I will make arrangements for you and Portia to return to London the following day. I will be closing up the house. I am leaving England for a while." "For how long?" I asked him, determined to keep my composure. "Until I am quite recovered from you," he said evenly. "When will you return?" "Never.

Without an expectation of success, one is rarely successful.

You are curious and quick, you have a deft mind, and for some unaccountable reason, people tell you things -- useful things.

Those are facts. Are they the truth? No, for they do not tell you of the heart, and that is where truth lives.

She didn't look at me and I didn't look at her. Some questions are so direct the only way to ask them is sideways.

Eva Stachniak has given readers a thrilling glimpse into the scandals and secrets at the heart of the Russian Imperial court. With deft prose and exquisite detail, Stachniak has resurrected one of the most compelling ages in history. Turn off the phones and lock the doors—you will not put it down.

Life is too uncertain... You must seize happiness where you find it.