Fleur de Lis Quotes

“With contradict’ry aim I stand,
Rent in twain between two lands.
One is lit with flowers bright,
The other by sublime starlight.
“A searing fire is one way felt.
The sting of ice that does not melt
Upon the other path is found.
To both I am forever bound.
“My mind is called to what I’ve known,
And mem’ries of what once was home.
Yet calls the road that leads to where
I breathe now more familiar air.
“In her is found the now and then,
The song of hope, the sighed amen,
Both fire and ice, both flow’rs and stars,
The future, past, the near and far.
“Where e’er the path that guides her feet,
In what far clime her heart doth beat,
Howe’er oft I depart or bide,
Home is where my love resides.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“When a remarkably intelligent woman offers you a bit of very intelligent advice, you would do well to take it.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“And I refuse to give up hope.”
“Hope of what?”
“Hope for a future that includes you.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“You’re his floor of lee,” Roderick said earnestly. “He wouldn’t want you to be sad.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“My uncle Aldric said that Mr. Henri likes you even more than poems. I think that means he likes you a lot.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Moments like this, when one was truly cared about and supported, when concern and compassion came as naturally as breathing… that was what she wanted most of all.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Are you offering to fight my battle for me?"

"With you.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“You ought to be the recipient of unending kindnesses.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Aldric could sometimes be impatient with people who allowed emotion to get the better of their intellect. But he also had a good and compassionate heart. He didn’t scold Henri for his struggle or his painstakingly slow crawl toward healing from the wounds his father had inflicted.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“We too often wrongly think forgiveness looks like absolution,” Stanley had once said. “But I think forgiveness is becoming the person the one who hurt us would have prevented us from being. Forgiveness is never about the one who inflicted the pain but rather is the gift we give ourselves: permission not to be the proof of their hateful prophecies.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Do not think me so lacking in social refinement as that. One does not frequent the circles we occupy and not learn how to apply finesse to even the worst of situations. Believe me, brother, I am more than capable of spinning this tale in a way that you alone will emerge muddied by it. Decide how you want the next few years to play out. It is entirely in your hands.” She held her chin at a defiant angle and watched him, almost daring him not to bow to her demands.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Lucas turned about, walking backward and facing Henri and Nicolette. “Have you considered writing a poetic work in which the first letter of each line spells out the name of your favorite Gent?” He motioned to himself.
“This is not a collection of acrostics,” Henri said.
“A shame.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“You are our Archbishop, and as such, pay close attention to those dozen or so commandments we hear so much about in chapels,” Digby said.
“Ten,” Henri said. “There are ten of them, and I am well aware of the ‘Thou shalt not lie’ one. I am rather pitiful in other areas of my life, but I do my best to abide by that very basic rule.”
Digby ran a finger down the length of his lace cuffs, straightening nonexistent wrinkles. “I would wager you are unaware of the footnote: ‘If thou art a Gent and another Gent has been burdened with a particularly difficult situation and a bit of misdirection or minor falsehoods on his behalf would actually be the more charitable and compassionate path, then thou shalt absolutely lie and do so with fervor and enthusiasm.’”
Henri turned his head a little away to hide his grin, doing his utmost to hold back a laugh.
“Do not think you are fooling us,” Lucas said. “We know our Archbishop is laughing at that bit of blatant blasphemy. Shocking!”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“My other income has not and likely will not make me wealthy, but it might keep me from poverty should my brother cut me off.”
“Have you taken up the trade of grave robbing?” Lucas asked.
“Highway robbery?” Niles guessed.
“Common thievery?” Even Aldric joined in the jesting.
“Uncommon thievery?” Digby adjusted.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Anticipatory caution likely always felt a bit ridiculous until the time one was desperately grateful to have made the effort.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“There was something so lovely about serving a friend in this way. How ridiculous she now felt, having spent so many years of her life thinking that the pursuit of fashionable approval and the envy of society were worthwhile goals.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“I don’t know what I would have done if Lucas had fallen completely apart just now.”
“He wouldn’t have,” Nicolette said. “He was worried, and that shakes even the most stalwart of souls, but I’ve never known a man who loves his family the way Lucas does.” Her voice broke. “Love that strong can’t be sunk by the weight of worry. Love like that survives and grows and flourishes.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“You likely both think me rather ridiculous,” Lucas said, “standing out here in the corridor nearly in panic and tears while my family needs me to be strong.”
Henri shook his head. “Compassion and concern for the people you love is not weakness, Lucas. That kind of loyalty created the Gents to begin with. That is the bond that holds us together, the bond of a chosen family.”
“Family is who you choose,” Lucas said.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“All expressed delight at being together and offered happy observances of the gathering. This was another thing Nicolette liked about this group. Among them, sophistication wasn’t proven through dissatisfaction. And they didn’t demonstrate their discerning taste by belittling others.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Love is always a risk,” Lucas said. “But for the right person, it is a risk worth taking.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Allow me to offer you the same thoughts I shared with Lucas and Kes when they were making a mull of their respective love lives,” Digby said. “I shudder to think how often I will have to have this conversation with the rest of you.” He made an overly dramatic show of being annoyed before pushing forward. “Love can sneak up on a person, can start without us even realizing. But once you know you feel something, it no longer makes the least sense to sit around and do nothing. You are beginning to love her. Again, apparently. If you think the possibility of being loved in return is worth reaching for, tiptoe into the water, allowing her response to guide you. If you think it utter foolishness and that pursuing those feelings would result in misery for either of you, keep your distance. But for goodness’ sake, sitting about, twiddling your thumbs, bemoaning the complexity of it all, will accomplish absolutely nothing.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“In a voice as dry as dust, Lucas said, “Nothing turns a lady away from the idea of caring for a gentleman quite as swiftly as that gentleman liking her.”
“Heaven forbid!” Digby declared dramatically. Then, in a voice pitched a bit higher than usual and with mannerisms clearly meant to represent a very fine lady of Society, he said, “I would think highly of you, sir, except that you think highly of me, and that casts such doubt on your intelligence.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“For your information,” Henri said, “both my smile and my scowl have arisen from thoughts of the same person.”
Lucas stepped back from the billiards table and pressed an open palm to his heart, then gave Henri a look of emotion-tinged delight. “I am that person, aren’t I? You were thinking what a wonderful fellow I am and scowling because you could never live up to it.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“A secret can always be revealed. But a secret, once revealed, can never be made a secret again.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“He caught the eye of Lady Jonquil. “You feel the activity being planned is an appropriate one, my lady?”
“I have never known my husband to undertake anything at a house party at which ladies were present that would not meet with the approval of anyone in possession of a reasonable and discerning evaluative ability.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Nothing strikes greater fear into the heart than Lucas declaring he’s had a brilliant idea,” Mr. Layton said.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“It was a refreshing thing, spending time with children: they took delight in simple things, reminding one of joys too often missed.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“He took a quick, and from the sound of it, frustrated breath. “Forgive me. I was wrong to assume you had a less-than-kind motive.”
“And I was uncharitable in my swift accusation,” she said. “I apologize.”
Some of the displeasure in his expression eased. “How fortunate for us that we are both so remarkably humble and forgiving. Less perfect people would likely struggle to resume their game of bowls after a misunderstanding.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“He must be an unhappy person to bathe himself so thoroughly in his bitterness,” Henri said. “I feel pity for him more than anger.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis

“Those who were different and those who were lonely often found themselves targets of the unkind and unfeeling.”
― Sarah M. Eden, Fleur de Lis