The crew worked with impressive speed. In just a few minutes, Don came hurrying over, cradling an acoustic lute in his arms.
He offered it to Rosita with an encouraging smile. "Ms. Lockwood, you can do it!"
Rosita stared at the instrument, momentarily lost for words.
Briony watched her, a subtle, knowing smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Ms. Lockwood, everyone''s looking forward to this. You''re not going to let us down, are you?"
Rosita turned to meet Briony''s gaze.
Briony''s eyes glimmered, almost teasing, challenging her with a hint of mischief.
She''s doing this on purpose!
Rosita clenched her fists, willing herself to stay calm in front of the crowd.
Forcing a gentle smile, she replied softly, "I''m sorry, I''m not feeling well today. I''m afraid I wouldn''t y well, so I''d rather not embarrass myself."
A wave of disappointment swept over the group, but it was clear Rosita wasn''t well, and no one wanted to push her.
"If Ms. Lockwood isn''t feeling up to it, let''s leave it for another time," Driscoll said tactfully.
Tony looked a little let down but nodded in understanding. "Yeah, you should rest if you''re not well."
"Excuse me," Ferdinand interjected, raising his hand politely.
Everyone turned to look at him, Rosita included.
Dressed in crisp white, Ferdinand had an easy grace about him and a warm, steady voice. "I''ve always been fascinated by folk music, but never really had a chance to explore it. From what I know, folk tunes use a pentatonic scale-five simple notes represented by ''Do, Re, Mi, Sol, La'' in Western music, much like the ancient modes."
He nced at Rosita, still the perfect gentleman. "Ms. Lockwood, would you mind showing us how the basic finger positions work for these five notes?"
Rosita froze.
She''d only started learning the pentatonic scale three days ago. Even with Gwendolyn White guiding her, she''d stumble through it; ying in front of everyone now was a different story entirely...
Briony''s smile deepened. "Ms. Lockwood, the pentatonic scale is the very foundation. Since Mr. Ellsworth is so interested, why not indulge him?"
"Exactly! I want to learn too!" Mary chimed in with a yful wink at Rosita. "Just a quick demo of the five notes-surely that won''t tire you out, right?"
"I..." Rosita ducked her head, thoughts racing.
A momentter, she made up her mind.
She stood and said, "Alright, I''ll give it a try."
She reached for the lute in Don''s hands, but the moment she stretched out, her body swayed. Her eyes fluttered shut, and before anyone could react, she copsed to the floor.
"Ms. Lockwood!"
Several voices cried out in rm.
The director, sobered instantly, shouted, "Doctor-get a doctor, now!"
The set dissolved into chaos.
Medical staff rushed in and did what
they could. After a tense few minutes, Rosita''s eyelids fluttered open She looked pale and disoriented, ncing around at the concerned faces. "What happened?"
Tony leaned over her. "Ms. Lockwood, you fainted!"
Bill frowned, concern flickering in his eyes. "She''s exhausted. I''ll take her inside to rest. You all go enjoy yourselves."
With Daisy and Bill supporting her, Rosita-still weak-was helped back inside.
No one felt much like eating after Rosita''s sudden copse. Thete-night
gathering fizzled out, and soon everyone drifted away.
Briony set down her wine ss, crossed the room, and stopped in front of the acoustic lute. She turned to Don. "May I borrow this foca moment?"
Don looked surprised. "You can y?"
"A little."
He handed her the lute without hesitation.
Ferdinand''s lips curled in a faint smile as he watched. He fetched a taller chair and ced it beside Briony. "This one''s morefortable."
Briony smiled graciously, settled onto the chair, and cradled the lute in her arms.
The moment she sat down, instrument poised, she looked every bit the part.
Moonlight spilled across the porch, a gentle breeze drifting over her delicate features.