Chapter 40

The party began to break up at about nine o'clock. The Everleighs and Harmsworths stayed to the bitter end and insisted on helping to clear up. It did not take long for so many people to collect plastic beakers and cardboard plates and throw them in the skip. Inevitably there was quite a lot of food that had been dropped on the grass but the dogs made short work of that. It took longer to sort out the bar and dining room, moving the furniture back, wiping down tables and cleaning up the floor.

They put all the remaining food on the bar and the Jays served everyone drinks.

"Thank you all so much," said Jenny, "particularly the irregulars. We couldn't have managed without you."

"When are you next going to wear that tie?" Henry asked Ricky with a grin.

"Not until one of the Ks orders me to," Ricky grinned back.

"You've got a job, I hear."

"Yeah with a buildin' firm in Pitsbury. I'm learnin' to be a plant operator."

"Good for you. What about you, Reg?"

"Same firm but I'm learnin' to be a brickie."

"Great! Well I hope it goes well for both of you. If there's a fall off in work because of the recession get in touch with Dave at the farm. I'm sure he'd be able to find some part time work for you."

"Thanks," said both boys and meant it.

Ginny thanked the two girls for all their fund raising efforts and hugged them both. Kylie nearly died with pride and embarrassment. She'd been hugged by a Lady. It might as well have been the Queen as far as she was concerned.

Finally only the Everleighs and Harmsworths remained. Ginny took both Jenny's hands in hers.

"This has been one of the happiest days of my life, Jenny dear."

"Mine too, Ginny. I can't begin to thank you for all that you've done for us. I know Ewan put up by far the most money but it was you, Ginny dear, who dreamt up the rescue plan and saw it through."

Impulsively she kissed her. Ginny returned it in kind. There were more hugs, kisses and handshakes and then at last the Jays were alone.

They fell into each others arms and held each other in silence for several minutes. At length, James released her and, as she looked up at him, gently kissed her nose, her forehead and then her lips.

"Thank you, my precious darling, for stopping me being a mule," he whispered.

She smiled lovingly. "It was part selfishness."

"So what? I know what the main part was. Love! Your love saw that we would be happy staying here, we would lose our sense of initiative if we went back to being underlings and that we needed stability."

She nodded, "And that our love for each other might be at risk if we were both unhappy."

"You are a very, very wonderful lady. Clever, loving, beautiful and intuitive. I am one very, very lucky man."

"It works both ways." She chuckled. "I think I'm one very lucky woman, and, talking about loving, I think it's time we went to bed and did some serious loving."

"I said you were clever."

As James snuggled up to her in bed she said, "James, my darling, I came off the pill a month ago and I'm at my most fertile."

The kiss she received in reply showed her that James would do the utmost to fulfil his side of the bargain. Indeed, forty minutes later when she was begging for the ultimate relief James roughly shovelled a pillow under her hips.

"What are you doing that for?"

"To make sure that none of the idle little devils get out by swimming downhill."

At lunchtime the next day Roy brought his entire family in. Jenny pretended to cower when she saw Hettie. Roy laughed.

"She's safe-ish now," he said. "Anyways it's our pub now so we got to make sure it makes a profit, 'aven't we?"

In fact, both children behaved impeccably and Jenny was very taken with them.

The Williamses and Libby came in. One or two people said thank you to Ewan but generally he was treated no differently from normal. The talk at their table was all about Libby's forthcoming concert with Kristian Timermat in July. Ewan had secured the recording rights and was thrilled. The highlight was going to be Mozart's concerto for two pianos with the London Philharmonic Orchestra which meant that they would get a lot of time on Classic FM. Libby was getting equal billing and was going to play a Chopin sonata as well. It was once more going to be at the Barbican and Libby had secured twenty free seats at the dress rehearsal for members of the Academy.

"That should earn you brownie points," teased Court.

"Don't need them."

She certainly did not. Her first year had been a resounding success. Her piano tutor had taught her some finer points of pedalling and what could be achieved with different wrist weights but had admitted that there was little else she could teach her. She was able to concentrate on the theoretical work, improve her clarinet playing and work more at choral training which she loved.

The rehearsals at home with Kristian were a joy. He had a baby grand in the drawing room and that was moved in with the Steinway. It had neither the tone nor the volume but that did not matter. She reckoned he taught her more in six weeks than she had learned at the academy in over a year. One of the things he would make her do was to sing a passage the way she wanted it to go. Clearly she could not sing all the notes but she could take the theme and then make the piano follow what she wanted. He was so encouraging too. He would look over at her as they played together and smile and nod as she achieved something they had been working on. They also laughed a lot which destroyed anxiety and tension.

The dress rehearsal went well. There were one or two minor adjustments made and the attendees from the Academy listened raptly to the discussions about these.

The performance itself went perfectly. Libby's sonata received a standing ovation as did the double concerto. Kristian had made her bring her clarinet much against her will. "Just in case," he had said. It was just as well. As they came back for the third time the audience began chanting, "Petite Fleur," stamp, stamp, "Petite Fleur."

Kristian smiled at her. "Told you," he said and gestured for her to go and fetch her clarinet. Libby smiled ruefully back at him, dropped him a curtsey and ran to get it. The audience loved it and redoubled their applause.

They had to play it three times. Such was their understanding and ability that not one was the same. Kristian matched her extemporisations perfectly.

Back in her flat after dinner, Court took her gently in his arms and held her so that he could look down into her eyes.

"I don't know how you do it, darling," he said. "You play even more exquisitely every time I listen to you."

"It's because you're there listening."

"What do you mean?"

"Because each time my love for you has grown."

"You play for me?"

She nodded. "You know I always talk to the piano before I play."

"Yes."

"I used to just say 'Sing for me'. Now I say 'Sing my love for Court.'"

Court gazed at her speechless. Then he clasped her to him. She could feel him trembling.

Suddenly he released her, grasped her shoulders and held her away from him, his eyes boring into hers. "I love you, Libby, love you, love you, love you. With every part of me I love you. Libby, my darling, will you marry me?"

"Oh God!" breathed Libby and stiffened. "I knew this would happen in the end. Court, darling, I can't."

"Why not, for God's sake?"

"It wouldn't be fair on you."

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Because if I'm going to be a concert pianist I'll be away so often and wouldn't be able to be a proper wife to you. Court, my darling, I do love you but I can't marry you until I get this performing bug out of my system and that may take forever."