CHAPTER 76 - YOUNG LIONESSES AND OLD LIONS ---- CAPÍTULO 76 - JÓVENES LEONAS Y VIEJOS LEONES
“Miss Hopkins,” said Alistair at last, turning towards her, “take your place at the instrument. Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major. No pedal, please. I wish to hear the structure, not the ornament.” She rose, feeling her legs tremble. She mounted the small steps to the Steinway, aware that the eyes of the other eleven students, and those of that merciless young lecturer, were fixed upon her. Alistair watched her seated on a straight-backed chair to one side of the piano, his legs crossed with a deliberation quite unsuited to one of his years. Claire sat upon the bench, noticing the ivory of the keys was surprisingly warm beneath her still numb fingers. She knew Ashcroft was seeking the spark that would justify her admission to the RAM. As she began the opening bars, she sensed Alistair’s gaze fixed upon the void, as though he were examining each note suspended in the dense air of the room. When the final chord came to an end, the silence returned, heavier than before. Ashcroft di...
