{"id":51648,"date":"2019-08-19T20:42:04","date_gmt":"2019-08-19T10:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.30.214.42\/?p=51648"},"modified":"2025-12-10T17:57:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T07:57:30","slug":"wilhelmina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/wilhelmina\/","title":{"rendered":"Wilhelmina by\u00a0Daphne Saxby Taylor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"product-component-1749295659918\"><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/*<![CDATA[*\/ (function () { var scriptURL = 'https:\/\/sdks.shopifycdn.com\/buy-button\/latest\/buy-button-storefront.min.js'; if (window.ShopifyBuy) { if (window.ShopifyBuy.UI) { ShopifyBuyInit(); } else { loadScript(); } } else { loadScript(); } function loadScript() { var script = document.createElement('script'); script.async = true; script.src = scriptURL; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(script); script.onload = ShopifyBuyInit; } function 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data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-217377\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/everand-logo.jpg?resize=105%2C30&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Everand (was Scribd) Logo\" width=\"105\" height=\"30\" \/><\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smashwords.com\/books\/view\/1785736\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/smashwords.png?resize=112%2C30&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Smashwords Logo\" width=\"112\" height=\"30\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-208841 size-full\" \/><\/a><\/td>        <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody><!--ninja_tobody_rendering_done-->\n    <\/table>\n    \n    \n    \n<\/div>\n\n<div data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\" data-en-clipboard=\"true\"><\/div>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1670\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/blue-line.gif?resize=300%2C8&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"8\" \/><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">1.<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The grand duchess&#8217; offer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>THE GRAND DUCHESS STOOD STILL, her head tilted to one side, listening.\u00a0 &#8220;Who is that, Maria?\u00a0 Who is that playing the piano?&#8221;\u00a0 She paused, listening intently.\u00a0 &#8220;Not since Mr. Chopin visited us have I heard such music.\u00a0 The notes are like drops of water falling into a still pool &#8211; so clear they are crystal like.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I believe, Your Grace, it is the younger daughter of Colonel Johann Gerhardt, Wilhelmina,&#8221; her companion replied.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A young girl?&#8221;\u00a0 She was silent again.\u00a0 &#8220;Her music is so touching &#8211; so much feeling!&#8221;\u00a0 They walked out into the courtyard.\u00a0 The afternoon was balmy and the notes wafted across from the music room.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I fancy she is playing some of Mr Chopin&#8217;s compositions, Your Grace.\u00a0 I know she greatly admires his music.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The two women sat down beside the fountain.\u00a0 The grand duchess did not often venture into this wing of the castle.\u00a0 It was occupied mostly by the army officers and their families.\u00a0 As the court was now in session with the grand duke and duchess in residence, there were many occupying this section.\u00a0 It was a close court, the grand duke knowing his officers by name.\u00a0 There was almost a family feeling.<\/p>\n<p>The music came to a climax and the notes drifted away into silence.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Maria go.\u00a0 Fetch the girl to me.\u00a0 I wish to speak to her.&#8221;\u00a0 Maria rose and hastened away, entering the building by the door near the ceremonial arch.<\/p>\n<p>The sun was warm.\u00a0 The courtyard, now such a delight with the exquisite gardens ablaze with colour and perfume, would soon be clothed in autumn foliage preparing for winter&#8217;s sleep and blankets of snow.\u00a0 The fountain sparkled in the sunlight and the drops of water tinkled into the pool.<\/p>\n<p>The grand duchess sat musing:\u00a0 a young girl to play like that!\u00a0 What maturity!\u00a0 What understanding!\u00a0 The feeling expressed in her music drew out a response in the listener.\u00a0 Her own heart had swelled with emotion: pain, yet delight.\u00a0 She must encourage such talent &#8211; extend it &#8211; bring out the gift this girl possessed.<\/p>\n<p>She would offer her patronage, give her the opportunity to fulfil her potential.\u00a0 She would make her a protege.\u00a0 How exciting it was to discover such a one!\u00a0 She could even build a concert hall here in Heidelberg.\u00a0 It would be to honour this gifted artist if she excelled under her patronage.\u00a0 It could become famous throughout Europe; the world.<\/p>\n<p>Already the university was rapidly gaining a reputation as a world famous institute of learning.\u00a0 This was thanks to the grand dukes of Baden who, after a period of decline of the university during the period of the Thirty Years&#8217; War, had granted their patronage and involvement in its affairs.<\/p>\n<p>Now, if she could be a true patron of the Arts, building a superb concert hall and taking under her patronage this girl, Heidelberg could gain a reputation as a centre of musical excellence.\u00a0 And it would be her own project.\u00a0 She smiled.\u00a0 &#8216;The Grand Duchess of Baden Music Hall&#8217;.\u00a0\u00a0 &#8216;The Heidelberg Grand Duchess Music Hall&#8217;.\u00a0 She would have to think about the name.\u00a0 It would carry on for many years, long after she was gone from this earth.<\/p>\n<p>She must talk to the grand duke, then the architects at the university.\u00a0 What a project!\u00a0 It would keep her happily occupied for some years.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Maria waited outside the music room.\u00a0 Wilhelmina had begun to play again.\u00a0 As the last notes died away she entered, moving swiftly across to the piano where the girl sat absorbed in the pages of music she was studying.<\/p>\n<p>She jumped when Maria spoke.\u00a0 &#8220;Good afternoon, Wilhelmina.\u00a0 Come with me, please.\u00a0 The grand duchess wishes to see you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The girl looked up in alarm.\u00a0 &#8220;The grand duchess?\u00a0 Is anything amiss?\u00a0 Should I perhaps not have been using this room today?\u00a0 Have I disturbed her?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You will see,&#8221; Maria replied.\u00a0 &#8220;Come at once.\u00a0 We must not keep the grand duchess waiting.&#8221;\u00a0 She turned and went quickly towards the door.<\/p>\n<p>Wilhelmina rose and followed hastily.\u00a0 Why ever would the grand duchess send for her?\u00a0 Her mind raced.\u00a0 Where had she been this morning?\u00a0 What had she done?\u00a0 Was there any point of courtesy or protocol she had transgressed?<\/p>\n<p>She ran a few steps to catch up to Maria.\u00a0 They turned down the long corridor, their footsteps echoing from the walls and lofty ceiling.<\/p>\n<p>As they emerged into the courtyard, the sun was bright after the dim corridors.\u00a0 The grand duchess was still seated by the fountain.\u00a0 She turned when she heard the approaching footsteps.<\/p>\n<p>So this was the girl.\u00a0 What a striking face!\u00a0 Her broad forehead was surmounted by thick dark hair which was caught high on the crown of her head with a wide ribbon bow and fell in a cascade down her back.\u00a0 The eyes were wide, observant, yet had a dreamy depth &#8211; a deeply intuitive and sensitive girl, thought the grand duchess.\u00a0 Yes, she could believe she was capable of such emotion in her music.<\/p>\n<p>She held out her hand.\u00a0 Wilhelmina moved forward and curtsied.\u00a0 Her Grace did not look annoyed.\u00a0 Perhaps she had not displeased her, after all.\u00a0 What then?<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Come here, my child,&#8221; the grand duchess said, smiling.\u00a0 &#8220;I have been listening to your music.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I trust I did not disturb Your Grace with my playing.\u00a0 It was such a beautiful afternoon and the light was so clear in the music room.\u00a0 I sat down to play.\u00a0 I did not stop to think I may be disturbing the quiet.&#8221;\u00a0 She lifted apologetic eyes.<\/p>\n<p>The older woman was looking at her with interest.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You like to play, Wilhelmina?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Oh yes, Your Grace.\u00a0 That is the trouble.\u00a0 I begin to play and I forget everything else.\u00a0 I do not mean to be rude or annoy.\u00a0 It is just that everything else goes out of my head.\u00a0 There is just the piano and me and the sounds we make together.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You speak as though the piano has an entity of its own,&#8221; the grand duchess said.\u00a0 &#8220;It only produces the sounds you determine with your hands.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yes, Your Grace.\u00a0\u00a0 But it is like a child or an animal.\u00a0 It is the way you approach it, the way you handle it that makes the difference.\u00a0 If you treat it with love and caress it, if you speak to it with your fingers, then it responds.\u00a0 The beautiful sounds come back to you.\u00a0 There is an empathy.&#8221;\u00a0 She paused, hoping she had not spoken too much.\u00a0 &#8220;You make it together, the piano and the pianist.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>What depth this child had.\u00a0 What age would she be?\u00a0 Perhaps fifteen: almost a woman &#8211; and mature: mature for her age, yet still with the innocence of the child in her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I see you love the piano, Wilhelmina.\u00a0 Do you have a piano of your own at home?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yes, Your Grace.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And you practice diligently?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is not a task, Your Grace.\u00a0\u00a0 I do not think about playing as practice.\u00a0 I just like to strive till I get the sounds I feel the composition calls for.\u00a0 It is not always achieved quickly &#8211; I am afraid I sometimes become so involved I lose count of time and I may be annoying those within hearing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The grand duchess gave a little laugh.\u00a0 She held out her hand again and patted the seat near her.\u00a0 &#8220;Sit down here, Wilhelmina.\u00a0 I have not been annoyed.\u00a0 I was delighted by your music.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The girl&#8217;s heart gave a leap of joy.\u00a0 She had delighted the grand duchess with her music.\u00a0 Wait till she told Mama and Papa.\u00a0 How pleased they would be.<\/p>\n<p>The grand duchess was speaking again.\u00a0 &#8220;Was that one of Mr Chopin&#8217;s compositions you were playing just now?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yes, Your Grace.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You admire Mr Chopin and his music?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Oh yes, Your Grace.\u00a0 There are so many wonderful composers, but Mr Chopin loves the piano, too, and his music speaks from the heart of the piano.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You are a discerning, perceptive little soul, aren&#8217;t you?\u00a0 I do believe you are right, even though I would not have expressed it so poetically.\u00a0 I believe Mr Chopin is a genius.\u00a0 Even Mr. Schumann states such.\u00a0 Mr. Chopin is an unchallenged master in his field.\u00a0 No-one speaks through the piano with so rich and varied a language!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There was silence for a few minutes, broken only by the birds in the trees and the bees buzzing in the gardens.\u00a0 &#8220;Would you wish to devote yourself fully to your music, Wilhelmina?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The dark eyes swept up in surprise.\u00a0 &#8220;I do devote a great deal of my time to my music, Your Grace &#8211; as much as ever I am able.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I mean, Wilhelmina, would you wish to make a career of your music &#8211; become a concert pianist &#8211; give your life to the piano?&#8221;\u00a0 She hastened on.\u00a0 &#8220;This kind of life, if you are successful, brings great fame, great prestige.\u00a0 You may have Baden, Germany, Europe, the world at your feet, begging to hear you play, crying for more and more and more.\u00a0 You could be feted, given accolades, be at the pinnacle of the world.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But it would be you and your piano.\u00a0 There would be no room, no time for anyone or anything else.\u00a0 You would belong body and soul to your public.\u00a0 Would you wish to do this?\u00a0 To devote yourself wholly to the piano?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A puzzled expression had creased the girl&#8217;s brow.\u00a0 What was the grand duchess saying?\u00a0 What was the meaning of all this?\u00a0 &#8220;It would be very wonderful to do this, Your Grace, to give my whole time and attention to my music.\u00a0 When Mr Chopin was here, my tutor, Mr. Rhyngold, secured a short time with the master for me.\u00a0 He seemed pleased with what I achieved in the time spent with him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You played for Mr Chopin?\u00a0 You say your tutor arranged this?&#8221; the grand duchess exclaimed in astonishment.\u00a0 The girl&#8217;s tutor must believe she had great potential.\u00a0 If only she had discovered her while Mr Chopin was here!\u00a0 Never mind.\u00a0 She would invite him again.<\/p>\n<p>But first she must ensure the girl&#8217;s dedication to the demands entailed.\u00a0 She was young yet, but not too young.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yes, your Grace.\u00a0 I was working on some of Mr Chopin&#8217;s compositions.\u00a0 Mr Rhyngold believed time spent with the composer was of great value.\u00a0 Mr Chopin is a great teacher as well as a great composer and pianist.\u00a0 I was very lucky to have such an opportunity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This girl obviously had no idea of her potential &#8211; or what I believe is her potential, thought the grand duchess.\u00a0 Neither did she have any idea of what the grand duchess was leading up to.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Wilhelmina, if you had the opportunity to study under the great masters, to devote yourself wholly to your music, to become, as I said, a concert pianist of the highest order, would you take that opportunity?\u00a0 Or would you think the demands too great?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Thoughts, possibilities raced through Wilhelmina&#8217;s mind.\u00a0 What was the grand duchess suggesting, asking these things?\u00a0 Oh, how wonderful it would be to do as she suggested.\u00a0 But what of Mama and Papa?\u00a0 What would they say?<\/p>\n<p>Her heart thudded against her ribs and she felt her pulse searing through her veins.\u00a0 What a dream!\u00a0 To study under someone like Mr Chopin!\u00a0 But how silly she was to get excited like this.\u00a0 It was just that the words awakened untold dreams.<\/p>\n<p>But dreams they were.\u00a0 The grand duchess was speaking hypothetically.\u00a0 She had enjoyed her music and flattered her by sending for her to discuss her music.\u00a0 How gracious of her.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Well Wilhelmina, what would you do?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Oh, Your Grace.\u00a0 If I had such an opportunity as you describe &#8211; I don&#8217;t know how that could ever be, it is just a dream &#8211; but if I did, I would find it no burden to lose myself in my music.\u00a0 It speaks to the very soul.\u00a0 I would not think the demands too great.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Then, my dear young lady, I intend to invite Mr Chopin to visit us again presently.\u00a0 I want him to spend time with you.\u00a0 I shall ask him if he is willing to accept you as a pupil with the view of grooming you for a career as a concert pianist.\u00a0 You could become famous.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She watched as amazement and incredulity suffused the girl&#8217;s face.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In other words, Wilhelmina, I am offering you my patronage.\u00a0 What do you say?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4dTdLLy \" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-223936 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/wilhelmina-print-cover-800.jpg?resize=800%2C569&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Wilhelmina Print Cover\" width=\"800\" height=\"569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/wilhelmina-print-cover-800.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/wilhelmina-print-cover-800.jpg?resize=300%2C213&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/wilhelmina-print-cover-800.jpg?resize=200%2C142&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/wilhelmina-print-cover-800.jpg?resize=768%2C546&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/wilhelmina-print-cover-800.jpg?resize=655%2C466&amp;ssl=1 655w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. The grand duchess&#8217; offer &nbsp; THE GRAND DUCHESS STOOD STILL, her head tilted to one side, listening.\u00a0 &#8220;Who is that, Maria?\u00a0 Who is that playing the piano?&#8221;\u00a0 She paused, listening intently.\u00a0 &#8220;Not since Mr. Chopin visited us have I heard such music.\u00a0 The notes are like drops of water falling into a still pool &#8211; so clear they are crystal like.&#8221; &#8220;I believe, Your Grace, it is the younger daughter of Colonel Johann Gerhardt, Wilhelmina,&#8221; her companion replied. &#8220;A&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":226166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[202],"tags":[81,56,141,504,52,167,417],"class_list":["post-51648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historical","tag-kindle","tag-amazon","tag-australia","tag-daphnesaxbytaylor","tag-ebook","tag-historical","tag-writersexchangeepublishing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writers-exchange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/wilhelminda-3d-cover-500-high.png?fit=359%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1tQiy-dr2","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51648"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":226167,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51648\/revisions\/226167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/226166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writers-exchange.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}