Tudor Reunion Tour

by Jamie Salisbury

  “Zara,” I heard Grace beckon me. “Could we have a word with you?”

  “Certainly.” I motioned for them to sit out on the porch. I didn’t want the baby disturbed if this ended up getting loud. I had no idea what to expect. “What’s up?”

  “Okay, I won’t beat around the bush, Zara. I’m quite concerned about you. We all are. Julia and I’ve been talking and we came up with an idea.”

  “What sort of idea?” I asked as I cautiously watched the two of them.

  “I thought while Amadeus is out on this tour, at least for part of it, Elizabeth could come stay with me while you go and take some time for yourself at a spa or resort. I think you need it, Zara, and this would be a perfect time.” Both women were eyeing me, Julia with that smug look on her face.

  I chose my words carefully. I had half expected something like this, just not here. “I appreciate your concern. Truly I do. Amadeus and I are discussing some options for me during the time he is away. So as much as I appreciate the offer, Grace, I’m going to have to decline. At least right now.”

  “I’ve already made arrangements, Zara,” Grace replied. I could tell she was hedging, stumbling over her words almost, almost as though this spa deal wasn’t her idea at all.

  “Well, I’m sorry. You’ll have to cancel them because once we leave here, we’re returning to Scotland. From there we’ll return to Seattle for the rehearsals. By then I should know what I’ll be doing, and if your spa idea sounds like something I want to do, I’ll let you know then, Grace.”

  “You’re accompanying Amadeus to Seattle?” Julia blurted out. By the look on her face, this was something that she hadn’t prepared herself for. Good, chalk one up for team Zara.

  “Of course I am. Just as I plan for Elizabeth and me to meet up with him at various times along the tour.”

  “You can’t just show up, Zara.”

  “Why not, Julia? I’m his wife, and it’s going to be hard enough on him not to be around for some of the milestones in Elizabeth’s life he may miss. So, yes, we’ll be meeting up with him from time to time.”

  “Zara, this is foolishness. You need to think about your daughter…” Grace began. I put up my hand to stop her.

  “I am thinking about my daughter and my husband. Now if that’s all, ladies, I need to finish what I was working on. I’ll join you later.”

  As soon as they were out of sight, I texted Peter on my phone. Peter knew of Grace’s intentions, good as they were. Both men knew of my fear that this was all part of Julia’s ploy to manipulate everything. Time to put my plan into action.

  ****

  We returned to Scotland, just in time for all the Hogmanay celebrations. Amadeus backed me up, hearing of his mother’s plan of wanting me to take some time alone while she kept Elizabeth, telling her the decision would be made by the two of us and no one else.

  While in the Scottish countryside, I intercepted a handful of texts and emails from both Grace and Julia to Amadeus pleading with him to convince me to let Grace take Elizabeth, though Grace’s emails weren’t as demanding as Julia’s. Julia’s made it sound like I was becoming too unhinged to care for her, where with Grace’s, she was merely making a suggestion. As much as it pained me to keep Amadeus in the dark regarding some things, I had to in order to make what I was about to do as real as possible.

  We packed up everything we needed and headed to Seattle for rehearsals. Two weeks of long, grueling hours. I tried to keep myself busy as much as possible. It was hard because Amadeus and I were both on edge. Him because of the unknown and knowing I was not happy or in agreement with him participating, and me having to sit back and watch it all unfold. And knowing I was about to pull off a stunt that would put our relationship on the edge. It was the only way to expose Julia and her plans.

  The afternoon prior to the boys leaving for their first concert date, I received a text from Peter telling me Grace was in route to see the boys off on their new adventure. This had been a tradition she and Amadeus’s late father, William, had maintained for years. He also mentioned one word, intervention. Grace was planning on doing an intervention to force her and Julia’s idea on me. It was time for Elizabeth and me to go.

  With Amadeus at rehearsals, I hastily packed everything I would need for the trip Elizabeth and I were about to take. I made sure I left nothing behind that could trace Peter and my conversations and emails. I then placed a phone call to Peter’s contact and waited for them to arrive. Peter had given me a cell phone before I left the Caribbean. It was my lifeline to Peter and the outside world now. I left my old cell phone on the glass and iron coffee table in the living room along with a letter I had composed earlier. I didn’t know how much Amadeus knew of what I was planning, and I had asked Peter not to tell me. I preferred to start this journey thinking he knew nothing. This was not the way I wanted him to begin this tour, but it had to be.

  The cell rang. I peered at the number. It was Grace. I debated whether or not to pick it up.

  “Hi, Grace. Where are you?”

  “I’m at the old house. I thought perhaps you’d care to come over and have tea with me.”

  “I’d love to,” I lied. “I’ll be there as soon as I finish up with the baby’s doctor appointment.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with her is there?”

  “Of course not, just a check-up.”

  “Well, I can’t wait to see her. I just know she’s grown like a weed. They always do at that age.”

  “Yes, they do. We’ll see you shortly, Grace.”

  I hung up, turned the cell phone off, and placed it back on the table. Hearing a knock on the door, I headed over to answer it. Two of Peter’s road crew entered and began picking up the luggage and items I had neatly stacked in one corner of the living room. I grabbed a sleeping Elizabeth and her diaper bag, along with my backpack, which now contained our passports, money, and laptop, everything needed to sustain us. My lifeline. One of the men assisted me with the diaper bag and closed the front door behind us. I had given Peter the code to enter the building from the parking garage beneath the building. I climbed into the black SUV, strapping Elizabeth, who was now waking up, in and we headed towards the airport.

  It had been prearranged quite well. Like something out of a spy movie. No one would think twice about the private jet leased by Peter because his son, James, had been in town the night before for a concert of his own, and was using one of Peter’s planes during his U.S. tour. James would accompany us as far as his next stop, San Diego, before rejoining his own crew and band. From there we would refuel and continue to our destination.

  Patagonia, Chile.

  Amadeus

  What in the hell is going on? Has everyone just gone nuts or something?

  Julia is bordering on the absurd when it comes to organizing this tour. I know damn good and well there is something up. Zara and I have been able to find out a part of it. It’s the why that I want to know.

  And then I’m having to actually lie to Zara about some things just to stay on Julia’s good side. I’ve got to let her play out her hand. Angus and I both know that. We also decided it might be better if Damien isn’t in the know on everything. That way he’s not an accessory, and if Julia begins to suspect anything, he will be honest in his answers.

  We’ve even had to involve Peter. He’s got deep pockets and connections that even I can’t get to. People will drop everything if he asks them to.

  This is like one huge game, only let one person know so much, don’t let another know a thing. To say its confusing is an understatement.

  What I don’t like is the fact that Julia has come up with a concocted notion that Zara is unstable. To make it worse, she’s convinced Mother of that. Mother usually doesn’t interfere in our private affairs, but Julia’s trying to convince her that Zara needs some time off at a spa or something. Something is right; something to keep her out of her way. She knows Zara smells something fishy.

  And if that weren’t enough, Zara has gone
underground with Elizabeth. I knew from Peter that the two of them had something in the works, but they didn’t want me to know exactly what. Peter will take care of the two of them, wherever she’s gone to. It’s the not knowing where she and the baby are that makes me a little nuts. When I have one of those moments, I try to sit back, breathe, and remember she’s okay; she’s simply getting out of Julia’s line of fire. Zara’s got something up her sleeve, and when the time is right, she’ll let it be known.

  Chapter Four

  Zara

  The first leg of the trip—Seattle to San Diego—was fun. Peter’s son, James, joined us, and I was amazed by how much the young man had come into his own as a musician. While he may have his famous father’s last name, it was all about him and his music first and foremost. I bid James goodbye and good luck on the remainder of his tour, leaving me to my own devices from there on out.

  Once James left our company in San Diego, the remainder of the trip was long and grueling. Elizabeth was not happy about more new surroundings, but did amazingly well under the circumstances. Traveling with an infant such a distance meant the trip had to revolve more around her. Though I wanted to make stops along the way, I didn’t dare with her. By the time we reached Santiago for refueling, we were both ready to really stretch our legs and get some fresh air.

  Upon arrival at our final destination of Punta Arenas, Chile, Elizabeth and I disembarked from the small jet. I glanced around the tarmac for someone from the resort. I finally spied Greg Black, one of the owners I’d come to know a few years back on an earlier visit to Patagonia. I waved in his direction, hoisting the baby up on one hip.

  “Zara!” Greg exclaimed. “It is so good to see you again. And this time with a little one!”

  “It’s good to see you as well, Greg. Yeah, this is Elizabeth.” Elizabeth glared with interest at the stranger. She played bashful, hiding her face in my chest, and then peeking around to look.

  “Come, your things are in the back of my SUV. Mary and I have a cottage all ready for the two of you. I think you’ll be pleased. The view is one of the better ones.”

  “That sounds wonderful, Greg. I’m looking forward to a shower and a decent meal. Traveling with a little one isn’t the same as doing it alone.”

  He chuckled at my remark as he opened the back door to the SUV. Elizabeth’s car seat had already been fastened in, and she fussed at the idea of being strapped back in. I finally got her taken care of, much to her dismay, and walked around the vehicle to my side and slid in.

  Greg maneuvered the SUV along the long, dusty, and bumpy road leading to the resort with ease. I wondered how many sets of shocks they went through going up and down this main thoroughfare. It was not for the faint of heart in some places, but it made the resort much more appealing once you got to the end of the line.

  Mary appeared from the main structure. I noted she hadn’t changed much. She and Greg had come here years and years ago, back when there was nothing. They built their dream and gradually turned it into the resort it was today.

  She greeted us in typical Chilean fashion. Elizabeth was wary, not quick to make friends. Mary finally got a grin out of her as we followed her to our cottage. Ever thinking ahead, Mary had set out a table full of food for me, a bowl of fruit in the center.

  “I’ll bring you lunch and a few other goodies, along with all the extras, while you settle in. There’s some wine on the table.”

  “Thanks, Mary. I think what I’m going to do while you’re getting that ready is strip this little one down and feed her. I’ll give her a bath after I eat.”

  “I put a couple of gallons of purified water in the refrigerator for her. I was told you would need it to mix with her formula?”

  “Yes. I don’t want to take a chance by making any sudden changes in her diet. I brought a ton of powdered formula until I see how her system takes to new things.”

  “You were smart to think of that, Zara.”

  I chuckled at the thought of a sick baby. Sick… “Well, the thought of the alternative didn’t appeal to me. And I hope I brought enough diapers for our stay. If not, I guess I’ll be learning to use the old fashioned cloth ones.”

  I had meticulously figured out what I thought I would need in both formula and diapers before we left. The diapers were my only real concern, but as long as Elizabeth didn’t have any intestinal issues leading to extra usage, I figured we should be fine for the next eight or nine weeks.

  A lump in my throat formed, thinking about Amadeus. I had done alright on the trip down, trying hard not to think about him. But now I wondered what he was thinking about what I had done and where he was. Was he angry, or had Peter assured him already that the baby and I were safe? Peter and I had agreed keeping him in the dark about my ‘disappearance’ was for the best. Amadeus was known to have a hard time lying to Grace, and she would be all over him, questioning him about my whereabouts.

  As I waited for Mary to finish my dinner, I took Elizabeth into the bedroom and stripped her out of her clothes. I tried to make a game out of it as I put a fresh diaper on her and took her back into the living room. Knowing she was probably getting hungry, I set her on a blanket with a few of her favorite toys and poured formula into a waiting bottle. I handed it to her to see if that would pacify her. It seemed to, so I headed over to the table and poured myself a glass of wine.

  There was a knock on the door and Mary popped her head back in, followed by a young man with a cart full of baby food and formula. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about her eating, Zara.” Peter had made sure I was well supplied, overly supplied for our stay. Diapers as well. I hadn’t seen everything loaded into the jet, so it never crossed my mind that he would think of something so basic.

  “Thank you!” I exclaimed. I pointed the boy to a corner in the large living room. Elizabeth watched in curiosity as he unloaded everything out of the cart.

  As soon as he left, Mary laid out platefuls of food for me. Cheese, bread, empanadas. “I thought you might like to join us for dinner later. We’re having sea bass this evening.”

  “This looks amazing, Mary. And yes, I will most certainly join you and Greg for dinner. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, Zara. If there’s anything you need, you know where to find me. I’ll let you settle in now.”

  I walked over to the table and eyed all the wonderful food. Elizabeth was crawling over in my direction. I set my glass of wine down on the table before grabbing her up and placing her in a waiting highchair. She was tired, and it was beginning to show. I dug through her diaper bag for some baby food. While the empanada was heating in the microwave, I grabbed a piece of cheese and popped it into my mouth as I sighed. Eating on the go, oh well. I took the empanada out of the microwave, grabbed the jar of baby food, and placed it in the microwave to heat. As soon as the timer went off, indicating it was ready, I took the spoon and sat down in front of her. At first she wanted no part of the jar of baby food, until she saw I wasn’t going to give her anything else.

  “Sorry, sweetie. You have to stick to this boring stuff until your little system acclimates. You don’t want to get the runs; neither of us wants that.”

  She babbled and, eventually, after some gentle coaxing from me, ate the entire jar of food along with a jar of baby fruit. After cleaning her up, I gave her the bottle back in hopes she’d be sleepy. As she sat there, I grabbed an empanada and ate it while I played with her.

  Noting she was rubbing her eyes, I grabbed another piece of cheese and munched on it as I gathered up items to give her a bath. I picked her up and stripped her and sat her in the warm water I’d drawn in the small kitchenette sink. She splashed the water as I washed her with the soft cloth. She was fighting to stay awake. It was just a matter of minutes.

  With Elizabeth down for what I hoped would be a long nap, I cleaned up her mess, grabbing bites to eat in between. I poured myself another glass of wine, deciding a much needed shower was more in order than unpacking the laptop and checkin
g for messages. I was desperate for any word from Amadeus, but I was more in need of a shower.

  I stood under the steaming hot water for what seemed an eternity. Actually, I started running out of hot water. I dried myself off and managed to find clean underwear and clothes to put on while I got unpacked and settled. But first I had to fire up my lap top. My old lap top, not the new one Peter had given me. I wasn’t to contact anyone with the old one. I probably shouldn’t have brought it with me, but I had to know if Amadeus had tried to contact me. Email would be his only way, not knowing my new cell phone number or the sat number, another idea of Peter’s. Cell phones were about useless down here.

  As I waited, I filled a plate with food and sat in front of the computer as it came online. How they got Wi-Fi way down here was a gift horse I wasn’t going to question. Greg had mentioned it wasn’t a given but when it worked, it worked well. Thank God, for me, it was working this afternoon.

  I logged into my email account. Nothing. Not one email from Amadeus. My heart sank. This meant one thing; he was not happy with me. Just as I had that thought, a new email popped up. Amadeus.

  Opening the email, I was relieved he wasn’t angry with my ‘disappearance’. While he didn’t come right out and say it, he made it clear to me through the way he wrote, the words he chose, that Peter had gotten to him. He went on to say that he wouldn’t try to contact me again. He feared one of us would be found out. Telling me how much he loved and missed Elizabeth and me, he ended with he couldn’t wait to talk with me soon. I closed the email and powered down the computer. I sat there with a huge lump in my throat again. My nerves were on edge, but I realized it was more from the long trip than anything else.