The soft glow of lamplight cast long, dancing shadows across the walls of their bedchamber. The day, with its somber duties and unexpected encounters, had finally drawn to a close. Suzy sat comfortably on a plush rug before the crackling fireplace, her back straight, clad in a flowing nightgown of pale lavender silk. Her legs were folded neatly beneath her, and her rich auburn hair, washed and dried, cascaded down her back.
Ryan sat on the edge of their large four-poster bed, positioned just behind her. He held a hairbrush in one hand and a section of her hair in the other, his brow furrowed in concentration. He was attempting, with a diligence that far outweighed his skill, to put her hair into a braid for the night.
