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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.

-Julia Quinn

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He Stepped Toward Her,

Julia Quinn

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

Turner Let His Face Fell Into His Hands. "i'm Never Going To Touch Her Again", He Moaned. "he's Never Going To Touch Me Again!" They Heard Miranda Roar."well,it Doesn't Look Like You'll Have Much Argument From Your Wife On That Point", Olivia Chirped.

It's Only Through Sheer Force And Luck That She's Yet To Take Over The World.

It Was Juvenile, He Knew, This Need To Assign Blame, But Everyone Had A Right To Childish Emotions From Time To Time, Didn't They?

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.

Oh, Elizabeth," He Murmured, Leaning Down To Press A Gentle Kiss On Her Mouth, "i Love You So Much. You Must Believe Me." "i Believe You," She Said Softly, "because In Your Eyes, I See What I Feel In My Heart.

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.

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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.

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I‟m Going To Kill Her,” Francesca Said To No One In Particular. Which Was Probably A Good Thing, As There Was No One Else Present. “who Are You Talking To?” Hyacinth Demanded. “god,” Francesca Said Baldly. “and I Do Believe I Have Been Given Divine Leave To Murder You.” “hmmph,” Was Hyacinth‟s Response. “if It Was That Easy, I‟d Have Asked Permission To Eliminate Half The Ton Years Ago.” Francesca Decided Just Then That Not All Of Hyacinth‟s Statements Required A Rejoinder. In Fact, Few Of Them Did.

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

Daphne Felt Something Wild And Wicked Take Hold. “let’s Walk In The Garden,” She Said Softly. “we Can’t.” “we Must.” “we Can’t.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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?

Society Is Capricious And Rewards The Bad As Often As The Good. But It Never Rewards The Quiet.

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.

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

There Are Moments In A Woman's Life When Her Heart Flips In Her Chest, When The World Suddenly Seems Uncommonly Pink And Perfect, When A Symphony Can Be Heard In The Tinkle Of A Doorbell.

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Be Careful What You Wish For,her Mind Thundered.

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She Smelled Like England, Of Soft Rain And Sun-kissed Meadows. And She Felt Like The Best Kind Of Heaven. He Wanted To Wrap Himself Around, Bury Himself Within Her, And Stay There For All Of His Days. He Hadn’t Had A Drop To Drink In Three Years, But He Was Intoxicated Now, Bubbling With A Lightness He’d Never Thought To Feel Again.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Love Was The Best Present Of All.

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

Daniel Held Himself Very Still, Waiting For The Wave Of Jealousy That Never Came. He Was Furious With The Man Who’d Taken Advantage Of Her Innocence, But He Did Not Feel Jealous. He Did Not Need To Be Her First, He Realized. He Simply Needed To Be Her Last. Her Only.

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

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?

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.

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.

Weakness Never Got Anyone Anywhere.

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.

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.

I Have Friends Who Have Children, And They Have Told Me How Remarkable It Is To Have A New Life That Is A Piece Of Your Own Flesh Anf Blood. But I --" "i Realized That I Didn't Love Her Because She Was A Piece Of Me, I Loved Her Because She Was A Piece Of You.

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

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.

I Had To Do Something," She Said. "i Couldn't Just Sit And Wait For Life To Happen To Me Any Longer.

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

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?

Tell Me Something Wicked.

His Mouth Captured Hers, Trying To Show Her With His Kiss What He Was Still Learning To Express In Words. He Loved Her. He Worshipped Her. He'd Walk Across Fire For Her. He— —still Had The Audience Of Her Three Brothers. Slowly Breaking The Kiss, He Turned His Face To The Side. Anthony, Benedict, And Colin Were Still Standing In The Foyer. Anthony Was Studying The Ceiling, Benedict Was Pretending To Inspect His Fingernails, And Colin Was Staring Quite Shamelessly.

It Was One Of Those Things That Had To Be Experienced To Be Understood

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

You Are Always Looking At People Like This.” And Then She Made A Face, One He Couldn’t Possibly Begin To Describe. “if I Ever Look Like That,” He Said Dryly, “precisely Like That, To Be More Precise, I Give You Leave To Shoot Me.

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.

Love Works In Mysterious Ways.

Mysterious Ways

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.

I’m Not Certain You’d Know The Right Sort Of Man For You If He Arrived On Our Doorstep Riding An Elephant.” “i Would Think The Elephant Would Be A Fairly Good Indication That I Ought To Look Elsewhere.

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.

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

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

I Cannot Feel Like A Duchess In My Mother’s Sitting Room.” “what Do You Feel Like, Then?” “hmmm.” She Took A Sip Of Her Tea. “just Daphne Bridgerton, I Suppose. It’s Difficult To Shed The Surname In This Clan. In Spirit, That Is.” “i Hope That Is A Compliment,” Lady Bridgerton Remarked. Daphne Just Smiled At Her Mother. “i Shall Never Escape You, I’m Afraid.” She Turned To Gareth. “there Is Nothing Like One’s Family To Make One Feel Like One Has Never Grown Up.

What Happened To Your Face?" Harriet Asked. "it Was A Misunderstanding," Daniel Said Smoothly, Wondering How Long It Might Take For His Bruises To Heal. He Did Not Think He Was Particularly Vain, But The Questions Were Growing Tiresome. "a Misunderstanding?" Elizabeth Echoed. "with An Anvil?" "oh, Stop," Harriet Admonished Her. "i Think He Looks Very Dashing." "as If He Dashed Into An Anvil." "pay No Attention," Harriet Said To Him. "she Lacks Imagination.

He Shook His Head In Wonder. "you Are Magnificent." "i Keep Telling Everyone That," She Said With A Nonchalant Shrug, "but You Seem To Be The Only One To Believe Me.

Rehearsels, Actually." "rehearsals?" "for The-" Oh,no. "-musicale." The Smythe-smith Musical.it Finished Off What The Crusades Had Begun.there Wasn't A Man Alive Who Could Maintain A Romantic Thought When Faced With The Memory-or The Threat-of A Smythe-smith Musicale.

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

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.

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

What About Me?” Frances Asked. “the Butler,” Harriet Replied Without Even A Second Of Hesitation. Frances’s Mouth Immediately Opened To Protest. “no, No,” Harriet Said. “it’s The Best Role, I Promise. You Get To Do Everything.” “except Be A Unicorn,” Daniel Murmured. Frances Tilted Her Head To The Side With A Resigned Expression. “the Next Play,” Harriet Finally Gave In. “i Shall Find A Way To Include A Unicorn In The One I’m Working On Right Now.” Frances Pumped Both Fists In The Air. “huzzah!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

If One Didn't Have Love, Was It Better, Then, To Be Alone?

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.

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James Russell Lowell

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