The Morning After
Maria woke to familiar voices just outside her door. Gretl and Marta were awake and coming in to see her. Maria was still very tired from last night. Last night all her dreams had come true. Georg had professed his love for her many times over. After he asked for her hand in marriage, they spent the next several hours talking about everything and anything. Maria told Georg about her childhood and how she came to Nonnberg Abbey. Georg talked about his wife, Agathe, telling how they had met, a bit about their life and how she had passed. It was hard for both of them to talk about their pasts, but they both also wanted to know everything about the other, especially if they were going to be married soon. Maria and Georg walked around the grounds of the house until almost dawn, when Georg realized she must be exhausted and they would both need some rest because the children would be up in a few hours so they said a reluctant good night.
Maria was still thinking about last night when a knock came at her door.
"Fraulein Maria", she heard Gretl and Marta say in almost unison.
"Come in." The girls came bounding into the room, happily, and they crawled up into bed with her. Maria was hoping that she might be able to coax both girls into going back to sleep for a couple of hours, but that wasn't going to happen. Both were still so excited that they had their governess back.
Both girls started talking at the same time. "What are we going to do today?" Gretl asked. "Can we go swimming?" Marta asked.
"Girls, one at a time please".
"Now Gretl, what did you ask?" Maria said. Gretl repeated her question, "What are we going to do today?"
Maria didn't really know how to respond to this question because she wasn't sure herself. She and Georg had not really discussed how they were going to ask the children for permission to get married, but both agreed they wanted to talk to the children about it as soon as possible. She really needed to talk to Georg before committing to anything in particular. So she played it safe. "We will consult with your brothers and sisters before making our decision, but we will definitely keep swimming in mind," Looking over at Marta, remembering her question from earlier.
While neither child was overly thrilled with the answer they seemed satisfied for now. Maria inwardly sighed and prayed that the rest of the children would sleep for a bit longer so that she could consider how to broach the question of marriage to Georg with the children. Maria knew the children loved her, and she already loved them dearly as if they were her own; however, she was worried that those feelings might change if she were to marry Georg. She would no longer be the governess but now the stepmother, and this thought worried her because she had heard at length last night about the children's dislike of their father's engagement to Baroness Schrader and how they did not want her for a stepmother. Maria was worried that the children would react the same way with her.
Gretl was looking up at Maria and asked, "Fraulein Maria, are you ok?" Maria looked down at the child, smiled, and said "Yes dear, just a little tired."
Gretl said "Marta and I can go back to bed for a bit if you want." Maria wanted nothing more than to go back to bed for a couple of hours, but she knew that if the girls went back to their bedroom, they wouldn't sleep, and worse their restlessness would wake the other children. So Maria reluctantly said "How about the three of us go downstairs for awhile and sit out on the terrace before breakfast? But first I will go and get you both dresses that you can put on. Please wait for me downstairs and be quiet so that you don't wake your siblings or your father."
Both girls perked up. "Ok", they both said climbing out of bed and hurrying out the door. Maria climbed out of bed and changed quickly into the floral dress that she wore the night of the party. Georg had mentioned that after the blue one she wore last night, that was his favorite dress. She quietly snuck into their bedroom and grabbed clothes for both girls. She glanced around and saw both Brigitta and Louisa fast asleep under the covers. She tiptoed out, hoping to not make any noise and wake them up.
Once downstairs, Gretl and Marta were somewhat impatiently waiting for Maria. She helped the girls change out of their pajamas and into the dresses she had picked out. Then the three of them headed outside. Out on the back terrace, with the sun shining brightly over the lake, it reminded Maria of last night and how the moon reflected off the lake in the same way.
On their walk of the grounds, Maria stopped at the gates to admire the view. Georg came up behind her and he somewhat hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. He was worried that he was going to scare her by moving too fast. Maria responded though by simply leaning back into him, resting her head on his chest. When she did, Georg noticed that her head tilted to one side, exposing her neck. He gently kissed the nape of her neck a couple of times and then whispered in her ear "I love you". In the short time since they had professed their love, Georg had said it at least a dozen more times. Hearing those words sent a shiver down her spine. She turned her head slightly smiled at him and said "I love you too". He leaned in for another kiss, although this time it wasn't a quick peck like most of the others had been, this one was deeper, longer. He wanted to deepen the kiss more, but again he didn't want to move too fast for her and scare her. He gently ran his tongue across her lips, silently begging for entry and hoping she wasn't going to smack him. Maria was hesitant at first, but she parted her lips to allow entrance. Their tongues met and at first, she wasn't sure she liked the feeling of their tongues clashing together, but as the kiss deepened she found herself enjoying it. Georg moved his hand up and cupped one of her breasts. She stiffened from the shock and pulled away a bit and Georg apologized to her, silently cursing himself for moving too fast. He had to remind himself that she was truly a novice when it came to romance, that this was probably the first time that she had been kissed by anyone in that way and he knows that she has never been touched intimately. Maria shook her head and said, "Don't apologize; it just took me by surprise, that's all." She stood on her tip toes to try and initiate the kiss again, but this time Georg was the one who pulled away. He grabbed her hands in his and kissed each one. "Not tonight my love. I am sorry for moving too fast." He then wrapped his arms around her drawing her in for a hug. They stood there for a long time just holding each other. Maria was trying to fight back tears. She thought that she had ruined everything by shying away from him and now he was simply trying to be nice and comfort her. She figured he was regretting ever professing his love for her and calling off his engagement to Elsa. But then she felt wetness on the top of her head. She leaned back to see why and what she saw surprised her. Georg had tears in his eyes.
"What is it?" she said, bracing herself for the letdown she sure was coming. He tried to compose himself a minute before speaking. "I'm sorry for my actions. A couple of hours ago I tell you that I love you and want to marry you and now I do something that scares you because I am moving too fast. I never meant to make you uncomfortable my love. Please forgive me for being a jerk." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "There is no need to apologize. I have just never been kissed or touched before and I am a bit shy and nervous because I don't know what I'm doing. I want you to teach me." She kissed him and then rested her forehead against his. "I love you", she whispers. He smiles at her and holds her even more tightly never wanting to let her go. This moment between them was intense, but it showed both of them how much love and respect they have for each other, and that they were not going to run away at the first bump. They eventually release their holds on each other, and Georg reaches for her hand and leads her into the house and escorts her to her room. He gently kisses her on the forehead several times, and then he places a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you. Good night beautiful." Then he heads for his bedroom.
The thoughts of last night send yet another shiver up her spine and make her worry some more. What if he has changed his mind and decided he doesn't want to marry me anymore? What will I do then? I committed myself to this household, but could I really continue to stay under the same roof, knowing how I feel about him and knowing that I would continue to remain the governess? It would be awkward. Now some panic starts to set in and she doesn't realize that someone has walked up behind her. Georg wraps his arm around her waist and whispers in her ear, "Good morning love."
Maria jumps and places a hand over her heart because she is startled. "You scared me for a minute."
"Sorry, what were you thinking about?" he asks.
"Last night", Maria replies.
"Which part?" he asks as he leans towards her to kiss her on the earlobe.
Maria looks around rather apprehensively. Georg understanding why she is doing this whispers "Gretl and Marta are over near the gazebo playing tag and none of the other children are awake yet."
Maria turns to face him directly and says "we need to talk." Georg stiffened. In all his experience, no conversation that ever started like that turned out good. She sees the tension and she quickly slips her hand in his and squeezes to show him it isn't a bad conversation. She sees his shoulders relax a bit and some of the tension released. She says, "How do we want to proceed with talking to the children about us?"
Georg smiles realizing that the conversation isn't what he was thinking. He thought she was planning to tell him she didn't want to get married anymore after the way he acted last night by the lake. When he got back to his room, he tossed and turned all night, replaying the scenario in his head. He kept berating himself for acting like an animal or a hormonal teenager. Yes, she stirred feelings up in him that he didn't think existed and he so desperately wanted to act on those feelings. He wanted to take her in his arms and in his bed and show her just how much he loves her, how much she means to him, how just by looking at him and smiling stirs up so many desires. But he knew that he needed to be gentle with her and take things slowly. He would do whatever he had to in order to make her happy. He knew that eventually she would be all his: mind, body, and soul, and he also knew it would be worth the wait.
Maria was looking at him in bewilderment. "Georg, did you hear me?"
"Yes, sorry, yes. I heard you. I have an idea about how to tell the children but I need you to agree to play along."
"Ok", Maria said. "Are you going to tell me how we plan to do this?"
Georg smirks. "Nope. Just trust me. For now we need to act like nothing has changed since yesterday afternoon. "
Georg reluctantly but quickly drops Maria's hand, but he smiles at her in a reassuring manner. He then strolls the grounds towards the gazebo. Maria follows, still unsure of what his plan is, but willing to play along.
Georg reaches the gazebo and is watching his daughters play tag. Maria leans against a tree and watches his reaction and interaction with his children and it makes her love him that much more. He is so good with his children and he loves them dearly, he just was lost for so long after Agathe died.
Gretl sees her father and she bounds over to him "Father, good morning." Georg picks her up in his arms, gives her a hug and says "good morning". Marta also comes running over and Georg reaches down to give her a squeeze too. "What are two of my favorite girls doing this morning?" he asks.
"We are playing tag father. It was my turn to chase Marta, but I couldn't catch her." While he is conversing with his daughters, Maria comes up to them to join the conversation, but she doesn't wrap her arms around all of them like she wants. Instead, playing along like Georg said, she says "good morning Captain, I didn't know you were awake." He turns and pretends that he hasn't already seen her this morning. "Good morning Fraulein," winking to her as he says it. Maria smiles and continues, "We didn't want to wake you or the rest of the children so the three of us decided to come outside and enjoy the weather before breakfast."
"Good idea," he says. Without missing a beat, Gretl asks "Father, what do you want to do today?" Georg smiles at her and says, "Actually Gretl, I need to talk to you and your brothers and sisters about something very important. Can you and Marta please go and wake them and meet me down in the parlor?" Gretl and Marta look excited, not only because they have permission to wake up their brothers and sisters so therefore they couldn't get in trouble for it today, but also because their father asked them to do an important job making them feel really grown up. Georg puts Gretl down, and she and Marta quickly take off towards the house, never looking back. Had they looked back they might have realized what was happening sooner than he wanted them to. The reason is because as they were heading for the house, Georg came up beside Maria again and took her hand in his. Together they watched the two little girls disappear from view. He then turns towards her, brings her hands to his lips for a kiss and he tells Maria "I love you. You take my breath away in that dress. I've wanted to say that to you all morning, but it didn't seem like the right time." He then leans in to kiss her on the lips. She returns the kiss with vigor but doesn't let it linger just in case one of the children decides to make an unexpected appearance. "I love you too" she says and smiles.
They both start walking back towards the house, but as they get closer they reluctantly move further apart so as not to let anyone know, especially the children what is going on. They reach the lake again and both stop for a minute just to gaze out. Maria says, "Marta had mentioned going swimming today, would you be interested in joining us?" Georg's eyes got wide. The thought of Maria in a bathing suit soaking wet was almost more than he thought he could handle right now. He could already start to feel himself become more aroused and uncomfortable in his trousers. Trying not to show her what she is doing to him; he nonchalantly says "it sounds like fun." Little does she know that he has other ideas than swimming in the lake with his children. His plan includes just the two of them taking a dip after the children have gone to bed. He is thinking unsavory thoughts right now. He has to learn to control his feelings, but dammit it was so hard with her around. He gets aroused by everything about her. Georg, happy that Maria is not totally aware of what he is thinking right now because she would really think him a raunchy jerk, turns towards the house and heads inside. Maria follows.
As they are entering the house, they start to see the children one-by-one coming down the stairs, none of them really awake and grumbling about being woken up so early. As Louisa comes bounding downstairs she sees her father and Fraulein Maria, and starts to complain. Louisa of all the children is the worst when she first wakes up. "Gretl and Marta came in to our bedroom and woke me up from a dead sleep talking at the top of their lungs about needing to talk to us." Georg just smiled at his daughter and kissed her on top of the forehead. "That is right Louisa. I told them to wake you. I have something important to talk to you all about." Louisa half smiled, half grunted at her father's words, ambled down the rest of the stairs, muttered what sounded something like "morning" to Maria, and disappeared into the parlor. Next to come downstairs were the boys. They weren't as grouchy as Louisa, but Kurt of course was hungry, as he always is and asks "When are we having breakfast?" Georg replies, "I need to talk to you first, then we will all sit down for breakfast." Kurt grumbled, or was it his stomach. No one really knows, but he didn't look happy about being told he was going to have to wait to eat. Friedrich, the easiest of the children to wake up, mainly because he was a morning person, walks by, acknowledges his father, says good morning to Maria, and heads for the parlor as well. Brigitta and Liesl came down last with Gretl and Marta in tow. Brigitta had a book under her arm as usual. Liesl had a perplexed look on her face, but none of them said anything other than "good morning."
Now the children were all assembled in the parlor. Georg looked at Maria real quick and said, "sit at the back of the room on the couch and I will take it from there and just go along with things". Maria nodded in understanding and agreement.
Georg walked into the parlor, followed by Maria. Maria took her spot as designated, the children were gathered on the floor and Georg went to sit on the chair in front of them. "Children, I wanted to let you know that I have decided to call of my engagement to Baroness Schrader." The children all looked genuinely shocked, but they tried unsuccessfully to not smile at this revelation. None of them liked Baroness Schrader. As the shock began to wear off, Brigitta, being the most observant child of the bunch, asked the question that Georg had anticipated. "So father if you aren't getting married, does this mean that Fraulein Maria is going to remain our governess forever?" Maria was somewhat shocked at the question, although she shouldn't have been. The children asked her right after she came back if she was staying with the family, and Maria sidestepped the question because she did not want to break the children's hearts. Little did she know that the following hours would change her life forever.
Georg answered Brigitta very carefully. "Do you want Fraulein Maria to stay?"
All the children smiled and looked from their father to Maria and back to their father. "Oh yes, father we want her to stay. You want her to stay too, don't you?" Georg broke into a big smile, looked directly at Maria and said "Of course I want her to stay. Do you want to stay Fraulein Maria?" He had a mischievous look on his face and she couldn't help but to smile.
"Yes I would like to stay." The children got all excited and happy with the response. Gretl and Marta got up and flung themselves at her wrapping their little arms around her and giving her a big hug. Maria returned the gesture and she scooted over so Marta could sit next to her and she pulled Gretl into her lap.
Georg spoke again, silencing the children, "What would you children think about me getting married again?" The children looked confused. They didn't understand, their father had just called off their engagement to Baroness Schrader and now he wants to get married to someone else. Friedrich inquired "Father, if you get married again, will we still have a governess?" Georg simply said "No, you will not have a governess anymore." This really confused the children because they had just finished discussing Fraulein Maria staying with the family. Georg sat there quietly for a while not saying anything. The children were processing what their father said. The little ones didn't comprehend and just looked confused and almost like they wanted to cry.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Liesl spoke "Father, I don't understand. You aren't going to marry Baroness Schrader, but you want to get married again? To whom? And what about Fraulein Maria, we just discussed her staying?"
Again Georg broke into a huge grin. He looked down at his daughter and all his children "Well Liesl, Fraulein Maria won't be your governess anymore because instead she will be your new mother. So with your permission I would like to marry Fraulein Maria." As soon as the children registered that their father and Maria wanted to get married, all hell broke loose. All the children immediately sprang up and either ran to their father or Maria to hug them. Brigitta and Louisa let out squeals of excitement.
Maria had tears in her eyes, but they were tears of joy. The children reacted as she had hoped they would. Now all the children had gathered around her to hug her and express their joy. Georg was smiling and he got up and walked across the room to her and the children. The children all reluctantly stopped hugging her and they sat down beside her on the floor looking at their father. He got down on one knee, took her hands in his, looked deep in her eyes and asked "Will you do me the honor of being my wife and their mother? Because it isn't just me you are marrying. It's a package deal." Maria now had tears flowing down her cheeks, but she replied "Oh yes!"
Georg leans in to kiss her. "I love you". The kids all oohed, ahhed, and laughed. Neither Georg nor Maria care. "I love you too", she replies.