Chapter 24

Court drove Libby, carrying her instruments, to Pitsbury railway station on Thursday morning.

"Give me a ring when you know what train you're coming back on and I'll pick you up. In the meanwhile, I hope everything goes well. Above all, enjoy yourself."

"I'm sure I will. Golly, Court, I'm so excited. This is the start of my adult life." She gave a little teenage jig.

Court restrained himself from kissing her. He merely squeezed her free hand and smiled fondly at her.

Libby reached the Timermats' house with five minutes to spare. Luckily it was a warm, dry day. On the dot of half past eleven she pressed the doorbell. Kristian answered it.

"Come in, Libby my dear. It's very good to see you and you're certainly looking well. Portuguese sun obviously agrees with you."

He led her into a large, airy room with big comfortable chairs, and a bureau with a glass fronted cupboard above it full of an exquisite china tea set. Also, inevitably, there was a beautiful looking grand piano. Libby immediately had the urge to try it but curbed her impatience.

Timermat's agent stood up as she entered.

"You have met Andrew of course," said Timermat.

"Hello, Mr Cartwright," smiled Libby. "A little less hectic than last time."

Andrew Cartwright took her hand. "Please call me Andrew?" he said.

"Only if you call me Libby."

"I shall be pleased and honoured."

"Pah!" said Timermat grinning broadly. "So, Libby, apart from sunning and swimming, what else have you been up to?"

"Practicing Chopin nocturnes and waltzes for you to coach me on. There was a lovely Bechstein at the villa."

"Good! Good! I look forward to listening to you. In the meantime we need to talk business with Andrew."

Libby nodded.

"What I suggest," said Andrew, "are the same terms as Kristian. I arrange all your concerts and recordings. If someone approaches you, you refer them to me. I am also responsible for all your publicity. For this I would take five per cent of your gross earnings which means that if I do not make you rich I will never make myself rich."

"That sounds very reasonable," said Libby. "I've no idea what the norm is."

"More," said Timermat. "Seven and a half to ten per cent for the reputable agents and a lot more for unscrupulous ones out to take advantage of naïve, young performers."

"Well, in that case, yes please and thank you very much, Andrew."

"Don't thank me," laughed Andrew. "Thank your bullying patron. Now the next thing, Libby, is that we need to capitalise quickly on your success at Llangollen. Kristian is due to give a concert at the Barbican on Saturday 21st September. We would like you to perform with him."

Libby gasped. "I can't do that," she exclaimed.

"Why not?" asked Timermat.

"I can't keep barging in on your concerts. As those people at Llangollen said, people are paying good money to hear you, not me."

"And, as at Llangollen, they will be thrilled when they do hear you, Libby my dear."

Libby shook her head and looked at her feet. She looked up shyly to see Timermat smiling at her. "I'd love to," she said.

"Good. We will discuss the programme in a minute but first, Andrew wishes you to make a recording also."

Libby blushed and looked again at her feet.

"You really are good enough, my dear."

She looked up to see the same encouraging smile.

"What would I play?"

"Well, you've played the 'Moonlight'. How about all three sonatas?"

"Mightn't people think that I'm just a Beethoven buff?"

Andrew nodded approvingly. "What about the Chopin you've been practising?"

"I'd hate to tread on Kristian's toes."

"You won't, my dear. If I wanted to I could claim that I had taught you but I won't. Look, I think I'd better hear you play a bit of Chopin."

Libby leapt to her feet, shyness forgotten. She was going to get her hands on that magnificent looking piano. She sighed with pleasure when she saw it was another Steinway, played a few arpeggios to get the feel and then played the Nocturne in E Flat Minor.

Both men applauded warmly.

"No coaching required," said Timermat. "It may not have been quite the way that I would have played it but that, my dear, is your interpretation and I cannot fault you. So now, as something rather different, how about the 'Minute Waltz'?"

Libby grinned. "You're teasing me, Oh Maestro," she said. "Fast, furious and under-rehearsed but here we go."

She played it almost faultlessly but it lacked thought in its phrasing.

"Ja," said Timermat. "That was not so good. You have feeling for it but it is not yet refined."

Libby nodded.

"So, now, we know about your piano playing ability. Please, let me hear you play the clarinet. What would you like to play?"

"Oh, Kristian, there are so many solo pieces I could play but the one piece that I really, really love is the second movement of Mozart's concerto."

"Play it, my dear, and I shall be your orchestra."

Libby had played it at school with the school orchestra but this was something different. As the movement progressed they became more attuned to each other. Libby was very, very moved.

"Thank you, thank you," she whispered. "You brought out the best in me."

Timermat smiled. "It worked both ways," he said. "Now, I want to hear more but something different."

Libby thought and then a mischievous smile spread across her face. She launched into 'Petite Fleure'. Timermat let her play the opening six bars and then as she started to repeat the theme he came in. They both caught the joy of the tune and together played something out of the ordinary. Where she would have normally come to an end she went into a riff. Timermat caught it and played his own break. Seamlessly they came together again and finished.

There was silence as they both looked at each other triumphantly and then Andrew broke into applause. "That was outstanding," he said, "and must, must, must feature in your concert. However, let's get the recording out of the way first. I'd like to be able to release it immediately after the Barbican concert when you're in the news again. Would you be able to come up to London again the week after next?"

"Your flat is available to you now," interjected Timermat.

Libby looked thoughtful. "Would you be able to run through them all with me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"In that case, yes, Andrew."

"Great! "We'll need to set aside two or three days for the recording. I'll get back to you with dates as soon as I can."

"We might need two or three days to get you perfect," said Timermat, "although the way you played the E Flat Minor it will be more like two or three hours. So, my dear, I suggest you move into your flat next Friday. You don't need to move everything up then. You can do that just before you start at the Academy."

Libby nodded. She looked thoughtful. Things were moving so fast and she had not been able to consult Jean or Court. She did not need to. This was her life, her career. Her face broke into a broad smile.

"This is so exciting," she almost squeaked.

Both men smiled back. "It is," said Timermat, "for all of us."

Andrew nodded vigorously in agreement. "I must have your address and telephone numbers, Libby. I'll send you an agreement to sign this afternoon and will ring you as soon as I have dates for the recording. Now I must go."

He shook hands with her and Timermat saw him out.

"That was all a bit of a rush, I'm afraid," he said when he got back, "but Andrew's a busy man, many irons in many fires. Now we can slow down a bit. Is there anything that you want to ask me now?"

"Just one thing at the moment. I'm sure there will be lots more when I've had a chance to think things through a bit. When I get to the Academy I will probably have played myself out by the end of each day but I will need to practise for the recording and the concert."

Timermat interrupted her with a smile. "And you will need a piano. There is a baby grand in your flat." Libby's eyes widened. "When I am not in here you are free to use this one and in any case you will use this one when I am giving you this so called coaching."

"Oh, Kristian, thank you. You are doing so much for me."

"And you will do much for me too, Libby. You will carry on my love of music and to an extent my interpretation of it. Now I have one question for you. You have brought your violin but you did not offer to play it. Is that because it is your least good instrument?"

Libby nodded. "I shall probably drop it at the Academy."

It was Timermat's turn to nod. "Very well. So, now, let us go and find Gudrun and show you your flat."

Gudrun was in the kitchen. "Libby, my dear!" she exclaimed. "I'd give you a hug but my hands are covered in food." Instead she leant forward and kissed her cheek. "Now, let me wash my hands and I will show you your flat."