--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it’s any consolation,” he murmured, “I…" description: "\"“If it’s any consolation,” he murmured, “I had a miserable time last night.” “Good. You deserved to.” She smiled. “Not that I care one way or the other..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/sabrina-jeffries-1064_consolation_if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-ha_2654037.jpg" --- # If it’s any consolation,” he murmured, “I had a miserable… ![“If it’s any consolation,” he murmured, “I had a miserable time last night.” “Good. You deserved to.” She smiled. “Not that I care one way or the other.” “Stop pretending that you don’t care,” he said hoarsely. “We both care, and you know it. I care more than you can possibly imagine.” She wanted…” quote by Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/sabrina-jeffries-1064_consolation_if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-ha_2654037.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/sabrina-jeffries-1064_consolation_if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-ha_2654037.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/sabrina-jeffries-1064_consolation_if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-ha_2654037.jpg) > ““If it’s any consolation,” he murmured, “I had a miserable time last night.” “Good. You deserved to.” She smiled. “Not that I care one way or the other.” “Stop pretending that you don’t care,” he said hoarsely. “We both care, and you know it. I care more than you can possibly imagine.” She wanted to believe him, but how could she? “You say that only to coax me into your bed.” He smiled mirthlessly. “I don’t need to coax women into my bed, my dear. They usually leap there of their own accord.” His smile faded. “This is the first time I’ve apologized to a woman. I’ve never given a damn what any woman thought of me, though plenty of them tried to make me do so. So please forgive me if I’m not handling this to your satisfaction. It’s not a situation I’m accustomed to.” He was holding her so tenderly, it made her want to weep. Every move they made was a seduction-his leg advancing as hers went back, his hand gripping her waist, the waltz beating a rhythm that made her want to whirl around the ballroom with him forever. Her mind told her she should resist him, but her heart didn’t want to listen. Her heart was a fool. She gazed past his shoulder. “My father used to go to a brothel. He never remarried, so he went there to…er…feed his needs. I had to go fetch him a few times when my cousins were working and my aunt was looking after my grandmother, who lived nearby.” She didn’t know why she was telling him this, but it was a relief to speak of it to someone. Even her aunt and cousins preferred to pretend it never happened. “It was mortifying. He would…forget to come home, and we would need money for something, so I would have to go after him.” “Good God.” Her gaze locked with his. “I swore I’d never let myself be put in such a position again.” She tipped up her chin. “That’s why I’m happy to have Nathan as my fiancé. He’s genteel and proper. He would never frequent a brothel.” Oliver’s eyes glittered darkly at her. “No. He would just abandon you to the tender mercies of men who do.” She forced a smile. “There’s more than one way to be abandoned. If a woman’s husband is forever at a brothel, he might as well be halfway across the sea. The result is the same.” A stricken expression crossed his face as he stared at her. Then he glanced away.”” [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A complex, emotionally charged exchange reveals deep vulnerability, past trauma, and conflicting desires between two characters, highlighting themes of honesty, power dynamics, and emotional intimacy. **In simple terms:** Two characters grapple with honesty, trauma, and desire in an intense dialogue. Key Takeaway Recognize and communicate authentic feelings despite past wounds. Themes relationships intimacy trauma honesty power dynamics emotional conflict Mood intense conflicted reflective Type dialogue dramatic emotional When to use this quote - romantic encounter - confessional moment - power struggle Key Concepts psychology communication seduction forgiveness social norms Questions to Reflect On - How does past trauma shape present intimacy? - Can true vulnerability coexist with desire? A Different Perspective Emotional honesty may be hindered by fear of rejection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consolation/) [Night Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-good/) [Tender mercies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tender-mercies/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Outside the room they found his family standing in the Great Hall, discussing something in heated whispers as Freddy nervously paced the other end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/outside-the-room-they-found-his-family-standing-in-the-great-hall/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [ As we learn in \[the\] scriptures, the fundamental purposes for the gift of agency were to love one another and to choose God. Thus… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/as-we-learn-in-the-scriptures-the-fundamental-purposes-for-the-gift/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [“When our lives are congruent with the Lord’s will, we are empowered spiritually. Remember what Joseph Smith was taught in Liberty Jail? If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-n-lund/when-our-lives-are-congruent-with-the-lord-s-will-we-are-empowered/) Gerald N. Lund > [Grace has to be the loveliest word in the English language. It embodies almost every attractive quality we hope to find in others. Grace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/grace-has-to-be-the-loveliest-word-in-the-english-language-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thus He whose tender mercies are over all His works hath placed a principle in the human mind, which incites to exercise goodness towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-woolman/thus-he-whose-tender-mercies-are-over-all-his-works-hath-placed-a/) [John Woolman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-woolman/) > [The death of American liberalism as a significant moral force can be traced to the point in when President Bill Clinton signed legislation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-scheer/the-death-of-american-liberalism-as-a-significant-moral-force-can-be/) [Robert Scheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-scheer/) > [“I believe in God. I talk to Him in my earnest prayers, sharing my personal thoughts and desires. I hear Him when I study…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/i-believe-in-god-i-talk-to-him-in-my-earnest-prayers-sharing-my/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [In His tender mercies, God has an incredible capacity to love the unlovely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/in-his-tender-mercies-god-has-an-incredible-capacity-to-love-the/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“You may want to write on the board the tender mercies Elder Bednar listed: “blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindness, consolation, support, and spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/you-may-want-to-write-on-the-board-the-tender-mercies-elder-bednar/) [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/) > [“When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day….I wrote down a few lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/when-our-children-were-very-small-i-started-to-write-down-a-few/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [“PRO12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pro12-10-a-righteous-man-regardeth-the-life-of-his-beast-but-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The French know the intrinsic value of holding on to the past, its pleasures, its promises, and its tender mercies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-kopman-owens/the-french-know-the-intrinsic-value-of-holding-on-to-the-past-its/) [Peggy Kopman-Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-kopman-owens/) > [The tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and...the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/the-tender-mercies-of-the-lord-are-available-to-all-of-us-and-the/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [Trust me, you're not my first choice to fight next to, Sunshine, but as as much as it would simplify things, I wouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-marr/trust-me-you-re-not-my-first-choice-to-fight-next-to-sunshine-but-as/) [Melissa Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-marr/) > [The tender Mercy of God has given us one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mcauley/the-tender-mercy-of-god-has-given-us-one-another/) [Catherine McAuley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mcauley/) ## More by Sabrina Jeffries > [“Wait, were you eavesdropping on my conversation with the duke? That's very rude." "Is it? Half of the plays in the world contain eavesdropping.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/wait-were-you-eavesdropping-on-my-conversation-with-the-duke-that-s/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“I merely don't like drafts, or servants falling and breaking their ankles, making them incapable of serving me." "I understand completely." Her gaze held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/i-merely-don-t-like-drafts-or-servants-falling-and-breaking-their/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“So, Byrne, did you and Christabel get lost on the way down? Perhaps we should send you a floor plan for next time. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/so-byrne-did-you-and-christabel-get-lost-on-the-way-down-perhaps-we/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“I wish you'd tell the truth, but since I know that isn't preferable--" "The truth is always preferable, my dear. It's just not always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/i-wish-you-d-tell-the-truth-but-since-i-know-that-isn-t-preferable/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [The man is always the last to know when Cupid has struck him -Anonymous, Memoirs of a Mistress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/the-man-is-always-the-last-to-know-when-cupid-has-struck-him/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“Listen carefully, and don’t panic.” With his eyes still on that wretched spot behind her, he slid his right hand slowly to the hilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/listen-carefully-and-don-t-panic-with-his-eyes-still-on-that-wretched/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“It’s wonderful,” he choked out. “Absolutely wonderful.” He smoothed his hand over her belly. “I can’t imagine anything better than having a child with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/it-s-wonderful-he-choked-out-absolutely-wonderful-he-smoothed-his/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [The best time to write is when your life is in the toilet. Writing offers an escape from your problems, so if you force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/the-best-time-to-write-is-when-your-life-is-in-the-toilet-writing/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“That’s all she cared about—protecting her brother, who was probably some fop with a lame sword hand and a fear of pistols!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/that-s-all-she-cared-about-protecting-her-brother-who-was-probably/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“You won’t try to kiss me again?” “Given your method for handling that problem? No. I don’t particularly like pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/you-won-t-try-to-kiss-me-again-given-your-method-for-handling-that/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“Suddenly he spotted Gran deep in conversation with Kitty’s closest friend, and relief coursed through him. Gran would squelch the tale at once. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/suddenly-he-spotted-gran-deep-in-conversation-with-kitty-s-closest/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“Then he happened to glance at the viscount, and his blood stilled. The viscount’s eyes followed Celia’s every move, and his finger kept stroking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/then-he-happened-to-glance-at-the-viscount-and-his-blood-stilled-the/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“Mr. Pinter!" He turned to find Lady Celia approaching. "Yes, my lady?" To his surprise, she glanced nervously at the open door to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/mr-pinter-he-turned-to-find-lady-celia-approaching-yes-my-lady-to-his/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [“Good lack-a-daisy, Clara!" her aunt reproached her. "The man might dress improperly, but he's behaving like a perfect gentleman otherwise. And being wonderfully kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/good-lack-a-daisy-clara-her-aunt-reproached-her-the-man-might-dress/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [Watch it, minx," he warned with a lift of his brow. "If you intend to taunt me for every foolish statement I've made in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/watch-it-minx-he-warned-with-a-lift-of-his-brow-if-you-intend-to/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) [Explore all 299 Sabrina Jeffries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) ## More Consolation quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I had thought that growing up's consolation was that you could escape from the arbitrariness of things, that somehow one acquired more control. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-galloway/i-had-thought-that-growing-up-s-consolation-was-that-you-could-escape/) [Janice Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-galloway/) > [It is part of God's plan for us that Christ shall come to us in everyone; it is in their particular role that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caryll-houselander/it-is-part-of-god-s-plan-for-us-that-christ-shall-come-to-us-in/) [Caryll Houselander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caryll-houselander/) > [even those who call themselves 'intimate' know very little about each other - hardly ever know just how a sorrow is felt, and hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/even-those-who-call-themselves-intimate-know-very-little-about-each/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The slave and those whose present life is miserable and who can find no consolation in the heavens are assured that at least the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-slave-and-those-whose-present-life-is-miserable-and-who-can-find/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Perhaps the greatest consolation of the oppressed is to consider themselves superior to their tyrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/perhaps-the-greatest-consolation-of-the-oppressed-is-to-consider/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [Books, which we mistake for consolation, only add depth to our sorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/books-which-we-mistake-for-consolation-only-add-depth-to-our-sorrow/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [The day has the color and the sound of winter. Thoughts turn to chowder...chowder breathes reassurance. It steams consolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clementine-paddleford/the-day-has-the-color-and-the-sound-of-winter-thoughts-turn-to/) [Clementine Paddleford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clementine-paddleford/) > [Seek and possess holiness, and consolation will follow, as assuredly as warmth follows the dispensation of the rays of the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-cogswell-upham/seek-and-possess-holiness-and-consolation-will-follow-as-assuredly-as/) [Thomas Cogswell Upham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-cogswell-upham/) > [Solitude was my only consolation - deep, dark, deathlike solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/solitude-was-my-only-consolation-deep-dark-deathlike-solitude/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have the consolation of leaving your kingdom in the highest degree of glory and of reputation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cardinal-richelieu/i-have-the-consolation-of-leaving-your-kingdom-in-the-highest-degree/) [Cardinal Richelieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cardinal-richelieu/) > [All consolation that does not come from God is but desolation; when the soul has learned to receive no comfort but in God only,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/all-consolation-that-does-not-come-from-god-is-but-desolation-when/) [Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/) > [Let is walk ... joyously, dear souls, among the difficulties of this passing life ... These pains will have an end when our life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-is-walk-joyously-dear-souls-among-the-difficulties-of-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thinking about suicide is a potent consolation: it helps us to get through many a bad night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/thinking-about-suicide-is-a-potent-consolation-it-helps-us-to-get/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Browse all 587 Consolation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consolation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If it’s any consolation,” he murmured, “I had a miserable time last night.” “Good. You deserved to.” She smiled. “Not that I care one way or the other.” “Stop pretending that you don’t care,” he said hoarsely. “We both care, and you know it. I care more than you can possibly imagine.” She wanted to believe him, but how could she? “You say that only to coax me into your bed.” He smiled mirthlessly. “I don’t need to coax women into my bed, my dear. They usually leap there of their own accord.” His smile faded. “This is the first time I’ve apologized to a woman. I’ve never given a damn what any woman thought of me, though plenty of them tried to make me do so. So please forgive me if I’m not handling this to your satisfaction. It’s not a situation I’m accustomed to.” He was holding her so tenderly, it made her want to weep. Every move they made was a seduction-his leg advancing as hers went back, his hand gripping her waist, the waltz beating a rhythm that made her want to whirl around the ballroom with him forever. Her mind told her she should resist him, but her heart didn’t want to listen. Her heart was a fool. She gazed past his shoulder. “My father used to go to a brothel. He never remarried, so he went there to…er…feed his needs. I had to go fetch him a few times when my cousins were working and my aunt was looking after my grandmother, who lived nearby.” She didn’t know why she was telling him this, but it was a relief to speak of it to someone. Even her aunt and cousins preferred to pretend it never happened. “It was mortifying. He would…forget to come home, and we would need money for something, so I would have to go after him.” “Good God.” Her gaze locked with his. “I swore I’d never let myself be put in such a position again.” She tipped up her chin. “That’s why I’m happy to have Nathan as my fiancé. He’s genteel and proper. He would never frequent a brothel.” Oliver’s eyes glittered darkly at her. “No. He would just abandon you to the tender mercies of men who do.” She forced a smile. “There’s more than one way to be abandoned. If a woman’s husband is forever at a brothel, he might as well be halfway across the sea. The result is the same.” A stricken expression crossed his face as he stared at her. Then he glanced away.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sabrina Jeffries" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-had-a-miserable-time-last-night/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consolation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-had-a-miserable-time-last-night/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/sabrina-jeffries-1064_consolation_if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-ha_2654037.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/sabrina-jeffries-1064_consolation_if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-ha_2654037.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/sabrina-jeffries-1064_consolation_if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-ha_2654037.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If it’s any consolation,” he murmured, “I had a miserable time last night.” “Good. You deserved to.” She…” — Sabrina Jeffries", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sabrina Jeffries", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If it’s any consolation,” he murmured,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-had-a-miserable-time-last-night/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/if-it-s-any-consolation-he-murmured-i-had-a-miserable-time-last-night/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```