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Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer Quotes

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Famous Georgette Heyer Quotes

“Did you come here alone, Kitten?' 'No, Maria is with me. She is my maid, and oh, I never knew how much she liked me until to-day, for she never seemed to like me at all! But- but she came to me when Sherry had gone away, and she said a piece out of the Bible, about Ruth and Naomi, in the most touching way, and she is in the hall now, with my baggage, for I could not carry anything besides my clock and the canary, and those I had to bring!' Ferdy surveyed these two necessary adjuncts to a lady's baggage rather doubtfully. 'Dare say you're right,' he said. 'Very handsome timepiece.' 'Gil gave it to me for a wedding present,' Hero explained, her tears beginning to flow again. 'I have your bracelet too, and how could I bear to leave Gil's dear little canary? It is named after him! And Sherry- Sherry does not love it as I do, and perhaps he might give it away.' 'Quite right to bring it,' said Ferdy firmly. 'Company for you.”

CompanyFriendsFamilial LoveHero WantageGilbert RingwoodWedding Gifts
Book:Friday's Child
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“The sense of struggling through the thickets of a nightmare again swept over her. There was a way out, so her heart's voice cried to her, and could she find it she would find also Damerel, her dear friend. But time was slipping away; in another minute it would be too late; and urgency acted not as a spur but as a creeping paralysis which clogged the mind, and weighted the tongue, and imposed on desperation a blanket of numb stupidity.”

GriefDespairHeartbreakBreakup
Book:Venetia
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“Mr Carr, if the lady... loved you...is it quite fair to her-to say nothing?" There was a long silence and then my lord lied bravely. "I hope that she will - in time- forget me," he said. Diana sat very still. No more roses were destroyed; the breeze wafted the fallen petals over her feet, lightly, playfully. Somewhere in the hedge a bird was singing, a full-throated sobbing plaint, and from all around came an incessant chirping and twittering. The sun sent its bright rays all over the garden,bathing it in gold and happiness; but for the two in the pleasaunce the light had gone out , and the world was very black.”

HeartbreakNobilitySelf Sacrifice
Book:The Black Moth
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“Hero, who had not failed to notice Miss Milborne's roses, and George's haggard appearance, took the earliest opportunity that offered of following him to his retreat. Her tender heart ached for the pain she knew him to be suffering. It was a pain she was not quite a stranger to, and her own susceptibility made it seem the more imperative to offer such comfort as she could to George. She found him sitting moodily on a small sofa, a glass of brandy in his hand. He looked up, with a challenging expression in his eyes, but when he saw who had come in his brow cleared, and he rose, setting down his glass, and managing to conjure of the travesty of a smile. Hero clasped his hand between both hers, saying: 'Dear George, do not heed it! Indeed, she could not have carried violets with that gown!' 'She is wearing Severn's roses,' he replied. 'Oh no! You cannot know that!' 'Mrs. Milborne told Lady Cowper so within my hearing.”

CareHero WantageGeorge WrothamCompassion And Kindness
Book:Friday's Child
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“It was some time before Hero came downstairs, but after about half an hour she put in an appearance, still wearing her silk and gauze ball-dress, but with her jewels discarded and her curls a little ruffled. She came quickly into the room, a look of great distress in her face, and went towards Sherry with her hands held out, and saying impetuously: 'Oh, Sherry, it is so shocking! She has told me the whole, and I never thought anyone could be so wicked! It is all too true! That dear little baby is indeed Sir Montagu's own child, but he will not give poor Ruth a penny for its maintenance, no, nor even see Ruth! Oh, Sherry, how can such things be?' 'Yes, I know, Kitten. It's devilish bad, but- but we have only the girl's word for it, and I dare say, if we only knew-' 'Might be a mistake,' explained Ferdy, anxious to be helpful. She turned her large eyes towards him. 'Oh no, Ferdy, there can be none indeed! You see, she told me everything! She is not a wicked girl- I am sure she is not! She is quite simple, and she did not know what she was doing!' 'They all say that,' said Mr Ringwood gloomily. 'How can you, Gil? I had not thought "you" would be so unjust!' Hero cried. 'She is nothing but a country maid, and I can tell that her father is a very good sort of a man- respectable, I mean, for no sooner did he discover the dreadful truth than he cast her out of his home, and will not have anything to say to her, which always seems to me shockingly cruel, though Cousin Jane says it is to be expected, because of the wages of sin, which comes in the Bible! Indeed, she is quite an innocent girl, for how could it be otherwise when she believed in Sir Montagu's promise to marry her? Why, even I know better than that!”

CareAffairHero WantageCompassion And Kindness
Book:Friday's Child
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“If you mention Bella's name to me again, Gil, I am likely to do you a mischief!' Sherry warned him. 'I never cared the snap of my fingers for that wretched girl, and if you are not assured of that, ask her! Why, God save the mark, she may be a beauty, but give me my Kitten! Bella, with her airs and her graces, and her miffs, and her curst sharp tongue! No, I thank you! What's more, no man who had lived with Kitten would look twice at the Beauty!”

True LoveHero And AnthonyAnthony Sheringham
Book:Friday's Child
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“If Isabella loved Sherry, I would try my best not to be selfish, but she doesn't love him, and if she is encouraging him now to follow her about in this odious way, it is just because Severn did "not" come up to scratch, whatever she may have told Sherry! And I know all the gentlemen who would like to marry Isabella, and Sherry is by far the most eligible, now that Severn is out of the running- or he would be, if I did not exist- and he shall "not" be sacrificed to Isabella's horrid ambition!' Lady Saltash's eyes narrowed in amusement. 'Now you are beginning to talk like a sensible woman!”

True LoveHero WantageHero And Anthony
Book:Friday's Child
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“You seem to forget that you wished to purchase the moon for me!’ ‘Nay, I don’t forget that! The thing is I can’t purchase it, so there was no harm in saying it. Now, if I’d said I’d like to give you a diamond necklace, or some such thing, you might have taken me up on it. I remembered that just in time to stop myself,’ he explained, apparently priding himself on his forethought. ‘I should like very much to have a diamond necklace,’ said Anthea pensively. ‘Wouldn’t a paste one do as well?’ he asked, in a voice of great uneasiness. She had been so sure that he would fall into the trap that she was taken, for an instant, off her guard, and looked up at him with such a startled expression on her face that his deep chuckle escaped him, and he lifted her quite off her feet, and kissed her.”

KissingDiamonds
Book:The Unknown Ajax
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“You may call [Charis] angelic to be for ever trying to please everyone, and being sorry for those she can't please, but I don't! Addle-brained is what I call it!' 'Oh, no!' uttered Charis imploringly. 'Oh, yes!' he retorted. 'Told you so before! If you don't take care, Charis, you'll end by being sorry for yourself! All for the want of a little resolution! What if Mrs Dauntry and Frederica don't like it [a marriage between you and Endymion]? They'll come round! And you needn't look at me as ugly as bull-beef, Endymion, because I'll say what I choose to my own sister!”

FamilyCharis
Book:Frederica
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“What his sentiments may now be I do not pretend to say, but it is in the nature of nine men out of ten that what may be theirs for the picking up they are much inclined to despise, and what seems to be out of reach they instantly and fervently desire. Now, you do not know whether Anthony loves you or not, and very likely he does not know either. Drop into his hands like a ripe plum, and I dare say you may never know, for I do him the justice to assume that he would receive you again with a good grace. He was never a bad-natured boy: indeed, I used to think he had a great deal of sweetness in his disposition, would someone but encourage him to show it! If you wish to know how you stand with him, let him think that you have no particular desire to return to him! If he wants you, he will move heaven and earth to win you; if he does not – well, then you may make him happy in whatever foolish fashion you choose!”

Jealousy
Book:Friday's Child
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“Hero might have enjoyed the evening spent at Almack's Assembly Rooms, but it had not been one of unmixed pleasure for her escort, while for one other person it had been an evening of almost unleavened annoyance. Miss Milborne, seeing the most ardent of her admirers enter the rooms with Hero on his arm, had suffered something in the nature of a shock. Never before had she seen George in attendance on any other lady than herself! When he came to Almack's it was to form one of her court; and when she did not dance with him he had a gratifying habit of leaning against the wall and watching her, instead of soliciting some other damsel to dance with him. Now, on the heels of the most obdurate quarrel they had had, here he was, looking perfectly cheerful, actually laughing at something Hero had said to him, his handsome head bent a little to catch her words. Hero, too, was in very good looks: in fact, Miss Milborne had not known that her little friend could appear to such advantage. She could never, of course, aspire to such beauty as belonged to the Incomparable, but Miss Milborne was no fool, and she was obliged to own that there was something particularly taking in the bride's smile and mischievous twinkle. Watching George, she came to the reluctant conclusion that he was fully sensible of his partner's charm. He had given his adored Isabella nothing more than a common bow upon catching sight of her, and it was plain that he meant to devote his evening to Hero. Miss Milborne could think of a dozen reasons to account for his gallanting Hero to the ball, but none of them satisfied her; nor could the distinguishing attention paid to her by her ducal admirer quite restore her spirits.”

JealousyLove TriangleHero WantageGeorge WrothamIsabella Milborne
Book:Friday's Child
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“My – sufficiently wide experience of you, Mr Calverleigh, warns me that you are about to say something outrageous!’ ‘No, I assure you! Nothing derogatory! Charming girls, all of them! Only I don’t want to kiss them!’ She gave a startled gasp. ‘You don’t want – Well, upon my word! And if you mean me to understand from that –’ ‘I do,’ he said, smiling down at her. ‘I should dearly love to kiss you – here and now!”

Kiss
Book:Black Sheep
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“Believe me, it is quite unnecessary! I neither know nor care what it cost to redeem Lufra—and if you badger me on this very boring matter I shall not invite you to go with me when I try out my new team!” There was a moment’s tense silence; then Jessamy raised his eyes, no longer glowing, but uncomfortably austere. “Very well, sir,” he said quietly. “Will you tell me, if you please, what I owe you?” “No, young Stiff-rump! I will not!”

SacrificeCuteAlverstokeJessamyLufra
Book:Frederica
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“To start with, I know that the General didn't get on with his son, but seemed to prefer his nephew; I know that he disapproved violently of Miss de Silva, and behaved towards her with unparalleled cruelty." "How much?" interrupted Dinah. Harding replied with perfect gravity: "No absinthe, no shower in her bathroom..." "Did she tell you all that?" said Dinah. "Don't you think she's rather good value?" "Yes, but she wastes my time.”

HumourGolden Age Mystery
Book:The Unfinished Clue
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“No brilliance in attack?' demanded the Viscount, 'After Salamanca?' 'Well I don't know about Salamanca,' said Mr Wittering unguardedly,' All I say is -' But the Viscount cut him short. Mr Heathersett, standing in patient boredom while invisible armies manoeuvered about him, and the Viscount drew invisible lines on the flagway with the point of his cane, reflected that it would henceforth be impossible for Mr Wittering to say (if there was any truth in him) that he didn't know about Salamanca.”

HumourBattlegroundPassionate Interest
Book:April Lady
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