Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Quotes

“You cannot compel love," he said finally, "nor summon it at will. Still less," he added ruefully, "can you dismiss it.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“A conclusion is simply the point at which you give up thinking.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“He who throws dirt is losing ground,”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Men are made in God's image, or so I am told. Likewise that we differ from the animals in having reason. Reason, therefore, must plainly be a characteristic of the Almighty, quod erat demonstrandum. Is it reasonable, then, to create men whose very nature— clearly constructed and defined by yourself— is inimical to your own laws and must lead inevitably to destruction? Whatever would be the point of that? Does it not strike you as a most capricious notion— to say nothing of being wasteful?”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Of course you would protect the woman,” he said. “You protect everyone, John—I don’t suppose you can help it.”
Astonished, Grey opened his mouth to contest this absurd statement, but was forestalled when Percy leaned forward and kissed him softly.
“You are the bravest man I know,” Percy said, his breath warm on Grey’s cheek. “And you will not convince me otherwise.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“He stood for a moment, bereavement a sudden, small tear in his soul.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“He paused by the window, looking up into a lavender sky, fingers pressed against the icy glass. No stars tonight; the snowflakes came down out of the dark, rushing towards him, endless, uncountable. Silent, too, but not like the stars. Falling snow whispered secrets to itself.

“And you are a fanciful idiot,” he said outloud.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“A party at which the guests are all of the beautiful persuasion tends to be dull indeed, as they have no conversation that does not pertain to themselves. A successful gathering requires a number of the ill-favored but clever. The beautiful are but ornaments—desirable, but dispensable.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Still, that would not solve the problem; Percy would merely languish in prison until such time as Grey was recovered enough to testify. No, he decided, Hal’s response would more likely be to knock Grey over the head, bundle him into a sack, and have him smuggled aboard a merchantman bound for China, after which he would declare Grey lost at sea, and…

He discovered that he was laughing helplessly at the thought, tears coming to his eyes.

“Christ, Hal, I wish you would,” he said aloud, and quite suddenly thought of Aberdeen, realizing for the first time just how desperately his brother loved him.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Grey had noticed this female paradox before: women who swooned at the notion of powerful men who would protect them at the same time liked nothing better than an open admission of helplessness on the part of any male within their sphere of influence.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Wait, let me get that down. Primum: save…men. Secundo: do not…drop…weapon. Tertio—what’s the third thing on this list?”
“Suck my prick,” Grey said rudely. “Ass.”
Percy promptly flipped the sketchbook shut and came toward him, eyes brighter still.
“Wait! I didn’t mean it!”
“Just following orders,” Percy murmured, pinning him to the bed with a deft knee on his thigh, and getting a hand on his flies. “Sir.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Would it be better if I’d had daughters?” she asked the mirror, in apparent earnestness.
“No,” she answered herself. “They’d only marry men, and there you are.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“He experienced that peculiar crawling of the flesh that attends any child’s sudden realization that a parent must not only have engaged at some comfortably primeval date in the theoretical carnal act that resulted in his own existence—but was capable of doing it again in the all-too-physical present.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“The pressure of events was increasing, day by day, and he could feel responsibility wrapped like a strangling vine about his spinal cord, reaching eager fingers into the base of his skull.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Dead is dead, Major,” he said quietly. “It is not a romantic notion. And whatever my own feelings in the matter, my family would not prefer my death to my dishonor. While there is anyone alive with a claim upon my protection, my life is not my own.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Wainwright was telling some story, his face alight, and even across the room, Grey felt the warmth of his presence. As though he sensed their scrutiny, Percy glanced suddenly in their direction, and shot Grey a smile of such delight in his surroundings that Grey smiled back, delighted in turn to see him manage so well.
Lucinda Joffrey emitted a hum of approval.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “And quite good style, too. Did you dress him?” she inquired.
No, but I should like very much to undress him.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“You want me to attend your hanging?”
His tone must have contained some of the incredulity he felt, for the captain gave him an impatient look.
“I’d have sent an engraved invitation, had I time,” he said.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“One of my mother’s friends was an artist. He showed me a few things – though warning me that to become an artist was the only certain way to starve.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John And The Brotherhood Of The Blade

“It was a hound of some sort, black and disproportionately long-bodied, with lets so stumpy that they appeared to have been amputated. With large, liquid eyes and a sturdy long tail in constant motion, it resembled nothing so much as and exceedingly amiable sausage.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“I should prefer the company of an organ-grinder’s monkey,”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“I don’t know why your husband does not beat you regularly,” he remarked, shaking his head. “Or at least keep you locked up safely at home. Has he the slightest idea …?” “Sir Richard is a most accomplished diplomat,” she replied with complacence. “He has a great facility for not knowing things that it is expedient not to know.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“She ain’t heavy; she’s his sister.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“I knew from the first glimpse that he was dead. But I ran to him”.

There was no way in which to describe his feelings, because he hadn’t had any. The world had simply ceased in that moment, and with it, all his knowledge of how things were done. He simply could not see how life might continue. The first lesson of adult life was it, horribly, did.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade