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Whisper of Jasmine Quotes
Whisper of Jasmine
by
Deanna Raybourn1,135 ratings, 3.77 average rating, 110 reviews
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Whisper of Jasmine Quotes
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“Dove smiled in satisfaction. “Something I picked up in the south of France. It’s the purest jasmine from Grasse, which makes it very special indeed.”
“Why?” Evie sniffed again. The scent was rich and sensual, curling against her like a cat and warming itself on her skin.
“Child, jasmine is one of the most seductive scents imaginable, and the stuff from Grasse is the finest in the world. In the little village where I collected that, the farmers won’t even let their nubile daughters walk through the fields when the flowers are ripe for fear they won’t be able to control themselves.”
“I can see why,” Evie murmured. The heavy fragrance was intoxicating, and she felt like someone entirely new.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“Why?” Evie sniffed again. The scent was rich and sensual, curling against her like a cat and warming itself on her skin.
“Child, jasmine is one of the most seductive scents imaginable, and the stuff from Grasse is the finest in the world. In the little village where I collected that, the farmers won’t even let their nubile daughters walk through the fields when the flowers are ripe for fear they won’t be able to control themselves.”
“I can see why,” Evie murmured. The heavy fragrance was intoxicating, and she felt like someone entirely new.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“Aunt Dove stepped behind her and looked at her reflection in the cheval glass. “You haven’t been to India, pet, but in the Nilgiri Hills, there’s a flower called a kurinji flower. It doesn’t bloom often. In fact, you can go a dozen years or more without seeing a single blossom. But then, just when you’ve given up hope of ever seeing one, they burst into flower, whole mountainsides at the same time, carpeted in the most astonishing shades of purple. It’s as if God himself shook out a rug of petals and spread it at your feet. It’s unexpected and magnificent, and very much worth the wait.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
― Whisper of Jasmine
“He grinned. “You realise I’m reporting for duty on the second of January?”
“Good. Then the last memory you’ll have of me is wearing a party frock and knocking back cocktails while I kick old 1914 right in the teeth. Let’s send it off in style.
(Delilah and Johnny)”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“Good. Then the last memory you’ll have of me is wearing a party frock and knocking back cocktails while I kick old 1914 right in the teeth. Let’s send it off in style.
(Delilah and Johnny)”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“He cupped the back of her head with one large hand and kissed her, slowly, sweetly, as if he were courting her again. When he pulled away, he wasn’t surprised to find the tears that had stood unshed in her eyes were gone. He had always said Delilah Drummond was a force of nature. She had swept into his life with all the impact of a hurricane, and he had never entirely recovered from the first time she had looked up into his eyes and given him her slow, inviting smile.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
― Whisper of Jasmine
“God, you smell intoxicating.”
“It’s jasmine,” she said dreamily.
“It reminds me of Damascus,” he told her, brushing the tip of his nose against her skin as he inhaled her. “Oh, I definitely think an elopement is in order,” he muttered. “The sooner I get you all to myself, the better.”
She gazed up at him adoringly. “If we eloped, would we be doing many more things like that?”
“Many, many more,” he promised, and she sighed in response.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“It’s jasmine,” she said dreamily.
“It reminds me of Damascus,” he told her, brushing the tip of his nose against her skin as he inhaled her. “Oh, I definitely think an elopement is in order,” he muttered. “The sooner I get you all to myself, the better.”
She gazed up at him adoringly. “If we eloped, would we be doing many more things like that?”
“Many, many more,” he promised, and she sighed in response.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“Do you know what the word fey means?”
He shrugged. “It’s a Scots word, isn’t it? Something to do with fairies?”
“It means a sort of grand happiness, a joy so indescribable that it must be followed by a terrible calamity.”
He began to understand, and he enfolded her in his arms. “I see, pet. You’re worried it’s all too wonderful, is that it? That we should have found each other like this, on this night?”
She tipped back her head to look from his silvered face to the moon. “It’s like something in a romantic novel. There’s a war on and it’s New Year’s Eve, and I’m wearing my first Worth gown in the moonlight. And there’s you. I shouldn’t tell you because it isn’t modest or proper, but I think you’re marvelous. You’re handsome and debonair and you’ve the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen on a man. Actually, you’ve the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen anywhere. And for you to...” she hesitated then plunged on, “for you to want me, too, it’s just too unbelievable. It’s all too perfect. You’re too perfect.”
Again he suppressed the urge to laugh. “My darling girl, I wouldn’t tread on your feelings for all the world, but someday, when we’re both more than forty, I’m going to remind you of this night when we found each other for the first time and you thought I must be perfect.”
“Aren’t you?” she demanded.
“Not a bit. In fact, I’ll tell you everything that’s wrong with me.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
He shrugged. “It’s a Scots word, isn’t it? Something to do with fairies?”
“It means a sort of grand happiness, a joy so indescribable that it must be followed by a terrible calamity.”
He began to understand, and he enfolded her in his arms. “I see, pet. You’re worried it’s all too wonderful, is that it? That we should have found each other like this, on this night?”
She tipped back her head to look from his silvered face to the moon. “It’s like something in a romantic novel. There’s a war on and it’s New Year’s Eve, and I’m wearing my first Worth gown in the moonlight. And there’s you. I shouldn’t tell you because it isn’t modest or proper, but I think you’re marvelous. You’re handsome and debonair and you’ve the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen on a man. Actually, you’ve the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen anywhere. And for you to...” she hesitated then plunged on, “for you to want me, too, it’s just too unbelievable. It’s all too perfect. You’re too perfect.”
Again he suppressed the urge to laugh. “My darling girl, I wouldn’t tread on your feelings for all the world, but someday, when we’re both more than forty, I’m going to remind you of this night when we found each other for the first time and you thought I must be perfect.”
“Aren’t you?” she demanded.
“Not a bit. In fact, I’ll tell you everything that’s wrong with me.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“Oh, bless them,” Evie breathed.
“Bless whom?”
“All of them,” she said, throwing her arms wide as if to embrace the whole city. “They don’t care there’s a war on. They mean to welcome 1915 and show the kaiser they won’t be beat. I love them for it.”
She turned to him, her eyes anxious. “What about you? Will you go?”
“Not yet,” he told her, edging as close to the truth as he dared. “I am hoping to head an expedition to China soon. I’m attempting the Karakorum range again.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“Bless whom?”
“All of them,” she said, throwing her arms wide as if to embrace the whole city. “They don’t care there’s a war on. They mean to welcome 1915 and show the kaiser they won’t be beat. I love them for it.”
She turned to him, her eyes anxious. “What about you? Will you go?”
“Not yet,” he told her, edging as close to the truth as he dared. “I am hoping to head an expedition to China soon. I’m attempting the Karakorum range again.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“Aunt Dove gave her a wink. “Just enjoy yourself, pet. And if you see a likely lad, make sure you dance with him, something nice and slow.” “I’m not looking for romance, you know.” “Who said anything about romance?” Aunt Dove widened her eyes. “But if you dance slowly with a fellow, you can usually tell if he knows what he’s about in the bedroom. And make sure you feel his bottom. You want one that’s nice and pert. It means he’s a good thruster.” Evie fled before Aunt Dove could offer any further advice, hurrying down the stairs and hurling herself into the first cab she saw.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
― Whisper of Jasmine
“He slid his arms around her. “Is that how you fixed us together? Magic potions in my evening whisky?” She put her hands into his hair, twisting her fingers and tugging ever so slightly. “I didn’t have to fix us. We came that way.”
(Johnny and Delilah)”
― Whisper of Jasmine
(Johnny and Delilah)”
― Whisper of Jasmine
“I can bear anything as long as I can have a bit of a laugh,” she told herself as she hurried down the street. She walked on, drawing in great deep breaths of the crisp, damp air. She walked all the way to Kensington Gardens and turned in to walk beside the Long Water. She hadn’t intended to go there, but whenever she needed to think, she found herself on the west side of the Serpentine in the leafy glade that sheltered the statue of Peter Pan. It had appeared overnight on May Day morning of 1912.
...
Evie had hurried along to the park that May Day morning, as delighted as any child. Peter Pan was her dearest childhood friend, and watching him fly from the stage of the Duke of York’s theatre was her last truly happy memory, the only one unencumbered by the loss of her parents, the endless moving from place to place, from relation to relation as she was passed around like a hand-me-down garment that was nice enough but didn’t quite fit. Peter Pan was the last time she had fit, and whenever she felt low, her steps always carried her back to the little glade in Kensington Gardens where the boy who wouldn’t grow up waited.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
...
Evie had hurried along to the park that May Day morning, as delighted as any child. Peter Pan was her dearest childhood friend, and watching him fly from the stage of the Duke of York’s theatre was her last truly happy memory, the only one unencumbered by the loss of her parents, the endless moving from place to place, from relation to relation as she was passed around like a hand-me-down garment that was nice enough but didn’t quite fit. Peter Pan was the last time she had fit, and whenever she felt low, her steps always carried her back to the little glade in Kensington Gardens where the boy who wouldn’t grow up waited.”
― Whisper of Jasmine
