The Essence of Music

Chapter 3

"Again! You're off tempo!"

His loud, harsh voice only made the pounding in her head worse. Coralie couldn't see the notes of the sheet through her hazy vision, and her playing hardly registered in her ears. She grit her teeth, muscles tense, burning like hot fire, as she forced her body to keep standing. Her beloved violin an anchor. Every inch of her cried out for rest.

Her mouth was dry. Her stomach achingly empty. An entire day had passed by, sun rising, setting, and rising again. Birds had begun to chirp, happily oblivious to the young girl struggling to follow the composition on the page. But she refused to quit. Her benefactor's wrath outweighed the sheer exhaustion of her body.

"Are you trying to displease me?" DuPont snapped; discontent written all over his features. He despised anything that wasn't useful to him. A bird that didn't sing was worthless.

No. She wanted to say.

I'm utterly depleted. She wanted to scream.

But the young musician straightened, lifting her weary arm, bow resting against the strings. Coralie took in a deep breath of stale air, closed her heavy eyes and started again.

The piece was beautiful. It challenged her. She had to fight her limits to keep up with its moody waves. Coralie would have enjoyed spending time on it, feeling each note deeply, unraveling what it's hiding, and create a new, more brilliant melody. She wanted to be swept away into its depths and drown within it.

It was all she could do to play through it without faltering.

"That's enough. I've tired of listening to you fail. After my meeting, you'll play again. It would be in your best interest to not laze around while I'm away." DuPont always expected the teenager to work around the clock. Results were all that mattered, and they could be nothing but absolute perfection.

A knock at the door brought his attention away from her. The butler bowed respectfully. "A letter has arrived for you, sir."

Coralie swayed on her feet, silently observing DuPont scan the contents of the letter. At first, he looked annoyed, like he did when someone overstepped their status. But everyone was regarded that way. None of them were worthy of him. She swallowed the lump in her throat. He was already in a foul mood, which made the letter most ill-timed.

Silence hung over the room like a guillotine.

DuPont rarely smiled in private, but his lips tugged upward into a devilish smile. "Very interesting. It seems your encounter with that pianist has turned out to be most worth it." He said as if he hadn't threatened to ruin her over that same encounter. Whatever the contents, there was likely a large sum of money involved.

A letter from Wolfram? He'd surely not presented any inkling of wanting more time with her.

"Read the terms and commit them to memory. You'll begin preparing the moment I return in the evening."

He left her with the parchment and went on his way. The teenager collapsed in the nearest chair. Her eyelids were heavy, begging for rest. At the same time, her stomach grumbled, painfully empty. She'd need to eat before allowing an hour or two for sleep.

Thankfully, the staff of the manor were prepared. A hot meal full of nutrients and deliciousness was promptly delivered to her bedroom after the girl had drug herself out of the music room. Tossing the last grape into her mouth, Coralie picked up the letter to read it. Her mind was tired but less groggy after the meal.

Monsieur DuPont,

In two months' time, I will be holding a concert. It's not usual for a musician of my stature to invite another to accompany me. However, the counter with Coralie Van Alst the previous week was most unexpected. Should you wish for her to participate, she will be required to live in my home. She has unfounded potential but has yet to reach the level which is required for my performances. Practicing day and night is the only remedy to become a musician worthy of my stage. Should she fail to reach that level, or fail to adhere to any of my rules, she will be promptly returned and the fund for her time repaid to me in full.