“One good thing that comes from living the nomadic life demanded by an expedition is that one sheds the fake skin donned from living too closely among society. For those of us who live for the freedom of such a lifestyle, that skin is dry and itchy and ill fitting. From my observances, that skin is much like a callus caused by the pure irritation of being forced to spend so much time with one’s fellow man. Thank God I am spared such nonsense.”

“Furthermore, there's marshland on the other side of these hills. No one can even live near it, because the mist produces ill humors.""Ill humors?""Yes.The entire place is encircled in thick forest, too." She lowered her voice. "They say there are wolves there,the size of humans.""I like wolves," Dougal said mildly. "The larger, the better."She blinked."They're great sport for hunting. And I am an avid hunter." He glanced across her, lingering at certain areas. "As you may have guessed.”

“Fiona, my love, as much as I adore you, I cannot stand your brothers. Any of them.""Gregor is much nicer now that he's married. Even you must admit that.""Only when Venetia is with him. When she's not, he's as annoying as ever."Fiona's lips quirked into a smile, her green eyes gleaming. "Rather like you, I hear.""Who has been carrying tales?""Everyone." She placed her hand on her husband's cheek and smiled up into his blue eyes. With his dark auburn hair and devastating good looks, "Black Jack" Kincaid had once been the scourge of London's polite society. Now he was her own personal scourge, one she couldn't imagine living without.”

“Cal curled his fingers around mine and raised my left hand to the brownish flower. There was a callus on his thumb that should have been irritating against my skin.”

“...then tossed the coat into the water. “Hurst! That’s a perfectly good coat!” “Yes, and I have a perfectly good life. One of those two things is not replaceable.”

“It is surprising how many times a good feeling can be confused with a bad one. Often one is unsure which feeling it really is until much later.”

“No soft-skinned, lace-covered, dandified profligate would ever take this house and make it his.Ever.”