“Not entirely. Normally, I can find out whatever I need to know about an industry and the people who run it, but in the music industry, much of what you need to know is never written anywhere. On paper, Jules had an excellent reputation, but once he became your agent, I realized he was not as good as I had hoped, and the longer I knew him, the worse he proved to be. I thought Sean could be your way out, but he was right when he told me I had made a grievous error in thinking he would help. He was never going to, and he never will. Even after declaring at our wedding he would not fail you again, he tried to refuse your recording because, without hearing it, he declared it poor quality.”
She laughed softly. “It’s a magnificent recording. I wonder what he thought once he heard it.”
“He’s spent over a hundred thousand dollars trying to figure out what I did to prevent it from being duplicated.”
“What if he succeeds? Bastion will kill me if parts of my opera are published.”
“He only received the aria. However, I will bury him in lawsuits if he publishes it without paying each of the musicians’ royalties once he finally breaks the code.”
She studied him for a moment. “And when will he break the code?”
“When he has spent a quarter million on this secret project. At that point, he will have painted himself into a corner and will desperately need some legitimate means to write off the losses. Accountants get cranky when they are asked to write off costs used to commit copyright infringement.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
When Andrew announced Mr. Darmont was at the door, Amanda set down her pencil with reluctance. She was in the middle of a composition.
You can tell him to return on Saturday, Adam suggested in her head.
Then I’ll spend the next three days wondering what lies he wishes to feed me now. She wiggled her way out of the chair.
When she waddled into the hall to greet Sean, she could see the shock and dismay on his face. He evidently didn’t like pregnant women any more than he did invalids.
“Sean, what a surprise! Let’s sit in the library,” she suggested. “And if you’re lucky, I won’t go into labor while you’re here.”
“Is this why you married him?” Sean asked. “You should have come to me. There were other alternatives.”
She shook her head in dismay. “You’ve never understood me in the least.”
“I thought you to be a serious musician,” he countered.
“I am. Even now, you have disturbed me from my lesson, so do not imply I’m not a serious musician, or I’ll be forced to send you away to prove I am.”
He didn’t join her on the couch, but chose to pace about the room like a caged lion. “You had such potential! I want to help you to recover a small portion of what you’ve lost. I will help you if you’ll only let me.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Happier than I’ve ever been.”
“You are not fine!” he declared in frustration. “Look at you! You’re about to burst! How will you ever get your body to return after this?”
She smiled. “My doctor says it’s not as hopeless as it looks.”
He sat down on the couch and took her hand, but pulled back when he focused on her swollen, pudgy fingers.
“Why are you here, Sean?” she asked, growing weary of his disgust.
“I want to help you. The recording you gave me at your wedding—I want to publish it. I’ll lose money on it, but I don’t care. I want to do this for you.”
“But you said the recording wasn’t of sufficient quality,” she reminded him.
“It wasn’t, but I’ve spent substantial money cleaning it up. All I need now is to get a release from you, and finally your voice can be shared with the world.”
She asked to see the release.
“It’s just a lot of legal jargon,” he assured her, and pointed to where she needed to sign.
“Adam will have to see this before I sign.”
He ripped the contract out of her hands. “Then I might as well give up on this project now. I’ve had my men investigate Adam, and he isn’t a man to be trusted. That’s why it broke my heart to see you trapped. He has used you abominably!”
“What do you think he’s done?”
“He has tried to destroy everyone who’s attempted to help you. Poor Bavard can barely book a chorus girl now—his reputation has been torn to tatters by whispers and innuendoes. Mark Hammer was murdered.”
“I thought Hamilton was arrested for that?”
“Hamilton didn’t kill Mark. He’s devastated by the loss of his son-in-law. He has given me his release. You realize this is not just about you, Amanda—that song is Mark’s final legacy and deserves to be heard.”
“Mark has several excellent CDs.”
“But this is his best work! Are you going to allow your husband to not only kill your former lover but to silence his finest masterpiece?”
“Adam did not kill Mark. And you will never convince me he did,” she assured him. “However, Adam is not your only roadblock to producing this song. You need releases from two other musicians and Bastion.”
“What does Bastion have to do with this?” Sean demanded.
“He was our conductor, and he also owns the rights to the aria. You cannot produce the piece without his approval.”
She could see the fury in Sean’s face.
“Who are the other musicians?” he growled.
“Bresnan was the pianist. His agent is Chevaux.” She could see that upset him. “And the cello is Martin Johnson, and Adam will have to be involved for him as well as me.”
“Then this is doomed.”
“I’m sorry.”
He stood and towered over her. “You’re sorry? I just spent a quarter of a million dollars trying to help you, and that’s all you can say? You’re sorry?”
“Had you involved Adam from the beginning, you would not have spent so much money.”
“Do you have any idea what’s going to happen if I tell my board of directors I spent a fortune on a project before getting releases signed?”
“If you talk to Adam, he can probably find a way out that won’t cost you your job.”
“Damn you!” he cursed, and raised his fist. For a moment she feared he would strike her, but a second later, Andrew stood between her and Sean, suggesting he leave.
Sean walked to the library door, then turned to face her. “I have loved you with all my heart, and this is how you repay me? I curse the day I met you!” he bellowed and stormed from the room.
Amanda wrapped her arms around herself, wishing Adam were there.
I am coming home now, Adam assured her.
No, I need you to make Jon well, she insisted.
I have completed that task. He is settled back into reality. If you wish to talk to him, he is ready to talk to you again. If not, I’ll send Bastion over to hold you in my place.
I’d like to have all those things. May I speak to Jon now, and then you could send Bastion over?
Whatever you wish, my beloved wife, Adam assured her.
***
When Jon appeared on her camera’s screen, he looked more intriguing than ever. He now possessed a dark, somber haunt to his face that gave him mystery and character. He looked to have aged years since they last spoke.
“Forgive me,” he pleaded.
“There is nothing to forgive,” she assured him. “I’m sorry I hurt you by blurting out my news like that. I didn’t expect it to upset you.”
“Nor should it have. I was being selfish. I didn’t want you to change in any way.”
Amanda thought of Sean. “Well, I have changed. I’m presently the size of a small elephant.”
Jon smiled. “Can I see?”
She stepped back from the computer. “Can you see me?”
“Some of you. Some won’t fit on the screen,” he teased.
“Well, that’s because I’m having—” She stopped, fearing to cause a setback if he learned she was havin
g triplets.
“Triplets. Adam told me. Three girls. I can’t wait to see them.”
“Does that mean you plan to visit?”
“If you will allow this unreliable friend to do so.”
“You aren’t unreliable. You’re simply in a difficult situation. I’ve been there, so I understand. It’s very easy to get your feelings hurt when you’re all on your own.”
“I’ve grown weary of the daily betrayals of people who pretend to be my friends. I am far more cynical than you ever were. If a new guy arrives at school and tries to befriend me, I assume he’s being used to set me up. But I trusted Adam, and when I thought he’d broken our agreement, I did some really stupid things, which fortunately have not caused lasting harm.”
“What did you do?”
“I sent an anonymous letter to the FBI telling them it was Adam Webb who killed Mark Hammer, not Hamilton.”
“Why?” She fought to hide the anger that surged within her. Before it burst forth, Adam spoke to her mentally and assured her he was fine.
“I’d gone crazy. Adam had promised I would be the father to your children.”
“Are you certain he said it like that?”
“I was until he replayed the actual video of our discussion. It turned out I remembered what I wished, rather than what he’d offered. He actually promised a chance to be the father of your children once I returned. He failed to mention your other lovers, because it would have kept me from making the changes I needed to make. He never betrayed me, but I certainly betrayed him.”
“Did you tell him about the letter?” Amanda asked.
“I did, even though I was certain in doing so he’d never let me see you again. He took it remarkably well. I had the feeling he already knew.”
“Mark...”
“Jon,” he reminded her.
“Sorry, I was thinking about Mark. Why would you ever think Adam would hurt Mark? He liked the fellow even before I did. In fact, it was Adam who convinced me to give Mark another try.”
“I have no excuse, other than I was momentarily insane. I thought I had been betrayed and that someone else had been found to replace me, removing me from your life forever.”
“Did he tell you how many lovers I have?”
“Well, I imagine none at the moment,” he teased, then sobered. “He didn’t name them, but he made certain I knew there was more than one, which oddly made me feel better. I saw it as evidence that you are capable of loving more than one person at a time.”
She smiled. “I wish I could hold you.”
“Soon,” he promised. “Schummer is kicking me out at the end of this term. He says he has nothing more to teach me and he is weary of the disruption I cause in his school. I have received several well-meaning lectures on how to get along with others, no doubt in payment for all those I gave you. I never had any idea what you were going through.”
“No, but you helped me anyway. You even risked Jules’ wrath and stayed as my roommate during my first trying month here.”
“Well, now I’m gaining a reputation for being brilliant but very difficult. However, Schummer still believes Carl Mann will sign me despite this flaw.”
When Jon had to leave for his class, Amanda returned to her assignment, forgetting all about her need for a hug. She was well-loved and happy, and very far behind on her task.
When Bastion arrived, she suggested he pour himself some wine and she’d let him see her composition once she was done.
“I was under the impression you were in need of a hug,” he challenged.
“I was, but I have to finish this composition, or I’ll be in need of protection when Pinchot arrives at four. You don’t have to stay while I work on it if you don’t want to.”
Bastion kissed her on the forehead. “I will select a wine.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
The birth of her girls was attended by Adam and three of the potential fathers. Bresnan was on tour in Russia and could not come, but Adam made certain he attended electronically. While the doctor declared it an easy birth, Amanda begged to differ. However, she forgot all the excruciating pain the moment Adam filled her arms with babies.
All three of her daughters were healthy, ranging from six pounds to eight. Their varying sizes, hair colors and facial shapes left no doubt they were fraternal rather than identical triplets. Amanda was greatly relieved. In her recent nightmares, she couldn’t tell them apart and kept feeding the same baby while the other two starved.
Adam had been greatly amused by her silly worries, and now she knew why.
“Think you can sort them out?” he teased as he put the dark-haired girl onto her chest as she held the blonde and redhead in her arms.
The nurse wanted to remove two babies to the crib, but after taking a picture of Amanda and her babies to send to Bresnan, Adam handed the dark-haired girl to Bastion and picked up the blonde and gave her to Simon and Pinchot. He then focused his attention on her and the red-haired beauty in her arms.
She caressed the baby’s head. Bresnan was dark-haired, as was Bastion. Simon and Pinchot had light-brown hair. How on earth had she managed to have a red-haired baby?
She looked up at Adam quite certain he knew the answer, since he looked very pleased with himself.
He kissed her and caressed the baby presently suckling her breast. I believe Mark Hammer was a red-headed baby.
But Mark and I never...
When I promised him a chance, I asked him for a sperm sample to ensure he was genetically healthy. Once I determined he was, I gave him his chance.
How, exactly?
With an extra feature of my equipment I failed to mention before, he admitted.
You delivered Mark’s sperm inside me?
With great pleasure.
She wondered why he had required lovers at all if he could deliver their sperm.
I will need help loving and protecting my brood, he admitted. I need someone to hug you and our daughters when I am not available. I want our children to grow up full of love.
“Our daughters will be the luckiest, most loved children on this entire planet,” she assured him. “With six fathers, how could they be otherwise?”
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Birth of Adam
Birth of Adam (Artificial Intelligence Book 2) Page 30