Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake Quotes

“Claire… It is not what you think. Won’t you please allow me to explain? Please. Allow me to speak with you.”
It was more tempting than she liked.
“There is nothing to say. We both know what I saw.”
She paused.
“Now go away.” Her tone was as aloof as she could manage between tears that would not stop.
She saw the handle turn.
“Don’t you dare!” She took a pre-emptive step back.
But he did dare. The door opened slowly.
“Are you…dressed?”
“Of course, I am dressed!” she said furiously. “I am packing. Kindly have a carriage ordered.” It was a lie but he would not know that. Her case was still open on the window seat.
He pushed the door open wider.
He did not look like a man who had come from the arms of another woman. His face was not flushed with desire. It looked rather drawn in fact.
But what did she know of such things? Perhaps that woman had merely exhausted him.
“I did not invite her here, Claire. I did not even know she was coming.”
He pushed locks of dark hair from his eyes. Claire bit her lip, thinking of how she had looked forward to touching those waves, brushing it possessively off his face herself.
“Serafina does what she pleases. As you can see, she has no sense of propriety or discretion. She believes she owns Isabel and I even still. Even though, after her unforgiveable actions, she quite thoroughly relinquished rights to us both some time ago. I do not believe Isabel has pardoned her yet. I certainly will not.”
He looked at her, eyes wide and beseeching. Not a hint of pride or arrogance.
“She does not want me to be happy without her, Claire,” he said softly. “She must have found out I was to be married and she came with all haste. This is exactly what she was hoping for—or nearly so. When you walked in…”
“Oh? Nearly so?” Fury twisted inside her. “I apologize for intruding so unexpectedly, for interrupting your passionate liaison. I suppose if Isabel and I had not walked in, you would still be there even now. On the floor together perhaps.”
Thomas looked taken aback, then angry. “Of course not! Do you really think me so…? Is that what you believe, Claire? You did exactly what Serafina hoped you would do. Reacted with anger and jealousy, blamed me, and stormed out.”
“Jealousy!” Claire exclaimed, drawing herself up. “I assure you—I am not jealous in the least. If she wants you, she is welcome to have you. I did not want you in the first place, as you will recall.”
He flinched. If she did not know better, she might almost have believed him to be hurt.
She swallowed hard.
“What have I to be jealous of? The fact that you prefer your mistress to…” Oh, no. Her voice was catching in her throat. “…to… me…” She hiccupped embarrassingly, tears flowing over.
All of a sudden Thomas’s arms were around her, holding her firmly to his chest. “Claire… No, no…” he whispered.
Her cheek was pressed up rather roughly against his tailcoat. He smelled so good. She closed her eyes, her body relaxing against him.
There was another smell there. An overpoweringly sweet scent of lilacs. She pushed herself away, hands against his chest.
“You smell of her.”
He looked horrified.
Horrified that he did? Or horrified that she had noticed? Did he smell of her from head to toe?
Claire felt nauseous.”
― Fenna Edgewood, Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake

“What fools men were to look only for diamonds when a precious pearl stood right before them.”
― Fenna Edgewood, Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake

“Love? Was that what it was? Willingly forgiving another? Accepting them as they were?
While also wanting to kiss them until you were both breathless?”
― Fenna Edgewood, Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake

“What was it about this man and his presence?
When Thomas touched her, the dance took on a new quality it had not had with William.
While she had been nervous at the closeness between their bodies when his brother led the waltz, Thomas provoked other sensations entirely. William exuded a sense of safety. His presence was unfamiliar, but stolid. Even comforting.
But Thomas… Everything about Thomas screamed danger to Claire. Yet she was mesmerized.”
― Fenna Edgewood, Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake

“She was infuriating, brash, overconfident. Incapable of manipulation, of pretense; the opposite of the woman he had believed he loved for so many years.”
― Fenna Edgewood, Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake

“When a man prepared to duel, he would bring a second. When Claire met with the Mortons, she would bring a sister.
Heaven help Charles Morton if he tried to cross them both.”
― Fenna Edgewood, Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake

“She cleared her throat, let go of the rail, and stood up straighter.
“Because I have come here today to ask you to marry me.”
His lips twitched.
“It is not funny,” she cried. It was, of course, but she did not wish to be laughed at. Particularly when he had not answered.
“You must admit, it is a little funny. To an outside party, we must be exceedingly comical.”
“Yes, well, it is the worry of an outside party that is the reason we are here in the first place,” she muttered, looking down at her feet.
A finger was placed gently under her chin, lifting her head up.
“Pray, continue.” His dark eyes were serious, his lips playful. It was an irresistible combination. “It is the first time I have been proposed to and I must admit I find the experience intriguing.”
Her eyes flashed. “I have already asked. It is now your turn to answer.”
His amused expression deepened.
“Oh, no. You have not asked. You merely announced your intention to ask. There is a large difference between stating the purpose of your visit and posing the question. Wouldn’t you say?”
― Fenna Edgewood, Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake