Maria walked over to the last spot where she'd left her fiance, looking around for him. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a touch from behind.

"Oh!" she turned, then folded herself into Georg's arms when she realized it was he who'd surprised her.

"Darling, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. . . what's wrong?" He knew right away looking at her, skin pale and eyes wide, that something had happened.

"Can we leave, please?" Maria avoided his eyes, and that confirmed his suspicions.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong. Did you see Hede? I sent her to find you," he spoke in a quiet, deliberate voice, both in an effort to control his own racing thoughts, and to calm his fiancee.

Maria took a deep breath, able to relax a bit now that she felt safe with Georg. "Yes, she did. She said she'd be right out, after…"

"There you are, Maria. I see you've found him. Georg, why don't you take the keys to my house, and you and Maria can go relax, while I finish up the evening here. Max can join you, if you feel the need. Otherwise, I'll keep him here with me and we'll join you in a couple of hours."

Georg looked at Hede with a critical eye, as she herself looked at Maria.

"All right, you two, what's happened?"

Hede put him off again. "Go on, it's just around the corner, three doors down. Number 17. If you go out the back, you'll already be halfway there." She gave her brother a knowing look. Trust me, she mouthed.

He guided Maria through several rooms before finding the keys where his sister told him they'd be, then the couple walked toward the rear door. Hede followed them, looking around for Max. She then had a change of heart, and pulled Georg aside, just out of Maria's earshot.

"I'll keep Max here. She needs to be alone with you," she whispered.

Georg gave her a worried look. "What….?"

"She'll tell you. But you don't need him around for that. Now go," she urged, and practically pushed him out the door.

XxXxXxXx

It took just a few minutes for Georg and Maria to reach the door to Hede's quaint little cottage on the road behind the gallery. He quickly unlocked the door, then felt around for a light. Flipping the switch, the entry filled with light, and Georg closed and locked the door behind them before leading Maria into what was a small sitting room.

She'd been silent since acknowledging she'd seen Hede, and now Georg was filled with worry. He led her to a small, overstuffed green velvet settee, with just enough room for the two of them.

"Maria, darling, please tell me what's happened. Are you ill? Are you hurt?"

"No, I….oh, Georg!" She again collapsed into his arms, and began to cry.

"Shhhh, shhhhh. It's okay, I'm here," Georg soothed. There was little for him to do other than hold her, which he did gladly, and wait for her to stop crying.

After a few, long moments during which Georg's mind went wild with ideas about what could have upset her so, Maria's tears stopped falling, and her ragged breathing began to even out. Georg kissed the top of her head, as she rested it upon his shoulder. He began whispering to her.

"Maria, please, tell me what's upset you so. You know I'll do anything, whatever I can, to help."

She sighed, her breathing still shaky. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Georg. I've ruined our evening. It's just….I should never have listened to her."

"Her?" Georg's heart sank. He now had an idea, and it was one he didn't very much like.

"The Baroness. She was there tonight. I bumped into her in the ladies' lounge, and….and…." Maria paused, to gather her thoughts. A tiny flicker of anger lit inside her, and she continued. "She insinuated that the only reason you're marrying me is because she thinks I'm…" she closed her eyes and sighed again before continuing, "I'm going to have a baby."

"Damn her!" Immediately upon uttering the words Georg regretted them, as his outburst just seemed to upset Maria more. Her eyes filled with tears again, and he quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, darling," he said, as he wrapped his arms around her again.

"You have nothing to apologize for. It is I that should apologize," Maria began, before he interrupted her.

"NO. You have done nothing wrong. There is no reason for you, for us, to give a moment's thought to what she says."

"I am nothing but an albatross around your neck! No one will ever see me as anything but a gold-digger, or whore who trapped you into marrying me."

He cupped Maria's chin, and turned her face to his. Looking deeply into her eyes, he promised, "But we know the truth." He kissed her forehead. "Maria, I love you. Nothing we feel for one another is wrong, nothing we have done together is wrong. And absolutely nothing and no one else matters."

Georg lowered his lips to meet hers, and all the tumult Maria had experienced in the past hour was expressed as passion for her fiance. She responded fervently, desperately, with a hunger for him that she hadn't revealed before. Her tongue pressed for entry between his lips, and he granted her wish, indulging his own craving in the sweetness of her mouth.

Time disappeared as each took comfort in the other, Maria running her hands through Georg's hair, his fingers sweeping gently across the skin of her back and chest exposed by her gown. They settled into a gentle rhythm, kissing, caressing, murmuring words of love to one another. The intensity of their kisses slowed, but not the feeling behind them.

"I'm sorry that we had to leave, Georg," Maria whispered. She nuzzled her head into the space between his shoulder and chin. He kissed the top of her head in response.

"I don't think we need to worry about that, darling. Hede was the one that suggested we go, so I assume she knows why?" He hugged Maria closer in to his side, and she smiled.

"Yes. She's been very kind to me, darling. The children must adore her."

Georg sighed deeply. "Yes, they always have. And I nearly ruined that relationship, as well. I was so blind for so long…" He was silenced by Maria's lips on his own.

"And that's in the past."

They both looked up upon hearing a knock on the door, puzzled as to who would be knocking at such an hour.

"Georg? Maria? It's me-you took my key, let me in!"

The couple looked at each other and laughed merrily, glad to release the tension from earlier. Georg walked over to unlock the door. Hede burst in, with Max close on her heels.

"So, is everything all right? How is Maria?" Hede walked straight to her future sister-in-law, and took Maria's hands. "Are you all right now, dear? That must have been a most unpleasant surprise."

Maria offered a small smile. "Yes, I'm much better now. It was indeed unpleasant, and I hope to never see her again."

"I hope that's true. I don't think she'd dare to try anything else, after I kicked her out," Hede remarked.

Georg and Maria looked at her in surprise.

"What? I have no intention of dealing with that sort of nonsense," she continued, then looked straight at her brother. "I don't know what you ever saw in her, Georg, and I'm glad you've come to your senses and found this lovely young woman."

At that moment Max cleared his throat. "Well, that's enough of that. How about we toast the happy couple with a nightcap, before we head back to the hotel?"

Hede nodded her assent, and went to the kitchen to get glasses, as Max followed her looking for a bottle with which to perform the toast.

"Max," she said, as she handed him a bottle of brandy. "Could you take this, please?" She collected the glasses, and directed him back to the sitting room.

After the drinks were poured, Max held his up, and directed his words toward Georg and Maria.

"Love conquers all."