At the request of  kathys_shadow -- and I know my mom wants one too -- today's teaser is a hint about Riana's new quirk.  I debated back and forth between the scene I'll be sharing and another one.  The other one is a quick, but rather complete explanation of what it is but I decided I'd rather hint than tell.  So what you're getting today is the very first instance this quirk is introduced.  Other than this scene and the explanation one, all the other occurrences thus far are just a line here or there.

    Riana erased the last four measures on the sheet music, brushing the pink rubber crumbs off the piano.  The tempo was much too fast compared to the rest of the piece.  But the music in her head kept changing.  It wasn’t sweeping and dramatic like she needed for the finale.  Instead it jumped about much like her nerves.  She didn’t want to admit it to anyone but she was anxious about the party tonight.

    There was a knock in the doorway and someone cleared their throat.  “It’s five o’clock, Riana,” Jacob said.  Back before Glen inherited the estate, Jacob had been the butler.  Now there was no need for one, but he insisted on doing the job he’d been hired for.  It was the only way he felt right about continuing to live there.

    “Okay, thanks.”  She set her fingers to the keys again, closed her eyes and focused on shaping the unruly notes into what she wanted.

    By the time she finished writing the final measures, it was a quarter to six.  She was now running late, but at least the piece for her composition final was complete.

 

And now I've gotta grab breakfast for me and my son before we start our busy day.  Story time at B&N and then a play date.