The Maestro's Mistress (43 page)

‘Really. I must listen again. And
what are Schubert’s instructions?’

‘He says
allegro moderato.’

‘And how do you like to tackle
it?’

‘Like Schubert says, of course.
But then how do we know exactly what he meant by
allegro moderato.
Was
it the same as Beethoven meant –  or Brahms?’

‘Ah, now that is a fascinating
question.’

Alessandra began to speak again.
Offering a further opinion, confident and prepared to be innovative.

Tara crept away. She laid the
gloves on her dressing table to show to Alessandra later.

Tara had told Saul she promised
to look radiant for him.

Alessandra was stunning as the
only attendant, wearing a jacket in hunting pink, cream jodhpurs and a black
bowler complete with a cream silk ribbon.

It had been meant to be a family
occasion; only a few friends and well wishers from the village. The news had
leaked out. The church was crammed.

Georgiana and her new husband
slipped in discreetly at the back and left equally unobtrusively as the bride
and groom departed to sign the register.

The Tudor Philharmonic turned up
in force and the first violinist played the Chaconne from Bach’s Partita Number
2 and the wistful Air on a G string as the congregation waited for the couple
to reappear from the vestry.

At the reception Alessandra
watched proceedings with a coolly mocking fifteen-year-old gaze trying to
conceal the swelling surges somewhere in the region of her heart.

‘Honestly,’ she complained to
Rachel and Donald, eyeing the happy couple, ‘most of my friends’ parents are at
each others throats all the time. And mine are always down each other’s.’

‘Alessandra! Where do you pick up
such coarse expressions?’ said Rachel, amused.

‘Ever heard of school? The media?
Books? I bet Mummy was far worse when she was my age.’

There was no easy reply to that.
Rachel just smiled.

Roland Grant rose to his feet to
toast the couple. He sketched out the bright musical future ahead for both
bride and groom. Xavier would be taking the Tudor Philharmonic to Tokyo and
Shanghai in the spring, playing an exciting programme of music from both the
baroque period and the twentieth century. Meanwhile Tara had accepted the
invitation of the Eastlands Symphonia to take over as their musical director
and chief conductor. A truly remarkable duo was Roland’s conclusion as he
raised his glass.

They spent the first night of
their marriage at the house in Oxfordshire.

In the morning Alessandra woke
them with her clattering in the kitchen below. Clad in jodhpurs and boots ready
for a morning canter, she brought up tea on a silver tray. ‘First day of
married life,’ she said briskly. ‘The world is out there to be taken by the
throat. So!’

They heard her running down the stairs.

‘Like father, like daughter,’
Tara chuckled, prevented from saying more by a kiss from her husband.

An outer door slammed. And then
there was the sound of Alessandra’s clear treble voice striking out clean and
free into the coming day.

THE END

FORTHCOMING
BOOKS

DEATH IN A
HEARTBEAT
-
After a heart transplant, Kate becomes convinced her donor was murdered. Her
life is once again in danger as she determines to find the killer. (The third
book in The Maestro Series will be published as an ebook in 2012).

Author’s
website:
www.angeladracup.com

Published
by The Electronic Book Company

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