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Dorothy Dunnett Quotes

My dear boy, in Ireland the midwife uses one hand to hold the baby's best fighting arm from the font water, and grips its jaws with the other lest the goes to litigation about it. Says O'LiamRoe

Dorothy Dunnett

My dear boy, in Ireland the midwife uses one hand to hold the baby's best fighting arm from the font water, and grips its jaws with the other lest the goes to litigation about it. Says O'LiamRoe

Tags: clever, historical fiction, ireland, midwife, sayings, witty

Richard, I am not worth anyone’s heartache.’‘I know that,’ Richard said. ‘But she does not.’‘She will have to learn,’ Lymond said.

Dorothy Dunnett

Richard, I am not worth anyone’s heartache.’‘I know that,’ Richard said. ‘But she does not.’‘She will have to learn,’ Lymond said.

About Author
Dorothy, Lady Dunnett (née Halliday, 25 August 1923 – 9 November 2001) was a Scottish novelist best known for her historical fiction. Dunnett is most famous for her six novel series set during the 16th century, which concern the fictitious adventurer Francis Crawford of Lymond. This was followed by the eight novel prequel series The House of Niccolò. Her other works include a novel concerning the historical Macbeth called King Hereafter (1982), and a series of mystery novels centered upon Johnson Johnson, a portrait painter and spy.

Richard’s angry grey eyes … honest grey eyes … were looking at him. Sybilla was not watching. He supposed she knew that however near he might tread to the crevasse, he did not mean to fall in, and dra...

Dorothy Dunnett

Richard’s angry grey eyes … honest grey eyes … were looking at him. Sybilla was not watching. He supposed she knew that however near he might tread to the crevasse, he did not mean to fall in, and dra...

From Venice to Rome, Paris to Brussels, London to Edinburgh, the Ambassadors watched, long-eared and bright-eyed.Charles of Spain, Holy Roman Emperor, fending off Islam at Prague and Lutherism in Germ...

Dorothy Dunnett

From Venice to Rome, Paris to Brussels, London to Edinburgh, the Ambassadors watched, long-eared and bright-eyed.Charles of Spain, Holy Roman Emperor, fending off Islam at Prague and Lutherism in Germ...

But I despised men who accepted their fate. I shaped mine twenty times and had it broken twenty times in my hands.

Dorothy Dunnett

But I despised men who accepted their fate. I shaped mine twenty times and had it broken twenty times in my hands.

Tags: despised, fate, scotland

From limbo, you cannot say forgive me, unless you can also say you regret what you have done. I have no regrets. I have nothing to tell you, except what you know already: that love is a powerful maste...

Dorothy Dunnett

From limbo, you cannot say forgive me, unless you can also say you regret what you have done. I have no regrets. I have nothing to tell you, except what you know already: that love is a powerful maste...

You mean my reputation is ruined? No wealthy gentlemen suing for my favours?’‘No respectable wealthy gentlemen suing for your favours,’ he said.

Dorothy Dunnett

You mean my reputation is ruined? No wealthy gentlemen suing for my favours?’‘No respectable wealthy gentlemen suing for your favours,’ he said.

Scott, deaf and enchanted in the gallery, and the whole row of pretty heads at his side saw the concerted rush on Lymond: his assailants downed him without malice and eighteen stones of Molly planted...

Dorothy Dunnett

Scott, deaf and enchanted in the gallery, and the whole row of pretty heads at his side saw the concerted rush on Lymond: his assailants downed him without malice and eighteen stones of Molly planted...

The arrangement, temporary or otherwise, was usually public and acknowledged when at the highest level; only when it was clandestine and conducted to the injury of legitimate relatives did it become u...

Dorothy Dunnett

The arrangement, temporary or otherwise, was usually public and acknowledged when at the highest level; only when it was clandestine and conducted to the injury of legitimate relatives did it become u...

You might, without my crediting it, fall deeply in love and forever, with some warped hunchback whelped in the gutter. I should equally stop you from taking him.

Dorothy Dunnett

You might, without my crediting it, fall deeply in love and forever, with some warped hunchback whelped in the gutter. I should equally stop you from taking him.

Tags: emotional, poignant

I want you to try to understand. I am going alone. The risk, if any, is mine. I have no dependants, no responsibilities; I am adamant that this time no one will accompany me. What I hope to do in Russ...

Dorothy Dunnett

I want you to try to understand. I am going alone. The risk, if any, is mine. I have no dependants, no responsibilities; I am adamant that this time no one will accompany me. What I hope to do in Russ...

Well, get the coffer out, said Tobie roundly. You find his clean clothes and I'll cut his hair round his cap and wash his ears out. Then, when we get to the Palazzo Medici, you imitate his voice and I...

Dorothy Dunnett

Well, get the coffer out, said Tobie roundly. You find his clean clothes and I'll cut his hair round his cap and wash his ears out. Then, when we get to the Palazzo Medici, you imitate his voice and I...

Señor, more wine? I am amazed,’ said the captain, ‘that so lovely a lady has not married.’‘But indeed she has married,’ said Lymond. ‘Five times. And not one husband, poor fellow, survived matrimony b...

Dorothy Dunnett

Señor, more wine? I am amazed,’ said the captain, ‘that so lovely a lady has not married.’‘But indeed she has married,’ said Lymond. ‘Five times. And not one husband, poor fellow, survived matrimony b...

Depose him,’ said Will Scott, astonished. ‘The Grand Master’s holy office terminates with his life.’ ‘And can nobody think of an answer to that?’ said Will Scott.

Dorothy Dunnett

Depose him,’ said Will Scott, astonished. ‘The Grand Master’s holy office terminates with his life.’ ‘And can nobody think of an answer to that?’ said Will Scott.

The child, level with the kneeling man, had moved nearer, his eyes wide, his face uplifted as if to embrace him. Before he could touch him, Lymond rose, and, looking down, smiled. ‘Keep thy kisses. Th...

Dorothy Dunnett

The child, level with the kneeling man, had moved nearer, his eyes wide, his face uplifted as if to embrace him. Before he could touch him, Lymond rose, and, looking down, smiled. ‘Keep thy kisses. Th...

The nursing brethren spoke in whispers to Jerott. Such stillness was what the overstrained body required. Pray God it would last.Downstairs, Jerott unleashed his anxious irritation on Marthe. ‘They kn...

Dorothy Dunnett

The nursing brethren spoke in whispers to Jerott. Such stillness was what the overstrained body required. Pray God it would last.Downstairs, Jerott unleashed his anxious irritation on Marthe. ‘They kn...

That way, that sunlit, gentle path was set with mines, and had at the end of it a chasm she could not contemplate. So she hid her impulse, and did not know, because he was better at concealment than s...

Dorothy Dunnett

That way, that sunlit, gentle path was set with mines, and had at the end of it a chasm she could not contemplate. So she hid her impulse, and did not know, because he was better at concealment than s...

We’ll do it,’ said Will Scott comfortably, shouting over the tumult. ‘If it’s no more than an hour, we’ll do it.’ ‘Christ, I believe you’re sorry, you flaming maniac,’ said Lymond. ‘Don’t I keep telli...

Dorothy Dunnett

We’ll do it,’ said Will Scott comfortably, shouting over the tumult. ‘If it’s no more than an hour, we’ll do it.’ ‘Christ, I believe you’re sorry, you flaming maniac,’ said Lymond. ‘Don’t I keep telli...

The pain beating in his brows was beyond belief. He wanted only to go while he was still master of himself; before this primitive desire to devastate them both should overpower him.

Dorothy Dunnett

The pain beating in his brows was beyond belief. He wanted only to go while he was still master of himself; before this primitive desire to devastate them both should overpower him.

How about that, my own brother, my own bright light, thou Igor?

Dorothy Dunnett

How about that, my own brother, my own bright light, thou Igor?