There are moments in a woman's life when her heart flips in her chest, when the world suddenly seems uncommonly pink and perfect, when a symphony can be heard in the tinkle of a doorbell.
Julia QuinnYou have a mother?" He quirked a brow. "Did you think mine was some sort of divine birth? My father was a remarkable man, but even he was not that talented.
Julia QuinnHe stepped toward her, and her heart just ached from it. His face was so handsome, and so dear, and so perfectly wonderfully familiar. She knew the slope of his cheeks, and the exact shade of his eys, brownish near the iris, melting into green at the edge. And his mouth-she knew that mouth, the look of it, the feel of it. She knew his smile, and she knew his frown, and she knew- she knew far to much.
Julia QuinnThere was a certain history to this. While heavily pregnant with Amelia, she had asked him if she was radiant or if she just looked like a waddling duck. He told her sheโd looked like a radiant duck. This had not been the correct answer.
Julia QuinnHow do you feel?โ she asked, trying to fluff his pillow. โOther than terrible, I mean.โ He moved his head slightly to the side. It seemed to be a sickly interpretation of a shrug. โOf course youโre feeling terrible,โ she clarified, โbut is there any change? More terrible? Less terrible?โ He made no response. โThe same amount of terrible?
Julia QuinnDaphne," he said with controlled gentleness, "what is wrong?" She sat down opposite him and placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm so insensitive," she whispered. "I should have known. I should never have said anything." "Should have known what?" he ground out. Her hand fell away. "That you can'tโthat you couldn'tโ" "Can't what?" She looked down at her lap, where her hands were attempting to wring each other to shreds. "Please don't make me say it," she said. 'This," Simon muttered, "has got to be why men avoid marriage.
Julia Quinn