A Simple Deception

XVII

"Slavery is a sin when whites were put to the yoke, but not the African. All men are created equal, unless we decide you are not a man." Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad

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XVII.

The heavens opened as Susanna and her family rode back towards the house, leaving Alex and Mr Bishop behind them in the soaking rain. The drops masked her tears and the sudden booming thunder overhead drowned out the sobs that were ripping themselves from her chest without her control.

Susanna felt like she was bleeding. Outwardly. Inwardly. Everywhere. The only thing keeping her from falling completely to pieces was the fact that her brother's arm was around her waist, keeping her atop the horse.

She had never experienced pain like this before. The worst pain she had ever known was when her father had died. But this was different. This was betrayal, and it was an evil sort of agony that she felt in her very soul.

"It will be alright, Susanna. It will be alright," Adam kept repeating from behind her, but Susanna wanted to shout that it wouldn't be.

How could it be? Susanna was pelted with rain as she cried out. How could Alex have done this? How could he be this way? Every meeting, every look, every touch ... it was all a lie, a charade to blackmail her family. He was laughing at her, laughing at the fool who was too innocent to notice when a man was being false.

And to confess his love in such a scene ... perhaps it was some sort of last-minute effort to continue the plot. He could never love her. One didn't do this to the person they loved.

Susanna barely noticed being led to her bedroom by her mother and Grace. She was in a trance as she was helped into clean, dry clothing, not registering the worried conversation of her mother and sister-in-law. Susanna stared at her reflection in the mirror in her dressing room. She was pale, with her only colour being the red around her swollen eyes. She looked as broken on the outside as she felt on the inside.

Susanna was brought over to a chair by the fire to keep warm as her brother entered the bedroom. Cecily and Grace walked over to him to talk quietly, not knowing if Susanna could hear them or not.

"How is she?" asked Adam quietly, concerned.

"She is devastated," replied Grace softly. "I think she truly loved him. In fact, I know she did."

"What do you know, Grace?" Cecily demanded to know. "Has she told you something? Did she tell you about him, before all of this?"

Grace hesitated in replying, not wanting to betray Susanna's trust. "Only that I know Susanna's feelings were sincere. And upon my conversation with Mr Whitfield last night at dinner, I believed his feelings to be sincere, also."

"You spoke to him?" Adam nearly growled. "You knew?"

"Don't you take that tone with me when I have done nothing but keep the confidence of my friend," Grace retorted tensely.

"Grace, this could have been prevented –"

"How?" interrupted Grace. "What would you have done had I told you of their feelings? Turned him out? We did not know of the deception until a short while ago."

"I certainly would have," grumbled Cecily. "The man dares impose upon my daughter ... seduces her ... and we have but to trust the pair of conmen to keep their mouths shut? What say one of them indulges at a tavern one evening and blabs to anyone who will listen of Alexander Whitfield's great conquest!" She huffed. "You should have paid them, Adam. Susanna's life hangs in the balance."