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Lucy woke up with a start. The same dream whirling in her mind from every time she fell asleep. Since both her and Lockwood had returned from the other side. As Lucy laid there and curled into herself to try and keep herself warm an involuntary shiver shook across her body and Lucy could hear the distant lull of music. A piano was playing in the distance. The gentle music of whoever was playing trying but failing the lull her back to sleep. On nights like these where the dreams startled her away and Stoll sleep. There was only one thing for it, a nice cup of tea with some biscuits.
As Lucy crept down the stairs from the attic, avoiding the stairs that she knew creaked so not to wake George. As she had an idea of who might have been playing the piano and it wasn’t George. She continued to creep past his room and on to the next flight of stairs. With the sad piano songs lulling in the background, as if leading a trail or her to follow. She could hear the regular sound of Georges snores.
Lucy paused on the landing before she started the next flight of stairs and crept down to sit on the bottom stair, so that she could hear the music more clearly and listened. She had noticed the piano when she first moved into Portland Road but Lockwood had never suggested that he could play. She had never heard the piano in the front room being used till now. As the playing continued Lucy noticed that the piano sounded in tune. Not that she was an expert but the one that had been in the common room at Jacob’s and co that Norrie had played was constantly unloved and out of tune. So this one was obviously very well cared for and loved.
As the sad song finished and a new one started. Lucy slowly stood up and crept closer to the slightly opened library door. So she could get confirmation of who was playing. Lockwood sat on the stool in front of the piano with his head bowed watching his fingers gently glide over the piano keys. Is this what Lockwood does when he can't sleep? Lucy thought to herself. She slowly and gently opened the door slightly so that it didn't creek and startle Lockwood whilst leaning against the door frame so that she could silently watch him play.
Lockwood was wearing what Lucy liked to call his posh twat Pyjamas. Which were blue and stripy with his navy blue dressing gown. Lockwood continued to play and as Lucy took in the scene in front of her she noticed an empty mug of tea sat on the top of the piano. So Lockwood had obviously been sat here for a while then. Lucy smiled to herself about Lockwood's tea addiction and continued to watch him play. There was something about how he was sitting that enticed Lucy. The way his fingers floated across the keys whilst he played into a different, quicker paced song.
Somehow it was comforting to Lucy. A distant reminder of watching Norrie play. Like Lockwood could play away the bad dreams that had been plaguing her since they had returned from the other side.
Lucy let out a sigh as she lent on the door frame and continued to listen to Lockwood playing. At the sound of her contented sigh the playing suddenly stopped as Lockwood turned to look at her, startled as he took in the sight of Lucy lent in the door way listening to his playing. Lucy noticed a slight pink flush to his cheeks as he noticed her "Oh!" Lockwood whispered then cleared his throat. "Hi Luce, sorry did I wake you?" Lucy shook her head vigorously at this. "No, not at all, couldn't sleep." Lockwood's lips formed an O shape in understanding and realisation that Lucy was still struggling about the other side. Or at least she hoped this was the case. As she didn't want to have embarrassed him about his playing or spell out to him how much she had struggled over the last few weeks since their return. "I actually came down for a cup of tea, but then I heard the playing." Lucy paused as she watched Lockwood take in what she had said. "I didn't know you could play?" Lucy stated a bit harsher sounding than she meant it. But sometimes it was just so frustrating living with Lockwood. When he didn't divulge about his own life. He knew everything there was to know about Lucy and yet sometimes she felt like she didn't really know him at all.
"My mum taught me how to play and Jessica carried on teaching me after she died. Now I just dabble here and there when I feel like it." Lockwood seemed to deflate as he told Lucy this. Like the weight of their passing had started to lean on his shoulders again. Lucy felt bad for bringing it up and wondered if he played when he was sad or when he missed them. Tea that would help the heaviness Lucy thought. "Fancy a cuppa whilst you play?" Lucy asked in the hope it would make a subtle mends to hurting him with the harshness of her investigating his past. "I can leave you to your playing, if you want?" Lockwood smiled as Lucy mentioned tea and the look of shock on his face when Lucy mentioned about leaving him alone was all the confirmation she needed, that maybe Lockwood hadn't been as okay since returning from the other side as she originally though. Once Lockwood agreed to tea. Lucy turned the kitchen light on and could hear the subtle tinkle of the piano keys as Lockwood started to play a different song as she boiled the kettle and made some tea and fetched some biscuits. Lucy wondered if it was a coincidence that all the songs he had played so far were sad sounding songs. Or if he was a mood player as Norrie would have out it. Playing songs to suit his mood.
As Lucy came back into the front room she noticed that Lockwood had moved over on his piano stool so that there was a space on his right hand side for her to sit. As Lucy walked up to the stool and put his tea cup at the top of the piano he quickly glanced at her and smiled as he continued his play and Lucy watched. Mesmerised by how floaty his hand really were when playing the piano.
Lockwood continued to play long into the night with Lucy by his side, as the night grew later and the songs Lockwood chose to play became happier. Lucy snuggled into the Lockwood’s right arm and relaxed in the comfortableness of being close to Lockwood without having to say anything and being able to just listen. Lockwood played long into the morning enjoying the company and feeling a weight lift from the sadness he had originally felt before playing.
When George came down for breakfast he found an asleep Lucy leant on a very tired but happy Lockwood. He knew that even though the pair of them were still recovering from their ordeal on the other side that they would be okay.