His Lady's Crescendo

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Isabelle checked her pocket watch to see the time; it was close, but she at least had time for the performance. She saw the rest of the group setting up, and she heard the patrons getting excited for the performance. She knew how much they loved their alcohol with music.

She took her place at the piano, once again making sure that her face was covered properly. Her fingers poised over the keys with practiced precision. Beside her, Jack tuned his guitar, a mischievous glint in his eye, while Robin adjusted the strings of her violin with a focused intensity that belied her earlier irritation.

With a nod from Isabelle, they launched into their performance, the tavern filling with the infectious energy of their music. Isabelle's fingers danced across the piano keys, weaving out melodies that intertwined perfectly with Jack's soulful guitar and Robin's soaring violin. Henry's flute added a whimsical flourish to the composition, enhancing the liveliness of their ensemble.

Isabelle was having so much fun right now; all the keys were hitting the right notes, and they were perfectly in sync. She reveled in the closeness of her bandmates; they shared the same passion for music. Soon Jack started singing, and the whole tavern came alive, stomping their feet and dancing along to the music.

Theodore, who had fallen asleep, jolted to the change of atmosphere in the room. His head felt a lot better, but as he opened his eyes, he could feel the bartender judging him for falling asleep after drinking only tea.

His ears tuned to the music in the room. It sounded wonderful; he had visited this tavern in his quest to find a pianist, but they didn't even have a pianist available when he visited.

Now a band was performing, and they were all talented. The pianist had a familiar sound that he could not place right now. He had spent months searching for a pianist, but in two days, he had seen two pianists who had changed his mind.

He focused his eyes on the person playing the piano, but he couldn't see much as they were all covered up; the pianist seemed to have a smaller build.

He signaled to the bartender. "Who's playing the piano?" he inquired.

"I didn't want to disturb your beauty rest earlier, but you can't come to a tavern and not order drinks; it's bad for business," the bartender said.

Theodore, annoyed at his answer, handed him some more coins to change his mind.

"This will do for now, but don't come here if you're not going to order anything," the bartender said.

"I think it's a new guy the boss hired; I'll call for him after the performance," he finally answered.

That made a lot of sense. This tavern didn't have a pianist when he had visited before. He could admit that the other musicians were good too; they played different instruments apart from the piano.

But for Theodore, he was quite picky when it came to the piano. There was a particular sound ingrained in him that made it difficult to appreciate the sounds of other pianists. Perhaps if he heard that same music again, he could mend his relationship with the piano.

Ignoring the rude bartender, he walked closer to the stage to enjoy the performance. It was getting rowdy in the tavern as the guests were getting overly excited.

Isabelle and the group were enjoying the response from the audience, they responded with enthusiasm, their cheers and applause mingling with the joyful strains of the music. For a fleeting moment, Isabelle allowed herself to forget all her responsibilities, performing for a crowd who cared only for the music itself.

As the final notes echoed through the tavern, Isabelle and her bandmates basked in the glow of their successful performance, their smiles radiant with satisfaction. They walked off the stage, and soon she was packing her things as she had to meet up with Anne soon.