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“I don’t like music in general,” Arthur said. “There’s nothing to be upset over, Nora, it’s just my personal preference. It has nothing to do with you.”
“I know that,” Nora said in a small voice.Oh, the poor dear, Carmen thought to herself.
“I’ll leave you to it,” the Duke said. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes to collect you.” Fifteen minutes was all she had with Nora. She glared at the disappearing back of the Duke. How heartless and cruel would one have to be to admit that they didn’t like their own child playing?
When she looked down at Nora, she could tell immediately that she had been hurt by the Duke’s words, but she was trying not to show it.
“Come. I’ll show you the room where we study and practice our instruments,” Nora said. They entered a small room that had a small board pinned to the wall and a desk in front of it. In the far end of the room, she saw a small round table.
“Mrs. Cooper is teaching me table manners,” Nora said. “Even though I insist that I’m perfectly fine at it.”
“We must prepare you for your debut,” Mrs. Cooper said. “It’s never too early to begin.”
An unbidden memory came to Carmen about another doe-eyed girl from long ago who had dreamt of a whirlwind romance after she had debuted in Society. And while it was exactly what had happened, things had then taken the turn for the very worst.
Nora was holding up the violin in her hand. “Is this okay?”
Carmen nodded and took the violin from her. “Yes, it’s perfect!”
“I wish the Duke were here to listen,” Mrs. Cooper said. “But he seems to really dislike music.”
Carmen secretly wondered what the reason behind it could be. She placed the violin in her hand and held the bowed string over it. When she looked at her, Nora was smiling. She felt a familiar ache in her stomach when she looked at the little girl. She desperately reminded her of someone she had lost a long time ago, someone she had no hope for finding except the chance letter that had been sent to her years ago. But the person she was looking for was far, far away from her. But looking at Nora, she had hope of finding her again.
She bowed the bow over the string, and tucked her chin underneath it to balance it. Carmen started to play. The lilting notes seemed to echo over the small, empty room and soon she found herself getting lost.
Music brought her peace while nothing else could. It calmed the storm within herself and she could almost find the doe-eyed girl from years before, the one who was filled with love and optimism. She played a ballad that she had picked up when she travelled to London all those years ago. The notes had stuck with her.
When she opened her eyes, both Nora and Mrs. Cooper had their gazed transfixed upon her.
“That was one of the most brilliant pieces I’ve ever heard,” Mrs. Cooper said, her mouth agape in awe.
Nora looked at her in a similar way. “You’re astounding!”
Carmen ducked her head at the compliment. Over the years, many people had told her just how beautifully she sang. Nora walked up to her. “I want to ask something of you.”
“What is it?” Carmen asked sweetly as she knelt down next to her. She couldn’t explain the feeling, but she wanted to be around Nora all the time.
Nora’s cheeks folded to reveal her lovely dimples. “Will you teach me music?”
