Encounter

Part 9:Tea Time

"You, you, you....arg" Caroline grabbed her violin and bow and ran to her room crying.

"Freddie, what's going on, your duet was stunning?" Phoebe asked as he ran into the room.

"Just a little discipline, as per le duke." Freddie said.

"But..."

Freddie just waved Phoebe off and left the room and went back to playing the piano, interestingly, he returned to A Nightengale Sang In Berkeley Square. 

Phoebe, quite disturbed, lingered at the entrance to the music room to see Freddie playing with a pensive look on his face. What is he thinking about, he thought, what happened between them. There is something there, something palpable in the air that neither of them would own. The proud and the arrogant. Phoebe shook his head and made way back to the kitchen to check on the Chicken Dhansak when the sound of a door slamming shut, resounded.

Freddie ran into the kitchen, "What was that?"

"I think she ran out the front door" Phoebe said.

"Damn" Freddie said as he ran into her room.

He came strolling back, lit a cigarette and asked for a vodka tonic. 

"Freddie, what are you doing?" Phoebe asked.

"She'll be back"

"What, how can you be so sure?"

"She left her Stradivarius, nobody, not even she would leave that behind"

"Freddie" Phoebe sighed, "she wrapped a $350,000 car around your lightpole, and she didn't seem to care."

"Oh shit" Freddie shouted.

"Freddie, my Lord, was that thunder?  She's out there and it's pouring."

"Phoebe, get the car" Freddie said as he ran upstairs to grab a blanket.

The car honked and Freddie donned a raincoat and left Garden Lodge in pursuit  of the runaway princess.

To Phoebe's surprise, Freddie jumped into the front seat and urged Phoebe to go. They looked up and down Logan Place, but there  really wasn't any place that gave shelter. The alley ways between the houses and apartments offered no respite from the pouring rain.  Where could she have gone to?

"Phoebe, go down Logan and turn onto Earls Court, and let's see. 

"LOOK FREDDIE!  Phoebe said as he pointed to  the canopied bus stop. There, shivering was a form sitting on the bench. Her knees were up to her chest with shaking arms wrapped around  them. The Rolls pulled up and Freddie jumped out with the blanket. He stood in front of  Carolyn  saying nothing and as she lifted her head to face him, Freddie saw the streaks of tears mixed with mascara making little dark rivers spiraling down her cheeks.

"Freddie" she sobbed. 

Freddie wrapped her in the  blanket and  then carried her to the car saying, "Come on Princess, let's go home."

Carolyn wrapped her arms around Freddie and snuggled into his neck.

"Be careful Freddie, the street is flooded with rain."

"No darling, can't you see,  the street is paved with stars" as he tightened his grip on her.

Freddie placed her into the warm car, hopped in and cradled her in his arms rocking her back and forth as she cried softly into his chest.

Phoebe started the car, and through the rear view mirror he watched the touching scene between Carolyn and Freddie. If that isn't love or some reasonable facsimile of,  he thought,  then nothing is. He carefully drove, as to not disturb the two souls in the back seat finding each other.