it was a modern opera-type piece using a choir, or something else equally uncommercial. Whatever, it was a project rarely mentioned and never seen, and consequently written off by David. Yet Nick seemed perfectly happy. To David, this was totally mystifying. How could Nick be happy if he wasn’t producing albums, wasn’t using his gift? How could he live without work?
There was a sound from the passage, the door swung wide, and Nick strode in. He gave a start like a nervous animal, then a characteristically quiet smile spread across his face. ‘David! Looking for the action, were you?’ He gave a wry laugh. ‘Well, you won’t find it here, I’m afraid.’ This admission didn’t seem to upset him.
David gave a slow shrug. ‘Just wondering where everyone was.’
‘We were down in the new garden, looking at the roses.’ Nick shot him an oblique glance. ‘You found some breakfast all right?’
David raised his coffee cup in reply.
‘Sleep well?’
David made a so-so gesture. ‘I was a bit worried when I woke up. It was so quiet I thought I might have bought it in my sleep.’
Nick laughed at that. ‘No chance. You’ll die at ninety. Doing a deal with the undertaker.’
‘Don’t you find it quiet?’
Nick perched himself on the edge of a table. ‘Too much to do. The estate, the gardens – you know. And people to stay. Alusha loves that. And so do I, of course,’ he added quickly in case David should think otherwise.
Nick glanced towards the door and whispered in a theatrical voice: ‘Got a smoke?’
‘I gave up. Five years ago.’
‘Of course. So you did. I gave up – when was it?’
‘Four years ago. The year after me.’
Nick shook his head, surprised that David should remember such details of his life. ‘I wouldn’t mind a smoke now. I didn’t sleep much last night.’ He patted the side of his head and screwed up his face, as if in pain.
‘That’s not like you.’
‘It’s your visit, David, it makes me nervous.’
He didn’t look in the slightest bit nervous. David made a mild gesture of astonishment. ‘Me? Why?
‘Because you never say anything.’
‘What about, Nick?’
‘You know. About the next album. You should be beating me over the head and giving me a hard time. And you don’t. It makes me feel guilty as hell.’
David didn’t take this accusation too seriously. ‘Nick – when did I ever beat you over the head?’
‘I’ve just been too busy, David. There’s been all the forestry work. That took an age. Then there was the farm to get off the ground.’
‘Nick, you don’t have to apologize to me, you know.’
He conceded this with a small laugh. ‘I know, but … I feel everyone’s hovering quietly on the sidelines, waiting for me to produce the goods.’
‘I don’t think anyone’s complaining.’
‘Not complaining. But expecting , which is worse.’ He paused apologetically. ‘They might have a long wait, David. I’m not sure when there’ll be another album. Or even if there’ll be another album.’
‘Well, if that’s the way it is, then that’s fine with me,’ David lied, hiding a sudden swoop of disappointment. He could understand Nick’s reluctance to get together with Amazon again – it was thirteen years since the band was at its peak and ten since it was more or less disbanded – but to give up his solo career? After the last two albums had gone platinum? It tortured David even to think about it.
‘But it’s not so fine with Mel and Joe, I take it?’ Nick asked, sounding beleaguered.
‘Joe, he’s got his Medea tour. I don’t think he minds one way or the other. Mel, well …’
‘What is it he wants? To get back together again?’
‘I think so.’
This evasion earned David a mildly reproving look. ‘The two of you coming up here. Looks like a deputation to me.’
‘It was Mel’s idea.’
Nick gave a slow nod as if he’d suspected this from the beginning. He went across to the window and stood staring out at
There was a sound from the passage, the door swung wide, and Nick strode in. He gave a start like a nervous animal, then a characteristically quiet smile spread across his face. ‘David! Looking for the action, were you?’ He gave a wry laugh. ‘Well, you won’t find it here, I’m afraid.’ This admission didn’t seem to upset him.
David gave a slow shrug. ‘Just wondering where everyone was.’
‘We were down in the new garden, looking at the roses.’ Nick shot him an oblique glance. ‘You found some breakfast all right?’
David raised his coffee cup in reply.
‘Sleep well?’
David made a so-so gesture. ‘I was a bit worried when I woke up. It was so quiet I thought I might have bought it in my sleep.’
Nick laughed at that. ‘No chance. You’ll die at ninety. Doing a deal with the undertaker.’
‘Don’t you find it quiet?’
Nick perched himself on the edge of a table. ‘Too much to do. The estate, the gardens – you know. And people to stay. Alusha loves that. And so do I, of course,’ he added quickly in case David should think otherwise.
Nick glanced towards the door and whispered in a theatrical voice: ‘Got a smoke?’
‘I gave up. Five years ago.’
‘Of course. So you did. I gave up – when was it?’
‘Four years ago. The year after me.’
Nick shook his head, surprised that David should remember such details of his life. ‘I wouldn’t mind a smoke now. I didn’t sleep much last night.’ He patted the side of his head and screwed up his face, as if in pain.
‘That’s not like you.’
‘It’s your visit, David, it makes me nervous.’
He didn’t look in the slightest bit nervous. David made a mild gesture of astonishment. ‘Me? Why?
‘Because you never say anything.’
‘What about, Nick?’
‘You know. About the next album. You should be beating me over the head and giving me a hard time. And you don’t. It makes me feel guilty as hell.’
David didn’t take this accusation too seriously. ‘Nick – when did I ever beat you over the head?’
‘I’ve just been too busy, David. There’s been all the forestry work. That took an age. Then there was the farm to get off the ground.’
‘Nick, you don’t have to apologize to me, you know.’
He conceded this with a small laugh. ‘I know, but … I feel everyone’s hovering quietly on the sidelines, waiting for me to produce the goods.’
‘I don’t think anyone’s complaining.’
‘Not complaining. But expecting , which is worse.’ He paused apologetically. ‘They might have a long wait, David. I’m not sure when there’ll be another album. Or even if there’ll be another album.’
‘Well, if that’s the way it is, then that’s fine with me,’ David lied, hiding a sudden swoop of disappointment. He could understand Nick’s reluctance to get together with Amazon again – it was thirteen years since the band was at its peak and ten since it was more or less disbanded – but to give up his solo career? After the last two albums had gone platinum? It tortured David even to think about it.
‘But it’s not so fine with Mel and Joe, I take it?’ Nick asked, sounding beleaguered.
‘Joe, he’s got his Medea tour. I don’t think he minds one way or the other. Mel, well …’
‘What is it he wants? To get back together again?’
‘I think so.’
This evasion earned David a mildly reproving look. ‘The two of you coming up here. Looks like a deputation to me.’
‘It was Mel’s idea.’
Nick gave a slow nod as if he’d suspected this from the beginning. He went across to the window and stood staring out at
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