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She had never seen so many maps in her life! There was large map of Austria, a smaller map of Salzburg and the surrounding area, a medium sized map of Vienna and Innsbruck. There was a map of Switzerland, and a map showing the mountain ranges, borderlines of Germany and Austria. There was a map of France and Italy, and even a very tiny map of New York City that appeared to be color coded. There were so many maps in the room Maria couldn't find a place to sit down, which she was being invited to do by the Captain, who seemed completely oblivious to the lack of seating he was offering her.
"I didn't know it was possible to own so many maps, Captain!" Maria huffed, tentatively moving what looked to be a map of Zug so she could sit down. Why anyone would name a place after a train was beyond her usual capable intelligence. Having moved the map off the chair she sat down, clasped her hands together and began following the Captain's movements, a habit that was developing rather quickly and eerily as she thought about it.
"A guarantee when one becomes a sea captain, Fraulein." The Captain remarked, his eyes quickly roving a different map in his hands, one with many oddly shaped circular lines drawn all over it. "Tell me, have you ever seen a map such as this?"
He showed her the map with the circles on it. She shook her head. Although she covered geography extensively she had never been particularly good at discerning the appropriate maps to use for the appropriate moments. She also felt very foolish talking about maps in general, a feeling that was only amplified as she was discussing maps with a Captain. He pulled the map away from her face rather rapidly and continued his pacing around the room. She would learn this pacing of his was always because of her, and not necessarily because of the subjects they discussed.
"Is all of this necessary, Captain?" She asked, waving her hand over the large amounts of paper floating around her.
"Oh yes, Fraulein." He didn't expand on his comment and she hummed in response. His mood had certainly changed since she had seen him in the gazebo. He seemed so determinedly active.
"What exactly for, Captain?" She knew what he wanted to talk about, but waiting for him to get to his points was far too trying for her patience.
"A potential escape." He replied, she nodded to him to show she already understood what he was planning and that she simply wanted him to get on with it. He stopped his pacing long enough to throw her a look of annoyance and then resumed to explain his master plan.
"The Anschluss is coming, there is no point in denying it. I have expressed my fears to you, my fears for my family. The only problem now is when, when will it happen? Tomorrow? Three months? A year?" He stopped walking, standing behind her so she could not see his face, but she could only imagine, hearing his voice riddled with anguish. "There is no telling what these people will do, Fraulein. We must prepare against the possibilities."
"I take it you wish the flee?" It struck her as odd that such a brave naval hero would want to turn his back on his country, were it not for the children she would have found it highly out of character with everything she had been told of him.
"I wish only for my children to live their lives in freedom. They can not do that if the Nazis are here." He seemed to sense her doubt and she felt badly for expressing it so freely. "But, we will only leave Austria if absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, that necessity might be more pressing than even I imagine. So, I shall leave nothing to chance. Do you drive, Fraulein?"
The question caught her by surprise, she turned quickly in her seat to look at him and nearly fell off. His face was so expressive, one glance at his visage and she felt she could read his mind. Righting herself, she shook her head while she answered.
"No, I'm afraid not." She couldn't imagine what situation he might be envisioning that she would need to drive, "Do you drive?"
"Of course!" He stood straighter along side his answer and his blue eyes pierced her with a reprimand.
"Then I'm afraid I don't understand." She clapped her hands together, tilting her head to meet his reprimand with her own look of indifference.
"We live on the boarder of Germany, a quick and easy escape might not be possible. We may have to drive, or walk to Switzerland." He was standing in front of her, ignoring her agape mouth.
"Walk to Switzerland! With seven children?!" She stood up at the thought, annoyed with his suggestion, and perturbed with his nonchalance at such an absurd idea. Her movement brought her face inches from his own.
"Yes. If necessary." He did not move from her, although they were so close. To fix the distance between them she began her own set of paces.
"How exactly do you plan on doing this!?" She couldn't help failing her arms and nearly hit him in the face with her incredulity.
"That is what we are here to discuss." He smiled lightly gesturing to the chair she had vacated. She resumed her seat. He rummaged under the maps, and, she noted, old newspapers, to find his usual desk chair. Before sitting he asked, "May I?"
It took a moment for her to realize he was asking permission to sit down. The moment was a rather awkward one as he was in a half-standing, half-sitting position, his eyes waiting for her response.
"Oh. Yes, of course." She spoke swiftly, nodding to emphasize her words. He sat.
"Now, I'm hopping that we might be able to convince a few people that we are all going to Italy to visit, no questions asked. That is the most favorable situation in my mind. It will also be good for you as it will not be necessary for you to accompany us to Italy." His hands took over his feet, drumming out his paces on his legs.
"Won't it?" She asked, leaning forward in her seat trying hard to comprehend his mind. It might be easy to read in his face but it was decidedly difficult to discern how complexly he could think.
"No. You are, after all, only a governess. It won't be necessary for you to join us on a family holiday." He smiled apologetically, as though it were offensive to call her a governess and keep her in such a class. "But that is the best case scenario. And I don't think we'll be so lucky. Let's focus on our other options. The ones that involve you most specifically."
She was nearly off her chair with anticipation. She could feel her dress slipping from the chair as she leaned even closer to the Captain, focusing on every word he spoke.
"We'll go to Switzerland, stay there until we can make appropriate arrangements and then leave for America. It is important for you to know I don't expect you to join us in America, that would be asking far too much of you. But I want you to know what I plan, just in case anything were to happen to me." He said the last sentence to his hands. She was grateful, she did not want to see his face. She did not want to see what he was thinking, what horrid fate he believed might befall him.
"There will be money already transferred to America. I will give you more details on that later, for now, only understand what I tell you. If I am not with you, go to New York City. I have friends there, friends who will help you should you need it. It shouldn't take longer than four months to prepare your departure from Europe, after four months go to New York, by whatever means available. If I am capable, I will join you there. That is what I want, that is what needs to happen. With any luck, I will be there myself, and you won't have to worry about it." He took a deep breath. He looked even more tired than he had in the gazebo. She almost wished she could bring the puppy back to the villa for him to hold, it had helped him so before. Unfortunately, the dog had been sent to live on a farm outside of Salzburg and she could only wish he felt her heart go out to him.
"I will do anything you ask, for the children. But, Captain, that does not solve how we are to get to Switzerland." She felt her voice crack with the whisper she hadn't meant to use. Her fingertips itched to touch his hands, in comfort.
"We'll have to stay away from major cities, drive along the more deserted paths, or walk the hills. I was hoping you might have a fair knowledge of the lesser known roads." It was his eyes that apologized this time, asking forgiveness for assuming her to be more wayward than she ever thought she let on. She was only ever offended by him for the sake of the children. And, luckily, that time had passed. Yet, she found it incredibly disorienting, the way he seemed to considered her beyond that of a governess but never a part of the aristocracy, as though she owned her own class, something that interfused all of it and none of it at the same time.
"I know some, but I don't know if I could get us so far west." She leaned back in her chair, not trusting herself to stay seated if she didn't.
"Then we'll have to review the maps as best we -" A knock interrupted his speech. He turned in his seat, as startled as she was to be reminded other people lived at the villa too. He stood to answer the door when Marta's voice echoed through.
"Father, when can we have Fraulein Maria back?" She asked, her voice muffled by the door.
The Captain opened the door to reveal the little girl plus her brothers and sisters all looking a different shade of guilty. Maria stood up as the Captain eyed each of his children unrelentingly. They each shot her a pleading look as she too stood in the doorway. She bit back a smile, knowing too well the Captain was teasing his children.
"We are discussing important business matters, Marta." He kept his face as rigid as possible, but only managed a few beats before breaking into a large smile, "But since all we've been talking about is you, I shall return her in a few minutes."
He bopped the little girl's nose with his finger and she responded with a giggle. He closed the door but not before sending each child their own personal Captain smile. Maria turned, but did not move to her chair.
"I suppose I've kept you too long. You will make sure they have indeed finished their studies for the day, before going out to, eh, play?" He sat at his desk, moving piles of newspapers out of his way.
"Of course, Captain." She paused a moment, not yet ready to join the children after such an arduous conversation. "The Germans have not come yet, Captain. Why not just leave now?"
It was a question she had been burning to ask since the moment he mentioned leaving. She originally thought it might be pride, but having now spoken with him she believed there was a more appropriate reason, one she felt might be important to know.
"The Anschluss has not occurred, you are quite right, but that does not mean the Germans are not here, Fraulein." His actions stilled as he found one of the newspapers, his face fell as he read the headlines, "You do know not to discuss any of what we've talked about with anyone else?"
"I thought as much, Captain." She wondered what the newspaper said that he would grow so lost reading it.
"Not even with Frau Schmidt, or Max or anyone else that lives in this house?" He continued, dropping the newspaper in the trash by his desk. He rubbed his temples with his long fingers.
"Yes, Captain. Not a word." She turned from him at his dismissive gesture and exited the room. She began to wonder if he thought there were spies, more specifically spies who were spying on him. She shook her head at herself, thinking his paranoia was catching. She rushed out the doors of the villa in search of the children. Thankfully, all thoughts of Switzerland, fleeing Austria, and spies immediately left her mind as soon as she was once again, rightfully, playing with the children in the garden.
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