Kerri Maniscalco Quotes

She's a person who deserves to have her story told. What does it matter where she was born? ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Mephistopheles waved her off as she left. "One more woman running off with another man. I'm losing my touch."

"Have you considered you might be a Thorne in their sides?" Thomas asked. "You certainly can be a pric - "

"Thomas," I whispered harshly, pinching the inside of his elbow.

"How clever," Mephistopheles said blandly. "You've made my name into a pun. What other comedic brilliance will you think of next? I wish I could say I missed this" - he motioned between himself and Thomas - "but that sort of lying doesn't pay my bills."

"Nor do the gemstones on your suits," Thomas muttered.

"Are you still jealous about my jackets?" Mephistopheles grinned.

"For the love of the queen," I said, interrupting before they really got into it. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

How silly of me to believe in happy endings when I lived and breathed in darkness. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Lords weep, ladies cry. Down the road, say good-bye.
Land shifts and caves dwell. Deep in earth, warm as hell.
Water seeps cold, deep and fast. Within its walls you will not last. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Dear Lord Wadsworth, esteemed Baron of Somerset,

I write to you under great duress. I cannot seem to properly ask to formally court your daughter and ought to be put out of my misery at once. Please send a vicious brood of vampire bats to dispatch me at your earliest convenience. It would clearly be an improvement over this letter…

Your daughter's hopeful yet stupid suitor,
Thomas ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Mistakes were a learning experience, not the end of the universe. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

We needn't complete each other, we complemented each other. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I wanted her to choose me without being influenced by my own feelings. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Where in a medical dictionary does it say a woman cannot handle such things? What is a man's soul made of that a woman's is not? I had no idea my innards were composed of cotton and kittens, while yours are filled with steel and steam-driven parts. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

No matter if something was thought to be very bad. There was nothing to be afraid of other than our own worries. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Seeing the truth was never easy, especially when it revealed those closest to us could be monsters hidden in plain sight. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

There's nothing better than a little danger dashed with some romance. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Passion and annoyance were fire, and fire was alive and crackling with power. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I hate that there's a chance you might care for someone else. I've never despised something more in my whole existence, but I refuse to become the monster my father believes I am. I will never force myself upon you, even if some untamed, wild beast thrashes inside me, begging for a chance to destroy anyone or anything that might steal you away. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Foe now I'd tend to my own wounds. Thomas was correct about one thing: I needed to heal myself before I could address anything or anyone else. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Hope in an invisible yet might force. Don't dismiss it's power. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

BONE WHITE, BLOOD RED. ALONG THIS PATH YOU'LL SOON BE DEAD. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Everyone makes mistakes, Wadsworth. There's no shame in that. It's how you go about mending them that truly counts. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

If only life's problems could be solved with a frilly dress and a pair of slippers. To hell with the world around us, so long as we looked our best. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Rules are restrictions given by other privileged men. I enjoy making up my own mind. Everyone ought to have the same human right. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

You do say you like a man with a rather large - "

"Stop." I held my hand up. "I beg of you. My uncle is right there."

"Brain." He finished anyway, grinning at my reddening face. "You truly astound me with the direction your filthy mind travels in, Wadsworth. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I tried again, but the door refused to open. It was like everything in life; the more one struggled against it, the harder it became. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I love you... More than all the stars in the universe. In this life and ever after. I love you. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

The promise of death was as alluring, if not more so, than the prospect of falling in love. What morbid creatures we were, craving danger and mystery in place of happily-ever-afters. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

As forensic examiners, we cannot shut off other avenues to search. What have I taught you about trusting only that which you see? ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Most stories are too good to be true. That's what makes them enchanting. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I had no idea you were also a chiropterologist," I said blandly. "Is this how you impress all the young ladies?"

He surveyed me with interest. "Well, I had no idea you knew the scientific term for bat study. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Do not turn your back on a love that could jump the barrier between life and death. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Surely boys are interested in proposing only to girls in lacy gowns. Why care about beauty and brains when they can have beauty over brains? Foolish creatures they are. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

But while life does remain to cheer me, I'll retain
This small violet I pluck'd from my mother's grave. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I cannot predict what the future will bring when tomorrow may not come. Any number of things may happen. God may decide He's had enough of us and wipe the slate clean. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

You'd discover your morals aren't defined in terms such as black or white, good or bad. Most shy away from that level of introspection. It makes us realize we're villains. At least in part. We also all have the capacity to he heroes. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

One fact was slowly taking shape: I was in jeopardy of admiring Mr. Cresswell against my better judgment. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Love makes fools of the wisest. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

You've stared Fear in its nasty face and made it tremble. You will make it through this, Wadsworth. We will mange it through this. That is a fact more tangling than any dream or nightmare. I promised I'd never lie to you. I intend to honor my word. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

He reminded me of the caterpillar from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, sitting upon his giant mushroom, lazing about without a care in the world. If only he were small enough to squish beneath my boots.

"That's a disgusting habit."

"So is dissecting the dead prior to breakfast. But I don't scorn you for that unseemly habit. In fact" - he leaned closer, dropping his voice into a conspiratorial whisper - "it's rather endearing seeing you up to your elbows in viscera each morning. Also, you're quite welcome for the flower. Do place it on your nightstand and think of me while dressing for bed. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Oh, how I despised remaining silent under such awful judgment. I'd like to remind each man who held such poor opinions of a woman that their beloved mothers were, in fact, women.

I didn't see any men running about, birthing the world's population then going on to make supper and tend to the house. Most of them buckled to their knees when the slightest sniffle attacked them. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Behind me a door swung open, revealing a tall figure gilded by light - the background din of staff cleaning up after the terrible opening show accentuated his own silence. He stood there, too shrouded in shadows for me to make out his features, but judging from the involuntary flutter in my chest, it was Thomas. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

If you don't let go of me this instant," I said between clenched teeth, "I'll be forced to empty a terrible fighting tactic my brother taught me upon your manhood. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

If we weren't about to face another terrible passageway filled with life-threatening danger, I'd take you in my arms this instant. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

The dead speak to those who listen. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

And she hardly requires a knight to save her. She's more likely to ride in and save you and then smack you for being an idiot, ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I cannot have men stationed outside the first-class promenade. How will that look to well-paying passengers? This is not a workhouse and I will not treat my passengers like prisoners. They're not being terrorized with a theatrical murder tonight and I intend to keep it that way. I will not make them suffer."

I physically had to check to see if my head had exploded from such a ridiculous statement. Gentle prodding of my hair proved my skull was still intact, miracle of all miracles.

"You cannot be serious." Thomas tossed his hands in the air. "It would seem an awful lot better to have crew members posted along the decks than to see dismembered body parts floating about while first-class patrons made their way to breakfast and tea. 'Oh, look, Miss Eldridge, there's a mauled torso. Won't you pass the cream and sugar?'"

"Don't be absurd," the captain said, aghast.

"Apologies," Thomas said, not sounding at all sorry, "I'm only following your lead. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Tell me having a cat's affection and a good book doesn't sound like an ideal evening. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Always foster and grow that unquenchable curiosity of yours." I smiled. That was a promise I fully intended to keep. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

You know? I believe this is the most precious rose I've ever received."

He gave me a slow, playful smile. "My magic trick was fairly impressive, too. Do you think Mephistopheles will take me on? I could practice. Actually," he said, taking my arm in his, adjusting his gait as I moved unsteadily beside him, "we ought to do an act together. What do you think of 'the Amazing Cressworths'? It's got a pleasant sound to it."

"Cressworth? Did you honestly combine our names? And why does your name go first?" I stared at him out of the corner of my eye, mouth curved upward despite my best efforts. "I think the most amazing part of our act would be not lulling the audience to sleep with your wit. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I was determined to be both pretty and fierce, as Mother had said I could be. Just because I was interested in a man's job didn't mean I had to give up being girly. Who defined those roles anyhow? "Truly, ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Death was not prejudiced by mortal things such as station or gender. It came for kings and queens and prostitutes alike, often leaving the living with regrets. What might we have done differently if we'd known the end was so near? ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Sometimes you need to stand out in order to blend in. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

His eyes are golden brown when he's intrigued by something. He's regal-looking and handsome, but he's more interested in formulas and solving crimes than he is in me or poetry. He acts devilishly warm one moment, then frigid the next," I said. "So there will be no children or any beautiful paradise in our future. Most of the time I cannot even tolerate his presence. His arrogance is… I don't know. Annoying. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Lord help the girl he set those eyes on for good. His boyish vulnerability was a weapon, powerful and disarming. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

It is a sad truth that we do not live in a world where differences are accepted. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

People were always providing in death what they would not do in life, it seemed. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I want our passion to ignite the stars around us, making even the stars jealous. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Most people ignore what's right before their eyes. They believe they see, but oftentimes only view what they want. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

As to the stars? Those are what I prefer. More than medical practices and deductions. The universe is vast. A mathematical equation even I have no hope of solving. For there are no limits to the stars; their numbers are infinite. Which is precisely why i measure my love for you by them An amount too boundless to count. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Surely choosing the perfect silken shoes isn't more important than finding a blood-crazed murderer. Yet… look at those things on your feet, getting all stained and gory. Is your interest in science simply an attempt at finding a husband? Shall I grab my coat, then? ~ Kerri Maniscalco

My love for you will be a constant in a sea of unknown variables. We may fight or be cross with each other, but our love will never fade or wilt. Trust in that. Trust in us. Forget the future. Forget worry. The only thing that terrifies me is the possibility of living with regret. I don't ever want to wake and wonder what life could have been like with you in it. I don't ever want to regret holding myself back from loving you as fully and openly as possible. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Without lifting his head from his own journal, he said, "Not having any luck figuring me out, then? Don't worry, you'll get better with practice. And, yes" - he grinned wickedly, eyes fixed on his paper - "you'll still fancy me tomorrow no matter how much you wish otherwise. I'm unpredictable, and you adore it. Just as I cannot wrap my massive brain around the equation of you and yet adore it. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Pretending a monster wasn't there didn't make it go away. It only made one vulnerable to its attack. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I think you've broken one of my ribs. Was that really necessary? Next time you tackle me, be sure it's in one of our bedchambers. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Thomas Cresswell couldn't die. If he did...a darkness so complete as to truly be terrifying welled up inside me. I did not know who I'd become, should I lose him. But Satan would tremble at my approach. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I needed no man to empower me. I had my father to thank for that much; his absence in most everyday things had prepared me well enough to stand on my own. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I despise being the one having an emotional dilemma. It's much more enjoyable being the one consoling you. You haven't even offered to let me sit on your lap. You're terrible at this. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

What a fortunate surprise, Miss Wadsworth." He took my hand in his, pretending to kiss it, and pulled an ink-blue rose from the air. "A rose for the lovely Audrey Rose."

"Oh, wonderful." Thomas said. "Satan has decided to claw his way out of Hell and join us. I had no idea he did subpar tricks, though. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Why don't you talk to me about what's really troubling you? What emotional dilemma needs sorting out?" He patted his legs. "Sit here and I'll rock you gently until you or I or both fall asleep. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Regret wouldn't bring the dead back. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

You don't say," he said. "Personally, I'd rather stay in, reading. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

She's the muscle. I'm clearly the charm. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

The dead speak to those who listen. Be quieter than even them. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Love was a tricky, complicated thing - so morally gray. Both grand and terrible things were often done in its honour. But could something truly be done out of love if it had the potential to hurt the one at its heart? ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I'm in favor of hiding in your chamber for the remainder of the week." A smile twitched across his lips as I raised a brow. "Drinking, kissing, debauching ourselves until we arrive in New York." He sighed dreamily. "You must admit, we'd be safe from the murderer. Deliriously happy. And both of those options are much better than standing over cadavers. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Though I knew there were many sides to each person if one searched hard enough. No one was entirely good or evil. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

You simply need to know where to look for the questions. An easy mathematical formula applied to Homo sapiens. And behold! Science reigns over nature once more. No emotions needed. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

My notebook was filled with images of things a lady had no business being fascinated by, yet I couldn't control my curiosity. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Dear Wadsworth. Your association with me is growing more beneficial by the hour. Your intelligence is quite… attractive," Thomas said, raising his brows suggestively and taking in my newly plaited hair. "Let's have some wine and dance inappropriately. You've already dressed the part for me - let's take advantage. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

You can't apply mathematical formulas to people, Cresswell. There's no equation for human emotion, there are too many variables. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

The instruments of darkness tells us truth. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I love when you look at me that way."
I searched his eyes. "How?"
"Like you might possibly love me in the same extraordinary way that I love you. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

The snake stuck its tongue out, tasting the air as we inched by, then hissed. Nathaniel nearly tripped over the man seated beside the aisle, trying to dodge the reptile. I ran my fingers over its large, leathery head as I passed - stifling a giggle as my brother's eyes bulged and he swiped my hand away.

"Are you mad?" he whispered harshly. "That beast tried eating me whole, now you're making a pet of it. Can't you be normal and like cats?" He shook his head. "If we make it out alive I'll buy you as many kittens as you'd like. I'll even purchase a farm in the country where you can house hundreds of them. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Bone white, blood red, here lies something long dead.
Tree of death and heart of stone. Never enter the crypt alone.
If you do, He'll mark your tracks, hunt you down, and then attack.
Bone white, blood red, there lie those who should have died. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I'd like to see you carry on with a corset digging its bones into your rib cage," I said, returning the favor and eyeing his clothing. "And manage a skirt still covering most of your breeches and whipping around your thighs in this wind."

"If you'd like to see me out of my breeches, simply ask, Wadsworth. I'm more than happy to accommodate you on that front."

"Scoundrel. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I wondered at the darkness swirling within me -- the secret part that couldn't muster up an ounce of disgust. Perhaps I needed to take up a new hobby. I feared I was becoming addicted to blood. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Darkness made confessions easier - it comforted me in a way the light never could. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Beware of trusting beautiful creatures. They hide the most wicked surprises. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I would not be treated as if my mind were inferior because I'd been blessed with the ability to bear children. I mentally screamed at myself to let it pass, but I couldn't obey the simple command, consequences be damned. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Telling Wadsworth how much I loved her wasn't selfish at all. Quite the opposite. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

While my cousin had the voice of a nightingale, Thomas's singing was atrocious. A cat in heat held a note in a more pleasant manner than he did. At least it proved he wasn't limitlessly skilled, which pleased me to no end. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

All my life I'd longed for freedom - freedom to pick and choose every detail of my life. To make good decisions and horrible ones. Decisions that would break my heart and remake it ten times over. I just never knew having choices could be so hard. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Humans were the true monsters and villains, more real than any novel or fantasy could invent. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I felt Thomas studying me but no longer had the urge to mask my expression as I used to. He opened his mouth, then shut it, causing me to puzzle over what he might have said. Perhaps he'd grown as weary of having the same debate. I didn't wish to tell anyone of our eventual betrothal until we'd spoken to my father. Thomas saw it as hesitancy on my part, a notion so ridiculous I refused to acknowledge it at all. We simply did not have the luxury of time to visit with Father and inform him of our intentions while we raced to the ship, as much as I wanted to. There wasn't any part of me that didn't long to be with him forever. After everything we'd been through over the last month, I thought he'd know that.
A moment later, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tugged me near, safe in his indiscretion, since we were alone on the freezing deck. I relaxed into his embrace, letting the warmth of his body and the scent of his cologne comfort me.
"I cannot promise all will be well, Audrey Rose. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

It's just... sometimes when I'm afraid or lost, I try to find the humor. Break the tension. It always helps me to laugh. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Those who deserve respect are given it freely. If one must demand such a thing, he'll never truly command it. I am your daughter, not your horse, sir." I ~ Kerri Maniscalco

There's something powerful in that kind of love, something that deserves to be kindled and tended to, even when its embers are flickering dangerously close to darkness. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Science never abandoned me the way religion had that night.
Forsaking the Holy Father was considered a sin, and I did it repeatedly. Each time my blade met with flesh, I sinned more and welcomed it.
God no longer held dominion over my soul. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

If I was so apprehensive of marriage, then perhaps being caught wouldn't be the death of me. It might very well be my rebirth. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I wondered how I could appear so whole and serene on the outside when inside I was thrashing with turbulence. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

People often admire physical strength, but I believe it's the simple things one does after a tragedy that defines them. There is no greater show of power than continuing to live when you'd like nothing more than to lie down and let the world fade. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

Winning is an archaic way or looking at romance. Her heart isn't like a cheap round of cards. Love isn't a game. It's a choice. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I can snap open corsets faster than bones." He held his knife up, his attention fixed on my chest. "Interested in a demonstration, fancy lady? Say the word and I'll show you what else I can do with such a fine figure."
Liza stiffened beside me. People often called women of supposedly questionable morals "fancy ladies." If he thought I'd blush and run off, he was sorely mistaken.
"Unfortunately, sir, I find I'm not terribly impressed." I casually slipped a scalpel from my wristlet clutch, enjoying the familiar feel of it. "You see, I also eviscerate bodies. But I don't bother with animals. I butcher humans. Would you care for a demonstration? ~ Kerri Maniscalco