The next day they attempted to call the villa to see how everybody back in Salzburg was going. Unfortunately, when they went down to the foyer to use the hotel's pay telephone they were met with some disappointing news.
"Out of order," Georg said, irritated as he returned the receiver to it's cradle.
"What a shame," Maria sighed sadly. She had promised Gretl and Marta that she would do everything in her power to be in touch with them throughout her honeymoon. After all, they were so young and she was the only mother they had ever known and they wanted to make sure she wouldn't disappear again.
"After you saying that you would rather spend your honeymoon contacting the children than experiencing Paris with me?" Georg chuckled playfully.
"No," Maria said. "But I promised the little ones that I would try to keep in contact with them. I may be married to you know, but I'm not sure Marta and Gretl are one-hundred percent convinced in their hearts I'll be here forever."
Georg smiled. One of the things he loved most about Maria was the way she loved his children as if they were her own.
"Well, who is to say you will return?" Georg said, continuing with the playful tone. She raised her eyebrow at him, unsure of exactly where his thoughts were wandering. "I might keep you locked up here in the city of love, alone with me for the rest of our lives."
"That doesn't seem like such a bad idea," she giggled.
But alas, they could not have done that even if there hadn't been seven impatient children waiting for them back in Austria. Georg read the newspaper every day, and every day their suspicions grew stronger about what was taking place in their homeland. Yes, each day made one thing clearer: the Anschluss was on the move.
"It is coming, isn't it?" Maria sighed, watching her husband fold up the newspaper at breakfast on Thursday.
"Yes," he said in a grim tone. "Maria, I hope you know what this means for us."
"Not the details," she said; her voice solemn. "But I want you to know that whatever happens, Georg, I'll be there for you. I'm with you."
"Well, if Austria is invaded, the Nazis will almost certainly want me to join their Navy. I would not dream of accepting, but I know that refusal will be fatal for all of us." He raised his face and looked her straight in the eye. Maria knew how serious the situation was simply from the look on her husband's face, but even with that she wasn't prepared for his next words.
"Maria, I fear if the Nazis request me to join their naval forces that we may have to leave Austria."
"Oh, I see," she said, her voice quietening. The prospect of fleeing her homeland, right after settling into a brand new life; a life that six months she would not have comprehended living in her wildest dreams did more than unsettle Maria. It flat out terrified her. But she knew if they had to do it, they would do it. And, like everything else new in her life since her engagement, she knew that with Georg beside her everything would be alright.
"Well, as I said, I'll be with you every step of the way if that has to happen."
That night, before their departure to Lyon for the weekend, they went out to dinner again. Having spent the entire afternoon packing, they were both exhausted and felt they deserved a treat. Although, if you had asked either of them, they would've said being in Paris with the love of their life was the most amazing treat possible.
At the restaurant, Maria noticed that Georg seemed to have a fondness for oysters, as he ordered them again. She wondered briefly if it was because of all the time he had spent on the sea. Like before, he offered her one; but instead of declining she decided to try to her luck and accepted.
She could see Georg's delight, subtle as it was, as he spooned a small helping onto her plate. "Thank you," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. She dipped her spoon into the oyster and raised it to her mouth.
"What's the verdict?" Georg asked her when she had finished.
Maria paused, as if thinking very carefully about how to phrase her response. "Well," she began. "I'm glad I tried them. But as I suspected, they appear to be an acquired taste."
"They are indeed," Georg said, chuckling. "But I've been eating oysters since I was a child. My parents insisted that my sister and I received an upbringing fit our family's standing in Austrian nobility."
"And they thought feeding you oysters would assist with that?" she said, giggling mildly.
"I guess so," he replied. "But unlike me, having to eat them throughout our childhood gave my sister a strong dislike for them. I know Hede stopped eating them as soon as she left home. "
Maria smiled as she thought about Georg's sister. Although she had only met the woman once; at the wedding, she had immediately felt a connection to her new sister-in-law. Despite being nearly thirty years her senior, Hede had a lively and bright personality, which Maria had believed was because of the fact she was an artist, and so the two had got on brilliantly.
When they left the restaurant after dinner, they decided to take a walk, since the night was relatively warm. They found their way to a small park and sat down on a small wooden bench. Georg wrapped his arm lazily around Maria, resting his hand on her shoulder. He sighed as she relaxed and leaned back into his embrace.
Maria was obviously more tired than she realised, because soon she drifting off to sleep in her husband's arms. Georg smiled when he looked down and saw his wife fast asleep, her head resting against his chest. 'She looks beautiful doing anything,' thought Georg. Like every other time when he had encountered his wife asleep, Georg dared not disturb her, but soon, he found himself growing tired.
Not wanting to spend all night on a park bench, especially when they had a long journey ahead of them tomorrow, he lightly kissed Maria's forehead. Her eyelids fluttered open and she gazed up at his face.
"Bonsoir Baroness," he said, flashing her the trademark half-smile of his he knew she wouldn't be able to resist. "Why don't we go back to the hotel and get a proper night sleep before tomorrow?"
She smiled and nodded. He helped her up from the bench and then the two of them walked back to their hotel in each other's arms.
I'm so sorry about the wait. I was up at my grandparents (no net connection) and then I got writer's block. But I know exactly where the next couple of chapters are going and they shouldn't take me nearly as long.