“Five years with the dowager - Good God, she ought to be given a title in her own right as a penance for such as that. No one had done more for England.”

“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.”

“He watched her as she carried the stone over to one of the walls and set it down. She exhaled and wiped her brow. Then she glared at him.He smiled—one of his best, he thought. "You ought to bend your legs when you lift the stones," he called out. "It's better for your back.""It's better for your back," she mimicked under her breath, "lazy, good-for-nothing, stupid little—""Excuse me?""Thank you for your advice." Her voice was sweetness personified.”

“How delightful! Dunford had just come into an unexpected inheritance. She rather hoped it was something good. One of her friends had just unwillingly inherited thirty-seven cats.”

“Sebastian Grey.The worrds rang like a miserable moan in her head. On the list of men she ought not to be kissing, he had to rank at the top, along with the King, Lord Liverpool, and the chimney sweep.”

“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.”

“Not," Caroline had said, "that I disapprove of your moniker. It is simply that my husband's name is also Henry, and it's rather disconcerting for me to use it on a girl of your tender years."Henry had only smiled and told her that that was just fine. It had been so long since she had had a maternal figure that she would have been inclined to let Caroline call her Esmerelda if she so desired.”