Masquerade with Music by Burchell Mary -

Author:Burchell, Mary - [Warrender Saga 12]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

'THIS isn't really happening to me,' Kate told herself once during the

next hour. But only that once did she allow her thoughts to wander

from the detailed instructions which Warrender was giving her.

Even Anthea, though she remained in the room, made no attempt to

comment unless her husband specifically sought her opinion.

To Kale's initial surprise, Sir Oscar dealt very little with the actual

duet which it was proposed to use at the concert. What he made her

reflect on with the utmost attention was the whole role, of Nedda.

'You don't just start being Nedda at the beginning of the duet,' he

informed her. ' You have been Nedda since the opera began. Indeed,

if you are an artist of any sensitivity you became Nedda some while

before that—even in the dressing room.'

'I would suggest -' began Carlo, but Warrender interrupted him.

'You will suggest nothing,' he stated drily. ' I am giving Kate this

lesson. Granted that you stirred her emotions to a fine pitch

originally. Qut that's not, going to sustain her when the romantic

bubble bursts. She'll need much more behind her performance than

thrills of personal excitement.'

'But I think -' Carlo got up and came towards the piano. 'Sit down,'

said Warrender without raising his voice. 'You can make your

observations later.' And Carlo sat down immediately, looking rather

like a chastened schoolboy.

At the end of the lesson Warrender allowed them to sing the duet

again, and Carlo said discontentedly, 'She did it better the first time.'

'Of course she did,' replied Warrender, unmoved. 'But she is

beginning to build a real foundation now, and is trying to combine

some fresh discoveries with her instinctive knowledge. Eventually

she will do it a great deal better than that first attempt.'

'If you say so——' Carlo shrugged sceptically.

'Yes, I say so.' Warrender smiled without offence. 'And now—

you've played your part very well and can take yourself off on your

own affairs.'

'But these are my own affairs! I'm waiting to take Kate home.' The

young baritone looked both surprised and affronted.

'No,' Warrender assured him, unmoved. 'Kate has one or two things

still to do in the office. She is my secretary as well as your artistic

partner, you may remember. She has also quite a lot of work to do

on Nedda before we team you up again. If she's really to join you at'

the Charity Gala, she has to do us both credit, and I don't intend her

to have a superficial idea about professional requirements. You can

join her for another lesson at—let me see—he consulted his diary—

'at three o'clock on Friday afternoon.' And, with good-humoured but

quite resistless authority, he wafted young Carlo Ertlinger towards

the door.

Kate wanted to laugh. But she was also a shade disappointed, for

she would have liked very much to thank Carlo adequately for his

magical intervention in her affairs, and to discuss with him further

the whole question of the Charity Gala.

But, like Carlo himself, she had no technique for opposing Sir

Oscar's authority. She was, as he had said, his secretary and subject

to his requirements. So she gave Carlo a quick, regretful smile as he

took his leave, and then went to the office to await her employer's

instructions.

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