Deleted scene from "Gabriel's Inferno"

Dear Everyone,



Recently, I was interviewed by Yel of the Itzel Library. The interview is available in English and Spanish and you can read it here.



Yel asked me about deleted scenes and outtakes from the novel, reminding me of a scene involving Richard and Grace that was cut from Gabriel's Inferno.














(Spoiler ahead)




The scene takes place after Julia
separates from her boyfriend while studying at Saint Joseph's University in
Philadelphia.  Grace is upset that
Julia won’t answer her telephone calls:




Grace
sat at her dressing table in her bathrobe, brushing her long hair and thinking.
She was upset. She was worried. But she didn't know what to do.




"Come
to bed, love."



She
took her husband's outstretched hand and followed him to the bed, divesting
herself of her robe in the semi-darkness and joining him naked between the
sheets. She positioned herself on her side, running her fingers through the
light dusting of chest hair that decorated his upper body.



"My
love." Richard grabbed her hand and kissed it softly. "Tell me what's
bothering you before I make you forget your troubles. You're driving me
crazy."



Grace
laughed. He knew her so well. She would absentmindedly glide gentle hands over
his still muscular body in order to help her think better, but it had the
opposite effect on him.



"Sorry,
dear. I was thinking about Julia."



Richard
sighed and waited for her to elaborate, but he knew what was coming.



"She
won't return my calls. She won't return Rachel's calls. Tom says she's holed up
in a tiny apartment near campus and she'll barely speak to him. I was thinking
about driving up there to see her tomorrow and taking a care package.”



Richard
was a thoughtful man, a quiet man. He gave his wife's words his full consideration
as she waited to hear his opinion. They were that attuned to one another. They
were that much in love.



"I
don't think that's a good idea. If she's retreating, it's because she's afraid.
If you go to her home, you'll be upsetting her in the one place in which she
feels safe."



Grace
rested her hand on his heart. "You aren’t a psychiatrist."



"That’s
right.  But we both know Julia is
withdrawn and timid. If you threaten her security, you will be threatening her
coping strategy. And then she's going to have to find something else."



"So
what should I do?"



"Why
don't you write her a letter, expressing your concern. Give her some time to
process things and respond. And then wait and see what happens."



Grace
rested her head on her husband's shoulder. "I can do that, but I wish
she'd talk to me - let me know what happened that made her want to hide from
all of us. And then I could help her."



"Rachel
mentioned something about her boyfriend."



Grace
flinched. "I never liked the way he looked at her. He was proud of how she
looked on his arm, but there was something in his eyes." She reached over
and planted a light kiss on her husband's lips. "He never looked at her
the way you look at me."



Richard
smiled at her and caressed the naked curve of her hip with his fingers.
"No one looks at anyone the way I look at you because no one loves anyone
the way I love you."



Grace's
worries were momentarily interrupted by a passionate kiss and a pair of strong
hands stroking her lower back.



"Julia
would have been vulnerable when she started seeing him. Her mother had died,
she was away from Selinsgrove. She likely tolerated whatever he was willing to
give to her. And gladly." Richard sighed deeply. "She's a dreamy
romantic, I think, not unlike her mother."



"Don't
mention that woman to me. She nearly ruined that little girl. When I think of
what she exposed her to and —"



He
leaned over and kissed her again. "I know, my love. But there’s nothing we
can do about it now.”



"I
feel helpless," Grace whispered. "She's suffering and she won't let
me comfort her. I promised Julia I would be her mother. But she won't let
me."



"She'll
come back to you when she's ready."



"You
said that about Gabriel. He never comes home."



Richard
shifted uncomfortably. "He has
come back to us. He's clean, he has a good job, and if we're lucky, he'll meet
a nice girl and she'll straighten him out. You lit a candle for him. Why don't
you light a candle for Julia?"



Grace
kissed her husband, but her sadness over her eldest son radiated through her
touch.



"Things
will work out, my love. I promise. We'll find a way." Richard softly
kissed her.



And
when their contact grew more heated, he looked down at her and traced the soft
line of her earlobe, pausing to touch the sparkling diamond in her ear, a gift
from long ago.



"You're
upset. You're sad tonight. I don't think that we should —"



"Making
love with you comforts me, darling. Please."



He
had never denied her any good thing. He could not deny her this. He hovered over her, staring
deeply into her eyes. There was no need for words; their gazes said it all.



It
was a slow, easy rhythm, the effortless, intimate coupling of a man and a woman
who knew each other. The kind of love
making that could last for hours or even a lifetime.



“I
worship you,” he whispered against her neck, as she arched her back, her
hands urging him deeper.



“I
love you,” she
whispered. “Always.”



The
wave crashed over both of them, leaving them breathless and contented.



Grace’s last thought was a silent prayer that one day Julia and
Gabriel would each find love. 



And then she fell asleep wrapped up in the arms
of her beloved husband...




Thank you to Yel for reminding me about this scene, which I'd forgotten. And to the moderators of the international SR accounts, who are providing the translations.



In case you missed it, you can view the cover design for the UK edition of Gabriel's Redemption here. You can also preorder it through Waterstones or Amazon.co.uk.



All the best everyone and thank you for reading,

SR



www.sylvainreynard.com








Disclaimer: These translations have been made non-profit and with the sole purpose of allowing non-English speaking readers to read the presentation, worldwide. All rights belong to Sylvain Reynard, his publisher Penguin Berkley and additional publishers.


Croatian Translation

Italian Translation

Portuguese Translation

Romanian Translation

Spanish Translation