Tudor Rubato

by Jamie Salisbury

  Mother is quite amazed and surprised no doubt about it as she followed Peter back to a floral patterned chair for her to sit in. She sat eyeing both Zara and I.

  “So this is why you’ve been so quiet today Amadeus. I’m sure Peter has better things to do with his time than have us visit.”

  “Nonsense Grace. There’s nothing more I’d love to do than to spend time with you. I still feel awful about not making it to William’s wake, but I was sure you’d understand why I chose not to.”

  “You don’t have to apologize, Peter. I understand and I know William would have as well.”

  As if on cue an older woman brings in a cart loaded down with various things to drink and snack on.

  “I didn’t know if you had eaten, but feel free. We’ll have lunch in a couple of hours. And Amadeus, have you been keeping up with the single of yours that we released two weeks ago?”

  I shook my head. I hadn’t, truth be told I hadn’t wanted to. I was afraid I’d start getting antsy if it was doing well to get out on the road to promote it.

  “No, I haven’t. From the look on your face Peter, it must be doing rather well.”

  “Well? It’s doing phenomenal! It debuted at number five and is now number two.”

  “That’s incredible.” I heard Zara exclaim next to me. “Has it been released in the States yet, Peter?”

  “It debuted this Monday and is doing just about as well there as it is here.”

  “Well son, it looks as if your fans have not forgotten about you after all.”

  “I had no doubt they’d be clamoring for something new from Amadeus as soon as it hit,” Peter replied.

  Zara leaned over next to me and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you sweetie. I knew there was not a chance in hell your fans would ever forget you.”

  I looked between all three of them and grinned. Hell yeah, it was good to be back. “Now what Peter?”

  “Well, I guess you need to have Zara speak with my office and see if they have anything in the works planned for you. Interviews, that sort of thing.”

  Chapter Ten

  I can’t believe that I’m hearing what I’m hearing! Amadeus discussing the actual possibility of performing in Europe on Peter’s tour! Number one, I thought when we discovered I was pregnant he was going to stay at home, close by until after the baby arrived and number two he doesn’t have a band to back him. Men! Hell performers! I know it’s in Amadeus’ blood, but after all we’ve been through I would have thought that meant more. Perhaps I’m just being hormonal about the entire matter. I’ve done nothing but encourage him for years and I won’t start now by discouraging him.

  He must have noticed that look on my face and remembered what he had said in front of Grace and me back on the farm.

  “Zara, we’re just talking. Nothing more.”

  “I didn’t say a word. I just like watching how excited you get.”

  Peter must have felt a slight tension and quickly offered to show us all to our rooms, with an offer to all of us for taking Grace on a tour of his London offices and studio after lunch. Grace was quite excited about the idea.

  The room Amadeus and I had looked like something straight out of Laura Ashley. It was so floral, typically feminine, and English. I just hope he’s not going to try and stir things up about a tour, make excuses for why he’d now like to. I’m simply not in the mood and want nothing more than to enjoy our time in London and let Grace enjoy it as well.

  “Zara, don’t get an attitude now. Peter and I are talking, that’s all. I never expected the single to do that well that fast.”

  “Amadeus, I don’t have an attitude. Trust me you’ll know when and if I do. I’m overjoyed that your single has been so well received, and I am open to the idea of you doing some touring in Europe with Peter. But that’s all – some.”

  “You are?”

  “Yes. I’d be a fool not to be. But do me a favor and take it slow? You haven’t been on the road since before – you know…”

  He walked over and embraced me.

  “I know, and I promise to take it slow. It might not even be worth it at this point in time you know.”

  “That’s all I ask. Well that and that you don’t stray too far in my last trimester. Please.”

  “We’ve already talked about that, remember? Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from you. And Mother will be with us as well.”

  He leaned over and kissed me. “Hmmmm, I guess we’d better go meet the others downstairs before we get too carried away.”

  “Speaking of getting carried away A-you’ve been a little distant here lately. Anything wrong?”

  “No sweet, there’s nothing wrong. I suppose though that the idea of mother being close by might be putting a damper on things.” Amadeus grinned as he leaned down and kissed me once again.

  “I hadn’t thought of that. I’m sorry.” I giggled as I kissed him on the cheek and left his embrace. “I see your point. We’re not very quiet when it comes to that sort of thing, are we?”

  “No we’re not. We-or should I say you Mrs. Tudor can get quite vocal.”

  “Are you telling me that’s a bad thing?” I mocked.

  “Not in the least. I love to hear you scream.”

  The afternoon was spent at Peter’s offices where he and Amadeus got involved in conversations with Peter’s people about the idea of Amadeus perhaps touring with him in Europe.

  Grace and I walked through the office and I showed her the various departments. Peter had really built himself an empire. Something along the lines of what I had always dreamed about doing. But at this point in my life my family is my focus as I’ve made up my mind that this baby is getting one hundred percent of my attention.

  Chapter Eleven

  Things have rocked along rather nicely. Amadeus and I love Scotland and have seriously considered finding a place of our own to purchase. We’ve looked at townhomes in Edinburgh as well as small farms. The reason for us checking out townhomes is the fact that there’d be less worry about it when we’re not in Scotland. We certainly don’t have the financial means such as Peter to have a staff keep the place up.

  Amadeus had done some tour dates with Peter in Europe, but they had been sporadic, being carefully chosen by Peter, Amadeus and myself. He had been well received, as we knew he would be. I can tell he loves being back doing what it is he loves. A part of him wants to go out on a full blown tour, but he has committed himself to staying close to home until well after the baby is born.

  He’s aware that I have begun to make some inquiries about perhaps setting up a short tour stateside once the baby is at least two months old. That way the baby would be old enough to travel, and Amadeus wouldn’t have to feel any regret about leaving us at home. The baby and I could either pop in and surprise him or join him on the road for a spell.

  Unknown to Amadeus, Peter and I had had been having these talks. Peter, who’s to tour the states again during that time would love to use Amadeus as his opening act. And it would be a major feather in Amadeus’ hat to do it, a great way for him to ease his way back in after his time off.

  ******

  As I entered my third trimester of pregnancy, Amadeus and I awaited Grace’s return. I had tried to get her to come closer to the last six weeks, but she stated something about wanting to visit friends around London and would pop up to see us in Edinburgh shortly. She was quite vague about this. I dismissed her early arrival, but Amadeus questioned it. But then, he was questioning everything, being like a mother hen.

  Without notice things took a change all of a sudden in my pregnancy. While on a regularly scheduled checkup the doctor indicated he did not like the baby’s weight and thought the baby (which we had no idea of the sex, preferring this time to be surprised) had slowed down in its growth. Not entirely uncommon, but it still rang alarm bells for Amadeus and me. I was ordered to strict bed rest and given a diet with more calories than I cared to count.

  It alarmed Amadeus to the point that
once he helped me get settled into bed, I overheard him on the phone in the hallway with Grace asking her to cut her vacation short to come assist him. The tone of his voice was one of concern and he was scared. When he walked back in he looked somewhat relieved, but still anxious, pacing the bedroom.

  “Amadeus, everything will be fine. If it wasn’t the doctor would have put me in the hospital.”

  “I know. But I called Mother anyway and asked her to get here as quickly as she can.”

  “Why? Sweetie, there isn’t anything she or anyone else can do. I’m confined to bed. All I need from you is to help me to the bathroom and make sure I’ve got plenty to read.”

  “I’ll just feel better knowing she’s here. She knows more about this stuff than I do. Besides she can visit whoever it is she’s seeing anytime.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What I mean Zara, is that I think my mother might have a beau down in London.”

  “Oh come on! Grace? Already?”

  “Mother is a beautiful woman still and very well educated, charming… She’d be a fine catch for any man. Not that I want to think of her getting married again.”

  “Yes, she would be. And if she is seeing someone – good for her. She’s probably just visiting with friends of your father’s and hers. Someone she feels comfortable with.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. I can hear Angus now.”

  “Screw Angus!”

  Amadeus and I had not heard once from his older brother since that day at Damien’s back in the early summer before we moved to Scotland. Not one word, not at Christmas, not when we announced we were expecting. Nothing. He was and had been touring pretty non-stop and while I’d allow that as an excuse once, he couldn’t hide behind it forever.

  Oh we’d heard rumors from others in the family. All except Grace. Grace refused to be part of the gossip mill. She didn’t accept her middle son’s actions. She had distanced herself as much as she could from him. I knew she had to be hurting from his actions from that one day.

  And I had not heard from my detective buddies since I had called them a month or two back. I had let him in on what had transpired, but told them I could offer no more since we were living in Scotland and had had no contact with Angus.

  Grace did arrive a few days later and Amadeus left me alone while he met her at the airport. I had been stuck upstairs in the bedroom and could only trust that the house was somewhat presentable for his mother – and not looking like some bachelors pad. It wasn’t her place to have to come here and become Amadeus’ private valet. I’d have to have a talk with him if he was doing such.

  I dozed off from what must by now sheer boredom that my days now bring, when something startled me awake. It was Grace standing at the side of my bed.

  “Grace, hello.” I muttered sleepily.

  She leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “Go on back to sleep, Zara. We’ll leave you. I just wanted to check on you.”

  “Mmmm…” I immediately fell back to sleep. For how long in total I don’t know, but it was about dark when I woke back up.

  I looked across the room and saw her sitting in a large overstuffed chair, covered with a bright floral chintz material, knitting.

  “What are you making?” I asked her as I slowly tried to sit up.

  “A baby afghan I started back home. Since you two are doing things the old fashioned way and waiting to find out the baby’s sex, I thought white would be appropriate.”

  “It’s beautiful.” I stood up to make the trek to the bathroom. Grace put down her needles and came straight to my side to assist me. “Amadeus. Where?”

  “Oh he was asleep on the sofa last time I looked. He doesn’t seem to be sleeping well.”

  “He worries about the baby and me. He shouldn’t.”

  “But you know he will Zara.”

  I nodded my head and disappeared into the bathroom. When I came out Grace was still standing by the door. She helped me across the room.

  “Zara, why don’t you sit here in this chair,” she said pointing to where she had been sitting. “I’m sure it won’t hurt for you to sit for a while. “While you are I’ll change the sheets.”

  “You really don’t…”

  “I insist. I know you have to be going about half mad confined to bed. Would you like anything to drink or eat?”

  “Whatever you bring will be fine. But what I’d really like to do is take a shower. Amadeus is so afraid to let me do anything outside of being in bed…”

  “Not a problem. I know that’ll make you feel a whole lot better. I noticed a shower chair in the bathroom. I’ll go get things ready for you. Then I’ll go downstairs and see what I can find for you to eat.”

  While I was sitting in the shower soaking in the warm water, Grace went about seeing to my needs. Sometime during all the commotion Amadeus awoke and came bounding up the stairs to check on things. When he didn’t find me in bed, and then found me alone in the bathroom, I thought for a second he was going to have a seizure. I talked him through it and let him help me out of the shower and get me dried. By the time Grace came back upstairs with some tea and a plate of sandwiches I was sitting in the chair. Mission accomplished and maybe, just maybe Amadeus would relax a little.

  The fresh sheets felt wonderful to my skin when I did settle back into the bed. They always did. Perhaps now I could endure until my next scheduled doctor’s visit.

  A couple of days later Amadeus had brought us back to the farm from my doctors visit, which revealed nothing new. The baby had gained a little weight, but not as much as they had hoped for. I myself began to wonder if perhaps the child wasn’t going to be a wee bit on the small size at birth and that perhaps the doctor was overreacting. But I decided others knew better.

  Once inside the house I convinced Grace and Amadeus to let me sit for a spell in the living room before I returned to what I now referred to as my prison. At least here I could see outside and look out at the farm.

  Amadeus left us, going to run errands to get some groceries and other things in the nearby village. I knew he didn’t like being caged in the house and I let him take advantage of his mother being there.

  While Grace and I settled in the living room there was a knock at the door. She went to answer it and I heard her speaking with someone in the foyer. When she reappeared Peter McNichol came in beside her. I was flabbergasted.

  Peter sat down across from me and we began to make small talk when Grace decided to fix tea. I thought she looked a bit uncomfortable, but I brushed it off. Peter and I continued to talk about Amadeus and the baby. Finally, he made an excuse to see if he could help Grace bring in the tray, and disappeared.

  A short time later neither of them had reappeared so I forced myself off the sofa. I was curious in more than one way as to what was taking them so long.

  As I peered into the kitchen I was dumbfounded to find Grace and Peter kissing quite passionately. My suspicions it seemed were correct.

  She turned around to see me and my shocked look standing in the doorway of the kitchen. I know my mouth had to be hanging wide open, probably to the floor.

  “Zara! You need to be sitting down, not roaming the house. Amadeus will kill me if he comes home and finds you in here.” She softly said something to Peter as I tried to pull myself together from the shock and let her lead me back into the living room. I watched her as I sat down into the overstuffed cushion.

  I could see her blushing from where I sat as Peter reappeared carrying a tray with a tea service. He placed it on the table in front of the sofa. I caught a bit of a grin come over his face as he set it down.

  “So, Grace, Peter…is there something you two want to tell me?”

  “Well Zara,” Peter started, “Grace and I have been seeing each other for a couple of months now.”

  “Ah, now all your sudden disappearances from Seattle and your unexplained early arrival into London all make sense Grace.”

  “Yes, now you know Zara.”

/>   “Does anyone else know?”

  “You are the only one who knows Zara, at least in my family. I have met two of Peter’s children, and that was quite by accident. We had planned on getting everyone together as well as we could and tell everyone, but it hasn’t worked out.”

  “Don’t stress out about it, Grace. The two of you will figure something out I’m sure. And not to be a downer Debbie but you need to tell Amadeus.”

  “You’re absolutely right, Zara. I don’t want him finding out somewhere else and then have him thinking you’ve been keeping it from him. The two of you have had enough to contend with. We’ll do it tonight.”

  “Perhaps you could do it after dinner. Both of you come up to the bedroom after dinner, because you know Amadeus isn’t going to let me come back downstairs again until my next doctors visit. At least you’d have me for back up—although I seriously doubt you’ll need it. I’m sure he’ll be shocked at first, but knowing Amadeus he’s going to warm to it.”

  “I certainly hope so dear.”

  ******

  Later that evening Grace, Peter and Amadeus brought dessert upstairs along with a pot of tea. We were all sitting, gabbing about how we could solve the world’s problems. Grace was evidently confident that Amadeus was in a good frame of mind to approach with the subject. As she did I sat back and watched and listened.

  “Amadeus, there is something I need to tell you. This wasn’t exactly the way I had planned for you to find out, but here it is.”

  Before she could finish, Amadeus groaned, “You are seeing someone, aren’t you Mother?”

  “And would you have a problem if I was?”

  “No not at all. It’s just sort of weird you know-you dating. I mean you’re my mother. I’ve never thought of you dating anyone. But then we never thought Dad would die so suddenly.”