In all fairness to Irene, Ilde is an absolute musical genius; it runs quite aggressively in the family, being what they are. She doesn't share her father's gift for composition, a talent of his own and not part of their shared birthright, but not all musicians do and what she does have is gift enough.

Profitable, too, when she can readily justify charging twice the top going rate for a music instructor.

“Maybe,” she laughs, half-shy. “Daddy always wanted me to perform with him - to sing for his concerts, he did a lot of philanthropy that way. But I'm, um, I don't know about it.” In small doses, it's intimidating but interesting; she isn't sure she's suited to making a career out of performance, although there are things she'd like to do.

(And Emery, for all his absence, remains ever present in her life.)