Page 19 of Share with Me

“I won’t say anything. May I?” She reached for the keys.

“Of course. It would be nice for someone else other than Ivan and me to play it sometime.”

And inevitably, Brinley played a minuet until she stopped abruptly. “I can’t remember the rest of the notes.”

Yun clapped when Brinley was done. “You’re pretty good.”

“All the piano lessons paid off.” Brinley laughed. “Well, I must go.”

“You’re welcome to come here anytime to play my Steinway.” Yun handed Brinley a business card. “Ivan had these made for me.”

Brinley read the card. “Tea for Two at Two.”

“Every weekday afternoon at two I would be available for tea here. Would you come this week?”

At first Brinley wanted to say no. But then she thought of the piano. “I’m not sure how often I could come. I’m going back to Atlanta the first week of January.”

“We don’t have much time then. How about tomorrow at two, if you like.”

“Tomorrow?” Without further thought, Brinley checked her iPhone. Lunch with her sister-in-law was at noon, but they would be done before two o’clock because Riley had to go pick up her son from school. And she didn’t have other plans. “What can I bring?”

“Yourself. And whatever you want to play on the piano.”

Brinley had plenty of music sheets on her iPad currently in her suitcase at the big house. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at two tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. I’ll have tea ready. Do you like chai?”

“Love chai tea.”

“Organic.”

“Even better.” Brinley walked toward the front door. “Now be sure to lock up when I leave.”

“I will.”

“Don’t forget to text your grandson to tell him you’re home safely. He was a bit concerned with the car.”

Yun laughed. “He worries about me all the time.”

They passed the coat closet again. Brinley remembered Yun’s coat. She wanted to take her synthetic fur coat off and give it to Yun, but the lady probably wouldn’t take it, and it would look like charity. Besides, the coat would be too long for Yun. Perhaps Brinley could give her a brand new coat for Christmas instead of the coat off her own back. Christmas was in fifteen days. Plenty of time for her to find a nice coat.

Ah, better yet, she’d take her shopping. She couldn’t be presumptuous about what Yun wanted.

Brinley waved to Yun, reminded her again to lock the doors, and nearly sprained her ankle on a shifting floorboard on her way across the porch. Good thing her dress shoes had a chunky heel instead of the usual stilettos she wore to dinners.

She backed out of the driveway. She felt sleepy. She’d been flying all day across time zones. Right now it would be way past her bedtime in Zurich. However, she’d given Ivan her word that she’d return to the party.

So return she must.

When she gave her word, she kept it.

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