Cadenza by Stella Riley

Author:Stella Riley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: virtuoso, ranelagh, harpsichord, jsbach, london pantheon, rockliffe
Publisher: Stella Riley

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Julian thought that, after their conversation on the way to the Misses Caldercott's, he had put the kiss as far behind him as it seemed Elizabeth had done. But that evening when she followed him into the library after dinner, he discovered that he hadn’t. No matter what he played, awareness of her presence sang through every nerve and vein in his body. It was odd really. Outside the library, he managed, by and large, not to think of the kiss; inside it, he could think of nothing else. The sweetness of her mouth, the way she’d felt in his arms and the expression in her eyes. He’d known he shouldn’t touch her. What he hadn’t anticipated was the seven hells of torture he would suffer afterwards. Even sitting ten feet away, he could feel her … and it was destroying his reason. He could keep his hands off her because he had to; but he had no defence at all against the maelstrom of emotion she created by merely sitting quietly while he played. And so, by the second night and with desperation coming ever closer, he decided he had to do something about it.

He couldn’t bring himself to banish her completely but he could and must change the usual routine. So for exactly an hour on the following evening, he played anything she requested, interposed with pieces she’d never heard before. Then, as the clock struck nine, he said, ‘And that ends tonight’s concert, I’m afraid. I’ve been neglecting parts of my repertoire for long enough and need to do some serious work.’

Startled, Arabella said, ‘You want me to go?’

‘Please. I’m going to be hammering away at the same phrases over and over again – so you won’t be missing much.’ He sent her a fleeting half-smile but didn’t quite meet her eyes. ‘Better close the door, as well. I don’t want to drive everyone in the house demented.’

She watched him turn back to the keyboard and embark upon a series of scales. He was still playing them when she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, feeling childishly hurt. She would have sat quietly and not interrupted no matter what he played. He knew that … though admittedly he didn’t know that she’d happily listen to him playing scales all night, just for the pleasure of watching him do it. But something had changed and she didn’t know why. It couldn’t be the kiss because they’d cleared the air about that … and Julian seemed more comfortable relegating it to the past than she was.

Closing the door did not completely shut out either sound or, as now, the lack of it. Arabella sat down on the stairs and waited. A moment later, she heard something new … a slow yet restless melody in a minor key, picked out only by the right hand. He played it again and then again, this time adding the left; the same phrase, over and over … searching, melancholy and beautiful.

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