Two evenings after accepting Henry’s offer, I drove to the address he gave me. The red brick colonial, located on a tree-lined cul-de-sac in Fairfax Station, was so new that its plot was freshly landscaped. For a few moments, I sat transfixed, admiring the architecture and the setting. While not nearly so grand as the estates the Cameron Agency featured, it was exactly what I would have chosen for myself. I blotted out the mental picture of Henry carrying his faceless bride across the threshold.

      Although not yet dusk, the lights flanking the front door glowed, as if awaiting my arrival. The key hidden under the mat, as Henry promised, slipped easily into the lock. Beyond the spacious hallway was a carpeted living room barren except for a grand piano. I rushed to its side and ran my fingers over the keyboard. My heart bounded heavenward as its exquisite tone filled the room hour after hour.

      Returning home thoroughly energized, I intended to call Henry the next day, but no sooner did I sink into the pillow than the telephone rang. 

      “Amanda?  I tried to reach you earlier.”

      “You must have guessed that I was playing your piano, Henry. It’s magnificent! And as for your house, it’s everything a woman could want. You do your fiancée proud”

      “I value your opinion, Amanda. You convince me that I made the right decision in both cases. Now that you feel at home with the piano, please take advantage of it as much as you can.”

      I laughed out loud. “If I didn’t have to show up at the Cameron Agency, I’d be back first thing tomorrow. Those few hours reliving my past have made me a changed woman. I’m prepared for whatever comes my way. Even Burke Cameron.”

      He chucked softly. “You take him too seriously, Amanda. I suspect that his bark is worse than his bite. You should call his bluff.”

      “I’ve done that twice. The third time, he’ll throw me to the dogs. Until my car is repaired, I need to stay in his good graces. He doesn’t seem to have many, except a taste for good music.”

      “There you are. Every villain has one redeeming feature. Serenade him on the piano and you’ll have him eating out of your hands.”

      “That will be the day.”

       We parted, laughing, after I promised to report back regularly. I was still thinking about our conversation the next morning while I scrolled through the latest listings on the computer. As I glanced away from the screen to rest my eyes, I saw Burke Cameron leaning against the door jamb. His eyes, as usual, looked red and strained.

      “Oh!” I said. “I didn’t know you were there.”

      “Sorry. I didn’t want to disturb you while you were working.”

       “I’m not working at the moment. How can I help you?”

      Nothing in his manner suggested the short-tempered ogre the rest of the office knew. A half-grin conveyed congeniality, and his voice was downright pleasant. “No urgency. I was just wondering if you feel better acclimated to the job now that you’ve made a sale.”

       “Satisfaction goes with success. In that sense, I’m happier.”

       “That’s what struck me when I heard you come in humming such an upbeat passage from Elgar’s ‘London Suite’ that I half expected you to ring up British Air and book a flight to Heathrow.”

       “Don’t I wish! I performed in London several years ago and it all came back last evening when…” I stopped cold. This was something Burke did not need to know.

       He caught my slip and pursued it. “Last evening? What were you doing last evening?”
Remembering Henry’s advice, I went for the jugular. “Should you be concerned with how I spend my evenings?”

       He seemed taken aback, just as Henry had promised. “Of course not. I simply wondered what put you into such a good mood and what there is about Elgar’s music that appeals to you.”

       My pit bull attack collapsed into embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be snippy. Last evening I had the opportunity to play a wonderful piano. It reminded me of my concert in London. My encore was from his ‘London Again Suite.’”

       “Are you performing some place in the near future where I can hear you?”

       I shook my head. “That won’t happen any time soon. The piano is strictly for practice. It was made available through the kindness of a friend.”

       “I see.” Instead of closing the conversation there, he added, “I don’t suppose it’s anyone I know.”

       “Probably not.”

       He took several steps forward. “Well, then, if you’ve been practicing, you probably haven’t had time to contact your…the clergyman.”

       I took the bait. “Henry, you mean? He’s not my anything. In fact, he’s getting married and purchased the piano for his fiancée.”

       “Hmmm.” Devils surfaced from the depths of Burke’s eyes. “That could cause a rift between Henry and his fiancée.”

       My hands flew to my hips and the words came so rapidly that I stumbled over them. “Mr. Cameron, it’s none of your business what goes on between Henry and me any more than how I spend my evenings.”

       The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. “I was thinking more about the fact that you’ve been tossed into the pot with them. Sounds like a crowd to me.”

       My long, silent stare accomplished little. Instead, his smile evolved into a wide grin, finally erupting in a guffaw. “Do I nettle you, Ms. Prescott?”

       “Very much, Mr. Cameron. I’ll thank you to leave.”

       “Your wish is my command.” Pivoting on his heels, he executed a snappy salute and was gone. I returned to the computer, a smile on my lips
 

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