In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell - Parnasse.com

Fantasy in C Minor? I've been waiting such long time to play it with
another pianist."
This was not what Penny had on her agenda that morning.
"I'm pretty rusty with all of this, but I see you have the music
right here, so, sure! Which part would you like to play?"
Penny took the bass, and Signora the top, and the carmine nails
clacked dutifully through the monster piece, the Bösendorfer shaking
the room with its deep chords.
The last measure resonated into the leaves of the orange tree
and signora took a deep breath.
"Ah, thank you, signorina, that was absolutely delightful!" She
looked at Penny's hands. "And such tiny hands, I am surprised you can
span an octave!"
"Practice. It's all in the tendons, and the muscles along the
outside of the palm, the 'minimi digiti' group, see how they bulge?"
Penny's short ragged nails made her self conscious in front of the
elegant lady.
Signora laughed. “Per gli minimi digiti, il massimo lavoro!
Lavoro, lavoro, sempre, lavoro! Veramente. It is hard work, eh, to make
beauty."
Now as she laughed in the soft sunlight it was impossible to
ignore how beautiful she must have been, and still was.
"How's Sandro doing today?" Penny asked when they stopped
laughing.
"Oh, Mario took him in to have more scans. But he is in good
spirits, and even grumbled when I mentioned the plastic surgery. He
wants so to be imperfect, he thinks it will solve all his problems. Ah,
but he will be imperfect soon enough. Time spares no one, and, he has
his father's hair line! Ah! Here are the two misfits." She turned towards
the door.
"Bonjour mes enfants. Il est bien chouette, ton petit costume
Burberry, Maia. But, she is the perfect lady, is she not, Penelope?" The
note of sarcasm was hard to miss.
"Merci madame, vous etes bien gentille," murmured Maia.
Max had shed his spandex for a sporty camelhair turtleneck and
skinny trousers. His long arms dangled awkwardly at his sides.
"Mais assieds toi, Maximilien, I am not going to eat you!"
Max eased into a chair next to Maia, Signora joined them at the
table.
"Benissimo, now we can powwow, you tell me the whole story,
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