Robin

“But Miss Ferguson preferred science over penmanship. Philosophy over etiquette. And, dear heavens preserve them all, mathematics over everything. Not simply numbering that could see a wife through her household accounts. Algebra. Geometry. Indecipherable equations made up of unrecognizable symbols that meant nothing to anyone but the chit herself. It was enough to give Miss Chase hives.

The girl wasn’t even saved by having any proper feminine skills. She could not tat or sing or draw. Her needlework was execrable, and her Italian worse. In fact, her only skills were completely unacceptable, as no one wanted a wife who could speak German, discuss physics, or bring down more pheasant than her husband.”
― Eileen Dreyer, It Begins with a Kiss

“I abhorred weakness of any kind but most particularly in my tea.”
― Deanna Raybourn, A Curious Beginning

“The hard thing about death is that nothing ever changes. The hard thing about life is that nothing stays the same.”
― Sue Grafton, J is for Judgment

“There’s an insult buried in there somewhere, but I can’t quite see it.”
― Ian Rankin, The Falls