Nocturne by Elizabeth Ellen Carter

Author:Elizabeth Ellen Carter [Carter, Elizabeth Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Business Communications Management
Published: 2016-01-27T18:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Dear Ella,

Your parcel of 14th inst. was a most welcome arrival. It was kind of you to remember the Bishop and me in your prayers and your gift of your charcoal sketches of St Joseph’s church at Renthorpe and of Blackheath Manor were most gladly received.

We trust you are now well settled into your appointment and the two young charges are thriving under your care.

Please do oblige us with your news by writing often. Your late father is always fondly remembered by us and it is of profound sadness that he was elevated to glory so soon.

Knowing of your love of music, I have taken to enclose a copy of Muzio Clementi’s instructional piano pieces that your students may profit from, as well as sheet music for their teacher, just to challenge her.

Should time and circumstances prevail, you must call upon us and play.

God bless and sincere regards,

Prudence Stanton

Ella read the letter over once again, touched by the kindness of the Bishop and his wife. The Gradus ad Parnassum would be an invaluable aid.

She leaned across her bed, opened the drawer and withdrew a bundle of letters tied together with a grey ribbon and added this latest to her collection.

Ella kept Clementi’s music book with her and flipped through it, identifying works her pupils might attempt. The book also provided the perfect excuse to slip down to the drawing room on the pretext of examining the efficacy of the book for teaching by practicing some of the exercises herself.

Then there was the real reason.

Perhaps an acknowledgement from Thomas awaited her. The morning before last, her handkerchief was not there when she raised the fallboard to begin the girls’ music lessons.

For the hundredth time today, Ella reminded herself that just because it had gone didn’t mean Thomas had taken it.

An overly zealous housemaid may have opened the piano for cleaning and removed it. If that were the case, the housemaid may decide to keep the linen regardless of whose initials were embroidered on it. Even if Thomas himself found the cloth, it didn’t mean he understood the message. And even if he did understand, it did not mean the gesture would be appreciated, let alone reciprocated.

She wondered if she should attempt the second message – Semper Fidelis, ‘always faithful’ – straight away then thought better of it. No, it would remain securely in her pocket until she knew his feelings on the matter.

So focused on her musings was she, Ella entered the drawing room before realizing that it was occupied.

“Yes?”

Lady Margaret stared at her. So did three other women elegantly dressed in multihued gowns, all of whom sat around a square table. It was then that Ella saw the playing cards and markers.

She had interrupted a dinner party. Ella dropped a hasty curtsy.

“Forgive me, my Lady. I didn’t realize you had company,” she said, backing towards the threshold. “I... I received a music book from Bishop Stanton’s wife and thought I might see if it–”

“Oh, let her play, Margaret,” said a handsome middle-aged woman to Lady Margaret’s right, speaking over Ella.

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