She dried her hair after her shower, looking at herself in the mirror. In all honesty, she was surprised she could look herself in the face at all, but there she was. She wanted to feel guilty, and immoral, and all the terrible things she presumably was, but she actually felt happy. It made absolutely no sense to her.

Her days were filled with teaching the children their lessons and playing games with them, and her nights were filled with the passion brought on by their father. It amazed her how easy it was to fall into a routine with him, not to mention how easy it was to fool everyone around them. It was almost as if they were made to live an adulterous lifestyle, as if they had received some kind of training. And she hated to admit, it was terribly exciting.

It had gone on for weeks, only taking a brief pause for her monthly cycle, which she thanked God endlessly that she received. She felt she wasn't as nervous as she should have been about the possibility of becoming pregnant, but in the days leading up to her cycle, she did find herself a bit more anxious than usual. An unplanned pregnancy would certainly ruin everything for all parties involved, innocent and otherwise.

After getting ready for the day, she walked to wake the children. Opening each of their doors and gently rousing them from sleep. She had no real plans for the day, but the thought of taking them out on the boat again had crossed her mind. She smiled at the memory of them toppling into the water.

By the time they all arrived downstairs for breakfast, the doors to the ballroom were wide open, and there were men assembling something quite large inside. Maria sent the children onward to breakfast while she stepped into the room to determine what was happening. A puppet show, she thought with a smile. She sincerely hoped it was for the children to play with, as she could hardly contain her own excitement. Never had she seen such a beautiful setup, or such lovely marionettes. She couldn't wait to get her hands on them!

"Late again, Fraulein?" The Captain's voice met her coldly as she entered the dining room for breakfast. She began filling her plate, giving him the annoyed look he was waiting for, before taking her seat and leading the family in prayer.

"What was it, Fraulein Maria?" Gretl's thin voice met her, and she smiled.

"It looks like a puppet show."

"Yes, it appears that Uncle Max couldn't control himself." The Captain elaborated for them.

"Self-control has never been my strength." Max agreed from his place at the table, causing the children to giggle with delight. She smiled and took a bite of her breakfast, meeting the Captain's eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she turned her fork over and slowly pulled it between her lips, teasing him just a bit. He turned away and straightened his tie, clearing his throat as she hid her smile.

"Are you alright, darling?" The Baroness spoke up, curious to the Captian's state.

"Quite fine." He looked back to Maria when eyes were off him and gave her a stern look, but she only gave a small smile.

And that was how their flirting seemed to work. It was more fun in front of others, the possibility of getting caught making it more thrilling, for reasons she still did not understand. He would make a joke or comment to tease her, she would eat in a suggestive way with her silverware or "drop" something so he could watch her pick it up. It was complete madness. She again had to wonder who this person was that she had become, almost overnight.

"Captain, did you still wish to speak with me before the children and I head outside?" She stopped by his chair on her way out of the dining room, the children rushing ahead of her to gather some of their outside toys. Her words sounded most professional, and no one thought anything of it at all. She couldn't believe how easy it was.

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind meeting me in my study in about ten minutes, Fraulein." He barely looked her way, and she nodded uninterestedly before making her way out of the room. Quite the show indeed.

The children were instructed to wait for her in the drawing room, also given permission to observe the puppets if they didn't touch anything, as she knocked on the door of his study. He requested her to come in, and she casually strolled through the door, locking it behind her for good measure.

"You needed to see me, Captain?" She blinked cutely as he looked up from his desk, shaking his head.

"You are becoming quite uncontrollable." He stood from his desk and walked toward her.

"Could you ever control me, I wonder?" He took her face in his hands and kissed her hard on the mouth, and she wrapped her arms around his middle in delight, grinding her hips against his. It had been days since they went to one another's beds, due to various circumstances. The Baroness begged him to stay up with her, Marta was incredibly clingy to Maria at bedtime; things simply hadn't worked out for a few days, and they were starving for one another.

"I've missed you." His whisper caressed her ears as she kissed down his neck.

"Tell me what you've missed about me." She continued kissing, loosening his tie a bit and moving to the front of his neck, her tongue giving him chills.

"The way you..." He was interrupted by a loud knock on the door, causing them to jump apart as if they had been burned. He began straightening his tie, and she smoothed her dress. He opened the door to reveal the object of their interruption. "Max, what is it?"

"I do apologize, but Elsa and the children are not exactly enjoying themselves." Maria moved forward at his words, passing the Captain, who led her through the door with a hand upon the small of her back. His finger tapped twice against her spine before he pulled away. Max watched the exchange in confusion, but shook his head at the thought as he followed.

Maria was the first to the children as she heard low, hateful words drip from the Baroness. She had never heard her speak that way, and she couldn't decide what possibly would have triggered the exchange. She wasn't even aware that they would have crossed paths.

"What's all this then?" The Captain's words stopped the commotion, and Maria joined the children, who were all facing the Baroness, a couple with tears in their eyes.

"Father, she said she was going to send us all to boarding school when you marry." Louisa spoke up for the group, her eyes burning with frustration.

"Boarding school?" Maria questioned as she looked into their eyes. Gretl began to cry, reaching her arms up to be held. Maria picked her up and began removing the children from the room.

"Fraulein Maria, they are not permitted to leave." Maria's eyes met the Baroness in an uncommon rage, appalled by what she was witnessing.

"I am permitting them to leave, Baroness." Her words dripped venom as she turned and began walking away again, taking the children outside.

"Georg, no wonder they're untamed, just look at their governess!" She wanted to turn around and give a piece of her mind, but she refrained and closed the door behind them as they reached the veranda.

"Are you all okay?" She sat Gretl down on her feet, looking everyone over as they nodded. "What happened?"

"We were being too noisy looking at the puppets." Friedrich spoke up for the group, looking frustrated, but contained. "She asked us to quiet down, and we didn't right away."

"And then?"

"And then Louisa told her to mind her own business." Some of them began to chuckle, covering their mouths.

"Louisa!" Maria's eyes found Louisa's, ready to scold her for being impolite, but upon seeing the cheeky look on her face, Maria smiled a bit as well. "Children, you simply have to try with her. I know she's difficult, but your father really cares for her, and it would be good for you to give her a chance."

"But she said she would send us away!" Gretl's voice found her, and she touched the girl's cheek in comfort.

"That will not be happening." They all nodded, but she wasn't sure they believed her. "You will need to apologize to her though...I'll tell you what, let's think about what we want to do with this puppet show. Perhaps we can use it to smooth things over with the Baroness?"

They weren't very enthusiastic, but she was hopeful that something as joyful as a puppet show could bring them all together. And thanks to the anxiety thrust upon the children by the Baroness, she would miss another night in her lover's bed, due to the three children who ended up in hers.