They were standing in the queue now, and Alexandra took her glasses from her bag and put them on, looking over the programme.
‘I’m sure it’s going to be a wonderful evening, I’ve heard they’re just fabulous.’
She was listening to her niece talk as they moved forwards in the line and showed their tickets, and when they stopped again she turned the pages of the programme, until she suddenly stopped. Her eyes stayed fixed to one sentence at the very bottom of the last page, to one name that had made her feel as if she might faint.
BERNARD GOLDMAN.
Alexandra’s heart began to race, her body trembling as she reread the name over and over, as if she might have made a mistake.
‘Alexandra?’
She gripped the handrail on the staircase, dropping the programme and then having to fumble for it, bumping into someone behind her.
‘Alexandra, what’s wrong? You’ve gone very pale and—’
‘I, I—’
‘Come on, let’s sit down, you don’t—’
‘I’m perfectly fine,’ she said, surprised by the sudden strength in her own voice. ‘I just saw a name, someone from my past, and it took me by surprise.’
Georgia didn’t look convinced, and the couple in front of them had turned around as if to see whether they could offer assistance.
‘You’re certain you’re okay? If you’d rather take a seat or—’
‘Would you excuse me for just a moment?’ Alexandra said. ‘Please, go ahead and take your seat. I just need to use the bathroom and I’ll be right back.’
Alexandra gave her niece what she hoped was a reassuring smile and walked through the crowd of people to the counter by the front door. Everyone had been admitted now, so there was no queue, and she went straight up to the woman seated there.
‘I was hoping you might be able to help me,’ Alexandra began.
‘Do you need assistance finding your seat?’
‘I’m afraid it’s a little more complicated than that,’ Alexandra said, taking out the programme. ‘I would be very grateful if you could tell me how to find this man.’ She pointed at Bernard’s name. ‘I know this is a strange request, but…’
The young lady was watching her with a disinterested look on her face.I lost you once, B. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.
‘I’ll be honest with you. This man was my lover many years ago. We had a baby when we weren’t married and my father forced me to give her up.’ She took a breath, noticing that the woman was suddenly sitting straighter in her chair, not blinking. ‘We’ve been parted for decades, and it would mean the world to me if you would help me find him, if you could reunite us.’
‘This man?’ the woman said, tapping on Bernard’s name. ‘This man was your,’ she hesitated, lowering her voice, ‘lover?’
‘This might be the only chance I have of finding him again,’ she confessed, as tears filled her eyes, as she saw him standing before her, heard him whispering in her ear and encouraging her to play for him, and for the world.
‘Tell me your name,’ she said. ‘If I can help you, I will.’
‘Alexandra,’ she hesitated, almost saying her married name but quickly stopping herself. ‘Alexandra Konstantinidis.’
The woman reached for her radio, giving Alexandra a long look before pressing the button and speaking into it.
‘I need someone to take over the desk,’ the woman said.
‘Alexandra!’ Georgia appeared at her side, looking flustered, as if she’d been running around looking for her. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Finding someone from my past,’ she said, as the woman who’d been helping her disappeared, leaving Alexandra clutching the programme and hoping her niece didn’t think she’d gone completely mad. Or that she wasn’t about to be hauled out of the venue by security.
Everyone else had long since filed out of the foyer and taken their seats, and Alexandra could see that Georgia was starting to shift her weight from foot to foot, impatient at the delay.
‘Please take your seat, darling. I don’t want you to miss any of the performance.’
