The Melody of A Lady's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Aria Norton

  Perhaps Nathaniel was not bad, but neither was he very nice to her. Nobody with compassion would put someone through weeks of the same thing over and over again. Had he forgotten how it felt to learn something new?

  “Somehow, I believe that Nathaniel did not go through all this theory in his schooling. This is ridiculous! I have books upon books of just theory. How is this possibly normal?”

  Learning the violin was not a history lesson or a geography one at that. Helena was not going to write an exam on which virtuoso violinist was better than the other. Playing the violin was a personal preference, but Nathaniel was turning it into something she didn't recognise.

  “Each week, I hope that he'll finally say 'put away the book, and take out your violin', but he never does! Keeping this cheerful manner is not an easy task when your brain is fizzling due to theory overload.”

  Last week, she almost fell asleep listening to him talk about why it was important to find a violin that was perfect for your size. Granted that it was an important aspect to consider, but did Nathaniel need two hours to explain just that one aspect?

  “He must be pulling my leg with all this mental work. Now, I'm all for learning new information, but repeatedly going through the same information is as good as repeatedly bashing my head against a rock. It's painful.”

  Helena had made it a point to tell Nathaniel that she already knew all the theory, but he would shoot her down and insist that she cannot possibly know everything.

  "Not only do I study it during my own time, but I do it again after he assigns me some work after our lesson. That's double work. Surely, by now, he should see that all this is unnecessary?"

  Couldn't they just get on with the violin, for goodness sakes! Helena had even taken to rearranging the music room just to escape the mundaneness of her lessons.

  “I think I've changed it at least four times already. I'm amazed Nathaniel has not made a comment yet.”

  Perhaps he was entirely engrossed in making her lessons as tedious and boring as possible. Helena had the suspicion that Nathaniel was doing all of this to make her cancel their lessons.

  “I have to admit that I have wanted to cancel these lessons on more than one occasion, but one specific memory keeps me going.”

  Whenever things became too unbearable, Helena would simply close her eyes and take herself back to the night she had seen Nathaniel play. She would recall the power in his body, the passion in his movements, and the beautiful music his hands had made.

  “I don't think Nathaniel would like to know that the reason why I'm still holding on like a dog on a bone is him.”

  Helena had to give a little chuckle. Well, she had a plan today. Nathaniel may not want to change the format of their lessons, but that didn't mean that she couldn't influence them somehow.

  Helena stuck her head out of the music room door. “Rose! I need you!”

  Where had her friend got to? Rose was supposed to be helping her today. The woman came running moments later, her apron full of flour.

  “You were making dumplings again, weren't you?” Helena accused.

  Mrs Hubbard who was supposedly sick with the flu was in bed. Helena didn't believe for a second that the woman was ill. The housekeeper was demanding all sorts of foods, one of them being chicken soup with dumplings. Rose was the only one who knew how to make the dumplings fluffy and flavoursome, so she had been assigned that duty. It would not have mattered if the housekeeper had asked for it once, or twice, but twice a day was exceeding anyone's patience.

  “What should I do?” Rose said defensively. “I cannot allow the woman to starve.”

  “Mrs Hubbard will never starve. What is wrong with eating what everyone else is eating?”

  “She's sick, Helena. It is my duty to help those in need. Do you not do the same by painting and selling those paintings?”

  Helena couldn't believe that sensible Rose was comparing two completely different situations.

  "You have lost your mind, Rose Bridgewater. I should send Hera into Mrs Hubbard's room to give her a bit of a wake-up call. Then we shall see if she is really sick. I still believe that she's pretending because she does not wish to do work this week. You have taken on all of her chores, haven't you?"

  Rose looked away, her cheeks colouring. Helena shook her head, wondering why her friend allowed herself to be used by others. For all her strength, there was a vulnerable side to Rose that few people ever saw. It seemed that Mrs Hubbard had discovered it and was now exploiting it.

  Sighing, Helena put her hand on Rose's shoulder. "Never mind. Come and help me move this pianoforte. Fortunately, it's on wheels, or we would have had a mighty time trying to shift it."

  “Remind me again why we're moving it?”

  "Have you forgotten already? Today, I'll be putting my plan into action. I'm going to play the pianoforte just before Nathaniel arrives. I need it to be perfectly positioned so I can see him. Right now, my back will be facing him."

  Rose nodded slowly. “Very well, but what is the point of this?”

  "It's abundantly evident that this man believes that I have no musical ability. I'm hoping that when he hears someone playing the pianoforte and realises that it's me, he'll reconsider his lesson plans."

  Helena had natural musical talent, and she had loved music from the time she was a toddler. Nathaniel needed to see that she took this art seriously, that wanting to play the violin was not a passing whim.

  “I hope it works, but what if it doesn't?” asked Rose. “Will you finally concede that playing the violin is unnecessary?”

  “I am never one to give up, Rose. You know that. If this plan fails - which I don't think it will - I'll simply think up another plan. One thing is for certain: I refuse to spend another two hours learning about boring theory.”

  Rose gave a heavy sigh. “Then we might as well get started. Nathaniel should be here in ten minutes.”

  Nathaniel was punctual, never arriving a minute earlier, or a minute later. A person could set their watch by him.

  With some effort, Helena and Rose managed to manoeuvre the pianoforte in such a way that Helena could turn to the side and see Nathaniel. It was imperative that she see him. If he's as passionate about music as I believe he is, then he should enjoy the little show I shall give him. Hopefully, that will soften him up towards me, and finally allow me to start learning to play the violin on the actual violin.

  At precisely three minutes to Nathaniel's arrival, Helena sat at the pianoforte and began to play a piece of music she had once heard years ago but could not recall the name. To her heart, it sounded like a song of change, of awakening. It fitted her situation perfectly.

  Her fingers built up tempo as they ran along the keys, her graceful hands knowing where each note was without the need to look at what she was doing. Helena vaguely heard the carriage outside and gave Nathaniel two minutes to come to the music room. He should be hearing the music wafting down to him right now. Closing her eyes, she let the music take control of her, absorbing all of her into the melody. Despite this, Helena was acutely aware when Nathaniel entered the room. It was as though the air in the room had changed, like it was crackling with awareness. Helena continued to play, her body moving with each rise and dip of the music.

  She felt before she knew that the song was coming to an end. Giving it all she had, Helena poured her energy into the last thirty seconds of the song, hoping that once she turned and looked at Nathaniel, she would see the admiration in his eyes.

  Finally, the song ended, and her hands lay restless on the keys. Helena was almost too afraid to look at Nathaniel, too afraid to see what he thought about her. But I have to. I must see what he thinks about me.

  Taking a deep breath, Helena turned in her chair and met Nathaniel's gaze. She smiled, seeing the rapturous look on his face. Her music had woven a spell and he likely wanted more. This was precisely what she had wanted. Don't smile too widely. You need to pretend that this was nothing, that playing with such passion
is an everyday occurrence.

  “Good day, Monsieur Baudelaire. How are you this afternoon?”

  The man blinked repeatedly. Whatever had come over him was now gone. “Well, thank you. How are you?”

  “A little restless today, so I decided to play some music. It always manages to cheer me up.”

  “I didn't know that you could play the pianoforte with such...” he trailed, seemingly uncertain of what to say. “Where did you learn to play like that?”

  This was precisely what Helena had hoped would happen. It seems that my plan is working, and yet Rose had some doubts. Silly woman.

  “My mother first taught me when I was a little girl, but over time, my skills developed to what they are today. I love music, Monsieur Baudelaire.”

  "I can see that, I truly can. It seems that I was wrong about you, Lady Barclay. Perhaps you have more respect for music than I gave credit."

  “Thank you for acknowledging that, sir.”

  Nathaniel stood up, going to the corner where Helena kept her violin. He took it, removing it from its case and handed it to her. "Consider this your very first practical teaching lesson. You have certainly come a long way, and you are ready for the next level."

  Helena excitement was palpable. She took the instrument from him and was tempted to kiss it. She didn't, but she did caress the smooth wood of the body.

  “It's a lovely violin, isn't it?” she asked.

  “It's the best you can find,” Nathaniel replied. “Not many violinists are able to get a hold of one of these, but you have managed it very easily.”

  There was an edge to what Nathaniel said. Did he have a problem that she had such a prized violin?

  “My father was the one to purchase it for me. I admit that I do not know much about violins, but I would have never purchased one to be better than anyone else. I have no clue as to what Papa paid for this.”

  Nathaniel remained silent for some time. Did he believe her? Helena hoped so.

  “You should cherish what you have, Lady Barclay. Perhaps one day you will pass this on to your own children and explain the importance and significance of it.”

  Did he have to bring children into the conversation? What if she didn't want to have children? I can hardly think about marriage right now, never mind considering passing an instrument down to my children. Right now, all Helena cared about was learning how to play the violin, and it looked like she had achieved just that.

  “I'll have to think about that,” she replied dismissively. “How long did it take you to learn to play the violin?”

  Nathaniel shrugged. "A few months? A few years? It depends on what you define as 'learn to play.' As a child, I learnt to play simple songs, and as an adult, I learnt to play challenging pieces."

  “So, I will learn to play simple music like a child?”

  The faintest of smiles crossed his lips. “We all have to begin somewhere, Lady Barclay. Rome was not built in a day.”

  “I do not want to take decades to learn to play the violin, Monsieur Baudelaire.”

  “Then 'tis best you start now. Rest the violin on your left side, the bow will be held with your right hand.”

  Helena did as Nathaniel bid, positioning the violin as she remembered him holding it that night. Nathaniel frowned, pulling his mouth to the side.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  "You look uncomfortable. How will you play well if you are uncomfortable? Manoeuvre the body until it fits perfectly under your chin. Some of it will rest on your shoulder, and some on your upper chest. Imagine if you were to play the violin the entire night? You cannot have it sitting awkwardly, or you'll grow tired."

  Helena blew out a gust of air, wondering just how much more she could move this thing around until it pleased him. The violin felt hard against her body, and she found that it didn't yield at all.

  “You made this look easy,” she accused. “Is it not possible to make it out of softer wood?”

  Nathaniel snorted. “Have you ever hear of soft wood? Perhaps if you shave it and wet it, but that will hardly do for a violin. Just close your eyes, and find your perfect spot.”

  Helena knew she would probably have a bruise or two under her chin from the number of times she bumped it. Eventually, she found a spot that allowed her to comfortably hold the instrument while supporting it with her body.

  “I think I have it. What now?”

  “Have you taken note of the positioning of each string and the sound it makes? Give me your bow for now, and use your finger to pluck at each string- no looking. Listen to the sound it makes near your ear.”

  Nathaniel took the bow from her, nodding at Helena to continue. Closing her eyes, she first ran her fingers over the four strings, and, starting from high to low, she plucked each string. E, A D, G. They sounded a little different when the violin was right by her ear, clearer than when she had been plucking them with the instrument resting on her lap. I cannot believe that I am in this position right now! It has taken weeks to reach this.

  Popping one eye open, Helena looked to see what Nathaniel was doing. He had his arms folded, and his eyes were closed.

  “Nathaniel? What's next?”

  Eyes now open, Nathaniel handed her the bow. “Make the same sounds, but now with the bow. I have already tightened it for you. I'll teach you how to slacken the hair once we're done.”

  For the next hour and a half, Nathaniel had Helena grow accustomed to hearing the sound of each string, giving her different sequences to try. He would call out a letter, and she would respond by drawing the bow against the corresponding string. At one point, it sounded as though she had played a tune. Excited, she had stopped and looked at Nathaniel wide-eyed.

  “Did I do that?”

  “You undoubtedly did. Well done, Lady Barclay, you have managed to play a little tune on the violin. It's not perfect yet, but it's a start.”

  Helena didn't care whether it was perfect or not- she had just played a tune! This was precisely the type of motivation she needed.

  All too soon, the lesson came to an end. Nathaniel gave her a few exercises to better accustom her body to the violin, and sequence letters to try on the instrument. For the first time, Helena walked Nathaniel to the door and bid him a farewell. Could she wait another week before her next lesson? Helena would have to because she had agreed to once a week.

  “I should have said two days at two hours,” she muttered, closing the front door.

  Rose stood by the parlour doorway, her shoulder leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

  “So, I gather from the noise you were making that your plan worked?”

  “Better than I expected. What do you say to some tea and honey cake? I'm in a celebratory mood this afternoon.”

  Chapter 10

  Nathaniel had to admit that having an extra job was lining his pockets pretty well. Navigating his new phaeton through the bit of traffic on his way to the Earl's estate, he found his mind drifting to thoughts of the woman who was never far from them. Helena had surprised him during their last lesson. So much so that Nathaniel had put an end to his torturous theory lessons and began the practical learning of the violin.

  "If I had known that she truly possessed a respect for music, our lessons might have taken a different path from the very beginning."

  Only a person who loved music could play the pianoforte as Helena had. Nathaniel had seen the passion in her face, the care in her hands as she had played the instrument. That had been the last thing he had expected that day! Nathaniel had had a plan in his head, one that he was confident would have made Helena give up there and then. He had been rather proud of it as well, believing that he had finally found a way to rid himself of Helena. Instead, he had assured the continuation of her lessons after one spirited performance!