The night of the ball, Maria donned a plain, blue dress that suited the color of her eyes. She did not need reminding she was first and foremost the governess and would not be taking an active part in the festivities except to mind the children. Nevertheless, when the guests began arriving wearing their finest clothes, Maria could not help feel a small pang of embarrassment at the simplicity of her costume. Far from the abbey, it was hard not to wish she had nicer clothes and money to spend in idle frivolities.
From the upper hall she had watched the austrian nobility parade into the house and her heart had clenched when she saw Baroness Von Schraeder in a stunning white dress, greeting guests beside the Captain as though she were hostess and not a guest herself.
"They will be married soon, no doubt," she thought sadly to herself. "At least the children will have a new mother." Fortunately her bittersweet musings were interrupted as Martha and Gretl came running out of their bedroom to meet her.
"Look Fraulein Maria!" Gretl exclaimed, twirling about to show off her dress, "It's just like in your song!" Maria smiled sweetly at the young girls' white, starched dresses with a blue, satin sash around their middle.
All of the children had been very excited by the prospect of having a party at their house, but none as much as the two youngest Von Trapp girls. There hadn't been an event like it since before their mother died and they were set not to miss out on any of it, though they would only be allowed to be present for a few hours. However, it was enough for them to spend their time in the patio, munching on stolen pastries and peering into the ballroom with avid curiosity. The girls chattered admiring the fancy dresses the ladies wore and the boys listened to the men talk about politics and the continuous unrest throughout Europe.
After a while, Liesl became bored of watching; she so longed to be able to take part in a gathering like this. She could just see herself gathered in a circle with other young society ladies, attracting the attention of the young men in attendance while drinking champagne and twirling about the ballroom to a waltz.
On a whim, Liesle strode to the middle of the terrace and lifted her arms to an invisible admirer, moving to the rhythm of the music.
"Liesl, who are you dancing with?" inquired an amused Brigitta.
"No one," her elder sister responded in a dreamy tone.
"Oh, yes you are!"
"May I have this dance?" Friedrich asked in a deep voice as he tapped his sister on the shoulder.
"I'd be delighted young man." Liesl answered with a giggle.
"Why didn't you children tell me you could dance?" Maria laughed as she came upon them. The children all turned to the sound of her voice and then gathered around her with open fondness shown in their faces.
"We were afraid you'd make us all dance together. The Von Trapp Family dancers!" Kurt exclaimed, giving a twirl and knocking into Louisa.
They all laughed and then the band struck up a new song and they returned to their post by the tall doors that led to the ballroom.
"What's that they're playing?" Martha asked.
"It's the Ländler." Maria replied, swaying her head to the familiar tune. "It's an Austrian folk dance."
"Show me." Kurt pleaded, as he saw her moving to the rhythm.
"Oh Kurt, I haven't danced that since I was a little girl!" She answered, blushing slightly.
"Oh, you'll remember. Please."
"Well, alright."
Maria led the boy to the center of the walled patio and then began guiding him through the steps. The children laughed at the ridiculous spectacle of the unevenly matched couple struggling to go through the complicated steps while keeping in time with the melody.
Inside, Captain Georg Von Trapp had been busy entertaining his guests. Most were either part of the nobility or high-ranking officers from the austrian navy; classy people used to a life of leisure. As he moved through the familiar throng of people, he thought of the unrest in Germany and he feared this would be one of the last joyful moments for many of them. "Especially if people like Herr Zeller insist on promoting their totalitarian views at social gathering." He thought to himself as he scanned the crowd for his children. He'd hardly seen them during the evening and while relieved they had not been a nuisance, he was suspicious of such a display of extremely good behavior.
The Captain walked the perimeter of the ballroom never stopping but for a moment or two to chat. At last, he approached the open doors, which led to the inner gardens and was surprised to see they all were turned away from the party, watching something with great attention.
He stood just inside the threshold and saw Kurt and Maria attempting and failing miserably to perform a dance. His son fumbled comically beside the young governess, but Maria moved with such an air of grace and lightness, she more than made up for her partner.
"It is odd how much my opinion of her has changed," Georg mused. Accustomed as he was to having his will done, Maria was the first person in a long time to defy him, showing him that whatever their ranks, she was not afraid of speaking truthfully to him. Furthermore, once he let his severity ebb away, he discovered there was an air about her that pleased him. She brought sunlight and spring back into his home and her gentle manners quickly endeared her to everyone in the household.
He recalled the time she'd asked him to sing, handing over the guitar. Georg had felt embarrassed, but the excited looks on his children's faces, particularly Liesl's, made it difficult to say no. After fiddling with the strings for a bit, he chose one of the songs he loved best: "Edelweiss", a hymn to his beloved Austria.
It had been long since he had played an instrument, let alone sing, but once Georg began, he felt he was returning to a places he had not visited in a long while. His gaze had wandered about the room and settled at last not on Elsa's visage but on Maria's. Her blue eyes shone like two jewels and the emotion on her face told him of the shared love they had for their country. It took him a moment to realize that, in a way, he was singing the song to her.
After a couple of mishaps, Kurt seemed to get the idea of the steps of the dance, but the turns always gave him trouble because of his height. Maria was laughing at that moment, stuck as they were, when suddenly the Captain went up to them.
"Do allow me will you?" He said not unkindly.
Speechless, Kurt moved to one side, joining his brother and sisters in watching the graceful couple perform. Georg and Maria strode to the far side of the patio and then easily stepped in time to the music, skipping back and ending the set of movements with a twirl. As they danced,both smiled shyly aware of the silliness of the act, but pleased to have the undivided attention of the children.
They went through a couple more steps until the dance brought them close together. Maria noted the Captain staring at her in a way that made her heart skip and she suddenly realized the dance had stopped being an amusement and had become something else entirely. She blushed and turned her head, lowering her lashes to escape her partner's penetrating gaze.
They parted, her tracing a circle with her movements while he clapped out the rhythm for her. Then she marched behind him, and reached out, placing her hand on his shoulder only to have him swiftly pick it up for the next steps. One more twirl brought Maria face to face with the Captain and he wrapped his arm completely about her. She lifted her hand aloft in a graceful arc, keenly aware of her heart, which was beating faster than he could have ever expected it to. Captain Von Trapp too, was visibly shaken by her proximity and he delighted in seeing the two delicate cheeks color as she stared at him with an immense sadness reflected in her eyes.
"I... don't remember any more," Maria stammered, when she realized they'd stopped dancing and she was still locked in his embrace.
The Captain released her in silence, but felt his heart contract at her absence from his arms.
The children though not wholly certain of what had happened, could tell something had considerably flustered both their father and Fraulein Maria.
"Your face is all red!" cried out Brigitta, and the young woman quickly covered her cheeks with her hands.
"Is it? I suppose I'm not used to dancing."
"Nonsense, twas beautifully done," Baroness Von Schraeder exclaimed in her usual breezy manner, stepping into their midst. "What a marvelous couple you make!"