Meridon from Philippa Gregory

I flushed scarlet, suddenly uncomfortable. Then I looked up at her. She was still smiling. "Nothing to be afraid of, Meridon," she said gently. "You'll have seen some bad doings when you were a girl, but when a man loves a woman it can sometimes be very sweet. Very sweet indeed."

She gave a little sigh and dumped the heap of wet cloth back into the copper and set it back on to boil.

"It's not all sluts in hedgerows and dancing for pennies," she said, turning her back to me as she lid the table for breakfast. "If a man truly loves you he can surround you with love so that you feel as if you are the most precious woman in the world. It's like forever sitting in front of a warm fire, well-fed and safe."

Mood ; Katy Perry !