The Murder of Mr. Wickham (Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney #1)

by Claudia Gray

“No man of decency would ascribe to malice what is more easily explained by ignorance.”

What she hadn’t explained was the point of pretending to be something you weren’t in order to draw people closer. Once they got closer, they’d realize you were pretending, which seemed to Juliet to defeat the purpose.

The world is a ridiculous place, my child. Make of it what you can.

“Not all wickedness reveals itself immediately. Sometimes it masquerades as charm in the beginning. And the masquerade can be more convincing than you would ever dream.”

When making new friends, pay less attention to what people say of themselves, more attention to how they behave. Truth is not in the telling but in the doing.

When in doubt, his mother always said, be brief and polite. This may not always be the best response, but it will never be the worst.

“Love blinds us more surely than anything else ever can.”

We forgive the faults of those we love so often, so deeply, that we sometimes convince ourselves the faults do not exist. The rest of the world is not so easily persuaded.

What relief—he was referring only to the murder.

“I will say only this,” she finally answered. “I believe that the smallest hatred is a greater sin than the most misguided love.”

“Then we must dance. There, you will draw no comment save for admiration. You are a beautiful dancer, my love.”

I am sure my spirit is never so at ease as it is when surrounded by green trees and blue sky.”

Religion must support the bonds of family and love, rather than work against them, if it is to symbolize God’s love for man.