A Simple Deception

XL

"I close my eyes, thinking that there is nothing like an embrace after an absence, nothing like fitting my face into the curve of his shoulder and filling my lungs with the scent of him." Jodi Picoult, Keeping Faith

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XL.

Though Susanna had spent much of her life away from Ashwood House, having boarded at school and lived in London from the age of seven to nineteen, she was still wholly used to the grandeur that was the grand foyer. It did not occur to her to look up at the painted ceilings and the crystal chandelier than hung overhead, even if she had been away from home for months.

Upon observing her companions, however, Susanna faced yet another reminder at just how privileged her life had been. This was the worldliness that she had craved, and she was seeing it in the wonder and awe of Amélie and Belle, and even Captain Whitfield. Alex, who had been a guest the last time he was here, was a little more reserved, though Susanna could see the hesitation in his eyes. He was nervous, and rightly so. Susanna was as well.

"I cannot think of the English words quickly enough!" Belle remarked in French, keeping her astonished voice quiet. "This is magnificent!"

But she did not hold Susanna's attention for long as the sound of her brother heavy, desperate footsteps on the stairs all but stopped. Adam had stopped as Grace had appeared on the landing, her hands bearing fistfuls of her petticoats as she had run towards Adam's voice from wherever she had been.

Susanna suddenly felt as though she was intruding on a private moment as both husband and wife took in the sight of the other after such a prolonged absence.

"Thank God you are alright!" exclaimed Grace, keeping hold of her skirts as she hurried down the last few steps before throwing herself into Adam's arms.

Adam gripped hold of Grace as though she was the single entity responsible for keeping him alive. He buried his face in her hair as he lifted her off of her feet. Susanna could have sworn she saw her brother's shoulders shudder, as though he was crying, or at least holding back tears. A large pang of guilt once again filled her stomach in knowing what Adam had sacrificed to help Susanna.

Adam did not release Grace for long, only enough to place her on the step above him before he kissed her senselessly, and that was when Susanna knew she needed to look away. Instead, she found Alex's dark gaze, and she smiled at him reassuringly, pushing away her won nerves.

"Perhaps they are the example, you know?" he murmured.

"What do you mean?" asked Susanna.

"When it is love, real love, nothing else matters," he concluded quietly. "Nothing else should matter."

Susanna felt the heat in her cheeks as she smiled. It meant a great deal to hear Alex utter such words. She knew that they were both realistic, and well aware, about the struggles that they would undoubtedly face, but what they had to remember was that they had gone into the belly of hell to find one another, to be with one another. To endure all that and let something come in the way of it would be like laughing in God's face as he gift wrapped one's soulmate.

"Susanna!"

Susanna's head snapped in the direction of her name, before she saw Grace hurry down the stairs, closely followed by Adam. Susanna heard the sound of Grace's heels run across the marble floor before she swiftly ran into her sister-in-law's open arms. Tears were running down Grace's face, and Susanna quickly felt the wetness on her own cheeks as she hugged Grace.

"Thank God for you both!" Grace whispered, her voice hitching with emotion. She pulled away and cupped Susanna's face, inspecting her with her wide, cornflower blue eyes. "Look at you! Look how tan you are! And such freckles. I hardly recognise you." Grace suddenly sobbed again, and she quickly pulled Susanna back for another hug. "You scared me half to death!"