Lucy had a few favorite places in the Sinistre estate. Her mother's room was the first, of course. The gardens were another; she could stroll along the paths seeing what plants she could name or that she thought her mother would like, and also found it relaxing to get away from it all and sit amongst the flowers. She supposed her room was a favorite too. At least she could decorate it however she wanted and make it feel as close to 'home' as possible.
The ballroom was quickly and unexpectedly becoming another of her favorites. Lucy liked to think she was unimpressed with the grandeur of the mansion, preferring the much simpler style of the house she grew up in, but the ballroom left her in awe. It was an enormous room that had beautiful marble floors with intricate golden designs, and columns that stretched up the similarly gold patterned wall all the way to the high ceiling. The far wall was a row of windows that allowed for a gorgeous view of the land and the far-out city. At night, the stars could be seen so clearly, twinkling above the city's welcoming lights. With one flick of a switch the three great chandeliers would glow to life and the whole room would practically shine. This opulence took Lucy's breath away and she would always feel as if she had just stepped into a fairy tale.
The first time she went in, Lucy could only walk around wide-eyed and try to take in all in. For a while afterwards her visits consisted of staring out the windows, admiring the picturesque scene outside and wishing she could be out there, exploring the town. Once or twice, although it felt slightly embarrassing, she couldn't resist waltzing across the floor with an imaginary partner as if she had been invited to a magnificent ball from the storybooks her mother used to read to her. She allowed herself to twirl around and feel carefree, if only for a moment.
At one point she went over to examine the grand piano that was centered at the wall of windows. It was enormous and, although she was no expert on musical instruments, she could tell it was outrageously expensive. Sitting down on the plush piano bench, she ran her fingers across the smooth lid and opened it up. The keys, as well as the rest of it, were polished so that Lucy could practically see her reflection. She pressed a few keys and the notes echoed perfectly throughout the room. Clean and in tune, the piano had definitely been well taken care of all this time.
She wondered how old it was, if it belonged to anyone in particular, or if it was just a display of wealth. Maybe it was only for parties, when a pianist would be hired to entertain guests. Lucy could only assume the Sinistre family had held parties at one time, or else there would be no point in having such a magnificent ballroom.
Lucy suppressed the urge to dash her hand across the keys and loudly play every note in a row, and thought back to the time she took piano lessons as a young child. It was many years ago, and only lasted about a few months; she got bored of it and wanted to quit, and her mother didn't force her to keep going. Surely, she could remember how to play something. Tapping a few more keys to get the feel of it, she was slowly able to recall Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She repeated it until she could play it fluidly, no hesitation or missed notes. It was an easy song, nothing particularly impressive, but she was proud of herself, nonetheless.
Whenever she had free time and was sure she wouldn't be seen, Lucy would secretly slip away to the ballroom and practice the piano again. Chopsticks, she decided, would be next. She didn't exactly know why she felt she had to sneak around. Anyone walking by would hear her anyway. Perhaps she just didn't want anyone making a big deal of it, like her grandmother hiring a piano teacher and having Lucy on a strict practice schedule. It was more fun this way as a casual hobby that she could do on her own time.
One evening, Lucy found herself there again. She watched the sunset for a few minutes and then turned back to the piano. She was feeling confident with the first part of Chopsticks and wanted to try playing it faster. Fingers on the keys, she straightened up like she was a famous pianist and began. She repeated the song a few times, picking up speed with each one until she felt the pace was where it should be.
Lucy hummed along: "Da da da da da da dum, da dum." She kept going based on how she thought the rest of the song went until she hit a wrong note and stopped.
"I didn't know you could play."
Lucy yelped at the sudden voice and noticed her grandmother standing in front of her. "When did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago. I didn't mean to startle you. I heard music from the hall." The Contessa half smiled. "You played it well."
"Oh, um, thanks." Embarrassed, she averted her eyes to the floor. "It wasn't that great, I don't even know if I was doing it right."
"It sounded right to me."
"I don't know… I was just a kid when I took lessons."
"As was I."
Lucy looked back up at her grandmother. "You took piano lessons too?" she asked incredulously.
"In this very spot." The Contessa sounded amused, adding, "I didn't spend my childhood learning how steal and murder like you seem to think I did."
"I never said that." Lucy cleared her throat. "Anyways… piano. I wish I could remember other songs, but this is basically it."
"Perhaps I can be of assistance." She waved for Lucy to move. Lucy stood up and stepped aside, watching her grandmother open up the bench to reveal a stack of sheet music.
"I didn't know you could store things in there! Cool!"
The Contessa chuckled as she flipped through the papers. "Oh yes. Very cool. Now, do you know 'Heart and Soul'?"
Lucy thought for a moment. "Actually, yes. I think I tried part of it once or twice. But it's a duet, isn't it?"
"Correct." She set the sheet music in the stand, put the rest back, then closed the bench and sat down. "Would you care to join me?"
"Um…" Lucy hesitated, then nodded at last. She sat down on the right half of the bench, next to her grandmother.
"This is my part here, and that there is what you'll play," the Contessa said, pointing at the paper.
"Right, I think I remember."
"Then let's start. In three, two, one."
They played together for about thirty seconds until Lucy's finger slipped and hit the wrong key, and she stopped.
"Sorry! I'm a little nervous, this is too fast for me!" She sounded upset.
The Contessa told her reassuringly, "No need to apologize, you were doing fine. Try it again." Seeing Lucy's concern, she added, "We can play slower this time."
They started at the beginning, the Contessa matching her granddaughter's slower pace, letting the younger girl feel more accustomed to the notes she was playing. After three or four plays, Lucy sat up straighter and smiled.
"I think I've got the hang of it now!"
"I think you do too."
Lucy opened her mouth to say something else, then saw something out of the corner of her eye. "Look at the stars!"
Both of them turned in their seats to admire the night sky. "It's so pretty!" she continued. "I didn't realize it had gotten this late. I love the view from here."
"It's beautiful," the Contessa agreed. "I used to watch the stars from here when I was younger, too."
Remembering her earlier curiosities, Lucy asked, "Did you used to have parties here?"
"Oh, did we ever." Her voice turned fond as she reminisced. "All kinds of parties. Birthdays, dances, other celebrations. They were grand events; I can't even begin to guess how many people would attend. Very formal too, black tie. We would hire a band and dance all night. People these days don't throw balls like that anymore. You should have seen it in all its glory."
"I can only imagine," Lucy said softly, dreamily. "It sounds incredible."
"It was." They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, gazing at the stars.
"Do you think we could play the song again? I feel ready now."
"Of course, dear."
The sounds of 'Heart and Soul' filled the air, making the ballroom feel more alive than it had been in decades.