” There Was A Collective Gasp, And Daisy Faked A Swoon, Sliding Elegantly Into Iris, Who Promptly Stepped Aside And Let Her Hit The Floor. “oh, Come Now,” Mr. Grimston Said. “surely It Won’t Come To Pistols At Dawn.” “i’m Not Talking About A Duel,” Marcus Said. “i Mean I Will Kill You Right Here.

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

Sometimes Hen...i Think I Would Give My Life Just For One Of Your Smiles.

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I Just -- I Know My Own Heart And I Love You, Turner. And If You Have Even The Tiniest Shred Of Decency, You'll Say Something Because I've Said Everything I Possibly Can, And I Can't Bear The Silence, And -- Oh For Heaven's Sake! Will You At Least Blink?" He Couldn't Even Manage That.

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

Daphne," He Said With Controlled Gentleness, "what Is Wrong?" She Sat Down Opposite Him And Placed A Hand On His Cheek. "i'm So Insensitive," She Whispered. "i Should Have Known. I Should Never Have Said Anything." "should Have Known What?" He Ground Out. Her Hand Fell Away. "that You Can't—that You Couldn't—" "can't What?" She Looked Down At Her Lap, Where Her Hands Were Attempting To Wring Each Other To Shreds. "please Don't Make Me Say It," She Said. 'this," Simon Muttered, "has Got To Be Why Men Avoid Marriage.

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

It Has Oft Been Said That Physicians Make The Worst Patients, But It Is The Opinion Of This Author That Any Man Makes A Terrible Patient. One Might Say It Takes Patience To Be A Patient, And Heaven Knows, The Males Of Our Species Lack An Abundance Of Patience.

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

He Wondered If She'd Mind If He Threw Her Down On The Blanket And Tore Off Her Clothing. (..) She Looked Heartbreakingly Innocent. Alex Sighed. She'd Probably Mind.

Am I Not Allowed To Have My Pride? Or Is That An Emotion Reserved For The Elite?

And So Harry Became Proficient In The Task Of Cleaning Up Vomit.

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

Did You Know I Dream About Your Hair? I Use To Say It Was The Color Of The Sun At Sunset, But I'm Wrong. It's Brighter Than The Sun, Just As You Are.

Just Be Quiet And Accept The Praise.

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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.

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

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Because If He Looked Like He Was Unaffected By Her Smile, Then She Would Not Realize That, In Actuality, He Was In An Utter Panic Because Somewhere Deep Down Inside He’d Realized That His Life Had Just Changed Forever.

To Say That Men Can Be Bullheaded Would Be Insulting To The Bull.

She'd Met Colin On A Monday. She'd Kissed Him On A Friday. Twelve Years Later. She Sighed. It Seemed Fairly Pathetic.

Then It's Settled," Harriet Said. "we Shall Work Out The Smaller Roles Later.""what About You?" Elizabeth Demanded."oh, I'm Going To Be The Goddess Of The Sun And Moon.""the Tale Gets Stranger And Stranger," Daniel Said."just Wait Until Act Seven," Miss Wynter Told Him."seven?" His Head Snapped Up. "there Are Seven Acts?""twelve," Harriet Corrected, "but Don't Worry, You're In Only Eleven Of Them. Now Then, Miss Wynter, When Do You Propose That We Begin Our Rehearsals? And May We Do So Out Of Doors? There Is A Clearing By The Gazebo That Would Be Ideal.

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His Brows Rose. “and How Is It That You Have Come To Be Such An Expert On Scrapes And Bruises?” “i’m A Governess,” She Said. Because Really, That Ought To Be Explanation Enough.

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

Love Was The Best Present Of All.

She Needed Him To Be Him. Even If He Could Not Be Hers.

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.

Simon Stopped Breathing Until Her Forefinger Touched His Nipple, And Then His Hand Shot Up To Cover Hers. "i Want You," He Said. Her Eyes Flicked Downward, And Her Lips Curved Ever So Slightly. "i Know." "no," He Groaned, Pulling Her Closer. "i Want To Be In Your Heart. I Want-" His Entire Body Shuddered When Their Skin Touched. "i Want To Be In Your Soul.

As His Hands Moved To His Trousers, He Saw That She Was Pulling The Bedsheets Over Her. "don't," He Said, Barely Recognizing His Own Voice. Her Eyes Met His, And He Said, "i'll Be Your Blanket".

Your Heart Is Free Now." "no," He Whispered. "it's Yours.

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

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.

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.

Everyone Has Secrets. Especially Me.

No Words For The Passion. No Words For The Need.no Words For The Sheer Epiphany Of The Moment.and So, On An Otherwise Unremarkable Friday Afternoon, In The Heart Of Mayfair, In A Quiet Drawing Room On Mount Street, Colin Bridgerton Kissed Penelope Featherington.and It Was Glorious.

Be Careful What You Wish For,her Mind Thundered.

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.

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

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.

Every Unmarried Man Is Looking For A Wife. They Just Don't Always Know It.

Don't Settle. Know What You Want And Reach For It. And If You Don't Know What You Want, Be Patient. The Answers Will Come To You In Time, And You May Find That Your Heart S Desire Has Been Right Under Your Nose All The While.

He Didn’t Know Where The Thought Had Come From, Or What Strange Corner Of His Brain Had Come To That Conclusion, Because He Was Quite Certain It Would Be Nearly Impossible To Live With Her, But Somehow He Knew That It Wouldn’t Be At All Difficult To Love Her.

Caroline, Do You Value Your Neck?" "yes, I'm Rather Fond Of It. Why?" "because If You Don't Shut Up, I'm Going To Wring It.

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.

Do I Look Like A Mess?” She Asked. He Nodded. “but You’re My Mess,” He Whispered.

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.

In Her Heart She Longed For This Man, Dreamed Of A Life That Could Never Be.

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.

When You Walk Into A Room,” He Said Softly, “the Air Changes.

Never," He Spat Out, "kick A Man Who Is Pointing A Gun At You.

I Would Give The World To Have One More Person For Whom I Would Lay Down My Life.

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.

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

She Wandered Over To The Enclosed Range, A Rather Modern-looking Contraption That Cook Had Purchased Earlier In The Year. "do You Know How To Work This?" She Asked. "no Idea. You? " Daphne Shook Her Head. "none." She Reached Forward And Gingerly Touched The Surface Of The Stove Top. "it's Not Hot. " " Not Even A Little Bit? " She Shook Her Head. "it's Rather Cold, Actually. " Brother And Sister Were Silent For A Few Seconds . " You Know," Anthony Finally Said, "cold Milk Might Be Quite Refreshing ." " I Was Just Thinking That Very Thing!

He'd Been Waiting For A Love Fraught With Passion And Drama; It Hadn't Even Occurred To Him That True Love Might Be Something That Was Utterly Comfortable And Just Plain Easy.

I'm Not A Gentle Pony... I Promise You, You Will Have To Work To Keep Your Seat.

You Are Not Going To Waltz In Here And Distract Me With A Clever Phrase And A Beguiling Smile." "you Think My Smile Is Beguiling?

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

He Sighed, Wondering How His Life Had Been Turned Upside Down By This Woman In Less Than Forty-eight Hours. Correction: By This Woman, A Pig, And A Rabbit.

She Had Been Born For This Man, And She Had Spent So Many Years Trying To Accept The Fact That He Had Been Born For Someone Else.

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

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No Man Of Any Intelligence Would Pretend To Know A Female Mind.

I Knew Nothing But Love And Devotion When I Was Growing Up. Trust Me, It Makes Everything Easier.

In Three Days," He Continued, "i Will Be Your Husband. I Will Take A Solemn Vow To Protect You Until Death Do Us Part. Do You Understand What That Means?" "you'll Save Me From Marauding Minotaurs?

You're In A Rather Odd Mood Today." I'm Soaking Wet, Eloise." No Need To Snap At Me About It, I Didn't Force You To Walk Across Town In The Rain." It Wasn't Raining When I Left,". There Was Something About A Sibling That Brought Out The Eight-year-old In A Body. I'm Sure The Sky Was Gray," Clearly, She Had A Bit Of The Eight-year-old In Her As Well.

Of Course None Of Those Men Was Suitable. Half Were After Your Fortune, And As For The Other Half—well, You Would Have Reduced Them To Tears Within A Month.” “such Tenderness For Your Youngest Child,” Hyacinth Muttered. “it Quite Undoes Me.

The Unexpected Moment [is] Always Sweeter.

Unexpected Moments

I Won't Be Satisfied With Anything Less Than Everything.

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

My Love Has Eyes Blue As The Sky. Her Warm, Bright Smile Makes Me Want To Try To Give Her The World, And When She's Curled Up In My Arms Where I Can Feel Her Touch, I Realize Again That I Love Her So Much. My World Has Turned From Black To White. Kissing In Starlight, Basking In Sunlight, Dancing At Midnight.' ~john's Poem For Belle

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

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.

Any Man, You'll Soon Learn, Has An Insurmountable Need To Blame Someone Else When He Is Made To Look A Fool.

Olivia: You Didn't Even Know I Was There! Harry: Excuse Me, Yes I Did.

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.

And, She Was Able To Tell Herself With Some Satisfaction, The Man In Question - One Colin Bridgerton - Felt Precisely The Same Way.... ....his Earth Shook, His Heart Leaped, And Penelope Knew Without A Doubt That His Breath Was Taken Away As Well. For A Good Ten Seconds. Falling Off A Horse Tended To Do That To A Man.

Until You've Lived Through All That," He Said, "don't You Ever Complain About What We Have. Because To Me... To Me..." He Choked On The Words, But He Barely Paused Before He Continued. "this - Us - Is Heaven. I Can't Bear To Hear You Say Otherwise.

Tell Me Something Wicked.

You’re Going To Be My Grandmother.” “you Silly Child. In My Heart, I’ve Been Your Grandmother For Years. I’ve Just Been Waiting For You To Make It Official.

He Was The Firstborn Bridgerton Of A Firstborn Bridgerton Of A Firstborn Bridgerton Eight Times Over. He Had A Dynastic Responsibility To Be Fruitful And Multiply.

The Only Words I'll Allow From Your Mouth Are, 'oh, Gareth,' And 'yes, Gareth.'" "what About 'more, Gareth'?" "he Almost Kept A Straith Face. "that Will Be Acceptable.

Nonetheless, I Can't Help But Be Flattered That You Noticed The Latest Addition To My Collection," He Said. She Rolled Her Eyes. "because Personal Injuries Are Such A Dignified Thing To Collect." "are All Governesses So Sarcastic?

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.

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

Unrequited Love

There Were A Lot Of Things In Life To Be Afraid Of, But Strangeness Ought Not Be Among Them.

He Was A Puzzle. And Hyacinth Hated Puzzles. Well, No, In Truth She Loved Them. Provided, Of Course, That She Solved Them.

He Would Not Give Her Up,he Could Not.for The First Time In His Life He'd Found Someone Who Filled All The Empty Spaces In His Heart

I Keep Waiting For The Day In Which Everyone Who Loves Downton Abbey Will Realize They Were Actually Watching A Historical Romance Novel.

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.

Weakness Never Got Anyone Anywhere.

I Can Imagine No Greater Bliss Than To Lie About, Reading Novels All Day.

No One Knows As Well As I How Much Nonsense Is Printed In Books.

There Was A Huge Difference Between Dislike And Disregard.

Why Don’t You Purchase An Italian Dictionary? I Will Assume The Expense.” “i Have One,” She Said, “but I Don’t Think It’s Very Good. Half The Words Are Missing.” “half?” “well, Some,” She Amended. “but Truly, That’s Not The Problem.” He Blinked, Waiting For Her To Continue. She Did. Of Course. “i Don’t Think Italian Is The Author’s Native Tongue,” She Said. “the Author Of The Dictionary?” He Queried. “yes. It’s Not Terribly Idiomatic.

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.

Hyacinth,” Lady Bridgerton Said In A Vaguely Disapproving Voice, “do Try To Speak In Complete Sentences.” Hyacinth Looked At Her Mother With A Surprised Expression. “biscuits. Are. Good.” She Cocked Her Head To The Side. “noun. Verb. Adjective.” “hyacinth.” “noun. Verb. Adjective.” Colin Said, Wiping A Crumb From His Grinning Face. “sentence. Is. Correct.

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.

And I Hope You Will Not Think Me Foolish When I Also Extend My Thanks. Thank You, Michael, For Letting My Son Love Her First. —from Janet Stirling, Dowager Countess Of Kilmartin, To Michael Stirling, Earl Of Kilmartin

Before She Knew What She Was About, She Was Jumping About Like A Crazy Woman, Yelling, “yes! Yes! I Win!” “you Don’t Win,” Anthony Snapped. “oh, It Feels Like I’ve Won,” She Reveled.

It's Just That I Don't Think Friends Tie Friends To The Bedpost." James Choked On His Tea. "caroline, You Have No Idea.

Did You Know I Have Always Suspected That Men Were Idiots," Daphne Ground Out, "but I Was Never Positive Until Today.

Turn Right Up Ahead," He Directed. "it'll Take Us Directly To My Cottage." She Did As He Asked. "does Your Cottage Have A Name?" "my Cottage." "i Might Have Known," She Muttered. He Smirked. Quite A Feat, In Her Opinion, Since He Looked Sick As A Dog. "i'm Not Kidding," He Said. Sure Enough, In Another Minute They Pulled Up In Front Of An Elegant Country House, Complete With A Small, Unobtrusive Sign In Front Reading, My Cottage

There,” She Said Triumphantly. “like That.” He Began To Wonder If They Were Speaking The Same Language. “like What?” “that! What You Just Said.” He Crossed His Arms. It Seemed The Only Acceptable Reply. If She Couldn’t Speak In Complete Sentences, He Saw No Reason Why He Had To Speak At All.

He Looks Like A Man.' 'how Descriptive,' Susan Said In A Droll Tone. 'remind Me Never To Advise You To Seek Work As A Novelist.

Most Fiction Series Are Written So That The Reader Can Come In At Any Point And Not Feel Lost, But If You Can Start At The Beginning, Why Not?

I Was Told Once That The Most Important Part Of A Fight Is Making Sure Your Opponent Looks Worse Than You Do When You’re Through.

Children,” Lady Bridgerton Said With A Sigh As She Retook Her Seat. “i Am Never Quite Certain If I’m Glad I Had Them.

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.

Blake Took A Small Roll From The Tray On The Table, Then Put It Back In Favor Of A Larger One. And Maybe A Little Butter. It Certainly Couldn't Hurt. And Jam...no, He Drew The Line At Jam. She Was A Spy, After All.

Elizabeth, You Resemble Nothing So Much As A Hen Trying To Hatch A Book.

He Ought To Buy Her A New Dress. She Would Never Accept It, Of Course, But Maybe If Her Current Garments Were Accidentally Burned... ...but How Could He Manage To Burn Her Dress? She'd Have To Not Be Wearing It, And That Posed A Certain Challenge In And Of Itself.

My Mother Is Convinced That Yellow Is A Happy Color And That A Happy Girl Would Get A Husband. -penelope Featherington

She Glared At Him. "i'm Not Asking You To Apologize." "well, That's A Relief.i Doubt I Could Find The Words.

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?

Love Works In Mysterious Ways.

Mysterious Ways

I Also Think He Is Given To Disguises...sometimes He Wears Spectacles And Sometimes He Does Not. And Twice He Has Worn An Extremely Peculiar Hat. Inside.

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.

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.

Suddenly It Was Too Hard To Be In His Presence, Too Painful To Know That He Would Belong To Someone Else.

A Duel, A Duel, A Duel. Is There Anything More Exciting, More Romantic ... Or More Utterly Moronic?

Deep Inside, She Knew Who She Was, And That Person Was Smart And Kind And Often Even Funny, But Somehow Her Personality Always Got Lost Somewhere Between Her Heart And Her Mouth, And She Found Herself Saying The Wrong Thing Or, More Often, Nothing At All.

And What Renders Him So Unmarriageable?” Eloise Asked. Francesca Leveled A Serious Stare At Her Older Sister. Eloise Was Mad If She Thought She Should Set Her Cap For Michael. “well?” Eloise Prodded. “he Could Never Remain Faithful To One Woman,” Fran-cesca Said, “and I Doubt You‟d Be Willing To Put Up With Infidelities.” “no,” Eloise Murmured, “not Unless He‟d Be Willing To Put Up With Severe Bodily Injury.

That Was Very Rude Of Me.” “think Nothing Of It. You’ve Done Worse.

He Stepped Toward Her, And Her Heart Just Ached From It. His Face Was So Handsome, And So Dear, And So Perfectly Wonderfully Familiar. She Knew The Slope Of His Cheeks, And The Exact Shade Of His Eys, Brownish Near The Iris, Melting Into Green At The Edge. And His Mouth-she Knew That Mouth, The Look Of It, The Feel Of It. She Knew His Smile, And She Knew His Frown, And She Knew- She Knew Far To Much.

Gareth Turned To Gregory. “your Sister Will Be Safe With Me,” He Said. “i Give You My Vow.” “oh, I Have No Worries On That Score,” Gregory Said With A Bland Smile. “the Real Question Is—will You Be Safe With Her?” It Was A Good Thing, Gareth Later Reflected, That Hyacinth Had Already Quit The Room To Fetch Her Coat And Her Maid. She Probably Would Have Killed Her Brother On The Spot.

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