Ria

“He smiled. "I suppose I thought we'd have a madly impractical, terrifyingly modern sort of marriage. One based on love. Not to mention dangerous undertakings and hair's-breadth escapes from burning buildings, high ledges and exploding sewers."

"And bickering."

"Always that, yes."

"Assuming I want to marry at all."

"True. I know of no good way of forcing you to do anything."

"And you're mad enough to think it could work - one day?"

He cupped her face in his hands. His smile was so brilliant it seemed to illuminate the room. "I think it would be heaven."

She trembled, then. "You have a very strange idea of heaven."

"Kiss me and see.”
― Y.S. Lee, The Traitor in the Tunnel

“Stop shining your lantern in my face."
"It's such a lovely face.”
― Y.S. Lee, The Traitor in the Tunnel

“We all want things we can't have. Being a decent human being is accepting that.”
― John Fowles, The Collector

“The most important questions in life can never be answered by anyone except oneself.”
― John Fowles, The Magus