London, 3rd October, 1814: A little light Music

"You sing very well," Emma said. "Should you like to finish the piece? I think I will make fewer mistakes, I have a fair grasp of the tune now."

If either family were to hold a musical soiree, Emma thought that she and Bella could put on quite a creditable performance together.

"Thank you, Emma! You are most kind - it was your skilled accomplishment that allowed me to show to advantage. If you don't mind, shall we go on, even if I stumble? I would like to hear how the next part sounds."

Bella secretly hoped for the same thing - it was a joy to sing with a competent piano player, and if she knew she and her partner could present a delightful piece well, she quite enjoyed performing for others.

"I shall not declare that to be rank nonsense - you are a perfectly talented singer, which is nothing to do with my playing. Let us go on - I should like to hear how it sounds, also." She smiled and turned back to the piano.


"Do you think, we might practice this and perform it together sometime? If your mother does not wish to hold a musical soiree, I feel sure Lady Saltash would be willing to do so, after all."

"That would be an excellent idea!"

Bella beamed.

"It is so nice to perform something well with a friend. Mama will certainly wish to hear us, too! I would love to properly practice it with you."

She was not sure whether she should say that her mother would be willing to give a soiree as well or whether it was more appropriate to let Lady Saltash go first now that Emma had mentioned her, so she decided to leave that bit for now and offered instead:

"We have a pianoforte at home as well, if you would like to go there, or we can practice here - Edward doesn't mind, I'm sure - if you think that your brother would accompany you."

"Oh, I am sure my brother would be more than happy to accompany me here - after all, your brother is one of his closest friends from Spain. And you are more than welcome to come to Saltash House, should you wish to, and should your brother be amenable to it."

She laid her fingers on the keys again. "Shall we go on, then?"

"Yes, please! The second variation?"

Bella found her place in her score, straightened and waited for Emma to begin.

"Certainly," Emma said, finding the place and beginning to play.

They made it successfully through two more variations and had just ended the third, a charming one where the theme lay in the deep piano notes and Bella sang a joyful counterpoint, when the door of the room opened and her brother's head appeared.

"May we join you? Bromwell has left already."

The tune accompanied them all through the hall, past several other doors, only becoming stronger and louder as they approached the antiqued music room. Willoughby entered after Torrington, still enjoying the last notes of song and play. The ladies had done an impressive introduction of their talents. Bella's voice was pleasant, melodic and certainly one that Willoughby would not have minded hearing more, had Torrington not interrupted them. Emma on the other hand had made the music flow easily from the instrument as her fingers danced across the black and white keys.

He inclined his head in greeting of each of the girls, a polite and well controlled motion, followed by a pleasant smile.

"I have no objections, sir, but as your sister is the hostess, I shall defer to her judgement," Emma said, turning a little to see Torrington looking round the door, followed by Lord Gwydyr and then her brother.

Bella put her score down to take her brother's hand and pull him in.

"Oh come in! We had the most delightful time. Miss Vickery plays very beautifully, and those new tunes are lovely. What have you done to poor Bromwell? I hope you weren't too harsh on him."

Edward rolled his eyes in fond exasperation and cleared the door so that the others could fully enter, coming to stand next to the piano. He bowed slightly.

"I was tasked to present his apologies to you, my dear, and, though unbeknownst, to you, Miss Vickery, as well, for any inconvenience the incident has caused to you."

Willoughby came around, politely keeping his distance of the two ladies, each a sister of one of his friends. He gazed at the instrument that not more than a few moments ago had still been played on. From the side he then observed, without staring, each of them and then again just Bella.

The comparison in his mind had gone again to the dark haired horse with a fairer pelt and he had to mentally reprimind himself for such unfavourable thoughts. Given, he had achieved in bringing his other Bella home along with her calf. A collection of most favourable and fortunate events had seen them both alive and well and her, no longer under the grasp of the 33rd.

With his thoughts back to the present, he averted his gaze from the lady and paused to catch the conversation again and make sense of it.

"Inconvenience, to meet my brother's friends from the war? Utter nonsense - though, pray, do not let him know that!" Emma stood and waited until the gentlemen had all found chairs before sitting again and looking up at Lady Isabella with a delicately arched eyebrow.

"I daresay the gentlemen expect to be entertained. What shall we perform for them?" she enquired, an amused gleam in her grey eyes.

Edward tilted his head slightly:

"As it brought me the pleasure of your aquintance, Miss Vickery, I cannot fault your thought. But I will certainly keep the secret."

He retired to a chair, turning it so he could fully enjoy the following.

Bella bit her lower lip, then asked softly:

"Do you know any songs well enough to play without score? Or shall we attempt the part we have played sofar?"

"I know several - I shall make sure to bring my music next time, however, so that we have a larger selection." She thought for a moment. What could they possibly choose?

The sight of her brother and Lord Gwydyr, both in uniform, brought something to mind. "Oh- do you recollect any of the Beggar's Opera, by any chance? Specifically, Over the Hills and Far Away?"

"Yes, of course! But ... we would need a Captain Macheath for that, wouldn't we?"

She glanced at her brother for a moment, but he usually needed some coaxing before he was willing to sing in front of an audience, so she asked:

"Do you think your brother would join us? Or Lord Gwydyr?"

"I do not know if Lord Gwydyr sings, but John does." She glanced across at her brother. "John, would you do us the pleasure of playing Captain MacHeath?"

Vickery glanced across at Torrington before standing to cross to the piano. "For the Rifles' song? Certainly, Emma."

Unwilling to interrupt and speak when not addressed, Willoughby leaned back in his chair, though keeping still from slouching in the most ungraceful manner. He contemplated on the song choices as well as instruments that were strewn about the room. Most others of the smaller kind than the one that was to be played.

He could tell several apart and find a certain family relation with some with their military counterparts. Of course he was yet to spot a drum and doubted there was one.

Bella for a moment worried her lower lip, suddenly a bit shy to sing with her brother's friend, who had in his letters always seemed rather formidable, but Edward gave her an encouraging smile. So she stepped aside to give Vickery some space and bobbed a quaint little curtsy, accompanied by a dimpled smile.

"Then it is your turn to begin, Major."

It had been quite a while since the Vickery siblings had performed together but this had always been a favourite of theirs, even before Vickery had joined the 60th. There were, of course, a whole different set of lyrics, more in keeping with the soldiers' trade, but this was the original.

Vickery had a clear, pleasant tenor, which was not heard very often save in surroundings and company such as this, and he clasped his hands behind his back and smiled encouragingly at Lady Isabella.

"Were I laid on Greenland's Coast,
And in my Arms embrac'd my Lass;
Warm amidst eternal Frost,
Too soon the Half Year's Night would pass."

Willoughby wondered briefly if Vickery would have preferred to ask Bella for a spin at the ball and if perhaps he could refrain from asking even if earlier he had been quite eager and give him that spot instead, should only one be empty. Silence made a man too thoughtful and a hussar quite mad.

He was fortunate at the very least that he could now close his eyes and enjoy the music and that he was not in need of a drink any stronger than coffee, nor to brag for the sake of wearing a hussar's uniform. The music room was pleasant, not too airy, but certainly warm. It had just enough light, a homely, intimate atmosphere where not too many could congregate at the same time.

Bella, delighted, returned the smile. She could not help but be really perform the role of Polly, turning to Vickery, though she refrained from making cow's eyes and let them instead show her pleasure at the creditable performance. When her moment came, she easily picked up the melody and replied:

"Were I sold on Indian Soil,
Soon as the burning Day was clos'd,
I could mock the sultry Toil
When on my Charmer's Breast repos'd."

Than came the duet part and her voice wrapped itself joyfully around Vickery's baseline.

Edward watched them with hooded eyes, quietly content. It was the first time since long that the music room had been used for such a performance. A glance at Gwydyr assured him that there was no need to make conversation with hussar, as the other seemed likewise enthralled by the music - he made a mental note, however, to try to bring him into a normal, non-flustered conversation with Bella. Horses ... that should give them at least some common ground to start from, he thought.

Lady Isabella was an accomplished singer, it appeared and seemed pleased with Vickery's performance. The duet, lines sung alternately by each character, contrasted their voices in a pleasant counterpoint, the likes of which Vickery had not been able to partake of in a long while.

There was something to be said for polite society after all, it seemed.

At some point in the performance Willoughby opened his eyes and gazed to his left. He observed the light play through the windows. The trees outside reflected keenly the time of year, but there was still leaves on their branches, fluttering in the wind. The light that was cast through the glass panels carried with itself, some of the warmth but certainly not as much as it would have in the summer.

He listened to the song and the melody that accompanied it, casting a glance or two at the performing trio. He observed how delighted Bella was to sing with the rifle's officer, how merrily her eyes twinkled as she performed the duet, her face changing with the lyrics as if she was truly the character whom she lent her voice. He watched Emma, the rise and fall of her shoulders as she kept pace and expressed emotion through the shifts of her weight at the keys.

Then his gaze returned on the nature outside, forming the bond between the music room and the life that was beyond it. This all brought a sense of normality with it and peace. He wondered if what he saw as a mere glimpse, outside, had been a common sparrow or perhaps one of the tits that thought to take a peek at who wished to take over its throne in song. There it was again, and this time he was sure he could recognise the yellow and more yellowgreen and black colour and a patch of white of its coat.

There was nothing better than making music with friends, Bella decided. When the song ended, she felt rather sorry for it, but she brightened up when she recalled that as they were friends now, at least she and Emma would have more occassions to play together.

For now, however, her mother had her better trained than to seek only her own pleasure or to neglect one guest for another; so after thanking Vickery with a very pretty compliment for his performance and assuring Emma that she had hit on just the right song and had played the instrumental part perfectly with such an open smile that there was no mistaking her honesty, she danced over to where Willoughby was seated, and stretched her hand out invitingly.

"Will you join us for a song, too, Mylord?"

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After clapping appreciatively, Edward meanwhile quietly ordered tea for the singers' parched throats, then moved to the piano again.

"A very fine performance", he commended.