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March 24 - March 24, 2025
“Bafflement,” Sebastian said, “means there is something left to be discovered. So let me tell you what we don’t know.”
When you have nothing nice to say, she could hear her mother saying, keep your thoughts to yourself. And tell me everything later.
It was one of the oldest tricks he knew: If he couldn’t make sense of the world, he could at least make sense of his horse.
Some families believed that children should be seen and not heard. But Violet’s sister had too many children to do anything more than cast haggard glances at that particular rule.
The only thing worse than an unlovable woman was an unlovable woman who whined about not being loved.
She gasped. Her whole world turned gray. “You arrogant cad! I’m not in love with you.” “I know.” He didn’t look away from her. “Isn’t that what I said? Only one of us is in love, and it isn’t you.”
You’re the only person in the entire world who looked at me and thought, ‘That man could play the role of genius, and nobody would ever question it.’”
“That’s one of the reasons I love you, Violet. You see so many surprising things and you think they’re obvious. And you’re right about them, too.”
“Violet,” he said. “How could I say I loved you and expect you to do something you didn’t want? The last thing I want is for you to be anyone but yourself.” His hand fell on her shoulder. “You should know—this is me. I love you.”
Everything except that one little thing: He didn’t kiss her. He continued not kissing her as she finished with the last seed. There was no kissing at all as he helped her stack her collection of unbroken dirty little clay pots together, and then brought them back to the work area, where they’d be sent to be scrubbed by one of the undergardeners. He didn’t kiss her when she washed her hands, and after she’d finished, he handed her the towel to dry them off without so much as a word.
Impossible. He’d left without kissing her.
“When I told you that I loved you, Violet, what on earth did you think that I meant?”
He bowed his head, letting her fingers lace through his hair, letting her draw his face down to hers. “Sebastian,” she whispered. “At your service.”
“Ah, the rule that says that women aren’t allowed to be intelligent.” He brushed a kiss against her forehead. “Burn that one to the ground, Violet, and dance on the ashes. And damn anyone who tells you it’s selfish to do so.”
“Let me tell you more about rakus perfectus,” he said. “The whole point of raking is to make sure that everyone is satisfied and safe.
“You see?” He was breathing heavily. “It’s a wicked trick. That’s what happens when you kiss a rake of my stature; I scarcely have to do anything, and you seduce yourself.”
“It’s hell being a mother. Not being able to do anything to save the ones you love more than anything in the world. A lady is supposed to protect her own, but how is she supposed to do that?”
“It’s the first rule. I protect what is mine.” She set her hand gently on Violet’s shoulder. “And you,” she whispered, “you’re mine.”
A life without risk is one where I tell myself I’m not worthy of taking a chance. It’s a life without hope for the future.”
