Read Online The Keeper of Secrets by Julie Thomas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Thomas
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were smiley, and he decided immediately that she might help him.
“Daniel Horowitz.”
“Ah, Daniel Horowitz. You’re the one who . . . the young violinist, the Hillier winner?” she asked, looking at him in a way he recognized. She’d heard about him and now she was putting a face to the name.
“Yes. I need to talk to him; it’s very important. Do you know where he is?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She extended her hand toward him. “I’m Magdalena Montoya; nice to meet you, Daniel Horowitz. I’m just about to hijack him. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll do it together.”
He followed her into the Opera House. A young man was standing on the stage singing “Che gelida manina” from La Bohème to a loud piano accompaniment. He sounded very nervous and slightly flat. Several people sat down in the front, listening and scribbling in books. Magdalena stood just inside the door until the aria came to an end. Then she pointed to a figure over to the right in the back row. It was Maestro Gomez. He glanced over and gave her a little wave.
“Come on, this way,” she said in a half whisper. They threaded their way through an empty row to the aisle and then up to where Rafael was stretched out.
“ ¡Hola! , gorgeous woman, fancy meeting you here.” He extended his hand toward her.
“I came to make sure you have lunch and look who I found.”
Daniel watched her take the hand in hers and bend to kiss the maestro on the mouth, before sitting down beside him. Rafael leaned forward and smiled at him.
“Hello, Daniel, and the lovely Miss Wong, how was she?”
“Very cool. She told me her brother was a semifinalist at the Hillier, on the piano.”
“He was indeed. Matthew Wong—he’s a very talented pianist.”
Daniel wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to tell the maestro about the man who’d burst into the class but not in front of this woman.
“Do you know who this is, Dan?”
“No, sir.”
“This is my very wonderful wife, Magdalena. Mags, meet Daniel Horowitz.”
“Oh, we’ve met. I just didn’t tell him that I have the dubious pleasure of being the esposa .” There was laughter in her voice. Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw movement on the stage as a plump young woman walked out to the piano and gave the accompanist some music. Rafael watched her, glanced at a sheet of paper on the seat beside him, then seemed to make up his mind.
“We should leave these poor young things in peace.” He pulled himself up and guided them out the door and back to the Grand Foyer.
“How about a plate of ice cream on the terrace?” Daniel nodded enthusiastically and Mags smiled playfully at her husband.
“Whatever you want to do, my love. You lead and we, your loyal subjects, shall follow.”
Rafael laughed and took her hand.
“I make the mistake of telling a journalist that this woman makes me feel like a king, Dan, and she won’t let me forget it.”
They followed him upstairs to the KC Café, where Rafael ordered sandwiches for them and a vanilla and butterscotch sundae for Daniel, to be served on the Roof Terrace. While the staff set up the table Rafael showed Daniel the marble walls engraved with the words of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and the amazing view down the Potomac River to the Jefferson Memorial. It was a cloudless day and the sky was a deep azure blue.
After they were seated and served, Rafael turned to Daniel. “So tell me, Dan, what did you think of Tatiana’s violin last night?”
Daniel finished his mouthful.
“The absolute best thing ever. Better than any violin, even better than Maestro Vincelli’s real Strad. It is the coolest violin in the whole world!” he said emphatically.
Rafael nodded his agreement. “She played the Pag rather wonderfully too, did you not think so? It rewards fury and fearlessness.”
“It was my finals piece.”
“I remember. I conducted you so I heard it right up close.” They grinned at each other
“Daniel Horowitz.”
“Ah, Daniel Horowitz. You’re the one who . . . the young violinist, the Hillier winner?” she asked, looking at him in a way he recognized. She’d heard about him and now she was putting a face to the name.
“Yes. I need to talk to him; it’s very important. Do you know where he is?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She extended her hand toward him. “I’m Magdalena Montoya; nice to meet you, Daniel Horowitz. I’m just about to hijack him. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll do it together.”
He followed her into the Opera House. A young man was standing on the stage singing “Che gelida manina” from La Bohème to a loud piano accompaniment. He sounded very nervous and slightly flat. Several people sat down in the front, listening and scribbling in books. Magdalena stood just inside the door until the aria came to an end. Then she pointed to a figure over to the right in the back row. It was Maestro Gomez. He glanced over and gave her a little wave.
“Come on, this way,” she said in a half whisper. They threaded their way through an empty row to the aisle and then up to where Rafael was stretched out.
“ ¡Hola! , gorgeous woman, fancy meeting you here.” He extended his hand toward her.
“I came to make sure you have lunch and look who I found.”
Daniel watched her take the hand in hers and bend to kiss the maestro on the mouth, before sitting down beside him. Rafael leaned forward and smiled at him.
“Hello, Daniel, and the lovely Miss Wong, how was she?”
“Very cool. She told me her brother was a semifinalist at the Hillier, on the piano.”
“He was indeed. Matthew Wong—he’s a very talented pianist.”
Daniel wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to tell the maestro about the man who’d burst into the class but not in front of this woman.
“Do you know who this is, Dan?”
“No, sir.”
“This is my very wonderful wife, Magdalena. Mags, meet Daniel Horowitz.”
“Oh, we’ve met. I just didn’t tell him that I have the dubious pleasure of being the esposa .” There was laughter in her voice. Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw movement on the stage as a plump young woman walked out to the piano and gave the accompanist some music. Rafael watched her, glanced at a sheet of paper on the seat beside him, then seemed to make up his mind.
“We should leave these poor young things in peace.” He pulled himself up and guided them out the door and back to the Grand Foyer.
“How about a plate of ice cream on the terrace?” Daniel nodded enthusiastically and Mags smiled playfully at her husband.
“Whatever you want to do, my love. You lead and we, your loyal subjects, shall follow.”
Rafael laughed and took her hand.
“I make the mistake of telling a journalist that this woman makes me feel like a king, Dan, and she won’t let me forget it.”
They followed him upstairs to the KC Café, where Rafael ordered sandwiches for them and a vanilla and butterscotch sundae for Daniel, to be served on the Roof Terrace. While the staff set up the table Rafael showed Daniel the marble walls engraved with the words of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and the amazing view down the Potomac River to the Jefferson Memorial. It was a cloudless day and the sky was a deep azure blue.
After they were seated and served, Rafael turned to Daniel. “So tell me, Dan, what did you think of Tatiana’s violin last night?”
Daniel finished his mouthful.
“The absolute best thing ever. Better than any violin, even better than Maestro Vincelli’s real Strad. It is the coolest violin in the whole world!” he said emphatically.
Rafael nodded his agreement. “She played the Pag rather wonderfully too, did you not think so? It rewards fury and fearlessness.”
“It was my finals piece.”
“I remember. I conducted you so I heard it right up close.” They grinned at each other