A/N: I am SO sorry that this has taken so long to go up but I have had little motivation for this story for a while now. I promise you that I am going to try my hardest to get the next chapter up as soon as possible though! Happy reading, guys! s
It was a short time later when she was perched on the edge of the settee in her husband's study, thousands of negative thoughts rushing through her mind as her tear-filled gaze was fixed on the patterned carpet and she held a hot water bottle against her lower abdomen with the hope that the heat would lessen the discomfort that she was experiencing. She wasn't sure of what it was that was going on; was unsure as to whether or not she was miscarrying for a second time, but there was one thing that she was certain of. She just couldn't lose another one of her babies.
Especially not this time.
It had been hard enough for her to lose her first child when she had still been Paris with Georg; had been hard enough to wake up in the middle of the night and see the blood on her nightgown and the bed-sheets before her husband had held her in his arms as she had sobbed though each cramp, but she knew that it would be so much more painful to lose her baby this time. She knew how it felt to have it kick from within her now; she had spent the last few days talking to it and telling it just how much it meant to her, and she knew that it would kill her if she were to lose it.
Her heart fluttered ever-so-slightly when she felt a small kick from her unborn child, a tearful smile spreading across her features as she gazed down at the small swell of her stomach before placing her hand upon it. It was as though her child was trying to reassure her that it was still hanging on; that it was still fighting, and it gave her the slightest bit of hope that all was going to be alright. 'Yes, I can bring her in now.' She heard her husband say from where he was stood on the other side of the study as he was on the telephone. 'You've been very helpful, thank you.'
She watched as Georg made his way over to her after returning the earpiece of the telephone to its holder, swallowing nervously when he sat down beside her on the settee before taking hold of one of her hands. 'Doctor Pichler said that if I can get you to the hospital within an hour then he can check you over and do an examination to find out if you…' He kept his voice soft and low.
'If I'm going to lose the baby.' She finished for him before casting her gaze down into her lap as a single tear danced over the curve of her cheek. 'He said this would happen.' She said absently.
'Who said what would happen, darling?' He asked as he stroked the back of her hand.
'On the night that Herr Zeller attacked me,' She spoke through the tears that were now running down her cheeks, 'He told me that if I told anyone about what he had done to me then he would make my life miserable and that he would make me regret it. I didn't listen to him, did I? I didn't keep it hidden; I told the Reverend Mother everything - except his name - and then she told you! I can't help but feel as though Zeller pushing me into your desk on the night of the party is what has caused me to have this bleed and if it is that means that it's my fault. If I had just kept silent then -' Georg silenced her by pressing his index finger against her lips and shushing her gently.
'Then I dread to think where you would be at this point.' He whispered when she met his gaze. 'It was so hard for me to see you so terrified and depressed in the weeks after your attack, Maria, and I know that if the Reverend Mother hadn't had told me about what you had been through; if you hadn't had let me in when I found you in the gazebo, then you would have gotten so much worse.' She gave a slow nod as her cheeks became stained with tears, Georg sighing as he lifted his hands to her face and cupped it affectionately. 'You did nothing wrong by telling me and the Reverend Mother about what Zeller did to you, sweetheart, and not one part of what is going on now is your fault. Your fall could be what has caused this, but you are not to blame in any way.'
A slight smile spread across her features before he leaned forward to brush her lips with his in a soft kiss. 'What if I lose it?' She whispered when the two of them parted just seconds later, her eyes glistening with both worry and heartbreak at the thought of having another miscarriage.
'Then we'll get through it together, just like we always have.' He reassured her as he swept the tears off of her cheeks with his fingers. 'But I want you to rid your mind of that thought, Maria, because stressing about this is not going to do you or our baby the slightest bit of good. Until we know for certain that the worst outcome is imminent we need to stay positive, darling.' He gave her hair a soothing stroke with the palm of her hand, a tearful sigh escaping her as she nodded. 'Come on.' He stroked her cheek before taking her hand in his own again. 'We need to get going.'
She then allowed him to help her up from the settee before he laced their fingers together and led her out of his study, a deep sigh falling from her lips as the two of them walked through the foyer and ascended the small set of stairs. Georg removed her coat from the coat-stand after he had released her hand, Maria slipping her arms into it before she drew it closed around herself and stepped out of the villa once her husband had opened the front door. Thankfully, the two of them didn't have to wait for Franz to bring the car around since it was already out on the drive, and so Georg opened the passenger side door before aiding his wife in climbing into the vehicle.
Once he had closed the door he made his way around to the driver's side of the motor car before opening the door and climbing into the vehicle himself, sensing Maria's nervousness as he shut the door behind him. 'I love you.' He told her when he started the car and slid his hand into hers.
'I love you too.' She whispered as she turned her head in his direction and smoothed her thumb over the warm skin at the back of his palm, her free hand drawing slow circles into the proof of their unborn child. Georg then gave her hand a tender squeeze before pushing down the pedal with his foot and beginning to drive them both through the open gates and away from the villa.
He hoped that they would make it to the hospital in time.
'How are you feeling, my love?' He raised his brow at his wife later that same evening as he ran the tips of his fingers through her short strands of strawberry-blonde hair, Maria offering him a tired yet perfect smile as she was leaning against the feather-filled pillow of her hospital bed.
'Tired and sore.' She admitted as she gazed up at him. 'But happier than I can put into words.'
Maria had been seen to as soon as the two of them had walked through the door to the hospital and doctor Pichler - once he had examined her - had told she and Georg that she suffered from a condition called cervical incompetence. He had explained to them both that as their baby got heavier the womb became weaker and less able to support it, which meant that if Georg hadn't had brought her in when he did then she would have ended up losing the baby. When the doctor had told Maria about the procedure that he could carry out - cervical cerclage - she had given him her full permission to do it. She would have done anything to avoid losing her second baby.
The doctor had allowed Georg to stay by her side throughout the entire procedure after quite a lot of persuading, and it had been far less painful than she had imagined it would be. Once the procedure had been done, doctor Pichler had told both she and her husband that he thought it would be in her best interest if she spent the night in hospital and returned home the following morning so that she could rest. Initially, Maria had attempted to refuse because she knew that Gretl and Marta hated it when she wasn't there when they woke, but when Georg had admitted that the doctor had had a point, she had relented and had finally agreed to stay where she was.
'Did you manage to get through to Max?' She asked as Georg ran the back of his palm down her cheek in a comforting fashion, her eyes half-lidded as she could feel slumber trying to take her.
'I did.' He nodded. 'He said that if we haven't returned by the time the children wake tomorrow then he'll make something up so not to worry them. He says he's got everything under control, not that I believe him much.' Maria giggled in response before reaching for his hand. 'You have made me so proud tonight.' He told her when she slid her fingers through the gaps in his and he stroked her hair with the palm of his hand. 'You've been so brave and so strong, and I can't put into words how honoured I feel to be able to call you mine. You mean the world to me and more.'
Maria pressed several soft and slow kisses onto the back of his hand before releasing a content sigh. 'Why don't you close your eyes and get some sleep, hmm?' He suggested when he drew the soft blanket further over her. 'You deserve it after the stressful night you've had.' He felt a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth when she patted the space behind her on the bed with her hand. 'The two of us aren't going to be able to get a proper night's sleep on such a small bed.'
'We managed quite well on the settee in your study during our engagement.' She reminded him as her eyes had now fallen closed, a quiet chuckle escaping him as he thought back to all of the times when the two of them had snuck down to his study after the chaperones had gone to bed and he had locked the door so that the two of them could spend the night in one another's arms.
'Valid point.' He nodded before nuzzling a kiss onto her forehead and revelling in the smile that formed on her lips before he slipped his hand out of hers, his heart swelling with love for her as he walked around to the other side of the bed before he climbed onto it and lay himself down at her back. She turned over before he had the chance to wrap his arms around her, however, his heart sinking as he could see that the stitch that doctor Pichler had inserted was causing her a significant amount of pain. 'Come here, darling.' He whispered before pulling her into his arms.
She lay her head down on his shoulder once she had settled into his embrace, feeling him run a strong hand up and down her back through the thin fabric of the nightgown that she had been given to wear. 'I wouldn't have stayed here tonight if you hadn't been allowed to stay with me.' She admitted as she placed her hand on his chest and burrowed her face into his neck. 'It's just that I feel so...vulnerable...when you're not next to me. Even though I know I would be safe here, I just can't stand the thought of being on my own when there are men around. Not yet anyway.'
'I know, sweetheart.' He kissed her head a number of times. 'And that doesn't surprise me in the least. You've been hurt by men so many times, Maria, and so it's understandable that you don't want to be alone with them.' She tilted her head back on his shoulder before stroking his cheek.
'You're the only man I've ever met who I've trusted with all my being.' She smiled while gazing into his eyes. 'In all the time we've known each other, I've never been afraid of you. Even when we couldn't stand each other, I knew that you wouldn't hurt me. I've never felt anything other than safe with you.' She felt her heart race at the smile that Georg blessed her with. 'I love you so much...more than I could ever hope to explain.' She told him as she grasped his shirt warmly.
'I love you too, my precious Baroness.' He reassured her as he stroked her fringe out of her eyes. He cupped the curve of her cheek in his palm then before capturing her lower lip in a long kiss, Maria stroking his jawline with the tips of her fingers as their lips caressed one another's with ease. The two of them parted with a soft smack after a time, Georg falling further in love with her as he could feel her ragged breath beating against his face. 'You make me so happy, Maria.'
'You do the same for me.' She breathed as she snuggled further into his embrace.
He placed a simple kiss on her brow-bone then before settling back against the soft pillow and tightening his hold of her. 'Get some rest now.' He instructed as he pulled the covers up over her again, his free hand finding the small swell of her stomach beneath it as she sighed into the dip between his neck and shoulder. 'I'm going to stay right next to you all night long, I promise you.'
'Thank you, darling.' She murmured as slumber began to claim her.
It was just minutes later when quiet snores began to escape her and Georg began to run the tips of his fingers up and down the smooth skin of her forearm, his nose buried in her hair while he held her and she slept without a care in the world.
Despite the overwhelming love that he felt for the perfect woman in his arms, however, he felt an overwhelming hatred for the poor excuse for a man who had managed to make her believe that she was the one to blame for almost losing their baby. Even though it had been quite some time since Zeller had attacked her in the streets, he was still hurting her without even touching her. He still plagued her dreams some nights which resulted in her waking herself up with her screams; he still got into her head and made her believe things about herself that weren't true.
Little did Zeller know, however, that soon enough Georg would avenge his wife.
He wasn't sure when he was going to do it; he wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he knew that when the time was right he was going to put the coward in his place once and for all.
A/N: I know that this was short and that it took ages to go up but I promise you that the next chapter will be longer and that this was just a filler one! I hope you all enjoyed nevertheless and please review! Thank you! x