Juliet C

“I might feel sorry for you, Tom, if you weren't such a selfish arse. I've seen you like this before, and I already know where it will lead. This is why you own more houses than you can live in, more horses than you can ride and more paintings than you have walls. For you, disappointment is inevitable. As soon as you obtain the object of your desire, it loses its power to enchant you. Knowing that, do you think Devon or I would ever allow you to court Cassandra?"
"I wouldn't lose interest in my own wife."
"How could it be otherwise?" West asked softly. "All that matters to you is the chase.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Chasing Cassandra

“I’ll marry you,” Tom told her. “Any time. Any terms.”

West gently nudged Cassandra toward the door. “Go, darling, while I talk with the insane man.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Chasing Cassandra

“West turned his attention back to Cassandra. “Sweetheart, none of us could bear seeing you in a one-sided marriage. Don’t expect Severin to change. You can’t love someone into loving you back.”
“I understand,” Cassandra said. “But even if Tom is never able to return my feelings, he has qualities that make up for it.”
“What qualities?” Devon asked, plainly bewildered. “I’ve always thought I understood you well, but this … you and Severin … it makes no sense to me.”
As Cassandra considered how to explain, she heard Phoebe point out with a touch of amusement, “It’s not that improbable, is it? Mr. Severin is a very attractive man.”
Both Ravenel brothers looked at her blankly.
“Oh, yes,” Kathleen agreed. “Not to mention charming.”
West rolled his eyes and gave Devon a resigned glance. “He’s always had it,” he said flatly. “That thing women like.”
“What thing?” Devon asked.
“The secret, mysterious thing I’ve always wished someone would explain so we could pretend to have it too.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Chasing Cassandra

“Hearts don't start out frozen," Cassandra said wisely. "Something happened to you."
Mr. Severin gave her a slightly mocking glance. "How do you know so much about the heart?"
"I've read novels-" Cassandra began earnestly, and was disgruntled to hear his quiet laugh. "Many of them. You don't think a person can learn things from reading novels?"
"Nothing that actually applies to life." But the blue-green eyes contained a friendly sparkle, as if he found her charming.
"But life is what novels are about. A novel can contain more truth than a thousand newspaper articles or scientific papers. It can make you imagine, just for a little while, that you're someone else- and then you understand more about people who are different from you."
The way he listened to her was so very flattering, so careful and interested, as if he were collecting her words like flowers to be pressed in a book. "I stand corrected," he said. "I see I'll have to read one.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Chasing Cassandra