Secondly. I want to apologize for not doing a Fancy Friday last week. Once I was finished with the Character Castings I completely forgot. I only remembered today to do this one... Oops!
Sacrifice
Recently, as you may know, I have read a book named Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund. I gave it 5 stars in my review because it was just amazing! If you want to see my review for it you can click here.
Well, I hope you guys don't hate me fore giving this stuff away, but I'm going to show you a part from the book that I absolutely adored. It shows that Ben and Susanna loved each other so much that they were both willing to give up there lives for one another. Of course, this made me think of the greatest sacrifice of all, Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.
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John 3:16
New International Version (NIV)
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Scene:
The meetinghouse door rattled, and suddenly it swung open. The wind caught hold of the door and slammed it against the wall with a bang that brought everyone to silence.
Ben jumped, but relief swelled through him. Finally the beadle was back with the prisoners. Now he could get the dirty deed done. He could hand himself over to Lieutenant Wolfe.
Several loud gasps from the balcony drew Ben's attention upward. Mrs. Smith had risen to her feet. Her eyes widened and dismay carved lines into her face.
Even before a word slipped from Mrs. Smith's lips, Ben knew the prisoners hadn't just walked into the meetinghouse. He twisted in his pew.
There, framed in the open doorway and the swirling snow, stood Susanna. The wind had captured her cloak and swept the hood from her head, revealing her loose hair. It blew in dark tangles about her pale face. Her apparel was askew. She'd likely come straight from bed and only stopped to throw on a gown as an afterthought.
Still, her beauty was utterly breathtaking, with the contrast of her ebony hair against the whiteness of the blowing snow.
The wind whipped at her, and she swayed against the pressure.
In an instant, Ben was on his feet and fumbling at the latch of his pew.
He only had to peer at the determination flashing from her eyes to know why she was there. She caught her balance and started down the center aisle. Each step was halting, but her eyes found the lieutenant and didn't budge from him.
His heart racing, Ben scrambled to exit the pew. He couldn't let her hand herself over to Lieutenant Wolfe. He had to stop her before she confessed everything.
He flung open the pew door and started down the aisle.
She swayed again and then stumbled, obviously still too weak to be out of bed. She grasped the nearest pew to keep from falling.
Ben sprinted the last several steps and caught her by the arm. "Susanna,"he whispered, "You're ill, and you should not be here."
"Let me go," she whispered back.
"You need to be home in bed."
"I'm not leaving her unless it's with Lieutenant Wolfe."
Her whisper echoed in the silent meetinghouse, and he was sure everyone had heard her announcement, even the women in the galleries.
With a groan he dragged her into his arms.
Her body wilted and she collapsed against him.
How had she managed to leave the house without Phoebe noticing her? And how had she been able to drag herself to the meetinghouse alone?
Frustration pummeled him. He didn't have time to sweep her up into his arms and carry her down the street to the house and turn himself in to the lieutenant as soon as Dotty and Tom arrived.
"Susanna..." He glanced around the building and, seeing that everyone was staring at them bent lower so that his mouth brushed her ear. "I won't let you say anything to the lieutenant."
"You can't prevent me, Ben," She said.
"I'll tie you up, gag you, and find a place to lock you up."
She tilted her head back, and anger blazed in her eyes, bring them to life, making her more beautiful than ever. There was so much passion inside her, so much depth. That's why he loved her.
And his love for her could never allow him to let her discard her reputation, her future, and her chances at happiness.
But before he could decide what must be done with her, she wrenched away from him and lurched backward. "Brothers and sisters." she called.
He stepped toward her. "Susanna, please!"
She held out a hand to halt him. "My brothers and sisters," she repeated, and louder this time. "I must make a confession."
He knew he ought to snatch her, cover her mouth, and drag her from the meetinghouse-even if she kicked and screamed. But she looked him square in the eyes, and something new flamed in the dark recesses that took his breath away.
Was it love? Was it possible Susanna Smith loved him?
Or was her love similar to what she had for Tom? After all, she loved Tom and was willing to sacrifice herself for the slave, just as she was willing to do for him.
He reached for her, needing to pull her into his arms, to hear the declaration of love from her lips. But she took another quick step away, her body trembling with her effort to stand. She lifted her chin and pressed her lips together. Determination hardened the usual softness of her face.
"I have to do this, Ben," she said. "I won't be able to live with myself I allow anyone else to take responsibility for what I've done."
He knew the desperation she was feeling. It mirrored his own. Even so, he couldn't let her hand herself over.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of Reverend Smith coming down the aisle toward them, as well as Mrs. Smith descending the stairway from the gallery.
If he couldn't capture Susanna before she blurted out her confession, then he could enlist their help in locking Susanna away until after the trial. They were as determined as he was to keep Susanna free from suffering at the hands of the lieutenant.
But Susanna shook her head- almost sadly. Then she glanced away from him to the front of the building, to the judge.
Even before she opened her mouth to speak, Ben knew what she would say.
He lunged for her.
"Honorable Judge Niles," she started loudly.
But that's as far as she got. He captured her before she could escape, jerking her against him, and cutting off her next words by covering her mouth with his.
She held herself stiff for only a moment before softening and sagging against him, giving in to his tender kiss.
It didn't matter that the whole parish of Weymouth was witnessing his affection for her. He blocked out the eruption of their gasps and murmurings.
He needed to stop her from her foolishness. It didn't matter that she might not be ready for his declaration of love. It didn't matter anymore if he gave away how much he loved her.
As if from a distance, Mrs. Smith's tense whispers urged him to stop, and Reverend Smith stood next to them clearing his throat.
He didn't care what they thought anymore. In fact, he didn't care what anyone thought. He was done living his life at the mercy of status and prestige.
Besides, it was his good-bye kiss to her. For after today, he doubted he would ever see her again.
With one last consuming press of his mouth to hers, he dragged his lips from hers and pushed them against her ear. "I love you, Susanna," he whispered. "I love you with every fiber of my being. And I always will, until the day I die."
...End...
I hope you guys liked this little glimpse into Rebellious Heart, and I hope that it made you want to read the story! I loved this book!
I did not read the excerpt because I plan to read it soon. It seems like a scene worth reading, though.
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