“We haven’t had any visitors since Lady Lyttleton’s funeral,” Mrs.Royston said with a sad shake of her head as they entered the drawing room.“Can you play?”
To Sophia’s delight, in addition to plenty of comfortably upholstered seating and a table and chairs set for chess, the room boasted a pianoforte, harpsichord, and over in one corner stood a magnificent harp taller than Sophia’s head.
“I am competent on the harp, but I prefer keyboards.”Reverently she trailed her fingertips across the closed lid of the pianoforte.She’d had no opportunity to play since leaving the academy, as her cousin’s home had no musical instruments and no one in Tiverton who was interested in music lessons had access to a pianoforte.
“We’ll have to make do with the harpsichord,” Mrs.Digby said.“It’s been too long since Vincent was here and I’m afraid the pianoforte is sadly out of tune.Oh, dear.Come to think on it, the harpsichord is probably out of tune, too.”She sat in one of the armchairs and propped her feet on the ottoman.Henry immediately jumped up and settled on her lap.
Mrs.Royston opened one of the glass doors on the bookcase just inside the drawing room door.“Do you see anything here you’d like to play on the harp?We haven’t been to London to buy new music in almost a year.”
Sophia glanced over the sheets of music and books of popular tunes that filled up one shelf.Gleaming metal on the top shelf caught her attention.When she reached for the tuning fork, her fingers brushed against a wood handle.“You have your own set of piano tuning tools?”
“Those are Vincent’s,” Mrs.Royston said.She glanced down at Sophia with a hopeful expression.“Do you know how to use them?It’s been ever so long since anyone played the pianoforte for us.”She flexed both hands, showing her swollen finger joints.“I haven’t been able to play well for a few years.”
“It is such a treat when visitors play for us,” Mrs.Digby added with a hope-filled look.
Sophia reached up for the tuning hammer and the rest of the kit.“As the music instructor at the academy, I paid close attention when the tuner came each quarter.Madam Zavrina had me take over the task when he retired.”
Mrs.Digby sat forward in her chair.“Would you mind terribly?It’s been an age.”
Sophia opened the cover on the pianoforte and played a few scales.She winced when the middle C sounded like a B natural, but most keys didn’t seem far off.“I think I can get it playable in an hour or two.It won’t sound very pleasant while I’m working on it, though.”
Mrs.Royston handed a book to Mrs.Digby, kept one for herself, and settled on a sofa.
“My dear girl,” Mrs.Digby said, propping her book open on Henry’s back, “if we can ignore the noises from an entire regiment of men in canvas tents at night, the sound of you tinkering on the pianoforte won’t bother us in the least.”
Mrs.Royston chuckled but did not look up from her book.
Sophia opened the cover and lid on the pianoforte, grabbed the tuning hammer and the strip of dampening felt from the box of tools so similar to the one she’d used at the academy, and set to work.
* * *
Within an hour, Sophia began playing a song to check the tuning, one that required every key at least twice.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before,” Mrs.Digby said, looking up from her book.
Mrs.Royston used a finger to mark her spot as she closed the book in her hand.“I don’t recognize it, either.”
“It’s my own composition.More entertaining than just doing this.”She played a slow chromatic scale, which also used every key.“At least, it is to me.”
The two older ladies exchanged a look that held some significance Sophia did not understand.“You write music?”If she knew Mrs.Digby better, Sophia might describe the smile she gave Mrs.Royston as mischievous.
“Nothing of significance.Just a ditty here and there for my own amusement, or for checking the tuning.”She played a few chords.“And a few pieces to help the girls who needed more music to practice at certain levels of their mastery than were available in our library.”Composing music had been one of her favorite parts of working at the Academy, even though she could only snatch a few moments here and there in which to indulge her interest.
“What a lovely way to help your students,” Mrs.Royston said, once again opening her book to read.
Since Sophia had left her spectacles in the library, she chose a piece she could play from memory.Some other evening she’d tune the harpsichord.For now it felt so good to be playing the pianoforte again, she couldn’t help quietly singing by the time she got to the chorus ofThe Last Rose of Summer.
Both older ladies gently applauded as she played the last chord.“My dear, that was marvelous,” Mrs.Digby said.“Will you play and sing something else for us?”
Sophia chose a few other favorites.Time passed swiftly, immersed in the joy of playing again.The pianoforte was of even better quality than the instrument they’d had at the academy.Just as her throat was beginning to feel parched from singing, Enid brought in a tea tray, bobbed a curtsy, and left.
“Imagine how good she would sound singing with Vincent,” Mrs.Royston said, setting aside her book to pour a cup of tea.
Mrs.Digby looked thoughtful.“Their voices would blend beautifully together, wouldn’t they?”
Mrs.Royston nodded vigorously.“We need to get your nevvy here so they can duet.”
Employed at a school for young ladies for several years, Sophia could not recall the last time she had performed with a male singer.“I thought Vincent was your pianoforte tuner?”
