This may not be the funnest of chapters, but it is one none the less. I thought is best to put it in all though it's not that necessary. I've been working on 3 chapters this easter and I'm posting two today. I'm hoping to post the 3. one very soon. Also I would like to thank every one of you who's reading. Most of all for commenting and stuff, but also very much for beeing patient. I know it's usually very long between updates. So that was why I decided to write three new chapters over the holidays. and the 3. one is on it's way;)
Birgitta
"Why did you drag us out of there?"
"Yeah! Why couldn't we stay? I wanted to speak to father!" The two youngest daughters of Captain Von Trapp rounded on their sister. As Birgitta had been the only one to detect something in their governess and fathers behaviours, Marta and Gretl were now quite cross about the fact that she had dragged them out of there.
"Sssh. Let me think." Birgitta said impatiently, half waving her sisters away with her left hand. Her mind was whirling, her father and Maria had seemed… …she didn't really know, at least not how to put it. There was just something strange. Something she felt like she should know the answer to, but didn't. She could practically hear he brain working. They had seemed really awkward. And flushed. But what did that mean? She did not think her father knew it, but the whole time they were in the room he was holding Marias hand, sort of stroking it unconsciously. And none of them had seemed to mind it, she would think, having once before caught her sister Liesl in the garden with her supposed big love Rolfe that they would pull away instantly, deny that anything had happened and make them swear not to tell anybody, which was what Liesl had done. But this seemed somewhat more complicated than that. Her head was thumping so hard that she started to wish she had not seen anything at all. She might have got a night of peaceful sleep then. She guessed it was true, only fools rush in. A knock might have been nice, but the partying people downstairs had really been bothering her and the two others. She could hear them now too. She guessed her father had yet to give his "Please lower the voices for the sake of my kids"-speech. The music had started again too. She guessed they had just resumed dancing in the absence of their host.
Dancing! "That's it!" It took a minute before she realized that she, in her excitement, had shouted the words out loud. And some seconds after that she also realized that her two sisters had followed her the entire time, but as they could not see her thoughts they were looking very confused. "What's it?" Marta asked tentatively, probably remembering the blow-off she and Gretl experienced before.
"Maria and father! They're in love!"
"What?!" The cry was unanimous. And the two small girls showed every sign of disbelief. Gretl was actually shaking her head. And Marta started getting to her feet mumbling something about asking their father about is.
"No wait." Birgitta said firmly to the both of them. "Just hear me out will you?" They both became quiet.
"Look, I've thought it thought. And the way they were acting just now and the way they were acting down at the party while they were dancing together, that's two people in love! I've seen it before, when Li…" She caught herself in time. She was about to mention the little meeting she had witnessed between Liesl and Rolfe this summer. It had been while the Captain still was in Wien and Maria had sent her out to look for Liesl. She had found her behind some trees dancing with Rolfe. And Liesl's reaction was almost identical to Maria's. Flushed cheeks and confusion. Of course Liesl had made Birgitta swear not to tell anyone so she could not explain it now. And let's face it; they probably would not believe her anyway. After all, they were much younger than her. This required expert help.
"Stay here." Birgitta got to her feet. "I'm going to go speak to Liesl."
On the way out she almost bumped into her father and Maria heading towards Marias room. She was almost sure they were bound to see her, but they didn't seem to notice. She hid herself behind a door and hoped they would not be too long. She heard her dad make some remark about a dress of hers. It was kind of strange, he sounded so different. She had never heard, or seen for that matter, him like this before. She had to be right. Standing where she stood she felt kind of nervous, but she didn't really know why. She started twinning her hair with absolutely no purpose. She had just a little glimpse of the scene outside in the corridor. Her father looked kind of impatient. "Are you sure you don't need any help? Maybe you don't know this, but I'm very good with dresses. World-class I would say." There was a reply, but Birgitta just heard a sort of murmur. But she saw her father give a sort of smirking smile and then say "Ok, but you know. If you don't get out here soon I'm going to take me up on my own word and go in and carry you down." The door opened and Maria stepped into the hallway. "You do no such thing!" She said and slapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"Your right, probably not a good very idea. It would leave me backbroken." He's tone was heavy with irony, She slapped him again, and said with a tone almost worthy of him "I am not that heavy, so I guess what you're suggesting is that you're not a man enough to lift a woman." He looked at her a little while before he made his reply. "Well let's find out then shall we?"
"No. We can't do that. And besides, we have a dinner to go to remember? The one downstairs with hundreds of people that you insisted I should join."
"Oh… That party. Well I guess you're right. Let's get down there. After you."
As they started walking down the hallway, Birgitta could see her father put his hand on the small of her back. Maria started a bit at the touch, but became at ease really soon. No one could deny it, something was up. It was ovious!