Below is an excerpt of Unni’s new novel, Absolute Pitch

   "Hey, you paladins of music!" Rip shouted, interrupting Julius and
John's practice. "Meet the new conductor at the Covent."
"Bloody well done." John frowned. Julius dropped his cello in surprise. "You saw Sir Solti?" He shook Rip's hand. "Congratulations, my boy. You're following in some big footsteps."
   "Yeah. Sir Solti is the best. I knew him from the Chicago Lyric."
   "He conducts there while you are here. Neat! Which opera, Rip?"
   "Madame Butterfly. Everything is pretty well organized except for the lead soprano quitting. They'll soon have a replacement."
   "You'll be busier than hell," John said.
   "Yeah. Rejoice John. You don't have to look at my face all the time," Rip laughed.

At the time when several European opera houses were in disarray, the Covent Garden held the reputation as one of the best in the world, yet looked to the Continent for special talents. To find another soprano for Cio-Cio-San in Madame Butterfly, a Paris agent was contacted. He had the perfect suggestion. Admired for the rare combination of her warm soprano voice, slim beauty and ability to act, Bella Tabor had gained a substantial reputation. The agent contacted her immediately and drew up a contract.
   "It's a great opportunity, Bella." Lenci sparkled at the thought. "From
the Garden it's just a skip across to the Met." Seldom receiving top parts
any longer herself, she eagerly pushed Bella to the forefront.
Tired of her mother's invasive nudges, Bella wished to leave her behind in
Paris. "There's no reason for you to go with me. I am not a child, you know."
   "Of course, but I can be of help to you."
Mother and daughter quickly settled in London in a small apartment near the
Covent Garden.
Lenci discovered that Rip Wenzel was the conductor and shouted with joy.
"This is what I have lived for. The chance of your lifetime, Bella. If you
play your cards right you can catch this golden boy."  She wanted the two
hundred thousand that William  once promised her, and planned for Bella to
collect lots more.
 "What do you mean?"
"He sits on a treasure lode. I want you to seduce him. Make him fall in love
with you. Propose marriage."
"Mother! I'm here to sing. Not to get married." Bella never shunned a new
adventure, but pretended to be miffed.
"You can do both. Just do as I tell you. Go easy at first. Be sweet and
accommodating. Let him notice you slowly. Take your time. Tease him along.
When he shows interest in you… you know what to do."
 Bella had no objections to playing the temptress. Flirting and getting a man
down at her feet was second nature to her. It satisfied her constant need for
attention. Yet, she acted coy with her mother. "God have mercy. My own mother
is using me for venal services."
"My dear Arabella. The family sits on millions. Eventually it goes to Rip
Wenzel. Marriage is the ultimate goal for you. But if his mother spurns
marriage between the two of you, we have a case for blackmail. Surely she
wouldn't want the world to know about her son having sexual relations with
his half-sister."
Bella put on another act. With a shocked expression she blurted, "Mother! You
 want me to do such an awful thing?"
   "Quit your pretense, Bella."
   "He is too young. Too preoccupied with his work."
   "Bah! He's older than you, tall and handsome."
  
   As the orchestra and cast found themselves in a frenzy of rehearsals,
Rip's ambition drove him to create a sensational Madame Butterfly  He
understood the theater, the opera and how to make himself master of the
proper application of music to dramatic art. He understood the value of
correct execution, the secret of a good performance. He demanded that the
orchestra look for melody in every bar and made the musicians sing with their
instruments. He had learned from his father to approach music mainly through
the human voice. His idea of playing the violin had been to make the bow sing
and the singing enabled him as a conductor always to find the right tempo. He
inspired the singers with his passionate instructions and no one ever fell
back on him for his youth. He gained everyone's respect.
  The name Bella Tabor meant nothing to him, but the beauty of her voice and
her flawless singing could not fail to catch his attention. He also liked the
way she looked and moved on stage. She needed little or no correction and
always took his suggestions gracefully and willingly, which never failed to
amaze him since sopranos were notorious for letting their temper fly, giving
everyone a hard time. She pleased him, but he showed no further interest in
her.

     To gather information about Rip Wenzel's habits and his mother's whereabouts,
Lenci quietly contacted one of London's private investigators. An attentive
and well-dressed man discretely admitted her into a private office. "Please
be seated Madame." He drew a straight chair up close and sat down across from
her.
   "Sir, I don't know what your charges are, but this should be an easy,
routine job. It's about collecting a bit of personal data."
   "Is there a love affair involved?  Intrigue or jealousy perhaps?"
   "No, nothing like that. I need to know a few facts about a man's personal
habits, where he lives, who his friends are."
   "Certainly! Anything else?" He looked kindly concerned, eager to assist.
   "Well, yes. I need his mother's address. She could possibly live on the
Continent or in the States, I am not sure."
   He leaned closer and touched her sleeve reassuringly. Lenci disliked him,
but no matter, as long as she got results.
   "Could you give me a few details? Age? Name?" he asked.
"The mother, Tanya Ritter, is around forty. She is a concert pianist. She
married William Wenzel, famous conductor now deceased. It's their son I want
you to watch."
   "Anything else you'd like to tell me?"
   "No. The rest is for you to find out. That's your business isn't it?"
Lenci sounded haughty and he gave her a patient smile.
   "All right, Ma'am, we will assign one of our detectives to trail the
young man. Mr. Wenzel, is it?"
   "Yes! Rip Wenzel, a conductor at the Covent Garden."
The additional information pleased him "Your address and phone number,
Ma'am?" He moved over to the desk to make notes.
   "You have no need for my address. Your detective can call me at this
number." Lenci handed him a card. "When the detective has the information I
will tell him where we can meet. And he can bring his bill."
   "Very good, Ma'am. We will do our best. I understand that you wish to
remain anonymous?" He had no problem with that. His man could easily find out
who she was. "The detective's name will be David Lane. One of our best
trailers. Mr. Wenzel will never suspect or even imagine that he is being
watched."
Relieved that the interview was over, Lenci stood up and shook his hand.
She hurried back to their small flat in the Covent Garden apartment building.
 She would move out soon in order to give Bella a free arena, and needed to
find another place, but first she was eager for the latest report from the
opera.
Her daughter, stretched out on the sofa, looked as bored as Cleopatra
neglected by her lover.  "He gave us two days of rest," she pouted. "He is
too fast and efficient. Gets what he wants and leaves us like a bunch of
puppets. It's no fun. He doesn't notice me and I'm sick of acting proper."
   "It will change. Give him time. Believe me it will be worth it."
  After all her clever efforts, Bella was no closer to Rip Wenzel than during
the first rehearsal. Unaccustomed to being ignored by the opposite sex, his
detached demeanor infuriated her. She had done everything to avoid acting her
usual spoiled diva self and never opposed his direction or suggestions, even
been helpful towards the others, an enormous effort on her part. Still he
treated her like a stranger, respectfully dispassionate. The men who pursued
her were usually older, seasoned lovers and in Bella's opinion, Rip was too
young, not exactly handsome but not unattractive either. Tall and lean, with
curly auburn hair, a frank open face, fresh color, good skin and well-shaped
teeth, he wore good clothes that fit well, moved with assurance and exuded
powerful confidence, in itself an aphrodisiac. He does have a certain appeal,
but it's not sex appeal, but the intensity of focus burning like a fire
inside him emits a powerful passion. Is he possibly gay?

 

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