Read Online The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee - Free Book Online

Claire’s ear. A possessive gesture, as if he had known her for a long time.
    “Excuse me,” he said. Amelia had not seen; she had been scanning the crowd.
    “Excuse you for what? ” Amelia asked, turning back, distracted.
    “Nothing,” they both said. Claire looked down at the floor. They were joined in their collusive denial; it suddenly seemed overwhelmingly intimate.
    “What? ” Amelia said impatiently. “I can’t hear a damn thing above this din.”
    “I’m twenty-eight today,” Claire said, not knowing why.
    “I’m forty-three.” He nodded. “Very old.”
    Claire couldn’t tell if he was joking.
    “I remember the celebration we had for you at Stanley,” Amelia said. “What a fete.”
    “Wasn’t it, though? ”
    “You’re still with Melody and Victor? ” Amelia inquired of Will.
    “Yes,” he said. “It suits me for now.”
    “I’m sure it suits Victor just fine to have an Englishman chauffeuring him around,” she replied slyly.
    “It seems to work for everyone involved,” Will said, not taking the bait.
    Amelia leaned toward him confidentially. “I hear there’s been chatter about the Crown Collection and its disappearance during the war. Angus says it’s starting to come to a boil. People have noticed. Have you heard anything? ”
    “I have,” he said.
    “They want to ferret out the collaborators.”
    “A bit late, don’t you think? ”
    After a pause, when it became apparent that nothing more was forthcoming from Will, she spoke again. “I hope the Chens are treating you well? ”
    “I cannot complain,” he said.
    “A bit odd, isn’t it? You working over there.”
    “Amelia,” he said. “You’re boring Claire.”
    “Oh, no,” Claire protested. “I’m just . . .”
    “Well, you’re boring me,” he said. “And life is too short to be bored. Claire, have you been to the different corners of our fair colony? Which is your favorite? ”
    “Well, I have been exploring a bit. Sheung Wan is lovely—I do like the markets—and I’ve been over to Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui on the Star Ferry of course, and seen all the shops there. It’s very lively, isn’t it? ”
    “See, Amelia,” Will said. “An Englishwoman who ventures outside of Central and the Peak. You would do well to learn from this newcomer.”
    Amelia rolled her eyes. “She’ll grow tired of it soon enough. I’ve seen so many of these bright-eyed new arrivals, and they all end up having tea with me at the Helena May and complaining about their amahs.”
    “Well, don’t let Amelia’s rosy attitude affect you too much, Claire,” Will said. “At any rate, it was a pleasure to meet you. Best of luck in Hong Kong.” He nodded to them politely and left. She felt the heat of his body as he passed by.
    Claire felt bereft. He had assumed they would not meet again.
    “Odd man? ” she said. It was more of a statement.
    “You’ve no idea, dear,” Amelia said.
    Claire peeked after him. He had floated over to the side of the tennis court, although he had some sort of limp, and was watching Peter Wickham and his son hit the ball at each other.
    “He’s also very serious now,” Amelia said. “Can’t have a proper conversation with him. He was quite social before the war, you know, you saw him at all the parties, had the most glamorous girl in town, quite high up at Asiatic Petrol, but he never really recovered after the war. He’s a chauffeur now.” Her voice dropped. “For the Chens, actually. Do you know who they are? ”
    “Amelia! ” Claire said. “I teach piano to their daughter! You helped me arrange it! ”
    “Oh, dear. The memory goes first, they say. You’ve never run into him there? ”
    “Never,” Claire said. “Although the Chens suggested he might give me a lift one time.”
    “Poor Melody,” said Amelia. “She’s very fragile. ” The word said delicately.
    “Indeed,” Claire said, remembering the way Melody sipped her drink, quickly, urgently.
    “The thing with Will