So. She was a relative, Janice made her eyes hard and piercing as she looked down with a cold smile, and the girl recoiled from Janice's eyes and dropped her eyes as she put out her small hand. Her hand was trembling and fluttering like a small, live thing in Janice's hand as she perfunctorily took it and released it. "How do you do."
"…pleased… very pleased… meet… you…"
"Wendy has just come back from the Sorbonne," Eckstein boomed heartily. "Fine musician – my sister's daughter – fine degree – fine university – taught her a lot…"
"Indeed," Janice murmured, sipping her punch and nodding, concentrating on him. He was a pompous, overbearing man, and she used him as a lever to maintain her control. But it was hard. The child was like a magnet, drawing her attention, and she could almost feel the warmth of her body. And the light, delicate perfume of her hair and body was an alluring cloud. The child was ill at ease in the face of Janice's open hostility, shuffling her feet nervously, and Janice clamped down hard on the impulsive spark of sympathy.
"…was there twelve years – most of her education there – fine place for a musician to get their degree – best in Europe I'd say…"
"There might be latitude for discussion of that point," Janice murmured. Eckstein apparently realized he'd made something of a faux pas and began stuttering to correct himself, and Janice ignored him as she looked at Wendy. "I suppose Doctor Blaustein is still at the Sorbonne?"
Wendy glanced up then hastily dropped her eyes under the direct stare of Janice's eyes, and she colored darker as she nodded, bobbing up and down. "Yes, ma'am. He's been recently promoted and he's in…"
The girl's soft voice faded from Janice's consciousness as irritation swelled; with a European education, it had been pounded into her that a doctor was never referred to or addressed by any other title.
"I'm Doctor Wycliffe if you've forgotten my name, Ms. Nelson." She flushed darker and cleared her throat, wringing her hands together and nodding again, almost bowing. "I beg your pardon, Doctor Wycliffe. I meant no discourtesy. Doctor Blaustein is in charge of the Orchestra Department in the School of Music now. I assume you knew him at Vienna?"
Eckstein was standing back with his arms folded, basking in the satisfaction of somehow forming a tenuous connection between himself and the halls of the masters, and Janice felt a dull disgust for him…
"Doctor Blaustein and I matriculated at the same time. I remember him well, because he had a distressing habit of scratching his… himself all the time…"
"He still does!" Wendy almost squealed in glee, turning crimson and clapping both of her hands over her mouth.
Janice felt a surge of response swelling up inside herself, and she almost giggled. She gripped herself, swallowing. "Do you plan to teach, Ms. Nelson?"
Wendy collected herself, clearing her throat and nodding rapidly. "I would prefer to work as a musician, of course, but I find it necessaire… ah, necess… ah, I will have to work…"
The accent was understandable in view of her twelve years in France, but it was very strong. "If you plan to teach, Ms. Nelson, you must… rid yourself of your… French accent," Janice remarked, feeling a seething stab of irritation with herself; in her confusion over Wendy's presence, she'd accented "must" as though it were the German modal verb "musst", which had a similar meaning, and she had been on the point of saying "franzosisch" instead of "French".
And Wendy had caught it. She glanced up at Janice then dropped her eyes again, her face expressionless; they had taught her well at the Sorbonne. "Yes, Doctor Wycliffe," she murmured, pronouncing it "docteur".
"Wendy's a cellist, you know," Eckstein boomed, coming back into the conversation. "And while we're on the subject, Doctor Wycliffe, I heard this afternoon that one of the cellists in the philharmonic might be leaving."
Wendy had more presence of mind than her uncle. Her eyes widened in disbelief that he'd said what he had, and she turned crimson as she looked up at Janice with horror-stricken eyes then looked at her uncle. But he didn't even notice her, and he blared on. "…don't guess it would hurt her chances any if you put in a good word for her – needs a little push to get started – lots of young musicians around looking for jobs – good experience for her, if you would put in a word…"
Janice drained her cup and swallowed, looking around the room and waiting for him to finish, a deep, glowing satisfaction building up within her; now she had a way to get rid of the choking, boiling confusion the girl had generated within her. Finally he finished talking and looked at Janice expectantly, still not noticing the shocked expression on his niece's face. Janice handed her the cup. "Ms. Nelson, please get me some punch."
"Yes, Doctor Wycliffe – it would be my pleasure," she murmured, taking the cup and slipping away.
"Professor Eckstein, am I correct in that you asked me to procure preferential treatment for your niece in employment with the symphony organization?"
He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet at the sharp, incisive tone in her voice. "Well, I didn't think it would be asking too much…"
"I agree that you didn't think Professor Eckstein. Had you thought of what you were asking, I believe you would have concluded that you were asking me to violate my professional ethics."
"Well, Doctor Wycliffe, I certainly wouldn't want to…"
"Which you were." She stared at him stonily, icily. "I have a position of responsibility and trust with the philharmonic, Professor Eckstein, and it is a position which I do not take lightly."
"Yes, well, Doctor Jannison will be making the selection…"
"If the selection is made during the first audition, then I will make it – Doctor Jannison will be on vacation. And in any event, I would act in an advisory capacity if he were to make the selection himself."
"Then I apologize, Doctor Wycliffe. Perhaps I was hasty…"
"Perhaps you were," Janice said, seeing Wendy coming back from the corner of her eye. "Let us forget it, then."
"Well, I certainly hope I didn't…"
"Please, let's forget it, Professor Eckstein." Janice turned to Wendy, who was carrying two cups of punch, and Wendy handed her one. "Thank you. To your success, Ms. Nelson." Janice raised the cup to her and sipped it, then swallowed. "Where do you plan to teach?"
Wendy was silent for a moment. She looked up at Janice as Janice sipped her punch and swallowed, then she silently lifted her cup in both hands toward Janice, sipped it, and swallowed. "At the conservatory, Doctor Wycliffe. As an instrument instructor."
"Very good. Perhaps the cello performance in the orchestra will improve through your efforts."
"Hopefully – I shall try. May I ask if there is to be a cello vacancy in the philharmonic, Doctor Wycliffe?"
"You may, and there is."
"Thank you. May I ask when the vacancy is to be advertised for hiring, Doctor Wycliffe?"
"You may. I will ask the personnel director to telephone the journals tomorrow, and it should be advertised next week."
"Thank you. May I ask if there will be preliminary qualifications?"
"You may. There will be no preliminary qualifications. Age, sex, or any other consideration has no bearing. The requirement is for a lead cellist, and musical performance will be the only criterion."
"Thank you. May I ask when the auditions will be conducted?"
"You may. The instrument section leaders will make eliminations during a three day period which will probably begin a week from next Monday. I will conduct the final auditions on the day following the preliminary auditions."
"Merci beaucoup. Accompagne a piano?"
"Bittesehr?"
"I beg your pardon, Doctor Wycliffe. May I ask if the auditions will be with a piano accompanist?"
"You may. There will be a piano accompanist."
"Thank you. I appreciate the information very much, Doctor Wycliffe."