The funeral was a quiet affair, though the grief that hung in the air could not be contained by the somber ceremony. Charlotte stood beside Janice's grave, her heart heavy with loss, as the earth was slowly lowered onto the woman who had not only given her the chance to follow her dream but had also believed in her when she had long forgotten how to believe in herself.
The manor, once alive with the sounds of chatter and laughter, now seemed eerily silent. Charlotte wandered the halls in a daze, unsure of what to do next. The promise she had made to Janice was clear—she would continue her lessons, she would never stop playing. But now, without her teacher, without her guiding hand, how could she go on?
As the days passed, the house began to return to its routine, though Charlotte could never quite shake the feeling of emptiness that lingered in every room. It was on one such quiet afternoon, when the manor seemed especially still, that she was summoned to meet Count Luke Harper.
She entered the study with hesitation, the weight of Janice's absence pressing on her shoulders. Luke sat behind his large oak desk, his face lined with sorrow, his expression unreadable. He motioned for Charlotte to sit.
"Charlotte," he began, his voice surprisingly gentle, "I trust you are adjusting to the loss of my wife. I know it must be difficult."
Charlotte nodded, but the lump in her throat made it hard to speak. Instead, she simply said, "I miss her. I don't know what to do without her."
Luke studied her for a moment, then sighed deeply. "I know. She was very fond of you. She saw something in you, something she never saw in anyone else. And in her final days, she spoke to me about her wishes for you." His eyes softened as he looked at her, and there was a trace of something tender in his gaze. "Janice wanted me to help you. She wanted you to continue your path, to pursue your music."
Charlotte blinked, surprised by the count's words. "But… I don't know how. Madam Janice was the one who believed in me, who taught me. Without her, I feel lost."
Luke leaned forward, his expression serious. "You are not alone, Charlotte. Janice arranged for you to continue what she started. I will help you."
The words barely registered at first. "You will help me?"
Luke nodded. "I will take you to the musical theater. The very one where Janice used to play, where she once graced the stage as a young pianist, full of promise and ambition. It is where she made her mark on the world, and it is where I will make sure your dreams come true as well."
Charlotte's breath caught in her throat. The theater. The place she had only heard about in whispers, the place where her dream of playing on a grand stage began to take shape. To think that she, Charlotte Campbell, would stand where Janice once stood… It was overwhelming.
But something within Charlotte stirred. She had long been a maid, yes, but that was not all she was. She was a pianist—one who would no longer be held back by circumstance. The Count's words lit a fire within her, a determination to fulfill the dream that had been put on hold for so long.
"I will make Madam Janice proud," she said, her voice steady now, full of ambition. "I will continue her work. I will never stop."
Luke gave her a slight nod, his expression resolute. "I know you will. Janice always believed in you. And now it is time to make her belief in you a reality."
Charlotte stood taller now, her heart swelling with newfound determination. She would no longer be held back by her past. The road ahead was uncertain, but she was ready to walk it, for herself and for Janice.