“What happend to her? To Miranda?'Ulysses shrugged. 'What happens to most children. She got sick, and never got better.''And your wife?''The same.''But you said you were married,' said Will, glancing down at Ulysses's ring, smooth and lustrous in the half-light.'I'll always be married. But it'll be the next world when I see her again.”

“You once accused me of never considering the consequences,” she said, willing him to understand. To see. “Of never thinking of what comes next.”“What comes next is, we marry.”She shook her head. “Now you are not considering the consequences. I shall always be your scandal, Simon. Never entirely worthy.”

“Marry me." I said.She lowered her teacup, shaking slightly, to the saucer. "Aren't you going to get down on one knee?"I got down on one knee and took her hand."Will you marry me, Kate?"You can't propose properly without a ring." She said.I reached into my pocket and took out James Sanderson's ring, which I'd picked up off the floor of the Starclimber when we'd crash landed."That's a nice looking ring." said Kate with a grin."Cost a fortune." I said. "And now, for the third time. Kate de Vries, will you marry me?"She leaned forward and took my face in her hands and kissed me."Yes," "Yes, and yes and yes. But it will probably be terrible.""Probably," I agreed."Honestly," she sighed, "I don't know what kind of life we'll have together, with me always flying off in one direction and you in the other."I smiled. "It's a good thing the world's round," I said.”

“Children," Johanna drawled out. "They're such a joy. When you get married and have a family of your own, you'll understand what I'm saying. You are going to get married someday, aren't you, Keith?""Aye, m'lady," he answered. "Next summer as a matter of fact. Bridgid MacCoy has agreed to become my wife.""Oh."She couldn't quite hide her disappointment. She turned her gaze down the table and settled on Michael as a possibility.He caught her staring at him. He smiled. She nodded. "Children," she began again. "They're wonderful, aren't they, Michael?""If you say so, m'lady.""Oh, I do say," she replied. "When you get married, you'll understand. You do plan to marry someday, don't you, Michael?""Eventually," he answered with a shrug."Have you anyone in mind?""Are you matchmaking, m'lady?" Keith asked."Why would you think that?""I'll marry Helen when I'm ready," Michael interjected. "I've told her I will, and she agreed to wait."Johanna frowned. The possibilities were becoming a bit limited. She turned to Niall."Children…" she began."She is matchmaking," Keith announced.It was as though he'd just shouted the alarm that they were under siege. The soldiers literally jumped from their stools. They bowed to Johanna and left the room in the space of a single minute. She didn't even have enough time to order them back into their seats.”

“Why did you do that, Pedro? It will look ridiculous, you agreeing to marry Rosaura. What happened to the eternal love you swore to Tita? Aren't you going to keep that vow?''Of course I'll keep it. When you're told there's no way you can marry the woman you love, and your only hope of being near her is to marry her sister, wouldn't you do the same?''So you intend to marry without love?''No, Papa. I am going to marry with a great love for Tita that will never die.”

“I just wished to know if you mean to marry the girl. Spite of what you said of her lightness, I ha' known her long enough to be sure she'll make a noble wife for any one, let him be what he may; and I mean to stand by her like a brother; and if you mean rightly, you'll not think the worse on me for what I've now said; and if--but no, I'll not say what I'll do to the man who wrongs a hair of her head. He shall rue it to the longest day he lives, that's all. Now, sir, what I ask of you is this. If you mean fair and honourable by her, well and good: but if not, for your own sake as well as hers, leave her alone, and never speak to her more.”