Page 78 of A Dashing Duke for Emily

“Hello,” the child said. “Do you want to play with us? I have an extrastick.”

Emily was touched that they would include her. “You look like you are having a lot of fun by yourselves. Why would you want an old lady like me butting into yourgame?”

They laughed. “You are not an old lady, you are young,” one of the girlssaid.

“But I am old compared to you,” Emilysaid.

“I know you,” another young boy said. “You played the piano last night, did younot?”

Emily sat down on the grass to be closer to their level. “Yes, I did. Did you likeit?”

“It was loud,” one of the girls said. “I had to cover myears.”

“Oh, I am sorry. But some pieces of music are loud. Was there anything you didlike?”

“It was all too jangly. It should go la, la, la and it went boom, thump,bang.”

“Oh, my. That does sound jangly. I will tell you what. If you want, later this afternoon you come to the room where the piano is and I will make a concert just for you. All songs you know. And I promise no loud or jangly music. What do you say tothat?”

The children looked at one another and seemed to agree. “What time?” the first youngsterasked.”

“How about threeo’clock?”

“That is nap time,” one childsaid.

“Four?”

They nodded. “See you then,” she said, standing up. And, as she walked away, she went through a list of the children’s songs she knew, as the children resumed theirgame.

Chapter 23

Emily returned to the house and went to the sun porch for a cup of tea. There were only a few older folks scattered around. One lady was knitting and a gentleman was asleep with a book open on his lap. Emily decided not to try and engage in any conversation and went to a large window overlooking the gardens at the back of the house, before sitting at a table to write out a list of songs to play for thechildren.

After finishing her tea she started to leave when she heard the gong that announced the meals. She was surprised to realize it was already lunchtime.

She picked up her scrap of paper with the list of songs and left theporch.

As she passed down the hallway leading to the dining room, she heard someone call her name and turned to see Mark coming towardher.

“Mark. Thank you for that most successful meeting this morning. I am truly pleased andexcited.”

“As amI.”

“How very kind of you to offer to go to Germany to finalize the tour with HerrDarmstadt.”

“Not at all. I enjoy travel and it has been awhile since I have been out ofEngland.”

“I expect I shall need to begin assembling a list of works for the tour. You will probably want to take that to Heidelberg withyou.”

Mark nodded. “And Emily, there is something else. I wonder if I might ask a favor ofyou.”

“Absolutely, of course. Especially after all you have done forme.”

“My father was too ill to attend the recital last evening and I wondered if you might be able to come with me to his room this afternoon and perform just a few pieces for him. He is such a devout lover ofmusic.”

“I would be honored. How long should the presentationbe?”

“No more than twenty or thirty minutes. He will tire if it islonger.”