Chapter 8
EIGHT
My sleep was repeatedly interrupted by dreams of Major Cooper and Damen Dominic. In one particular dream, both men showed up.
My dreams about Major Cooper mainly revolved around my asking for his name. He hadn’t answered me. Was he a major in the army? The navy? Or had his parents given him that name... perhaps in the hopes that he would eventually join the military.
As for Damen, it was impossible to dream about him without having my mother come in to ruin it.
I awoke confused about both men and angry with my mother.
“Great,” I muttered as I got out of bed and got ready for my first day of working with Ayra.
I pulled on a comfy pair of jeans, a loose-fitting white cotton blouse and slipped my feet into my flat leather sandals.
Heading out of my room, I turned to go to Ayra’s music room a few doors down. As I knocked on her door, I suddenly worried I might be too early... maybe a little too eager.
“Come in,” she called through the door.
“Hi,” I said as I opened the door.
“Come. Come.”
She had a piano, a cello, a violin and a guitar set up in a large, airy room adjacent to her bedroom. Light flooded in through the large windows that were left open to allow fresh air in.
Ayra gestured to the piano bench. “Sit down,” she said as she sat on a stool and brought the cello in front of her.
“You want me to play? Now? Just like that?”
She nodded. “I want to feel your tone, your musical voice. Not your singing voice, but your musical voice. I want to know what you have in you.”
“Okay,” I said with trepidation. This wasn’t the type of situation I was accustomed to.
“Don’t feel pressured. This isn’t a test. We’re not here to compose anything... not yet. So there is no right way or wrong way of doing this. I just want to play a few long notes here on the cello, and I want you to jump in, whatever your feel, whatever comes to mind.”
Improvisation wasn’t my strong suit. “I’m not sure I can... I mean...”
“Holly,” she said. “I know you’re a talented musician and singer. That’s already been settled. You’re in. You have the job. This isn’t an audition, but just part of my work process.
I assure you this is just to get us in the same mood. I want to feel you, and I want you to feel me. Even if we do this exercise and you don’t feel anything... that’s okay. No pressure. Got it?”
“Got it.”
She played a long, woeful note, then another and another. Then she began again, the same three notes, long and mournful.
I closed my eyes, let the notes enveloped me, pull up my emotions, seize me.
My hands reached for the keys but still lingered there, uncertain.
Then, I hit one complementary note to hers.
One single note. Then another and soon I was gone.
The music took over. While she played the same three notes over and over again, I delved deep, burrowing into the lower keys only to rise up and bring in a few plaintive sharp notes.
Suddenly, the cello fell silent, and I opened my eyes to turn to her, thinking I’d failed her.
“Holly. Honey.”
I looked at her, waiting for her judgment. She picked up her phone, tapped it and put it back down.
Had she been recording this little session?
“That was beautiful. Oh, my. If that’s what you can do in a situation like this, I can only imagine what you’ll do when you sit down to compose. Working with you is going to be a dream.”
“Really?”
“Did you doubt it?”
No. I hadn’t. I didn’t. But... I guess a part of me was always seeking approval.
Her smile was broad, clearly pleased. “Well,” she said as she glanced at her watch. “I have to go downstairs and take care of a few things.”
“Okay. Do you want me to stay here and work?”
“If you’d like. But I also suggest you explore the grounds where this movie will be filmed. Perhaps spend time on set watching the actors do their scenes. I know you’re familiar with the story. Imagine how scenes will play out, and what mood we’ll want the music to embody.”
“Okay. I think I’ll do that.”
*****
I STAYED IN AYRA’S music room for another hour, playing around on the piano, but also picking up the cello, though it wasn’t an instrument I was proficient with.
Nonetheless, I managed to fiddle around and come up with a few interesting melodies and sounds.
But, as Ayra had suggested, I left the music room behind, eager to see more of Moon Manor. I’d yet to see the gardens, the forest... any of it.
I headed down and while I was tempted to take a peek at certain actors rehearsing their lines, I made my way out to the gardens.
I was assailed with the many scents, and a flutter of butterflies that happily flew about. The sun poked through the clouds bringing about just enough warmth.
Smiling, I walked beyond the garden and along the edge of the forest. In many ways, the property reminded me of Selma Sanctuary.
Of course, it was well kept unlike Selma Sanctuary.
Everything was in order. Everything looked as it should.
The grounds were clean and the trees well-trimmed.
Not a dead tree in sight. No dry branches littering the ground. No scrubby yellowed bushes.
It was a festival of sights, sounds and scents.
It was magical.
I was getting inspired, feeling the sound of music around the property. The lake where Pride and Prejudice was filmed, the garden where Keely Lee’s Emma was filmed. I could see and hear the music, inspired by the setting and also the memories of the Jane Austen films, in the air.