‘It’s called “Für Elise”. By Beethoven.’
‘That’s it. I always wanted to have a go at learning that one.’
‘It was the first piece I was properly proud to be able to play,’ he said, standing and striding across to a cabinet of shallow drawers. Pulling one open, he rifled through the papers within and came back with sheet music held aloft, like a prize. ‘Here it is.’
He settled the music on the rack and gestured for her to take centre stage at the keyboard.
‘You want me to have a go?’ she said, shaking her head at him. ‘It looks super-complicated. I’m sure I’ll butcher it.’
‘Not after what I heard of your playing the other day. It’s not really any harder than “Moon River”, and you had that nailed. Look …’ He pointed at the first few bars of the music. ‘The first section’s not that complicated, you just need to break it down into smaller chunks, work out each bit and slot them back together. There’s plenty of repetition, too, so that helps.’
Jess had to admit, the concentration required to learn a new piece of music managed to dispel her thoughts about shotguns, finally got rid of the noise of the blasts and removed her feelings of panic. It was calming, it was all-consuming and when she eventually managed to play most of the first page through without serious error, she held her hand up to high-five with Sebastian. He reciprocated, his calm smile mirrored by hers.
‘Would you play it all through so I can hear how it should sound?’ she asked, sliding to the end of the bench.
In answer, he took command of the keyboard, playing the piece as though he had an audience of thousands, not just her.
At its conclusion, she smiled. ‘There’s no way I’m ever going to make it sound like that. Absolutely amazing.’
‘Not really,’ he said. ‘It’s just practice. I’ve had quite the head start on you.’
‘I’m pretty sure there’s a bit more to it than practice, but thanks for making me feel better about my limited skillset.’ After a moment, she said, ‘What does “Für Elise” mean?’
‘For Elise. Story goes that Beethoven wrote it for the woman he wanted to marry.’
The words hung heavy for a moment, and they stared at one another. Jess had to squash a sudden overwhelming desire to kiss him. Swallowing hard, and unsure where the impulse had sprung from, she hurried into another question, realising as the words left her mouth that they weren’t ideally suited to deflecting her thoughts. ‘Did they end up getting married?’
Sebastian edged closer, then sighed and looked past her, gathering up the music booklet. ‘She didn’t want him.’
He stood, sliding the music back into the cabinet drawer. ‘Any time you want to come in and practise – feel free.’
Even though it was a one-sided moment – Jess was convinced it was felt solely by her – Sebastian getting up had broken it, so she closed the fallboard and stood. Then she yawned, suddenly and ferociously enough to make Sebastian laugh.
‘You need some sleep,’ he said, as they left the room. ‘Tomorrow will be a better day.’
He didn’t seem particularly convinced by his own words, and Jess couldn’t help but notice the slump in his shoulders as he left her in the corridor and headed for the stairs.
Chapter 20
As the weekend progressed, December expanded its grip, giving Kirkshield its first sprinkling of snow. The castle was even quieter than usual. Olivia and Candida were away, staying with friends. Dee wasn’t feeling well and spent most of her time in her room. Sebastian was also difficult to pin down; he seemed preoccupied again.
Jess supposed it made for an easier life than if Olivia’s party had gone ahead – less tidying up of the aftermath of what she had expected to be a lively gathering – but after she’d spent Saturday rattling around the rooms, checking the buckets in the attic and trying out recipes in an Aga which still left her mystified, on Sunday frustration got the better of her. Jess pulled off her cooking apron. She glanced at Digby, now more faithful companion than inconvenient miscreant, and smiled.
‘Come on, then,’ she said, leading the way to the music room.
Jess spent a peaceful hour trying to master the next sections of ‘Für Elise’, Digby snoozing peacefully by the window. Did she hope Sebastian might hear her efforts and join her? She’d be lying if she denied it. But he didn’t, and perhaps it was for the best. Jess concentrated on a particularly difficult set of chords, allowing her fingers to settle and become familiar with the shapes of each part of the music. Eventually her fingers were tired, as was her brain, but she could now play more phrases with confidence and smiled at the thought of conquering the entire piece.
With time still on her hands, she dressed Digby up and headed outside. Digby seemed fully restored after his fright with the shooting party, so she struck out for the Macwarrens’ cottage, with the dog resplendent in his special coat.
She felt the need to prove to her aunt that she was being a responsible minder for her prized pet. Plus, an outing would stop her dwelling any further on her own near miss in that wood. Stop her from thinking about the way Sebastian had risked his own safety to reach her, as well as the feelings which had sparked from his proximity, when his arm had been tight around her shoulder, and had continued to grow in the music room when he’d been teaching her to play ‘Für Elise’.
Heading towards the village piqued Digby’s interest, and he yanked Jess down the track. Jess was thankful for the layer of snow, which meant it was no longer icy, and she paused on the bridge, turning to view the castle. The air was still frigid, and as she stared up at Kirkshield Castle, the bubbling clouds above, muddy brown like the fleeces of the flock of Texel sheep running on one of the estate farms, promised more snow.
Somehow, the brown tinge to the clouds made the castle look rather handsome. The granite was startling in its greyness, the mortar between the huge blocks offsetting them with creamy lightness. The proportions of the building remained ridiculous in their vastness, but now she was more familiar with its internal space, the place no longer held the same aloof superiority.
At the cottage, Vivi was looking much improved, and Isla gave them afternoon tea, complete with a lemon sponge cake which was light enough to float away with the clouds.
‘I’m thinking of making a visit to the castle soon,’ Vivi said, watching with approval as Isla strained loose tea leaves from the pot as she filled three delicate cups.
