The Piano Tutor by Anthea Lawson Page A

features watched impassively, a cultivated remoteness in his expression. Solid and predictable in the portrait, just as in life. Lucy had annoyed him to no end.
    Swallowing a sigh, Diana turned her attention to her friend’s curling script.
    Dearest Diana— I commend Mr. Nicholas Jameson to you as a piano tutor. He has provided my own Charlotte with lessons and has proven quite satisfactory. May I also point out—in case you had not noticed—that he is extremely handsome. He strikes me as a perfect diversion now that you have finally come out of mourning. I encourage you to take him on—in whatever capacities suit your needs. Pianists have such skilled hands.
    She felt her cheeks burn as she glanced up at the gentleman in question. No doubt it had amused Lucy to have Mr. Jameson deliver such an outrageous “reference” in person.
    “I see that she recommends you highly, sir,” Diana said, biting her lip to avoid an embarrassed giggle. “I suppose we might consider having you.” Oh dear, that hadn’t sounded quite proper. She cleared her throat. “I mean hiring you. It wouldn’t do to neglect Samantha’s lessons while Mr. Bent is away.”
    “Oh, please hire him,” Samantha said, peeking out from behind the doorway. She came in and stood on tiptoe to whisper in Diana’s ear. “He seems ever so much nicer than Mr. Bent.”
    It was quite outside the regular course of things, yet there was no mistaking the eager note in Samantha’s voice. No mistaking that Mr. Jameson was, as Lucy had mentioned, a very handsome man.
    Her stepdaughter turned to him. “I heard you playing. It was marvelous! How do you do the part with your left hand? Could you show me?”
    “Of course.” He gave her an encouraging smile. “It’s simple once you get the trick of it. Have you played any Mozart?”
    “Oh yes!”
    “Then you’ll be able to master it easily. That is….” He raised a questioning brow at Diana.
    “Oh very well,” she said. “It appears you will be our replacement tutor until Mr. Bent returns.” She ignored Samantha’s muffled squeal. “Can you begin today?”
    A spark leapt into his eyes. “Immediately.”
    Looking at him made heat creep into her cheeks. Despite herself, Lucy’s advice rang in her head. As if she would consider something so scandalous as commencing an affair with the piano tutor. Really, her friend had no sense of propriety.
    Samantha hurried to seat herself at the piano bench. “I’m ready!”
    Diana was not sure whether she herself was ready, but events seemed to be carrying her along. She settled into the nearby wingback and straightened the rich indigo skirts of her new dress. It was odd to wear colors again. She had grown so accustomed to the solid black of mourning that she felt vulnerable without it. A part of her wanted to retreat back into its safety—but that was not fair to Samantha. Diana could not deny the hopeful light in the girl’s eyes, the flash of her rare grin as she attempted to mimic Mr. Jameson’s command of the keyboard.
    As was customary during Samantha’s lessons, Diana picked up her newest copy of The Ladies’ Monthly , but the fashion plates held no interest for her. Her eyes kept wandering from the illustrations to steal quick glances at the new tutor—his long-fingered hands as he played a run of notes, the way his brown hair tumbled over his collar. More than once he seemed to sense her attention and she had to quickly drop her gaze back to the unseen pages.
    The sound of his voice was so different from Mr. Bent’s dry tones, and his praise and encouragement drew another flashing smile from Samantha. Something inside Diana uncoiled a notch, a deep tension she had not realized she had been carrying.
    The shape of his muscular shoulders was barely concealed by the cut of his coat as he leaned forward to demonstrate some point. He radiated confidence and mastery. She imagined that everything he did would benefit from that focused energy.
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