CHAPTER 2: The hope of discovery
As the guests sat around the numerous tables set up in the formal dining room, Georg couldn't help but look at his watch on numerous occasions and glance towards the double doors leading out into the main foyer. 'What is taking Maria so long? We can't hold off on dinner for much longer, the chef is already restless back there in the kitchen waiting to serve his latest masterpiece' Georg thought to himself with frustration, and a tiny bit of concern, although he wouldn't admit it to be.
As Franz began to approach him from the kitchen door for a second time to enquire about serving the first course, Georg gave a sigh and then a slight nod towards him before he even reached his table. 'We cannot wait any longer. I should have known from her first night here to expect Fraulein Maria to be late to every meal!' But Georg still could not shake the tiny feeling of worry that something may have happened. This soon dissipated into the background however as the conversation around him flowed freely and drew him in fully.
Georg couldn't help but notice that Elsa seemed to be oozing with more fake elegance and charm than usual. She touched his arm on more than one occasion, and he couldn't help but feel a slight revulsion when she did. And then he began to pick out all the little things that seemed to annoy and irritate him about her; the way her hair always sat so perfectly in her up-style coiffure, the way she held her hand to her chest every time she laughed at a joke that wasn't even funny enough to smirk at, the tilt of her head as she bought the champagne glass to her lips, and the way she flirted with all men, married or not. Then his thoughts turned to another woman, naturally charming and elegant without an ounce of effort, a woman who he had been thinking about more frequently these past weeks. A woman who now occupied his dreams night after night. A woman who would never care for such things as grand parties, champagne, tuxedoes and gowns, the way that he too never cared for such things, or ever cared for these boars around him discussing politics, money and war.
'Stop it Georg! There is no sense to this train of thought, there is no way she could ever care for you the way you do for her'. Georg had admitted to himself some weeks ago that he had feelings for his children's Governess, was possibly even in love with her, but he knew that she could never care for such a tyrant as he. He was an old Naval Captain with seven unruly children, how could anyone so young and carefree care for such a man.
But even as the conversation of the Aristocrats around him continued he couldn't help his thoughts straying back to her face, her striking blue eyes and her lips…oh her lips. He thought about the way he watched her lips whenever the two talked in his study after the children had retired to bed, when she sang so beautifully, and even when she heatedly argued with him.
Georg suddenly realised that Maria had not yet attended dinner and he had had no word from her as to why. He decided that she was probably caught up with the children, as he had heard the storm break over the Villa not long before dinner was served, and decided to check that everything was alright once the guests had departed for the night. Max then engaged Georg in a conversation with one of the other guests seated at his table, about the mechanics of the new Austrian naval submarines, and Maria's absence was soon forgotten.
Maria lay on the steps crying from the pain and screaming for help, but the wind, rain and thunder caused her cries to be carried off like a whisper on a mountain top. As the night and clouds closed in Maria knew that she would not be found out here, and so decided that she had to try and help herself. Pushing past the pain that coursed through her body with every movement, she turned herself onto her stomach and used her arms to pull herself up the steps away from the now pounding waves of the lake. The boat moored on the bank had long since broken free and was madly crashing around in the water far from the shore. As Maria finally dragged her body up onto the path leading up to the patio she looked up and cried even harder at the distance she could see she had to go before she reached safety and possible rescue. But Maria had always had strength and determination in her small body and so she mustered up all the willpower she had and began to drag her lifeless legs behind her upper torso towards the Villa.
The children were in their nursery waking up one by one at the increasing cracks of lightening and booms of thunder. The youngest two, Gretl and Marta, were huddled with Brigitta on her bed in their room, while the older two girls and the boys sat in their rooms with their knees curled up to their chests and their faces buried in their hands away from the flashes of lightening.
Gretl was the first to suggest they go and find their Fraulein, even though they weren't allowed to be out of bed. It wasn't until three consecutive cracks of thunder crashed loudly over the Villa that the other two girls agreed and all three sprinted down the hallway towards their Governess' bedroom, only to be met by their other four siblings already in the hallway headed in the same direction. As all seven children reached the door leading into Fraulein Maria's room, they each looked at one another and decided just to enter, knowing that she would still be awake and probably expecting them after hearing the storm break.
After pushing open the door and running into the room, all seven children developed simultaneous looks of shock, as their Governess was nowhere to be seen. Gretl turned to her oldest sister with tears in her eyes and asked where her Fraulein was. Leisl looked down at her scared little face and gave her a reassuring hug and said that Maria may be busy helping in the kitchen for the party or something. Leisl told all her siblings to go back to the older girls' room and she would read everyone a story, and maybe sing a lullaby. They all meandered back down the hallway, with a suspicious and slightly worried Leisl trailing behind. 'Where could Fraulein Maria be? She would have told us if she were joining the party.'
The party began to wind down around midnight and the guests began to say their goodbyes to the host and hostess. By 01:00am everyone had left and the aftermath of a grand and glorious party could be seen, with empty plates and numerous champagne glasses strewn around the great hall and ballroom. Georg began to make his way towards his study for a cigar and a nightcap, Elsa already having said her goodnights a half hour earlier, when he remembered to look in on the children and make sure they weathered the storm ok.
As he checked in on each of the children's bedrooms they were all fast asleep, each in their own beds, which came as a great surprise to him. When he came upon the older girls' room however, a slight stir from Leisl told him that not everyone was asleep. Georg made his way over to his oldest daughter to make sure she was feeling alright, and as he approached her he could tell that she was troubled by something. Georg sat on the edge of her bed and gently stroked the side of her cheek.
"Did you enjoy the party father?" Leisl asked.
"Very much so Leisl, and next year so will you." Georg said, although he did not quite get the joyous response he was expecting from the young woman. "Leisl is anything the matter?" Georg looked into his daughter's eyes beseeching her to tell him.
Leisl looked back into her father's eyes and knew she could say what was on her mind. "I hope Fraulein Maria enjoyed the party also, but we did miss having her to comfort us during the storm tonight."
Georg looked at his daughter with a confused expression on his face. "Leisl, Fraulein Maria didn't make it back down for dinner after you children sang."
"Well she wasn't in her room when we all went searching for her during the storm, so we assumed she must have been down at the party." Leisl looked up at her father with an increasingly worried expression.
Georg tried to keep a straight face so as not to show his daughter that he too was worried about their Fraulein's whereabouts. "I'm sure she is just making herself useful in the kitchen helping with the clean up or something Leisl, not to worry my darling. Now try to go to sleep. Goodnight."
Leisl gave her father a small kiss on the cheek and turned over to go to sleep. As Georg left the room he couldn't help but smile at how much Maria was right, Leisl was growing into a woman.
Maria lay halfway up the path to the patio, the rain still pelting her back, and stopped dead in her tracks and sobbed. She was exhausted from the pain and the turmoil of having to drag her full body weight up the stone path. She could go no further. She lay on the wet ground with the rain soaking her already drenched clothes and body, and look up into the miserable night sky, sending up a little prayer. 'Dear Lord, I do not have the strength to go on. Please Lord I put myself in your hands to find me the strength and safety to get through the night. Amen.' And with that Maria collapsed on the path, unable to move another inch.
Georg began to walk down the hallway to go back to his study when, on a whim, he decided to check and see if Maria had made it to her bedroom for the night. As he slowly approached the door he noticed that it was slightly ajar and so he pushed it open enough so he could poke his head around the door to see if Maria was inside without disturbing her. As Georg peered into the room however, he was greeted with the same sight as the children had been…an empty room devoid of its Governess.
Georg stepped into the room further to see if she was sitting in one of the chairs in the corner and noticed her nightgown still hanging on the bed post. He decided that she had obviously not made her way to bed yet, and so decided to head towards the kitchen and the clean up taking place in the ballroom to check and see if she was helping the staff there. As he made his way to the top of the stairs he saw Max making his way up them on his way to bed.
Max spotted Georg at the same time and looked up at him and said "Wonderful party old friend. Did Elsa's endless dancing not tire you out enough to go to bed yet?"
Georg looked at him with a worried but friendly expression and stated "I just went to check on the children and Leisl informed me that Fraulein Maria was not in her room when they went to find her during the storm. I have just gone to check on her myself, because as you know she did not make it back down to the party, but she is still not in her room. Have you seen her floating around in the kitchen or ballroom helping with the clean up?"
Max looked at his friend with a knowing expression and said "No Georg, she was not in the kitchen when I just left it, and I have not seen her since she went to her room to change for dinner. I did see Elsa follow her up the stairs but I assumed she was going to powder her nose or something." He gave a small laugh.
Georg gave his friend a smirk and then bid him goodnight.
Max watched as Georg headed towards the kitchen, and knew that his old friend was searching for more than his children's 'Governess'. He then turned and continued up the stairs towards his room.
As Georg came upon the kitchen, Frau Schmidt was just exiting.
"Oh good evening Captain. I trust the party was a success?" Frau Schmidt said as she noticed the Captain in the doorway.
"Yes Frau Schmidt, very successful indeed. My compliments to the staff for a job well done." He smiled at her. "I wonder, have you seen Fraulein Maria, she seems to have disappeared after the children's performance."
Frau Schmidt noted a hint of worry in the Captains voice. "The last I saw of Maria she was headed out the back doors to the patio not long before dinner was served, but she surely would have come in before the storm hit."
The Captain gave Frau Schmidt a half-hearted smile and nod, and bid her goodnight with another hearty thankyou. As she left the kitchen Georg turned and started to make his way to the back patio, only to be stopped by the shrill voice of the one person he was hoping not to run into again tonight.
"There you are Georg darling! I couldn't sleep so I came to entice you into sharing a night cap with me." Elsa noticed the distressed and determined look on Georg's face.
Georg looked at Elsa with the most genuine smile that he could conjure and tried to come up with an excuse as to why he couldn't join her. "Oh Elsa I'm much too tired. I was just going to check that everything has been settled for the night and then head to bed myself."
Elsa knew that Georg was lying but chose not to call him on it, and instead gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and bid him goodnight and sweet dreams. Georg recoiled from the innuendo behind her last statement, but hid it well from her.
As Elsa walked away, Georg suddenly remembered what Max had said and so asked "Elsa, did you see Fraulein Maria after you and she went upstairs just before dinner?"
Elsa knew that Georg was trying to hint that she may have something to do with Maria not attending dinner, so she used all her years of crafted fake charm, and stated "Now Georg darling, I went to powder my little nose and came straight back down for dinner. I never even saw Fraulein Maria".
Georg knew she was not telling the whole truth but he gave her another nod, and waited for her to turn back towards the stairs before making his way to the back doors again.
As Georg stepped out onto the patio he realised how wild the storm must have been as there were leaves and tree branches everywhere. The patio was still very wet and slippery and a moderate drizzle continued to fall. He looked about the patio but could not see Maria. He began to worry a little more and so decided to search around the grounds, thinking Maria may have taken shelter under a tree or inside the gazebo.
As he stepped down the first step toward the path leading to the lake he noticed that the iron gates were open. Thinking they must have been blown open by the storm he headed towards them in order to close them, so the children did not come rushing down here tomorrow and possibly fall in. As Georg made it down the stairs and took two steps along the path, he could see a dark figure laying half way down it, all hunched up in a ball. He approached it thinking it may have been an animal wounded in the storm, but as he got closer and his eyes adjusted in the darkness he recognised the limp golden hair, and the soaking blue pattern of the dress. "MARIA?!" Georg yelled out as he began to run towards her.
She didn't respond, didn't move. Georg began to panic and threw himself down onto his knees beside her, pulling her lifeless body into his lap. Checking for a pulse and listening for her breathing Georg realised that she was alive, but barely. He began to yell for help as he pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her stone cold body.
Franz and Frau Schmidt came rushing out onto the patio as Georg yelled for someone to call for the doctor. Frau Schmidt rushed back inside to telephone him while Franz ran down the steps towards Georg, with Maria lying unmoving in his arms.
Georg held her close and constantly whispered for her to hold on. "Don't you leave me, you can't leave us Maria".
As Franz reached them Georg was already lifting Maria off the ground and into his arms.
"Gather as many blankets as you can and stoke the fire in my study. We will put her in there, it's the warmest room in the house." Georg commanded to Franz as he walked with Maria in his arms towards the Villa. Franz ran ahead to prepare what had been asked, while Georg gently carried the still lifeless Maria in through the back of the house.
'Please Lord, don't take her from my family… from me' he pleaded as he carried her through to his study and placed her on the leather couch. All Georg kept thinking to himself was 'You're safe now Maria, I have found you. I'll never let you go again'.
Somehow through all the chaos and physical and emotional torment, Maria knew that she was safe, that she was going to survive, that she was home.
To be continued…
