“Everyone has secrets. Especially me.”

“It was nearly impossible to keep anything a secret, especially from hersisters, the youngest of whom—Hyacinth—could probably have won the war against Napoleon in halfthe time if His Majesty had only thought to draft her into the espionage service.”

“People will think you're courting me.''Nonsense, everyone knows I don't court respectable women.”

“I've always thought that violet ribbons look especially nice with brown hair.”

“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.”

“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.”

“But I wouldn't choose to spend time with them." Sebastian considered this, "Especially my father. As he's dead.”