Page 110 of Symphony of Salvation

“I better see what they want with me.”

As I wandered to the administrative offices, I dissected Niles’s mood. Oddly, it reflected Constance’s from the previous day. Sullen and drenched in despair. Hers, I understood since it surrounded her mother and the custody arrangement the judge hadn’t allowed Chloé to fight.

Niles’s distress bewildered me. Things between us had progressed well, or so I’d thought.

“Maestro, please, come in.” Dr. McCaine waved a hand toward her private office, holding the door wide to allow my entrance. She’d been anxiously awaiting my arrival, or so she claimed.

Much of the faculty at Timber Creek held me in high regard, insisting on using the title Maestro no matter how many times I dissuaded them. Dr. McCaine was the worst, never failing to boast about my accomplishments to anyone who listened. It was why I’d had lunch with Niles most days, avoiding common staff areas where colleagues liked to congregate.

I took the proffered seat and touched my tie, hoping it wasn’t crooked or ill-knotted. Constance left the house before me that morning to meet with Cody, so she hadn’t been available to check me over before I’d walked out the door, a ritual I’d grown to appreciate.

Dr. McCaine slipped around the desk and sat, glancing once out the window. “Spring is on the horizon. I feel it, don’t you?”

“Indeed. It’s mild today.” Too early for buds, but the warm southern breeze had stirred the wildlife. Along the path from the cottage that morning, I’d spotted a single, red-breasted robin roosting on a low branch.

“And soon it will be summer.” Dr. McCaine folded her hands on the desk. “I presume you got the letter about the available dorm space for Constantina?”

“I did.”

And I’d stuffed it in a drawer, unsure of the correct course of action. I’d originally been told she would have to wait until the new school year to earn a spot. The early availability had sent my mind spinning.

“Excellent. We’re pleased to have her at Timber Creek.”

“She seems to have adjusted well.” Better than I’d hoped. She’d made friends, including a boyfriend, and had new hobbies that encouraged her to put her instrument down from time to time. It was all I’d wanted—to give her a chance at being a normal teenager.

“I’ve had a lengthy chat with the board of directors.”

“Oh?”

“We fear this dorm opening might accelerate your plans to leave us, and we have immensely enjoyed your presence here at Timber Creek. We consider ourselves truly lucky to have been graced with your presence.”

“Thank you. The honor is mine.”

“You are an exceptional educator, Maestro. Students and parents alike have raved about your masterful skill in the classroom. You bring a new layer to the learning environment they’ve never had before.”

I laughed nervously and touched my necktie. “I’m sorry, Dr. McCaine. Your flattery is misplaced. Mr. Edwidge is the true heart of the music department.”

She waved the comment off with apff. “Nonsense. You own all the credit, and for that reason, the Timber Creek board of directors has an offer for you.” She plucked a neat package of papers, stapled at the corner, from a file I hadn’t noticed upon my entrance and slid it across the desk with a wide grin.

“What’s this?”

“A contract for a teaching position here at Timber Creek.”

I frowned, picking up the proffered pages and skimming. “Teaching position? I don’t understand. I’m not qualified to teach.”

“You are more than qualified, Maestro, and our music department would be the most prestigious in the country if you agreed to our offer.”

I set the papers down, shaking my head. “But you already have a more than suitable music teacher in Niles.”

“Maestro Castellanos—”

“August, please.”

“Augustus.” She laid a hand on the contract as though cradling a precious commodity. “I understand you’ve formed a friendship withMr.Edwidge”—emphasizing the mister—“but here at Timber Creek, we aim to provide students with the highesteducation. Since opening our doors in nineteen seventy-four, we have ensured a level of instruction above and beyond any private institute across the country. We do this by employing the most qualified candidates.”

“And Nilesisthe most qualified.”

“Until now. Your education and background are far superior. Anyone can see that. You could provide the music department with something incomparable, unrivaled. It would elevate our institute to an even higher level than we already hold.”

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