Tudor Reunion Tour (6 page)

“Of course not, Peter. I always enjoy
your company, although I’m surprised you’re not down enjoying the beach.”

“I will a bit later. I thought I’d stop
by and see how you’re doing. I know you’re having to deal with a lot with this
tour idea of Julia’s and all.”

“
Pfff
,” I
replied taking a sip off my glass of lime water. “That’s putting it mildly. I
just can’t get over how everything has gone three sixty on me, how everyone is
embracing Julia and her idea.”

“Things aren’t always as they seem,
Zara. Remember that and let this tour happen. I know it’s hard; you’ve been
next to Amadeus every step of his career. Let him do this tour with his brothers.
Let Julia assume control. Let what’s going to happen, happen. Trust me.”

“You’ve all got a plan, huh? You’re
baiting her, setting her up for a fall? And I take it Grace is not privy to all
of this?”

“Yes, yes, and Grace only knows enough
to play along, but she’s better off not knowing everything until afterwards.”

“So you’re telling me to let Amadeus
sign this ludicrous contract and go on this tour while I sit home and lick my
wounds. Because you know damn good and well, Peter, Julia is going to be in my
face from here on out, making sure she rubs everything she can in my face.”

“That’s what I’m asking you to do. I’m
not telling you, Zara. You’ll do what’s right, you always do. Amadeus and I
both agree you’re better off not being in the middle of it all.”

“Well, don’t expect me to be quiet. I’ll
push back at her any time she’s in my face. I refuse to cow down to her. It
could get ugly.” I was half joking with him, but I was serious. Julia was not
going to think she had the upper hand. If I didn’t she might suspect something
was up.

“
Noooo
, I’d
never expect that of you, Zara.” He winked at me, a smirk on his face. “I’ll
make sure you’re kept apprised of everything that happens or that we discover.”

****

Peter’s children, with their own
families in tow, began to arrive the following day. The two families blended
together well, which was incredible. Grace barely spoke to me, and Julia was
all over making sure she got to know Peter’s two daughters. Linda, Peter’s
eldest, and I had been friends long before he and Grace became an item. Julia
couldn’t stand to see the two of us chatting, talking about girl stuff and
kids.

The afternoon before we were to leave
our holiday paradise, Grace and Julia came to visit me. Amadeus was off with
the men, so the two of them knew I would be alone with the baby. I was trying
to organize things to pack later. Amadeus wanted to be back for the New Years
Eve festivities in Edinburgh. He wanted to ring in the New Year Scottish style.

“Zara,” I heard Grace beckon me. “Could
we have a word with you?”

“Certainly.” I motioned for them to sit
out on the porch. I didn’t want the baby disturbed if this ended up getting
loud. I had no idea what to expect. “What’s up?”

“Okay, I won’t beat around the bush,
Zara. I’m quite concerned about you. We all are. Julia and I’ve been talking
and we came up with an idea.”

“What sort of idea?” I asked as I
cautiously watched the two of them.

“I thought while Amadeus is out on this
tour, at least for part of it, Elizabeth could come stay with me while you go
and take some time for yourself at a spa or resort. I think you need it, Zara,
and this would be a perfect time.” Both women were eyeing me, Julia with that
smug look on her face.

I chose my words carefully. I had half
expected something like this, just not here. “I appreciate your concern. Truly
I do. Amadeus and I are discussing some options for me during the time he is
away. So as much as I appreciate the offer, Grace, I’m going to have to
decline. At least right now.”

“I’ve already made arrangements, Zara,” Grace
replied. I could tell she was hedging, stumbling over her words almost, almost
as though this spa deal wasn’t her idea at all.

“Well, I’m sorry. You’ll have to cancel
them because once we leave here, we’re returning to Scotland. From there we’ll
return to Seattle for the rehearsals. By then I should know what I’ll be doing,
and if your spa idea sounds like something I want to do, I’ll let you know then,
Grace.”

“You’re accompanying Amadeus to Seattle?”
Julia blurted out. By the look on her face, this was something that she hadn’t
prepared herself for. Good, chalk one up for team Zara.

“Of course I am. Just as I plan for
Elizabeth and me to meet up with him at various times along the tour.”

“You can’t just show up, Zara.”

“Why not, Julia? I’m his wife, and it’s
going to be hard enough on him not to be around for some of the milestones in
Elizabeth’s life he may miss. So, yes, we’ll be meeting up with him from time
to time.”

“Zara, this is foolishness. You need to
think about your daughter…” Grace began. I put up my hand to stop her.

“I am thinking about my daughter and my
husband. Now if that’s all, ladies, I need to finish what I was working on. I’ll
join you later.”

As soon as they were out of sight, I
texted Peter on my phone. Peter knew of Grace’s intentions, good as they were.
Both men knew of my fear that this was all part of Julia’s ploy to manipulate
everything. Time to put my plan into action.

****

We returned to Scotland, just in time
for all the Hogmanay celebrations. Amadeus backed me up, hearing of his mother’s
plan of wanting me to take some time alone while she kept Elizabeth, telling
her the decision would be made by the two of us and no one else.

While in the Scottish countryside, I
intercepted a handful of texts and emails from both Grace and Julia to Amadeus
pleading with him to convince me to let Grace take Elizabeth, though Grace’s
emails weren’t as demanding as Julia’s. Julia’s made it sound like I was
becoming too unhinged to care for her, where with Grace’s, she was merely
making a suggestion. As much as it pained me to keep Amadeus in the dark
regarding some things, I had to in order to make what I was about to do as real
as possible.

We packed up everything we needed and
headed to Seattle for rehearsals. Two weeks of long, grueling hours. I tried to
keep myself busy as much as possible. It was hard because Amadeus and I were
both on edge. Him because of the unknown and knowing I was not happy or in
agreement with him participating, and me having to sit back and watch it all
unfold. And knowing I was about to pull off a stunt that would put our
relationship on the edge. It was the only way to expose Julia and her plans.

The afternoon prior to the boys leaving
for their first concert date, I received a text from Peter telling me Grace was
in route to see the boys off on their new adventure. This had been a tradition
she and Amadeus’s late father, William, had maintained for years. He also
mentioned one word, intervention. Grace was planning on doing an intervention
to force her and Julia’s idea on me. It was time for Elizabeth and me to go.

With Amadeus at rehearsals, I hastily
packed everything I would need for the trip Elizabeth and I were about to take.
I made sure I left nothing behind that could trace Peter and my conversations
and emails. I then placed a phone call to Peter’s contact and waited for them
to arrive. Peter had given me a cell phone before I left the Caribbean. It was
my lifeline to Peter and the outside world now. I left my old cell phone on the
glass and iron coffee table in the living room along with a letter I had
composed earlier. I didn’t know how much Amadeus knew of what I was planning,
and I had asked Peter not to tell me. I preferred to start this journey
thinking he knew nothing. This was not the way I wanted him to begin this tour,
but it had to be.

The cell rang. I peered at the number.
It was Grace. I debated whether or not to pick it up.

“Hi, Grace. Where are you?”

“I’m at the old house. I thought perhaps
you’d care to come over and have tea with me.”

“I’d love to,” I lied. “I’ll be there as
soon as I finish up with the baby’s doctor appointment.”

“There’s nothing wrong with her is
there?”

“Of course not, just a check-up.”

“Well, I can’t wait to see her. I just
know she’s grown like a weed. They always do at that age.”

“Yes, they do. We’ll see you shortly,
Grace.”

I hung up, turned the cell phone off,
and placed it back on the table. Hearing a knock on the door, I headed over to
answer it. Two of Peter’s road crew entered and began picking up the luggage
and items I had neatly stacked in one corner of the living room. I grabbed a
sleeping Elizabeth and her diaper bag, along with my backpack, which now
contained our passports, money, and laptop, everything needed to sustain us. My
lifeline. One of the men assisted me with the diaper bag and closed the front
door behind us. I had given Peter the code to enter the building from the
parking garage beneath the building. I climbed into the black SUV, strapping
Elizabeth, who was now waking up, in and we headed towards the airport.

It had been prearranged quite well. Like
something out of a spy movie. No one would think twice about the private jet
leased by Peter because his son, James, had been in town the night before for a
concert of his own, and was using one of Peter’s planes during his U.S. tour.
James would accompany us as far as his next stop, San Diego, before rejoining
his own crew and band. From there we would refuel and continue to our
destination.

Patagonia, Chile.

Amadeus

What
in the hell is going on? Has everyone just gone nuts or something?

Julia
is bordering on the absurd when it comes to organizing this tour. I know damn
good and well there is something up. Zara and I have been able to find out a
part of it. It’s the why that I want to know.

And
then I’m having to actually lie to Zara about some things just to stay on Julia’s
good side. I’ve got to let her play out her hand. Angus and I both know that.
We also decided it might be better if Damien isn’t in the know on everything.
That way he’s not an accessory, and if Julia begins to suspect anything, he
will be honest in his answers.

We’ve
even had to involve Peter. He’s got deep pockets and connections that even I
can’t get to. People will drop everything if he asks them to.

This
is like one huge game, only let one person know so much, don’t let another know
a thing. To say
its
confusing is an understatement.

What
I don’t like is the fact that Julia has come up with a concocted notion that
Zara is unstable. To make it worse, she’s convinced Mother of that. Mother
usually doesn’t interfere in our private affairs, but Julia’s trying to
convince her that Zara needs some time off at a spa or something. Something is
right; something to keep her out of her way. She knows Zara smells something
fishy.

And
if that weren’t enough, Zara has gone underground with Elizabeth. I knew from
Peter that the two of them had something in the works, but they didn’t want me
to know exactly what. Peter will take care of the two of them, wherever she’s
gone to. It’s the not knowing where she and the baby are that makes me a little
nuts. When I have one of those moments, I try to sit back, breathe, and
remember she’s okay; she’s simply getting out of Julia’s line of fire. Zara’s
got something up her sleeve, and when the time is right, she’ll let it be
known.

Zara

The first leg of the trip—Seattle to San
Diego—was fun. Peter’s son, James, joined us, and I was amazed by how much the
young man had come into his own as a musician. While he may have his famous
father’s last name, it was all about him and his music first and foremost. I
bid James goodbye and good luck on the remainder of his tour, leaving me to my
own devices from there on out.

Once James left our company in San
Diego, the remainder of the trip was long and grueling. Elizabeth was not happy
about more new surroundings, but did amazingly well under the circumstances.
Traveling with an infant such a distance meant the trip had to revolve more
around her. Though I wanted to make stops along the way, I didn’t dare with
her. By the time we reached Santiago for refueling, we were both ready to
really stretch our legs and get some fresh air.

Upon arrival at our final destination of
Punta Arenas, Chile, Elizabeth and I disembarked from the small jet. I glanced
around the tarmac for someone from the resort. I finally spied Greg Black, one
of the owners I’d come to know a few years back on an earlier visit to
Patagonia. I waved in his direction, hoisting the baby up on one hip.

“Zara!” Greg exclaimed. “It is so good
to see you again. And this time with a little one!”

“It’s good to see you as well, Greg.
Yeah, this is Elizabeth.” Elizabeth glared with interest at the stranger. She
played bashful, hiding her face in my chest, and then peeking around to look.

“Come, your things are in the back of my
SUV. Mary and I have a cottage all ready for the two of you. I think you’ll be
pleased. The view is one of the better ones.”

“That sounds wonderful, Greg. I’m
looking forward to a shower and a decent meal. Traveling with a little one isn’t
the same as doing it alone.”

He chuckled at my remark as he opened
the back door to the SUV. Elizabeth’s car seat had already been fastened in,
and she fussed at the idea of being strapped back in. I finally got her taken
care of, much to her dismay, and walked around the vehicle to my side and slid
in.

Greg maneuvered the SUV along the long,
dusty, and bumpy road leading to the resort with ease. I wondered how many sets
of shocks they went through going up and down this main thoroughfare. It was
not for the faint of heart in some places, but it made the resort much more
appealing once you got to the end of the line.

Mary appeared from the main structure. I
noted she hadn’t changed much. She and Greg had come here years and years ago, back
when there was nothing. They built their dream and gradually turned it into the
resort it was today.

She greeted us in typical Chilean
fashion. Elizabeth was wary, not quick to make friends. Mary finally got a grin
out of her as we followed her to our cottage. Ever thinking ahead, Mary had set
out a table full of food for me, a bowl of fruit in the center.

“I’ll bring you lunch and a few other
goodies, along with all the extras, while you settle in. There’s some wine on
the table.”

“Thanks, Mary. I think what I’m going to
do while you’re getting that ready is strip this little one down and feed her.
I’ll give her a bath after I eat.”

“I put a couple of gallons of purified
water in the refrigerator for her. I was told you would need it to mix with her
formula?”

“Yes. I don’t want to take a chance by
making any sudden changes in her diet. I brought a ton of powdered formula
until I see how her system takes to new things.”

“You were smart to think of that, Zara.”

I chuckled at the thought of a sick
baby. Sick… “Well, the thought of the alternative didn’t appeal to me. And I hope
I brought enough diapers for our stay. If not, I guess I’ll be learning to use
the old fashioned cloth ones.”

I had meticulously figured out what I
thought I would need in both formula and diapers before we left. The diapers
were my only real concern, but as long as Elizabeth didn’t have any intestinal
issues leading to extra usage, I figured we should be fine for the next eight
or nine weeks.

A lump in my throat formed, thinking
about Amadeus. I had done alright on the trip down, trying hard not to think
about him. But now I wondered what he was thinking about what I had done and where
he was. Was he angry, or had Peter assured him already that the baby and I were
safe? Peter and I had agreed keeping him in the dark about my ‘disappearance’
was for the best. Amadeus was known to have a hard time lying to Grace, and she
would be all over him, questioning him about my whereabouts.

As I waited for Mary to finish my
dinner, I took Elizabeth into the bedroom and stripped her out of her clothes.
I tried to make a game out of it as I put a fresh diaper on her and took her
back into the living room. Knowing she was probably getting hungry, I set her
on a blanket with a few of her favorite toys and poured formula into a waiting
bottle. I handed it to her to see if that would pacify her. It seemed to, so I
headed over to the table and poured myself a glass of wine.

There was a knock on the door and Mary
popped her head back in, followed by a young man with a cart full of baby food
and formula. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about her eating, Zara.” Peter
had made sure I was well supplied, overly supplied for our stay. Diapers as
well. I hadn’t seen everything loaded into the jet, so it never crossed my mind
that he would think of something so basic.

“Thank you!” I exclaimed. I pointed the
boy to a corner in the large living room. Elizabeth watched in curiosity as he
unloaded everything out of the cart.

As soon as he left, Mary laid out
platefuls of food for me. Cheese, bread, empanadas. “I thought you might like
to join us for dinner later. We’re having sea bass this evening.”

“This looks amazing, Mary. And yes, I
will most certainly join you and Greg for dinner. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Zara. If there’s
anything you need, you know where to find me. I’ll let you settle in now.”

I walked over to the table and eyed all
the wonderful food. Elizabeth was crawling over in my direction. I set my glass
of wine down on the table before grabbing her up and placing her in a waiting
highchair. She was tired, and it was beginning to show. I dug through her
diaper bag for some baby food. While the empanada was heating in the microwave,
I grabbed a piece of cheese and popped it into my mouth as I sighed. Eating on
the go, oh well. I took the empanada out of the microwave, grabbed the jar of
baby food, and placed it in the microwave to heat. As soon as the timer went
off, indicating it was ready, I took the spoon and sat down in front of her. At
first she wanted no part of the jar of baby food, until she saw I wasn’t going
to give her anything else.

“Sorry, sweetie. You have to stick to
this boring stuff until your little system acclimates. You don’t want to get
the runs; neither of us wants that.”

She babbled and, eventually, after some
gentle coaxing from me, ate the entire jar of food along with a jar of baby
fruit. After cleaning her up, I gave her the bottle back in hopes she’d be
sleepy. As she sat there, I grabbed an empanada and ate it while I played with
her.

Noting she was rubbing her eyes, I
grabbed another piece of cheese and munched on it as I gathered up items to
give her a bath. I picked her up and stripped her and sat her in the warm water
I’d drawn in the small kitchenette sink. She splashed the water as I washed her
with the soft cloth. She was fighting to stay awake. It was just a matter of
minutes.

With Elizabeth down for what I hoped
would be a long nap, I cleaned up her mess, grabbing bites to eat in between. I
poured myself another glass of wine, deciding a much needed shower was more in
order than unpacking the laptop and checking for messages. I was desperate for
any word from Amadeus, but I was more in need of a shower.

I stood under the steaming hot water for
what seemed an eternity. Actually, I started running out of hot water. I dried
myself off and managed to find clean underwear and clothes to put on while I
got unpacked and settled. But first I had to fire up my lap top. My old lap
top, not the new one Peter had given me. I wasn’t to contact anyone with the
old one. I probably shouldn’t have brought it with me, but I had to know if
Amadeus had tried to contact me. Email would be his only way, not knowing my
new cell phone number or the sat number, another idea of Peter’s. Cell phones were
about useless down here.

As I waited, I filled a plate with food
and sat in front of the computer as it came online. How they got Wi-Fi way down
here was a gift horse I wasn’t going to question. Greg had mentioned it wasn’t
a given but when it worked, it worked well. Thank God, for me, it was working
this afternoon.

I logged into my email account. Nothing.
Not one email from Amadeus. My heart sank. This meant one thing; he was not
happy with me. Just as I had that thought, a new email popped up. Amadeus.

Opening the email, I was relieved he
wasn’t angry with my ‘disappearance’. While he didn’t come right out and say
it, he made it clear to me through the way he wrote, the words he chose, that
Peter had gotten to him. He went on to say that he wouldn’t try to contact me
again. He feared one of us would be found out. Telling me how much he loved and
missed Elizabeth and me, he ended with he couldn’t wait to talk with me soon. I
closed the email and powered down the computer. I sat there with a huge lump in
my throat again. My nerves were on edge, but I realized it was more from the
long trip than anything else.

To busy myself, I buried the laptop in
my suitcase after removing everything I might possibly need. Before long, I had
us unpacked and halfway settled in. The mountain of baby food and powdered
formula was all neatly stacked in a corner of the bedroom Elizabeth and I were
sharing. There was another room for her, but for now I wanted her close to me.
She was the closest thing I had to Amadeus. All done without waking her. Poor
thing, I thought. She’s exhausted. I hoped she wouldn’t be down for the night.
I wanted to begin to get her used to a new schedule.

I then organized all the camera
equipment I brought, intending to photograph not only the landscape, but to
chronicle Elizabeth’s time here. Give Amadeus a peek into what we did while we
were here. Perhaps someday he and I could return together.

My ‘desk’ was the final space needing
organization. As there was a small writing desk on one wall of the cottage, I
set up the new lap top Peter had provided me with. I intended to keep a
journal, perhaps to turn it into something else at a later date. But I was too
tired to go any further with anything else.

Amadeus

While I expected Zara to do something
dramatic once I got on the road, I never saw her sudden disappearance coming. I’ve
had my head wrapped so tightly around this tour I wasn’t paying much attention
to anything else. Not only do I have to concentrate on the show and my
brothers, I have to stay focused on everything going on around me. Julia has
more in mind than simply being the greedy bitch she’s shown herself to be,
there’s more. The fact that she has Don Roberts on her payroll makes me
skittish to say the least. I feel as though having eyes in the back of my head
would be a plus.

Luckily, Angus, Damien and I were able
to convince Julia to let us hire Red, my old road manager. She was bound and
determined to hire only her picks, but luckily she remembered Red from the
years he was with Damien and his band Rypp
Tyde
, and
Red was able to schmooze her as well. Red’s now my eyes and ears. Angus’ too,
but after my previous encounter with Don Roberts, Red’s being extra vigilant.

At first, Red was furious that I’d even
considered doing the tour with Don involved, but quickly calmed down once I brought
him under my wing. I told him what I felt I could without compromising Peter’s
and my plan. If it came down to where Red needed to know anything else, Peter
and I would discuss it.

Julia has begun this tour as though it
were a dictatorship and Angus, Damien, and I all had to sit her down and remind
her that the crew had been doing what they do for years and to let them do
their job. That’s why we brought Red in. She seemed to back off once we
confronted her.

Interestingly, she has brought Amber
along on this tour. Her personal assistant, she told me. Why she would need an
assistant is beyond me; Julia delegates to no one. Then it became apparent.
Amber was there to entice Angus and me. Now Angus and I may be musicians, but
we’re far from stupid. It goes back to the old saying ‘fool me once shame on
me, fool me twice’…well you know what I’m saying. So when she realized that
wasn’t going to work, she began bringing other girls backstage at each city.

And then there’s my mother. Luckily
Peter intervened and got Zara and Elizabeth out of town. Julia had convinced
her Zara needed a break and that she needed it without Elizabeth. Of course
mother was upset once she found out Zara and Elizabeth had disappeared a couple
of days prior to the tour’s start. Peter calmed her down, but it wasn’t until
she left Seattle and Julia’s influence. Damn that woman is bad news. Never
thought I’d see my mother believing a thing Julia had to say. Not that she
does. But then she is my mother…she’s a crafty old broad.