Encore! (Tudor Saga Book 1)

by Jamie Salisbury

  "Drop it, Danny. We know and that's the end of it. I just want to get through these next couple of days and go home."

  "Would you like to go take a drive this afternoon, take in some sights?"

  "I don't want to cut into your practice time." If he was even going to be able to practice. We hadn't taken into consideration that Amadeus and Zara would be bringing along their children. Zara might not take too kindly to it. Tough.

  "A couple of hours isn't going to hurt. Now come on let's get everyone together and eat. Then you and I can sneak off by ourselves for a while."

  Lunch was a quiet affair. Probably because my brothers were tired from the long hours they'd been keeping. I was waiting for Danny to give me some sort of sign he was ready to go on our drive. He and my brothers were engaged in some conversation about something business related. I started to get up to clear the table when Zara motioned me to sit.

  "I'll take care of cleaning the kitchen. You and Danny get out and see some of the sights; and take your camera, the countryside is breathtaking."

  Daniel suddenly stood up, still engaged in something interesting with Amadeus and Damien. "Amadeus was just telling me that Peter has a small studio in that building across the road. When we get back, I'll slip over there and practice."

  Shaking my head, I rose from my seat and headed towards the stairs. I found my camera case and purse and descended the stairs to join Danny.

  Climbing into the SUV, I was glad for this little reprieve from my family. We spent the next couple of hours driving down country lanes. I took pictures, some with Danny, some just of the magnificent Scottish countryside. We toured the small village last, stopping at the local pub for a beer.

  "We'll have to come back sometime," Danny said as we started back to the cottage. "I think I would like to see more of the countryside and historical places."

  "I would, too, just you and me. I'd like to go over to the west coast."

  "And we will."

  "Mary, I know this is difficult for you, spending time with your brothers. Getting reacquainted. It's hard. If you'd like, I can make an excuse tomorrow and we can leave the morning after."

  "You'd do that?"

  "Of course I would."

  Our trip to Scotland and spending time with my family was a bit easier this time. My mother and her new husband never showed up, which may have helped. Damien, Angus, Amadeus and I all got reacquainted. Zara and I relaxed around one another as did the children, Elizabeth thinking Danny was quite fun.

  Danny and I promised when we got closer to Seattle, for his tour make-up dates, that we'd all get together; but only if Amadeus stayed away from concrete walls. A joke. An attempt at reconciliation with Amadeus.

  Chapter Fifteen

  What should have been the final leg of Daniel's U.S./Canadian tour had been reshaped and, yes, lengthened in order to make up dates which had been cancelled. Daniel was insistent that all dates he missed because of the accident be made up, even if it meant him returning at a later date. His management team had done a superb job of putting everything into place. Daniel was quite happy with the results.

  The day arrived for us to leave for New York City. We were spending a week there in order for Danny to rehearse with his band. Yes, band.

  The interviews and appearances had been lined up. He loved all this, even if he was a bit on the shy side. But get Daniel Kennedy talking about his music and he morphed into this other being. And besides, New York really was his town. He seemed to thrive here.

  Once again, I made sure he had whatever he needed—his clothes were in order, everything set for the day or evening's events. We were taken on a tour of some of the city's newest, hottest night clubs on a couple of nights. Danny always liked to see what was out there. It gave him ideas.

  Two nights before we were to leave on tour, Danny had been asked to perform in Central Park at an outdoor concert. He jumped at the opportunity because it would be his first public concert since his injury. He, no we, thought what better place than New York City? The two of us had such fond memories here.

  He was in his own element as we were escorted to a backstage area that was set up for the various acts. His band had already arrived and while they stood off to one side to go over last minute details, I hung back and took it all in. Most of all, I loved watching Danny and the excitement beaming from him. I had to admit, it was contagious.

  Shortly before he was to go on, he joined me, handing over his violin case to keep. He helped me put it over one of my shoulders so I didn't have to worry about keeping up with it. His band went first to set up.

  As always, he walked off to one side by himself, mentally preparing himself. Then he strolled back over to me and shocked me by kissing me quite passionately on the lips. Usually it was just a cheek peck.

  "This is for you, angel-mine."

  I stood there in shock for a second, at both his comment and show of affection. I leaned up into him and kissed him on the ear and murmured, "I love you, Danny."

  We gave each other the thumbs up and he walked out into the lights. I stood there, at the edge of the stage, watching in awe at how well he was doing. He was back!

  This night seemed to be the night for firsts and surprises. He actually stopped to introduce one particular piece, my favorite off his new CD, the one that had given me the vision of for his video clip.

  I heard him explain how the piece came to be on the CD as he always did. Then he told the crowd, this huge New York crowd, that the song had special meaning to him because it was the one that brought us together. I could see a couple of his band members grinning and pointing at me. Right then I knew Danny had planned this—that this was what they'd been discussing earlier.

  He introduced me as he turned and beckoned me out on stage with him. I shook my head, but he wasn't to be deterred. Danny actually walked off the stage to where I was standing, took the case and placed it on the floor, grabbed me by the hand, and grinning, led me onto the stage. He continued telling the audience he probably wouldn't be standing in front of them, today, if it hadn't been for my undying love, support and care. He led me to a stool one of his band members had conveniently placed in the center of the stage. As I sat there, he began to play that piece. He pretty much never strayed too far from me the entire time. I knew I had the cheesiest grin on my face. Actually, Danny told me later it was more one of pride. And I was proud of him, proud of us.

  When the piece finished, he helped me off the stool and in front of who knows how many people kissed me. "I love you, angel-mine. You deserved this. Who knows, perhaps Archangel might show up sometime." I, in turn, kissed him on the cheek, waved out at the crowd and walked back over to my place in the wings. The crowd loved it and we were later told that one moment was the highlight of the entire event.

  Though he was invited to a slew of after-parties, Danny politely declined. Instead, we went back to our hotel suite and spent one of the last, quiet nights we would have for the coming six weeks, alone.

  While Daniel took a shower, I uncorked a bottle of wine and poured us each a glass. Walking over to one of the plush club chairs, I settled in. I looked out at the skyline of this huge sprawling city and wondered if this was home for us. I didn't hear him walk in the room, too mesmerized by what I saw.

  "What are you thinking about?" He asked, handing me a brush and comb as he headed to get his glass of wine. He sat down on the floor in front of me. Brushing his long, flowing mane had somehow become a job he loved for me to do. It gave us some quiet "us" time. I would brush it, then comb it back and up. He seemed to relax when I did it.

  "Nothing, really, I was just staring out at the view. There's nothing else like it."

  "No, there isn't. Do you think you'd be happy living here?"

  "With you, yes."

  "Would you like to spend part of tomorrow looking at a couple of places? We don't have to make a decision now. We're coming back at the end of the tour and we can look some more then."

  I giggled a
s I bent over his light brown hair and kissed him on the cheek. "Had this all planned, didn’t you?"

  "Guilty as charged. Seriously, Mary, I thought it couldn't hurt to look. To at least see what's out there."

  "I agree. Are you planning to rent or to buy?"

  He took a sip of his wine, turning to face me. I was finished with his hair. "Whatever I do, we do it together. Us, sweet, always remember there is no ‘I’ - it is always ‘us’."

  "Then let's see what's out there. Like you said, we're coming back in six weeks; so we can look some more, then. Perhaps if this agent is any good, he will learn what we want, our likes and dislikes, and have more to show us when we return."

  Putting his glass of wine on the floor, he turned around and curled up on his knees facing me. He put his arms around my waist and nestled his head between my breasts. He stayed that way for a few seconds. When he loosened his hold, I bent over and met his lips. "Let's have another glass of wine and then call it a night."

  "You sure?" I asked, pushing his hair off his shoulders, letting it cascade down his back.

  "Quite. I just want to enjoy some quiet time with my favorite girl. You know, before the madness begins."

  "Ah yes, but you love the madness, Daniel."

  "I do; but I also know that with it all I may neglect you. So, while we have some time to ourselves, I would like to spend it lying in bed holding you."

  This simple time together was deeper than Daniel would ever let be known. I was the only one who knew the real Daniel, his core. Despite the outer façade - the happy, live life to its fullest Daniel, inside was this quiet, introspective man—a man who needed a safe spot to go and turn off the rest of his world. That safe spot was me…and he was mine.

  ****

  The first thing I learned when meeting with Brandon Collins, our real estate agent, was that condos were at a premium in Manhattan. The inventory was notoriously low, as foreign investors had been snatching up properties left and right, mainly in the newer, sleeker looking buildings. Rentals, like those Danny wanted and could now easily afford, were also a prized commodity.

  Learning all this didn't deter Daniel at all. Brandon had three properties to show us, all for sale. Not knowing our tastes, he chose one in a co-op, an older Manhattan building, a unit in a newer building, which he made the point of telling us wouldn't be on the market long, and finally a newly renovated unit in another somewhat older building. I liked his choices, and more importantly, so did Danny.

  The first property was in the Dakota. Brandon picked this one because it was a good sized unit, was priced right, but needed some updating. The Dakota, he reminded us, is where John and Yoko lived and Yoko still does.

  We looked around while Brandon followed discreetly behind us, pointing out various architectural jewels or history of the unit. The kitchen and bathrooms were in dire need of renovation, and by renovation I mean gutting. The unit was not on the preferred side of the building, therefore the lower price.

  "What do you think, sweet?" Danny asked as we stood in what was a large open living room.

  "It's nice. I love the old architecture, but there's a lot of work that needs to be done before we could even move in."

  "It's also dark. I want more natural light."

  "Yes, it is. There's a lot of potential here, Danny, but you're right, it is dark."

  Turning to Brandon, who had just walked into the room, Danny told him our likes and concerns. Brandon made some notes on his iPad as Daniel spoke.

  "Very good; and I agree with your concerns. The next unit I have to show you is in a newer building. It has a lot of natural light and is quite contemporary compared to this unit."

  "Lead on," Danny replied.

  The second unit was just as Brandon had described: sleek, contemporary, lots of light and with a price tag that choked me. I noticed Daniel never blinked whenever price was mentioned. It was far too contemporary for my tastes, but Daniel seemed to come alive in it.

  "This is more like it, Mary. I like the feel of this one."

  "I do, too, but it’s way too modern for my taste. It has lots of natural light and I love that, but we'd have to have some mix as far as furniture goes."

  "You wouldn't feel at home here?"

  "It's too sterile, Danny."

  He looked around and nodded his head. "Yes, I think I understand what you're saying."

  He turned to Brandon and asked, "You said this unit could comes as is, with furnishings, or without, correct?"

  "Yes. The owners are willing to sell either way."

  Daniel turned to me, "What would you think of it without this furniture? Picture it with our own."

  "Yes, I could see it. I like the contemporary; I just want our home to have feeling and comfort, Danny. If we decided on this one, I could see us here, with our own furnishings."

  "Good, I can too, sweet. Put this one on a short list, for sure."

  "Okay, one other thing, Danny. It would require a total paint job. I cannot live with these funky wall colors. It has to be more neutral."

  "I agree; but I leave that sort of thing to you." He grinned as we made our way out of the unit and into the hall.

  Brandon took us to the final unit. This one faced Central Park, in an older building—though not as old as the Dakota. I was in love with this one from the moment I walked in the door. Of the three units he had shown us so far, this was my choice.

  Though it was older, the owners had completely renovated it. While they kept the integrity of the architectural details,, they had updated everything. The bathrooms and kitchen were brand new and there was gorgeous new flooring throughout. The paint was fresh and up-to-date in neutral colors I preferred. It's not that minded color, I just felt it needed to be done sparingly and should make a statement.

  The kitchen kept calling me back. I loved it. It was almost as though I had chosen everything in it. The cabinetry reminded me of a farmhouse kitchen and had every modern appliance known to a cook. It was bright and cheerful as it had windows to welcome visitors.

  "You like this, sweet?" I heard Danny ask from one side of the room. I turned and found him standing against a large granite top bar.

  "Oh, yes. It's quite functional and larger than any of the others. What do you think?"

  "Well," he chuckled, "the kitchen is your domain. I do like it, though. What about the rest of the unit, Mary?"

  "I really like this one Danny. I could definitely see us living here. What about you? Is there enough room for your music?"

  "I like this one, as well. There is plenty of room for me to work and I could see us living here for quite a long time. Plenty of room to grow here."

  "The view is spectacular, too. Let's put this at the top, okay?"

  He turned to Brandon, who was smiling and making notes. "You heard her, right?"

  "Oh yes," Brandon replied. "What would you like to do now? If you have time we could break for lunch. I can go back to my office and see what else I can pull up."

  Danny and I looked at each other. I nodded. "We might as well, Danny. We don't have anything else planned and it's going to be six weeks before we're back. I'd like to see a couple more places, if there are some available."

  "I agree. We'll go have lunch, while you're doing that. I think, however, when you look, it should be for a place similar to this one."

  While Brandon went back to his office, Daniel and I went in search of lunch. Rather than go into a stuffy restaurant, Daniel decided we would be brave and have hot dogs from a vendor and wait in the park.

  Sitting down on a quiet bench with our lunch, we discussed the two units we really liked as we ate.

  "So, out of the three, the last one is our favorite?" Daniel asked.

  "I would have to say yes. I love it, Danny. We wouldn't have to do anything except move in."

  "True. Whatever we decide, I'll keep my place in London so we have somewhere to stay when we visit."

  "What about the more contemporary one? I know you really liked tha
t one…"

  "I do; but this is for us, sweet. I could be very happy in this last one with you. It has enough of both the old and new and it works together well."

  "Then we put it at the top, with the contemporary one second. The Dakota I think we can eliminate, right?"

  "Yes, quite depressing I thought."

  "Me, too."

  "Would you be okay if we put a contract in on this last one, provided we don't find anything else today we like better? I know we said we would look when we return in six weeks, but you heard Brandon earlier. The market has a low inventory and I'd hate for it to be gone when we return. It's up to you, Mary."

  "Yes. Let's see what Brandon comes up with for this afternoon; but you're right, I'd hate for it not to be available when we come back."

  An hour later, we met up with Brandon in front of another building. This one was a strangely laid out unit. Neither of us cared for it and that was likely one of the reasons the price had been drastically reduced. The floor plan was an "L" shape, narrow and no real way to renovate. Plus, there was no place for Danny's music unless a bedroom was converted. It quickly went to the bottom of our list.

  The second and final unit was in the midst of renovation. It had three bedrooms, but also had a loft, which intrigued Daniel. I knew he was thinking the upper space could be used for his music. The huge wall of windows made it appealing to me, but the entire unit was in such a state of renovation, I had to turn to my imagination to picture us living here. The price tag was also the highest of any we had looked at. Over confident owners, I thought.

  Daniel was already speaking with Brandon when I walked back into the living room.

  "I was just telling Brandon, I feel this unit has too much left to be done. And with us being out of town, I just don't feel it's a good fit. Do you agree?"

  "Yes, there is far too much left undone. Plus, we'd have to hire people to come in and finish, and we just don't have the time to fool with that right now."

  I looked at Daniel and then Brandon, who seemed to be waiting on me to say something further. "Daniel, do you want to do as we discussed at lunch?"