Chapter 3: Nighttime Excitement

Later that same day, after dinner had finished, the children, Georg, Elsa, Max and Maria were in the sitting room, the adults just having a conversation and Maria getting the children ready to say goodnight.

"Alright, children," Maria started. "It's time you should be getting to bed. Say goodnight to your father, Uncle Max, and the Baroness."

The children all sighed but reluctantly stood up. Simultaneously, they all kissed their father and said goodnight to Uncle Max and Elsa. Immediately after, Maria began to quickly herd the children up to their rooms.

About ten minutes later, Maria had left the children's quarters of the house, thinking them to be asleep. But they were doing anything but sleeping. As soon as Maria left their quarters, the children quietly moved to the room Liesl, Louisa and Brigitta shared and sat in a circle on the three beds. For a few seconds, all of them were silent until one of them finally decided to speak.

"Well," Liesl started quietly. "What do we think of the Baroness?"

Suddenly the room was filled with an eruption of comments. Liesl laughed at the sudden excitement of her siblings and attempted to silence them. It was to no avail, though, as her siblings kept rambling on and on. One couldn't even really make out what anyone was saying. She heard the odd thing here or there, but that was it. Eventually, above all the others, she heard Kurt shout, "I THINK SHE'S PRETTY!" At that, everyone burst into laughter and little Gretl finally said, "I think she's a very nice lady" which issued another bout of laughter from the children.

The noise continued as everyone tried getting their opinion in, when suddenly they heard a quiet chuckle from the doorway. There stood Fraulein Maria. She must have heard them and managed to open the door without them noticing in all their excitement.

"Now," she started, mock-reprimanding. "Didn't I put you children to bed ten minutes ago?"

Seven pairs of eyes stared up at her in guilt. Everyone was silent as the older children tried to come up with an excuse. "We we talking about the Baroness, Fraulein Maria!" Gretl said unknowingly blunt.

The rest of the children groaned and covered their faces, knowing there was no way to come up with an excuse after the truth was so bluntly put; even if it was by accident.

"Now, children, you know it's improper and certainly not nice to talk about people behind their backs," Maria told them.

"Oh, we know, Fraulein," Liesl said calmly. "But we weren't saying bad things about her. Merely stating what we thought of her."

The children all nodded and murmured their agreement.

"What do you think of her, Fraulein Maria?" Fredrich asked sincerely.

At that question, the children all became excited again, pleading her to tell them what she thought of the Baroness. Maria sighed and, knowing they would not go to bed without her telling them, quickly said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Well," she started. "I believe your father loves her, and she most likely loves your father. I believe she is very good for your father. Maybe she'll help him be a little happier again."

The children all nodded, satisfied with her answer, and all simultaneously muttered excited musings of 'good!' or 'it's so wonderful to see father happy again!'

Maria laughed at the hushed excitement that filled the room. "Now, children," she started. "I think it's time for you to actually get to bed now." She turned to Liesl, Louisa, and Brigitta. "Goodnight, girls. Now, the rest of you," she said, pointing to the four who didn't belong in the room. "Off to bed."

The four children got up off the beds with disappointed sighs and followed Maria as she hurried them out of the older girls' bedroom.

….

"So, darling," Georg started downstairs in the sitting room. "How did you enjoy your first day?"

Elsa smiled across the coffee table at him and set down her glass of wine. "It was lovely, darling," she responded quietly. "It's so peaceful here; I don't think I ever want to return to Vienna again."

Georg chuckled at Elsa's response as Max walked back into the room, holding a glass of whiskey. "Sounds like those children of yours are having a difficult time allowing sleep to fall upon them, Georg," he chuckled as he sat down beside Elsa on the loveseat.

"Must be the excitement," Georg dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Elsa stood and moved to the piano as Max and Georg took out a deck of cards and began to deal them. Gently, Elsa lifted the lid of the grand piano and lightly ran her fingers over the white keys. She turned to look at Georg from across the room. "Do you mind, darling," she asked.

Slowly, Georg lifted his head from her hand of cards to look at Elsa standing beside the piano. "Oh, no, not at all, darling," he replied quickly. "Go ahead. I didn't know you played."

"I knew you didn't really approve of music," she stated, sitting down delicately at the bench. "At the time anyways, so I never bothered to play while you were visiting."

Georg nodded in understanding and turned back to his cards. "Well, I'd be delighted to hear you play now," he told her.

Smiling, Elsa turned back to the piano and, placing her fingers delicately upon the keys, began to play Claire de Lune. All three adults in the room stopped what they were doing when they heard a soft knock at the door.

"Pardon me, sir," Franz said, standing in the doorway. "But I have a telegram for you."

Georg nodded and stood up to retrieve it from his butler. "Thank you, Franz," he said, opening the telegram. Franz nodded curtly and left the room. Everyone was silent for a few moments as he looked over the telegram and then Georg chuckled. "Well, well, well," he started amused. "You'll never guess who is coming to visit Max!"

Max pondered this for a few seconds. "Hmm, the Queen of England?" he asked jokingly. He began to laugh at his own joke and Elsa chuckled quietly.

Georg rolled his eyes. "No," he said. "It's Elsa's favourite person, returning from his trip to America."

At this, everyone went silent, and then Max began to laugh harder and Elsa's eye went wide. "Charley?" Max gasped between laughter.

"No," Elsa shook her head. "No, no, and no!"

"It's too late, my dear," Max stated, still short of breath from laughing. "He's already sent us a telegram!"

"No! It was so peaceful. Now that's going to disappear because he's coming," Elsa mumbled, disappointed.

Up to this point, Georg had tried to contain his laughter at Elsa's current situation, but now he was chuckling right along with Max. "Darling," he started. "Do—um—do try to get along with him."

"Oh, I'll try," she snapped. "But only if he behaves!"

Max continued to laugh. "Oh, we're in for a treat!" he chuckled. "This shall be immensely amusing."

Georg and Max let out one last fit of laughter as Elsa huffed and turned back to the piano, now starting to play something a little more mood fitting.

….

And sorry guys, that's where I'm leaving you. This is more of a filler chapter because I had major writer's block with this chapter. I had absolutely no idea whatsoever what to do with it. So that is why it may seem a little shorter than what I usually write. I will try to make the next one longer, but I can't promise anything, considering I still have some writer's block. But you get to meet Charley Jackson next chapter! This is going to be, as Max would put it, 'immensely amusing!' Anywho, please review, favourite, alert, favourite author, even suggest to your friends or other authors please :)