Chapter 9

Tuesday was a success. Terry picked Grace up at the appointed hour having rung to tell her not to dress up. He introduced her to the director on arrival who asked if she was going to join them.

Grace shook her head. “I have sung a bit but never really seriously. You’re all much too grand for me.”

“Not necessarily so. Tell you what. You can borrow a score and hum away quietly on your own.”

“That’s very kind of you but...”

The director held up his hand. “Don’t worry, Grace,” he smiled, “I’m not trying to bully you.”

“Thank you.”

Terry saw her seated and left her looking at the score in some consternation. The first page was nothing but demi-semi quavers and marked allegretto. She was comforted slightly when the director told the choir that they would start at half speed and then build up over time. She also enjoyed the vocal warm-up exercises.

Grace listened to the start as the whole choir sang together. The director was encouraging and then rehearsed each of the voices alone singing to ‘la’. Grace joined them very quietly. She did not reckon she did too badly either then or later on when the full choir started singing together again. Best of all, she really enjoyed herself.

She told Terry so when the rehearsal ended and also asked whether she could hang on to the score. Terry cleared that with a smiling director who told Grace that he looked forward to seeing her again next week. She looked down bashfully.

As they drove away, almost shyly, Grace said softly: “Thank you, Terry. I really, really enjoyed that. Would it be all right if I did come again next week?”

“You bet!” came the delighted reply.

“Thanks! Riccardo’s afterwards?”

“You bet!”

“Oh, Terry, thank you.”

Her sense of humour got the better of her. “That’s two bets in ten seconds. You need to curb your impetuosity, Mr Wilson. Can’t have you wasting your university savings.”

“No, Miss. Sorry, Miss!”

They both got the giggles.

Terry’s family were all in the kitchen and greeted her warmly. His father, Roddy, was not tall but carried himself well. He had a warm smile and, as Grace soon found out, a quick and infectious sense of humour. Jean, his wife, was small and slim but had dark eyes and a gentle, encouraging smile. His sister, Minerva or Min, as she was called, was a dark-eyed elf with a gamin smile to match. She and Grace bonded almost immediately. The latter noticed quickly that she and Terry were very close.

Supper was served quite soon after Terry and Grace’s arrival. It was simple, easy and sustaining. Grace discovered that Roddy and Min shared the cooking when Jean’s shifts clashed. Grace realised that Jean’s slimness was probably partially due to her shift hours.

Grace thoroughly enjoyed her evening despite being made to play the piano. So was Jean and Grace was impressed.

Jean pulled her aside.

“Grace,” she said, “I’m sorry you were bullied into playing the piano. You were rusty trying to recall childhood pieces but I couldn’t help but notice after a few mistakes how feelingly you played them. Do please, if you want, come round and practise. If I’m free I’d be delighted to give you a bit of help and encouragement.”

“Thank you, Jean. That’s very, very kind of you. It’s a question of time, I’m afraid. It would have to be evenings and I don’t want to be a burden on you or Roddy or Min.”

Jean smiled gently. “Nor do you want Terry getting any wrong ideas,” she said softly.

Grace looked down and then shyly up again. “No,” she replied quietly. “Nor would I ... much as I like him.”

“And, even after such a short encounter, I like you. We all do, I think, but none of us will put you under any pressure and you know how keenly Terry feels about getting his degree. I just wish we could help him more financially.”

“From what he’s told me I don’t think there’s a problem there.”

Jean smiled warmly and squeezed her hands.

Terry drove Grace home.

“Thank you, Terry,” she said. “I really, really have enjoyed this evening. The rehearsal really fired me up and I liked your family very, very much. Your mum is a special person.”

Terry smiled. “She can be quite a bossy bags too.”

“But you love her dearly.”

Terry nodded.

“In fact you all love each other. Thank you again for giving me the privilege and pleasure of meeting them. Sorry! That sounds pompous.”

“No, Grace, honest. Thank you. I’m delighted because I reckon they all liked you a lot too.”

Grace looked down.

Terry reached out and very gently turned her face to him. “I like you a lot too.”

“And me you.”

Terry very gently, almost shyly, touched his lips to hers.

“Goodnight, Terry,” she whispered and, clutching her music, let herself quickly out of the car.

Terry watched as she let herself into the building. He did not drive away immediately. Had he overdone things with that kiss? He did not think so because she had said she liked him a lot too and a gentle little peck like that was what people who liked each other a lot did. That little whispered goodnight was not the response of an angry girl either. He clasped his hands together with fingers entwined, squeezed and smiled ecstatically. He drove slowly home.

Grace used the lift and let herself into her flat in a dream. She had admitted her attraction to him. Was it too soon after Mike? She did not think so. Back in April she had started to have her doubts about him. She had been thrilled to see him when he first came to visit her but his subsequent behaviour had shown that as far as he was concerned his attraction to her was purely physical. ‘Carnal’ was the word that sprang to mind. ‘Cad’ was another. She could not believe that Terry would ever behave like that. The restraint he had shown ever since that first evening at the cinema was an indicator even though his eyes showed a growing affection for her but they were always gentle and warm and she had never seen them wander lustfully over her.

What of her thoughts for him? She had liked him from the start: friendly, open, amusing and gentle. All right he had been an employee but never at any time had he been flirtatious like a few of the lads had been but then he was intellectually a cut above them. What she had said to him about his family was true too. She really had liked Roddy and Jean, particularly the latter, and Min was great fun. She could not believe that any child of that family would be dishonest, devious or selfishly cruel.

“Let’s see how it develops,” she thought. “Slowly and gently, I hope. On both our parts.

She heard nothing from him until the following Friday when he rang to check that she was still on for choir practice.