Kate Noble > Quotes

“Leaving?” she squeaked, bemused, as Max opened her wardrobe. “You’re abducting me?”

“Eloping. Eloping involves hurried packing. Abducting involves masked men and a burlap sack.”
― Kate Noble, Compromised

“… Looking at her, I think I know better what romantic love is.”

… she asked, “What is it?”

“It is parental love,” he answered thoughtfully. “Wanting to protect and keep the other person safe. As well as the love of friendship - esteeming the other person, even desiring each other’s company beyond all others. And it is lust,” he said, meeting her eyes, and was rewarded with seeing them darken, her breath becoming slightly unsteady, one little word jerking her out of her clinical assessment. He smiled, a predatory, seductive grin. “The physical needing of the other person, the quickened pulse, the sweaty heat.” His hand, which still rested on hers, began slowly moving, his fingers dancing over her skin. “Combining them makes the result greater than its individual parts. Because it produces something else. It creates … a steadiness. A strength. I can’t explain it well - being only an outside observer - but I only know that out of my friends' relationships, my sister‘s marriage is the epitome of grace.”
― Kate Noble, Follow My Lead

“Love…love is understanding. Love is knowing that other person so well, you can anticipate them. Like if someone knows you’re uncomfortable, and they loosen your boot strings. Or if he knows you’re deeply worried about something, and does his best to remedy it and soothe your fears.”
― Kate Noble, Compromised

“It's just me.”
― Kate Noble, Revealed

“It seems rather prophetic. We were just joking about this the other day."
"I know. Fate has annoying timing.”
― Kate Noble, Compromised

“Listen you..you.."he sputtered.

"You what ? You've already used hellion,draft girl and missy' .i can think of several more degradation,but then again im not the one trying so hard to be intimidating."

"How about you,maddending,foolish,moronic little chit ?"

"Much better !" she applauded.”
― Kate Noble, Compromised

“The workings of the male mind are twisted indeed." Winnifred Crane”
― Kate Noble, Follow My Lead

“They let the silence stand then . . . not uneasily, just taking a moment to breathe in time, to listen to the noises around them. How pleasant, Jane thought, to be silent for a few moments. Normally noise overtook her life—normally she sought it, finding silence solitary and confining—suffocating. But how pleasant to be silent with someone.”
― Kate Noble, The Summer of You

“Long ago, before England was cut up with pavement, or bisected by railways, there existed in the county of Lancashire a small village named Reston that never bothered anyone.”
― Kate Noble, The Summer of You

“So often, she had found herself transported by music. She would get lost, lose herself to the time and fullness of the tones, the way it conjured up air around her as she listened or as she played. But this, she thought, one did not get lost in this music.

One was delivered by it.”
― Kate Noble, Let It Be Me

“They were in the attic, in the dark. Rain pounded down against the roof, encapsulating them in a wall of sound. They had their own world. And for once, he would not allow the consequences to ruin the moment.”
― Kate Noble, The Dress of the Season

“I’m simply trying to do the math,” Gail explained. “This is a societal double standard I have never been able to understand. Men have been kissing since they were quite young, and have kissed many times, and this is considered normal. Yet, women are expected to keep their lips to themselves until they are ready to be married. But if this is always so, who are all these men kissing? Either the world is blindingly unrealistic in its expectations of women, or young boys are practicing on each other.”
― Kate Noble, Compromised

“What can you do?”
“Head one of the largest estates in England and vote in the House of Lords,” Jason replied. “And brush down a horse. What can you do?”
“Write a paper on the difference between Brunelleschi’s and Ghiberti’s bronze work,” Winn quipped and then, after a thought, “and argue with the butcher.”
“Well . . . we are two utterly useless people,” Jason surmised. “Except for the butcher.”
“And the horses.”
― Kate Noble, Follow My Lead

“Well, that settles it,” Jason said with mock severity. “Such condescension tells me what I had long suspected.”
“Which is . . .”
“That George Bambridge was not raised with the benefit of a sister.”
― Kate Noble, Follow My Lead

“Where Evangeline came to below his shoulder, Gail was a head taller. An easier distance from which to spit in his eye, he thought spitefully.”
― Kate Noble, Compromised

“Come along, you need to sleep,” he argued, but she pushed his hands away. “I’m just resting my eyes.” “And Napoleon just had a mild interest in foreign policy. Come on.”
― Kate Noble, Follow My Lead

“It’s not fair . . . She’s mine . . . She’s always been mine,” George whined deliriously.
“No she’s not,” Jason spat. And then, he took the triptych from Mr. Ellis’s hands. And looking into her eyes, handed it to Winn. “She never belonged to anyone but herself.”
― Kate Noble, Follow My Lead

“Watching his sister be a mother was perhaps the greatest argument for marriage. And watching his niece spit up on her was perhaps the best argument against procreation.”
― Kate Noble, Follow My Lead

“I wandered around for a bit, and was about to leave when your daughter entered—”
“And then you gave her the punch?” Sir Geoffrey interrupted.
“Punch? No sir, I certainly didn’t punch her!”
“Then when…” Sir Geoffrey let the question die.
“Please,” he said, waving his hand, “continue.” Max took a deep breath.
“Your daughter and I chatted for some time and then we were interrupted by, I believe, your housekeeper. I must say she is a most amiable female.”
“My housekeeper?”
“No, your daughter. Although I’m sure your housekeeper is very pleasant.”
― Kate Noble, Compromised

“Many remember the London Season of 1823 as being fraught with passion, excitement, and more than one act of derring-do. But more than anything, they remember that 1823 was the year of the color gold—what with the popularity of the Golden Lady, and every young debutante trying to copy her style.”
― Kate Noble, The Dress of the Season

“Brilliant. Marvelous.”
― Kate Noble, The Game and the Governess