Venetia

“The way she told it, the English counties are littered with aging spinsters who accidentally displayed a spark of intelligence at a debutante dance and were banished forever from civilized society”
― Michelle Cooper, A Brief History of Montmaray

“But to Lord Peter the world presented itself as an entertaining labyrinth of side-issues”
― Dorothy L. Sayers, Clouds of Witness

“Your trousers are on fire. I would have told you, but you so dislike advice...”
― Elizabeth Peters

“You will be interested to hear, Hilary, that it [the drug] had a most remarkable effect — even on Selena after a very modest quantity. She cast off all conventional restraints and devoted herself without shame to the pleasure of the moment."

I asked for particulars of this uncharacteristic conduct.

"She took from her handbag a paperback edition of Pride and Prejudice and sat on the sofa reading it, declining all offers of conversation.”
― Sarah Caudwell, The Shortest Way to Hades