The Best Elizabeth James Quotes

Chessy,: [seeing Martin for the first time, dazed] Hello
Martin,: [French music plays] Hello... hello to you
Elizabeth: Chessy, this is our butler, Martin.
Chessy,: How do you do?
[pointing at Hallie]
Chessy,: I'm her butler.
Martin,: Enchanté mademoiselle
[kisses her hand]
Chessy,: Gee, the pleasure's all mine monsieur.

Elizabeth: [Hallie, as Annie, is underneath Elizabeth's covers struggling to tell her about the switch] Annie!
Hallie: That's where I have to go; I have to go see Annie!
Elizabeth: I see, and where might Annie be?
Hallie: In Napa, with her father Nick Parker.
Elizabeth: You're not Annie?
Hallie: That would be correct.
Elizabeth: You're Hallie?
Hallie: I am. Annie and I met up at camp and, and we decided to switch places. I'm sorry, but I've never seen you and I've dreamt of meeting you my whole life and Annie felt the exact same way about Dad so, so we sort of just switched lives. I hope you're not mad because I love you so much, and I just hope that one day you could love me as me, and not as Annie.
Elizabeth: Oh darling, I've loved you your whole life.
Martin,: [sobbing after he kisses Grandfather's hand] I've never been so happy in my entire life!
[continues sobbing as Grandfather closes the door]

Elizabeth: [having drink with Meredith] Here's to... here's to you. May your life be far less complicated than mine.
Meredith: Why thank you.

Nick: [after explaining to Elizabeth why they returned early from the camping trip] So, where's Chessie? I'm starving.
Elizabeth: Well, she and Martin went off to a picnic around noon. Yesterday.
Nick: [Impersonating Cary Grant] Really. Who would have thought. My nanny, your butler.

Hallie: His and hers kids. No offense, Mom, but this arrangement really sucks.
Elizabeth: I agree, it totally sucks.

Chessy,: [upon seeing Elizabeth after so many years] Hi, you probably don't remember me. I...
Elizabeth: [gives her a kiss on the cheek] Chessy!
Chessy,: I knew I always liked her.

Elizabeth: [walking down the hall in the hotel] Hallie Parker!
[both girls exit from rooms across the hall from each other]
Elizabeth: Oh, don't do this to me. I'm already seeing double.

Hallie: Doesn't designing all these wedding dresses ever make you think about getting married again; or at least make you think about the "f" word?
Elizabeth: The "f" word?
Hallie: My father!

Hallie: [crying, seeing her mother for the first time] I'm sorry, it's just I've missed you so much.
Elizabeth: I know, it seems like it's been forever.
Hallie: You have no idea.

Elizabeth: [thinking she is talking to her father, who has a newspaper up between them] Hey stranger...
Hallie: [puts down newspaper. then] Hey Mom, did you know that the Concorde gets you here in half the time?
Elizabeth: [flustered] Yes, I, I've heard that...
Annie: [after Hallie surprises Elizabeth and Annie by arriving in London and showing up at their home before Elizabeth and Annie do] What are you doing here?
Hallie: It took us abound 30 seconds after you guys left for us to realize we didn't want to lose you two again.
Elizabeth: We?
Nick: [walking in from another room] We. I made the mistake of not coming after you once, Lizzie. I'm not going to do that again no matter how brave you are.
Elizabeth: And I suppose you just expect me to go weak at the knees, and fall into your arms, and cry hysterically. And say we'll just figure this whole thing out. A bi-continental relationship with our daughters being raised here and there. And. And, you and I just picking up where we left off and growing old together. And... and... c'mon, Nick, what do you expect? To live happily ever after?
Nick: Yes. To all of the above. Except you don't have to cry hysterically.
Elizabeth: [With tears in her eyes] Oh, yes I do.
[he kisses her]

Elizabeth: [Martin enters whistling, Elizabeth gasps] Martin! What are you doing?
Martin,: [only sporting a speedo] Going for a dip, madame, do you mind?
Elizabeth: Uh no no no, that... that's perfectly... perfect. Have fun. Someone ought to.

Elizabeth: [after the limo pulls up to the end of an empty pier and everyone gets out] Where are we?
Nick: This is where we're eating?
Hallie: [Pointing to a 100+ foot yacht] No. Actually, *that's* where we're eating.
Annie: She's ours for the night.
Nick: Wow. So, how exactly are we paying for this?
Annie: Well, we pooled our allowances.
Nick: Yeah. Right. Annie?
Annie: Okay. Grandfather chipped in a bit.
Elizabeth: Annie!
Annie: Okay. He chipped in a lot.

Nick: You know, I may never be alone with you again. So about that day you packed, why'd you do it?
Elizabeth: Oh, Nick. We were so young. We both had tempers, we said stupid things so I packed. Got on my very first 747, and you didn't come after me.
Nick: I didn't know that you wanted me to.
Elizabeth: Well, that really doesn't matter anymore. So, let's put on a good face for the girls and get the show on the road, huh?
Nick: Yeah, sure. Let's get the show on the road.

Elizabeth: One of you, I'm not sure which one at the moment, but one of you told me your father knew I was arriving here today. Well I'm here to tell you that the man I just saw in the elevator had absolutely no idea he and I were on the same *planet*, let alone in the same hotel.
Annie: You saw Dad already?
Elizabeth: Yes, I did now.
[flopping onto the couch]
Elizabeth: Oh. The man went completely ashen like I was the bloody Ghost of Christmas Past!
[to both girls]
Elizabeth: Can one of you get something cold for my head?
Elizabeth: [Annie gets up] I mean, don't you think I've pondered what it was going to be like to see your father after all these years? Well let me tell you, me waving like a mindless idiot while Nick Parker's wrapped around another woman's arms is not exactly the scenario I had in mind. No sirree.