Free Child Of Music by Mary Burchell Page A

to discuss?' Mary looked amused and curious.
    'No, of course not. He wanted to offer me a job at Tarkmans.'
    'That's better!' Mary declared. 'To teach at Tarkmans —' she savoured the announcement as though she were tasting something with a sharp but delicious flavour . 'Just about the highest compliment that could be paid you, I suppose. Are you going to take it?'
    'Why, of course, Mary!'
    'Even though he's going to marry Julia Morton?'
    'What on earth could that have to do with my decision to go and teach at Tarkmans?' Felicity stared at her friend.
    'I wondered,' Mary said. 'I — wondered. You gave me as your first and most important piece of news the fact that he was going to marry Mrs. Morton. The bit about his incredible offer to you came second. Was that just by chance, or an instinctive arranging of the facts in their order of importance to you?'
    'Neither. And don't make idiotic insinuations,' Felicity replied crossly. 'The fact was that he'd just told me about his — his coming marriage. Only a minute or two before we said good night. It was the most recent thing in my mind when I came in. That and the fact that we came across Janet sleep-walking along the lane. She'd nothing on but her nightdress, poor little thing. Not even slippers on her feet.'
    She launched into an account of the scene quickly and in some detail, not realizing at that moment that she was instinctively fending off any return to the absurd line of thought which Mary had introduced.
    But much later when, having told Mary the whole story of the evening, she was alone in her own room, she went to the window and stood looking out into the moonlit garden. From the church across the meadows came the sound of the half-hour striking, and she knew it must be half-past two. Hardly the moment to linger in thought, with her bed waiting invitingly for her. But she stood there for minutes on end, thinking of the wonderful evening Stephen Tarkman had given her, of the offer he had made her — and the fact that he was going to marry Julia Morton.
    She told herself it was natural to feel disturbed about the last fact, if only on Janet's account. She told herself it was understandably tiresome to have to start the glorious new job inhibited by the fact that she must tread warily in the near presence of an undoubted enemy. After a while, however, she told herself just that she was sorry Stephen Tarkman was going to marry - anyone.         '
    And then she went to bed.

    During the next few days everything began to arrange itself with a speed which surprised Felicity, but which was evidently characteristic of Stephen Tarkman.
    The discussion between her, Mrs. Bush and Stephen Tarkman was clear, to the point and eminently satisfactory to all parties. Stephen Tarkman got exactly what he wanted. Mrs. Bush was gratified to realize that to have her music-mistress also teaching at Tarkmans would confer a distinction on her own school. And Felicity was left with the pleasant impression that both valued her services highly.
    In spite of all her preoccupation with the new turn of affairs, however, she still found time to telephone to Anthea. And the two met over coffee at the War- renders' hotel while the conductor himself attended his board meeting at the Tarkman Foundation.
    'Everything is settled,' Felicity told Anthea, a lilt of pure happiness in her voice. 'I'm to start at Tarkmans next week, doing two afternoon sessions with the younger children, and one evening with the older students. A sort of "music appreciation" talk to suit the different age groups. Something to make their tops spin and make them, realize that hard work and exciting discoveries go hand in hand. '
    'Stephen thinks a lot of you, doesn't he?' Anthea smiled affectionately at her.
    'Oh, I don't know.' The possibility seemed suddenly almost dangerously sweet, but Felicity repressed any temptation to over-confidence.
    'He does,' Anthea asserted calmly. 'I heard him say so to Oscar. And I tell