Best If I Were You Quotes by Lynn Austin

"It doesn't do any good to sit in the mud and mope. Either get up and wash yourself off or get used to the puddle."

"I don't understand why Daddy had to die. You and Granny Maud went to church and prayed for him, didn't you?"

"I'm not always going to be a typist. Once I get a job in a fancy office, I’m going to charm my boss until he falls head over heels in love with me and asks me to marry him. Someday I'll be as rich as you are, and I'll be the mistress of a house just as big as Wellingford. Maybe bigger!"

"I never saw a young man more smitten than your father. Flirted shamelessly with Ellen. I think he used to let his sheep out of the pen on purpose so they would wander down here, and he’d have an excuse to see her."

"I wish you well, Eve," Audrey called after her. "And thank you for being a good friend when I needed one."

"Early the next morning, Williams drove Eve to the train station. He offered to let her take the wheel one last time, but she shook her head."

"I’ll miss you, girl." He seemed reluctant to leave.

"I can’t imagine England without His Majesty," Eve murmured.

"I realize you likely have dozens of men queuing up at your door, but my fraternity has a formal event at the Savoy on December 10, and I would love to take you."

"Now explain what you said, Audrey. What do you mean, you’re not your father’s daughter?"

"If only the winged god would fire an arrow and make Alfie fall madly in love with her."

"It’s impossible to find decent tea over here. Everyone drinks coffee."

"I have two requests, darling, and please don’t refuse either. The first is, may I see you again?"

"I wouldn’t give up my place at the table for Wallis Simpson, let alone my crown."

"I think I’ll simply stand here and gaze at you all evening. That would be feast enough for me."

"As you can see, you have light leaking everywhere. It’s imperative that the countryside remain in pitch-darkness so our enemies have no signposts to follow on their bombing raids."

"We’re all in the fight this time, not just the soldiers. Women and children too."

"You must have a shilling or two to own a pleasure craft like that one."

"I’m so sorry! I never should have presumed you could get away on such short notice."

"We need to help in the event of an emergency. It’s expected that the enemy will begin massive bombardments to try to weaken us."

"Don’t you dare blame me for the way things turned out! If you’re going to blame anyone, blame Hitler."

"We volunteer. We couldn’t leave the men we love stranded across the channel when we happened to have a boat."

"I never imagined that speaking French would prove useful."

"We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end."

"You have the most beautiful freckles I’ve ever seen in my life. They remind me of those little spots on a baby fawn."

"This stupid war has messed up everybody’s life, hasn’t it?"

"I have no idea how difficult it was for me to leave England behind and come here."

"I want to join the ATS and drive an ambulance or a lorry or something! I’m not going to sit in an office and type all day, then huddle in a shelter all night. I need to fight!"

"I would give you everything—and I’d have nothing."

"I’m still thinking about my daddy as the train chugged into Victoria Station in London, and mourning the loss of his photograph in the rubble of the town house."

"War has taken everyone—first Daddy and now Mum. I have no one left."

"I don’t want money! I’ve had money all my life and it never provided what I needed the most."

"Every now and then Audrey would recognize a broken bit of furniture or a fragment of a rug or a vase as workers shoveled debris into the street, and she had the crazy notion that if she could just gather up all the shattered pieces and put them back together again, everything would be all right."
9179812

"I’ve been trying all my life to please my parents, even at the cost of who I am and what I want."

"Why can’t we seem to speak up for ourselves and break free?"

"I once told her that I wanted to take a little break, and—I never told anyone else this—but she was almost suicidal."

"If we die, Eve, what purpose will it serve? Do the deaths we’ve seen have any meaning at all? Will ours make a difference?"

"But just for a moment, let’s try to imagine what we would do if we truly were free from all of those expectations."

"The hardships of war have knocked some sense into her. She’ll be okay."

"Even if things don’t turn out for Alfie and me after the war, I will never regret loving him."

"I’m tired of the wailing sirens, the clanging ambulance bells."

"We can continue to pray and trust God. The most hopeful, faith-filled thing we can do is to plan our life together."
9179812

"With any luck, once I’m in London, navigating around all the craters and barricades and closed streets, I’ll be too busy to worry about Alfie."

"My faith was stolen from me by the Nazis—along with Alfie and my youth and all of my hopes and dreams!"

"I’m glad you still have faith, Audrey. And I’m glad that you and Robert found each other."

"You’ll always have a home with us. We want to take care of both of you."

"I’ll bring the car around front and meet you outside."

"Victory in Europe would be officially proclaimed today—May 8. VE Day. Victory in Europe."

"We’ll both begin again and make a new life together."

"The war wouldn’t end for Audrey until Robert and Alfie were home."
9179812

"I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death."

"God will forgive you if you ask Him to. And once Jesus takes away your guilt, you can start all over again."

"Maybe if we explain—No. They’ll see the same thing you see—an immoral woman with a fatherless son who lied and committed fraud and took advantage of them for the past four years."

"I love you, Eve. Please don’t say that. I can’t be in your life, Louis. I just wanted to see you again and thank you for helping me through one of the hardest times in my life."

"I would be content to live in a tree if there was a way to do it."

"You’re not my daughter. Didn’t your mother, the great Lady Rosamunde, ever tell you the truth? You aren’t mine, Audrey. I never did learn who sired you, but it wasn’t me."

"The first step will be to hire an estate agent and get you settled in a flat. Did your father say what your annual allowance will be for living expenses?"

"You have to forgive others if we want Him to forgive us. Besides, you’re part of our lives now. We know the funny, charming, wonderful woman you are, and it doesn’t matter what your real name is."

"I’m done with all of this. I’ve lived my entire life for nothing. Nothing! I’m going to sell this monstrosity and be done with it."

"Robbie, I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. I never intended to hurt you or take advantage of your kindness and generosity."