Quotes About Elizabeth Peters
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Twilight crept along the ground like a woman trailing long gray veils. ~ Elizabeth Peters
If she hasn't learned to appreciate my sterling character and spectacular good looks by this time, it's not likely she will. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Humor is an excellent method of keeping a tight rein on unproductive displays of emotion. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I shudder to think what unimaginable horror can have reduced him to such straights.'
'No, you don't,' said Emerson. 'You revel in unimaginable horrors. ~ Elizabeth Peters
When, oh when will justice and reason prevail, and Woman descend from the pedestal on which Man has placed her (in order to prevent her from doing anything except standing perfectly still) and take her rightful place beside him? ~ Elizabeth Peters
I hope I number patience among my virtues, but shilly-shallying, when nothing is to be gained by delay, is not a virtue. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Is is difficult to be angry with a gentleman who pays you compliments, even impertinent compliments. Especially impertinent compliments. ~ Elizabeth Peters
In the gloomy corridor of that sepulchre I had felt Emerson's arms about me for the first time; along the rubble-strewn floor of the wadi we had raced by moonlight to save those we loved from a hideous death. Every foot of the way was familiar to me, and the spot was as fraught with romance as a garden of roses might be to one who had led a more boring life. ~ Elizabeth Peters
She is,' said Ramses judicially, 'a bloodthirsty little creature. Rather like a kitten - soft and purring and conscienceless and cruel. ~ Elizabeth Peters
...the giving of tea parties is by no means my favorite amusement. In fact, I would prefer to be pursued across the desert by a band of savage Dervishes brandishing spears and howling for my blood. I would rather be chased up a tree by a mad dog, or face a mummy risen from its grave. I would rather be threatened by knives, pistols, poisonous snakes, and the curse of a long-dead king.... ~ Elizabeth Peters
Emerson has what I believe is called a selective memory. He can recall minute details of particular excavations but is likely to forget where he left his hat. ~ Elizabeth Peters
When men start talking about honour, there is sure to be trouble. ~ Elizabeth Peters
There is nothing more abominable than being in a state of bodily exhaustion and mental irritation; I was too lethargic to get up and seek some means of occupying my mind, but I was too uneasy to fall asleep. ~ Elizabeth Peters
No one slaughters a coreligionist with quite as much enthusiasm as a Christian, my dear. Look at their history. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I would never have supposed that inexperienced girl was capable of such cold-blooded, calculating manipulation! ~ Elizabeth Peters
You certainly are a repository of useless information. How do you know all that?' David asked, with more amusement than admiration.
'I have a mind like a magpie's, easily distracted by interesting odds and ends,' Ramses admitted. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Marriage, in my view, should be a balanced stalemate between equal adversaries. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I knew the answer, and
of course
so did Ramses. He has superb breath control and always gets in ahead of me. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Love has a most unfortunate effect on the brain, ~ Elizabeth Peters
I disapprove of matrimony as a matter of principle ... Why should any independent, intelligent female choose to subject herself to the whims and tyrannies of a husband? I assure you, I have yet to meet a man as sensible as myself! (Amelia Peabody) ~ Elizabeth Peters
I love you, he said flatly. I
love
you. Shall I elaborate? I have loved you. I do love you. I will love you. I didn't want to love you. I tried not to love you. I will undoubtably regret loving you, but
God help me
I love you
so much. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I couldn't help overhearing," he went on. "Grrr," said Emerson. (I assure you, there is really no other way of reproducing this sound.) "Honestly. ~ Elizabeth Peters
He managed to create an atmosphere of sticky sentimentality that disgusted me. ~ Elizabeth Peters
The man had no more romance in his soul than a codfish ~ Elizabeth Peters
I do wish you would not be so precipitate; just look at you, you are bleeding all over the antiquities. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Any writer who waits for inspiration to strike will never finish a book. Inspiration is all very well but it will never replace sheer dogged determination. ~ Barbara Michaels
Ten years of Ramses had convinced me that my inability to have more children was not, as I had first viewed it, a sad disappointment, but rather a kindly disposition of all-knowing Providence. One Ramses was enough. Two or more would have finished me. ~ Elizabeth Peters
What's a little hot water, when the cause is just?' demanded Emerson, who might be said to have spent most of his life up to his neck in boiling liquid. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Another dead body. Every year it is the same. Every year, another dead body ... ~ Elizabeth Peters
The combination of physical strength and moral sincerity combined with tenderness of heart is exactly what is wanted in a husband.
Ameila Peabody ~ Elizabeth Peters
Nefret said with a gusty sigh, 'Well, that's done it. We may as well join in, Ramses, family arguments are the favorite form of amusement here and this looks like being a loud one. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Ramses had always been fond of Helen, in his peculiar fashion, but if he had looked at me as he was looking at her, I would have sent for a constable. ~ Elizabeth Peters
You know how your eyes can deceive you at times
how a group of shapes and shadows can take on a certain form and then shift into another? It wasn't really like that; there was no physical change in him, he was exactly the same as he'd always been. I knew every line of his long body and every curl on his disheveled black head. I'd just never seen him before. you know what I'm trying to say, don't you? The change is in the heart. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Nefret had always had an uncanny ability to read his thoughts. 'Did she cry?' she asked sweetly. 'And then you kissed her? You shouldn't have done that. I'm sure you meant well, but kissing someone out of pity is always a mistake. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Americans have many admirable characteristics, but literary taste is rare among them. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Goodness, what a nasty suspicious mind the boy has, I thought. He must have got it from me. ~ Elizabeth Peters
The cat Horus shot out from under the table and headed for the door, his ears flattened and his tail straight out. There he encountered Abdullah, who had been waiting for us on the verandah and who had, I supposed, been alarmed by Emerson's shouts and hurried to discover what disaster had prompted them. The cat got entangled in Abdullah's skirts and a brief interval of staggering (by Abdullah), scratching (by Horus) and swearing (by both parties) ensued before Horus freed himself and departed. ~ Elizabeth Peters
My feelings are a fact, not a personal delusion. They are valid for me. What business have you got trying to tell me how I ought to feel? ~ Elizabeth Peters
Cats are not susceptible to the sort of persuasion one uses on human beings. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I am not at all alarmed," I said calmly. "Except for your friend's health. He seems about to have a fit. Is he commonly subject to weakness of the brain?" The ~ Elizabeth Peters
Emerson,' I said, choosing my words with care, 'it is a sheer drop from the cleft down to the base of the cliff. If you are bent on breaking your arm or your leg or your neck or all three, find a place closer to home so we won't have to carry you such a distance. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I had refused Emerson's well-meant offers of assistance, knowing his efforts would be confined to moving the furniture to the wrong places and demanding how much longer the process would take. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I would be the first to admit that my maternal instincts are not well developed
though in defense I must add that the raising of Ramses would have discouraged any woman. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Reputable scholars might have denied its authenticity, but there are always other scholars who disagree
and people will believe what they want to believe, never mind the evidence. If there is anything life has taught me, it is that there is no idea so absurd that someone will not accept it as truth, and no action so bizarre that it will not be justified in the eyes of a true believer. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Eavesdropping, Mother?' Ramses inquired.
'It is a shameful habit, but cursed useful,' I said, quoting something he had once said, and was rewarded by one of his rare and rather engaging smiles. ~ Elizabeth Peters
The secret of happiness is to enjoy the moment, without allowing unhappy memories or fear of the future to shadow the shining present. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Since I am not as stupid as my children believe I am, I had immediately realized this might be a ruse, but I was not at all averse to a confrontation. In fact, I had been hoping for some such thing. ~ Elizabeth Peters
History has a kindly way of glossing over little faults like brigandage, slaughter, piracy, and assaults on women, especially when the perpetrators possess titles and landed estates. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Emerson abandoned irony for blunt and passionate speech.
'This war has been a monumental blunder from the start! Britain is not solely responsible, but by God, gentlemen, she must share the blame, and she will pay a heavy price: the best of her young men, future scholars and scientists and statesmen, and ordinary, decent men who might have led ordinary, decent lives. And how will it end, when you tire of your game of soldiers? A few boundaries redrawn, a few transitory political advantages, in exchange for an entire continent laid waste and a million graves! What I do may be of minor importance in the total accumulation of knowledge, but at least I don't have blood on my hands. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Men are frail creatures, of course; one does not expect them to exhibit the steadfastness of women. ~ Elizabeth Peters
The cat required far less attendance than a human child, which is one of the reasons why spinster ladies prefer felines to babies. ~ Elizabeth Peters
for, failing to capture the attention of a waiter, I hooked one of them by the arm and ordered a whiskey and soda. The buzz of conversation, ~ Elizabeth Peters
No woman really wants a man to carry her off; she only wants him to want to do it. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Bucolic peace is not my ambience, ~ Elizabeth Peters
Emerson, do you mean it?' 'It is only your due, my dear Peabody. Spite and selfishness alone kept me from beginning on them long ago. You deserve pyramids, and pyramids you will have! ~ Elizabeth Peters
The current fashions are impractical for an active person. Skirts so tight one must toddle like an infant, bodices boned so firmly it is impossible to draw a deep breath ... . And bustles! Of all the idiotic contrivances foisted upon helpless womankind, the bustle is certainly the worst. ~ Elizabeth Peters
For some reason his parents had a low opinion of his common sense. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Ramses. I had long since resigned myself to the impossibility of teaching Emerson the proper subjects of conversation before the servants. Wilkins is not resigned; but there is nothing he can do about it. Not only does Emerson rant on and on about personal matters at the dinner table, but he often consults Wilkins and John. Wilkins has a single reply to all questions: "I really could not say, sir." John, who had never been in service before he came to us, had adapted very comfortably to Emerson's habits. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Selim, you will speak with your kin and your friends in Gurneh; perhaps some of them will respond to direct threats--questions, I mean to say. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I may say, without undue egotism, that when I make up my mind to do something, it is done quickly. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I have always been of the opinion that your successes are due not so much to your medical skill as your dogged determination. No one would have the audacity to die when you are doctoring them. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Prejudice of one sort or another seems to be a universal human weakness. Few individuals are completely free of it, including the ones who pride themselves on being open-minded.'
'The Professor isn't like that.'
'Father despises people quite impartially and without prejudice,' Ramses said. ~ Elizabeth Peters
A man is at a decided disadvantage when he receives irate brothers and indignant lovers wrapped in a sheet. ~ Elizabeth Peters
He hesitated for a moment. Then he said softly, 'I love you, Mother.' He took my hand and kissed it, and folded my fingers round the stem of the rose. He had stripped it of its thorns.
I was too moved to speak. But maternal affection was not the only emotion that prevented utterance; as I watched him walk away, his head high and his step firm, anger boiled within me. I knew I had to conquer it before I saw Nefret again, or I would take her by the shoulders and shake her, and demand that she love my son! ~ Elizabeth Peters
The approval of a cat cannot but flatter the recipient. ~ Elizabeth Peters
There is no creature better at delicate rudeness than a cat... ~ Elizabeth Peters
E continues to cling to the forlorn hope that I will turn into one of those swooning females ... and fling myself squeeling at him whenever anything happens. Like all men, he clings to his illusions. ~ Elizabeth Peters
His lips parted, but long years of experience with Ramses, and to some extent, Emerson, had taught me how to turn a conversation into a monologue. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Fists and rocks and clubs can do a limited amount of harm, but a gun is entirely different. It makes a weak man feel like a hero and a strong man feel as if he is immortal, and it removes the last inhibition a killer might feel. You don't have to be close to a man to put a bullet in him. You don't have to have to see his face. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Stokes is running a little late this morning, ma'am. Like, an emergency, you know. Being a woman of moderate expectations, Jacqueline accepted the stumbling ~ Elizabeth Peters
Don't sound so surprised. I have sensible moments, you know. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Most men are reasonably useful in a crisis. The difficulty lies in convincing them that the situation has reached a critical point ~ Elizabeth Peters
I felt about him as I might feel about a friendly, dimwitted dog that had decided to move in with us. He could not be cast out into the street, but he was shedding all over the furniture. ~ Elizabeth Peters
There are occasions upon which a candid expression of opinion may be not only rude, but counterproductive. L ~ Elizabeth Peters
I felt obligated by friendship as well as duty to make certain they were comfortably housed. Since men seem to measure comfort by the degree of dirt and confusion that prevails, I deduced that they were very comfortable. ~ Elizabeth Peters
That was Evelyn's weakness. She was too kind, and too truthful. Both, I have found, are inconvenient character traits. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Bah,' said Emerson. 'It relieved my feelings, but it had not the ~ Elizabeth Peters
Why should any independent, intelligent female choose to subject herself to the whims and tyrannies of a husband? I assure you, I have yet to meet a man as sensible as myself! ~ Elizabeth Peters
The sun is born again from the womb of night," he said. "See how the light spreads, remaking the world. ~ Elizabeth Peters
God help the poor mummy who encounters you, Peabody," he said bitterly. "We ought to supply it with a pistol, to even the odds. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Semaphored warning as well as I could. He took the hint. ~ Elizabeth Peters
We should call it a draw. You tried to shoot me, I tried to poison you. As I said before Peabody, we are well matched. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Emerson, we are going to have a hard time solving this case if we hope to do it by using you as bait. There are too many people in Egypt who would like to kill you. ~ Elizabeth Peters
A lady cannot be blamed if a master criminal takes a fancy to her. ~ Elizabeth Peters
My nature does not lend itself to the meekness required of a wife in our society. I could not endure a man who would let himself be ruled by me, and I would not endure a man who tried to rule me. ~ Elizabeth Peters
But the dust! And the clutter! My housewifely and scholarly instincts were equally offended. ~ Elizabeth Peters
To see Ramses, at fourteen months, wrinkling his brows over a sentence like 'The theology of the Egyptians was a compound of fetishism, totem-ism and syncretism' was a sight as terrifying as it was comical. Even more terrifying was the occasional thoughtful nod the child would give.
...the room was dark except for one lamp, by whose light Emerson was reading. Ramses, in his crib, contemplated the ceiling with rapt attention. It made a pretty little family scene, until one heard what was being said. '...the anatomical details of the wounds, which included a large gash in the frontal bone, a broken malar bone and orbit, and a spear thrust which smashed off the mastoid process and struck the atlas vertebra, allow us to reconstruct the death scene of the king.' ... From the small figure in the cot came a reflective voice. 'It appeaws to me that he was muwduwed.'...' a domestic cwime.'...'One of the ladies of the hawem did it, I think.' I seized Emerson by the arm and pushed him toward the door, before he could pursue this interesting suggestion. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I warn. Give it to me. If you do, no harm will follow, I swear it.' As Emerson might have said, this was the wrong approach to take to me. (In fact, Emerson would have put it more emphatically, using terms like 'red flag to a bull.') I ~ Elizabeth Peters
The only people who are not in awe of Emerson's powerful voice and well-nigh superhuman strength are the members of his own family. He is aware of this, and often complains about it; so from time to time I like to put on a little show of being intimidated. 'Proceed, my dear,' I said apologetically. ~ Elizabeth Peters
I have learned that particularly clever ideas do not always stand up under close scrutiny. ~ Elizabeth Peters
It is much more sensible to be an optimist instead of a pessimist, for if one is doomed to disappointment, why experience it in advance? ~ Elizabeth Peters
I was not certain what social rules applied to the delayed discovery of one's wife's mummified body, ~ Elizabeth Peters
Any man with a grain of sense knows that marriage is the only way, these days, to acquire a full-time maid who works twenty-five hours a day, with no time off and no pay except room and board. (p9) ~ Elizabeth Peters
The room didn't look haunted or eerie now;it was only melancholy in it's faded grandeur. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Either the War Office had recruited Ramses - in which case I would have General Spencer's head on a platter - or Ramses had come across something that, in his opinion, merited investigation ... I am never guilty of idle speculation, so I kept an open mind on that. Except that once I caught up with him, I would have Ramses' head on another platter. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Why is a man with a knife after your blood? Who sent him? I would like to write the fellow a letter of thanks! ~ Elizabeth Peters
In the silence I heard Bastet, who had retreated under the bed, carrying on a mumbling, profane monologue. (If you ask how I knew it was profane, I presume you have never owned a cat.) ~ Elizabeth Peters
I peeled his fingers from my lips. "That was unnecessary." I said. "I was only surprised at your statement, after you have consistently disclaimed any interest in the matter. In fact, I too have discovered the identity of the person in question." "Oh, you have, have you?" "Yes, I have." We studied one another warily. "Would you care to enlighten me?" Emerson inquired. "No. I think I know; but if I am wrong you will never let me hear the end of it. Perhaps you will enlighten me." "No." "Ha! You are not sure either." "I said as much." Again we exchanged measuring glances. "You have no proof," I said. "That is the difficulty. And you - " "Not ~ Elizabeth Peters
Nothing can be more infuriating than being forgiven over and over again. ~ Elizabeth Peters
Moon dipped low over the dark outlines of the mountains, and the sable sky blazed with stars. There ~ Elizabeth Peters
