'Mr Goodfellow! So good of you to turn up!'

Manners even knows the scrawny fellow by name!

Which actually stuns the reporter even more than Eric, he almost starts, recovers incredibly quickly, then replies politely, 'Mr Manners, you know my name! I'm very flattered.

And Mr Fielding, it's such an honour to meet you in person. To be noticed by three such illustrious men, I never expected my trip to Mr Darcy's house to have such an outcome.'

Manners has offered to do the talking this time, and Eric hopes to discover the trick of conversing with reporters by observing him.

Though Eric unknowingly has one distinct advantage over either gentleman, his inability to judge people according to class makes him treat everyone respectfully; while Manners may associate with lower classes freely, he unconsciously still shows some feeling of superiority. Somehow, he does talk down to a common reporter and is not even aware of it, as he wasn't aware of making decisions for Simon without consulting him first, something Eric had to point out to him.

Of course, Eric has to greet the reporter himself, and he does so handsomely, feeling less nervous than he thought he'd be, having Darcy and Manners present must mean he's pretty secure from making large blunders.

'Mr Goodfellow, so good to finally meet. I'm sorry to have to ask, but was the review on the culture page in today's Times from your hand?'

'It was, Mr Fielding, and it's our pleasure as reporters to stay as anonymous as possible, it's the news that matters, not who gets to write about it. Though I'm glad my editor sent me to cover the Charity Ball, even if it meant hovering on the sidelines, not daring to put myself forward among the highborn. Thank you so much, Mr Darcy, for allowing me entrance to your house, I really didn't expect that.'

Now Manners takes over, and observes, 'Well, Mr Goodfellow, of course that is not altogether Mr Darcy's excellent nature doing a reporter a good turn. There is a measure of self-interest involved, you're certainly the only reporter who seems to care in the slightest what Mr Fielding's music sounds like. The others appear to be more interested in his past and his love-life.

Feel free to ask any question of any of us, but when writing your article, please remember it should be about Mr Fielding's music, not so much his private situation.'

The reporter merely bows, he is still rather impressed by Manners, and rightly so, that gentleman can be pretty forceful. Still Mr Goodfellow manages to ask very sensible questions, actually starting with a question that enables Eric to tell him the most important information he has to share.

'Mr Fielding, those compositions you played last of all, I was so struck with the emotion they contained, I'd love to know where and how you found them, and how you worked up the courage to be the first pianist in London to play such unabashedly romantic music to an audience that has the reputation of being rather conservative.'

'Do you want me to be totally honest, Mr Goodfellow?' Eric asks, as a kind of introduction to what he is going to reveal to the reporter.

'Yes, please,' the little man replies eagerly.

'Before I read your article I didn't even realise there was such a thing as romantic music. I used to live a very sheltered life, and did not keep abreast of what was happening in the world, or even what was happening in the world of music. My former patron introduced me to certain people who advised him and thus me. Romantic music was never part of that, I guess they didn't want me to play it.'

Puzzled, the man asks, 'But how did you get hold of these compositions, then? I thought you chose them with great care, they were so daring, so feeling.'

He looks at Darcy, dismissing him as the source instantly, then at Manners, then decides to just ask.

'Did someone recommend them to you?'

'Mr Goodfellow, I'm surprised you didn't find out at the Ball, for we told a lot of people. Those compositions came to life in my own mind, sang through my head for weeks, even months, I couldn't get anything done anymore, couldn't even practise playing until I wrote them down.

I didn't know they classified as romantic until you called them such. In a way I'm glad I'm not to be the first to write this style of music, for it will make finding an audience for my compositions so much easier. I will admit to feeling intimidated by having to introduce a whole new kind of music all by myself.'

As Eric explains this, the man's face is a study in surprise, changing to awe.

'You made that concerto yourself? For orchestra, too?'

Eric merely nods.

'I can barely believe that, Mr Fielding. I mean, I know you wouldn't lie, but it's so hard to believe I'm standing in front of a real-life genius.'

And he really seems struck totally dumb for several moments.

Just before the silence starts to become uncomfortable, he manages to say, 'I still hear shreds of it in my mind, it doesn't seem to let go of me. Next time you play in a public place, I'll be there again, Mr Fielding.'

'I suppose we can do a little better than that, can't we Fielding?'

Manners is obviously very, very pleased to see the scruffy reporter totally stunned, the fellow is clearly a real adept in music, having knowledge of what is going on in other countries as well, something Eric can envy him. To see him overcome by the knowledge that Eric wrote those compositions himself is a compliment of the highest kind.

'Do you mind giving Mr Goodfellow a little private show?'

Eric doesn't, he may be a shabby fellow, but is is clear Mr Goodfellow has sound knowledge and a broad taste.

'Not in the least, Manners, I would be honoured. And then, Mr Goodfellow, I want to know where you heard romantic music, and how long it has been in existence, and what other musical movements I have missed while studying virtuosity on the wrong brand piano.'

'A private concert? Just for me? Seriously?'

Then he registers what Eric said.

'The wrong brand piano? You want to learn about music from me? You must be joking! You may turn out to be the greatest musical genius England has ever brought forth, and you want me to tell you about music? I can't even play a folk song!'

Obviously Manners feels it's time to take control once more, of course it wouldn't look good in the papers if the reporter would write about Eric suddenly discovering that his former patron has kept him ignorant on a subject he has studied all his life, without him even noticing. Eric feels stupid and uninformed, and more than a little resentful, who knows what else is out there in instruments and music? That Clementi was such a joy to play.

'I think it's time to do just that, Darcy, will you lead us to your instrument?'

Before Eric can show his resentment against Mr Zumpe even more, they are on their way to the drawing-room, where he knows he will see Georgiana, though if he is wise, he will not seek solace by her side.

She, at least, plays her role to perfection, looking up at their entrance, but bending back over her needlework after acknowledging their presence. She's doing really well learning to embroider, Eric wondered why she would want to learn at all, since she can play the piano like no other lady, and is a pretty good artist when it comes to drawing.

But she explained that she can do neither in company, and she has applied herself to learning with the same determination that has gotten her so far in her playing, which is now starting to show.

Seeing his beloved calms him down significantly, and he sits down at the piano with eagerness. This man truly knows and appreciates music, it will be a true pleasure to play for him. He'd so much like to pick the man's mind for knowledge about music, but of course he is a reporter, and Eric cannot let him know how sadly he lacks that true knowledge himself.

'What would you like to hear, Mr Goodfellow? Miss Darcy's Buntebart lends itself to both virtuous pieces and my own romantic music. I can give you either, or a bit of both.'

'You have been so forthcoming to me, Mr Fielding, and you are such an incredible talent, anything you want to demonstrate would be a privilege to hear. But if you'd play your last piece again, I'd be a very happy man, it was so incredibly beautiful.'

Frankly, Eric hasn't played that since the ball, in agony then, almost too happy to believe right now. Will this discerning listener hear the difference? Will Eric feel the difference?

'I'll start with that, then, and let you hear a bit of my new study-piece next, and a sonata I've practised with Miss Darcy. And if it pleases you, we can play the harpsichord, too, we've re-discovered it planning to translate Bach to the pianoforte.'

Mr Goodfellow looks at Georgiana and the little harpsichord in turns, he can hardly believe his luck, and nods slowly.

'Of course, yes, please, I'd love to hear that. The harpsichord, few people even remember it, poor thing. And you have such a pretty one, Miss Darcy.

People always say, Miss Darcy plays the piano so well, but you know, no-one has actually heard you play. It will be such an honour to be allowed to be the first, and I promise, I will not write about you in my article if you don't wish to be mentioned. My colleague went way too far in my humble opinion, speculating about all kinds of private matters. I'm not like that, I write about music.'

Lovely, beautiful Georgiana, she smiles her most ravishing smile for this plain man, and her voice sounds like angels singing.

'Thank you, sir. I was feeling a bit hesitant about playing for someone who I know works for a large paper. It gives you a lot of power, Mr ..'

'Goodfellow, Miss Darcy. And I would be very thankless to repay your brother's hospitality and Mr Fielding and Mr Manners' kindness by writing gossip and trash. I assure you that is not the way to stay welcome on important occasions.'

'Too true, Mr Goodfellow, nice to meet you. You're incredibly eloquent, I don't wonder you write for a living. I'll be happy to play for you.'

Oh, Georgiana, measuring up to her future in public life already! It's very hard not to show his admiration for her openly, but Eric will save it for his performance, it will give his own composition a whole new meaning.

And as Darcy invites their scruffy guest to sit down in a lush chair close to the piano, Eric launches into his latest work, finding his moments of dejection still powerful, though they are memories by now. Whenever his composition expresses his elation, it truly soars, and when he finishes he can feel a new part will be added soon, born of feelings of triumph and bliss.

Without waiting for a reaction, he starts in the direction of his leather case, but finds Georgiana standing right next to him with the correct sheets already in hand.

'I suppose you still want these, though you know at least half by heart?'

Her cheeks are as flushed as they usually are after one of his performances, and he so wants to kiss her, but he doesn't.

'Indeed I do, Miss Darcy. Thank you so much for getting them.'

'My pleasure, Mr Fielding, I'll be ready with the next set when you're finished.'

A little light in her eye makes her look lovelier than ever, she is enjoying this bit of theatre!

Though he hasn't studied all of this piece, yet, and therefore cannot play it in its entirety, he knows the part he has studied is so incredibly difficult it cannot fail to impress anyone listening. But talking to the reporter has brought to Eric's attention that this piece is one from his collection, a collection that was put together by Mr Zumpe.

Of course it's exactly what his former patron likes, incredibly difficult and of an unmatched virtuosity, and Eric will certainly study it until he has mastered it completely. But after that he will try to look further, discover different kinds of music, delve into romantic music as much as he can manage from London.

While he finishes these thoughts, he tests his variegated scales on Mr Goodfellow, and even those impress the scruffy man in the luxurious chair.

Then he lets them flow over into the new piece seamlessly, and concentrates on the difficult score in front of him.

When he is done, he looks at their guest, and is not disappointed, however much this man likes music with strong emotions, he can appreciate virtuosity as well.

'This is the best day of my life, Mr Fielding!' he exclaims with feeling, as soon as he has found his voice back.

'I knew you were good, but I've never heard the likes of this. Will you play this in public as well?'

'Thank you, Mr Goodfellow, I will, but I have not mastered it in its entirety yet. There's about one fourth to go. Now, Miss Darcy, will you join me at the piano?'

Georgiana approaches with the right music sheets, for herself, his score is in his mind, he improvises it every time they play this piece. She never shows a sign of that bothering her, his accompaniment being slightly, or more than slightly, different each time. She just plays her part and enjoys the harmonies they create together.

She starts with a few scales as well, to get the feel of the instrument, as if she's not playing it for hours each day, she really is an actress born, and again, their guest shows his astonishment openly. Well, if a few scales with variations impress him, he's in for a treat!

On Eric's signal, Georgiana changes the scales into the sonata, and before long he joins her with his improvised accompaniment. It's such fun to do this together, if it wouldn't harm both their studies they could do this all day long! Frankly, Georgiana is performing this so well by now, she could play it by herself, but Eric knows she wouldn't appreciate his quitting his playing all of a sudden.

So they merely finish it and accept plenty of compliments.

'Do you want to play the harpsichord together as well, Mr Fielding?'

Georgiana sounds respectful, she's obviously nothing more than his pupil, even their easy familiarity is totally gone. It's a bit frightening, he hasn't dreamed holding her, has he? She's merely acting, isn't she?

A wink and a little smile prove she is, and he replies as formally.

'If it pleases you, Miss Darcy, I'd love to have you show off your accomplishments.

Miss Darcy had never played a harpsichord until not even a week ago, Mr Goodfellow. Then she received a compilation of Bach works as a Christmas gift, and as you know, to make a good translation one needs to speak both languages.

So we picked up some skills on the harpsichord. I used to be a real expert, having learned from a master in Prague, but after a few years one has to learn those skills all over again.'

And their performance is still not capital, but since they know this, they have selected several folk-songs to translate to the harpsichord, and the easiest of the Bach works sounds reasonably professional, and it's great fun.

Together they play the folk-songs, they're among Mrs Darcy's favourites, she loves simple songs, and the bright tones of the harpsichord always make her smile. This time is no exception.

'Will you please play the Bach by yourself, Mr Fielding? I really need a little more practice on the harpsichord.'

It really is Georgiana, talking as if they've just met and he is still a taskmaster. But it is impossible to deny her anything, so he assents and does not allow his eyes to follow her as she finds a place among the spectators. Still getting used to the little instrument, he nonetheless feels he performs creditably, and when he is done, all applaud him.

'I so love that cute little instrument, Mr Fielding,' Mrs Darcy observes happily.

'Such a good idea of you to scour the attic for a discarded one, and it still has such a lovely tone, after all these years covered in dust.'

'It is an antique?' the reporter enquires.

Darcy replies this time, he hasn't said much so far, but he did Eric a real service, inviting this unsightly fellow into his house to help his protégé find useful publicity.

'Mr Fielding, Miss Darcy, and one of Mrs Darcy's sisters hunted for it in our large attic. It must be at least fifty years old, but most likely it's much older, for this house has been in my family for at least double that time, and it was in the very back, with the oldest stuff.'

'May I study it for a moment, Mr Darcy? I may be able to find a maker's mark, I have studied harpsichords for years, though one rarely hears them played anymore. It was an exquisite pleasure to hear you play this one, Mr Fielding, I hope you will allow me to mention it in my article, and I hope you will consider taking the little treasure along when you play concerts.

Miss Darcy as well, it would be such a motivation for girls to hear they can excel at playing, too, if only they practise regularly. Though I suppose you have a sizeable talent yourself, Miss.'

Is he suggesting Eric should take Georgiana on the stage? It's not even impossible, but it needs a lot of thinking over.

'You may write about the harpsichord, if Mr Darcy agrees, with a little more practise I can add some Bach to my repertoire.

And of course Miss Darcy can speak for herself really well, but I would advise her to do some thinking before she even considers performing in public. It means even more exposure to the society reporters.'

Georgiana does answer the reporter herself, 'Thank you for the compliment, Mr Goodfellow, but I'd rather not be mentioned in your article, and I'd have to consider performing in public very seriously. I'd love to, but I'm not sure I'm good enough, I don't want people to accept mediocrity because I'm a girl.'

The little man now examines the little instrument, the lacquered outside, and the interior, and suggests, 'It may very well be a hundred years old, I think it's German in origin. The tone is exceptional for such an age, though there are much older ones around, from Flanders mostly. But a lot of those are fakes.'

Then he rights himself and bows.

'I've taken up enough of your time, I thank you very much for letting me have a look into your lives, that doesn't happen too often. I will not disappoint you writing my article.'

Manners now observes, 'We're looking forward to reading your work, Mr Goodfellow. If we're pleased with what you've written, we'll let you know when something newsworthy happens. Do you have an address where you can be reached?'

The reporter hands him a card, and clearly shows some discomfort. Whatever can be the matter?

'Mr Darcy, to thank you for allowing me this personal interview with Mr Fielding, I want to share some information with you, which you will not be pleased to receive.

When I was waiting to see whether someone of your household would speak to me, I got in touch with your butler, who told me, literally, that a shabby midget like me would never be allowed in the house of Mr Darcy of Pemberley. He added, 'But if you're looking for some newsworthy facts to put in your paper, I can get hold of some interesting information, for a fee of course. Wait here, I'll get back to you as soon as my duties allow.''

He looks positively pained, and adds, 'I don't know whether he was bluffing to make a few bob, but I suppose you're not the kind of man to risk a servant spying on your wife, your sister and your friends. As well as yourself, undoubtedly.

I'll leave you to act however you see fit. Thank you very much for your kindness and your time!'

Darcy leads the man out, and Eric can see he is taking the reporter's warning very seriously, they are talking intently. As soon as the man has left the drawing-room, Georgiana and Mrs Darcy exclaim almost as one, 'Not again!'

At Manners' and his own questioning glance, Mrs Darcy explains, 'We've had Johnson just these last few months. The butler before him had been in the family for ten years, and he abused his power over the other servants.'

'And he even tried to bully me,' Georgiana adds.

'We chose this man carefully, and now we'll have to wait what information about us he has sold to the newspapers. You're not altogether safe either, Mr Manners, better watch yourself.'

Mrs Darcy is right, and Eric also realises that Johnson knows about their engagement, someone might pay to hear that.

'I hope Fitzwilliam has written all his important connections about our engagement,' Georgiana says, 'for the paper will beat his letters in speed of delivery, I'm afraid.'

'Your brother is an independent man, Miss Darcy,' Manners now observes calmly, 'he can ignore anything his relatives say or do. You need not worry about your engagement becoming public a few weeks earlier than planned.

And you need not worry about me either, Simon and I have both been very careful, I never trust anyone enough to catch me in a way that may compromise me, years of living with servants have taught me to not ignore anyone in a household, not even the lowliest maid or the most dimwitted stable-sweeper.'

Darcy is staying away for rather a long time, and Eric has no clue whether that is a good or a bad thing, but since there is nothing he can do to stop the butler from selling information to a newspaper anyway, he decides to use him time well, and snuggles really close to Georgiana, holding her hand and kissing her a tiny bit.

Mrs Darcy picks up her needlework once more, and Manners joins her where she sits, though not in her work. They talk about the offers Eric has had for concerts, and the implications this will have for Mr and Mrs Darcy. As long as Georgiana and Eric are merely engaged, her brother and his wife will have to stay in London to supervise, and Manners knows Mrs Darcy will attract nearly as much attention as Georgiana.

Then Darcy returns, smiling!

'I convinced Mr Goodfellow to buy Johnson's information anyway, with my funds of course, to find out what he knows. Of course there is a risk he'll publish it, but I suppose he prefers to stay close to the source, one scoop on Johnson's information would be his last, and he knows it.'

'Will you dismiss Johnson right away?'

'I don't think so, Manners, I want to be fair, so I guess we'll all be haunting our own house once more, trying to catch him at it. He goes home after dinner, and he has to avoid being seen by all the other servants, so I suppose he will not have rummaged through our bedrooms as of yet.

I cannot say I'm looking forward to choosing yet another butler, I'm getting a bit tired of seeing new faces all the time.'