Chapter 5

Her face showed her disbelief. We walked round to the front of the cottage. I had stretched the truth a little when I said it was a farm labourers' cottage. It was at one time, but originally it had been the farmhouse. As such it had outbuildings and a barn. When I bought the property they were very dilapidated, but were still standing, which was important as I could rebuild them as part of the cottage living space. The old barn was high enough to incorporate a first floor, which became a bedroom and a bathroom, the ground floor became a large lounge, complete with hardwood floor and two large double glazed patio windows. The actual cottage had a kitchen cum living room, bathroom and one bedroom, which was modernized. Damp proofing had been installed in all the walls. The connection from the barn to the cottage was through one of the other outbuildings, which was slightly extended to contain a mudroom as well as the walk from one side of the building to the other. The local planning authority looked askance at my re-building ideas as I was stretching the planning laws a little beyond the norm, but agreed to my plans when Harry Gill's brother who was the local Council representative put in a word for me.

Cate looked at the place then at me. "Hovel." She said in a derisory tone. "Hovel! You need to take your tongue out of your cheek before you bite it off." She laughed at my expression of hurt. "Come on, Jack. Show me around this ... this hovel. Oh and point me to the bathroom on the way." I did as she said and told her I would get some coffee on the go. She joined me later in the kitchen.

"I thought I may have to use an earth closet, but you do seem to have found the twentieth century. Ooh coffee! I need. Make it strong Jack I need caffeine." I made the coffee and carried it through to the lounge. Cate took over pouring two mugs.

"How do you like your coffee, Jack?"

"Two sugars and very little milk, please."

She gave me a mug and picking up her mug wandered to the windows. "That view is fantastic. I could stand here all day and just look at it." She turned to me. "I have always thought that you had got yourself sorted, by that I mean at peace with yourself. Now I know why, living here you can't help but feel at peace."

"Yes it does that for you."

"Play some music, Jack. Anything but Rock. Rock would somehow be out of place here." I nodded and switched on the music system, selecting a disk from a large collection.

"Ok. Now you will hear my music." There was only one choice really, I hit the play button and the strains of Glenn Millers 'Moonlight Serenade' filled the room. Cate almost without thinking started to sway. That's what it does to you. She turned from the window with a frown on her face.

"I've heard that before, but it seems ... flat."

"That's because it's the original recording. It's not in stereo, I'll play another recording which is." I waited until the final chords flowed away and ejected the disk. I then found the other recording and slotted that in.

Cate started swaying again and smiled. "That's better. This has got fullness and colour. Why did they record it twice?"

"Glenn Miller didn't. The second version was made in the early nineties by a revivalist swing band."

"But it's perfect!"

"Well yes. You can still buy the score, and good musicians can reproduce Miller's sound perfectly."

Cate gestured to me to replay the track. She danced around the room humming the refrain as she did. "Are there lyrics?"

"Not originally. Miller recorded it as an instrumental, however it was so successful that a guy named Mitchell Parrish wrote some lyrics for it." I was at my computer as I spoke. "It's been recorded often, Frank Sinatra for one, Carly Simon and many, many more. Ah! Here it is.". I clicked on print and within a minute I handed them to Cate.

She studied them. "Play it again."

I saluted. "Yes Ma'am, and you should say Sam after that instruction."

Cate looked at me with a querulous expression and then laughed. "So it's old films as well as old music." She curtsied. "I'm sorry Sir ... Would you play it again, please?"

"Of course."

Cate went through it a couple of times stopping when she got the phrasing wrong. Finally on the third attempt she sang a very creditable version. I could not believe what I heard. I know I had said she had a great range, but she seemed to have the knack of changing her tone and style to suit. The loud performer singing at the top of her range for Rock, suddenly became feline, her voice purring over the lyrics injecting so much sex appeal into the words and the music. What is more she was singing here in my lounge, singing just for me. The song finished. Cate looked at me with sparkling eyes. "I love it. I wanna record it. It's fabulous." Then her face fell. "But where am I going to get an orchestra to sing with?"

I went back to the computer and googled 'swing bands uk' Even I was surprised at the result. I showed Cate the results. "I doubt that all of them are suitable, but I am certain that some of them could do the job you need."

She clicked on a few rejecting most, then suddenly came alive. "I know him." She pointed to a name. "He does sessions and he is good. I didn't know he was part of a swing orchestra. I can phone him when I get home, I've got his number somewhere."

Cate's enthusiasm was infectious and I hated to bring her down to earth. "So what other tracks will you do?"

The enlivened face vanished. "You're right. If I am going to hire a band and a studio, I need much more than one song." She glared at me. "Ok, Mister. You're the one who started this, find me some more songs."

I sat back down at the computer and opened 'my music'. I began creating a play list from songs I thought she would like and sing well. "Shall I make some more coffee while you are doing that?"

"That would be good, I am sure you will find everything."

"I'm sure, and it will give me an opportunity to have a good snoop in your kitchen." She winked cheekily.

Ten minutes later she came back with the coffee just as I finished what turned out to be quite a long list. I checked it again and deleted a few and then clicked on 'play list'. The first song was 'Moonlight Serenade', this time with lyrics sung by Frank Sinatra. Cate pulled a face when she heard his voice. I understood why. Sinatra was a superlative singer, but a horrible man. However she listened carefully to his phrasing, which wasn't too different to hers. Then came 'Perfidia' and the list rolled on. I was writing down the titles of those she like best and added some that I thought would suit her voice well. I wasn't surprised that we ended with a good list of standards and some showstoppers. I was pleased when she gave the nod to 'After you've gone', and 'You made me love you', also 'You do something to me'. At the end I sprang a surprise on her.

"This wasn't on the playlist, but I believe you could really do justice to this." I played 'Stardust'. It has a very slow beat, but done well could be a showstopper.

After she listened to it she sat down. "Jack, you seem to have far more confidence in my abilities than I. How could I sing that?"

"Cate, you took to 'Moonlight' as if you were born to it. I'll print the lyrics and play an instrumental version of 'Stardust'. Humour me, I think you can do it." I found the lyrics and printed them. I searched 'my music' again and found the instrumental version of 'Stardust' and played it. "I'll leave you to get used to it. Just click on 'play again' when you need to. In the meantime I will go and get some lunch."

"It's cold salmon, potato salad and a green salad." She told me. "I sneaked a look in your fridge." She grinned cheekily. "I told you I would have a good look around."

I could hear the music and Cate's faltering attempts to get the phrasing right from where I was in the kitchen. 'And now the purple dusk of twilight time', the opening line doesn't seem to fit with the music at first. It's lingering on some words and passing quickly on others, which works. Cate kept playing again and again that first phrase until suddenly she got it. Having mastered that she went on. It wasn't easy but gradually she got through it. When I returned to the lounge carrying our lunch she was doing well. She stopped when I came back and eyed me. "You bugger! This is the most difficult song I have ever had."