Thank you to all for your continued support and such lovely reviews! As this piece is basically just a chopped up loooong one-shot, I do hope to have everything up soon! :)
Chapter Two
Agathe
Maria didn't have to go far. The girl in white had stopped at a deserted bench, a little ways off the side of the road. She was sitting – if it could be called that – rocking back and forth, twisting her hands together, too agitated to stay still. Maria watched as she gave one of her gloves a violent tug, and used the beautiful satin unceremoniously to wipe her cheeks. Then, she closed her eyes, still holding the glove against her face, giving in to a moment's pain. She bowed her head, shoulders slumping in defeat, and Maria felt she was seeing someone fall apart without having moved at all. Under the flickering shadows of the nearest lamplight, Maria thought she had never seen anyone more miserable or forlorn. How could she have imagined there was anything romantic about heartbreak?
Quietly, she approached. "Excuse me, miss?"
The girl looked up quickly, immediately drawing herself back together with astonishing discipline. Her eyes widened when she saw Maria. "Hello?" She said uncertainly.
For a moment, neither spoke, sizing the other up. Now a mere few feet away, Maria could see the girl was indeed very beautiful. It wasn't the sort of striking look that caught one's attention right away, but there was an enduring beauty in her high forehead, delicate cheekbones, and wide-set eyes framed by extraordinarily long lashes which made people want to keep looking. Her hair had been done in loose, becoming curls, and at her throat was a string of diamonds. She looked to be about eighteen or nineteen. Maria suddenly felt very self-conscious. She was a child compared to this regal vision, and wondered what the girl thought of her plain clothes and short hair that she cut herself. If it wasn't for the fact that her eyes were swollen, her face a little blotchy, and the slight stubborn tilt of her chin not unlike Maria's own, Maria might well have turned and fled.
"Were you – were you looking for me?" The girl's measured tones said she was used to being approached by strangers. Briefly, Maria wondered whether she had imagined her earlier moment of weakness.
There was no trace of anger left in her voice, but Maria shuffled uncomfortably under her appraising gaze. "I – err… I was passing by, and I couldn't help but overhear… I mean, I wondered if you might need…" She swallowed, and gestured back toward the mansion, suddenly unsure. She was certain both heard the offer she'd left unsaid – if you might need help – and how ridiculous it seemed, coming from her.
"You were eavesdropping, you mean," the young woman accused, but her lips twitched in a smile.
Maria grinned back, glad she hadn't been found wanting. "I wasn't, miss," she replied archly. "If you were any louder, the whole block could have heard you."
"Miss?" The girl echoed, her smile widening. "You don't know who I am, do you?"
Maria shook her head. "Should I?"
"No – no, I suppose not. It's just so, well, rare to meet someone who doesn't have their nose in my affairs." Her frankness surprised a laugh out of Maria. The girl held out a hand. "It's Agathe. My name is Agathe."
"I'm Maria." She took the offered hand hesitantly, unsure what she was supposed to do with it. Agathe seemed unperturbed, catching Maria's hand and shaking it warmly. Then she made a face. "I suppose I shouldn't have shouted. I was just so upset."
"Yes, I noticed that." Maria paused, and when Agathe said nothing, offered shyly, "I know you don't like people interfering with your business – "
Her companion shook her head. "It's not that, precisely. It's just most of the time it's nothing but gossip. Or ulterior motives disguised as gossip. It wasn't bad when I lived with Grandpapa in Milan, but here – " she chuckled darkly, "you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know more about you then you do."
"So if you don't like it, why are you here?" Maria asked curiously, perching on the bench beside her new acquaintance. She had only a vague idea where Milan was, but it seemed to her that somebody as rich as Agathe would have no trouble going anywhere she wanted.
"My mother and father, they live in Fiume. Papa owns the big Whitehead torpedo factory there. I grew up with Grandpapa on his estate, but he passed away last year, and my family thought it was time I made my debut to Austrian society. Since then, life has been a string of luncheons and balls and these evening soirees."
Maria gaped at the other girl, trying to imagine such a life in the spotlight, with no time to call your own.
"Oh, it's not all bad," Agathe added quickly, catching Maria's expression. "I was lucky to be sheltered from it for so long, and I can be nothing but glad for all I have… but it can be a little stifling, at times. It's difficult, not having anyone to talk with. I miss chatting like this – thank you."
Maria beamed, pleased at the rare compliment. She was awed to realize that a girl who truly had everything could be lonely, just as she was. "I – I know how you must feel..." she began. Agathe gave a little encouraging nod, waiting for her to continue. She wanted to explain she felt the same way, living with her uncle, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about those conditions – most of all with this stately girl.
"It's too bad we didn't meet earlier," Agathe mused. Maria could tell she saw through her discomfort and had changed the topic on purpose, and was glad for it. "I think we could have been friends, you and I. But I'm leaving this week. I was only here in Vienna visiting with my Father."
Maria grinned at this, and declared, "I know we would have made good friends." Agathe raised her eyebrows questioning, and she explained, "we like the same song. I heard you, back there. The Edelweiss waltz."
"Oh!" Agathe looked delighted. "That one's my favourite! I'm sorry now I slandered it. It's my mother's favourite, too – she was a musician before she met my father. She taught me to play the violin and piano as a little girl."
"My parents weren't musicians," Maria said, "not really. But they loved it too – they used to dance to it all the time."
"Used to?"
"They both died of the fever."
"Oh, I'm sorry," her new friend said softly.
"It was a long time ago." Maria sighed. "It's wonderful to have a family that loves music, isn't it? Do you and your mother play together?"
"Oh yes, every evening we can. Sometimes we'll even play at parties. It's how I met him." There was a touch of wistfulness to Agathe's smile, but abruptly she shook her head, and her expression hardened. "But oh, now I do wish I hadn't!"
Maria's eyes widened, curious. "Him?"
Her companion exhaled shakily, her composure slipping a little. "Yes," she said, looking down at her hands. "But I'm afraid it isn't a very exciting story."
"I'm not asking to be entertained." Remembering that Agathe was protective of her privacy, she quickly added, "but only if you don't mind."
"I don't mind." Agathe dropped her voice to a conspirator's whisper. "Besides, aren't we friends?"
Maria almost giggled, completely forgetting her nervousness. She was suddenly aware how skillfully Agathe had drawn her in, and trivialized the differences between them. "Alright," she said, a new eagerness in her voice, "tell me about him, then."
Agathe sat back, her expression thoughtful. "I met him in Fiume, earlier this year. He's an officer in the navy, and was in town to accept the post of commander for our new submarine. That evening, he attended a party my parents were hosting. It was quite an elaborate affair, and mother and I were playing for the guests, so I didn't notice him. But he sought me out afterward, and told me that – " she blushed, " – that he couldn't take his eyes off me."
"How does he look?" Maria whispered, entranced by the glimpse into this foreign world.
"He was wearing his Captain's uniform, and it made him look very tall. Distinguished. Commanding." Agathe spoke from somewhere far away. "I – I couldn't take my eyes off him, either. He has dark hair, and blue eyes just like the sea – sparkling when he's happy, stormy and unfathomable when he's not." Maria nodded, even though she had never seen the sea.
"But he had a quality about him completely different from anyone I'd met. Something intense. Passionate." Agathe shrugged helplessly. "Maybe it's because he's seen so much, but I always felt he didn't belong in a ballroom, discussing the latest romances or the new escapades of Max Detweiler over hor d'oeurves and a glass of Prosecco. But the funny thing is, he owned every room he entered. It was like he made everything his own little world, and whenever he looked at me, I just felt he wanted me to be a part of it. And his hands! Oh, he has the most gorgeous hands – confident, but they can be so gentle when he – "
Maria quickly turned a snort into a cough. She didn't need to know what his hands looked like or what they did.
Agathe started, coming out of her reverie with a quick intake of breath. She chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry, Maria – I'd forgotten…"
She wondered what Agathe had forgotten. Her inexperience? Her tender age? Her very presence?
"Well, anyway, we became better acquainted over the months. We met at balls all over Fiume, and I – I came to Vienna with my father because I knew he'd be here. We'd sweep across the dance floors, and everyone would tell us what a wonderful couple we made…" Agathe stopped, catching Maria's raised eyebrows. "What?"
"Can he dance?" She blurted, trying to imagine her mysterious handsome sea sailor dancing in heavy army boots.
Agathe giggled. "Of course. And he does so quite wonderfully. It's part of the training for the officers."
"Oh."
"I know," Agathe said quietly, " how dreadfully shallow we must seem to you, this endless frivolity."
Maria shook her head. She had wondered how an evening of dancing and gaiety could ever pass for love, but perhaps that was the way the mysterious act of courting was done with the aristocracy.
"It's alright to think so Maria. I wanted more, too," Agathe told her. "The happiest times were when we could steal a few moments for ourselves. We'd find the music room, and I'd play piano, and we'd sing together. He has this low, velvety voice that just sends shivers down my spine. We'd look at each other, and oh, I could hardly breathe… And sometimes we'd find the library, and read out loud to each other – well, sometimes we'd read, anyway… He loves history, so I made him read Jane Austen." Maria shared an amused snicker at this. "I'd always loved stories with happy endings, and oh, how I'd started to hope he'd be the one I could share mine with. I've had admirers in the past, but I'd never felt this way before."
"Do you… love him?" Maria asked hesitantly. She didn't know much about falling in love, but she'd had parents who loved each other and loved her very much, and she knew love. She knew that contrary to what her novels would have her believe, love was more than a bold declaration in words and always affected more than the heart. She didn't know if love was supposed to send shivers down one's spine or prevent one from breathing – but it could be in a glance, or a whisper, or a song. Or a dance – why not? Maria's memory was full of such small moments and simple acts, treasured because they'd been coloured with the warmth of love.
Agathe was silent for a moment, perhaps reflecting on her own thoughts of love. Then she said, her voice low, "yes, yes I believe I do."
Her intensity made Maria hold her breath. "And I thought he felt the same, but I – oh, everybody was saying what a perfect match we were, and how they expected our engagement any day now… and I suppose I let myself believe them. What a stupid thing to do. I – I even allowed myself to start thinking about my trousseau. He never mentioned a thing about getting married." Agathe gasped this last word like it had stabbed her. She flushed, looking away for a moment. In a flash of pity and understanding, Maria started to tell Agathe she didn't need to continue, the same moment Agathe took a deep, shuddering breath, and went on.
"He told me last week he was leaving for service soon – he returns to Pula tomorrow – and it would be best if we were no longer involved. Involved. That was the very word he used, like I had been some sort of scarlet woman! He even thanked me for my company. Oh, but I was a fool to believe he ever wanted anything more than somebody to have fun with! You see, he has – had – a bit of a reputation, and all the girls told me how remarkable it was that I had reformed him." Agathe's voice was full of bitterness. "I refused to believe I was somehow just another of his conquests. I guess I was in denial, and came tonight to meet him anyways. But as soon as he saw me, he told me his dance card was full! And then, just now, I saw him dancing with Eliza, and he was sliding his hand – "
Agathe stopped abruptly, suddenly aware her companion couldn't be more than ten years of age.
But Maria had jumped up, blue eyes blazing with indignation. She held very treasured ideals of love, and this villain in Agathe's story had crossed every one of them. And while she knew little of the ways of men, she'd seen enough of her uncle's friends to know a rake when she heard one.
"This – this person. He's tall, you said? Dark hair, blue eyes? Would he be wearing uniform?"
"No – o," Agathe looked at her livid companion uncertainly. "He's in a formal evening suit. But he's wearing his decorations. Most officers dress that way for galas. Why?"
"What's his name?"
"What?"
"His name, what is it?" Maria couldn't believe Agathe was acting so calmly about this betrayal.
"Geo - " She hesitated, and seemed to change her mind. "Von Trapp. Captain Von Trapp. Why, Maria?" Agathe had a certain sternness, and it flared under the chaotic temper of her young companion.
Maria checked herself at Agathe's tone. Taking a deep breath, she explained, "your Captain owes you an apology. And an explanation. I'm going to make sure he gives it."
"Oh, oh no! Please, don't. It would be so humiliating!"
"Well, he's got to hear from someone." Maria stomped a foot impatiently.
"No, Maria. I feel wretched enough. Coming here tonight, it was a mistake. The sooner we part ways, the better. He's – he's never cared about me that way, and it's obvious he's already forgotten me. I – I simply let myself get carried away by what everyone was saying, which is mortifying enough. He never said we had a future together."
"I don't believe you, Agathe," Maria said firmly. "If everything was as you described, there must have been some moments of truth. At least he owes you an explanation. Wouldn't you like to hear it?"
Agathe paused, conflicted. Maria followed up her advantage, thinking quickly. "What if I could ask him in a way that doesn't reveal - " she waved around " – what we talked about?"
The other girl's eyes were huge. "Could you?" She breathed.
Maria nodded. "Of course, I'll just find some way to get in, and find him…"
Agathe was shaking her head before she had even finished. "No no! Oh, what was I thinking! Maria, you mustn't. That crowd, well, some people aren't very nice, and that's putting it mildly. If you fall in with the wrong sort – "
But Maria had made up her mind. She could never sit and wait for things to happen. She was racked by a sense of injustice, and a need to defend Agathe from her own kindness and willingness to forget. It was the least she could do for this lovely girl who had made her feel, for the first time in a long while, like an equal.
"Don't worry, I'll be just fine. Now, I shouldn't delay any more." Maria said this bouncing on her toes, as if ready for flight. "Wait right here, please."
"For you?"
"No, for him, of course! And Agathe - " Maria had already started down the path. She stopped, and glanced back at the unlikely friend she had made for an evening. For a moment, she didn't want to leave. "I hope your story has a happy ending."
"Maria!" Agathe called after her, and there was a split second of hesitation where Maria would always wonder what she had been about to say. "Thank you."
Maria ran back to the gates of the mansion, leaving a bemused Agathe staring after her. She tried the handle, but it was locked. Maria sighed. She would have to find another way in. She circled the perimeter of the estate's wall, wondering if she could scale it. What she really needed was a tree to climb. Luck was on her side as she turned the corner toward the back of the house. A row of apple trees in full bloom lined the outside of the wall, its fragrance sweet in the night air. Any other time, this sight would have thrilled her senses, but now, she was a girl with a task at hand. Without hesitation, Maria climbed nimbly up the nearest tree until she could peer over the wall.
From here, she could see the lavish garden, surrounded by tall, neatly trimmed hedges and absurdly sculpted bushes. A long terrace lined the far side, displaying a tempting glimpse of the gala within. Warm light spilled through the open double French doors, and even from her perch, Maria could hear the orchestra playing a lively Viennese waltz. Several guests lingered on the terrace, champagne flutes in hand. She caught glints of light reflecting off the decorative medals against the men's suits, and remembering Agathe's description, supposed these must be officers. As she watched, one of the couples turned to go inside. The remaining couple stood talking for moments longer, looking outward over the balustrade. Maria was too far to make out anything they were saying, but once or twice she saw the young man's gaze sweep over the very spot where she was perched. She watched as the woman rested a jeweled hand briefly on his shoulder, then walked toward the open doors. She turned at the doorway, saying something. He shook his head, and she disappeared inside. The young man did several lengths of the terrace, pacing and strolling by turns. Finally, he too, disappeared around the far corner of the building.
Swiftly, Maria clambered down the branches hanging over the wall, and dropped the last several feet to the ground. She stumbled, tearing her dress a little and scraping her knee. Examining the tear ruefully, Maria suddenly realized she still had to find some way out of this place. Well, worry about that later, she told herself.
Doggedly, she made her way across the expansive gardens, following the sound of music. She stopped at the last row of hedges before the terrace, hesitating in the shadows of the baluster, and considered her options. Maria had just begun wondering if she could pass as a servant girl when a clear male voice commented from directly behind her, "you seem lost."
A/N: There are precious few facts on Agathe and how A/G meet, and I may have also made up her character along the way (though I based some of her personality traits on the older VT children... that counts, right?) - so please, do go easy on her (and my rather fumbly attempts to tell a bit of her story).
Also, I'm very sorry to cast such a poor first impression of our Captain.