“Yes,” she said simply.
Nerves filled Valentina. Archie only thought his work finished for the evening.
The Duke and Duchess took their seats to the other side of Delilah and Juliet, and the musicale began. It quickly became clear the musical entertainments provided by a duke and duchess couldn’t be more different from those provided by the Five Graces. There, the evening would’ve begun with a contortionist or a puppet act. Here, two rather burly footmen were hauling out a full-sized, gilded harp. A lady, whose attire was fashioned in the manner of an ancient Grecian statue, took her seat and began plucking the strings, the music flowing over the assembled like a gentle stream.
Valentina stole a glance at Archie. Where she felt relaxed by the music, his hands were clenched at his sides and his gaze steadfastly fixed on the harpist. She immediately understood. For Archie, music wasn’t a recreational experience to be enjoyed and forgotten. It entered his body and fused with his soul. It was no less dramatic than that, she sensed.
The harpist played three pieces, curtsied, and left alongside her massive gilt instrument. Next, a piano was rolled into its place, and a woman who could be none other than an opera singer stood before the gathering in a dramatic velvet crimson cloak and set her gaze toward an indistinct point in the distance, waiting, while a slight man took his place at the piano. Archie remained utterly transfixed when the singer launched into Bach’s“Ich esse mit Freuden.”
The mezzosoprano’s voice burst into life and filled every corner, and all Valentina could do was sit back in awe of her virtuosity. This woman’s voice had been trained by professionals.
And she was to follow her?
Valentina understood she possessed a lovely voice, but it was untrained. Well, there was nothing for it. She had a plan of her owntonight, and she would see it through.
It struck her that she was about to sing for aristocrats, as she’d originally intended. But tonight, instead of exposing Lord Nestor, she would be exposing Archie. Perhaps it was wrong, but deep in her soul, she felt its rightness.
Her soul knew something about Archie’s, and it understood it needed to see the light.
Or the darkness would consume him.
The mezzosoprano sang through several more Bach pieces before finishing her musical set. The crowd clapped politely. Valentina shook her head.Aristocrats.They’d witnessed true vocal virtuosity, and they seemed slightly bored—all except for the man beside her.
The Duchess of Ripon leaned forward and nodded at Valentina. It was time.
She removed the sheet music from the folio case and stood, sudden anxiety jittering through her, giving her hands a slight tremor. Beside her, Archie’s eyebrows crinkled together in question.
She took her place in the bentside curve of the piano and gazed out across the crowd of one hundred slightly indifferent pairs of eyes. She swallowed and found the only pair of eyes that mattered. Then she crooked her finger.
He gave his head a subtle shake.
She smiled, unmoved. She’d anticipated as much.
He must’ve reached the—correct—conclusion that she would stand here all night if necessary, for finally he stood. A few gasps rippled through the crowd, and interest in the night’s musicale perked up.
Archie smiled his charming smile, but the stormy look in his eyes was all for Valentina. He was none too pleased with her.
No matter.
As he seated himself on the bench, she placed the Mozart piece onto the music stand before him. Their eyes caught for aquick instant. She would be explaining herself later, his eyes told her. Oh, if he only knew…
His fingers depressed keys, and the opening notes of Mozart’s“Voi che sapete”lifted into the air,pianissimo, so as not to overwhelm her voice when she began singing. Again, they met eye to eye, as musicians, and they made music together. At first, he resisted entering the emotion of the piece with her, trying to be naught more than an accompanist, but she saw the instant he gave over. He couldn’t help himself. He could give nothing less than his all to music. It inspired Valentina’s voice to new heights as she gave her all to Mozart.
Too soon, the final notes poured from her and sounded from the piano. The crowd erupted into applause, with Delilah shouting, “Bravissimo!”
Archie made to stand. He’d only reached a half crouch before Valentina shook her head. She pulled another piece of music from the folio case and placed it before him. His gaze swiped over it, and his jaw tightened. His eyes met hers, and he shook his head.
She nodded.
He shook his head again.
Their audience laughed, assuming Archie was only being his usual Windermere self. What new jape had he in store for them?
Valentina had come prepared for this moment.
She pulled a slip of paper from the folio case and slid it across the gleaming rosewood fallboard. He scanned the two simple words.
I’ll speak.
