looked round and Elizabeth jumped down off the stool.
‘Is it Christmas already?’ boomed a sonorous voice.
‘No, Father, but it was Elizabeth’s request.’ Charlotte pushed her skirt down so that her ankles were covered.
‘Oh, was it now.’ Charlotte’s father – tall, gaunt and dressed all in black – glowered at her. ‘Perhaps you could play something more appropriate,’ he said, sneering at Elizabeth’s tattered dun dress and scuffed boots. ‘Charlotte, do you have the music for Dear Lord and Father of Mankind ? The new hymn I told you about. You are forever trying to persuade me to introduce new hymns.’ He stood in the doorway, his balding head almost touching the lintel.
Charlotte reached for the pile of music on top of the piano and lifted out a sheet. ‘I have it here, Father. Would you like to stay while I play?’
‘No, I would not. I did not come here with the luxury of time to spare. As ever, there are many parish matters to which I must attend. It was but the sound of the piano that drew me here. It would be fitting if both of you listen not only to the music but to the words of this hymn.’ Hestrode over to Charlotte, snatched the music from her and read aloud, ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, forgive our foolish ways, re-clothe us in our rightful minds, in purer lives our service find.’ He looked up from the page and continued, each sibilant S a hissing sound as he bared his long teeth. ‘And in the last verse there is such judicious choice of language in these exhortations for our daily lives.’ He peered at Charlotte and Elizabeth, his haughty gaze never leaving them as he recited the rest from memory. ‘Breathe through the heat of our desire, thy coolness and thy balm.’
Charlotte stared down at the ivory keys. Elizabeth’s dark eyes, too, were downcast. She stared at the black chenille tablecloth. The grandfather clock struck two.
‘I must be on my way. It pleases me that you are teaching the child hymns and psalms.’ He turned towards the door then addressed the room, reaching for the handle. ‘Tell Cookie I shall be back for tea. Farewell.’
The front door slammed and Elizabeth sidled back onto her stool. The sheet of music was trembling in Charlotte’s hand.
‘Are you going to play that one, Miss?’
Charlotte looked down at the yellowed keys then took a deep breath. She threw the sheet of paper on top of the piano. ‘No, I am not,’ said Charlotte. ‘Now that Father has gone, I can indulge in another piece. But first I need you to stretch your arm along the back of the piano to retrieve the music I hid down there last week when Father came in here unexpectedly.’
Elizabeth leapt up and went to the back of the piano. She stretched her arm along the wall behind the piano. She strained and shut her eyes, forcing her arm further.‘Got it!’ she cried triumphantly, withdrawing her arm and presenting Charlotte with her sheet music.
‘Thank you, Elizabeth. I have attempted several times to extract this but could not succeed.’ She shuffled upright on her stool, yanked her skirt up over her ankles then turned her head towards Elizabeth. ‘You are in for a treat, dear child. Chopin’s Etude, opus 10, number 5.’ She turned the page to open it. ‘I do hope I am not very much out of practice.’
Elizabeth stared at Charlotte’s long neck and at her profile, the neat snub nose and the dimple in her cheek. She ran her finger along her own nose, wishing it were as pretty as Charlotte’s. She poked a forefinger into her cheek, then smiled and her eyes lit up as she found a tiny dimple in the plump flesh.
‘I shall nod when I need the page turned, Elizabeth. Is that understood?’
‘Yes, Miss,’ she said, beaming.
Charlotte leant forward and began to play. As the music progressed from playful to fiery, her expression changed from one of deep concentration to one of pleasure. The crescendo increased towards the climax and she closed her eyes and
‘Is it Christmas already?’ boomed a sonorous voice.
‘No, Father, but it was Elizabeth’s request.’ Charlotte pushed her skirt down so that her ankles were covered.
‘Oh, was it now.’ Charlotte’s father – tall, gaunt and dressed all in black – glowered at her. ‘Perhaps you could play something more appropriate,’ he said, sneering at Elizabeth’s tattered dun dress and scuffed boots. ‘Charlotte, do you have the music for Dear Lord and Father of Mankind ? The new hymn I told you about. You are forever trying to persuade me to introduce new hymns.’ He stood in the doorway, his balding head almost touching the lintel.
Charlotte reached for the pile of music on top of the piano and lifted out a sheet. ‘I have it here, Father. Would you like to stay while I play?’
‘No, I would not. I did not come here with the luxury of time to spare. As ever, there are many parish matters to which I must attend. It was but the sound of the piano that drew me here. It would be fitting if both of you listen not only to the music but to the words of this hymn.’ Hestrode over to Charlotte, snatched the music from her and read aloud, ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, forgive our foolish ways, re-clothe us in our rightful minds, in purer lives our service find.’ He looked up from the page and continued, each sibilant S a hissing sound as he bared his long teeth. ‘And in the last verse there is such judicious choice of language in these exhortations for our daily lives.’ He peered at Charlotte and Elizabeth, his haughty gaze never leaving them as he recited the rest from memory. ‘Breathe through the heat of our desire, thy coolness and thy balm.’
Charlotte stared down at the ivory keys. Elizabeth’s dark eyes, too, were downcast. She stared at the black chenille tablecloth. The grandfather clock struck two.
‘I must be on my way. It pleases me that you are teaching the child hymns and psalms.’ He turned towards the door then addressed the room, reaching for the handle. ‘Tell Cookie I shall be back for tea. Farewell.’
The front door slammed and Elizabeth sidled back onto her stool. The sheet of music was trembling in Charlotte’s hand.
‘Are you going to play that one, Miss?’
Charlotte looked down at the yellowed keys then took a deep breath. She threw the sheet of paper on top of the piano. ‘No, I am not,’ said Charlotte. ‘Now that Father has gone, I can indulge in another piece. But first I need you to stretch your arm along the back of the piano to retrieve the music I hid down there last week when Father came in here unexpectedly.’
Elizabeth leapt up and went to the back of the piano. She stretched her arm along the wall behind the piano. She strained and shut her eyes, forcing her arm further.‘Got it!’ she cried triumphantly, withdrawing her arm and presenting Charlotte with her sheet music.
‘Thank you, Elizabeth. I have attempted several times to extract this but could not succeed.’ She shuffled upright on her stool, yanked her skirt up over her ankles then turned her head towards Elizabeth. ‘You are in for a treat, dear child. Chopin’s Etude, opus 10, number 5.’ She turned the page to open it. ‘I do hope I am not very much out of practice.’
Elizabeth stared at Charlotte’s long neck and at her profile, the neat snub nose and the dimple in her cheek. She ran her finger along her own nose, wishing it were as pretty as Charlotte’s. She poked a forefinger into her cheek, then smiled and her eyes lit up as she found a tiny dimple in the plump flesh.
‘I shall nod when I need the page turned, Elizabeth. Is that understood?’
‘Yes, Miss,’ she said, beaming.
Charlotte leant forward and began to play. As the music progressed from playful to fiery, her expression changed from one of deep concentration to one of pleasure. The crescendo increased towards the climax and she closed her eyes and
Similar Books
