Romantic Passages from Favorite Reads Part I

It seems everywhere I turn people are talking about Valentine's Day. Stores are decked out with red, white and pink candy, cookies, cupcakes and flowers. TV shows and music are tuned to tales of love and romance.

In light of this I thought it might be fun to reflect upon a few romantic scenes from some of my favorite reads. I confess this was not a completely original idea. I was inspired with this idea by the emails floating around the Maud Hart Lovelace List-Serv, so it seems only fair that my first quoted passage would come from one of my favorite Lovelace books, Betsy's Wedding. Not read any of Maud's books? Be sure to come back later this year when A Library is a Hospital for the Mind hosts the third annual Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge.

The Book: Betsy's Wedding, Chapter 2
The setting: 1914, New York City.
The scene: Joe and Betsy are reunited and dining together.

"Betsy,' he said at last, 'I love you. I love you from the cloudy dark hair down to your slender feet. I love your eyes, and your soft hands, and your sweet voice, and the way your laugh chimes out. Everything about you is enchanting to me. But Betsy, it's lots more than that.'

He seemed to be thinking out loud.

'I can always talk to you, ' he said. 'I can make plans or puzzle out ideas, or build castles in the air. I don't need to think what I'm saying or guard my words. You understand my high moods and my low ones. You understand me, I guess.

'I want to be married to you and have you around all the time. I want to come home to you after work and tell you about my day. I want to hear you humming around, doing housework. I want to support you. I want to do things for you. If we were married and I was coming home to you tonight, I wouldn't care if we had just bread and milk.

'You know, Betsy, we never quarrel when we're together. We never will, I really believe, when we are married. But if we aren't, something might come between us again. Betsy, you fit into my life as perfectly as a rose fits its stem. You and I match like the pieces of a broken coin.' After a long pause, he said, 'Love me always, Betsy! I have given my whole heart to you.'"

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I think part of why I love the characters Joe and Besty is that I know they were the fictional counterpart to the author and her husband. Joe and Betsy were best friends, soul-mates, and lovers. And if the reader knows anything about the author, Maud and her husband, Delos it's obvious that their relationship was very much the same. Maud once said: "Delos and I are mutually agreed that marrying each other was giving the perfect answer to life." (11/28/1931)

I think there's nothing quite as romantic as learning that a real-life couple had a truly loving and happy marriage during their life-time.

Now, what about you? What are some of your favorite romantic passages from books you've read? Leave me a comment and let me know.