The Lure of a Rake Quotes

“There is something to be said for the comfort to be had in familiarity.”
“Yes,” she agreed. A small smile hovered on her lips. “But the thrill of the unfamiliar…now that is something to revel in.”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“I do love to waltz, you know.”
Actually he hadn’t. What else did he not know about the woman he’d married?
“The evenings that seemed unending. The magnificent gowns. I thought how much I loved the thrill of it all.” She lifted her gaze from her book. “Until I was sent away to the country and came to find a freedom that existed outside the confines of London. Joy driven by your own interests and not what Society believes your interests should be. Wagering. Waltzing. Shopping. What is the purpose of all that?”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“Gillian looked affronted. “Why, do not thank me. We are sisters and friends.” She waggled her eyebrows. “And if you need me to quite accidentally drop my white soup on him, then I am happy to oblige.” A laugh spilled past Genevieve’s lips and the servant stuck his head inside the carriage. With a cheerful thanks, her younger sister accepted the young man’s assistance.”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“You are one who is accustomed to ladies fawning and falling down for you,” she said quietly to herself. “You turn forth a grin and a laugh to ease the truth of your coldness.” His face froze in an unmoving mask. “Mayhap the world does not see past that. They see what you ask them to see.” Just as she naively had allowed herself to see in the library. Yet, that was not his fault. It was hers for wanting to see diamonds in the dust. “They see your smile. They hear your teasing words. They are so focused on those smiles that they do not realize…”
At his narrowing eyes, she blinked and let her words die. She’d said too much, to a man who truly was nothing but a stranger.
A stranger whose kiss still burns on my lips.
“They see what?” he bit out. Gone was that smooth edge to his words.
“The façade.” She knew because she was a woman who’d donned the same, stifling mask these five years. A harsh light glinted in his eyes.
“You do not know anything of it.”
“Oh, I suspect I know more than you’d care to think.”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“Why?” Francesca asked, jolting her back from those outrageous musings. “Because he’s a rake?” She furrowed her brow. “It hardly seems fair to condemn the gentleman for gossip attached to his name.”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“Her sister gave her a reassuring smile. “Come,” she said softly and Genevieve’s throat worked. How many times as children had she come to Gillian’s aid during her madcap schemes? In an utter role reversal, rescue should now be conferred by her younger sister. “Thank you,” she managed. “If you smile and hold your chin up, they stare less,” Gillian said, widening her smile. “And if you laugh, then it really confounds them.” With that, she tossed back her head and laughed.”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“Gillian cleared her throat. “You look…” Her expression grew strained. The youngest Farendale sibling had always been incapable of artifice. “Horrid?” Genevieve supplied, in a bid to break the stilted awkwardness that had existed since she’d returned. “Never.” Her sister gave her head an emphatic shake. “It does not matter what color skirts you wear or your hairstyle, it is who you are,” she said with the most meaningful of words to pass between them in two weeks. Gillian captured her hands and gave them a slight squeeze. “And I’ve missed you so, so much.”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“Society needs to see you are a proper lady now. Once Society’s fascination with you has died, then your sister can resume a normal life and find a suitable husband. It worked for the Moore chit after she was jilted and it will work for you.”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“Five years. It had been five years since she’d last stepped foot out of these chamber doors. One thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five days to be precise.”
― Christi Caldwell, The Lure of a Rake

“Five years. It had been five years since she’d last stepped foot out of these chamber doors. One thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five days to be precise.”
― Christina Lauren, The Lure of a Rake