CHAPTER 29: The reunion of a family
Georg steered the car expertly through the large iron gates and down the driveway. Maria sighed, as the familiar sight of the Villa came into view. She wasn't sighing in despondency at returning home, as she had been anxious to see the children the whole four weeks they had been away, rather she was sighing in contentment at knowing she was finally returning to her home, her family, her forever.
Georg glanced sideways when he heard the sigh escape her mouth, and couldn't help but smile at the look of peace that seemed to have come over her as soon as they had turned onto their street. He reached out and gently took her hand in his, turning his eyes back to focus on driving but keeping the broad smile across his face for Maria to see that he shared in her joy.
They pulled around the back of the Villa towards the garage, the doors already having been opened by Franz expectant of their return. Georg eased the car slowly into its usual spot and turned off the engine. He turned towards Maria and just looked at her. Both of them smiled lovingly at one another for a few minutes, until they simultaneously burst out laughing, at what, neither would ever be able to say.
When their laughter finally died down, Georg took Maria's hand in his once again, saying "Well, home again my darling."
She lifted her free hand and stroked her fingers down his cheek, smiling up at him.
"Home…" she whispered, suddenly overwhelmed by what that word now meant for her, and all the promise that it held. "It's good to finally be here" she said, meaning more than just returning to the Villa.
"Shall we go in and face what I'm sure will be seven very ecstatic children and one very exhausted 'Uncle'?" he asked with a chuckle, as he imagined just how his old friend truly had coped caring for his children.
Maria held his arm to stop him from getting out of the car just yet. He looked at her with a questioning look, and then he saw the change in her mood and became slightly concerned.
"Darling what is it?" he asked with a frown.
Maria broke eye contact with him and looked down into her lap, unsure of how to voice her sudden worry. A blush began to creep across her cheeks as she thought deeper on her concern, realising that she probably shouldn't be thinking of such things in the first place. She shyly peeked up at him, wondering if she should say what was on her mind. But when she saw the look of acceptance and love on his face she knew she needn't worry about ever speaking her mind with him.
"I was just thinking about how much I enjoyed our honey moon and all the good times we had, everything that we saw and all the…" she broke off at her last words, looking down again.
Georg ducked his head to try and look her in the eyes, but she just turned away even more. So he placed a gentle finger under her chin, suddenly understanding where her concerns lay, and turned her head to face him once again.
"And all the what, Maria?" he whispered.
She blushed even more at the mischievous look in Georg's eye and the seductive tone of his voice, but she knew that he would not let her go until she told him what she had started to.
"And all the…uhm..all the ahh…all the private time we spent together" she stopped to take in a steadying breath before continuing. "I was just wondering, now that we have returned, how is it possible…I mean how will we ever…?" She couldn't continue.
"How will we ever have time to be together with a houseful of noisy children and countless staff and guests, do you mean?" Georg took pity on her and finished what he knew she was trying to ask.
She nodded and tried to hide her blushing cheeks with her hands, but he stopped her by taking both her hands in his.
"Simple my darling" he said, placing a kiss on her cheek "we will just have to practice" a kiss on her forehead "every night" a kiss on the tip of her nose "and every morning, until we get it just right" he said with a smirk on his face. He lingered just above her lips, hearing her breathing escalate slightly, knowing that the same feelings were being ignited inside her that were inside of him.
She closed her eyes at the sensation of his breath against her face and the feelings that his words provoked. She couldn't stand the closeness of him and not have the touch of his lips against hers.
"Please…" she whispered on her exhaled breath.
Georg chuckled almost wickedly, knowing what he was doing to her state of mind, before crushing his lips against hers and snaking his arms around her waist.
Maria tried to push into his embrace even further at the same time that Georg was trying to pull her flush against him, both realising in that moment where they still were, when they were impeded in their attempts at complete closeness by the cars gear shifter. They broke away from their passionate kissing and looked down at the obstructive object and began to laugh loudly at their situation once again.
"I think my darling…" Georg said, while trying to hold back his amusement and laughter "that is a sign that we should wait to 'practice' such things later tonight…when we have no obligations or the possibility of interruption" he winked at her, reminding Maria that they still had the children and Max waiting for their return inside.
Maria nodded in agreement, unable to speak, as she was still suffering under the effects of his sensuous spell.
"Stay right there. I'll get your door" he said as he placed another kiss on her cheek and then released her hands. He opened his own door, stepped out, and then walked around to Maria's side of the car, all the while keeping eye contact with her, wanting to prolong their playful moment. He opened her door and held out his hand for her as he usually did.
"Shall we go see our family?" he asked her with a loving smile on his face.
"Lead the way Captain" she answered, with a rising excitement in her heart at the thought of seeing the children…her children…their children!
Walking through the front doors of the Villa for the first time in over a month, it was almost overwhelming for Maria. Although everything was still exactly as it had been since she had stepped through the very same doors all those months ago on that first day as Governess, it somehow all felt so different to her now. 'But a good different. An exciting different. A loving different.' She drew in a refreshing, cleansing, hopeful breath.
Maria was so caught up in her own thoughts that she failed to notice Georg coming up close behind her after having retrieved their essential baggage from the car, leaving the rest for Franz to collect after greetings. Georg sat the bags at the foot of the stairs and came to stand behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her gently behind the ear. He could feel the change in the household as well, and joined in her look of contentment and happiness.
"Welcome home Baroness" he whispered.
"I would like it to be known right now, that from this moment on, you will only ever refer to me as Baroness when we are in the presence of guests. Am I understood, Captain?" She said firmly, but not with anger.
Georg turned his head closer to her ear and whispered "And when we are in private…?"
Feeling the tingle of his warm breath brush against her skin, Maria shivered slightly and then answered just as teasingly "Well I am sure I will be quite...shall we say...distracted to even care what you may call me in private, my dear. But I will not stand for this Baroness business" and with that she pulled from his embrace and walked down the stairs and across the main foyer, leaving him with a somewhat un-Captain-like look on his face.
He quickly recovered himself however, and jogged the distance she had already moved away from him, to catch up. As he naturally took her hand in his, he was about to ask her where exactly she was going when he heard the sounds of the children out on the back terrace, and so casually fell in step with her and followed her out the back doors of the Villa.
As they stepped out into the sunshine they stopped just outside the doors, both overwhelmed with happiness at the sight before them. The children were strewn about the backyard and terrace, all enjoying the sunshine and games they were involved in amongst one another.
A small tear streaked down Maria's cheek, which did not go unnoticed by her husband. He gently squeezed the hand he was still holding and, when she looked up at him at the increased touch, he smiled down at her lovingly. They were once again caught up in one another, until the simultaneous cries of seven young voices pulled them from their reverie.
"Mother!"
"Father!"
"Hooray, you're home!"
All seven children had turned at the first exclamation of recognition of their presence, and were now running full speed towards their parents, none of which were showing any signs of slowing down.
Georg could see what was going to happen before it did, and so logically stepped half behind Maria so as to take some of the force from the children as they ran into her arms, hoping to prevent her from being completely knocked over. To his surprise…and thankfulness…the children managed to keep themselves and their Mother upright as they collided into a joyful embrace, all of them vying to get their arms securely around her for a full hug. All Georg could see were endless arms flying everywhere and countless full turns made by Maria, moving from one child to the next and back again to hug and kiss each one in turn. He just stood there watching silently at the joy and happiness that was now synonymous with his family.
Maria looked up after a few minutes, to try and spot her husband over the crowd of heads and arms, only see him standing just a few paces away, with the biggest grin on his face that she had seen over the past month. Maria then looked back down at the similar grinning faces of the children and bent down to the closest child and whispered "Don't forget your Father" she winked.
Little Gretl emerged from the centre of the group and walked straight towards her Father and stood directly in front of him, craning her head backwards to look up at him. Neither he nor she said a word, rather Gretl held her arms above her head in her usual stubborn stance, indicating she wished to be lifted into his arms. As he scooped his youngest up into his eager arms, she flung her own around his neck and squeezed with all her might, clinging on for dear life. Georg returned her heartfelt hug and placed soft kisses in the curls that played around her temples.
"Hello my darling girl" he said just loud enough for her to hear.
Gretl pulled back slightly and placed her chubby little hands on either side of his face, resting her forehead against his, looking deeply and seriously (well as seriously as a five year old can look) into his eyes, before saying "I missed you Father" and then placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose.
Georg was so taken aback by her affection and love that he could not, DID not, dare to move. He just continued to stand there with her resting in his arms, starring into her eyes and hoping that he could make up for all the wrong he had done, with all the right he was going to do. It was only when Gretl started to squirm, wanting to be placed back on her feet, that he noticed the other six children standing around him, with Maria now slightly off to the side. He knew they were all waiting for their turn to embrace him also, and so he opened his arms, taking them in one at a time and hugging and kissing them, receiving and giving happy exclamations of joy and love at finally being home.
This went on for a few more minutes, until they were interrupted by the exasperated but playful sigh of Max, who had gone unnoticed in the corner of the terrace, until now.
"Well Georg, I do hope you intend on giving me the same display of affection in gratitude for minding your children while you were off gallivanting about Paris, soaking yourself in wine, enjoying the 'sights'…" he cocked his eyebrows up and down at this statement, and looked back and forth between him and Maria.
"Max!" Georg cut him off before he could go any further. He glanced towards Maria and could see the blush just beginning to tinge her cheeks, but unable to stop the smile that played about her lips. He too had trouble in containing his knowing grin at seeing this.
A few giggles were heard from the older children, who had obviously caught onto their Uncle's meaning. Georg knew that they were still quite naive in such subjects and was thankful that they did not and WOULD not ever fully know exactly what he and their Mother had gotten up to during their time in Paris.
"It is good to have you both home though Georg" Max said in all seriousness, Georg understood his unspoken meaning towards the increasing threat of the Nazi Party to their country.
Georg nodded in agreement and thanks, and looked towards his wife who had also picked up on his meaning and tried to hide the concern in her eyes. Georg shook his head slightly and then gave her a playful wink to try and quell her fears, indicating they would discuss such things in private. He didn't want to scare the children unnecessarily...'Not yet' he thought.
"So who would like to open their presents first?" Georg announced, to the excited exclamation of all seven children. "Surprises for you inside in the drawing room" he said, with the children running through the back doors before he was even finished his statement.
Maria moved back into his arms once they were both free of the grasp of children, and put her arms securely around his waist.
Georg leant his head into her hair and placed a kiss atop her head, before resting his chin in the same place, wrapping one arm around her shoulders while placing the other around the arm that held the front of his shirt.
Max stood from his seat at the patio table and moved towards them. "So…how was the trip?" he said with a little mischievousness in his voice, but with genuine curiosity.
"It was wonderful, thankyou Max. Very restful" Georg answered with a wink that Maria was unable to see.
Max chuckled silently and then turned his gaze towards Maria, asking without words for her take on their trip, knowing that she would be much more insightful than the single track mind of his friend.
"It was much more than I could ever have hoped for, thankyou Max. I am almost positive we walked the entirety of Paris, ate every dish that has ever been created in the city and drank more wine than I thought possible. And to have shared it all with a patient, caring and loving man, made it all the more spectacular" Maria looked up through her lashes at Georg as she said this last statement.
Georg blushed slightly, not yet used to such compliments in public…'but I suppose it does not count as being in public if it's in front of Max or the children'.
He heard Max chuckle aloud this time, and turned his attention back to his friend just as he said "Georg!...Patient!...Now that I cannot believe my dear Maria, no matter what you say."
Georg glared at him before seeing the humour and jest behind his smile. He just shook his head at his old friend, silently hoping that their friendship would never change. He extracted himself momentarily from Maria's embrace to shake Max's hand vigorously and pull him into a friendly embrace of back slapping and playful chest punching, all the while laughing at the shared humour that only they would ever truly understand.
"Good to have you back old friend" Max said sincerely. "I'm not sure how much longer I would have survived your children's boundless energy" he placed a hand on his chest above his heart, indicating the strain he had been under to keep up.
"Well you can thank Maria for their enthusiasm" Georg replied, while wrapping his arms around Maria once more.
"Yes well, as much as I enjoyed being 'fun Uncle Max' for a few weeks, I hand the reigns back over to you my dear" he said, and made a humorous bow to Maria and dipped his imaginary hat, before making his way into the house to finally rest.
Maria giggled at Max's dramatic exit and was grateful for his unspoken compliment of being able to 'handle' the children. She smiled up at Georg who had been watching her since Max had departed. He had a very peculiar look upon his face, which only Maria could decipher as love and adoration. She stood on her tip-toes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
Georg sighed and said "I love you, you know that don't you?"
"With all my heart and soul I know it, I feel it, and I return it in double my darling" she replied with all the honesty and true love she possessed for this man.
Georg leant down and placed a kiss upon her lips, returning the one she had given him, but with more passion, vigour, need and want than she was expecting. They only pulled apart when oxygen became necessary.
Maria was effectively rendered speechless and unable to move or feel her limbs, once again helpless under the power that he had over her.
Georg could see the effect he had on her and grinned a boyish grin of pure delight. He would never tire of being able to do this to her, nor of the effect she had on him in the same way. He could suddenly hear the children's voices, having forgotten momentarily of their presence inside. He knew they would come looking for them if they did not go in and join them.
Squeezing Maria's hand gently to recapture her attention and presence in the here and now, he said "I think we should go in before we have an audience join us back out here on the terrace my love."
Maria understood his meaning as the children's voices also broke through to her consciousness, to remind her of exactly where they were once again.
"We will have plenty of time for this later" he said, before leaning closer and whispering "I promise" sending another shiver of pleasure through her body.
Maria nodded, still unable to speak coherently yet.
"Let's go start our lives" he said to her, placing a kiss upon her temple once more, before placing her arm through his and taking the lead, head long into the rest of their lives.
To be continued…
