Disclaimer: I don't own the Sound of Music but I borrowed lines/characters/plot points from the film, etc.
A plot twist, had the Captain decided to wait a day instead of seeking out Maria the night he ended his engagement with the Baroness.
Chapter 1
"And somewhere out there is a young lady who, I think, will never be a nun." Georg's eyes widened in shock; had she known all along? Were all the other inhabitants of the villa aware of his attraction toward the governess? He began to speak but was interrupted by Elsa's "Auf Wiedersehen, darling" before she turned and swept back into the house.
Georg paused a moment on the veranda. Was this true? He leaned his head against the cool marble of the railing, feeling the summer breeze passing over him. Even if it were true, if Maria echoed his feelings, he was in no way prepared to deal with it tonight. Especially not with Elsa still in the house. He may not love her, but he at least owed her some semblance of respect. Not tonight. Tomorrow he would drive Elsa into town to the train station, and run some errands. Now, he thought, what is the name of that jeweler?
"
Maria kept the children outside the next day under the pretense that the days would soon turn cold and the fresh air would do them well. In actuality, she was doing everything in her power to avoid the Captain. Dinner the previous night had been almost physically painful; Maria tried to focus on her food and the stories the children were telling her, but her bubble was often burst with a sharp, high trill of laughter from the Baroness. Maria would turn only to see the Baroness place her hand in the Captain's, and have him return the gesture with equal affection. She wanted to scream and cry and do nothing, all at once. She retired to bed earlier than usual, but stayed awake most of the night. Not crying, simply staring out the window, wondering when God would open a window for her.
The summer's almost over and then I'll have to leave the children, whether I want to or not she thought, watching them run screaming and laughing through the grounds. So I'll stay for them. I can manage to avoid the Captain for only a few more weeks. Maria looked up and realized the sun was falling lower in the sky.
"Children! Dinner will be soon. Please go inside and wash up."
"Awwwww," "But Fraulein Maria!," and "Five more minutes?" were the overwhelming responses.
"Now, I've been later to dinner enough to know that your father does not approve of tardiness. Come on! Inside!" she called, waving them in.
"
After making sure that the children were preparing themselves for dinner, Maria went to her own room to change. I really don't think I have anything suitable she thought, smirking sadly as she remembered the last time she had said those words. It remained true now, as well. Maria flung open her closet doors, sure that her nice dresses were waiting to be washed-.
There is was. The blue dress. The sight of it brought back a flood of memories: the Captain's steely blue eyes looking into her own as he played Eidelweiss, the Baroness holding the dress as she said, casually "there's nothing more irresistible to a man than a woman who's in love with him." The dress that was the color of the sky when she returned to the Villa, her heart light and hopes high. And with that, Maria released all the pent up emotions she had since learning of the Captain's engagement. She threw herself on the bed and wept.