Chapter 858: Paving A Path For Their Future
The Madame and her maid left the newly appointed piano instructor with the little girl and withdrew from the room to give them some space.
Since the child had picked her instrument, the tutor could begin their classes together so the mother did not wish to delay her child any further and hence left the two to their own devices.
As this pair of Madame and maid walked out, they decided to occupy the room next door which would allow them to listen in on the conversation taking place between the child and the older woman.
Having her child stolen from her at such a young age had caused the Madame’s vigilance to be on the extreme end of the spectrum ever since they had reunited.
She did not wish anything to go wrong now that she had finally gotten her child back after being separated from each other for far too long.
Hence she and her maid entered the room next door which would give them the perfect opportunity to hear what was going on in the piano room.
She also wished to check how the Governess, who was said to be the best piano tutor among the Southern fiefs, treated her daughter.
.....
She had only heard good things about this tutor she had selected but she was still worried for the sake of her child’s wellbeing.
To the Madame, her child was a fragile existence who needed to be cared for and protected at all costs.
Hence she did not care about maintaining a moral high ground as she only had the safety of her child in mind when she stooped down to the level of spying on them from the room next door.
___
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtBack inside the piano room, the Governess did not waste time as she sat on the cushioned seat and asked the child to sit next to her.
She began explaining what each key of the piano was and asked the child to play one at a time to help her understand how they sounded.
Hilda did not let her thoughts wander and paid close attention to everything she was being taught.
In her previous life, the only aspect in which she had been lacking was this one right here.
She had been too focused on learning etiquette, language, and history that she had failed to turn her gaze towards a piano all through those few years before her coming-of-age ceremony had arrived.
This was one area in which she had not been able to raise her head as it was indeed true that she had absolutely no knowledge when it comes to piano or any other musical instrument.
When those noble ladies had figured out her weakness, they made sure to rub it in her face every chance they got.
Those ladies were proud because, even if they did not excel in the art of playing the piano, they at least had basic knowledge about it whereas she had nothing to say in her defense when those mocking words were aimed at her.
It was undeniable that she was completely clueless about everything related to any musical instruments and thus had to lower her head before them.
To make matters worse, she later found out that the woman who became her mother-in-law was said to be the best piano player in the entire Kingdom which further drove her insecurity to newer heights.
Even that older woman had mentioned her lack of talent on numerous occasions though she had tried her best to bear the grievance in silence.
Her husband who happened to follow his mother throughout his childhood was also an avid admirer of all forms of music.
However, after he had discovered that Hilda wasn’t too confident about her musical skills, he had done his best to skip all sorts of conversations related to this topic whenever she was around.
She knew that he was doing it to keep her happy and his efforts warmed her heart immensely.
Although she appreciated the sacrifice he had made for her sake, this time, she would be the one to work hard and do her best to keep him just as happy as he had made her back then.
Everything she was doing was to pave the path for their blissful life which she was sure they would be spending together in the future.
Since she was paving a path for their future, she wasn’t going to take any chances nor was she going to slack in the least bit.
Instead, she was determined to put her heart and soul into learning this skill which she lacked in the past.
Similar to the sheer tenacity bubbling within Hilda, the Governess seated next to her also had a look of determination evident on her face.
Governess Helena Twine was a woman who prided herself in the talent she possessed.
Her nimble fingers which flew across the piano keys gave her the confidence to raise her chin and look others in the eye.
When she was younger, many praised her talent and were eager to have her teach their young daughters.
However, the emergence of a certain someone had caused the limelight she had enjoyed throughout her young adult life to be snatched away from her.
The woman from the Lester family, who had appeared out of nowhere, was suddenly the talk of the town and everyone wished to have this young lady tutor their children.
Unlike Governess Twine who had an amicable smile on her face when she greeted her pupils and taught them with much care and concern, this other lady was said to be quite the opposite.
Governess Lester, the woman who was beginning to compete with her in the same sphere, was not afraid to strike her pupils if they committed any blunders while playing the piano.
When the noblemen first heard about it, they were outraged but looking at the rapid results they were gaining and their child’s exponential growth in shorter periods of time, they had acquiesced to what was going on.
However, Governess Twine was one of the few who openly objected to her violent method of teaching.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmSadly, the other woman’s skills and her ability to guide the children had allowed her to continue the nonsense she called ‘teaching methods’ and thus began the decline of Governess Twine’s influence in their circle.
More families chose Governess Lester but that lady was too haughty and only selected a few whom she would tutor until they excelled.
Even then, her fame never decreased but only rose after others discovered her picky nature.
Getting a chance to learn under Governess Lester became something that was sought after.
While everything was going great for this lady, Governess Twine had to relocate to the southern region of the Kingdom due to her husband’s business.
Thus the two women who were competing for the top spot in the Capital had been separated.
Now, Governess Lester was the best tutor in the Kingdom while Governess Twine was said to be the best option in the South.
One was the best and the other was the best option?
This made her feel as though she was the next best option available, something that she wasn’t too happy about.
However, who would care about the less famous Southern lady when all eyes were focused on the one in the Capital?
This had been the biggest grievance buried within Governess Twine’s heart ever since she had moved to the South.
Though now she was beginning to feel that teaching this little girl could help her regain her glory days.
She had heard about Hilda’s smart mind and her ability to comprehend everything she was taught in the very first attempt.
This child could become the means for her to regain the top spot as the best tutor, taking back the title that should have been hers in the first place.
Therefore, just like Hilda, Governess Twine was also full of energy as she taught the little girl.
They discussed how each key produced a distinct sound before the old lady taught her a few basic exercises to begin with.
Since Hilda was a total novice at playing the piano, the Governess was paying extra attention to the child’s progress.
However, she soon realized that the child was indeed a smart one as she was capable of retaining whatever she was taught in such a short amount of time.