Hey everyone, I´m planning to write several of those phone conversations, taking place after every important event in the movie- please tell me if you like it and if I should continue, it´s a bit unconventional but I thought I´d mix up two really unexpected characters and personally I found it interesting to see the captain interact with someone who really knows him and can see through him, so he won´t bother to try and pretend - well, let me know what you think :)
"I suppose you think this is awfully funny, don´t you."
The accusing tone in her nephew´s voice made the old lady smile.
She held the phone close to her ear as she sat down behind her desk and leaned back in her chair, readying herself for the confrontation she was about to have with the stubborn man.
"Georg, how nice of you to call."
"Don´t try to distract me, aunt Elisabeth, it is not going to work- what were you thinking, sending me this- this-" he struggled for words and the Reverend Mother smiled amusedly while waiting for him to finish the sentence.
"I believe the word you are looking for is girl."
She told him and he snorted impatiently.
"Girl- yes, that´s a perfect word to describe her, an insolent, childish girl with her head in the clouds."
"Maria is neither insolent nor childish, Georg, though I admit we could agree on the heads in the clouds thing but that´s not necessarily negative."
"Of course it is- she´s here as a governess, how are you expecting her to drill any discipline into the children? She´s going to turn everything upside down."
"Perhaps you need someone to turn things upside down" Elisabeth replied smoothly, her tone a bit sterner now but of course the man on the other end wasn´t impressed by it.
"I beg your pardon, I don´t need that, it´s about the last thing I need- I need a governess, not a wispy, twirling fairy tale princess dressed in rags."
"I thought you wouldn´t like the dress but she´s really good at making clothes, just get her some material- blue, preferably."
"Why exactly do you care so much?"
Georg asked, now sounding suspicious.
"Is this another attempt to set me up?"
"I wouldn´t dream of it, what are you thinking- besides she´s too young for you."
"She is not" he protested instantly, then added "I mean that doesn´t matter anyway, she is impossible."
"She is a very pretty girl though, isn´t she" the old nun said innocently, her fine smile widening.
"Well- all right, she is pretty but what is that to you, I thought you were glad for every girl that wants to enter your ridiculous abbey, why are you so keen on getting rid of her?"
"I am not- I simply believe that she isn´t made for living as a nun."
"Oh, I can confirm that- she is made for causing trouble."
The Reverend Mother laughed softly, that sounded indeed like Maria and she was glad that she had made such a wonderful decision when her nephew had requested a new governess and sent the young woman there- Maria would do a wonderful job showing Georg how to live again and at the same time helping the children discovering how to be children in every sense of the word.
"What did she do, anyway- she can´t have been there for more than an hour, surely she can´t have caused you that much agony yet."
"Oh, it´s just everything about her, her attitude, her clothes, her hair- and she contradicted me, in front of the children."
"The whistle again?"
"Yes- what is wrong about the whistle, it´s effective."
He sounded like a child who had been told to give up on his favorite toy and Elisabeth fondly remembered the little dark haired boy who had unwrapped presents underneath his parent´s Christmas tree so many years ago, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
Now he was withholding that kind of joy from is own children and his aunt couldn´t do much- except trying to interfere from afar and this time it turned out to have worked splendidly.
"Give her a chance, Georg- you are leaving for Vienna tomorrow if I´m not mistaken, just see what has happened when you get back."
"I shudder to imagine it" he growled, then sighed.
"All right, I will let her stay- but if she hasn´t improved when I get home you will take her back right away."
"Of course I will take her back if you send her away but you won´t do it, you´ll see, you will fall under her spell sooner or later, everyone does."
"Don´t set your heart on that- I´m planning to propose to Elsa soon and then I won´t need a governess anymore."
"Of course- I hope you aren´t mistaken again, my dear boy."
"What would I need a governess for when the children have a new mother?"
He protested but there was something in his voice that told his aunt plainly that he didn´t believe in the baroness´s motherly qualities anymore than she did.
"You can answer that for yourself- Maria doesn´t know about us being related and it would be best if you wouldn´t tell her either."
"Why, do you think she´ll be upset with you if she learns that you made her put up with me despite knowing me personally?"
Came his sarcastic reply.
"That´s just the reason, Georg- I suppose I will talk to you when you are back from Vienna?"
"Yes- so have a nice month, aunt Elisabeth- you will without doubt, now I have to deal with your troublemaker."
"You won´t deal with her, you won´t be at home."
"That is wrong as well now?"
"You know my point of view- have a good time in Vienna, we will talk when you get back."