Lord Love a Duke by Renee Reynolds

pianoforte di
fronte a persone.
    But you hate to play the pianoforte in front
of people.

    Sì, ma io sono un buon amico. Ora sbrigati
prima A cambiare la mia mente. O di rompere le mie dita stringendo
loro troppo stretto.
    Yes, I do, but I am a good friend. Now hurry
before I change my mind. Or you break my fingers by squeezing them
too tightly.

    Juliet sent Miranda a pointed look followed
by a quick grimace before smoothing her features to calm her
friend. Miranda immediately released her hands with an apologetic
face. She cleared her throat and stood to draw the attention of the
party guests. "I think we need some music to enliven our party.
Juliet, please say you will play for us." She turned her wide eyes
on her friend, still unsure if Juliet could summon the courage to
play for a crowd.

    Juliet looked down at her hands and took a
calming breath. "I am sure you could find someone else to play."
She spared a look at Miranda and gathered courage when she saw her
friend's frightened face.

    "Jules, you have more talent in your fingers
than most in their entire bodies. Please, favor us with a song.
Pick whatever you like best." To her ears, Miranda's request
sounded like desperate begging, which only strengthened Juliet's
resolve to aid her friend. She stood and smoothed out her skirt,
wiping her damp palms on the fabric as she went.

    "Very well, but only one
song, and then another must play.” She moved silently to the
pianoforte and settled herself on the bench. “I fear my tastes are
quite boring to most, so I apologize in advance if I cause everyone
to feel drowsy after that fine meal we just enjoyed." Adjusting the
bench to fit her frame, she mentally scrambled to select something
she knew by heart. She elected to play a beloved and familiar piece
to her, Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 9 .

    Juliet rested her hands on the keys then
began to play the notes quickly and cheerfully, as they were
written to be played. Trying to overcome her feelings of
awkwardness at playing publicly, she slowly smoothed her style and
evened her fingering. As she progressed into the second movement,
she relaxed and let familiarity take over, closing her eyes, the
cadence of the music markedly slower than the first section. The
key moved from major to minor in a perfect pattern of dissonance
then harmony.

    By the beginning of the third and final
movement, Juliet was unaware of her surroundings, completely lost
in the emotions of the note combinations. She played with energy
the technically demanding section, her fingers flying over the keys
with surety and skill. Her body swayed slightly, moving subtly with
fluidity to the music. A dramatic and fast chromatic scale
concluded the end of the sonata, and Juliet rested her hands in her
lap after playing the final note. She slowly raised her head and
opened her eyes, aware again of the fact she was playing for a
large group which was unused to her performance.

    Clapping immediately
erupted and she felt herself blushing. She
stood and nodded her thanks but was prevented from moving from the
pianoforte by the arrival of Viscount Melville and Mr. Burke. The
Viscount raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles
sloppily as she inclined her head in appreciation of his
notice.

    "That was truly remarkable, Lady Juliet. You
have an incomparable talent for the pianoforte."

    She blushed under his extolling and
demurred. "Thank you, my lord, but I have no more talent than most
can claim for this instrument."

    "You are too modest, my lady! I have heard
many play and I feel I must agree with Melville. Please, continue
to play for us. I will turn pages for you, if I may." Mr. Burke
moved closer to the instrument before realizing she had no sheets
for him to turn. "I say, you played all that without music?
Famous!"

    Juliet blushed further and took another step
away from the instrument. "I did, sir, but only because I have
played that piece for so many years. It is one of my favorites, so
I benefit