“As much as I’d like to explore an operatic life, I’m afraid my father will not allow it.”
“But you would like to?”
Lily carried in a tray with cookies and coffee, saving Nora from an immediate answer.She needed to tread carefully with her response.Yes, she wanted to sing a part in Ezekiel’s operetta, but Nora wanted Father’s blessing, not his censure.She needed time to convince him, and it would be unwise to press for Father’s approval for Ezekielandlessons all at once.
She dismissed Lily to her duties and served Mrs.Reed herself.“You’ll have to forgive me, but I am leery of working with someone of whom I know very little.”
“That is easily rectified.”Mrs.Reed accepted the cup but set it aside as she introduced herself.“I am Helen Reed, a mezzo-soprano with almost forty years of experience.”Which explained why she hadn’t played a principal part inOlivetteand now sought to teach.She wassurely at the upper end of peak performance.“While I have spent the last fifteen years in the United States, I toured England and the Continent with my brother and my husband for most of my career.”
That meant she’d probably been in England while Mum had been.“You’ve worked in London?You must have interacted with many artists that I’ve only heard about.By any chance, was one of them Katherine Yates?”
Mrs.Reed reclaimed her cup.“I did make her acquaintance once, but I’m surprised that you would have an interest in her.Katherine Yates hasn’t graced a stage in almost thirty years.”
“I know nothing about her.I’ve only heard her name.Mum was fond of opera and mentioned her on occasion, but she never gave me any details.”
“Whereisyour mum?I should like to meet her.I find mothers can be prevailed upon to convince fathers in matters of the stage.”
The practiced answer, bitter as burnt coffee and more painful than a scalding, rolled off Nora’s tongue.“She is no longer with us.”Never had it been more true or more painful.
“Ah.I’m sorry, dear.”Mrs.Reed reached across the space and laid a hand upon Nora’s.“May you take comfort in the knowledge that you will soon be with her again.”
The display of sympathy twisted Nora’s stomach.Mum wasn’t dead.Yet, for all intents and purposes, she was.It wasn’t fair.It wasn’t right.She needed her mum in her life.The telling pressure behind her eyes warned the dam of her composure was near breaking.She could not, would not, cry in front of a stranger.She stood abruptly, nearly splashing her full cup of coffee over both of them as the cup and saucer clattered against the low table.So much for not making a scene, but she needed to put distance between herself and Mrs.Reed to gain control of her emotions.
Nora strode to the window and studied the empty street to clear away thoughts of Mum.Few people traveled it during midmorning, most having already reached work while the others tended to indoortasks.Entertaining a new neighbor was Nora’s chore, and she was doing a poor job of it.This was turning into a terrible morning.
Too embarrassed by her display to look at her guest, she continued to stare out the window.“My apologies, Mrs.—”
A face shot up from the base of the window, startling her.
Winston waved a greeting and gestured behind her.“Care to introduce me to your guest?”His words were muffled by the glass, but she heard them clearly.
Nora blinked.He was real?It hadn’t been a dream?But surely he wouldn’t be so bold as to return during the middle of the day to flaunt his existence while she had a guest.She glanced between him and Mrs.Reed.Mrs.Reed cocked her head curiously, but didn’t acknowledge Winston’s presence.She did see him, didn’t she?
“Why is there a man standing in my yard?”
Mrs.Reed frowned.“What man?I don’t see anyone.”
Nora checked, but he was still there, smirking at her.“You really don’t see anyone?”
“There is no one there.”Mrs.Reed was quite adamant.“Are you feeling unwell?”
No, she couldn’t be imagining this.Winston was outside her window.
“Excuse me.”Nora strode outside to where Winston still stood, hands in his pockets.“Who are you?”
“What a preposterous question, Eleonora.You know who I am.You gave me this blind eye, after all.The real question is, since you’re the only one who sees me, am I really here?”
There was only one way to discover if he be a man of flesh and blood or air and vapor.
She snatched at his arm.
He stepped back, but her fingers grazed fabric.
Victory.“You are no hallucination, sir.I touched you, and I’m turning you in to the police for attacking me on Saturday.”
He chuckled as he circled around her.“Wonderful!Shall we goright now?”Her confusion must have been evident because that devil smile curved into pure menacing pleasure.“It would give me no greater joy than to watch you march into a station and declare the man standing next to you attacked you.They’ll cart you straight off to Longview.You see, hallucinations are funny things.You may feel like you’re touching me or that I’m touching you.”He grabbed her wrist and squeezed.“But to everyone else, you’re interacting with air.If you don’t believe me, look at the couple on the corner.”He gestured to a man and woman watching with great curiosity from the horsecar stop.Then he waved a hand toward a concerned Mrs.Reed.“And Mrs.Reed appears quite disconcerted by your behavior.Erratic movements.Talking to yourself.She can probably even hear you issuing threats to nothing but the wind.Oh yes, very unsettling indeed.”
How did he know Mrs.Reed’s name?It couldn’t be true.He couldn’t possibly be a hallucination.“I don’t believe you.”
