After a Fashion Quotes

“Harriet smiled. "My name is Harriet."
"Do your friends call you Harry?"
"Not if they want to remain my friends."
"Harriet it is, then, and since we have to convince everyone we're... attached, you must call me Oliver."
She tilted her head. "Do your friends call you Ollie?"
"Not if they want to remain my friends.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“I'm waiting with bated breath to hear what you'll say next." "Ah, sarcasm, how refreshing," he said pleasantly.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“I always forget to breathe when I get nervous."
"I suppose you should be thankful then that you don't appear to be the type to get nervous often.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Kind is my middle name."
"I don't think I'd go that far.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“I've always been of the belief that gentlemen need to earn respect.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“The elderly gentleman somehow managed to look down his nose at her,even though they were of a similar height.
"From what I just witnessed, you were about to assault Mr. Addleshaw."
"Just because I was thinking about it, doesn't mean I was planning on seeing it through to fruition."
"A lady should never contemplate slapping a gentleman, especially not one of Mr. Addleshaw's social standing."
"I wasn't thinking about slapping him," Harriet muttered. "He deserved much more than a simple slap for being under the misguided belief that, simply because he has deep pockets, everyone should cater to his ridiculous whims.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“It was now Oliver's staunch belief that ladies - more specifically, Miss Harriet Peabody - had been put on the earth in order to create havoc with his well-organized life.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“I'm twenty-two."
"Are you really? I thought you were closer to my age, and I'm thirty-one, which goes..."
The next thing Oliver knew, he was standing by himself, Harriet having shaken out of his hold and taken off down the sidewalk again.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“May I have a glass of water? For some reason, my throat suddenly feels incredibly parched."
Harriet nodded but before she could take so much as a single step toward the kitchen, Lucetta brushed past her.
"I'll get it." She grabbed Millie's hand and began tugging her out of the room. "You can help."
"But it doesn't take two people to fetch a ... ouch ... Did you just pinch me? Because that felt remarkably like a pinch, and ... " Millie's voice faded away as Lucetta hauled her into the hallway and toward the kitchen, shutting the door firmly behind them.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“You're glowering again," Abigail whispered, stepping to his side and giving him a sharp rap with the fan she was clutching.
"Can you blame me?"
Abigail shot a look to Harriet who was having her hand accosted by an earnest young gentleman by the name of Mr. Richmond Sprout. "Not int he least, dear, but you really should try to control that temper of yours. The last thing we need this evening is for you to punch someone."
"That thought never entered my head."
"Of course it did, but I find it rather sweet.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“She stalked down the short hallway, reached the door, pushed aside the bolt that secured it, twisted the lock, and then wrenched it open, her temper steadily rising when she looked at Oliver and found him smiling back at her, although his eyes held a distinct trace of temper.
"What?"
"Is that anyway to greet your fiance?”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“She’s remarkably refined.” “You told me she slung Miss Birmingham over her shoulder and tossed her into a carriage.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“It's hardly Mr. Clay's fault that you're an idiot.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“You think I'm a snob."
"You are a snob.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Pulling his attention away from the bottom lip he still found fascinating, Oliver felt his lips twitch. "You really were in a circus?"
"With everything I've just disclosed to you, you're most interested in the idea I was once in a circus?”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Forgive me, Mr. Addleshaw, but I don't think Miss Peabody is exactly keen about going to Arnold Constable & Company."
"Why would you say that?"
"She's dashing away in the opposite direction."
Oliver turned, and sure enough, Harriet was quickly disappearing into the crowd, her huge hat once again bobbing in the breeze.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Seeing absolutely no point in arguing further with the man, Harriet tried her hand at releasing a sniff, just like Mrs. Birmingham had done numerous times during their ridiculous exchange. To her acute embarrassment, though, it turned out that sniffing was not actually advisable when it was pouring down rain, because water tended to immediately be sucked up one's nose. She sneezed, snorted, sneezed again, and finally managed a halfhearted wave in his direction. "Continue if you please.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“See, I did finally practice that adoring look you demanded, and I'm now going to suggest you try your hand at looking adoringly back at me," she muttered out of the side of her mouth even as she kept her smile firmly in place. "The guests will get suspicious if I'm the only one doing the whole adoring business."
His lips curved into a returning smile. She was so beautiful and so different from anyone he'd ever known that he decided there and then that, although this was to be the last night they were together, he was going to make the most out of it.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“I found unconventional and it exactly explains your upbringing." Millie's lips curved into a grin. "Unconstitutional doesn't explain you at all, unless you've been participating in something that goes against our country's constitution.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“I don't have a desire to find myself in jail, but if I'm forced to continue spending time with you... I fear I might be compelled to do something to you that will certainly land me there.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Would it make you feel better if I got down on bended knee and asked you to be my pretend fiancée?”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“There's no need to apologize, Harriet. It could have happened to anyone."

"That's what everyone keeps trying to tell me, but I know perfectly well that ladies of society rarely set the table linens to flames, nor do they make outlandish comments about turtle dishes that cause everyone to lose their appetite for it.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“She needs to be with her family. They live in England; I live here."
"That's just geography, easily overcome."
"It's geography that's separated by an entire ocean.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Forgive me for bringing this up, but paid companions are normally hired by ladies in their dotage, something I’m clearly not.” “True, but it’s the same principle. You’ve hired me to be a companion, even if not exactly in the same role as most paid companions take on. Now, however, with your declaration that I’m your fiancée, you are asking me to live a lie, plain and simple, because we’re not engaged.” Oliver tilted his head. “Would it make you feel better if I got down on bended knee and asked you to be my pretend fiancée?”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Oliver ignored Jane's hiss of rage. "Harriet's response shows you the true measure of her character. She might have suffered an unfortunate upbringing, but instead of becoming a lady possessed of questionable morals, she's honorable, charming, and I'm fortunate to have her in my life."

Right there and then, Harriet fell in love.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“He looked down at her face and felt more alive than he'd ever felt in his life.... When she tilted her head back and laughed, he was hard-pressed to not give in to the urge he immediately felt to lower his head and claim the lips that were only inches away from his own.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Harriet lifted her chin as the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen spread over her face. "Thank you.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Lucetta nodded rather regally, an impressive feat considering her hair looked as if it'd had an unfortunate experience with a meat grinder.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“You have a very fine set of horses, Mr. Addleshaw, although the one with the black star on his nose does tend to shy a little when other carriages approach."

"When other carriages approach, or when you're driving on the wrong side of the street?" he countered.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion

“Madame Simone took issue with my gown."
Oliver looked her up and down. "Your gown is delightful, and you look no different from any of the other ladies strolling around the shops today. Quite honestly, I think you put most of them to shame.”
― Jen Turano, After a Fashion