The Secret Quotes

“Don't you dare weep," he commanded.
"You've broken my heart."
"I'll fix it later.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“He shrugged. "I was...thinking."
"About what?"
"The fires of purgatory."
She had to sit down. He wasn't making any sense now. "What does that mean?" she asked.
"Patrick told me he would walk through the fires of purgatory if he had to in order to please his wife."
She went over to the bed and sat down on the side. "And?" she prodded when he didn't continue.
He stripped out of his clothing and walked over to her. He pulled her to her feet and stared down to her.
"And I have only just realized I would do the same for you.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“I'll stay away from you and you'll stay away from me. I'm already over this insignificant, puny, inconsequential attraction. I don't even remember kissing you."
They had reached the cluster of trees in front of the courtyard leading to Frances Catherine's cottage when she told him that outrageous lie.
"The hell you have forgotten," he muttered. He grabbed hold of her shoulders and forced her to turn around. Then he took hold of her chin and pushed her face up.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.
"Reminding you.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Can we get on with this?" Father Laggan cried out. "In the name of the Father…"
"I'm inviting my aunt Millicent and uncle Herbert to come for a visit, Iain, and I'm not going through the council to get permission first."
"… and of the Son," the priest continued in a much louder voice.
"She'll be wanting King John next," Duncan predicted.
"We can't allow that, lass," Owen muttered.
"Please join hands now and concentrate on this ceremony," Father Laggan shouted, trying to gain everyone's attention.
"I don't want King John to come here," Judith argued. She turned to frown at Owen for making such a shameful suggestion. "I want my aunt and uncle. I'm getting them, too." She turned and had to peek around Graham in order to look up at Iain. "Yes or no, Iain."
"We'll see. Graham, I'm marrying Judith, not you. Let go of her hand. Judith, move over here."
Father Laggan gave up trying to maintain order. He continued on with the ceremony. Iain was paying some attention. He immediately agreed to take Judith for his wife.She wasn't as cooperative. He felt a little sorry for the sweet woman. She looked thoroughly
confused.
"Judith, do you take Iain for your husband?"
She looked up at Iain before giving her answer. "We'll see."
"That won't do, lass. You've got to say I do," he advised.
"Do I?"
Iain smiled. "Your aunt and uncle will be welcomed here."
She smiled back.
....
Judith tried not to laugh. She turned her attention back to Father Laggan. "I will say I do,"
she told him. "Shouldn't we begin now?"
"The lass has trouble following along," Vincent remarked.
Father Laggan gave the final blessing while Judith argued with the elder about his rude comment. Her concentration was just fine, she told him quite vehemently.
She nagged an apology out of Vincent before giving the priest her attention again. "Patrick, would you go and get Frances Catherine? I would like her to stand by my side during the ceremony."
"You may kiss the bride," Father Laggan announced.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Let me know, Iain."
"Let you know what?"
"If you're going to keep her or not."
"And if I'm not?"
"Then I am.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Papa, do you like my new friend?" Frances Catherine asked when they were halfway across the field.
"I surely do."
"Can I keep her?"
"For the love of...No, you can't keep her. She isn't a puppy. You can be her friend, though," he hastily added before his daughter could argue with him.
"Forever, papa?"
She 'd asked her father that question, but Judith answered her. "Forever," she shyly whispered.
Frances Catherine reached across her father's chest to take hold of Judith's hand. "Forever," she pledged.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“In a low whisper she was certain only her friend could
hear, she said, "I specifically remember we both promised never to drink from any man's goblet of wine. From the looks of you, Frances Catherine, I'm thinking you broke your word.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“She didn't have any intention of crying. The tears caught her by surprise. She knew she was behaving like a child, that she was being terribly foolish and emotional, but she didn't know how to stop herself.
"Judith?" His thumb brushed away one of the tears on her cheek. "Tell me why you're crying."
"There weren't any flowers. Iain, there should have been flowers."
Her voice had been so soft, he wasn't certain he understood her. "Flowers?" he asked.
"Where weren't there any flowers?"
He waited for her to explain, but she stubbornly remained silent. He squeezed her.
"In the chapel."
"What chapel?"
"The one you don't have," she answered.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Isabelle, it's all right for you to be a little afraid, but you should also be very excited and joyful, too. You're about to bring a new life into this world."
"I would rather Winslow do it.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“You might have started out with a clever plan in mind, but you fell in love with her somewhere along the way, didn't you?"
Iain refused to answer him. Douglas wouldn't let it go. "Do you love Judith?"
Iain let out a sigh. Judith's brother was turning out to be one hell of a nuisance. "Do you honestly believe I would marry a Maclean if I didn't love her?"
Laird Maclean let out a snort of laughter. "Welcome to the family, son.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Judith took a deep breath. "Aye, you captured Iain's wife," she said again. "But he married your daughter.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“I'll see she gets them," Brodick said.
Judith shook her head. "I want to meet her," she explained. She stood up and walked over to the table. "I have messages to give her from her mother."
"I'll be happy to show you the way," Alex volunteered.
"I'll do it," Gowrie announced in a much firmer voice.
Brodick shook his head. "Isabelle is my sister-in-law," he snapped. "I'll show Judith the way."
Iain had opened the door, and stood there listening to the argument. He was having difficulty believing what he was hearing… and seeing. His warriors were acting like lovesick squires while they argued over who would escort Judith.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Iain didn't go back to sleep for a long while. He continued to think about all the logical reasons he would never allow himself to be turned into a lovesick weakling like Patrick, and when he finally fell asleep, he had convinced himself that he would distance his heart from his
mind.
He dreamed about her.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Iain didn't know what to say to her. They had all asked an incredible amount from her. She was such an innocent, too. Hell, she wasn't even married, and yet they'd demanded she deliver a baby. He wasn't even certain if she knew how Isabelle had conceived the babe.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Isabelle is like a warrior going into battle and she needs… you said yes? You'd really choose an inexperienced squire?" she asked, her voice incredulous.
He laughed. "I would."
She smiled. "You're lying to me to make me feel better. It's all right. It's working. Now tell
me another lie.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“She sat down at the table and spent a good hour talking about her husband. She told Judith how they'd met, how he relentlessly pursued her, and finished by mentioning just a hundred or two of his special qualities.
The only thing the man wasn't capable of was walking on water… yet. Judith made that comment when her friend paused for breath.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Iain took hold of both her hands and squeezed to get her attention. Then he took a deep breath. Even with his men watching, he wanted the words to be right, his declaration to be one she would always remember. It was a damned awkward undertaking, trying to think of loving words, and he had absolutely no experience in this area, but he was still determined not to muck it up. The moment needed to be perfect for her. “Judith,” he began. “Yes, Iain?” “I’m keeping you.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“One whisper, added to a thousand others, becomes a roar of discontent,”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“He was so damned happy to see her, he frowned. She smiled back.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Frances Catherine, I’m going to win this argument,” Judith announced. She nodded to her friend when she made that prediction. “Why?” “Because it’s my turn,” she explained. “You may win the next argument.” “Lord, you’re stubborn.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Do you deliberately try to provoke me?” He waited for her denial. An apology, too. He didn’t get either. “Yes, I do believe I am trying to deliberately provoke you.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Judith, you sound
horrible. What's the matter with your voice? Are you coming down with something?"
Judith shook her head. "I'm all right."
"You sound like you swallowed a frog.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Judith, do you take Ian for your husband?” She looked up at him before giving her answer. “We’ll see”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“...they'd become good friends before they were old enough to understand they were supposed to be enemies...”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Men were far more delicate to deal with than women were, she thought to herself. Their pride made the most reasonable solutions difficult.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“It was a damned awkward undertaking, trying to think of loving words, and he had absolutely no experience in this area, but he was still determined not to muck it up. Even with his men watching, he wanted the words to be right, his declaration to be one she would always remember.
The moment needed to be perfect for her. "Judith," he began.
"Yes, Iain?"
"I'm keeping you.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“Dreams are for little girls to whisper to each other. They don't really come true. I'm a fully grown woman now, Frances Catherine. I don't imagine impossible things.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“One whisper, Judith, added to a thousand others will become a roar of discontent even”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“She was going to have a wonderful adventure. That realization popped into her mind all of the sudden. It didn’t make any sense to her, but she was too confused by her reaction to the warrior to try to sort it out now. She only knew that she was suddenly feeling completely free of all her worries. Safe, too.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret

“had made them stop. “Did they throw stones at the man who spit in his drink?” Judith wanted to know.”
― Julie Garwood, The Secret