AN: Ehh, hopefully this is okay. I figured we needed a little bit of an insight into Max and Elsa's thoughts.

Only after she had reached her room did Elsa finally allow herself to cry. For the first time in years, she had let her emotions get the best of her. How degrading, she thought.

She could practically feel Georg slipping through her fingers, and she was completely powerless to do anything about it. She was saddened when he hadn't said anything about the dress she had spent weeks deciding upon. She was devastated when she had found him dancing with the governess instead of with her. And, she had been utterly heartbroken when she found him with said governess again, alone, on the terrace, clearly engaged in an intense conversation.

She felt the tears begin to fall again. No, Elsa, she told herself, you are stronger than this. She moved to her ensuite and splashed her face with water as she willed the tears to stop. You can still fix things. All you have to do is rid the house of that little postulant before it's too late. Now, she dried her face, just how do I do that?

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Max knew something had happened at the party, and he wasn't happy being left in the dark. He saw the glares the Baroness threw at Georg when she thought no one was looking. He caught the look of guilt the Captain wore whenever Elsa entered the room. He noticed Maria's uneasiness that morning when she had finally woken up. Something was going on and Max was going to make someone tell him what it was. He'd start with Elsa.

He'd found her in her room, touching up her makeup for what must've been the tenth time that day.

"Elsa?" Although the door was open, Max gave a polite knock anyway.

"Oh, hello Max, darling." she drawled, applying an extremely thick layer of mascara.

Max stepped into the room and lightly closed the door behind him.

"I have to ask you something."

"Ask away, dear." Elsa sounded unnaturally gleeful.

"Did something happen?" Max watched as her face fell and she turned towards him.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." She gave small smile.

"At the party, Elsa. Did something happen?"

"Of course not. Now whatever makes you say that?" She smiled again, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Max knew Elsa well, and -although she tried to hide it- he now knew that something had happened that had upset her terribly. He didn't feel right about quizzing her on the subject anymore.

"Oh, nothing." He waved his hand. "I suppose I've just been overthinking things."

She gave him a questioning look but said nothing, seemingly glad the conversation was over.

"Alright then. Anything else?" She glanced around the room, deliberately avoiding his eyes.

"Uh, no. That's all. Sorry to bother you."

There was only one thing that could upset Elsa like that, or rather, one person.

What has Georg done now?

He was wandering the house in search of his oldest friend when he ran into a whistling Maria.

"Hello!" She exclaimed, breathlessly. She was leaving the kitchen carrying a large basket.

Max noted the gleam in her eyes.

"You seem happy, Fraulein." He grinned. Her smile was contagious.

"Do I?" She blushed. "I was just going to take the children on a picnic, would you like to come?"

"No, thank you, but I'll have to take you up on that offer some other time."

"Of course."

Just as she was about to leave, Max had a thought. Perhaps I should ask her what has happened.

"Actually, Fraulein, do you have a moment?"

She slowly turned, "Something you needed?"

"Just a quick question."

"Yes?" Her eyebrows rose.

"Something happened the night of the party, didn't it?"

Her eyes widened.

Max snickered to himself. Not as good at concealing her emotions as Elsa.

"W-What? Of course not." She breathed.

"Are you sure?" He insisted, knowing she was close to breaking.

"No-I mean yes! I thought you said...No, nothing happened." Maria rattled on.

She had visibly paled, which was a great contrast to the usual blush that adorned her cheeks. Suddenly, he felt guilty. She had become a friend of his during her time at the villa, and he realized he shouldn't be treating her this way.

"Oh, of course. You know how much I love my gossip." He winked at her.

"Now," he continued "I believe there are seven children patiently waiting for their governess to take them out on a picnic." Max gestured in the direction of the door.

Maria relaxed. "You're right, goodbye, Herr Detweiler."

"Max."

"Oh, uh, goodbye, Max." She replied, the blush returning to her face.

Maria scurried off in the direction of the children.

Lord help us. Georg, what on earth did you do?

Shaking his head, Max resumed his search for the Captain.

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Georg had been trying to avoid both Elsa and Maria as much as he could since the party. With Elsa it was easy. He just had to hide away in his study for the whole day. With Maria, it was much harder. Not only because he seemed to bump into her almost everywhere he went, but also because he didn't want to stay away. He could hardly believe he had come so close to revealing his true feelings towards her. He groaned just thinking about it. Get a hold of yourself.

A part of him wished he would've been able to tell her. At least then he wouldn't be bottling up so many emotions. And, of course, there was the possibility that…

A loud knock at the door startled him out of his reverie.

"Come in."

Georg rolled his eyes at the sight of Max striding into his study.

Ran out of whiskey, no doubt.

Max closed the door behind him and gave the Captain a stern look.

"Georg, what have you done?"

Immediately, the color drained from Georg's face.

What haven't I done?

Running a hand through his hair, the Captain tried to calm himself. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I'm done playing games, Georg. What is going on?" Max's tone grew darker.

"Max! How am I supposed to answer you when I don't even know what you're asking!?" Georg lashed out.

"You know very well what I'm talking about. Elsa's moping around upstairs, she won't tell me what's wrong even though she's very clearly upset, and Maria-"

"What's wrong with her?" Georg demanded, suddenly full of worry.

"That's exactly what I mean! If I didn't know any better I'd think…" Max's eyes widened.

"Oh Georg, you're not-surely you haven't-"

The Captain realized what he was implying. "No! No! What kind of man do you take me for?" His brow furrowed.

"Oh, thank God. I would've never believed you would do such a thing but she seemed so troubled when I questioned her-"

"What did you say to her?" Georg's anger had returned.

Max's eyebrows rose at the Captain's sudden outburst. "I simply asked her if something had happened at the party."

Once again, Georg's brow furrowed. "And? What did she say?"

"What do you think she said?" Max sat down in the chair across from Georg's.

"Max! Just tell me what she said," the Captain's voice softened, "please."

When he heard his friend's desperate tone, Max grew concerned. "Nothing...she said nothing happened."

Georg leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes tightly.

"Do you…" Max stalled, wondering if he should even ask his next question. "Do you...have-uh-feelings...for Maria? Georg?"

Georg didn't open his eyes, but he gave a small nod.

"And… it isn't just some...infatuation?"

"No." the Captain's voice was heavy with longing.

Standing, Max gave a sad chuckle, "I don't know how you managed to get yourself into this mess."

Georg responded with a shake of the head.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Max."

"Georg, if you're going to be unhappy with Elsa you need to end things now. You can't keep stringing her along."

"I know. But Maria's going to be a nun. There's no way that she…" He trailed off, hanging his head.

"Have you spoken to her about it?"

"About leaving the abbey? Yes. But not about how I feel. I mean, I tried to, at the party-"

"Aha! So that's why everyone is acting so strangely."

"But I didn't tell her! In fact, I probably scared her half to death when I…" He stopped, not wanting to relive the moment.

"When you what?"

"When I practically knocked a man unconscious because I didn't like the way he touched her!" Georg blurted out.

"You did what?" Max's eyes were wide in disbelief.

Knock, knock, knock.

The two men jumped.

"Come in."

Elsa swung the door open.

Georg prayed that she hadn't heard the conversation they'd been having prior to her entry.

The Baroness felt uncomfortable when she noticed how closely the men were staring at her.

"Uh, lemonade anyone?"