AN: Hope this chapter is okayyy. If you have the time please consider leaving a review. They really help me know whether or not you guys like the story. Thank you to those who've left a review already. Anywayyy, I'll stop :p.
As soon as she was able -which wasn't until much after dark- Maria bounded to the sanctity of her bedroom. There, she knew she would be at a safe distance from her Uncle Fischer. She locked her door for safe measure.
Finally allowing her tears to fall, she flopped down on her bed and took several shaky breaths in an attempt to calm herself down.
How could this have happened?
Maria thought she had seen the last of her Uncle the day she'd turned eighteen when she had fled to the abbey.
Maria had no idea who this "Mrs. Schneider" was, but she couldn't understand how she could've known Maria's whereabouts. And even if she did know, how could she go about telling everyone? Clearly, that's unsafe. For more reasons than one.
A sharp knock at the door elicited a gasp from Maria. Is it him?
"Uh... Fraulein Maria? It's Captain von Trapp. May I have a word?" The Captain's voice seemed hesitant.
The feeling of relief that overtook Maria was brief. The Captain made her nervous, and she wasn't sure she could handle being alone with him after their dance.
"Of course, one moment" she murmured.
Georg was concerned at Maria's sudden absence after dinner. He was even more concerned when he had discovered that her door was locked. She never locks her door. She hadn't had it locked the night she taught the children that ridiculous song. Why is it locked now? The Captain's face reddened, She's probably just getting dressed. Idiot.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
"Hello." Maria sheepishly said.
Georg scratched behind his ear, "I was just wondering if you were...alright?"
Maria looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "Um. I'm just feeling a little off today, Sir."
"It doesn't have anything to do with your-uh-your Uncle. Does it?"
Maria looked up, eyes widening. Was it that obvious?
"No! I mean, no, Captain, of course not." She subconsciously ran a hand through her hair.
Georg had the sudden urge to do the same. Ridiculous, he chastised himself.
"Alright then." Georg stepped back from the door. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Captain."
Maria closed her door and leaned against it. A part of her wished the Captain would've stayed. How was he able to make her feel so much safer? God, help me.
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The next morning, Maria's uncle joined the family for breakfast. Elsa and Max would come down later, choosing to sleep in for as long as possible.
The children -naturally- were uneasy around the strange man who'd suddenly appeared at their breakfast table.
"Children... this," Georg gestured toward their guest, "is Maria's Uncle...um.."
"Fischer," the man smiled wickedly.
The Captain grimaced, "Fischer."
Louisa leaned towards Liesl, "That man is Fraulein Maria's uncle?"
Liesl glared at her sister, "Shhh!"
"Uh- Hello Herr Fischer," the rest of the children chimed.
"Hello, darlings," Maria's Uncle smiled cruelly.
Maria shifted uncomfortably in her chair. This did not go unnoticed by her employer.
"Feeling alright, Fraulein?"
"What? Oh, yes," she glanced nervously towards her Uncle, "I'm quite alright."
"Are you sure, Maria, darling? You look a bit pale." Herr Fischer gave a small smirk.
Darling. The Captain cringed at the word. It sounded wrong coming from his mouth. It should come from somebody like...Georg paused, unable to think of someone deserving enough to be able to refer to Maria as "darling". The thought disturbed him.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Georg also noticed she had been rather submissive lately. A great change from her usual confidence.
The rest of the meal was relatively quiet. Conversation did not come easily to the party. Instead, the room was filled with nervous glances and the sounds of silverware clinking against glass.
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"Georg," Elsa purred, sipping her drink on the terrace.
"Yes, darling?" The Captain glanced around his property distractedly.
"That Governess' Uncle is certainly an unsettling man, isn't he?"
"Yes, I suppose so." More than unsettling.
"Explains a lot, don't you think?"
Georg turned, his eyebrows creasing, "Just what, exactly, is that supposed to mean, Elsa?"
The Baroness set down her drink, "Oh, darling don't be so defensive. I only meant that it's clear to me now why Fraulein Maria acts the way she does."
The Captain was getting far too angry for his own good. "And what way is that?"
"You know-"
"I'm afraid I don't." He said sharply.
"Well she's just so," she motioned with her hands. "...out there."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well I think, he didn't allow her to do very much as a child. So, maybe, now that she's older, she's making up for everything she was unable to do then."
Georg was about to disagree when he was interrupted by a chorus of joyous shouts. The children gamboled down the stairs and towards the lake.
"What on earth…" Elsa started.
Maria came rushing out of the house after them.
"I'm terribly sorry. I was a bit preoccupied…"
"No worries." The Captain reassured her.
Smiling gratefully, Maria followed her charges down to the lake, joining them in some sort of game.
A minute or two later, Herr Fischer slinked out of the house.
"Good afternoon." His voice was slimy.
"Good afternoon." The Baroness gave a polite smile.
Georg only nodded.
"Come on, let's see if we can get you something to drink, hmm?" Maria led the children up the stairs.
"Hello there, dears." When they were addressed by her Uncle, Maria was anxious to get the children back into the house.
Maria's Uncle knelt down in front of Gretl. "This one reminds me so much of you, Maria, when you were younger."
As the greasy looking man reached out a finger to stroke his youngest daughter's cheek, Georg nearly shouted. However, someone beat him to it;
"Children, go inside."
"But, Fraulein-"
"Now."
Georg was slightly alarmed at the dark tone Maria's voice had taken on.
Once the children were inside, Maria turned to her Uncle.
She lowered her voice, so low that the Captain had to strain his ears to hear what she was saying.
"If you ever try to touch her again, I swear I'll-"
The slight movement in Herr Fischer's hand was almost unnoticeable. Almost.
Maria flinched.
"What was it you were saying, Maria?" he sneered.
The defiant tone in Maria's voice was gone as she stuttered, "N-Nothing. I should...g-go."
As he watched his children's governess retreat back into the house, Georg felt a growing sense of realization and his dislike for the man standing merely five feet away from him grew ever stronger.