Chapter 7 - The Grand Piano
For three days, Lily and Mia stayed in the east wing. Bennett kept his distance, offering them protection, medical care, and space. He instructed the staff to address her as Elena.
Late on the third night, Bennett couldn't sleep. He poured himself a glass of scotch and walked down the darkened hallway, intending to sit in the study.
As he passed the drawing room, he heard it.
A soft, hesitant melody. Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat Major.
Bennett stopped dead. He silently stepped into the doorway. Lily was sitting at the grand piano, wearing a silk robe, her fingers brushing the keys as if they had a mind of their own. She wasn't looking at the sheet music. She was looking at a framed photograph on top of the piano.
It was a picture of Bennett and Lily on their wedding day.
Tears were streaming down her face, catching the moonlight.
Bennett stepped into the room. The floorboard creaked. Lily gasped and pulled her hands from the keys as if they burned.
"I... I don't know how I know this song," she stammered, wiping her face. "My hands just... remembered it."
May you like
Bennett slowly walked over, setting his glass down. He stood behind her, not touching her. "You played it for me the night I asked you to marry me. You told me it was the sound of a heart finally finding peace."
Lily looked up at him, her dark eyes swirling with a storm of fractured memories. "Bennett," she whispered, her voice breaking. It was the first time she had used his name. "Why does looking at you hurt so much?"
