My dear girl, you must cultivate a taste for the finer things. Civilized pleasures give meaning to life.

Even the most powerful woman needs a place to unwind.

At the age of fifty-six Eleanor Stoddard was still a beautiful woman. She owned three hotels in France and another two in England. From nothing at all, she had built an empire. Eleanor had it all. Her one weakness was the young man sleeping beside her.

Always present yourself as a woman who expects to succeed.

She put her hand in his, and he clasped it firmly, knowing he had been waiting for her all his life.

He who ascends to mountaintops, shall find The loftiest peaks most wrapt in clouds and snow; He who surpasses or subdues mankind Must look down on the hate of those below

I am a huge admirer of Elizabeth I, and this intriguing biography gives a wonderful picture of the era.