Bridgerton Collection Volume 2 Quotes

“Later that night, Michael couldn’t help but be pleased by the day’s turn of events. “Thank you, Colin,” he said rather jovially to himself as he undressed for bed, “and thank you, too, whomever you are, for marrying Eloise on a moment’s notice.” Michael rather doubted that Francesca would have agreed to a rushed wedding if her two siblings hadn’t up and gotten married without her. And now she was his wife. His wife. It was almost impossible to believe. It had been his goal for weeks, and she’d finally agreed the night before, but it wasn’t until he’d slid the ancient gold band onto her finger that it had sunk in. She was his. Until death do they part.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“what lay ahead. It was time to face Francesca. He had rehearsed this moment a thousand times since his conversation with Colin Bridgerton back in London. What he’d say to her, how he’d make his case. And he rather thought he’d figured it out. Because before he convinced Francesca, he’d had to convince himself. He was going to marry her. He’d have to get her to agree, of course; he couldn’t very well force her into marriage. She’d probably come up with countless reasons why it was a mad idea, but in the end, he’d convince her. They would marry. Marry. It was the one dream he’d never permitted himself to consider. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Forget that he loved her, forget that he’d loved her for years.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Francesca. “When is the wedding to be?” he asked. “I’m not entirely sure yet,” Colin said. “Soon, I would hope.” Michael nodded. “Then Francesca will need to be informed right away.” Colin smiled slowly. “Yes, she will, won’t she?” Michael scowled. “You don’t have to marry her while you’re up there,” Colin said, “just inform her of my impending nuptials.” Michael revisited his earlier fantasy of strangling Colin Bridgerton and found the image even more tantalizing than before. “I’ll see you later,” Colin said as Michael headed for the door. “Perhaps a month or so?” Meaning that he fully expected Michael not to be in London anytime soon. Michael swore under his breath, but he did nothing to contradict him. He might hate himself for it, but now that he had an excuse to go after Francesca, he couldn’t resist making the trip. The question was, would he be able to resist her? And more to the point, did he even want to?”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Marriage to Francesca. Good God. Everything about it was wrong. Except he wanted it so badly. It was hell watching her, hell speaking to her, hell living in the same house. He’d thought it was difficult before—loving someone who could never be his—but this . . . This was a thousand times worse. Colin knew. He had to know. Why would he have suggested it if he didn’t? Michael had held on to his sanity all these years for one reason and one reason only: No one knew he was in love with Francesca. Except, apparently, he was to be denied even that last shred of dignity. But now Colin knew, or at least he damn well suspected, and Michael couldn’t quite quash this rising sense of panic within his chest. Colin knew, and Michael was going to have to do something about it.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Michael stood, then gave a curt nod. It wasn’t a terribly warm farewell, considering that they were relations of a sort, but it was the best he could do under the circumstances. “Think about what I said,” Colin murmured, just when Michael had reached the door. Michael let out a harsh laugh as he pushed through the door and into the hall. As if he’d be able to think about anything else. For the rest of his life.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“He just didn’t think he could live with his conscience if he did. “Are you quite all right?” Colin asked. Michael blinked. “Perfectly so, why?” Colin’s head tilted slightly to the side. “For a moment there, you looked . . .” He gave his head a shake. “It’s nothing.” “What, Bridgerton?” Michael nearly snapped. “Surprised,” Colin said. “You looked rather surprised. Bit odd, I thought.” Dear God, one more moment with Colin Bridgerton, and the bloody bastard would have all of Michael’s secrets laid open and bare. Michael pushed his chair back. “I need to be going,” he said abruptly.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Colin toyed with his glass for several moments before looking up, his gaze settling on Michael’s face. To anyone else, it might have seemed a bland expression, but there was something in Colin’s eyes that made Michael want to squirm in his seat. They were sharp and piercing, and although different in color, shaped precisely like Francesca’s. It was damned eerie, that. “Why is the point moot?” Colin murmured thoughtfully. “Well, because you so clearly don’t wish to marry her.” Michael opened his mouth for a quick retort, then slammed it shut when he realized—with more than considerable shock—that he’d been about to say, “Of course I do.” And he did. He wanted to marry her.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“She might marry hastily,” Colin murmured. “She wants to have children before she’s too old.” “She’s not too old.” “No, but she might think she is. And she might worry that others will think she is, as well. She didn’t conceive with your cousin, after all. Well, not successfully.” Michael had to clutch the end of the table to keep from rising. He could have had Shakespeare at his side to translate, and still not have been able to explain why Colin’s remark infuriated him so. “If she chooses too hastily,” Colin added, almost offhandedly, “she might choose someone who would be cruel to her.” “Francesca?” Michael asked derisively. Maybe some other woman would be that foolish, but not his Francesca. Colin shrugged. “It could happen.” “Even if it did,” Michael countered, “she would never remain in such a marriage.” “What choice would she have?”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“The words had whispered over her lips before she’d even realized she was thinking them. And even now, she wasn’t sure what it meant. Why did she care? Why on earth did she care how many ladies fell under his spell? She’d never cared before. It was only going to get worse, too. The women were mad for Michael. If the rules of society were reversed, Francesca thought wryly, their drawing room at Kilmartin House would be overflowing with flowers, all addressed to the Dashing Earl. It was still going to be dreadful. She would be inundated with visitors today, of that she was certain. Every woman in London would call upon her in hopes that Michael might stroll through the drawing room. Francesca was going to have to endure countless questions, occasional innuendo, and— “Good heavens!” She stopped short, peering into the drawing room with dubious eyes. “What is all this?” Flowers. Everywhere. It was her nightmare come true. Had someone changed the rules of society and forgotten to tell her?”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“And then suddenly the fire left her, and she collapsed in his arms, her tears soaking his shirt. “He had a headache,” she whimpered. “That’s all. He just had a headache. It was just a headache.” She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face, looking for answers he’d never be able to give her. “It was just a headache,” she said again. And she looked broken. “I know,” he said, even though he knew it wasn’t enough. “Oh, Michael,” she sobbed. “What am I to do?” “I don’t know,” he said, because he didn’t. Between Eton, Cambridge, and the army, he’d been trained for everything that the life of an English gentleman was supposed to offer. But he hadn’t been trained for this. “I don’t understand,” she was saying, and he supposed she was saying a lot of things, but none of it made any sense to his ears. He didn’t even have the strength to stand, and together the two of them sank to the carpet, leaning against the side of the bed.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught and then turning the tables until he was the victor, of caressing and kissing and making love to them but never actually allowing his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and so hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca’s surname was to remain Bridgerton a mere thirty-six hours longer; the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin. Life was ironic that way, Michael liked to think in his more polite moods. In his less polite moods, he used a different adjective entirely. And his moods, since falling in love with his first cousin’s wife, were not often polite.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Eloise had immediately tucked the letter away in a drawer, unable to even fathom his request. He wanted to marry someone he didn’t even know? No, to be fair, that wasn’t entirely true. They did know one another. They’d said more in the course of a year’s correspondence than many husbands and wives did during the entire course of a marriage.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Penelope’s lips parted with surprise. No one had ever even thought to accuse her of such before. It was unbelievable . . . unthinkable . . . and . . . Rather flattering, actually. Penelope felt her mouth sliding into a sly smile, and she leaned forward, as if getting ready to impart news of great import. Lady Danbury leaned forward. Felicity and Eloise leaned forward. “Do you know what I think, Lady Danbury?” Penelope asked, in a compellingly soft voice. “Well,” Lady D said, a wicked gleam in her eye, “I would tell you that I am breathless with anticipation, but you’ve already told me once before that you think that I am Lady Whistledown.” “Are you?” Lady Danbury smiled archly. “Maybe I am.” Felicity and Eloise gasped again, louder this time. Penelope’s stomach lurched.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“He didn’t think she wanted to go, but he somehow knew that she would. She’d think it was the proper thing to do, and she’d probably also think it was what he wanted. Nothing, he was surprised to realize, could be further from the truth. And nothing could have scared him more.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“For a moment Colin did nothing but blink. How was it possible he’d never noticed how big her eyes were? He’d known they were brown, of course, and . . . No, come to think of it, if he were to be honest with himself, he would have to admit that if asked earlier this morning, he’d not have been able to identify the color of her eyes. But somehow he knew that he’d never forget again.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Colin just closed his eyes and shook his head. Penelope was smart enough to interpret the action to mean, I don’t care. And she was sensible enough not to say anything further on the subject. Nothing worse than a female who chattered forever about nothing. He’d always liked Penelope, but how was it he’d never realized how intelligent she was up till now? Oh, he supposed if someone had asked him, he would have said she was bright, but he’d certainly never taken the time to think about it. It was becoming clear to him, however, that she was very intelligent, indeed. And he thought he remembered his sister once telling him that she was an avid reader. And probably a discriminating one as well.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“And so Penelope’s life continued. She had her third season, then her fourth. Her two older sisters, Prudence and Philippa, finally found husbands of their own and moved away. Mrs. Featherington held out hope that Penelope might still make a match, since it had taken both Prudence and Philippa five seasons to snare husbands, but Penelope knew that she was destined to remain a spinster. It wouldn’t be fair to marry someone when she was still so desperately in love with Colin.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“And if that weren’t enough, 1813 was the year that the mysterious (and fictitious) Lady Whistledown began publishing her thrice-weekly Society Papers. The single-sheet newspaper became an instant sensation. No one knew who Lady Whistledown really was, but everyone seemed to have a theory. For weeks—no, months, really—London could speak of nothing else. The paper had been delivered for free for two weeks—just long enough to addict the ton—and then suddenly there was no delivery, just paperboys charging the outrageous price of five pennies a paper. But by then, no one could live without the almost-daily dose of gossip, and everyone paid their pennies.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“On the sixth of April, in the year 1812—precisely two days before her sixteenth birthday—Penelope Featherington fell in love. It was, in a word, thrilling. The world shook. Her heart leaped. The moment was breathtaking. And, she was able to tell herself with some satisfaction, the man in question—one Colin Bridgerton—felt precisely the same way. Oh, not the love part. He certainly didn’t fall in love with her in 1812 (and not in 1813, 1814, 1815, or—oh, blast, not in all the years 1816–1822, either, and certainly not in 1823, when he was out of the country the whole time, anyway). But his earth shook, his heart leaped, and Penelope knew without a shadow of a doubt that his breath was taken away as well. For a good ten seconds. Falling off a horse tended to do that to a man.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Chapter”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Lady Danbury raised one arrogant brow—an expression that she did to perfection.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Shall I tell him you are not in?” “No!” Penelope nearly shrieked, stumbling to her feet. “I mean, no,” she added in a more reasonable voice. “But I will require ten minutes to prepare myself.” She glanced in the mirror and winced at her disheveled appearance. “Fifteen.” “As you wish, Miss Penelope.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“He was insufferable, but Penelope wasn’t going to say so, because it would only make her sound like a character in a very bad romantic novel. She’d read one just the other day in which the heroine used the word (or one of its synonyms) on every other page.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“someone has to spoil your children. I don’t think Charlotte has nearly enough dolls.” “Only fifty,” Anthony agreed in a deadpan voice. “The poor girl is horribly neglected.” “Her birthday is at the end of this month, is it not? I shall have to neglect her some more, I think.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“someone has to spoil your children. I don’t think Charlotte has nearly enough dolls.” “Only fifty,” Anthony agreed in a deadpan voice. “The poor girl is horribly neglected.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Sometimes she includes one or two people who are hopelessly unsuitable so as to highlight the qualities of the real possibilities.” Portia laughed. “Perhaps she’ll put you on Colin’s list, Penelope!” Penelope didn’t laugh. Neither did Eloise. Portia didn’t seem to notice.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Tomorrow,”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Do your worst, ladies and gentlemen of the ton. You haven’t a prayer of solving this mystery.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“A milder expletive than had crossed my mind.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2

“Many women went through their entire lives without a close female friend, and here she had someone to whom she could tell anything.”
― Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Collection Volume 2