Chapter Text
From the head of his mahogany dining table, the Duke of Halstead takes stock of the table. To his right, Tamsin smiling slightly from behind her wine glass at an immature joke her husband, sat beside her, made. Jack Glass has been sat beside Freddy, the pair of them get along like a house on fire. At the other end, his nephew, Quinn, a year old today , is surrounded by his loving Grandparents, who seem to take pleasure in giving the baby little bites of chocolate cake. His mother watches on, smiling, especially now that his father, John Nance-Kivell, has joined them, the couple being extraordinarily happy together, splitting their time between Halstead and London.
And finally at his left hand, is her. Susan is smiling, rare usually, but allowed tonight given the circumstances, her partner's little nephew's birthday.
The entire family has dressed for dinner for the occasion, her dress is wine-dark with a hint of sparkle, quintessentially Susie. Their knees sit so close to each other's, her body heat seeps into his bones.
It's picturesque how it all came together, mostly under his mother's watchful gaze, the warm glow of candles along the table lighting the faces of the people for whom he would lay down his life and take those of others for. There had been Belgian chocolate cake with cherry creme filling and buttercream, he hadn't been older than 9 when he declared it his very favourite and now it makes an appearance at every birthday he had been bothered to attend at Halstead. And now apparently it's baby Quinn's as well. Thought maybe it's simply because Edwards own birthday is a mere day after the baby's and his mother knows he won't let her celebrate. 38 isn't necessarily an age to be celebrated.
Owing to the birthday boy's bedtime, dinner had been pushed up. The sun is still setting as they retire to the sitting room for drinks and a pile of presents much to the toddlers delight as he sits in his mothers lap, waiting for his gifts. Owing to the fact that he happened to be born first grandchild and nephew, the rest of the adults gather around him, watching and clapping intently.
He is delighted over his new alphabet blocks and car walker from Sabrina and Geoff. Charly and John's board books and Paddington bear are also a hit. Uncle Freddie decided to gift him a mini guitar and drum set, as if they all hadn't been losing enough sleep this past year.
Susie and Eddie both have not shared their presents for the little ruler of the household. He never thought it would become hard to keep such an insignificant secret from someone as it has been with Susan.
It sneaked up on him, the urge to run everything by her, even the gift for his little nephew.
Jack comes bounding out with Susie's (and his) present, a large rocking horse for the little boy, shaped like a lion. Edward snaps a picture of Auntie Susie as she is now called, holding the little boy as they rock gently.
The entire scene makes his signet ring with the Horniman crest like nothing more than an afterthought. It's a hit with the adults, though the newly minted toddler looks at it for a mere second before deciding his toys were far more exciting.
It's all too much for little Quinn because after a tower of blocks was built and knocked down and another tour was taken on the rocking lion, now named Leo, the poor boy was exhausted and let himself be held and given good-night cuddles and kisses and whisked away from his own celebration by his parents.
The rest of the adults stay up longer by the fire. Eddie helps himself to more scotch and pours another one for Susie. She smiles when he hands it to her and grants him access to the loveseat she has spread herself across, though they sit close enough to leave room for another person.
In the corner, his mother starts some music, on a gramophone of all things— one of the many things at Halstead stuck in another century. "Sinatra, Captain?" No matter what other important things he could be doing, whatever gangster they're facing down or business dealing they have to attend to, when his partner speaks, all of Edward's attention flows to her. She occupies everything in him. He looks down to where she sits beside him, her bare leg just about slung over his. She's stunning like this.
"Over and over and over the world we knew." He quotes back. His mum and Geoff are dancing now in the middle of the room, engrossed in their own world, no mind given to who might see them. "Shall we?" Edward feels like he's an idiotic teenager again, like his heart may beat out of his chest at the mere thought of asking a pretty girl— actually— the most beautiful woman he had ever seen to dance.
She gives him her hand like it's the most normal thing in the world. He doesn't remember the last time he'd been this completely happy, everything is perfect right now, his family is safe and healthy, he's home, and the most surprising part? Susie in his arms, face pressed against his shoulder, swaying with him. Two years ago, he would've balked at the idea and yet she's here and it couldn't be more perfect.
Jack eventually takes away his dance partner, leaving him to search for a new dance partner in his mother, then subsequently his sister, and even Tamsin, but it's all such great fun that he's alright with the whole idea.
Mum and Geoff take their leave first, they do most everything together nowadays, followed quickly by Charley and Geoff, while Eddie pours Susie another scotch from the bar cart, before joining Susie and her brother on the couch. Freddie and Tamsin are across from them though they are engrossed in their own conversation anyways.
"Seems a bit sad no? The birthday boy missing out on his own party." Jack says.
Susie laughs into the scotch that Eddie just poured her. Its a strange sound to hear his partner almost giggling, but no less exhilarating, "He's alright, dreaming of puppy-dogs and rainbows and the such."
"Lucky him." He offers, he doesn't remember the last time he dreamt of beautiful things like those– barring Susie of course, she makes constant appearances in his dreams.
Jack taps his sister's shoulder, "I think we had the best gift, by far, a hit with everyone, compared with some people." Jack, clearly too drunk, gestures to Eddie.
Susie laughs back, "He'll treasure it eventually." She reaches to his hand and preses the pad of one of her well-manicured nails onto the ring, almost hard enough for it to leave an indent in her soft skin like his family crest will burn itself into her. "It was quite thoughtful." He's probably too intoxicated himself because usually light, fleeting contact with Susan Glass doesn't make it his mind reel and chest tighten with a need he shouldn't dare to imagine.
Jack snorts at them. Somehow in their drunken conversation, Freddie and Wham-Tam took their leave, off to do something secretive and likely ill-advised.
"Susan, fancy a nightcap?" They both have had enough alcohol for tonight.
They don't end up in their office or the sitting room though. Before Edward or Susie can stop them, their drunken feet walking in tandem, hers bare on the stone floor, find the wooden door to his bedroom. His room is bare, four poster bed and a painting of some Duke long dead, fortunately someone lit a fire and that's all she can think about now.
Susie feels giddy, in a strange way, she loves the sensation, to have completely lost all control and yet feel entirely safe, safe with Edward is all she can think about.
Is it strange? She wants to ask, sleeping in your father's old room, in the room where he died? Fortunately, the house her own mother died was confiscated by His Majesty almost 5 years ago now. But she can't ask that now, she'll ruin this fleeting moment they've created so she settles on, "He seemed to enjoy his gifts."
"He did." His eyes are almost black now, maybe it's the fact that his pupils are dilated wide or the low light from the fire, but his gaze fierce and determined.
"He's certainly easier to shop for than you." She looks at him pointedly, he scoffs, "Oh, don't you think I'd forget? Last year notwithstanding." They had barely been partners a month last year, when his birthday came along, and that had been overshadowed by the birth of Charly's baby.
"A man can hope, can't he?"
—
They don't end up with nightcaps, instead she sits on a ludicrously comfortable Persian rug as Edward brings her a glass of water and some painkillers for them both.
"Did Bobby ever dream about what's out there?" Susie scoffs, he talks as if he'd like them to be astronauts.
"Expansion?" She dares to ask.
"You'd know how to do it. We've got Western Europe, why not the rest?" He says like like it's completely simple.
"Dad tried. Didn't work out. Couldn't get Italy of all places." She shrugs, something that happened in the forgotten period of her life, when her mum was sick and Susie and Jack suffered with her. Dad doesn't like to talk about the years leading up to her death.
"Why not?"
"I haven't a clue. We had an Uncle or something that fucked the landing and we just don't touch the country."
"You seem to have a lot of trust in your father."
"He didn't get to where he was if he wasn't ruthless and shrewd." And terrifying that was a big part of it. He terrifies everyone, even Susie, she wishes she didn't have to say that, but sometimes she feels as if she was born with a healthy, innate fear of her own father.
She's like that too. Sometimes she revels in it, the power that comes with it. And yet the double edged sword hangs over her head. Freddie's definitely afraid of her– still doesn't stop him from trying to entice her with whatever harebrained scheme he's concocted. Sabrina and Charlotte are wary of what she'll bring, they embrace her and invite her to children's birthday parties, but she's dangerous and she can't remedy that.
And then there's Eddie. He's just as dangerous as her and he knew what he was getting into as her partner, but still she begs him silently not to turn his back on her.
"And now?"
"Jesus." He's old now, 70 this year, going stir-crazy at Leyhill, everything a man could want wouldn't satisfy Bobby Glass. They are a triumvirate, him, her, and Eddie, and yet it's still his organization.
"Time for a new generation?"
"Is that something of interest to you?"
The glint in his eyes answers the question before he can, though when he does his voice is deep and clear, "I have a clear idea of what I want these days." He murmurs.
"What's that?"
"Everything." That was the right answer for Susie.
"You can have it." She whispers it but they are just close enough now that he hears it loud and clear. "If you take it." He's so close now, part of her aches, well many parts of her. She wants to tell him that it's alright, that she would very much like it if he would kiss her.
When he pulls back, he leans forward, so his forehead brushes against hers for a brief, fleeting moment. "Susan, we should get you to bed." He says it like it's amusing, maybe it's the scotch or maybe it's the idea that a fucking Duke would every entertain the notion of kissing a charity case gangster.
"Should we?" She really does want to kiss him. She shouldn't of course. Susie can't imagine an outcome in which kissing Edward right now would do any good for anyone. Best case scenario, it's awkward for weeks after, like that night with the Wards on steroids. And in the worst? Two scenarios come to mind, one, it ruins whatever they've built, their partnership, they start a civil war over a simple kiss. The other sounds ridiculous to even entertain, like some sort of fairytale song about love that little children sing as they dream about the future.
"Yes, they'll be time tomorrow for everything." He'll have lost his nerve and she'll be suitably embarrassed. He won't kiss her again and Susan mourns it terribly.