A/N Thank you to everyone who has reviewed - especially to the guest ones that I can't respond to personally!
Clare – that is such a clever idea. I agree with Jamie why aren't you writing your own stories?!
I will be doing an epilogue but not just yet. Because of the events of this story, a lot of things changed and so did the characters, so it wouldn't fit in with what I have planned for my engagement/wedding story for HCTS. If you want, you can accept Chapter Seven as the end if you do not wish to continue or do not like angst – though if you don't like angst I have no idea why you are reading this story haha. This chapter is pretty cheery for me anyway.
Chapter Eight:
Wein, Weib und Gesang!
- Johann Strauss ll
As Maria awoke the next morning, she rolled over in the large bed and hugged her pillow tightly. The memory of her head on the Captain's chest and the reassuring weight of him made her smile into the pillow. She couldn't believe the events of last night – well a few hours ago, had actually happened. It had been a rollercoaster of emotions and she still felt overly tired but she needed to go to the abbey and speak with the Mother Abbess.
Rising, she promptly showered and then opened the door to leave but paused when she saw the key still in the door. Grasping it, she pulled it out of the lock and looked at it critically. She had been so angry when he had basically asked her to lock herself in her room. Though, she knew why he had done it – and that thought sent a delicious shiver down her spine. But then she wondered what would have happened if he hadn't stopped and they had continued down in the ballroom. Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed hard.
She had never experienced kisses like the ones he had given her. And she had certainly never been caressed that way before. Her brief dalliance with a local boy as a teenager during the spring festival had been a few chaste kisses and a clumsy grope that had left her feeling nothing but awkward. It certainly hadn't swept her off her feet like all the fairy tale stories had promised.
Her eyes continued to stare at the key and she saw it was very strange looking; it had a very gothic appearance and the key itself just looked odd. Pocketing it, she pushed the key out of her mind and headed downstairs.
While Georg sat in his study consuming his breakfast, Frau Schmidt entered with a knock.
"Good morning, Captain," she said, "Fraulein Maria wished me to tell you that she has gone to visit the abbey and shall return later this morning. Also, Franz is ready to escort Baroness Schraeder to the train station."
The housekeeper was giving him a slightly questioning look, which he ignored as he rose from his seat.
"Thank you, Frau Schmidt," he said politely and walked out into the foyer as Elsa descended the stairs.
She gave him a small smile and said, "Good morning, Georg. I was hoping we could avoid this. I have never been a fan of awkward goodbyes."
Georg gave a stiff nod. "I want to apologise again, Elsa. I'm sorry things did not work out as planned."
"Not to worry, darling," Elsa said with an elegant shrug. "I'm perfectly capable of surviving without you. Despite what you think, Georg, you are not the beginning and the end."
Georg simply raised an eyebrow at that and walked her out the front door as Franz loaded her multitude of bags into the car. After she gave him a kiss on the cheek and a brief longing look, she slid into the car and was gone before he knew it.
Returning inside, he headed back to his study to finish his breakfast. While he was sure Elsa would not spread any gossip – and not because she cared for him or Maria, but because she cared for herself. He was not sure about the Vogels. The insinuations the little rat had made last night and the way he had behaved towards Maria left him in little doubt that there would be rumours flying in no time.
Just like Max had said, as soon as everyone knew Elsa had returned to Vienna, there would be talk. He would need to speak to the children and tell them of the engagement, lest they somehow hear anything horrible. But he would also need to sit down and talk with Maria, she wasn't used to the society that he lived in. Her kindness and honesty weren't something the upper class of Austria believed in, they would much rather something more exciting and scandalous – no matter how little truth there was to it.
Walking up to the large iron gate of Nonnberg Abbey, Maria rang the bell and idly waited for one of the sisters to arrive and let her in. Once inside, she waited patiently until she was greeted by the warm tones of Sister Margaretta.
"Oh, Maria!" said Sister Margaretta as she approached. "How lovely to see you. What brings you here today?"
Maria smiled at the older woman. "I was hoping to see the Reverend Mother this morning, it is very important."
"I'm so sorry, dear, but the Reverend Mother is too busy today," said Sister Margaretta sincerely. "Maybe I could be of some help?"
Maria shook her head and said, "No, I must speak with her. When may I see her?"
"How about tomorrow? If you come around lunch time that should be fine, Maria." The Sister gave her an encouraging smile at Maria's disappointed face. "I am sorry, Maria, but she is very busy at the moment."
Offering a weak smile, Maria bid farewell to Sister Margaretta and headed back out the large gate and walked down the steps back towards the inner city streets. She walked absentmindedly, glancing in the store windows as she went until she came to the bus stop and waited patiently for the next bus back to Aigen. She probably should have called first, it had been silly to come all this way without checking to see if the Mother Abbess was actually free to see her. But she had been so desperate to talk to her that she hadn't even considered the possibility that she wouldn't be able to.
She knew the Captain- wait no, his name is Georg, she told herself, would want to tell the children. But she had wanted to speak with the Reverend Mother first, just for a little peace of mind. She needed to know it was all right. Everything had seemed much simpler in the darkness of the night - in the daylight, she just felt a little unbalanced. Like it had all been some strange dream. She felt very much like Alice and she had fallen down the rabbit hole.
The roar of the bus distracted her from her thoughts and she hopped on, trying not to let her worries get in the way. She was supposed to be feeling happy, not lost. Finally the bus reached her stop and she made her way down the dusty lanes until she came to the large villa. The sense of déjà vu struck her as she peered through the iron gates before pushing them open and walking up to the front door and ringing the bell.
When Franz let her in, looking unimpressed as usual, she headed straight for Georg's study and knocked politely on the closed door.
"Come in."
Pushing the heavy door open, she walked in and shut it behind her. He had piles of paper strewn over his desk and his face was set in a determined expression as he flicked through a few pages. Maria instantly felt her breath catch in her throat when his eyes left the paperwork and locked with hers. For one wild moment she wondered if she had dreamt the whole thing but then she saw his expression soften as his gaze burned into her.
"Are you going to ask if I'm real again?" he questioned, with a smirk tugging at his lips.
He stood up and leant casually against the desk as he held out a hand to her. Maria grasped it as she neared and brought herself into his arms, her head resting in the space between his neck and shoulder.
"No," she said quietly, "Though, I won't lie and pretend that the thought didn't cross my mind."
Maria felt his arms hold her tightly as she breathed him in and she wondered if it was possible to just stay here forever. And then it hit her that she could. He was going to be her husband, and that thought sent a shiver down her spine and she felt a wave of warmth pass over her. She didn't have to let go and she didn't have to pretend anymore.
"Did you speak with the Reverend Mother?" he asked, and she felt the rumble of his voice.
"No, she was too busy to see me today," Maria said with a sigh, "She will see me tomorrow at lunchtime."
"I can drive you in then," Georg said.
Maria looked up at him and said, "You don't have to. I can get the bus."
Peering down at her he just smiled and said, "No fiancée of mine is going to get the bus. Either myself or Franz can take you."
"I'm not a child, I can take care of myself," Maria said, pulling back from him slightly. "I don't need to be driven about."
He sighed. "Maria, I know that – I am very aware of that. But you are going to be my wife and I can't have you catching the bus. You are going to be a baroness, baronesses do not catch the bus."
A baroness. Oh goodness, that hadn't even occurred to her. She didn't know how to be a baroness; she didn't even know what fork to use. She usually just copied whatever the children did. What did a baroness have to do? Did she have to practice how to curtsy? Did she need to learn how to do tapestry?
Her face must have been a picture of confused horror because he hastily spoke to her.
"Please don't panic, there's not much to it. You just need to see to the running of the household and I can teach you all that. Frau Schmidt can help you too."
Running of the house? Not much to it? That sounded like there was a lot to it.
"Run the house? Isn't that what Frau Schmidt does?" Maria asked. "She's the housekeeper, so doesn't she keep house?"
"To an extent," Georg said, "But she gets her orders from the lady of the house. Since there has not been one, I just let her decide everything – it was much easier. Anything important was left to me but mostly, I left her in command."
Maria's brow furrowed. "What exactly do I have to do?"
"Um, just a minute," he said and walked over to a bookshelf and riffled through the tomes until he pulled out a battered looking book that he handed to her. "This might be of some help. It's a little out of date but it still could be useful."
Maria looked at the book and read the fading words: The Golden Book for Housewives: A Guide Through the Year. Together With Five Hundred Recipes and One Thousand Advices.
One thousand? That didn't sound nearly enough to Maria.
"I know it seems daunting, but you will be fine," she heard him say. "You managed to sort out seven children, so I don't think you will have any problems. And I am always here to help. We are a team, Maria."
Glancing back up at him, Maria offered a smile. As long as they were a team, she would be fine. It didn't stop her from feeling a little terrified at the prospect. But he was right; she was able to look after seven children. It couldn't be that much harder?
At that thought, she asked, "Must we tell the children today?"
"Yes, I think it would be best if we told them sooner rather than later," he said and Maria heard the slight undercurrent of tension in his voice.
"Do-do you think they will be unhappy with the news?" Maria asked, her heart suddenly sinking.
He stared at her for a minute and said, "No. But I think we need to talk. Please come sit down with me."
She followed, her nerves on edge, as he led her to a leather couch in the corner of his study. Sitting down next to her, he grasped her hands in his and gazed into her eyes intently.
"I think you should be aware that it won't take long for people to know that Elsa has left and returned to Vienna." Maria nodded at this and he continued, "People will talk, and then they will talk even more when they hear I am to marry you."
Maria's brow creased in confusion before her eyes widened in understanding.
"Oh," she said softly. "They will think…" But she couldn't finish the sentence and so she just let it hang in the air.
"Yes," he said, "I just think you should be aware that people talk and gossip. It means nothing. Rumours are spread by people filled with hate and accepted as truth by idiots – and you are not an idiot. No matter what you may hear, Maria, I want you to know that I am marrying you because I love you."
His words had been soft, but there had been a hard edge to them – a demanding tone that begged to be understood. His blue eyes were boring into her and she couldn't deny she wanted him to kiss her. There was such an intense power to him that was utterly thrilling. And it made her wonder how much of himself he kept locked away. After last night – and the night of the puppet show, she had caught brief glimpses of that man, and she couldn't deny she wanted to see more.
Shyly, she leant into him and pressed her lips against his. His hands went straight into her hair as he brought her in closer. Maria breathed an, "I love you," against his mouth and she felt one of his arms wrap around her waist and pull her into him. She was practically sitting in his lap and suddenly his tongue was begging entrance to her mouth. Parting her lips, she let him in and all her cares flew out her mind as she let him stroke her into submission. She could feel his large hand gripping the side of her waist until it slid up a little higher and his thumb gently grazed underneath her breast through the cotton of her dress.
Because some narrative conventions must be obeyed, there was a knock at the door and they broke apart instantly. Maria hastily stood up and smoothed down her dress as Max breezed in, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.
"Good morning," he said, sauntering over to them.
"Good morning," she replied, hoping that he hadn't seen them but certain that her flushed face was giving her away.
Georg was still sitting, his back to Max, and she saw the irritated scowl on his face before he schooled his expression and stood up.
"I wouldn't have expected you up until at least afternoon, Max," Georg said, turning to face the impresario.
Max just gave a shrug as Maria said, "Well, I best go see to the children. Excuse me."
She hurried out of the room, leaving the two men behind her.
Max continued to stare knowingly at Georg as Maria left the room.
"Well?" Max asked.
Georg raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, what, Max?"
"I can't help but think I interrupted something just now. The little nun looked very flustered," Max said, not bothering to conceal his amusement.
Deciding to get straight to the point, Georg said, "I asked her to marry me."
Max stared at him, the amusement totally absent. "What?"
"I asked Maria to marry me and she has said yes."
"Are you serious?"
Georg felt the anger flare up and he glared at Max, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"She's the governess," Max said, "I mean, she's a lovely girl. But well, that's it. She's a girl. I could tell there was something going on but I thought you just wanted to bed her."
Georg immediately saw red but settled for clenching his fists as he tried to restrain his growing anger.
"So, you have no problem with me stealing her virtue when you believed her to be becoming a nun but are against me marrying her?" Georg said, his tone deadly.
"Look, Georg," Max said in a placating voice, "I have no use for morals, so I will not force them on others, but marriage is a big deal. And like I said last night, people are going to talk. Naval heroes do not usually go and marry common mountain girls."
"Maria is not common, Max," he hissed.
He had expected Max to be more understanding, he really had. Georg had not expected this kind of reaction. And while he didn't care what other people thought, he had expected his friend to be somewhat understanding.
"I was going to ask if you would accept the role of main chaperone until my sister can get here," Georg said. "If you do not wish to do so, then you may go to your room and pack your things. I can have Franz take you to the station."
Max just stared at him disbelieving for a moment before he finally spoke.
"Georg," Max said carefully, "I am just surprised. Maria is a wonderful person and I can tell she cares for you - and the children, a great deal. I have nothing against her but other people will. I just want you to be sure."
"Why, Max, don't tell me you care?" said Georg acidly. "Or are you still plotting on how to get my children, and her for that matter, into the festival?"
Max said nothing but just raised his eyebrows and made a non-committal noise.
"Whatever, Max," Georg said exasperatedly, waving a hand, "I don't care for your reasons, just make sure you do your job. I want to make it clear that you are to stick to Maria like your life depends on it – or at least like your next meal does, because it will. I will not have any more salacious rumours started. I am sure there is plenty already."
"Of course, Georg," Max said, "Will you still want me to be stay when Hede arrives?"
"Yes," Georg replied, "The more people I have here the better. Especially more reputable people." And he gave Max a pointed look at that. "Can you see if your cousin would be able to stay as well? Does she still live in Vienna?"
Max frowned. "Henrietta? Yes, she does. I can ask her but I can't guarantee she will come."
"Just try, please, Max," Georg said.
Nodding, Max turned and made his way out but paused at the door, his hand on the handle.
"Like my life depends on it?" he asked.
"Yes."
Maria was lying on the grass outside by the lake with Gretl and Brigitta next to her as they pointed out shapes in the clouds above. She hadn't said a word about her engagement to the children; she wanted them to announce it together. And while she had wanted to talk to the Reverend Mother first, it was hard being with the children and keeping a secret from them. And she couldn't deny she was incredibly nervous about it.
While she knew the children cared for her greatly, she also knew that being a governess was one thing and a mother was a completely different thing.
"Friedrich, don't push me!" she heard Louisa say.
"I didn't push you, you got in the way so I guided you back to your own side," Friedrich replied.
"That's fancy talk for pushing me."
Maria sat up and looked over to the pair, who had their shoes and socks off as their feet dangled in the lakes edge while they each gently placed a small boat on the water. Liesl was watching them as she braided daisies into Marta's hair and Kurt was fixing the sails of his own boat as he watched the two squabble.
"Friedrich, Louisa, behave," Maria said. "Your father will get boiling mad at me if you fall in. Again."
"Yes, Fraulein Maria," they both chorused.
Kurt counted down from three and then Friedrich and Louisa pushed their boats out on the water. They were trying to race them across the lake and each boat had a long thread of fishing string attached so they could reel them in again. The gentle breeze blew the little boats along and Maria lay back down.
"That one looks like a rabbit," said Gretl.
"You think they all look like rabbits," replied Brigitta.
"They're all so fluffy," said Gretl. "So, they must be rabbits."
Maria watched the clouds, which were quite fluffy, drift on by. The wind was gently blowing the crisp scent of the changing season over the lake and she closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the cool summer air. It would be autumn soon and everything would change. In more ways than one.
"Sleeping on the job, eh, Fraulein?" came an amused baritone above her.
Maria's eyes snapped open and she saw Georg standing over her.
"What? No, I was just-"
"I can't have a governess sleeping on the job," he said seriously. "I am afraid I am going to have to let you go."
Maria's face was a picture of utter confusion and she sat up to look at him properly. The children by the lake had walked over at the appearance of their father and were watching the exchange with slight panic in their eyes.
"But I am-" she started again but he cut her off.
"No, I won't hear any excuses," he said and he tapped his finger against his chin in mock thought. "I mean children, you cannot expect me to let this woman be your governess?"
Gretl immediately sat up and clutched at Maria, her little face frowning up at her father.
"You can't let her go, Papa, we love her."
"Oh, but she fell asleep Gretl, I can't have a lousy governess."
Maria went to open her mouth again to protest and then she realised what he was doing. That devious man. She smiled but hastily tried to wipe it away.
"Please, Papa!" Brigitta said as he crouched down next to them.
"Hmm, well maybe she could stay," Georg said. "But not as your governess."
All the children looked at him and Maria tried her best to still the butterflies that seemed to have suddenly taken up residence in the pit of her stomach.
"She could stay forever," Georg said.
"Forever?" Liesl repeated.
"Yes, forever," he said, "If she married me, she could stay here forever."
Maria held her breath, terrified to look any of the children in the eye.
"You have to ask her then," she heard Brigitta say simply.
"All right," Georg said, and turned to face Maria, "Will-"
"No!" Liesl interrupted and Maria felt her heart stop. "You can't do it like that, Father! She has to stand up and you have to ask her."
Maria felt her heart speed up again and she stood up while he remained crouched at her feet.
"Maria," he said, grasping her hand in his, "will you stay with us, forever?"
"Yes," she said, "Forever."
A/N The conversation between Georg and Max was inspired thanks to a little chat I had with lemacd, so thank you! Also that risqué version will probably just be posted as a seperate story. Not sure when I will post it, but I shall for those interested. If you want something risqué now you can read my latest story, Let's Misbehave - though it is M so not for anyone underage.
"The Golden Book for Housewives" is from the real Maria's book, Georg does give it to her but not in the same context.
