Kate had once told Michael he was a paradox—a gifted artist lacking in imagination. By which she meant he didn't think creatively about other people. He was generally good at knowing who was nice or trustworthy (the last year had been an exception). Like Jane he believed that all people deserved a right to vote and to be paid a fair wage for their work. He was even prepared to approve of his sister dating a lamplighter. But he was very much a product of his time and class. The idea that the lamplighter knew how to play Mendelssohn and could write music was so extraordinary that it needed an explanation. This, coupled with the realization that Michael knew almost nothing about Jack's background, led him to believe that Jack needed to answer some questions.

But part of the problem with not thinking creatively about other people was you didn't anticipate how out of line they might think your very justifiable questions were. Right now Jack was not interested in Michael's concerns. Right now Jack was trying very hard not to throttle him. Jack had a warm temper which he usually had under control, but occasionally it got loose like it was doing today.

"You kept this! You found it at the church and deliberately took it home with you?"

"Yes," said Michael, "We need to talk."

"About what!?" Jack exploded. "Do you have any idea how long I looked for this? I went back to the church and walked over my entire work route and you had it all the time! What gives you the right to take something that doesn't belong to you?!"

"I was quite sure it was yours which is why…"

"Dammit leave my things alone!"

"After what you did to the piano? I don't think you have anything to complain about!" said Michael.

"The piano? What has that got to do with anything? You weren't home but Ellen said it wouldn't be a problem."

"Not a problem! You left it laying in pieces all over the house!"

"I can't work on it unless I take it apart," said Jack

"Well I am not paying to have it fixed! I don't have that kind of money."

"No you don't," said Jack angrily. "You have no idea how much repairs like that cost and if you were paying I'd make damn sure you paid me every penny! But I'm only charging Mrs. Greenhough for the parts."

"Wait, Evelyn hired you to fix the piano?"

"Yes!" said Jack, "To fix the piano and give Annabel lessons."

"All right, wait," said Michael, his brain slowly processing this information. "You know how to fix the piano?"

"Yes," said Jack quietly. This was not a good sign as Angus or Fred could have told Michael.

"And you're Annabel's piano teacher?"

"Yes", answered Jack in a voice that was even more quiet.

"But how?" Asked Michael. "How do you know about Bach and how to play the piano?"

The question took Jack by surprise. "What are you talking about?"

He looked at Michael in disbelief. "Is that the problem? You don't think I should know about music because I grew up poor in the wrong part of London without a maid or a nanny? That something's wrong because I have a skill that should be reserved for people who are better than I am?"

"No." Michael was floundering. "That's not what I'm saying at all."

But Jack was right. It sounded like he was saying exactly that. He tried to clarify but wound up making it worse. "But you have to admit it's unusual. Does Jane know?"

"Does Jane know what?"

"That you're smart."

"What a dreadful mess," said Evelyn pouring tea. "I love Michael as if he were my own son, but sometime he can be..."

"A total ass," finished Jane.

"I suppose he's the one who told you?"

"Yes, he came over to my flat to tell me what happened. He realizes that he was in the wrong and owes Jack an apology. I gave him a good telling off, but I don't know if Jack will ever speak to him again. And I wouldn't blame him one bit."

"Jack came here just after it happened," said Evelyn. "He's very upset. He said he had to leave the house before he did anything he'd regret. He told me whatever I wanted to do about Annabel's lessons and the piano was fine with him, but he would prefer not to deal with Michael."

"This just makes things so much harder," said Jane bleakly.

"What is it dear?" Asked Evelyn. "You know when I tried to play matchmaker I had no idea you already knew Jack."

"No and I didn't think about the fact that he might have students."

"So you knew about the music?"

"Not at first. First we only talked about politics and books, and I knew right away that he was smart and funny. And then he helped us so much when Michael almost lost the house. He told me he played the piano but I thought it was just something he did for fun like Kate. And then I heard him play and I got scared."

"Scared?"

"He's so good Evelyn and he composes too. I don't know anything about music. There's this huge, important part of his life that I don't understand and I can't share."

"You could learn. Kate did. She got so she could tell the difference between a Rembrandt and a Botticelli and that she couldn't substitute vermilion for crimson when Michael asked her to go to the art store. Jack is a good teacher. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"It's not just that. His friends don't like me. Fred practically told me they think I'm using him. That I'm just having a bit of fun and I'll drop him when I'm bored. And Angus still calls me Miss Banks even though I've asked him to call me Jane dozens of times. And I had sort of backed away because I didn't know what to do. And now there's this thing with Michael."

"That doesn't sound like you Jane. To back away because of what other people are thinking."

"It's more complicated than that," said Jane. "And I really can't explain it."

"Do you want me to guess," asked Evelyn gently. "Because I think I've got an idea."

Jane stared down at the table two large tears forming in her eyes. "It's not what you think," she whispered. "I wasn't afraid."

"No, I don't think you were—quite the opposite. Jack is an attractive man and you thought it would be nice to be more than friends. To be intimate with one another."

Jane nodded unable to meet Evelyn's eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with that. It's how we're made. To want someone close."

"Yes, but Jack...Jack didn't want to. He said he couldn't do just that."

"He wants a commitment."

"Yes and I hadn't thought about that at all. I just wanted him." Jane brushed away the tears. "So you see maybe his friends are right and I should go away before I hurt him."

"It sounds to me like you care for him a great deal and this is more then 'just a bit of fun.'" Evelyn paused a moment to gather her thoughts. "Jane you were badly hurt when you were young, and we all worried that you wouldn't be able to get past it. But you did. And here you are healthy, strong and independent. You told me once that you made a promise to yourself to live a happy life and do things that would make the world better and you've been very successful. But you haven't given yourself much room for any relationships beyond your family. Is it possible that your heart knows exactly what you want and your mind hasn't had time to catch up?"

Jane blushed fiercely. "I don't think this is about being in love. Not like Mother and Father or Michael and Kate where you give up part of yourself to be with the other person. I don't want to give up anything. I just want to be with Jack and still be me."

"I don't think that's an impossible goal," said Evelyn. "I haven't know him long but he doesn't strike me as someone who would stop you from following your own dreams or demand that you drop everything to pursue his plans. But I do know one thing. This is between you and Jack, no one else. And you shouldn't let Michael or Angus or even me get in the way of the two of you talking this out."