79 Quotes by Debra Holland

As if sensing his thoughts, Elizabeth looked up. Her pale face still showed signs of strain. He winked at her to see if he could bring out the dimple in the left corner of her smile. It worked. Her skin pinked up, and the dimple briefly appeared. That seldom-seen dimple really did something to his heart. The tiny indentation changed her from the proper Miss Hamilton to his Elizabeth.

That strange feeling came back to Nick’s stomach, although this time it traveled upward to the vicinity of his heart. His hands stroked and soothed the mare, but all his attention centered on the woman kneeling in the straw. The haughty attitude Elizabeth sometimes displayed had vanished. Happiness lit up her face, and her eyes shone with love. Look at me that way, he silently pleaded. He knew Star didn’t appreciate her loving attention the same way he would.

Elizabeth stood where he’d left her, a forlorn figure in a sodden blue gown, still clasping the pistol with both hands. His heart swelled with pride at her courage, but he also wanted to shake her for scaring ten years off his life.

From this view, she could see how his light brown hair curled below his hat and over his collar. With a smile, she remembered the swashbuckling heroes in the forbidden novels she and Pamela used to read in secret. How they had swooned over those stories, their hearts beating rapidly in their not-yet-blossoming chests. Did Pamela ever remember those books when she looked at Nick?

Once she looked across the table at Nick and noticed him watching her with a shadowed expression in his green eyes. For a moment, her happiness dimmed. Could he sense her attraction to Mr. Livingston? Their glances held, then he turned away to reply to a remark addressed to him by Miss Stanton.

Do the girls swim too?” “Yes, Miz Carter lets them swim in their shifts.” Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at that. “What do you men wear?” Laughter glinted in his green eyes, and he slanted her a mischievous grin. “Since Miz Carter came here to live, we swim in old pants cut off at the knees.” Warmth crept up her cheeks. Bad enough thinking about a bare-chested Nick swimming in the pool without thinking of him naked!

Mrs. Carter raised her chin. “The essence of a lady comes from within,” she said in a gentle but firm tone. “A lady can wear rags, but as long as she holds her head up and carries herself proudly, people will see her, not her clothing.

Nick took the pistol from her, turned, and tossed it onto the grass. Placing his hands on her arms, he pulled her to him, the pressure of his fingers biting into the softness of her flesh. “I don’t know whether to shake you” – Nick emphasized his words with a joggle of her arms – “or kiss you.” His tone sounded playful, but seriousness glimmered in his gaze.

Elizabeth watched as Nick, alternating between teasing and coaxing, persuaded Lizzy to drink the entire glass of lemonade. He’s so good with her – with all the children. Someday, he’ll make a wonderful father. That unexpected warmth crept into her cheeks again. As if Nick read her mind, his eyes met hers. Elizabeth blushed. Surely he wasn’t having similar thoughts about her?