Music.
Invading her dreams. Brushing at the edge of her consciousness.
It was her life... but not like this. Mina Harker opened her eyes to the darkness but the music didn't fade. Someone was playing her piano.
In her own house, she moved with confidence ... not needing the cane or the guiding hand that were usually her constant companions. Sliding out of bed, she walked through the empty rooms, homing in on the sound. They were playing with more passion than accuracy but somehow that knowledge brought tears to her eyes.
She recognised the piece. How could she not? A century of studying music and she knew her repertoire intimately.
Chopin. Nocturne in C# minor.
Pausing in the doorway she listened for a while longer, wondering if the intruder even realised she was there. He stopped before he came to the end of the piece. She heard the clink of glass, the splash of liquid. The scent of strong liquor filled the room. Mina only kept bourbon in the house for one person.
"I didn't know you played," she said, stepping into the room.
There was no immediate reply. She wondered what he was doing here, why he had come.
"Maggie," he replied eventually.
Mina didn't need any other explanation. She moved to his side, sliding her hand onto his shoulder, trying to warm him with her touch. Rupert Galvin may have lost his taste for revenge but his grief was still powerful and it wasn't something that she could ever hope to share. Her own bereavement was a distant thing, the pain now dulled by the decades. She could feel him trembling. If he had been another man she might have thought he was crying. But Rupert wouldn't cry, not even when he knew that she couldn't see his tears. The only way he could express his grief was through the music.
"Play for me," she said.
"No."
The muscles under her fingers were suddenly tense, betraying his embarrassment.
"Please."
She could hear his hesitation, fingers not striking the notes with anything like his previous assurance.
"You play well," she said.
"And you're lying," he laughed, no doubt comparing his skill with her own and finding himself lacking. Mina didn't care.
She just wanted to listen.