She swivelled at him. His eyes were sharp and assessing, and she felt, not for the first time, that he saw more than she wanted him to.
While she had been lost in the natural beauty around her, he had taken advantage of the opening. “You can’t know that; this is my sister’s garden after all. Perhaps I just really like this spot.”
“Perhaps. But I doubt it. It feels different than the rest of the gardens.” He took a step closer. “It’s more alive, and furiously vibrant, instead of elegantly spaced and refined.”
She turned away, pretending to examine the thick petals of a tulip. “That sounded like a compliment, Your Grace.”
“I must have said it wrong.” Though he said it with a smile.
He walked further down the path towards an arch with wild ivy threaded through. And she felt grateful for the space. “You seem to place great emphasis on freedom and chaos.”
“And what exactly is so worrying about seeing the necessity of such things?” Emily said, remarking on his voice.
“Without order and form, everything would descend into chaos. Order, structure, that is what is necessary for society.” Duke Warren gestured around them.
“Order and structure are not what give us great art. And is not art a part of society? Is not art what makes culture?” Emily countered.
He turned to her, amusement softening his sharp features. “Art has order and structure to it. And considering how skillful I’ve heard you are at the pianoforte, I would have thought that you would know that.”
Emily stood up straighter facing the duke like one might an opponent.So that is why he met me ready to disapprove of me.
“You know better than to believe in idle gossip.”
“My information doesn’t come from feeble scandal sheets and pompous lords, though I have heard what they say of you as well. Even the ones who seem to dislike you, admit your talent is admirable.”
“Now thatwasa compliment.” Despite her cheek, there was amusement in her tone. Still, she knew that whatever compliment her music might have garnered it was not enough to overshadow the criticism. The rumours.
“I would need to hear you play for it to mean anything. Otherwise, your accuracy and precision when playing a piece would remain hearsay.”
“Music is a passion, Your Grace. It is about expression, not control – which is all order is. Control. Great music stems from freedom and creativity. It is why pieces can evoke such strong feelings in the listeners.”
“No, great composers follow order and structure. Just look at Bach,” The Duke of Warren said flatly.
“Of course you would be drawn to Bach.” Emily only just managed not to scoff.
Duke Warren looked unfazed. “The man is deeply talented. His compositions are methodical, there is elegance and balance in the notes.”
“Hardly an inspiring way to describe anyone’s work. Who wants to listen to something that is orderly and mathematical? Most of us seek to be transported away, to find something that inspires us to dance.” Emily pointed out.How can he make something so beautiful sound so dreadfully pedantic?
“The proliferation of his work throughout our ballrooms would suggest that it does in fact inspire people to dance.” A triumphant smile played across the duke’s face, which only irritated Emily.
“His is hardly the only work that one is likely to encounter at a ball. Besides, the fact that it is played does not mean that it is playedbecauseit is orderly, just that it is something that people enjoy.” Emily felt her own triumphant smile play across her face.Two can play at this game.
“I would argue that people enjoy it because it is orderly. That is what makes it so wonderful to dance to.” The Duke pressed on doggedly.
“And what of other composers? Other works? There are plenty of waltzes that inspire that are not by Bach. A reel is hardly the most orderly thing.” Emily countered. She preferred the wild, lively reels to any sedate and orderly waltz.
“A reel has a set rhythm. Structure.” The Duke pointed out. “And even then, there is a reason why hosts take such care with their selection of music. Theyorderit, to ensure that all might enjoy themselves to the fullest.”
“They curate things, that does not mean order.” Emily retorted. “If everything needs an order and structure why are things constantly shifting and changing? Why, even dances are shifting and evolving! That suggests that such things need freedom to thrive.”
Duke Warren shook his head “All that suggests is that things change. Nothing more. Music would be monotonous if it remained the same, in fact I would argue that it would not be music.”
“Is change not the opposite of order?” Emily asked. “Order requires things to remain as they are. Freedom is what allows us to grow. That is what the power of music is.”
He took a step closer, and Emily noticed how they had been moving towards each other as their argument progressed. The duke’s voice was low when he spoke. “Interesting how by ‘order’ you understand ‘uniformity’. Music is orderly because it depends on patterns. It is predictable in its potential combinations. And there is a beginning, a middle and an end. It is not an entirely random clattering of notes”
He was looming over her now, and perhaps it was an intimidation tactic, or his words simply made sense. But she had difficulty countering.
