Married by Morning (The Hathaways, #4) QUOTES

121 " Thankyou,"Catherine said, the smile still hovering on her lips. "That is kind of you my lord. But i will never dance with you."
Which, ofcourse, made it the goal of leo's life. "

― Lisa Kleypas , Married by Morning (The Hathaways, #4)

122 " Some temptations, Leo decided hazily, should not be resisted. Because they were so persistent that they would only keep returning, time and again. Therefore such temptations absolutely had to be yielded to—it was the only way to be rid of them.

“Damn it,” he said raggedly, “I’ll do it. Even knowing I’ll be annihilated afterward.”

“You’ll do what?” Marks asked, her eyes huge.

“This.”

And his mouth descended to hers.

At last, every muscle in his body seemed to sigh. At last. The sensation was so pleasurable that for a moment Leo couldn’t even move, just felt her mouth with his mouth. "

― Lisa Kleypas , Married by Morning (The Hathaways, #4)

123 " You should know that I’ve always wanted you, Cat. I’ve had fantasies so wicked, it would send us both straight to hell if I told them to you. And the way I want you has nothing to do with the color of your hair, or the appalling fashions you wear.” His hand passed gently over her head. “Catherine Marks, or whoever you are … I have the most profane desire to be in bed with you for … oh, weeks, at least … committing every mortal sin known to man. I’d like to do more than sketch you naked. I want to draw directly on you with feather and ink … flowers around your breasts, trails of stars down your thighs.” He let his warm lips brush the edge of her ear. “I want to map your body, chart the north, south, east, and west of you. I would—” “Don’t,” she said, scarcely able to breathe. A rueful laugh escaped him. “I told you. Straight to hell.” “This is my fault.” She pressed her hot face against his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have gone to you last night. I don’t know why I did it.” “I think you do.” His mouth grazed the top of her head. “Don’t come back to my room at night, Marks. Because if it happens again, I won’t be able to stop. "

― Lisa Kleypas , Married by Morning (The Hathaways, #4)

124 " Are you afraid of me, Marks? You, who bludgeon and cut me down to size at every opportunity?” “Of course not, you arrogant ass. I only wish you would behave like a man of your station.” “You mean like a peer?” He raised his eyebrows mockingly. “This is how peers behave. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed by now.” “Oh, I’ve noticed. A man fortunate enough to inherit a title should have the decency to try and live up to it. Being a peer is an obligation—a responsibility—but instead you seem to regard it as a license to engage in the most self-indulgent and disgusting behavior imaginable. Moreover—” “Marks,” Leo interrupted in a velvety tone, “that was a perfectly wonderful attempt at distracting me. But it’s not going to work. You’re not getting away from me until you tell me what I want to know. "

― Lisa Kleypas , Married by Morning (The Hathaways, #4)

125 " What you need to acquire,” Win said gently, “is a wife. And I’m not saying that out of self-interest, Leo.” He smiled at her, this gentlest of sisters, who had fought so many personal battles for the sake of love. “You don’t possess a molecule of self-interest, Win. But as sound as your advice usually is, I’m not going to take it.” “You should. You need a family of your own.” “I have more than enough family to contend with. And there are things I would much rather do than marry.” “Such as?” “Oh, cut out my tongue and join the Trappist Monks … roll naked in treacle and nap on an anthill … Shall I go on?” “That won’t be necessary,” Win said, smiling. “However, you will marry someday, Leo. Both Cam and Merripen have said that you have a very distinct marriage line on your hand.” Bemused, Leo looked down at his palm. “That’s a crease from the way I hold my pen.” “It’s a marriage line. And it’s so long, it practically wraps around both sides of your hand. Which means you will someday marry a fated love.” Win raised her fair brows significantly, as if to say, What do you think of that? “Romas don’t really believe in palm reading,” Leo informed her. “It’s nonsense. They only do it to extract money from fools and drunkards. "

― Lisa Kleypas , Married by Morning (The Hathaways, #4)

126 " Marks … I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to find your spectacles in this wreckage.”

“I have another pair at home,” she ventured.

“Thank God.” Leo sat up with a quiet grunt of discomfort. “Now, if we stand on the highest pile of debris, it’s only a short distance to the surface. I’m going to hoist you up, get you out of here, and then you’re going to ride back to Ramsay House. Cam trained the horse, so you won’t need to guide him. He’ll find his way back home with no trouble.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked, bewildered.

He sounded rather sheepish. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to wait here until you send someone for me.”

“Why?”

“I have a—” He paused, searching for a word. “Splinter.”

She felt indignant. “You’re going to make me ride back alone and unescorted and virtually blind, to send someone to rescue you? All because you have a splinter?”

“A large one,” he volunteered.

“Where is it? Your finger? Your hand? Maybe I can help to … Oh, God. ” This last as he took her hand and brought it to his shoulder. His shirt was wet with blood, and a thick shard of timber protruded from his shoulder. “That’s not a splinter,” she said in horror. “You’ve been impaled. What can I do? Shall I pull it out?”

“No, it might be lodged against an artery. And I wouldn’t care to bleed out down here.”

She crawled closer to him, bringing her face close to his to examine him anxiously...

“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “It looks worse than it is.”

But Catherine didn’t agree. If anything, it was worse than it looked... Stripping off her riding coat, she tried to lay it over his chest.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Trying to keep you warm.”

Leo plucked the garment off his chest and made a scoffing sound. “Don’t be ridiculous. First, the injury isn’t that bad. Second, this tiny thing is not capable of keeping any part of me warm. Now, about my plan—”

“It is obviously a significant injury,” she said, “and I do not agree to your plan. I have a better one.”

“Of course you do,” he replied sardonically. “Marks, for once would you do as I ask?”

“No, I’m not going to leave you here. I’m going to pile up enough debris for both of us to climb out.”

“You can’t even see, damn it. And you can’t move these timbers and stones. You’re too small.”

“There is no need to make derogatory remarks about my stature,” she said, lurching upward and squinting at her surroundings. Identifying the highest pile of debris, she made her way to it and hunted for nearby rocks.

“I’m not being derogatory.” He sounded exasperated. “Your stature is absolutely perfect for my favorite activity. But you’re not built for hauling rocks. Blast it, Marks, you’re going to hurt yourself—”

“Stay there,” Catherine said sharply, hearing him push some heavy object aside. “You’ll worsen your injury, and then it will be even more difficult to get you out. Let me do the work.” Finding a heap of ashlar blocks, she picked one up and lugged it up the pile, trying not to trip over her own skirts.

“You’re not strong enough,” Leo said, sounding aggravated and out of breath.

“What I lack in physical strength,” she replied, going for another block, “I make up for in determination.”

“How inspiring. Could we set aside the heroic fortitude for one bloody moment and dredge up some common sense?”

“I’m not going to argue with you, my lord. I need to save my breath for”—she paused to heft another block—“stacking rocks.”

Somewhere amid the ordeal, Leo decided hazily that he would never underestimate Catherine Marks again. Ounce for ounce, she was the most insanely obstinate person he had ever known, dragging rocks and debris while half blind and hampered by long skirts, diligently crossing back and forth across his vision like an industrious mole. She had decided to build a mound upon which they could climb out, and nothing would stop her. "

― Lisa Kleypas , Married by Morning (The Hathaways, #4)

127 " Leo stared at them all blankly in the expectant silence. A disbelieving laugh escaped him. “You’re all mad if you think I’m going to be forced into a loveless marriage just so the family can continue living at Ramsay House.”

Coming forward with a placating smile, Win handed him a piece of paper. “Of course we would never want to force you into a loveless marriage, dear. But we have put together a list of prospective brides, all of them lovely girls. Won’t you take a glance and see if any of them appeals to you?”

Deciding to humor her, Leo looked down at the list. “Marietta Newbury?”

“Yes,” Amelia said. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t like her teeth.”

“What about Isabella Charrington?”

“I don’t like her mother.”

“Lady Blossom Tremaine?”

“I don’t like her name.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Leo, that’s not her fault.”

“I don’t care. I can’t have a wife named Blossom. Every night I would feel as if I were calling in one of the cows.” Leo lifted his gaze heavenward. “I might as well marry the first woman off the street. Why, I’d be better off with Marks.”

Everyone was silent.

Still tucked in the corner of the room, Catherine Marks looked up slowly as she realized that she was the focus of the Hathaways’ collective gaze. Her eyes turned huge behind the spectacles, and a tide of pink rushed over her face. “That is not amusing,” she said sharply.

“It’s the perfect solution,” Leo said, taking perverse satisfaction in annoying her. “We argue all the time. We can’t stand each other. It’s like we’re already married.”

Catherine sprang to her feet, staring at him in outrage. “I would never consent to marry you.”

“Good, because I wasn’t asking. I was only making a point.”

“Do not use me to make a point!” She fled the room, while Leo stared after her.

“You know,” Win said thoughtfully, “we should have a ball.”

“A ball?” Merripen asked blankly.

“Yes, and invite all the eligible young women we can think of. It’s possible one of them will strike Leo’s fancy, and then he could court her.”

“I’m not going to court anyone,” Leo said.

They all ignored him.

“I like that idea,” Amelia said. “A bride-hunting ball.”

“It would be more accurate,” Cam pointed out dryly, “to call it a groom-hunting ball. Since Leo will be the item of prey.”

“It’s just like Cinderella,” Beatrix exclaimed. “Only without the charming prince "

― Lisa Kleypas , Married by Morning (The Hathaways, #4)