Part 10 (2/2)
He strummed the last chord on his guitar. Megan was stunned to realize that the room was in absolute silence. She looked around.
Even servers had stopped in their tracks. At various tables, half the people had been given their plates while others remained on trays.
There was a sudden spate of applause. People stood and clapped. Someone shouted out a glowing, ”Bravo! Wow!” Then the applause sounded again.
Finn winked and shrugged at her. He spoke into the mike, thanking them all. She realized that half his charm was his ability to make everyone out there think that he was speaking to them personally.Nor did he allow their moment of glimmering triumph to drift into anything less. He walked around to the keyboard and sound system, nodded her way, and cued her with, ”We've had a request for the Big Band era. Megan can't be all the Andrews Sisters in one, but she still does a great 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.'”
They went from the Big Band era to the latest on the pop charts, did another of their own songs, and ended with another duet, ”I Can't Help Falling in Love with You.” Then Finn announced their break, and that they'd return, and thanked everyone for coming.
He caught her hand quickly, once he had turned off the mike and set it down. ”I'm not letting you get away again. Andy Markham might grab you again and your meat will be as cold as ice.”
”I won't move,” she said.
”You have to move. They'll all think I'm doing something evil if I have to pick you up to carry you to the table.” His tone was light.
He was honestly joking. She felt a strange relief, and was glad that they had been received so well in Salem. She knew that his parents had seriously discouraged him from being a musician. It was important to him that he make his living at his work.
She brought her hand up, stroked his cheek. ”You're incredible.”
”Of course,” he teased, then added seriously, ”but only when I have you.”
”That's sweet,” she murmured, then turned quickly, seeing that Morwenna was waving wildly to her from her chair.
They hurried to the table. Morwenna had definitely worked some kind of magic because the moment they sat down, plates appeared in front of them. Good old American cuisine. Two sizzling steaks, baked potatoes, green beans.
”Terrific, thanks so much, what timing!” Megan complimented.
”And the steaks do look great,” Finn said. He cut into his meat. ”And rare. Very rare. b.l.o.o.d.y rare, my favorite.”
He didn't like his meat all that b.l.o.o.d.y, Megan thought, and wondered if he was being sarcastic. But when she glanced at him, he was looking at Joseph, really appreciating the order that had been put in for them.
”Yes, they're just great,” Megan said.
”Good, I'm glad. Now, the two of you don't worry about talking-just eat! Of course, chew slowly, we don't want you choking or anything,” Morwenna said.
”Look, here comes a goblin or some other wretchedly costumed thing,” Joseph muttered. ”You'd think they'd let you eat.”
”It's all right,” Megan said, jumping up. She wasn't sure how she recognized the person in the shredded dark robes and zombie mask, but she did. It was Darren Menteith.
”Darren! It's great to see you,” she said, reaching out a hand as he came forward.
He stopped in his tracks. ”You know it's me?” he said, tremendously disappointed.
”Yeah. Sorry.”
Finn had risen as well.
”They are trying to have dinner,” Joseph muttered.
”Sit, Megan, finish. I'll take Darren over for a CD. And be right back.”
Megan sat back down. ”Finn, I can go-” ”I can wolf down a rare steak in two seconds,” Finn told her. ”You take your time.”
”Hey, I am sorry, I should have waited to say h.e.l.lo,” Darren said.
”No problem, we're just glad to see you,” Finn told him. ”Come on, let me give you a disc.”
As the two walked away, Megan noted uneasily that both Joseph and Morwenna watched them go.
”I didn't realize that you knew Darren,” Morwenna said, realizing that Megan was staring at her.
”We don't really know him. We met him today in the park. I didn't know that you knew him,” Megan said.
She shrugged. ”Small town, that's all. Hey, come on, eat up. By the way, honey, that one number you two did-dynamite.”
”Thanks.”
”It's just too bad that...” Morwenna began, then broke off with a shrug, looking at Joseph.
Joseph cleared his throat. ”Great number,” he muttered.
Megan set her fork down. ”Both of you! Pay attention. I respect everything about you. I love you both. But I don't believe that Finn is dangerous to me. I do not believe that he is evil in any way. Get this straight-I had a nightmare the other night. A dream. And woke up screaming. And I made him look really, really, bad-especially with the way rumor seems to travel around here. And he's taken it really, really well. So don't go acting as if we're not a steady tjing, as if our marriage isn't going to work. Got it?”
Morwenna looked down at the table.
”I didn't say a thing, Megan. I know you love him.”
”Right,” Joseph agreed.
She wanted to hit them both. There was pity in their voices. They both believed there was something wrong with Finn, that it would come out-that she would see there was evil in him, or that he couldn't really be decent, and that in a matter of time-he would be gone.
Maybe it wasn't just pity. It might have been more.
Pity laced with...
Fear?
He'll be gone, or...
You'll be dead.
Neither of them said such a thing. Neither was speaking. They were just looking at her. And yet she felt as if someone had shouted the words in her head.
An uncomfortable silence fell between the three of them. It became unbearable. Megan cut her meat, but was afraid she wouldn't be able to chew.
”Hey, it's gone,” Joseph said.
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