The Orchid House Quotes

“Because -' she looked up at Bill and gave him a smile that lit up her face, granting him a sudden flash of her true beauty - 'love never die, Mister Bill. It never die.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“Julia played for them: for her husband and her beloved son. And tried to believe somewhere in her heart that, wherever they were, they could hear her.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“Someone was playing the piano and, as she concentrated, Olivia realised she recognised Chopin's 'Grande Polonaise'. She stood up and left the library, following the direction of the music, letting her auditory senses lead her eventually to the doorway of the drawing room. She stood where she was, listening to the exquisite rendition of one of her favourite pieces, closing her eyes as the sound emanated from the piano at the other end of the room. (...) Olivia gasped in astonishment when she saw it was Harry.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“She pulled off Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse and settled down in a comfortable leather chair by the fire to read.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“Besides, she had survived the searingly hot nights, when sleep was rendered impossible, by reading a miasma of English novels by Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. They had served to fire her belief that 'true love' would one day be found.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“Man darf nie meinen, die Vergangenheit würde Vergangenheit bleiben. Sie geht immer weiter.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“Wir teilen einen Augenblick der Zeit. Wie beim Universum gibt es keinen Anfang und kein Ende. Wir sind einfach.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“Far better silence from one whose company you enjoy, than constant chatter from someone who irritates te hell out of you.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“After the hardy baldness of the Norfolk landscape, which Julia appreciated had its own raw beauty, the Cote d'Azur offered spectacular, colorful intricacy. It was rather like comparing a rough diamond to an exquisitely fashioned and polished sapphire, yet they both had their own unique charms.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“The night was as perfect as she could possibly have hoped. Only on nights like this did Wharton Park rival the beauty of her childhood home in Provence. The softness of an English country evening, when land and sky seemed to melt into each other, the smell of freshly mown grass, mingling with the scent of roses, had its own special magic.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“The sun is on its descent as I watch it, its lustrous red-gold colors making the blue water beneath it look as if it is on fire. The sound of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 drifts across the terrace, reaching a zenith as the sun plunges gracefully into the sea.
This is my favorite moment of the day here, when nature itself seems to be still, watching the spectacle of the King of the Day, the force it relies upon to grow and flourish, make its journey into sleep.
We are able to be here together far less than I'd like, so the moment is even more precious. The sun has gone now, so I can close my eyes and listen to Xavier playing. I have performed this concerto a hundred times, and I'm struck by the subtle differences, the nuances that make his rendition his own. Its stronger, more masculine, which is, of course, how it should be.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“In questo momento, penso con tristezza, io sono l'aeroplano, libera di attraversare il mondo e di atterrare ovunque io decida. Vorrei solo che qualcuno stabilisse il mio percorso di volo per me.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“I truly believe that if they turned all the pianos in the world to firewood, he would throw himself on top of the bonfire.
We have laughed together about how I am famous, not him. But we both know that I look much prettier in a dress than he does, that I play much more photogenically.... I am a "girl," and therefore more marketable.
But I know that he is the genius, that he can take the Chopin Etudes and add a touch of magic, a spark, that makes them definitively his own. I also knew that one day the world will recognize this. And I will be happy to take second place.
I'm sure my playing has gone from strength to strength because of him.
And I adore him.
He is my piano. He is my bonfire. And if he were no longer there, I would throw myself on top of that fire willingly.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“The day on which she turned eleven, Grandfather Bill had presented her with her very own orchid.
"This is especially for you, Julia. Its name is 'Aerides odoratum,' which means 'children of the air.'"
Julia studied the delicate ivory and pink petals of the flower sitting in its pot. They felt velvety beneath her touch.
"Where does this one come from, Grandfather Bill?" she had asked.
"From the Orient, in the jungles of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand."
"Oh. What kind of music do you think it likes?"
"It seems particularly partial to a touch of Mozart," chuckled her grandfather. "Or if it looks like it's wilting, perhaps you could try some Chopin!”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“The gardens surrounding the palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha were spectacularly beautiful, full of vibrant colors, the smell of jasmine pervading everything.
Harry stopped in front of an exquisite flowering plant with delicate blooms of soft pink and white. "Orchids," he murmured. "They grew in the foliage around Changi, and I've seen them everywhere since I arrived in Bangkok. They are rare in England."
"They are like weeds here," said Lidia.
"Golly! I wish we had weeds at home like this," Harry said, thinking he must take some back to his mother.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“She watched as her sister appeared at the kitchen door and, as always, was struck by her beauty; while she was blonde and fair-skinned, Julia was dark and exotic. Her thick mane of mahogany hair framed her fine-featured face, the weight she had recently lost only serving to highlight her luminous, almond-shaped, amber eyes and high cheekbones.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“Well, I learned that kids are the building blocks of the human race.  If they're wrong, the next generation will be wrong too.”
― Lucinda Riley, The Orchid House

“La gente afirma que los sueños son importantes porque nos revelan cosas que nos ocultamos a nosotros mismos.”
― Lucinda Riley, El secreto de la orquídea

“«La vida es lo que te sucede mientras haces otros planes».”
― Lucinda Riley, El secreto de la orquídea