really mean it, my lady? Well – if you do not mind it, of course we can. I’m sorry – I had perhaps put you down as a – well, not exactly conventional lady, but...’
Cecily laughed. Poor Miss Forster was looking most confused.
‘You think I should be stuffy? Well, I daresay that I can be when I need to, though I should hope that I can enjoy myself as much as anyone else as well. I’m rather partial to popular songs – especially for playing. They are usually much more straightforward than the usual classical works. Here, let’s try one together while we’re waiting for our tea. There’s no-one else around just now to catch us having fun.’
Here, however, she was mistaken . For scarcely had they sat down together, giggled over one or two of the more risqué pieces, selected a slightly more seemly one to start with and, after a few false starts, launched hesitantly but increasingly confidently into an elegant rendition of ‘A Lamentable Ditty’ before commencing a more riotous performance of ‘The Keel Row’, with Cecily playing the high notes and Miss Forster taking the low, than the drawing room door opened and a gentleman stepped in.
Cecily did not immediately discern him. After all, she was having to concentrate fully on the musical score. She had never played these particular pieces before and was quite unused to focusing her attention on only half of the required notes. Even had she noticed the opening of the door she would probably have thought nothing of it. After all, was a servant not expected, with the tea? So it was with a good deal of surprise and not a little shock that she suddenly found a confident masculine voice joining in with the two feminine ones and, on looking up quickly from the keyboard, found Miss Forster’s brother at her side.
Her first instinct was to cease playing immediately and then to run away, but she dismissed it as quickly as it came and carried on playing regardless. After all, Mr Forster seemed more than happy to join in the performance, and his sister, now that she had finally agreed to submit herself to taking some enjoyment, was playing along with some relish. So Cecily continued steadfastly to the end, only stumbling at the very last moment through being quite unable to control her giggles any longer. Her laughter was infectious. Miss Forster, catching it from her, found herself totally incapable of concluding the final chorus whilst her brother sang defiantly, if somewhat raggedly, to the end before coughing magnificently and turning swiftly away, with his shoulders shaking heartily in a decidedly suspicious manner.
‘So this is how you entertain your guests, Rachel,’ he chided, once they had all settled down again and the tea things were being brought in. ‘I must confess, I had often wondered – though I’m heartily ashamed of you now that I’ve discovered the truth. I dread to think what Lady Cecily must think of you. I cannot imagine for one moment that she expected to find a riot in the house.’
‘You are too hard on your sister, Mr Forster. It is I who am entirely to blame for the selection. Miss Forster would have chosen a much more demure and decorous piece had I allowed it. Much more demure, I am convinced of it – but by far a lot less fun.’
Mr Forster rewarded her with a devastating smile. She fielded it coyly, looking down.
‘Then you are ob viously no better than my sister. There’ll be no restraining her at all from now with a patron like you for her to blame.’
‘But I like the more refined pieces as well as the riotous, you understand. Indeed, I have a most catholic taste in music. It’s just that I generally have no-one with whom to indulge it. My uncle and aunt are no musicians, and neither, I fear, is my cousin.’
‘Then perhaps you will allow me to escort you and Rachel to the concert tomorrow night, my lady? I am told to expect a variety of chamber music. It is a little more demanding than ‘The Keel Row’, I
Cecily laughed. Poor Miss Forster was looking most confused.
‘You think I should be stuffy? Well, I daresay that I can be when I need to, though I should hope that I can enjoy myself as much as anyone else as well. I’m rather partial to popular songs – especially for playing. They are usually much more straightforward than the usual classical works. Here, let’s try one together while we’re waiting for our tea. There’s no-one else around just now to catch us having fun.’
Here, however, she was mistaken . For scarcely had they sat down together, giggled over one or two of the more risqué pieces, selected a slightly more seemly one to start with and, after a few false starts, launched hesitantly but increasingly confidently into an elegant rendition of ‘A Lamentable Ditty’ before commencing a more riotous performance of ‘The Keel Row’, with Cecily playing the high notes and Miss Forster taking the low, than the drawing room door opened and a gentleman stepped in.
Cecily did not immediately discern him. After all, she was having to concentrate fully on the musical score. She had never played these particular pieces before and was quite unused to focusing her attention on only half of the required notes. Even had she noticed the opening of the door she would probably have thought nothing of it. After all, was a servant not expected, with the tea? So it was with a good deal of surprise and not a little shock that she suddenly found a confident masculine voice joining in with the two feminine ones and, on looking up quickly from the keyboard, found Miss Forster’s brother at her side.
Her first instinct was to cease playing immediately and then to run away, but she dismissed it as quickly as it came and carried on playing regardless. After all, Mr Forster seemed more than happy to join in the performance, and his sister, now that she had finally agreed to submit herself to taking some enjoyment, was playing along with some relish. So Cecily continued steadfastly to the end, only stumbling at the very last moment through being quite unable to control her giggles any longer. Her laughter was infectious. Miss Forster, catching it from her, found herself totally incapable of concluding the final chorus whilst her brother sang defiantly, if somewhat raggedly, to the end before coughing magnificently and turning swiftly away, with his shoulders shaking heartily in a decidedly suspicious manner.
‘So this is how you entertain your guests, Rachel,’ he chided, once they had all settled down again and the tea things were being brought in. ‘I must confess, I had often wondered – though I’m heartily ashamed of you now that I’ve discovered the truth. I dread to think what Lady Cecily must think of you. I cannot imagine for one moment that she expected to find a riot in the house.’
‘You are too hard on your sister, Mr Forster. It is I who am entirely to blame for the selection. Miss Forster would have chosen a much more demure and decorous piece had I allowed it. Much more demure, I am convinced of it – but by far a lot less fun.’
Mr Forster rewarded her with a devastating smile. She fielded it coyly, looking down.
‘Then you are ob viously no better than my sister. There’ll be no restraining her at all from now with a patron like you for her to blame.’
‘But I like the more refined pieces as well as the riotous, you understand. Indeed, I have a most catholic taste in music. It’s just that I generally have no-one with whom to indulge it. My uncle and aunt are no musicians, and neither, I fear, is my cousin.’
‘Then perhaps you will allow me to escort you and Rachel to the concert tomorrow night, my lady? I am told to expect a variety of chamber music. It is a little more demanding than ‘The Keel Row’, I
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