A Brazen Curiosity Quotes

“A man of his circumstance—handsome demeanor, elevated status, inordinately fat purse—was allowed any trespass, and Bea had little doubt that if he suddenly ran his host through with a sword, Skeffington would promptly apologize for bloodying the blade.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Can you imagine? I would think any man who had decided to leave his wife and child to the vagaries of fate would have the decency to choose a more pristine method. Poison, perhaps. Like that Greek philosopher. Socrates, yes? He took a potion that allowed for a very dignified death. I believe he held court until the end.” “Hemlock,” Aunt Vera said with approval. “I would advise all suicidal men to seek hemlock,” Flora said. “A laudable suggestion,” her mother affirmed. “Or perhaps an extra dose of laudanum. There are several ways of ending one’s life that don’t necessitate a full scrubbing by servants before your loved ones can pay their respects.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“All through dinner Miss Beatrice Hyde-Clare imagined tossing food at Damien Matlock, Duke of Kesgrave. The projectiles varied depending on the course—fish patties with olive paste, stuffed tomatoes, veal cutlets, poached eggs, fillets of salmon, meringues with preserves—but the impulse remained steady.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Resentment was a blunt instrument yielding wanton destruction, and she wanted no part in the wreckage. It was better, she’d decided, to find humor in the vagaries of fate, a resolution that had the added benefit of flattering her ego, for it required a certain amount of moral fortitude to laugh when most people would cry.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“I’m surprised you have to ask, your grace,” she said. “Isn’t ignorance always in fashion for ladies?”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Your attention to detail is humbling, your grace. It must be difficult to know so much and have so few occasions to demonstrate it.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“No, she thought in amusement, Aunt Vera and Uncle Horace would never consign her to the scullery. But they were happy to let her husband do it.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“That she had succeeding in pulling off an entire courtship behind his parents’ backs encouraged him to wonder what feats of stealthiness he himself might aspire to, and he repeatedly asked for instructions on how to evade his parents’ notice.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Determinedly, she lifted her head and raised her eyes to meet the duke’s, which were curiously bright and astoundingly blue. “Until next time, your grace. You bring the pedantry. I’ll bring the dinner rolls,” she said provokingly, and her aunt gasped in horror.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“And with that one horrifying statement, Aunt Vera managed to accomplish what a bloody corpse, a ramshackle shed and a delusional peeress could not: break Bea’s spirit.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“It was an unpleasantly familiar sensation, and she wondered if she would always be plagued by a compulsion to assault him with food.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Kesgrave, however, did not talk to her during dinner. Indeed, he spoke few words to anyone, and watching him sullenly examine his fellow guests, Bea found herself wanting to hurl a dinner roll at him just to elicit a lecture on the throwing arch of flour-based projectiles.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Lady Skeffington stood up, her hands raised as if unable to take yet another review of the evidence. “For goodness’ sake, dear, I confess,” she said irritably. “I did it. I killed Thomas. Really, young lady, has nobody ever taught you that brevity is the soul of wit? I begin to see now why you remain unmarried. I’d naturally assumed it was because you were a plain-faced girl with a meager portion, but now I see it’s because you’re deadly dull. You are quite the dullest girl in Dullminster.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Beatrice raised an eyebrow as she considered him with amused skepticism. “Am I right in understanding, your grace, that you are now boasting about not boasting?” He shrugged, displaying no hint of self-consciousness or unease. “It’s the depth to which you’ve driven me, Miss Hyde-Clare.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Heaving a sigh that was equal parts relieved and impatient, she raised the sash and said, “I suppose tomorrow your valet will present a seminar to the young men on how to scale a tree with dexterity and grace.” Kesgrave climbed easily over the windowsill—additional fodder for his tutorial—and replied, “I continue to be confounded by your churlishness in the face of competence, Miss Hyde-Clare. As you appear to be quite capable yourself, I’d think you’d appreciate proficiency in others.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Bea recognized his comment as yet another slight against poor Mrs. Radcliffe, and insulting as it was, she was grateful to realize that his respect for her extended only so far. In every way that mattered, he still considered her beneath his consideration. It was an important lesson for her to remember.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“His eyes still glimmering with delight, he shook his head and said, “Your callous pragmatism is a thing of beauty.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Beatrice couldn’t help but admire the cool-headed response, and for the first time since meeting him five days ago, she found herself feeling grudging respect for the gentleman. Perhaps he wasn’t quite the preening bag of wind he presented to the world.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Think of it, Miss Hyde-Clare, leg-shackled to a pedantic, know-everything duke for the rest of your life: tiresome conversation, plodding children, endless lists of British warships day and night. Surely, you have something better in mind for yourself—a cottage in the country, spirited debate with like-minded fellows, every book ever written at your fingertips and time enough to read them.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“She would do all this while the duke, who always thought he was the cleverest person in the room, wasted the day fishing for trout. Delighted by the prospect, she settled in to read.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Bea found his superiority so insufferable, she could not hold back her speech despite making a firm resolution before dinner to say nothing untoward that might upset her aunt during the meal.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“she could feel the prickle of his attention on the back of her neck and her body positively itched with the desire to face him head on.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Her hand on the doorknob, Bea turned to look at the duke, his handsome features pulled into a scowl, and raised a finger to her lips to shush him. “Remember, if anyone discovers I was here, you will be ruined. Think of your incandescent future with your Incomparable wife and those impossibly perfect children.” While the Duke of Kesgrave stared at her with bewildered horror, she opened the door a sliver, peered through the crack, confirmed that the corridor was unoccupied and slipped silently out of his room. She had a murderer to find.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Having never been credited with a sense of humor before, she was delighted to discover he considered hers to be ill-advised. She hoped by the end of their stay he would promote it to utterly foolish.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Having never been credited with a sense of humor before, she was delighted to discover he considered hers to be ill-advised.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Aunt Vera smiled in relief. “Thank you, my dear. I must own, I’m especially anxious because I saw his grace in the hallway as the men returned from their fishing expedition and he asked if there was anything to be done about your outspokenness.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“Now, before I go change for dinner, let’s practice your appropriately benign expression.” Discovering that the duke sought to silence her through her aunt, Bea sneered. “No, that’s not quite right,” Aunt Vera said. “It’s a touch too feral.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“His fear of being dragooned into marriage was so intense, she felt a perverse desire to dawdle indefinitely.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“As someone who has been on the verge of leaving for fifteen minutes, you seem remarkably inclined to linger.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity

“The night before, she had finished a fascinating biography of Viscount Townshend, which had accomplished the seemingly impossible by making her want to farm turnips for the first time in her life.”
― Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity