Harry Rutledge Quotes

“Poppy," she murmured, "no matter how Miss Marks tries to civilize me- and I do try to listen to her- I still have my own way of looking at the world. To me, people are scarcely different from animals. We're all God's creatures, aren't we? When I meet someone, I know immediately what animal they would be. When we first met Cam, for example, I knew he was a fox."
"I suppose Cam is somewhat fox-like," Poppy said, amused. "What is Merripen? A bear?"
"No, unquestionably a horse. And Amelia is a hen."
"I would say an owl."
"Yes, but don't you remember when one of our hens in Hampshire chased after a cow that had strayed too close to the nest? That's Amelia."
Poppy grinned. "You're right."
"And Win is a swan."
"Am I also a bird? A lark? A robin?"
"No, you're a rabbit."
"A rabbit?" Poppy made a face. "I don't like that. Why am I a rabbit?"
"Oh, rabbits are beautiful soft animals who love to be cuddled. They're very sociable, but they're happiest in pairs."
"But their timid," Poppy protested.
"Not always. They're brave enough to be companions to many other creatures. Even cats and dogs."
"Well," Poppy said in resignation, "it's better than being a hedgehog, I suppose."
"Miss Marks is a hedgehog," Beatrix said in a matter-of-fact tone that made Poppy grin.
"And you're a ferret, aren't you, Bea?"
"Yes. But I was leading to a point."
"Sorry, go on."
"I was going to say that Mr. Rutledge is a cat. A solitary hunter. With an apparent taste for rabbit.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“... Mr. Rutledge, I've just been through a very difficult experience. This is too soon."
"You were courted by a boy, who had to do as he was told." His hot breath feathered against her lips as he whispered, "You should try it with a man, who needs no one's permission."
A man. Well, he certainly was that.
"I don't have the luxury of waiting," Harry continued. "Not when you're so hell-bent on going back to Hampshire. You're the reason I'm here tonight, Poppy. Believe me, I wouldn't have come otherwise.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“Let me be your big brother, Harry had told Catherine at their last meeting in Hampshire, making it clear that he wanted to attempt the kind of familial relationship they had never been capable of before. With no small amount of unease. Catherine reflected that she was about to test his claim far sooner than either of them could have expected. And they were still practically strangers.
But Harry had altered greatly during the short time of his marriage to Poppy. He was far kinder and warmer now, and certainly willing to think of Catherine as something more than an inconvenient half sister who didn't belong anywhere.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Married by Morning

“Certain things have happened that can't be undone. Do you understand?"
He saw from Harry's expression that only a few fragile constraints stood between him and certain death.
"You seduced her deliberately," Harry managed to say.
"Would you be happier if I claimed it was an accident?"
"The only thing that would make me happy is to weight you with rocks and toss you into the Thames."
"I understand. I even sympathize. I can't imagine what it would be like to face a man who's compromised your sisterhood, how difficult it would be to keep from murdering him on the spot. Oh, but wait..." Leo tapped a forefinger thoughtfully on his chin. "I can imagine. Because I went through it two bloody months ago.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Married by Morning

“The stranger contemplated her for a moment. "Shall I send for a housemaid to accompany you?"
Poppy's first inclination was to agree. But she didn't want to wait here with him, even for a few minutes. She didn't trust him in the least.
As he saw her indecision, his mouth twisted sardonically. "If I were going to molest you," he pointed out, "I would have done so by now."
Her flush deepened at his bluntness. "So you say. But for all I know, you could be a very slow molester."
He looked away for a moment, and when he glanced back at her, his eyes were bright with amusement. "You're safe, Miss Hathaway." His voice was rich with unspent laughter. "Really. Let me send for a maid."
The glow of humor changed his voice, imparting such warmth and charm that Poppy was almost startled. She felt her heart begin to pump some new and agreeable feeling through her body.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“Before you leave," he said softly, "I have some advice for you. It's not safe for a young woman to wander alone through the hotel. Don't take such a foolish risk again."
Poppy stiffened. "It's a reputable hotel," she said. "I have nothing to fear."
"Of course you do," he murmured. "You're looking right at it."
And before she could think, or move, or breathe, he bent his head and took her mouth with his.
Stunned, Poppy went motionless beneath the soft, burning kiss, so subtle in its demand that she wasn't aware of the moment her own lips parted. His hands came to her jaw, cradling, angling her face upward.
One arm slid around her, bringing her body fully against his, and the feel of him was hard and richly stimulating. With every breath, she drew in an enticing scent, an incense of amber and musk, starched linen and male skin. She should have struggled in his arms... but his mouth was so tenderly persuasive, erotic, imparting messages of peril and promise. His lips slid to her throat and he hunted for her pulse, working his way downward, layering sensations like silken gauze until she shivered and arched away from him.
"No," she said weakly.
The stranger gripped her chin carefully, forcing her to look at him. They both went still. As Poppy met his searching gaze, she saw a flash of baffled animosity, as if he had just made some unwelcome discovery.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“Poppy Hathaway," he whispered as if it were a magical incantation.
He had seen her from a distance on two occasions, once when she had been entering a carriage at the front of the hotel, and once at a ball held at the Rutledge. Harry hadn't attended the event, but he had watched for a few minutes from a vantage point at an upper floor balcony. Despite her fine-spun beauty and mahogany hair, he hadn't spared her a second thought.
Meeting her in person, however, had been a revelation.
Harry began to lower himself into a chair and noted the shredded velvet and clumps of stuffing left by the ferret.
A reluctant smile curved his lips as he moved to take the other chair.
Poppy. How artless she had been, chatting casually about astrolabes and Franciscan monks as she had browsed among his treasures. She had thrown out words in bright clusters, as if she were scattering confetti. She had radiated a kind of cheery astuteness that should have been annoying, but instead it have given him unexpected pleasure. There was something about her, something... it was what the French called esprit, a liveliness of mind and spirit. And that face... innocent and knowing, and open.
He wanted her.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“Spend an afternoon with me," he urged. "Tomorrow."
"No, Mr. Rutledge. I'm-"
"Harry."
"Harry, I can't-"
"An hour?" he whispered. He bent to her again and she turned her face away in confusion. He sought her neck instead, his lips brushing the vulnerable flesh with half-open kisses.
No one had ever done such a thing, even Michael. Who would have thought it would feel so delicious? Dazed, Poppy let her head fall back, her body accepting the steady support of his arms. He searched her throat with devastating care, touching his tongue to her pulse. His hand cradled her nape, the pad of his thumb tracing the satiny edge of her hairline. As her balance faltered, she reached around his neck.
He was so gentle, teasing color to the surface of her skin, chasing little shivers with his mouth. Blindly she followed, wanting the taste of him. As she angled her head toward his, her lips grazed the close-shaven surface of his jaw. His breath caught. "You should never cry over a man," he said against her cheek. His voice was soft, dark, like smoked honey. "No one is worth your tears." Before she could answer, he caught her mouth in a full, open kiss.
Poppy went weak, melting against him as he kissed her slowly. The tip of his tongue entered, playing gently, and the feel of it was so strange and intimate and tantalizing that a wild tremor ran through her. His mouth lifted at once.
"I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?"
Poppy couldn't seem to think of an answer. It wasn't that he had frightened her, more that he had given her a glimpse of a vast erotic territory she had never encountered before. Even in her inexperience, she comprehended that this man had the power to turn her inside out with pleasure. And that was not something she had ever considered or bargained for.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“I have questions," she said.
"Ask away."
Poppy decided to be blunt. "Are you dangerous? Everyone says you are."
"To you? No."
"To others?"
Harry shrugged innocently. "I'm a hotelier. How dangerous could I be?"
Poppy gave him a dubious glance, not at all deceived. "I may be gullible, Harry, but I'm not brainless. You know the rumors... you're well aware of your reputation. Are you as unscrupulous as you're made out to be?"
Harry was quiet for a long moment, his gaze fixed on a distant cluster of blossoms. The sun threw its light into the filter of branches, scattering leaf shadows over the pair in the arbor.
Eventually he lifted his head and looked at her directly, his eyes greener than the sun struck rose leaves. "I'm not a gentleman," he said. "Not by birth, and not by character. Very few men can afford to be honorable while trying to make a success of themselves. I don't lie, but I rarely tell everything I know. I'm not a religious man, nor a spiritual one. I act in my own interests, and I make no secret of it. However, I always keep my side of a bargain, I don't cheat, and I pay my debts."
Pausing, Harry fished in his coat pocket, pulled out a penknife, and reached up to cut a rose in full bloom. After neatly severing the stem, he occupied himself with stripping the thorns with the sharp little blade. "I would never use physical force against a woman, or anyone weaker than myself. I don't smoke, take snuff, or chew tobacco. I always hold my liquor. I don't sleep well. And I can make a clock from scratch." Removing the last thorn, he handed the rose to her, and slipped the knife back into his pocket.
Poppy concentrated on the satiny pink rose, running her fingers along the top edges of the petals.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“Harry carefully transferred the pet to Beatrix's hands. "'The fox has many tricks,'" he quoted, "'the hedgehog only one.'" He smiled at Beatrix as he added, "but it's a good one."
"Archilochus," Beatrix said promptly. "You read Greek poetry, Mr. Rutledge?"
"Not usually. But I make an exception for Archilocus. He knew how to make a point."
"Father used to call him a 'raging iambic,'" Poppy said, and Harry laughed.
And in that moment, Poppy made her decision.
Because even though Harry Rutledge had his flaws, he admitted them freely. And a man who could charm a hedgehog and understand jokes about ancient Greek poets was a man worth taking a risk on.
She wouldn't be able to marry for love, but she could at least marry for hope.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“Would you say that you're a good man, Harry?"
He had to think about that. "No," he finally said. "In the fairy tale you mentioned last night, I would probably be the villain. But it's possible the villain would treat you far better than the prince would have."
Poppy wondered what was wrong with her, that she should be amused rather than frightened by his confession. "Harry. You're not supposed to court a girl by telling her you're the villain."
He gave her an innocent glance that didn't deceive her in the least. "I'm trying to be honest."
"Perhaps. But you're also making certain that whatever anyone says about you, you've already admitted it. Now you've made all criticism of you ineffectual."
Harry blinked as if she'd surprised him. "You think I'm that manipulative?"
She nodded.
Harry seemed stunned that she could see through him so easily. Instead of being annoyed, however, he stared at her with stark longing. "Poppy, I have to have you.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“She twisted her betrothal ring around her finger. Although the current fashion was for diamond clusters, or colored stones, Harry had bought her a single rose-cut diamond, shaped at the top with facets that mimicked the inner spiral of a rose.
"I asked for something small and simple," she had told Harry when he had given it to her.
"It's simple," he countered.
"But not small."
"Poppy," he had told her with a smile, "I never do anything in a small way.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“You're supposed to congratulate the bridegroom, phral. Not threaten to dismember him."
"It's not a threat," the Rom muttered. "It's a promise."
Harry met Merripen's gaze directly. "I appreciate your concern for her. I assure you, I'll do everything in my power to make her happy. Poppy will have anything she wants."
"I believe a divorce would top the list," Leo mused aloud.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“Her stomach dropped as she heard someone entering the apartments. She took a deep breath, and another, and waited until Harry's broad-shouldered form appeared in the doorway.
He paused, watching her, his features impassive. His cravat had been removed, the shirt opened to reveal the strong line of his throat. Poppy steeled herself not to move as Harry approached her. He reached out to touch her shining hair, letting it slide through his fingers like liquid fire. "I've never seen it down before," he said. He was close enough that she could smell a hint of shaving soap, and the tang of champagne on his breath. His fingers smoothed over her cheek, detecting the trembling within her stillness.
"Afraid?" he asked softly.
Poppy forced herself to meet his gaze. "No."
"Maybe you should be. I'm much nicer to people who are afraid of me."
"I doubt that," she said. "I think the opposite is true."
A smile touched his lips.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“Poppy paused to look down at the large, unshaven man in her bed. Even in his unkempt state, his dark-angel handsomeness was breathtaking. His lids trembled infinitesimally as he succumbed to encroaching dreams. Complex, remarkable, driven man. Not incapable of love... not at all. He merely needed to be shown how.
And just as she had a few days earlier, Poppy thought, this is the man I'm married to.
Except that now, she felt a stirring of gladness.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“As I understand, you need to marry and sire a child rather soon. If Cat doesn't succeed in bearing a son, the Hathaways will lose Ramsay House."
"We've survived many things far worse than losing a bloody house. I'll marry Marks and take the risk."
"Perhaps you're testing the waters," Harry said, his face expressionless. "Trying to determine if she's fertile before you marry her.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Married by Morning

“As Christopher checked into the hotel and conversed with the concierge, he remarked on a portrait that hung over the marble mantel in the lobby. The subject was a singularly beautiful woman with mahogany-colored hair and striking blue eyes.
"That is a portrait of Mrs. Rutledge, sir," the concierge said with a touch of fond pride. "A beauty, is she not? A better, kinder lady could not be found anywhere."
Christopher regarded the portrait with casual interest. He recalled that Amelia Hathaway had said one of her sisters had married Harry Rutledge, the owner of the hotel. "Then Mrs. Rutledge is one of the Hathaway sisters of Hampshire?"
"Just so, sir."
That had brought a quizzical smile to Christopher's lips. Harry Rutledge, being a wealthy and well-connected man, could have had any woman he wanted. What madness had inspired him to marry into such a family? It was the eyes, Christopher decided, looking closer, unwillingly fascinated. Hathaway blue, heavily lashed. Exactly like Beatrix's.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Love in the Afternoon