Caroline Lawrence > Quotes

“Flavia watched Flaccus lie down and close his eyes. She wanted to ask him a dozen questions. How had he found out they were back in Italia? Why was he helping them? What was marriage to Prudentilla like? Why had he looked so hurt when he found her kissing Tranquillus? Flaccus’s muscular forearm was over his eyes to keep out the bright sunshine. Presently he fell asleep. His arm slipped back above his head and his forehead relaxed. Although he was twenty, he suddenly looked very young. Flavia swallowed hard. She realised she was still completely and utterly in love with him.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“Love is the worst poison. Love has driven more men to murder than hate or greed ever did. And for love there is no known antidote.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“I love reading books because...
1. books teach you how to live.
2. books teach you how to love.
3. books encourage you and give you hope.
4, books lift you up when you are down.
5. books take you to places and times you could never otherwise visit”
― Caroline Lawrence

“Finally, as the stars began to prick the lavender sky in the east,”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“The cliffs and mountains of this region were honeycombed with caves”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Pirates of Pompeii

“I pity the man she marries.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“He was standing so close that she could feel the heat from his body and smell his musky lavender scent. She kept her gaze on the floor, afraid that if she looked up her eyes would betray her feelings. ‘I dedicated it to the god Neptune,’ she said. ‘As thanks for sending his dolphin to save me from the shipwreck.’ ‘A dolphin saved you?’ ‘Yes. When our ship ran aground in the storm.’ ‘You must tell me about it,’ he said and put his hand on her shoulder. ‘You poor thing. Even the memory of it is making you tremble.’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I will tell you about the shipwreck and the dolphin after we have played lullaby music.’ She moved away. It was not the memories making her tremble. It was his touch.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“Death either destroys us or frees us.”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“Just as I choose a ship when I am about to go on a voyage,’ said Jonathan, ‘so I shall choose my death when I am about to depart from this life.”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“Power is a dangerous thing,’ said Ben Aruva in a quiet voice. ‘Any kind of power. If you have it, be careful to use it for good.”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“Faith”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“To a peaceful August in Pompeii, then," saaid Flavia's father, and raised his cup in a toast.
"Pompeii," they all echoed, and raised their wine cups.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Thieves of Ostia

“Power”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“And Aristo – the storyteller – lost in the music. Nubia hadn’t told him that the song was about him; she had been too shy. His curly head was down but she could see his thick eyelashes and as she watched his fingers moving swiftly over the strings, a huge wave of affection washed over Nubia. The music which had arisen in her heart now flowed back to her from him. He and the music were one. And because she loved the music, she loved him, too.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“When Venalicius had carried her far across the Land of Blue to the Land of Red, the only familiar thing had been the stars in the sky. At Flavia's house she had slept in the inner garden with Scuto, comforted by his furry warmth and by the familiar constellations overhead. But tonight she could see no stars. Tonight there was nothing to remind her of home and who she had been.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Pirates of Pompeii

“All the wealth in the world is no good if you don’t have a family.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Thieves of Ostia

“Faith is a kind of imagination. It’s imagining a world we can’t see, but hope is there.”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“After their short stop at the tavern, Nubia took her turn beside Feles at the front, and Flavia joined Caudex in the back. The road was climbing more steeply now, and the line of the aqueduct guided Flavia’s eye back down to Ostia and the red brick lighthouse – minuscule at this distance – with its dark plume of smoke rising straight into the dirty blue sky. They passed through woods of poplar, ash and alder. Presently Ostia was hidden from view. On any other day the tree-shaded road would have been deliciously cool. But today Flavia’s blue tunic was soaked with perspiration and clinging to her back. ‘Caudex?’ Flavia whispered because the big slave’s eyes were closed. He didn’t reply and presently she too dozed fitfully, occasionally jolted out of sleep when the cart left the deep ruts in the stone road and rocked from side to side. The rumble of the cart was louder back here”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Assassins of Rome

“Jonathan ben Mordecai, to his friends Flavia, Nubia and Lupus, and to his tutor Aristo. By the time you read this I will be gone. Don’t be upset that I didn’t say goodbye. You probably would have tried to convince me not to go. And you might have succeeded. But this is something I have to do. For the past few weeks I have been having dreams. Or visions. I’m not sure what they are. I only know they have been getting stronger and stronger, especially a dream of a spiritual battle in the constellation of Gemini. I have had this dream several times. Tonight I had it again and I finally think I know what it means: Titus is in danger from his brother Domitian. Once I tried to kill Titus. Now I have a chance to make it right and I think God is calling me to do this. I am going to go to Rome to warn Titus and to help if I can. Please don’t follow me. It will be very dangerous. If I reach Titus I will try to explain about the warrant for our arrest and get him to revoke it. Then you will be able to come home again. In the meantime, stay in Ephesus, so that I will know where to find you. I pray that you will all stay happy and healthy and that one day I will see you again. Shalom. P.S. I don’t hear the voice anymore. P.P.S. Erase this message once you have read it.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“Just”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“Jonathan looked surprised, but Flaccus did not seem to notice. He was staring at the bronze charm that Flavia was absent-mindedly fingering. When she saw the direction of his gaze she blushed furiously and dropped the amulet back under the neck of her tunic. And for the first time in a week, Gaius Valerius Flaccus smiled at her.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“good looks aren’t enough. Skill is the most important thing. Skill and talent.”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“As Nubia played the flute, it was if her finger tips caressed each one of those she loved, those whom she would never see again”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Pirates of Pompeii

“Everything in Pulchra’s house is fabulously expensive,”
― Caroline Lawrence, Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“The music guided Jonathon back. The notes of the flute were cool and clear: silver, green and blue. The lyre was sweet and warm: honey, damson, and cherry. The drum move the sounds of the two instruments together, into a carpet of many colours. This musical carpet slipped under him and supported him and lifted him with with joy.
Suddenly Jonathon was flying. Flying on the music. he was flying over silk. Wrinkled, indigo-blue silk.”
― Caroline Lawrence

“Go ahead then!’ she cried. ‘Look at it. You won’t be able to read it even if you tried. I dropped it in the bath last night.’ Tranquillus took the tablet and opened it and frowned. Then his eyes grew wide as he read: ‘Give me a thousand kisses, Flavia, then another hundred, then a thousand, then a second hundred, then a thousand more—’ ‘It does not say that!’ Flavia snatched the tablet back. ‘You’re just quoting Catullus.’ She eagerly examined the two inner leaves of the tablet, but they were perfectly blank. ‘You’re disappointed!’ cried Tranquillus triumphantly. ‘You actually thought he wrote that.’ Then his smile faded. ‘You love him, don’t you, Flavia? You love Flaccus?’ ‘No I don’t!’ Tranquillus looked at her friends. ‘She loves Flaccus, doesn’t she?’ Aristo and Lupus both shrugged their shoulders and Nubia looked down at her lap. ‘No, I don’t,’ repeated Flavia, biting her lower lip. ‘Of course I don’t!’ ‘If you say so,’ said Tranquillus. He looked away. Flavia turned her head too, and looked out the back of the carruca at the passing tombs. And for some reason the Greek epitaph came to mind: Eat, drink, be merry and make love; all below here is darkness.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“In the palm tree courtyard of the Villa Vinea, Nubia finished telling Aristo about her adventures in North Africa and Egypt. ‘Amazing,’ he kept saying. ‘That’s amazing.’ The jasmine-scented courtyard was dimly lit by bronze hanging lamps, some of them were reflected in the mirror smooth pool beside them. The silver light of the rising moon illuminated the tops of the four palm trees. ‘Tomorrow,’ said Aristo softly, ‘I am going to gather all the children together and begin to teach them. It’s what I know how to do, and it will keep them busy and occupied. Do you think that’s a good idea?’ ‘Yes,’ said Nubia. ‘That is a very good idea. You are a wonderful teacher, Aristo.’ The air was filled with the scent of jasmine, but as he moved a little closer she caught a subtle whiff of his musky lavender scent. It made her dizzy. ‘Nubia,’ he said softly. ‘I want to tell you something.’ The tone of his voice made her heart begin to pound. ‘Something you said a few days ago . . . about being old enough for love . . . For a long time I thought . . . But then Flavia said . . . and I couldn’t bear to think . . . I’ve been such a fool . . .’ Nubia couldn’t understand what he was saying. So she willed the pulsing roar in her ears to be quiet and when it was, she heard him say: ‘I loved Miriam so much!’ Nubia felt sick. How could she compete with the most beautiful girl in the Roman Empire? A girl whose beauty would never fade or grow wrinkled? She had been right not to tell Aristo her feelings. He would laugh at her. Or despise her. Or worst of all: pity her. In the darkness she felt him take her hand in his. The shock of his touch was so powerful that she almost cried out. ‘You’re trembling again,’ he said. ‘Are you cold?’ ‘No,’ she whispered. She wanted to cry out: Why do you still love Miriam? She never loved you. But I do. I will always love you. But she knew it would be the worst thing she could do. So instead she snatched her hand from his and ran upstairs and groped her way along the dim corridor to the bedroom and threw herself onto the bed. And in the lonely darkness, she wept.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“It was a perfect summer evening. The warmth of the late afternoon sun had released all the scents of the garden and a sea breeze touched the leaves just enough to make them tremble. The sky was lavender and the garden was a deep green, filled with cool shadows.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Thieves of Ostia

“My body might not be ready for love,’ she sighed, ‘but my heart is.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

“It was a beautiful blue afternoon, and as the day cooled, the port was coming to life. Venus' breath had whipped up the sea beyond the river mouth and it was a deep sapphire colour. The sails of the ships moving to and fro on the water made triangles of white and yellow against the blue.”
― Caroline Lawrence, The Thieves of Ostia