Chapter 12: Honoring Destiny
HELENA’S POV
Helena had always loved music. Since she was a young child, she was able to master any instrument handed to her quickly. Piano, flute, harp, trumpet, it didn’t matter. Women were usually limited to the piano and maybe the harp, but her father had never refused her anything. He reached out to tutors from all over Europe to visit the family estate and educate his beloved daughter. He even tracked down merchants on his trips to Rome and Venice to buy her bizarre instruments from all over the world. The entire village delighted in Helena’s musical prowess, and they often held bonfires and feasts centered around her performances.
One day, a young man named Francesco Aliani came to Monterosso at Helena’s father’s behest. He was the son of one of Italy’s greatest violinists, but he had mastered the cello. Helena had never received a formal education on this particular instrument, and she was excited to know more than what she had taught herself.