Alice looked like she'd perked up a little - she definitely seemed intrigued by the flat rectangle from her pocket. She couldn't fathom how such a tiny thing could play music - even her music box once upon a time was twice this things size and all it could manage was a tinny little lullaby.

"I could - I'm better at playing by ear than reading music. Or I was. I don't know now-"

"Are you gonna buy it or not?" demanded the merchant with growing impatience.

"Yes, please," Alice replied, a bit breathless as she fished out the string of coins, handing them over. She'd never had money of her own like this, and getting to buy something absolutely, utterly frivolous that she just *wanted* was a bit of an experience.

She took the keyboard, holding it like it were some precious possession.

"I'd love to hear your music. I can ... try to follow."

While her nan had remarked that Alice had the potential to be the next Gilbert or Sullivan, she'd been six at the time, and she hadn't touched a piano since the fire. She was, probably, more than a little rusty.