‘Jelly is playing the supposedly Mozart “Adelaide” Concerto in November. I believe you’ve published it, so why don’t you come over for the concert? Then you could meet her and see for yourself.’

‘Thank you, Professor Tovey,’ said Ulli. ‘I might just do that.’

*

Katharine Tennant, who was organising Jelly’s charity tour, had lined up more than the three or four cathedrals Jelly had envisaged. The project grew like an orchid in a hothouse; now it had blossomed into nine events. If anyone tried to say no, Katharine, her determination and tenacity veneered with charm and her Asquith accent, simply wouldn’t listen, and her targets would find sooner or later that they had said yes, even if they hadn’t meant to.

‘Darling, you’re a miracle worker,’ Jelly beamed at her over tea. ‘I dreamed this up at the end of March, and you’ve made it all happen by June!’

‘It’s been easy,’ Katharine smiled. ‘People are only ever reluctant to take on a great musician if they actually have to pay them, which in this case is not a concern.’

‘You’re much too modest.’ Jelly gave her a hug.

She was convinced that the rapid take-up must reflect a genuine appetite for the concerts. At each, she would play for free, welcoming all comers, with a collection afterwards. Every dean leapt at the chance of a charity performance by Jelly d’Arányi. They recognised the longing for order and beauty in this pea-souper of a depression; music was the quickest way to achieve it – and though local music societies could offer live concerts to those in the know, provision of them in large venues at no cost seemed a godsend. Jelly might be delighted, but now she had to work, work and work. And as if York Minster were not an intimidating enough place to begin, in a magnificent coup Katharine had managed to book her and Adila to play together on 10 July at the venue Jelly most wanted, Westminster Abbey. The one thing they could not do was to find the Schumann Violin Concerto in time for the tour; Jelly had no choice but to watch that part of the dream evaporate. She simply had no time to pursue it.