Sky Pirates

Chapter 64

Mildred entered the parlor and the eyes of the Wickliffe's all focused on her at the same time. She smiled, feeling a light blush rise to her face. It had been a long day and Mildred suddenly felt fatigued. She licked her lips, tasting a hint of the brandy upon them. She desired more, but knew that was impossible. "Shall I play for you?" she asked, approaching the pianoforte.

Mr. Wickliffe joined her at the instrument and said: "That would be lovely."

Mildred watched as the vicar looked through a small stack of music. "This, I think. You can perform, and I can see if you've been practicing. Two birds, as the saying goes."

Mildred smiled at her teacher. She so wanted to talk to him, to declare her sins, to gain his acceptance and love as an in-law, a substitute father. In that moment she realized how much she missed her father. And, she also realized that for her romantic plan to truly work that she'd have to lie to her uncle in each letter she wrote from now on. At the thought, her stomach twirled. She was grateful for the bench beneath her as she sat with a thump.

"Are you all right, Miss Mildred?" asked Mr. Wickliffe.

"I think the heat has gotten the best of me for the moment."

The vicar turned to the maid who was bringing a fresh pot of coffee into the room. "Please bring us some port." The maid, without a word, curtsied and left the room. "A little wine will steady you," said Mr. Wickliffe.

"Thank you." She looked at the music he had placed on the stand. She hadn't practiced it enough. She knew she'd have trouble in the allegro passage. Mildred wanted to confess. She knew he'd be able to tell that she hadn't appropriately prepared the piece. She wanted the wine to arrive. She wanted the boys to come into the room and create a diversion. She wanted to look toward Edith and see her sweet face. But, all she could manage was to look at the keyboard, afraid to touch it with her trembling fingers.

The solution and the boys arrived at the same moment.

"Mr. Wickliffe," began Mildred. "Can you show me a better fingering for the middle of the allegro section?"

The question pleased him. He quickly turned to the place she spoke of. "Everyone has trouble with that. Let's not put you on the spot at the moment, but instead, you'll play something else for us and we'll work on the fingering during our lesson tomorrow. I'm so pleased that you discovered the problem."

Mildred breathed a little easier as the vicar replaced the difficult, unpracticed piece with a Brahms Intermezzo she was more familiar with.

Time blurred for her as the maid arrived with the port. Everyone took a seat on the plush furniture, their attention turned toward Mildred at the pianoforte. She played the lush, romantic music, all the while eyeing out of the corner of her eye the glass of wine that had been placed for her at the edge of the piano.

She desperately wanted to be alone with Edith, to tell her of the plan she'd concocted. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She wanted to...she simply wanted to be alone. But, as the hostess, it was her responsibility to entertain her guests. The music flowed as her hands, without her having to think about them, glided over the worn ivory keys. This place, this spot, sitting on this bench, playing this instrument, was so familiar to her. It required no thought to make this music. She'd played this piece hundreds of times. Her mind flashed to the workings of the clock, then to the interworking of the mechanical horse. She envisioned once again her driveshaft idea that would provide power to all manner of new devices throughout the great house. Mildred followed her thoughts as they wandered through the cellars and tunnels below the house. She could see where some new tunnels would have to be dug to provide the lines and direct reach of the massive shaft that would churn constantly. She could almost feel the hum of the great machine whose steam and torque would turn the shaft every moment of every day. With that thought, she realized the house would require a much larger furnace and boiler. That's when everything went black.