At the Redmond Music Department, professors sat at a long table, stacks of papers in front of them.
There was a shiny piano on the dais.
A weighty discussion was raging in the room, as it was spring exam time and scholarship award time as well. Outside of those wide doors, nervous students sat and waited for their turn, excitement and fear in their hearts.
Professor Mabel Sorel, looked up as a name was mentioned, "Una Meredith. Do you think she deserves a scholarship that we can award from the Christine Stuart Dawson Fund, Sorel?"
Professor Sorel, placed her slender fingers on the thin folder that contained Una Merediths admission records, and her previous test results of this term quarter.
A slight look of astonishment rose in Professor Bernard's eyes, as Sorel, in her usual cool style, said, "I do. Miss Una Meredith, deserves the highest scholarship we can award her."
Professor Bernand, who resembled a hulking walrus or sea lion, thumbed through his papers with a displeased look, the silence thickening into a slightly uncomfortable one, as he finally said, "My dear lass, wouldn't it be better to reward Mr. Chase, instead of Miss Meredith?"
Professor Sorel glanced at the group of men, and said in a flat, almost emotionless voice, where one could hear the light irony, "Dear colleagues, we have over twenty-two students waiting outside the doors, I promise you that when you hear Miss Meredith, you will find that my position is correct."
Professor Bernard, just grunted as he glanced at the eternally black-clad Sorel, whose colorless face was unassuming, her old-maidish medium-brown hair pulled back with old tortoiseshell combs. She looked like what she was, a frumpish, terrifyingly competent teacher of piano, whose standards were almost inhumanly high, as was her cool sarcasm towards her students, but she did know her metier. Professor Bernard, gestured commandingly that the wide double doors could be opened for Miss Meredith.
There was a deep silence in the hallway, as the double doors opened, Una Meredith entered the exam room, her midnight blue skirts fluttering.
Victor Chase leaned against the wall, and lightly whistled a strand of Mozart, aria of Pamina, "Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunde" after a while the browsing of music folders continued, last minute revisions.
But Victor Chase didn't focus on his surroundings, he remembered how twenty minutes earlier Miss Meredith had walked past him.
She had glanced lightly, quickly, shyly in his direction.
There had been a scent of a delicious slightly spicy scent, like cake spices, but it was her, eyes, they haunted him, the deep, blue shade, her skin was the color of palest tearose.
Miss Meredith had sat waiting, almost motionless, until the doors had opened, she had been like the image of a saint, with her modish dark hair, delicate features, not pretty, more sweet, but more than that somehow.
Captivating, intriguing.
Una sat down at the piano, and took a deep breath as she heard Professor Bernard's voice in the distance, "Professor Sorel, what do you want Miss Meredith to start with, as she is your student, after all."
Professor Sorel's low voice was cool, and as calm as the snow in the Glen, as she replied, "I don't care if it's the first piece on the list."
The slight rustle of the papers sounded louder than it actually was, as Una turned and placed her fingers lightly on the piano keys, and began, a throbbing question cutting her heart, is this really what I want to do, as pearly clear, Ravel Miroirs, flowed like sparkling sunny water, like a stream in Rainbow Valley, and in time, Ravel changed into haunting Schubert D959 Sonata movements 2nd and 3rd, to which Una poured all her pain, her inner confusion, her lost love, between the notes, into their depths.
Professor Sorel sat still, and as before, when Una Meredith played, feeling and skill were in perfect harmony. Feeling a flood of deep throbbing sorrow tied to the music, Mabel Sorel smiled a little, barely perceptible, as her greenish-hazel eyes flared.
A day later, the results were announced. Miss Una Meredith had won a two-year scholarship, which was extremely rarely awarded, of the Christine Stuart Dawson Fund, to a musician of exceptional talent.
Una looked at the list in bewilderment, hardly believing what she was seeing, but her name was there, in clear calligraphy.
A polite voice said from beside her, "Miss Meredith, may I be the first to offer congratulations on this achievement?"
Una glanced up and met Victor Chase's serious gaze.
Suddenly Una found herself saying, "All my life I've been that practical and reliable, maybe a bit invisible, and the piano has been something I do because I'm good at it and because it's a socially acceptable skill to have, as is homemaking too. And now, it feels like different doors opened and I don't know if I'll step through them or not."
Victor Chase, glancing thoughtfully at Miss Meredith, and holding out his arm, said, "Come, right now Redmond is at its best, at early summer season. A walk helps to clear one's thoughts, at least I have noticed so myself, after Flanders."
They walked, slowly away from the campus toward the parks and the rocky shore, and sat down on a bench next to which in high summer would grow blooming roses.
Victor Chase, half glanced at Una Meredith as he said, "Miss Meredith, There are many reasons why we study here, while trying to build a new world, to glue together shattered pieces of ourselfs. Nevertheless, I would like to say, please believe in yourself and do what you want. That scholarship is rare, take advantage of it and the education you get here, but also remember to have fun, life is not just an obligation. You are allowed to enjoy the gift that you have, it is not a sin."
Hearing those words, in that warm, voice that didn't sound like Walter's, but the similarity was startling, almost painfully so, if less high-flying, Una felt a slight color rise to her cheeks, and embarrassed, hurriedly she got up from the bench and said, "Thank you, for our conversation. Unfortunately I have to leave now, as there are some errands that I have to do."
Victor Chase, bowed politely, and waved his hand in a theatrical gesture, as he declared, " Miss Meredith, can I have a dance, if you are coming to Convocation?"
Una was startled, at the offer, astonishment broke her general silence, as she answered, a triftle tremolous manner, "Mr. Chase, I didn't think of going, for soup-kitchens and over-decorated parlors of Presbytery Churches are more my kind of places than Convocation dances, if Im honest."
Victor Chase stretched lazily as he said, "It is a pity, as the music there is reportedly lovely, or so I have heard to be said. Miss Meredith, have a lovely summer season then."
Redmond was full of the bustle of Convocation, but the kitchen of the HayCorner boardinghouse was full of homely smells, as Una Meredith took a tray of aromatic cinnamon-bisquits from the oven.
Carl smiled at his sister as he, swiped one bisquit from the tray, and handed it to Shirley, who remarked, "There is section of waltzes in Redmond's ballroom right now, probably, but we're in the middle of a baking marathon, I'm not complaining, though I'd imagine you might want to dance here when you're not bound by Glen's code of conduct, Una?"
Una's neck, looked graceful, and delicate, as her fashionable hair allowed that grace to its rights, not that she was aware of it, and the heat of the oven had brought a slight blush to her face, as Una wiped her hands to her plain apron and answered, "We shall soon be at the Glen, and there I will dance, part of the wedding party, if I must. That is enough for me, and as for the baking, I can't let you do everything, even if you wanted to."
Carl grinned as he tasted the bisquit, the taste of it was hauntingly familiar one. Shirley glanced warily, worriedly, at Carl, for his expression had changed, but his hands were not shaking, so no nerves, but something else.
A nostalgic look came into Carl's eyes as he said, "Una, Mama baked these, didn't she?"
Una nodded, as she remarked, " I found an old recepit booklet at the attic, of Manse last August. Great Aunt Martha had left it there, so I took it with me here, with Mother Rosies blessing."
Relieved and curious Shirley broke one bisquit and tasted it, the taste was light and gentle, and sweetly cinnamony, but maybe it could be improved a little. Shirley suggested, "If you grated some bitter orange on these, that would be a nice addition."
Una, just glanced at Shirley, and took a thin piece of paper from her apron pocket, and handed it to Shirley, saying, "Maybe so, here's the whole recipe, for I knew you'd be curious to see it."
Shirley did smooth salute to Una, with his other hand, as he began to peruse late Cecilia Merediths cursive.
There was mild silence, then Carl noted, lightly, " Una, we Merediths have been visible in Redmond, having won various accolades in our own way. How nice that you continue that tradition."
Una smiled slightly as she replied, "Carl, you may regret your hilarity, for Professor Sorel lent me a large bundle of sheet music to look over during the summer season."
A light breeze from an open window flicked tawny-golden unruly hair onto Carl's forehead as he inquired, " There is probably some suitable wedding music, for Nan and Jerry, do you think so Una. Is Professor Sorel similar to Mother Rosie, then?"
Before Una could answer, Shirley remarked, "Carl, don't pester Una. It seems that she is satisfied, as you are with your own professors, and I with mine, for the most part."
Carl, carefully took from his tweed jacket pocket a small box containing an early butterfly larva, its black and green striped shell was recognizable, and noticing Una's gaze, Carl said defensively, "It's a Monarch."
Una just smiled quietly as she and Shirley exchanged glances that were fond. Carl with his creatures of all Christendom.
Una looked at peaceful Glen basking in the early summer glow.
In a couple of days it would be Nan's and Jerry's wedding, and the Manse was a bustle of activity, almost like an anthill, as Carl had remarked.
It was strange to walk the streets of Glen, everything was like before, but at the same time it wasn't.
Glen seemed small, the thought was startling.
Una remembered how Rosemary had embraced her tightly, at Glen's train station, and whispered, "Una dear, I'm so proud of you."
Una had looked into Rosemary's steady blue eyes, as she had whispered, in return "It is good to be home, again."
It was twilight, in Rainbow Valley.
Una Meredith sat quietly on the edge of the flowing stream, and kept her fingers in the cool water, Irene Howard's stinging words echoed in her mind, " Una Meredith, you look almost pretty, in that hairstyle, although your style of clothing has not changed, always only blue, winning some prize, or so I have heard, it does not give you a sense of style."
Rilla Blythe's soft laugh rang out in the still evening, as the two shadows silently joined each other.
Quietly, carefully, Una Meredith walked away, leaving Rainbow Valley to Rilla and Kenneth Ford.