6
" Rhys absorbed that with chagrin. "No one has ever accused me of being a romantic," he said ruefully.
"If you were, how would you propose?"
He thought for a moment. "I would begin by teaching you a Welsh word. Hiraeth There's no equivalent in English."
"Hiraeth," she repeated, trying to pronounce it with a tapped R, as he had.
"Aye. It's a longing for something that was lost, or never existed. You feel it for a person or a place, or a time in your life...it's a sadness of the soul. Hiraeth calls to a Welshman even when he's closest to happiness, reminding him that he's incomplete."
Her brow knit with concern. "Do you feel that way?"
"Since the day I was born." He looked down into her small, lovely face. "But not when I'm with you. That's why I want to marry you. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
7
" Severin can be callous in pursuit of a goal. He has an extraordinary mind, it's no exaggeration to call him a genius. However, such ability often comes at the expense of-" He hesitated, searching for the right word.
"Decency?" West suggested dryly.
Looking rueful, Devon nodded. "When dealing with Severin, one must never forget that above all, he's an opportunist. His brain is so busy trying to engineer a certain outcome that he doesn't bother to consider anyone's feelings, including his own. That being said, there have been times when I've seen Severin go to great lengths to help other people. He's not all bad." He shrugged. "It seems a pity to give up the friendship entirely. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
9
" Mr. Winterborne was strikingly handsome, not in the way of fairy tale princes, but with an uncompromising masculinity that made her nerves jump whenever he was near. The angles of his face were bold, the nose sturdy, the lips full and distinctly edged. His skin was not fashionably pale but a rich, glowing umber, and his hair was quite black. There was nothing of an aristocrat's ease about him, no hint of languid grace. He was sophisticated, keenly intelligent, but there was something not quite civilized about him. A hint of danger, a smolder beneath the surface. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
11
" There's much to do," she said. "The funeral will be in Ireland." She gave Helen a stricken glance. "I haven't been there since I was a child."
"You don't have to make decisions right now," Helen said. "Perhaps you should go upstairs and lie down."
"I can't, there are things I must-" Kathleen stopped as Devon entered the room.
His intent gaze swept over her, coming to rest on her bleached white face. "What is it, love?" he asked gently.
"My father's gone." She tried very hard to sound prosaic. "It's not a surprise, of course. We knew that he was in ill health."
"Yes." Devon came forward and took her rigid form against his, wrapping her in his arms.
"I'm perfectly calm," she said against his shoulder.
"Yes." Devon kissed her temple. His face was taut with concern, the blue eyes hazed with tenderness.
"I'm not going to cry." Her tone was matter-of-fact. "He certainly wouldn't have wanted my tears."
Devon smoothed her hair, his hand covering half her small head. "Give them to me, then," he said softly.
Kathleen hid her face in his shirtfront, her slight form seeming to wilt. In a few seconds, a low, broken keening sound began to emerge without stopping. Her husband laid his cheek on her head and cradled her closer against the solid reassurance of his body. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
12
" We'll help you to your feet," she told Rhys. "You won't have to walk far. I have the proper facilities and supplies to treat your shoulder."
Severin scowled. "Miss, I have to object-"
"Dr. Gibson," she said crisply.
"Dr. Gibson," he said, with an emphasis on the "Dr." that sounded distinctly insulting. "This is Mr. Winterborne. The one with the department store. He needs to be treated by a real physician with experience and proper training, not to mention-"
"A penis?" she suggested acidly. "I'm afraid I don't have one of those. Nor is it a requirement for a medical degree. I am a real physician, and the sooner I treat Mr. Winterborne's shoulder, the better it will go for him." At Severin's continued hesitation, she said, "The limited external rotation of the shoulder, impaired elevation of the arm, and the prominence of the coracoid process all indicate posterior dislocation. Therefore, the joint must be relocated without delay if we are to prevent further damage to the neurovascular status of the upper extremity."
Had Rhys not been in such acute discomfort, he would have relished Severin's stunned expression.
"I'll help you move him," Severin muttered. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
14
" The countess's dispassionate gaze fell on Cassandra first, and she motioned for the girl to approach. "The posture is merely adequate," she observed, "but that can be corrected. What are your accomplishments, child?"
Having been prepared for the question in advance, Cassandra replied hesitantly. "My lady, I am able to sew, draw, and watercolor. I play no instruments, but I am well-read."
"Have you studied languages?"
"A little French."
"Have you any hobbies?"
"No, ma'am."
"Excellent. Men are afraid of girls with hobbies." Glancing at Kathleen, Lady Berwick remarked in an aside, "She's a beauty. With a bit more polish, she'll be the belle of the season. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
15
" Taking her left hand, he began to slide the moonstone onto her finger, and hesitated. "How did I propose the first time?" He had been nervous, steeling himself for a possible refusal; he could hardly remember a word he'd said.
Amusement tugged at her lips. "You laid out the advantages on both sides, and explained the ways in which our future goals were compatible."
Rhys absorbed that with chagrin. "No one has ever accused me of being a romantic," he said ruefully.
"If you were, how would you propose?"
He thought for a moment. "I would begin by teaching you a Welsh word. Hiraeth. There's no equivalent in English."
"Hiraeth," she repeated, trying to pronounce it with a tapped R, as he had.
"Aye. It's a longing for something that was lost, or never existed. You feel it for a person or a place, or a time in your life... it's a sadness of the soul. Hiraeth calls to a Welshman even when he's closest to happiness, reminding him that he's incomplete."
Her brow knit with concern. "Do you feel that way?"
"Since the day I was born." He looked down into her small, lovely face. "But not when I'm with you. That's why I want to marry you."
Helen smiled. She reached up to curl her hand around the back of his neck, her caress as light as silk gauze being pulled across his skin. Standing on her toes, she drew his head down and kissed him. Her lips were smoother than petals, all clinging silk and tender dampness. He had the sensation of surrendering, some terrible soft sweetness evading him and rearranging his insides.
Breaking the kiss, Helen lowered back to her heels. "Your proposals are improving," she told him, and extended her hand as he fumbled to slide the ring onto her finger. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
18
" The workhouse is in Clerkenwell. The orphan asylum is a bit farther out, at Bishopsgate."
"Those places aren't safe for you to go unescorted."
"I'm quite familiar with London, sir. I don't take chances with my safety, and I carry a walking stick for self-defense."
"What good is a walking stick?" Rhys asked absently.
"In my hands," Dr. Gibson assured him, "it's a dangerous weapon."
"Is it weighted?"
"No, I can deliver three times as many blows with a lighter cane than with a heavier stick. At my fencing-master's suggestion, I've carved notches at strategic points along the shaft to improve grip strength. He has taught me some effective techniques to fell an opponent with a cane."
"You fence?" Helen asked, her head still down.
"I do, my lady. Fencing is an excellent sport for ladies- it develops strength, posture, and proper breathing. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
19
" You hold Mr. Winterborne in esteem, then?"
"I do, my lady. Oh, I know he's called an upstart by his social betters. But to the real London- the hundreds of thousands who work every blessed day and scrape by as best we can- Winterborne is a legend. He's done what most people don't dare dream of. A shop boy, he was, and now everyone from the queen down to any common beggar knows his name. It gives people reason to hope they might rise above their circumstances." Smiling slightly, the housekeeper had added, "And none can deny he's a handsome, well-made chap, for all that he's as brown as a gypsy. Any woman, highborn or low, would be tempted."
Helen couldn't deny that Mr. Winterborne's personal attractions were high on her list of considerations. A man in his prime, radiating that remarkable energy, a kind of animal vitality that she found both frightening and irresistible.
But there was something else about him... a lure more potent than any other. It happened during his rare moments of tenderness with her, when it seemed as if the deep, tightly locked cache of sadness in her heart was about to break open. He was the only person who had ever approached that trapped place, who might someday be able to shatter the loneliness that had always held fast inside her. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
20
" He's following us at a distance," she said, annoyed.
"Like a guardian angel," Helen said.
Dr. Gibson snorted. "Did you see the way he felled that thing? His fists were as quick as thought. Like a professional fighter. One has to question how such a man appeared out of nowhere at just the right moment."
"I think he did far less damage to his opponent than you did to yours," Helen said admiringly. "The way you took that ruffian down with your cane- I've never seen anything like it."
"My aim was a bit off," Dr. Gibson said. "I didn't connect squarely with the ulnar nerve in his wrist. I shall have to consult with my fencing-master about my technique."
"It was still very impressive," Helen assured her. "I pity anyone who makes the mistake of underestimating you, Dr. Gibson."
"My lady, the sentiment is returned in full. "
― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)
