I turned and walked back inside the house. I could see my fiancé hurry down the steps and into the garden out of the corner of my eye. 'My former fiancé,' I reminded myself.

Yes, I was never going to be the bride of Captain Georg von Trapp. No, that title would go to the young Fraulein who would never be a nun.

I knew Georg was in love with her long before he had told me a few minutes ago. Actually, if I was honest with myself, I knew a long time before I would admit it even to myself. I'd noticed the way he looked into her eyes, and she blushed in his arms when they were dancing at the party.

I also knew I was the primary reason Maria ran away that night; I was jealous and wanted Georg all to myself and, turning her feelings against her, caused her to leave.

I didn't know why she had returned, but I did know that know that she was back, Georg wasn't going to let her get away again.


As I came down the staircase with my bags after I had finished packing, I came across Max.

"Hello darling," he said. "What is the meaning of all of this?"

"I'm no longer needed here," I said simply, hoping my voice sounded stronger than I felt. "So I will return to Vienna where I belong."

Max looked puzzled for a moment, but I saw his features change as his mind processed the information and he understood.

"Well," he said. "I was wondering when he would finally admit it to himself." He paused. "He really does love her, doesn't he?"

Wiping a tear out of my eye, I nodded. When Agathe died, it had left Georg with a terrible heartache. And for some reason, Maria was able to mend that in a way I would never be able to.

"I don't think he's the right man for me," I said, trying to sound brave. "He's much too independent."

Breathing deeply, I turned to walk out the door.


I had not walked five steps out the door, when I heard Max run out the door after me. He offered to drive me to the railway station so that I could catch a train home, so we loaded all my trunks into the car.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, I looked back at the villa and, with tears in my eyes whispered quietly, so that Max couldn't hear me: "Auf Wiedersehen, darling."