“...there us a difference you know, between the male and the female ghost-""What is the difference?" Georgina asked."Oh, the male ghost is obsessed with venegemce, I find." Lear said, drinking again."And what are females obsessed by?" Hugh asked."Prick songs," Lear said. "Snogging. Same as when they are alive, really.”

“He is asking Caroline to produce a list," Georgina explained."What sort of list?" Finchley asked."A list of women to marry," Hugh said feeling as if his idea had been a stupid one. Now even Finchbird would take the piss out of him as well."I find that one wife is more than enough," his brother-in-law said grinning.”

“Oh, Daniel,” his mother exclaimed, catching him before he could make his escape, “do come join us. We’re trying to decide if Honoria should be married in lavender-blue or blue-lavender.”He opened his mouth to ask the difference, then decided against it. “Blue-lavender,” he said firmly, not having a clue as to what he was talking about.“Do you think so?” his mother responded, frowning. “I really think lavender-blue would be better.”The obvious question would have been why she’d asked his opinion in the first place, but once again, he decided that the wise man did not make such queries.”

“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?”

“What is this 'baronet'?" the prince asked."Endlessly in between," Harry replied with a sigh. "A bit like purgatory, really.”

“What are you doing here?"Lady Vickers asked, turning her frosty glare to Sebastian."Exactly what you think, my lady," he said.”

“Phillip muttered something under his breath."What did you say?" she asked."Nothing.""You said something."He gave her an impatient look. "If I'd meant for you to hear it, I would have said it out loud."She sucked in her breath. "Then you shouldn't have said it at all.""Some things," Phillip muttered, "are impossible to keep inside.""What did yousay?" she demanded.Phillip raked his hand through his hair. "Eloise—""Did you insult me?""Do you really want to know?""Since it appears we are to be wed," she bit off, "yes.""I don't recall my exact words," Phillip shot back, "but I believe I may have uttered the wordswomenandlack of sense inthe same breath.”