Free In the Eye of a Storm by Mary Mageau

 
    I.
     
     ‘And to think that she is only thirteen years of age!’ The
Marquise du Laungier spoke excitedly to the distinguished guests who were
gathering in her elegant music room. For many years her salons had become
famous throughout France. Here the latest literary writing and poetry was
heard, the art of conversation offered great delights, but above all – fine
music was enjoyed. Voltaire, frail in his declining years, was seated in a
comfortable sofa in a corner. Dunod, the young Count de Charnade, had drawn up
his chair nearby and the two were chatting amiably.
    Liveried footmen escorted other guests to their gilded chairs, which
were covered in embroidered damask. Anticipation electrified the air as silence
slowly settled over the room. All eyes were focused now on a young girl who sat
alone at the harpsichord.
    Laneve de Nervode trembled slightly as she mused, ‘Wouldn’t Papa and
Mama be proud of me today? Ever since I was a small child of five years I
pleaded with them to give me music lessons. They always found me the very best
teachers and here I am now, in this grand chateau.’
    Laneve, herself a member of the nobility, was elegantly dressed in pale
blue satin and lace. Her abundance of softly curling brown hair, rolled and
pinned to the sides of her head, was decorated with small spring flowers. She
wore her mother’s three strand pearl necklace which made her feel like a great
lady. But at this moment, all of Laneve’s thoughts were focused on the
magnificent harpsichord before her. Overcome with delight she suddenly
exclaimed aloud, ‘This beautiful harpsichord is the largest one I’ve ever
seen.’ A light ripple of laughter flowed through the audience.
    In reply the marquise spoke, ‘Everyone is seated now, ma cher, so you may begin.’
    Laneve took a slow deep breath then lifted her small hands to the
keyboard. The plaintive notes of Dandrieu’s piece, ‘The Lyre of Orpheus’ filled
the room. Her ears told her that its sound, both rich and expressive, had
captured the attention of her listeners. She ventured next into a ‘Suite’ by
Couperin which delighted the audience with its technical demands of cross hand
arabesques, intricate ornaments and flourishes. Two more quiet and expressively
beautiful pieces followed until Laneve reached her final musical offering. For
the last she had saved Rameau’s great tour de force, the ‘Gavotte with
Variations.’ 
    Now she was completely in control. Laneve and this wonderful instrument
were as one. She could move commandingly between the two keyboards, adding a
brilliant four foot stop here and there, removing this to colour the music with
the dry plucking sound of the buff stop, then quickly coupling the two
keyboards to bring forward the brilliant spectrum of this glorious instrument.
One by one she worked her way through Rameau’s ever more challenging and
difficult variations until the final one, ‘The Black Pearl,’ approached. Her
many hours of practice and study were met and tested as its scales, arpeggios
and broken octaves showered like a torrent of golden sparks, cascading from a
whirling Catherine wheel.
    At the final mighty chords the salon erupted into cries of ‘ Magnifique
– Bravo! ’ Then the Count de Charnade rose to his feet as one by one
all in the audience followed. On and on they applauded.
    The marquise thanked her graciously as a trembling Laneve acknowledged
their praise and slowly withdrew from the music room.
    ‘Ah, this musical gathering has been a great success today,’ the
Marquise du Laungier remarked. ‘Oh what a talent and what charm! The
performance here today has made this gathering my most memorable music salon by
far.’ 
    And I too have been a success today thought Laneve, as her young
chaperone, Malande Dubois, helped her into her wrap. A footman escorted them to
their coach and they departed through the chateau’s front gates. On her journey
home, Laneve’s thoughts were happy ones as she