The Secret Mistress

This was it. This was what she had longed for throughout the lonely years of her girlhood. Suddenly she felt lonelier than she had ever felt. And so excited she could barely breathe. Tresham stepped up beside her, drew her arm through his again, set his free hand lightly over hers, and said not a word. She had never loved him more.

Was something worth having, though, if it didn't present a challenge?

I would not wish to deny you your dreams. But have a care. They can be dashed in one impulsive moment.

(Edward describing Angeline's bonnet) "Then it is overbright and those colors should never been seen together upon the same person, not to mention the same garment." he said. "And it actually suits you perfectly. It suits your character."

"You just have not...oh, learned who you are yet."

Why, instead of teaching her poetry and drama and needlework, had her governesses not taught the most important lesson anyone could learn - that life was really not going to be easy after one was free of the schoolroom?

Tell me, Lady Angeline, is there a color not represented in your rather splendid riding hat? It would be a shame if there were. It would be sitting all alone on a palette somewhere, feeling rejected and dejected.

He knew he was alive when he was with her, whatever the devil that meant. Whatever the devil it did mean, it made all the difference. And he was not even sure what that meant.

"Eunice Goddard," he said, all pretense of sleepiness gone from his eyes, "will you marry me? I have no flowery speech prepared and would feel remarkably idiotic delivering it even if I had. Will you just simply marry me, my love? Because I love you? Will you take the risk? I am fully aware that there is a risk. I can only urge you to take a chance on me while I promise to do my very best to love and cherish you for the rest of my days and even perhaps beyond them."

"May intelligent, bookish ladies sometimes be reformed?" he asked her. She thought about it. "I suppose it may be within the bounds of possibility," she said, "even if not of probability."