Stephen gulped. "You do love to put me on my knees, don't you?"
"I like to make you know your master", Crane said. "It's only fair. The rest of the time you've got me so thoroughly enslaved, I might as well be wearing a collar with your name on it.

“Nobody ain't going to lay a finger on you, missus," said Merrick. "Not while me and my lord are standing. You tell Mr. Day about it and don't worry no more"
"Since when did you talk to law?" demanded Leonora in Shanghainese.
"Since his nobility's fucking it. You want the shortarse on your side.”

Everyone can do evil. Some people can be forced to it, and some fight against it, and some don’t even need an invitation.

You do what you can at the time, and if you fail, you learn.

“I know you’re frightened. I know you hate this, and you want me to make it stop. I’m sure you’d rather that I was doing something spectacular to fix it, and so would I, but that’s not always within my powers.” His amber eyes were deeply serious. “I’m not making you promises I can’t keep. I will never do that.”

“That’s him? The little one? Yours?” Leo asked.
“Yes.” I hope.
“Not your usual type,” she observed.
“His usual type is dangerous buggers,” Merrick said. “And there’s no change there. Do not piss Mr. Day about.”

“Oh God, Lucien. God. I was so frightened.”
“I know. You looked a great deal less scared when we were about to be murdered by warlocks.”
“That was only death. This was Esther.”

He could have his pick of London’s beauties, socialise with the best people, assert his place in the top few hundred of the Upper Ten Thousand, claim the social status of which many people dreamed and for which some would sacrifice everything. He could have all that if he lifted a finger, and if someone held a gun to his head to make him do it.