Chapter 303
After dinner, Charlie and Penelope took their leave to go home first.
Judith invited Susan and Ben to stick around for a casual get–together.
Even though they called it a get–together, it was just an intimate affair with no one from outside their small circle.
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Judith had prepared some exquisite pastries for everyone, and they all chatted and talked together.
Penny stood up on her own initiative, speaking in a gentle voice, “Shall I play a piano piece for you?”
Judith smiled at Susan, “Penny’s been learning to play the piano since she was six and she’s even won international recognition. We’re in for a real performance.”
Susan nodded, looking forward to Penny’s performance with anticipation.
Penny was left speechless.
The naive and sweet look on Susan’s face almost made her lose all motivation to compete.
No way! She couldn’t let the enemy break her resolve.
Penny thought to herself, “Susan must be pretending to be foolish.”
She must not be deceived by Susan’s act.
Penny took a deep breath, performed an elegant curtsy, and then sat down at the piano.
“Miss Nicholas’s demeanor is so graceful,” complimented Susan.
Penny’s every move was indeed beautiful.
After all, she had undergone years of deportment training; every stillness and motion was exquisitely graceful.
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Penny found herself tongue–tied.
Listening to this praise, she was definitely not pleased.
She indeed intended to show off her grace.
But she did this to make Susan feel inferior and jealous, not to receive her sincere admiration!
After several such exchanges, Penny came to understand that without ever directly confronting her,
Susan proved to be a tough cookie: her nature made her formidable!
Penny took another deep breath, controlled her emotions, and then placed her hands on the piano.
This time, to show off her superior skills and to make Susan feel envious, jealous, and hateful, Penny chose a difficult piece.
“Moonlight Sonata”
A piano piece was both widely known and technically challenging!
Penny had practiced the piece many times.
Now, with the intention of making a striking impression, she played to the fullest of her abilities.
After her performance of the Moonlight Sonata, it was truly magnificent. She hit all the right notes, both. emotionally and technically.
At the end of the piece, Penny couldn’t wait to see Susan’s expression.
Was it envy? Jealousy? Or hatred?
She was suddenly looking forward to it.
And then, she saw Susan genuinely and heartily applauding.
A round of applause filled the house.
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Penny’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
This was not the reaction she wanted.
She wanted Susan to slam the table and storm off.
With a smile, Susan remarked, “Being a science major, I figured art was out of my league, but hearing this live, I’ve really come to appreciate the piano’s beauty. Miss Nicholas’s playing is something else.”
Judith couldn’t help but laugh, “Penny’s level, compared to those masters, is still far behind. If you like it, I’ll take you to that concert hall some time.”
Judith said this partly out of modesty and partly as a matter of fact.
Penny pursed her lips, feeling a trace of displeasure..
She believed her piano skills had already reached a professional level, how could they be inferior to those masters?
Was her Mom saying this to start sidelining her, laying the groundwork for Susan’s favor?
The more Penny mulled it over, the more her thoughts spiraled, leading her to impulsively say, “I’m definitely no match for the experts. But I’m curious about Mrs. Landor’s talents. Maybe she could show us what she’s got.”
Susan was momentarily stunned.
Ben laughed.
Judith and Eason looked at Penny with some surprise.
Penny was visibly moved as she turned to Susan and said, “Back in Tonico, the daughters of high society usually play an instrument, be it piano, violin, or harp. Mrs. Landor, which do you play? We have a variety of instruments here, so whatever your choice, I’m sure we can accommodate you.”
Susan held her gaze for a moment before a slight smile appeared, “Sorry, I don’t play any instruments.”
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Judith held onto Susan’s hand with a hint of nervousness, “Remember, an instrument is just a tool. If you can’t play, it’s not a big deal.”
Susan herself didn’t think it was a big deal. She smiled and said, “I didn’t have the conditions to learn an instrument when I was young. If I had, maybe I would have learned.”
Hearing this, Judith felt a pang of heartache.
She had later looked through the materials, understanding very well the life Susan had when she was
young.
The Millers would have taken everything Susan had to offer if they could; they didn’t even care about her well–being, let alone let her learn to play an instrument.
Bringing up this topic felt like twisting the knife in Susan’s heart.
“If you want to learn, I can find you a teacher. We can treat it as a hobby, no pressure to learn,” said Judith.
Susan shook her head with a smile, “Forget it. I’m sure I don’t have the talent.”
“That’s fine,” said Judith, “If you like, we can just attend a few concerts. There’s no need to learn.”
Judith comforted Susan.
Penny’s face became slightly sour.
She didn’t believe Judith’s words were accidental.
She felt that by saying playing an instrument was not important, Judith was denying her efforts.
Judith claimed that learning an instrument wasn’t a big deal, yet Penny had invested so much time into it. Anyone could see that Judith was clearly downplaying her efforts.
Penny inhaled deeply before saying, “So, Mrs. Landor, if you don’t play an instrument, what’s your thing? I’ve got a friend who’s a horseback riding champ and could’ve gone on the national team. Another friend’s a whiz with flower arrangements, you’ll find her work in galleries. And another friend
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Chapter 303
can chat you up in eight languages. In our crowd, you need a niche to shine, even blue blood gets the cold shoulder otherwise. If you haven’t got a talent, Mrs. Landor, it might be time to pick one up.”
Penny’s words were somewhat piercing.
Susan raised her eyebrows and the smile on her face disappeared.
She was willing to treat everyone with kindness.
But if others do not reciprocate with the same kindness, then she would stop her kindness.
As soon as she finished speaking, Penny began to regret it.
She should not have been so impulsive!
But the sense of threat Susan gave her was just too strong, coupled with Judith’s consistent favoritism toward Susan, made her lose control of her emotions for a moment.
Although she regretted it, the words were already out, and Penny could not bring herself to apologize, just stubbornly looked at Susan.
“Penny, what are you saying?” Judith looked at her with some anger and surprise, “If Susan wants to learn, she’ll learn; if she doesn’t want to learn, she won’t. What’s the big deal with those things?”
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Observing Judith’s expression, Penny pursed her lips and said, “I spoke out of turn, but I meant I’m just concerned that once Mrs. Landor returns to the royal fold, her interactions with others might become fodder for ridicule.”
