Page 51 of A Gentleman's Wife

“My apologies, was I disrupting your work?”

“Not at all.” Thomas shook his head. “I enjoy hearing you play. I only came to deliver this letter for you.”

He rounded the instrument and handed her the letter, which she looked at for a moment before accepting. Marianne examined the paper, and when she didn’t open it immediately, Thomas went rigid with concern.

“Is it from your family?” he asked gently.

“No.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “I sent out the requisite letters of gratitude after the ball and invited a few of the ladies to tea. I’m almost terrified to open it, for it might be from Lady Violet.”

Thomas pulled one of the chairs from the side and placed it next to her. “On with it, then. You’ve secured my curiosity.”

With a light laugh, Marianne opened the letter. Her pale blue eyes skimmed over its contents before she pressed her lips together. “It is Lady Violet. She has accepted, which means she and two others will be present for tea tomorrow.” Resting a hand on the body of the pianoforte, Marianne let out a deep breath. “I hate that I now regret the invitation. What was I thinking? What if I have another episode? I very narrowly avoided being caught at the ball. I couldn’t be so lucky a second time.”

“Have you had two fits so close together before?” Thomas asked.

She shook her head. “Not often, but it is possible…”

“Shall I check in on you tomorrow during your tea?”

Marianne met his gaze, and her worry softened. “I would like that. Thank you.”

“Of course.” He was not about to allow Lady Violet near to abuse his wife without some form of protection.

“Now, I shall leave you to your playing,” he said, standing from his seat.

“Did it sound very bad?” she asked with hesitation. “Out of key, or poor rhythm?”

“Neither. It sounded lovely to my ears on both counts.”

“But it still feels incomplete when I play.” Marianne bit her lip. “Would you play the other part with me?”

Thomas’s heart swelled. “A duet?” Returning to his chair, he examined the sheet music. “I can certainly try.”

“Said by the gentleman who has been trained and played for years,” Marianne teased, giving him a light shove with her shoulder.

“I grew skilled at memorizing pieces, though I can’t say I’m as competent at sight reading music.”

“Then we shall get along splendidly.”

Thomas shook his head. “You start us off.”

Marianne took a deep breath, then nodded as she played her keys and Thomas joined in. Their coordination was not immediate, but eventually the music flowed together. First a verse, and onto a chorus, her hand gliding flawlessly across the keys, just as her body had moved along the dancefloor. When Thomas glanced over, Marianne was grinning, her eyes fixed between the music and her keys. After all the difficulty and stress, it did his heart good to see her so happy. She truly did have a love for music.

At the end of the song, she looked up at him with satisfaction in her eyes, and Thomas applauded.

“Well done, Marianne. I certainly did not play so well upon learning.”

She flushed. “I learned to read sheet music when I was young, even if I didn’t play as much as I would have liked. I preferred to sing, even though Mother refused anything in public.”

“Will you sing now?” The words were out of his mouth before he could have stopped himself.

She opened her mouth, though no words came out, and leaned back. “I… I don’t think I could manage playing and singing at once.”

“Then let me play.” Thomas leaned forward, placing his hands on the keys. “It’s only the two of us here.”

Marianne nodded, so Thomas played the introduction of the song. Then he nodded in her direction, and she started to sing. Her voice was small and stiff at first, singing the words listed above the music notes on the page they shared. But slowly, her timidity faded, and her voice grew. Perfectly pitched with the music filling the room, her voice rounded every note with light and beauty. He had to keep reminding himself to focus on the sheet music or he’d miss his keys, and he didn’t want her to falter in her singing, but each glance at her beside him was a glimpse into her soul, for she truly glowed under the influence of the song.

The music again ended, and when Thomas played the final keys, his heart burned with love for her. She appeared extremely proud of herself, as she should, even though she didn’t meet his gaze.

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