Loving Susie (ebook)

Argumento de Loving Susie (ebook)

She thought she knew her husband, but he?s been keeping a secret ? about her.

Scottish politician Susie Wallace is under pressure. She risks censure from her Party for her passionate and outspoken views on arts funding. A charity she?s involved with runs into difficulties. And a certain journalist seems to have it in for her.

Susie stumbles across some information that rocks her world but not, apparently, her husband?s ? Archie has been in on this particular secret for thirty years. Now Susie wonders if she can trust him at all. Soon, unemployed son Jonathan and successful daughter Mannie begin to feel the fallout too, fracturing the family and leaving Susie increasingly isolated.

Troubled by mounting pressure from her family, her Party and the Press, Susie goes into hiding. The Party needs her back for a crucial vote, but more importantly, Archie knows he needs to find his wife quickly if they are to rebuild their relationship and reunite the family.

Susie Wallace pokes one foot reluctantly out from underneath the duvet, senses a chill in the air and pulls it back hastily. Ten seconds later she tries again. On the third attempt, she has to force herself to pivot her body through ninety degrees until shes sitting on the edge of the bed. Behind her, a rumpled form stirs as the duvet settles uneasily back into place.

You off? mumbles the formless shape under the covers.

Susie switches on her bedside lamp. Oh sorry, darling, didnt mean to disturb you. She watches her husband Archie hunch upwards. Ive got an early telly interview. Will I bring you tea?

Ill get up.

His hair is white these days, but to Susies biased eye, Archies face hasnt changed in all the years she has known him. She steals a precious moment to contemplate her husband.

What? He pauses in the ritual scratching of the scalp, his hand hovering above the thick thatch of hair, his blue eyes paler, perhaps, than they used to be but even at this ungodly hour still swimming with tenderness and wisdom and laughter all the things that shes always loved him for.

Nothing. Just thinking how amazing it is that I still fancy you thirty years on.

Christ.

Did you forget? She isnt angry, merely amused. Of course he has forgotten. Archie isnt a man for remembering birthdays, anniversaries, little landmarks of celebration. Why would he remember their thirtieth wedding anniversary when he has unrepentantly forgotten all the others?

Just joking. His grin breaks through, boyish as the day they met. Ive booked The Shore for dinner.

Really? Susie is astonished. Am I free?

Life has changed. As an actress, shed snogged Colin Firth, flown the wires as Tinkerbell and delivered a twenty-minute monologue naked in an off-West End theatre. Now shes no longer in theatre, shes a politician and in the two years since she was elected to serve the people as a member of the Scottish Parliament, Archie has had to learn to negotiate diary time with her assistant.

He yawns. I brokered a seven oclock slot with Karen.

How lovely. She stoops and kisses him, responding involuntarily to the familiarity of his early-morning smell, then pulling herself away reluctantly as she senses his interest quicken. Sorry, darling, must hurry.

Archie pulls a face and she smiles as she turns towards the shower. How close shed come to messing everything up, in those crazy days of their early marriage and how right shed been to stay with him. She slips off her nightdress, but its not just the sudden chill that makes her shiver its the thought of what might have happened if hed come to hear of her folly.

Her life may have changed but Archie, thank heaven, is as important to her as ever. The thread of security and intimacy that binds them together is a precious treasure in the madness that has become her daily life.0