Outside the museum, the weather had turned drizzly. We quickly shuffled toward the curb where the car was scheduled to pick us up.
I looked up at James. “Who is Ivor Mikhail?”
Sadness flashed across his face. “I need you to forget you ever heard that name.”
Xavier took my hand in his. “You’re going to have to trust us.”
James threw a wave to the driver as he approached the pavement.
“I know it’s hard.” Xavier patted him on the back. “But you have us now, James. We’re your family.”
James shrugged. “What hurt is you thinking I would use Emily to get access.”
“Maybe I had it wrong.” Xavier reached for the car’s passenger door handle and opened it.
James stepped back. “It’s that doubt that’s pissing me off.”
I climbed into the backseat and watched them matching off with each other, the tension rising.
“Go ahead,” James said. “I’ll see you at the house.”
“Where are you going?” asked Xavier.
“I’m going for a walk.” James shoved his hands in his pockets. “I need to think.”
“We’ll have food waiting when you get home,” I called out to him.
He gave a nod and strolled away. Within seconds he was lost in the meandering crowd.
Xavier climbed in beside me and our car navigated into heavy traffic.
I didn’t ask because I didn’t need to—Ivor Mikhail had something to do with James’ past. It was the tortured look I’d seen in his eyes.
I grabbed Xavier’s hand to get his attention. “Tell me what’s happening.”
He yawned. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
“Mikhail is an old enemy,” I whispered. “From the cold war.”
Xavier laughed hysterically. When he’d recovered, he said, “Ballad’s not that old, Em.”
Right… A Google search later would provide some answers.
As though reading my mind, Xavier snapped, “Don’t fucking Google anyone.”
“I’m out of the loop on everything.”
“Best place to be, trust me.” He took a deep breath. “I envy you.”
Primrose Hill was a welcome sight as we drove along the familiar roads. We made it home within the hour. Xavier had ordered dinner and we’d stopped off for a family-sized, deep-dish pan pizza from a restaurant on the way.
We headed into the house and it felt good knowing we could make a home here together. His faith in our endurance was something I held onto with every part of my being.
I would always love playing house with him no matter where we ended up.Xavier brought out two beers from the fridge and pried the caps off so we could drink from the bottles. Within minutes we were sitting at the kitchen table with a slice of pizza each on our plates and sipping cold beer. My taste buds lit up with the flavors of tomato sauce and cheese.
The carbs did nothing to dull the ache inside. I couldn’t think of how I should have done things differently. I would always want Xavier in my life.
Tomorrow, I’d have to face Penn-Rhodes and I dreaded the thought. He was the reason I’d gotten into the Academy. As senior admissions officer he’d granted my scholarship and navigated me through years of training. I bit off a corner of thick crust as I mulled over how I’d be wording my excuse for not attending. Two more slices and I was close to proving Xavier’s pizza theory.
A ring of the doorbell made me pause halfway through a bite.
“I’ll get it.” Xavier pushed to his feet and headed off to answer it.
When he came back he wasn’t alone.
Kitty was behind him.
She’d dressed formally in a business trouser suit and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. No make-up, though she was no less pretty for it.
I pushed my plate away. “What are you doing here?”
“I invited her,” Xavier said softly. “It’s good to have friends, right?”
I glared at him. “She was never my friend. She only pretended to be.”
“We got along great, Em,” she said. “I know our dynamics changed but we liked each other a lot. That means something.”
Xavier shot me a sympathetic look. “I don’t want you to feel isolated, Em.”
I took a swig of my beer, stalling. I couldn’t get there, to a place where I could pretend she’d never betrayed my trust. Then again, James had been a royal asshole and I was sleeping with him.
I pivoted in my chair toward Kitty. “Tell me something, that night I first met James in Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, did you know he was there meeting Xavier?”
She blinked.
“Was the directive from James to let me see him?” I continued. “He knew I’d follow Xavier into the restaurant?”
She didn’t need to say yes.
I didn’t disguise the bitterness. “That’s why you arranged for us to go to the Savoy. Was it even your birthday?”
She gave Xavier a nervous glance.
I wiped my hands on a napkin. “You realize that was the night James dropped a bomb on my life?”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “But it all worked out, right?”
The elephant in the room had never been dealt with—Xavier had lied about his name. And James had pressed a sword to my throat in a castle I probably couldn’t find again if I tried.
Our history was as shaky as our future.
The event tomorrow night would be what would save me when they left this house.
When they left me…
Xavier’s kind expression told me there was hope. He was fighting hard for our love, scheming behind the scenes and doing what had to be done to find a way.
His ability to read my thoughts was uncanny.
“I love you so much, Emily,” he said. “I’m sorry for the hurt we’ve caused.”
“I’m sorry for my part, too,” admitted Kitty. “When you’re dealing with situations of this sort, there’s bound to be a few bumps in the road.”
These were not bumps, these were craters.
“It’s good to talk.” Xavier pulled a chair back for her. “Want a beer, Kit?”
Her hesitation gave her away.
“You can’t drink can you?” I pushed away from the table and walked by her. “Because you’re on duty.”
I headed up to bed.
“Emily.” Xavier called from the bottom of the stairs.
He ran up the steps and closed the gap between us. “Listen, I want our life to be like a meditation. As enlightening as it is peaceful.”
“I want that, too,” I whispered.
“I just wanted to say that,” he whispered. “Before tomorrow.”
Tomorrow…the day I’d missed that all important concert.
“Go to bed.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “I’ll join you soon.”
As I made my way down the hall to our bedroom, his words resounded in my head like a prayer.
Penn-Rhodes peered at me over his round-rimmed glasses. “You’re going to have to help me understand, Emily.”
His office was tucked away in the rear of the music department. I wondered how he could bear such a small room—though most of his time he was out teaching in the classroom. He graded papers in here and did all those other things instructors do when they weren’t wrangling students.
This man was a renowned violist and had toured the world with the Vienna Philharmonic, one of the finest orchestras in the world. So yeah, he deserved a room with a window.
I met his perplexed gaze. “It wasn’t an easy decision.”
“Are you serious about your career, Stellina?” He’d softened his chastisement by calling me his little star in Italian, the way he did once before—the day I’d been accepted into the Academy. Penn-Rhodes had been the one who’d told me I’d landed a scholarship within these hallowed walls. The warm memory of that day stayed with me. These were the weeks that counted, when the end of our time here neared and we were meant to spread our wings and make the school proud.
<
br /> “There’s some things going on in my personal life,” I began.
He studied my face. “Who gave you the Stradivarius?”
“A friend.”
His scrutiny stayed on me.
“I’m working through something,” I admitted. “Just need time.”
His hand shot up to stay me. “You can’t let anything get in your way if you want a professional career.”
“It’s just that…”
“Say it.” He snapped off his glasses. “Is it Salme?”
“No, I mean she’s…you know.”
“Oh, I know.” He sighed heavily. “I deserve an explanation.”
“I’m sorry I can’t make it, but…I’m not comfortable with the location. ”
He rose and rounded the table, standing closer to me.
“You have a fear of water?”
“What?”
“You don’t like boats?” He laughed. “It’s not taking off, Emily. The yacht will stay in the Thames.”
I pulled my eyes away from the sauce stain on his tie. “It won’t take place at the Russian Embassy?”
“The location was moved. The event’s being hosted by Renaldo Zane on behalf of the embassy. He’s arranged a lavish party on his yacht.”
Zane. That name made my flesh tingle.
“What kind of people will be there?” Russians?
“There will be lots of guests. Americans. Members of the British government. Patrick Woo.”
“Patrick Woo?” I said wistfully.
The music director of the London Symphony Orchestra, the man who’d already seen me audition. The elite conductor could open the door to my professional future.
“You see how important it is for you to be there.”
Still, James had told me this couldn’t happen. Even if the location seemed safer.
“I’m sorry.” I stepped over to the office door.
“Emily, I’m so surprised by your decision.”
Clutching the knob, I inhaled a deep breath. “I’m sorry to let you down.”
“I just assumed you’d be thrilled to see her again.”
I looked back at him. “Who?”
“Diana Zane.” He slid his glasses back on and stared at me. “I thought you were a fan.”
“She’ll be there?”
“Of course. She’s Renaldo Zane’s wife.” He paused, then said, “If you go, she’ll hear you play, Emily. Wasn’t that your dream?”
Xavier left the kitchen and came over to give me a hug. “I’ll see you out.”
We strolled through the front door toward the SUV idling on the curb.
I wished I could think about anything other than the events of the next few hours. Only yesterday, Penn-Rhodes had informed me who would be attending the event tonight. Diana Zane would be there, my childhood hero, for goodness sake. And Patrick Woo, the man who held the keys to the kingdom.
My heart was breaking…the decision far from made.
“I’m glad you came around.” Xavier opened the rear passenger door of the SUV. “Kitty really likes you.”
“Talking it over helps.”
“You eat and come home, okay?”
“Right.”
He leaned in and called to the driver. “Chez Antoinette in Covent Garden, please. No detours. And Gary, don’t take your eyes off them.”
He gave an informal salute off his chauffer cap. “Got it, sir.”
Xavier leaned in for a kiss, and then made me uneasy by pulling back a little.
It was as though he was trying to read me better, the way he assessed me with his laser-sharp perception.
“I’m nervous about seeing Kitty again,” I said quickly. “I was a bit mean to her yesterday.”
“Nothing to be nervous about.”
I reached for the seatbelt and clipped it in.
“You’ll have a great time.”
“Yes.”
He started to turn away, and then looked back at me. “Are you hiding something, Em?”
“Did you know?” I asked, gazing at him steadily. “That she was spying for James.”
Xavier gave a cautious glance over at Gary and continued in a low voice. “I should have taken the time to meet her.”
“You didn’t want to meet my friends.”
“We’ll talk more when you come home.”
He leaned in and kissed me tenderly, his soft lips as yielding as mine—as forgiving as they were comforting.
“I love you,” I whispered.
His eyes crinkled into a smile and then there came a change in his expression, an uncanny reflection of doubt in those pale blue irises. Then he pulled away and walked back into the house.
Had I just given myself away?
After unclipping my seatbelt, I leaned forward to get Gary’s attention. “I forgot something.”
He let me out and I ran back, ducking by the front window. I accessed the garden with a turn of the key and then quickly picked up my violin case, along with the canvas bag that was resting beside it. Sneaking along the wall, I exited the garden and hurried back to the SUV.
After settling into the luxurious passenger seat, I braved a look into the rearview mirror and found Gary staring back at me.
“We can go now,” I said.
“Ma’am, I thought you were having dinner?”
“I am.”
“Then why are you bringing your instrument?”
“Kitty’s never seen a Strad.”
His brow furrowed. “What’s in the bag?”
I glanced down. “A gift.”
His fingers tapped the steering wheel as he thought this through.
I stared through the front window, trying to act casual. “How’s traffic?”
Giving me one last suspicious look, he relented and started the engine.
Don’t do it.
Let the future you dreamed of become something different…filled with love.
Yet I knew the three of us had an expiration date. James had threatened me with it too many times.
So there you are.
We arrived at Covent Garden in less than thirty minutes. I loved the West End’s theatre district. I’d done pretty well when I’d busked here. The place was always bustling with tourists who meandered around its elegant piazza, with its market, teashops, restaurants, and luxury fashion stores making it one of the most popular shopping destinations.
And a great place to get lost in.
With strict instructions not to have Gary take his eyes off me, Xavier had upped the ante on my Svengali escape act.
But I knew Covent Garden—more specifically Chez Antoinette. I’d busked in the courtyard and snuck in there on my breaks to take a pee. It was easy to get lost in the shuffle in this thriving place. But there’d be no tasting their delicious meals today.
Gary took a spot in the corner with a good view of my table. Luck was on my side because we were early. I pretended to peruse the menu as I waited for Kitty, while trying to keep my limbs from trembling.
I let a few minutes pass before pointing at the loo so Gary would know that’s where I was heading. I brought my violin case and the bag along, too, all under the intense scrutiny of my bodyguard.
Around the corner, I rushed into the loo and changed into an elegant silver halter-neck evening gown and heels. I stuffed the other clothes in the bag and stashed it in the bin.
I made a beeline for the back of Chez Antoinette. With a quick glance toward the dining room to make sure I’d not been seen, I headed for the exit.
As soon as I stepped outside the restaurant, my bare flesh was stung by the chilly evening air.
Carrying my beloved violin case, I hurried away.
A brisk breeze blew brunette strands across my face and caused my silver gown to cling to my body as I stood on the landing peering up at Renaldo Zane’s super-yacht, The Venetian. My grip tightened on the handle of my violin case when I saw her. She was leaning on the balustrade, staring out at the view.
Diana Lucia
Zane looked elegant in her stunning chiffon gown with her hair up in a chignon. She was a musical goddess, this woman whose words had changed my life in so many ways—whose music owned my soul.
Growing up, I’d devoured interviews and articles about her, my imagination filling in what was not shared of her private life. I devoutly scoured the pages of Vogue, Elle, and Vanity Fair, and all the other magazines, to see what fashions she favored and the exotic places she visited, getting rare glimpses of her. More than this, I loved hearing about the theatres she performed in and the musical pieces she adored. She’d married billionaire Renaldo Zane in her late forties.
Diana’s words to the little girl I used to be all those years ago had led me here tonight, an opportunity mixed with all the complexities of life.
Penn-Rhodes’ words repeated like a dark promise, “Diana will get to see you play.”
“Are you a musician?” a voice rose in the dark.
I looked up at the towering guard. “Yes.”
“The musicians are tuning up in the staffroom.” He gestured to the ramp. “I was about to secure the boat. Head up through the security check-point. Do you have your invite?”
I grimaced, my eyes telling him no.
He answered in kind with a look that said, “Then you’re not getting on.”
I glanced up at the balustrade. Diana was no longer there. It felt like a piece of my heart had been ripped away, my chance lost. Hearing her play live was a gift. Diana hearing me play was now a dream that would never be realized.
My stomach twisted in knots.
At least Xavier’s trust wouldn’t be quite as shattered if I didn’t make it on board. I’d lied to them both about meeting with Kitty. I’d left Gary to shoulder the blame. I’d been selfish, but I’d not asked for their political intrigue and strict rules.
Seeing the hurt in their eyes would crush me, I knew. Worry and guilt tightened my throat.
Not getting on the yacht was probably for the best—even if it meant the ruination of a lifelong dream.
“Emily?” Penn-Rhodes waved to me from the bridge. He scurried down the boardwalk.
“She’s with you?” asked the bodyguard.
“Yes, she’s my student. She’s with us.” Penn-Rhodes led me onto the boat. “So glad you found a way to be here.”
The Pervade Duet Page 28