A/N: This is I guess and new twist on Maria and Georg where Maria was never a governess to his children. I hope you like it and please review. Oh yes and La fille du régiment was an Opera first performed in 1840. I have no idea if they still performed it in the 1930's, but I decided to us it because that was the one I found the most information on that was performed in France. So again please review!
Ch 1: Fate
The sun began to set on the von Trapp house as the seven children ran in to eat dinner with their Father and soon to be mother. The children were not at all happy with the events going on, but were sure they had could not do anything about them. He had met the Baroness, or Elsa, as she had begged them to call her about a year before that.
The children didn't like her at all. She was much more aristocratic than their Father. He always loved them and had time for them. Elsa however wanted to send them to boarding school. That night at dinner was no different than any other meal they had shared, or so they thought.
"Georg I was thinking since the children do have a governess we could go to Paris and see an Opera. Maybe like a pre-marriage trip. Wouldn't that be lovely darling? We could stay there for two weeks and have fun and then it will be time for the wedding by the time we get back here." Elsa said happily. Georg looked at her not convinced.
"Elsa, you know how I feel about leaving my family. Maybe we should take them along…Liesl would probably love…"
"Oh nonsense Georg, they can stay here they will be fine. Won't you children?" She asked them. Seven small yeses were heard coming from the table. "Good then it is agreed. Won't it be lovely Georg? We can leave tomorrow."
***
The children mumbled goodbyes as the car pulled out of the driveway toward the train station.
"What trick should we play on the governess today for fun?" Kurt asked his brothers and sisters. They all shook their heads not knowing of to many more tricks to do. As they contemplated how to entertain themselves for two weeks Elsa and Georg were on their way to Paris on a train.
"I am so excited Georg! The Opera today should be marvelous." Elsa told him happily.
"What are we going to see?" Georg asked.
"Well we are going to see "La fille du régiment", I believe. It should be exciting. Guess who it is starring?" Elsa asked.
"Who? Elsa you know I have no clue about theatre or the Opera. I only go to it when someone like you gets tickets." He told her. Elsa sighed. She wanted him to be more enthusiastic.
"Well the most famous actress and singer out there, Renee Jetter. She is also my friend. I met her a few years back." Elsa replied happily. "She is a very skilled young lady."
"Yes I have heard about her. Beautiful voice, but a small heart." Georg replied. He couldn't tell Elsa, but at one point a few years back he would have loved to meet her and relish in her beauty. That was however before he learned how rude she was to everyone and how arrogent she supposably was. Regardless most people liked her and liked to suck up to her. She was very famous and audiances loved her.
"Oh Georg honestly you should know, when you are famous you can't make everyone happy darling." Elsa told him as they walked off the train. "People just say she is rude because she is quiet that's all. She doesn't do much with her money or anything, but its hers, she shouldn't have too."
Georg shook his head as they made there way to the hotel. At least she sung good and that's the side of her he was going to see anyways.
Meanwhile at the Paris Opera House Renee prepared for her next grand performance at the Opera. She rarely talked to people which is why a small chorus girl was surprised when she called her and told her to meet her in the owners office.
Maria had never even met the owners of the theater and she wasn't really sure she wanted to. They seemed much to rich for some small girl like her. Maria's life had been difficult. Both her parents had died and she had to live with her uncle who was abusive. She grew up in Austria and had her heart set on becoming a nun in Nonnburg Abbey. While she attended college however she took voice lessons and many were stunned by her performance. They urged her to go and try out for the Opera. Maria was hesitant, but going to Paris sounded marvelous to her so she decided to go and tryout and see the sights in Paris. To her shock she was cast as ensamble and was in the same Opera as Renee, who Maria had heard so much about.
Unfortunately all the bad things about her seemed to be true as she would never usually even offer a glance, or smile to the ensamble. Renee had quite a temper as well and Maria assumed it was from growing up in a rich envionment.
"Are you going now, Maria?" Asked a small voice from the dressing room. It was Aime another chorus girl who had befriended Maria on the first day of tryouts.
"Yes I suppose so." Maria's voice creeked.
"Okay. Do you want to go to lunch afterwards?" Aime asked happily. It had become a tradition to go and eat lunch after the days workout and practice.
"That sounds good," Maria answered. "If I am not fired by the time I get back here."
"Don't be scared Maria, they can't fire you when you haven't done anything wrong." She told her confidently. "Here I will walk up with you." Maria smiled and walked happily up the grand staircase. When the two of them got to the room Maria knocked and the door was immediantly answered by a short plump man.
"Good Afternoon Ladies. You must be the chorus girls Renee wishes to see. Come on in. I am Mr. Barret the owner of this theater, and this is my assistant Mr. Legard." He told them shaking there hands.
"It's nice to meet you sir." Maria politly replied. "I am Maria and this is Aime."
"We have heard a lot about both of you." Mr. Legard said.
"You have?" Maria asked scared.
"Yes how well you two are doing. It seems you two have a lot of potential." He told them.
"Well thank you." Maria said modestly.
"Excuse me!" Cried a voice behind them. "Did you see what this newspaper said about me today? It said, "Ms. Jetter has an outstanding voice that would make all the angels in heaven pause to listen, unfortunately her personality is arrogent as she only care about herself and nothing else…" I can not believe this. You two told me that our publicity would stop these horrible articles. I am loosing my reputation because of this!"
"Please Ms. Jetter try and understand that we can't stop all the newspaper articles. They can write anything they want…"
"Well you told me you would stop them. People are not as nice to me as they were a few years ago." She told them, noticing Maria and Aime were in the room.
"Oh and as for these two, you must fire them!" Renee shouted.
"Fire them! Why? They are two of the most prominsing stars that Paris has ever produced." Barret stated.
"Exactly my point! They are going to have more fame than I have. Yesterday that little nobody, Marissa…"
"Maria." He corrected her.
"Maria, anyways she got more applause then me for her little solo of three words. It was ridiculous! And as for Aime, well she is just to good of a singer and also that Maria girl, she looks too much like me. Look at her face…" Maria looked at Renee and was surprised to hear her say that. She was sure that she could never be that beautiful…on the outside. For the first time though she did she the slight resemblance of their features however.
"Ms. Jetter," Mr. Barret began, "There is no way we are firing these two young ladies. There is no reason to. I am sorry."
"Ha! Fine then. You'll be sorry all right after I quit and this Opera place goes into bankrupcy. The only reason it is prospering is because of me. See what it does with out me! I quit! I am going to go to America and perform on Broadway and sweep everyone there off their feet. Ta Ta!" Renee told them as she marched off.
"Mr. Barret, I am terribly sorry. I wouldn't mind if you fired me to keep her. The show has to go on after all. It makes sense to fire us and to…" Maria told him.
"No. We will just cancel the show. Money will be lost, but I do have to be a least somewhat just and firing you two wouldn't have made much sense." He told them.
"Its too bad. The show was very popular." Mr. Legard said.