Page 15 of All The Wrong Notes

“How wonderful!” If his eyes had sparkled before, now they glowed. He was a picture of joy. “We’ll need to select repertoire, of course, and rehearse. Since it’s all voluntary, they are quite flexible with the dates, so we can arrange things to suit your schedule. When we get back into town, let’s look at our calendars, and I’ll confirm with the residences. I usually do a set of these before Christmas, so early December. Maybe, if you have any you like, we can add some seasonal songs. Not too many, since not everyone celebrates at this time of year, but one or two of the most beautiful.”

Will was grinning and gabbling like a schoolboy, and if she hadn’t seen the transformation for herself, Elise would never have imagined this was the same man who had been so rude at the speed-dating event in June.

By the time Janet and Carlos returned from their afternoon at the craft fair, Elise had decided that Will was really not so bad after all. They had run through another half dozen of the songs they both knew, and had engaged in a long discussion about favourite singers and interpretations of some of the classics, at times looking up pieces on the internet and letting the music wash through the house on the speakers that Elise had admired on their first night here. Then, with more music playing, although at a lower volume, they moved to the kitchen to begin preparing the evening’s meal.

Will got to work preparing his variation of a Thanksgiving meal—everything but the turkey, he grinned—while Elise made her cookie bars, and soon the cottage smelled wonderful.

“You two look happy,” Carlos winked as they threw themselves onto the tall kitchen stools. “I guess good food will do that.”

“Music, too,” Elise replied, before Janet pulled out a series of large bags to show the others what they had bought that day.

* * *

Elise said goodbye to the cottage with regret. How differently the weekend had ended from how it had begun. Will was a completely different creature in his cottage, and one she really rather liked, come to think of it all. She had never asked Carlos or Will about Kevin’s accusations, but perhaps she didn’t need to. Everything in Will’s character and actions spoke of a man who believed in giving, whether time or money, and she had only Kevin’s words to counter that.

It must be, she reasoned, Kevin only thought that Will had taken the money from the family’s charity fund. After all, if he had proof, he would have presented it to the auditor. Suspecting something did not make it so; something else must have happened instead. Someone else had sticky fingers, or perhaps it was an investment that had tanked. Sad, but no one’s fault. And, now that she thought about it, considering the amount of money Will clearly had access to, why would he need to raid the department’s bank account? No, there must be some other, perfectly rational explanation for whatever it was that Kevin had seen… or thought he saw. And with this rationale in mind, Elise gave herself permission to alter her first impressions of the man and think well of F. William Pemberton.

They weren’t able to get together again until two weeks later. Will was out of town for meetings—some in London, some in Berlin—and Elise was busy with preliminary planning for the big fundraiser for the centre.

Kevin, true to his word, had stepped forward to take over a lot of the details for the fundraiser, including organising and tracking ticket sales and setting up a system to deposit ticket money directly into the arts centre’s accounts at the bank. This was a huge job, and it allowed Elise to put her energy into other aspects of the event. Part of this was liaising with donors, and she contemplated, for a moment, asking Will for something from Pemberton Holdings. But their friendship was too new and fragile, and she suspected he had a lifetime’s experience of people befriending him only to ask things of him. She would mention the fundraiser, if the topic came up, but she wouldn’t solicit a donation from him. He deserved to be liked for himself and not for what he could do for her.

The choir also kept her busy during Will’s absence. They performed their first concert of the season to an enthusiastic audience, whose applause kept them on stage for several curtain calls. It was a treat to sing new music—and by a local composer as well—that was so melodic and approachable. The usual gang went out for a celebratory drink afterwards, and the post-concert buzz took a long time to wear off.

Still, the two weeks before Will’s return seemed to take forever. Elise was a bit surprised at how much she wanted to see him again. It seemed he, too, was eager to get together, because he called as soon as he got back to Toronto and suggested going for dinner the next night to talk about their set of performances. To her regret, Elise had to refuse. She had to be at the centre to lock up after the last group left that evening, and when she mentioned this, Will admitted that he was, really, a bit tired.

“Jet lag,” he explained. “But I didn’t want to wait any longer than necessary to talk to you. I’m happy to make it an earlier evening, if that means a chance to get together. Can you find time for a cup of coffee?”

He wanted to see her? Why did her heart give a little skip at that?

“I have an idea,” she replied. “Let’s order take-out, and you can come to the centre. I’d like you to see it. My office is small, but it’s comfortable, and there’s plenty of parking, if you’re driving.”

Of course. Will never took transit. She recalled that earlier conversation with a twinge of exasperation. She would take him to task for his habits another time. For now, if he wanted to drive, she would happily see him.

He made a soft humming sound for a moment before offering to pick something up on his way from the office. They settled on Thai, and he sent the link to his favourite place so she could make some selections from the online menu. Elise was really looking forward to the evening, and she suspected it wasn’t only the Thai food stirring her interest.

Will arrived exactly on time the following evening. She heard his footsteps in the hallway, usually quiet at this time of evening, before he gave a soft tap at the door. He entered, carrying the bag of Thai food before him like a conquering hero bearing his spoils, and looking far too handsome in his dark grey suit that matched his eyes, and a soft green tie.

Delicious, she thought, and then schooled her thoughts to apply that word to the food, whose aroma filled her small space.

Will did look tired, and his manners were a little stiffer than they had been at the cottage, but that initial cold and arrogant demeanour was long gone. Elise cleared her desk and arranged it so they could eat, and as they dug into the delicious food, his whole body seemed to relax.

“I like this place,” he said, gesturing to the remains of the meal. “Their food is excellent, and they use compostable containers. If you don’t have a green bin here, I’ll take it all home and put it in the compost there.”

This was the man who never took public transit?

“They also have a separate vegan menu. My sister is vegan, and we eat there often.”

A yawn seemed to catch him by surprise, and he squeezed his eyes closed. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I’m more tired than I thought. I’m getting too old for these frequent international business trips.”

“Hardly! You must be Carlos’ age, and he’s only thirty-two.”

“Thirty-one,” Will confided. “And if not too old, too tired! I’m afraid I’m not going to be much use tonight for talking about music. I can hardly remember my name, let alone what pieces I’ve got in my collections.”

Elise started to apologise and pack up, but he stopped her.

“No, I’m glad I’m here. I wanted to see you. Can I drive you home, at least?”

She shook her head. “I have to wait until the band is finished with their rehearsal. The person who usually has the key isn’t here tonight. They don’t finish until nine. That’s another hour.”

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