Maria was looking for a small place to live. She left the abbey a couple of weeks ago, but the reverend mother allowed her to live in the abbey till she found a place to live. It was a hot September day and Maria was getting tired of looking. She felt like she had been roaming around Salzburg for ages now. The places were either to expensive or in a bad shape. She decided to take some time off and to find something to eat first. When she saw a small little bistro that didn't look to expensive, she sat down and started scanning the menu. She picked a salad and some chocolate cake for dessert. While she was waiting for her dinner to arrive, she couldn't help but hear the conversation two elderly ladies were having at the table next to hers.

'Did you see the newspaper today', one said to the other.

'You mean the announcement that captain Von Trapp is getting married again', the other answered, 'Just about time. His children need a mother and he has been mourning long enough if you ask me'.

'Yes, absolutely and that Baroness Schraeder is quit a catch', she said, 'Still, I'm surprised, after that rumour he was having an affair with his children's governess, I didn't expect that marriage to happen anytime soon'.

Maria felt her hard sank. The captain was getting married. She knew that Elsa came to Salzburg so the children could get acquainted with their future mother, but as the summer passed, she couldn't help but think the baroness was completely wrong for her boss. She didn't like children, she wasn't empathic and all she could think about was herself and her money. Although the captain was a baron himself, he didn't feel to good to play with his children and to get dirty in the process. When she came to the villa he was the aristocratic captain who ran his household like one of his ships, but over summer she started to see him as a great father and even a friend. If she was honest with herself he was more than a friend. She left the abbey because she realised she loved him but that love wasn't appropriate. He was her employer and he had baroness Schraeder. Who would one a mountaingirl if he could have a beautiful, elegant lady by his side already. And now these women were insinuating that they had an affair. Even if the captain had feelings for her, he would never act on them and he would never take use of her like this ladies said. Fighting back her tears, she ran as quick as she possibly could to the abbey.

Meanwhile at the Von Trapp villa Georg was furious. He had seen his marriage announcement in the newspaper and he wasn't pleased. Elsa had proposed to him a couple of days ago and he had agreed to marry her because that was expected of him. He didn't want to make a fuss about it and he had wanted it to be just a small ceremony and now all of Salzburg would know, she would know… Georg had only agreed to marry Elsa because he had heard some rumours about him having an affair with his governess. Maria must have heard these rumours to cause after the ball she ran away, back to the abbey. He knew he loved her, but that love could never be. In order to protect her and save her from any harm those rumours could do, he had to marry Elsa. Maria was after all a postulant.

When he saw Elsa sitting on the terrace, he threw the newspaper at her.

"What is this?", he hissed.

"Oh Georg, I took the liberty to send a wedding announcement to the newspaper", she said slightly taken aback by his tone, "You know how people love to watch rich people getting married".

"I thought we agreed not to make a fuss", he shouted.

"Surely you didn't mean that", Elsa argued , "As aristocrats we have to give the people something to look forward to".

"Dammit, Elsa, can't you just understand that I don't want whole Salzburg to know about my private life", he said even more angry than before.

"You mean you don't want her to know", Elsa hissed.

She knew she was entering a dangerous path. Georg always became defensive when Elsa brought Maria up in a conversation. She knew about his feelings, but she thought he would be over her by now.

"What do you mean?", Georg said. He knew it was a rhetorical question. "She's just my children's governess and she's gone now. I couldn't care less", he lied.

"We both know that isn't true, Georg", she said in a tone matching his, "Be honest with yourself. You have feelings for the girl. She's a postulant for Christ sake! She might be young and fress. Please realise you can't just take her to bed".

Georg was furious by now, "I don't want to take her to bed, it's not just lust, I love her".

He sighted when he realised what he said. He did love her, he needed her. He wanted to marry Maria and make his family whole again.

"I'm so sorry, Elsa, I tried", he said truthfully.

"You didn't, Georg", she said in defeat, "Since she came here, you only had eye for her. I thought if I'd scare her and make her go away, you would get over it".

"What do you mean, make her go away?", he said.

"I had a talk with her at the prom", Elsa said realising her slip of tongue.

"If you were a guy, I would beat the crap out of you, get out, now!", he hissed, "I'm going to town now and when I'm back, you are gone, understood!".

Maria sat in the garden, dreaming away. She wished she could be his bride, she could be the one he loves. While humming Edelweiss she started dancing with an invisible partner wishing Georg was with her, just like that night they danced the Ländler.