“When he looked up at Annabel, he was just a man, looking at a woman, praying and hoping that she loved him the way he loved her.”

“He said he loved me,” she whispered.Daniel swallowed, and he had the strangest sensation, almost a premonition of what it must like to be a parent.Someday, God willing, he’d have a daughter, and that daughter would look like the woman standing in front of him, and if ever she looked at him with that bewildered expression, whispering, “He said he loved me . . .”Nothing short of murder would be an acceptable response.”

“Is your head bothering you?" Louisa asked. But she wasn't paying much attention. Frederick, her ridiculously fat basset hounds, had spotted a fellow canine in the distance and was yanking on the lead. "Frederick!" she yelped, tripping on a step or two before she found her footing.Frederick stopped, althought it wasn't clear if it was due to Louisa's hold on the lead or outright exhaustion. He let out a hugh sigh, and frankly, Annabel was suprised that he didn't collapse on the ground."I think someone has been sneaking him sausages again," Louisa grumbled.Annabel looked elsewhere."Annabel!""He looked so HUNGERY," Annabel insisted.Louisa motioned toward her dog, whos belly slid along the grass. "THAT looks hungery?""His eyes looked hungery.”

“If someone loved you -someone decent and kind that is- you had a responsibility not to trample all over her heart. And while he had no intention of hurting Emma, he knew that he could injure her just by not loving her back. Of course, maybe, he did love her back.But then again, maybe she didn't love him in the first place. She hadn't actually said as much. He couldn't very well love someone back if she didn't love him first.He could, however, love her first.And that meant that he was going to have to convince her to love him back.But the question was moot anyway because he hadn't yet decided to love her.Or had he?”

“He leaned down and whispered, “I love you,” in Honoria’s ear.Just because he wanted to.She didn’t look up, but she smiled.And he smiled, too”

“You've already danced with him," Louisa said.Annabel nodded. "I know.""People will talk."Annabel turned and blinked, trying to set her cousin's face into focus. "People are already talking," she said.Louisa opened her mouth as if she planned to say more, but then she just smiled. "Annabel Winslow," she said softly, "I do believe you are falling in love."That snapped Annabel right out of her daze. "I'm not.""Oh, you are.""I hardly know him.""Apparently you know enough.”

“His hand was on her arm, and he could feel her skin, feel the soft warmthof it, and then when he looked down, her face was tilted toward his, and her eyes, deep and bluebut so completely unmysterious, were gazing up at him, and in truth there was no way—simplyno way—he could do anything in that moment but kiss her.Anything else would have been a tragedy.”