At noon the following Sunday, they arrived at van Swieten's home and were escorted into a large library, where the walls were lined with shelves of books and maps, and the many scores for which he was famous. They were pleased to see Mozart, who was busy tuning an elegantly painted and carved fortepiano.
     "What a pleasure to see you. I was wondering when van Swieten was going to invite you," he exclaimed cheerfully. "This will be fun. I was getting a little bored with all the old farts and bluestockings," he said with a jovial whisper. "God knows we could liven things up a bit around here," he teased with a twinkle in his eye.
     Nancy and Kelly had at last developed a warm friendship with Mozart, often meeting him at soirees, musicales and other gatherings around the city. There were also occasions when Mozart and Nancy saw each other at the Trattnerhof casino, where, when she could steal some time from her hectic rehearsal and performance schedule, she would go with Michael to gamble and enjoy a bit of diversion.      She and Mozart enjoyed playing games of chess, which she always won and then teased him mercilessly. Mozart, who was competitive in all things—not just music—didn't generally like losing, but he found losing to Nancy at chess was a stimulating experience. There was something overwhelmingly charming about the way her brown eyes sparkled and danced when she called "Checkmate!", bouncing up and down in her chair, her young bosom bouncing right along with the rest of her. It was so charming, in fact, that he found ways to let her win without letting on that he was doing so on purpose.
     Mozart took Nancy's arm and led her to her chair. "You're looking quite lovely today, Mademoiselle," he said flirtatiously, admiring the peach silk frock that so perfectly complemented her skin color. "I'm certain that your singing will be every bit as lovely. Your seat is positioned right here next to mine, and at just the perfect angle for me to watch your technique," he said with a roguish grin.
     Nancy gave him a smack on the backside with her fan and replied to him through gritted teeth, "Mind your manners, you rascal. This isn't the casino."
     Once the music began, Mozart's playful and flirtatious demeanor changed. Suddenly, nothing else existed but the music. Nancy admired his ability to lose himself so completely that he became oblivious and indifferent to all else, including her. This aspect of him captivated and intrigued her and, ah! there was that curl that Catarina had warned her about, as well as his soulful, yet intense eyes. She wanted to know him better. She felt a connection to him and to his relationship with the music that she couldn't define, but she knew she would have to have more of this part of him.
     After the session was concluded, Mozart approached her. "Excellent," he exclaimed. "You sing Handel well. Tell me, do you know the aria from Rinaldo, what is it called?"
     "Lascia ch'io pianga. It's one of my favorites," she replied, delighted that he was so familiar with Handel's operatic pieces.
     "Of course, that's it," he said softly as he gazed at her. "I'd like to hear you sing it one day soon. Your performance today so inspired me that I know that should I hear your rendition, I would be moved to tears."
     Afterward, Mozart invited Nancy and Michael to ride with him in his carriage to the Milano, where several of the musicians had planned to meet. The mood at the café was festive and light and Nancy felt like she was finally finding a niche within the tight circle of Viennese musicians, who up until this point seemed rather unfriendly and standoffish. They were suspicious of the Italians and resentful of outsiders who took their jobs at court. But today she had impressed all, including Mozart, who was the most difficult to please...      It was only a short walk from the Trattnerhof to the Burgtheater, just a few yards to the square, and across to the Hofburg. They arrived at the stage door, where the guard recognized them and allowed them passage within.
     The backstage area was dimly lit by some sputtering candles in sconces on the walls. Nancy's dressing room was only a few short feet down a narrow corridor, so she asked Mozart to wait for her while she went to retrieve the score. She took a candle from out of a small wooden box lying by the backstage entrance and lit it off of one of the wall sconces.
     Mozart loved the look and smells of the theater backstage. The aroma of dusty velvet mixed with sawdust, human sweat and stage make-up captivated his innate sensuality, and the thick, red velvet curtains reminded him of the draperies that hung in the bordellos he'd visited once or twice. Perhaps it was also because of the many clandestine encounters he had witnessed between so many actors and actresses, backed up against the walls or hiding behind heavy, velvet curtains, unashamedly indulging their heated passions between acts. Whatever the reason, being backstage always aroused him, especially when he was in the company of a beautiful woman.
     In only a few minutes Nancy made her way back up to the corridor to where Mozart stood waiting. Her hair was piled loosely on the top of her head with curls cascading partially down her back and little wisps softly framing her heart-shaped face. Her golden skin reflected the dim candlelight, giving her a soft, almost iridescent glow.
     "She looks good enough to eat!" he thought. He still couldn't separate his thoughts from their earlier conversation, and despite his claims that he was concerned mostly for her safety, he couldn't escape the vivid pictures in his imagination of the wedding night, and what would take place between Fisher and Nancy in the sanctity and privacy of the bedchamber. The thought of Fisher touching her was almost more than he could bear.
     "Is there nothing you can do to prevent this marriage?" He hesitated a moment and looked around nervously before he spoke again. "I can't stand the idea of Fisher's hands on you," he exclaimed.
     Nancy was taken aback by his sudden outburst. She stepped back slightly and peered into his eyes. They pierced into her, and she was mesmerized....