“Life has always poppies in her hands.”

“She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that "no" is a word the world never learned to say to her.”

“Dancing? You, Poppy?" Marianne shook her head slowly. I never thought..."Rose looked concerned. She even felt Poppy's head for fever, but Poppy shook her off."I don't know about you, Rose, but I'm done letting creatures like Under Stone and the Corley dictate my life. I enjoy dancing, and I will blasted well dance at my wedding!""Poppy! Language!"Poppy didn't answer; she just threw her arms around Christian and kissed him soundly.”

“Mrs Darley, I noticed, always had her corn dolly amidst an arrangement of cornflowers and poppies (albeit they were artificial!). The corn, I was to later understand, represented the God, the red poppies his sacrificial blood and the blue cornflowers his death and this is something I still adhere to today.”

“Know her? Of course I know her. Everyone knows Poppy. She's famous.”

“My loyalty and friendship has no bounds, no matter where life takes us you'll always have my hand.”