Maria hummed a tune to herself as she made her way to the kitchen. She had felt a small cold coming on, and she decided that some tea would do her throat some good. The children were working on their last lessons of the summer, so she took the opportunity to step away for just a moment.
She smiled in greeting at two maids when she entered the kitchen, filling the tea kettle with water and beginning her task. They were talking about how much they hated their uniforms, apparently they thought they were too itchy and hated the colors. Maria rolled her eyes to herself, wondering if they had ever taken the time to simply be thankful for their employment rather than complaining. She had seen the two around the house before, gossiping and always seeming to be together. She sometimes wondered how much cleaning actually got done, but was thankful they were not her responsibility.
"Fraulein Maria, what do you think of these uniforms?" Her heart leapt at being addressed. She did not want to be involved in the slightest, but she smiled just the same.
"The color is very complimentary to you both, I think." She turned back to her task, wishing the water would boil just a bit faster. One of the girls sighed, coming closer and leaning against the counter next to Maria. She had barely spoken to either of them before, so she wasn't quite certain why they were bringing her into the conversation at all.
"But they're so boring, and very itchy. Even the clothes you make are much more functional than these." Was she asking her to make new uniforms for them? There had to be a reason behind them addressing her, and she felt her walls going up from the moment she entered the kitchen.
"I'll take that as a compliment then, thank you." She smiled, finding a spoon for her teacup.
"Frau Schmidt says the Captain won't approve new uniforms."
"Well, I'm certain she tried her best." The water could not have taken any longer if it were trying. Did she forget to turn on the fire? She jumped and turned around when the other girl placed a hand upon her back, finding that she was most literally backed into a corner. "What's happening?"
"I know we don't know each other well, but we were hoping that maybe you would use your influence with the Captain to help us get new uniforms." They were smiling in a sticky sweet kind of way, and her heart began pounding within her chest. She knew exactly what they were implying, but had no idea how they would come to that conclusion. The fleeting thought of them with their ears pressed to the door of his study made her feel sick. She chose the hopefully safer route of denial instead.
"I don't know what you mean. If he said no to Frau Schmidt, that's the end of it." She tried to turn back around, but the other girl had come closer and hindered her movement. "Excuse me."
"We're not asking you to do anything you haven't already." The second girl piped in, coming closer as well.
"I'm sure you've spent plenty of time on your knees for him." Maria opened her mouth to speak, but was at a loss for words. The girls seemed to delight in her level of discomfort, one even laughing a bit.
"I think you must read too many books." The kettle thankfully began whistling, and she pushed past the girls to finish making her tea. She could feel the blush trying to rise upon her cheeks, but took a deep breath to calm herself. If she blushed in front of them, it would be quite obvious that they were right.
"Who do you think is responsible for washing your bedclothes around here?" And then she couldn't breathe, her legs threatening to give way as her head spun. There was never a moment that she thought someone would guess based on her laundry. She was completely embarrassed.
"It would be such a shame if Baroness Schraeder found out." Maria turned around, her eyes wide with frustration and complete awe of what was being said to her.
"All of this for new uniforms when you should be perfectly happy with the ones you have." She crossed her arms, having given her best governess voice.
"You clearly know as well as we do that life is about seizing opportunities." She narrowed her eyes, finished with the conversation.
"You're talking about taking advantage of others. There's quite a difference."
"The nun who opens her legs to her employer is giving us a lesson in morals." They laughed, and she felt nothing short of rage fill her veins. She could have hit them both right on the spot. They didn't know a thing about her.
"Ladies, are we standing around chatting, again?" Frau Schmidt entered the kitchen, and Maria immediately felt that she had been sent by God, even though she knew He had to be completely appalled by her lately.
"Oh, um, we apologize." Maria turned back to her tea as they stuttered their apologies, controlling her rage. "Fraulein Maria was just asking how she could help with our uniform situation."
"I was doing no such thing." She slammed her spoon on the counter, turning to face them all. Her voice cracked a bit, sounding hoarse to her own ears. She couldn't tell if it was because of her cold or because of her anger. Frau Schmidt looked apologetically into her eyes. Good heavens, did she know too?
"Ladies, we've spoken enough about the uniforms. I think it would be best if you just handed them over to me on your way out. Your employ has ended." Maria's eyes widened at how quickly she tossed them aside, not even seeming to hear their cries for compassion. They eventually saw themselves out as Maria took a sip of her tea, preparing to venture back to the children. "I'm sorry you had to witness that, Fraulein."
"No apology necessary." She smiled at the older woman, turning to pick up her tea and saucer. As she walked to exit the kitchen, she was stopped by a gentle hand upon her arm.
"It will not matter how many maids I release. Secrets have a way of revealing themselves." So she did know. Maria sighed and looked to the ground.
"I honestly don't know what to say."
"You don't have to justify a thing to me. But those two will now be employed elsewhere, and they know they weren't let go because of a silly uniform. I'm afraid the gossip will continue outside of these walls." She looked up and met the older woman's eyes, completely beside herself. All she wanted to do was hide away.
"You heard what they said?" She nodded, placing a gentle hand upon Maria's arm.
"Should I let the Captain know, or would you like to?" She sighed, wishing she had simply decided against the cup of tea she was holding.
"I'll speak to him when he returns from town this evening." She began to walk away, knowing she needed to pull herself together before making it back to the children. She turned and gave one last look to the housekeeper. "Thank you, Frau Schmidt...for your advice and your discretion."
"He's like a son to me." She nodded, always wishing she had her own mother in times like these. Reverend Mother would hardly be a good source of the advice she needed so desperately at the moment.
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Her cold had progressed throughout the day, and by supper time she was sneezing and coughing into her napkin after every other bite. It came with the territory of looking after children, she supposed, and she knew she was next in line when Gretl had sneezed in her face two days prior. She didn't feel too terribly, but she knew she would be dragging for a couple of days, all while trying to keep the rest of the children from catching the cold.
"Fraulein Maria, do forgive me, but you are not well." The Baroness looked at her disgustedly, as if she could catch the cold simply by looking her way. She cringed when Maria met her eyes.
"Yes, it seems I've caught Gretl's cold." Her voice was raspy, and she sounded a bit plugged up. Gretl looked to her lap in shame, remembering the reaction she received when she had accidentally sneezed in her governess' face. "I realize now I should have taken supper in my room."
"It isn't too late, dear." Maria rolled her eyes as the Baroness made movement to flag down a staff member to assist.
"It's quite alright, there's no reason she shouldn't stay." The Captain came to her defense, which wasn't usual, if she thought about it. Of course he never let anyone mistreat her, but he always shied away at coming to her defense unless things were getting out of hand. She supposed it was better that way, it didn't draw attention to them, but it made it much nicer when it did happen.
He gave her a quick smile, which she returned, and she hurried to finish her meal. She looked up to find Liesl staring at her, but jumping and looking away when she met her eyes. The girl had been quite jumpy around her the last few days, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. Perhaps she had seen Rolfe and needed to talk, but she wasn't sure she had much more energy for that at the moment.
She helped the children to bed, doing her best not to rush them, but she was finished with the day. She still had to talk to Georg about her run in with the maids earlier that day, and was running out of steam. By the time she made it to his study, she knew she had to look dreadful. Her head was beginning to pound, and she knew she needed to sleep.
"Fraulein, why aren't you in bed?"
"Good evening, Captain. I have something I need to speak with you about. It can't wait, I'm afraid." He closed the door behind her, locking it out of habit.
"You look unwell. You're sure this can't wait?" He took her hands in his, his voice softening as it always did when they were alone. She shook her head; where to begin.
"Did you know that Frau Schmidt knows about us?" His eyes widened, clearly caught off guard by her question. He cleared his throat.
"Um, yes, actually." She narrowed her eyes at him.
"And you didn't think it would be wise to tell me that?"
"I didn't think it would come up, honestly. How...?" He looked frazzled, at a loss for words. She knew why he didn't tell her; one of their rules was that they had to stop if anyone began to suspect.
"Because I was cornered by two maids this morning and asked to use my influence with you to get them new uniforms. They threatened to tell the Baroness. Frau Schmidt heard and terminated them." He shrugged, seeming relieved that it was nothing worse, which frustrated her even more.
"Well, the threat is gone then."
"Not if they are hired elsewhere. People who are angry are very good at gossiping." He took her face in his hands, looking into her eyes.
"I don't care in the slightest. Plenty of people gossip in my world without the help of maids." She rolled her eyes, frustrated that she had spent all day worrying about the situation, and he had no feelings at all toward it.
"Perhaps, but...are you comfortable with Frau Schmidt knowing? I don't think I can even look her in the eye." She ran a hand through her hair, obviously flustered.
"She would not do anything to jeopardize herself or this family. Trust me, she will not tell a soul."
"She didn't have to! The girls who approached me could tell from my bedclothes. Do you know how humiliating that is to me?" Her voice was giving out, which frustrated her even more. She wanted to yell and scream at him, take out all of her embarrassment on him if she could.
"Maria, please. You sound terrible."
"I don't care! I am so angry, Georg. I'm embarrassed and concerned and..." She was interrupted when he took her into his arms, holding her close. She tried to push him away for a moment, but quickly gave in and held him tightly.
"And ill. You need to get some sleep, darling." He had never called her that before, but she felt her heart warm when he did. It felt so kind and personal, such care behind one single word. She buried her face in his shoulder, taking him in. After a moment, she dared to ask the question that had lingered on her mind all day as well.
"They said I've probably spent a lot of time on my knees for you. I'm ashamed to say, I don't know what that means." She felt him shaking with laughter beneath her cheek, and she knew he was enjoying her lack of sexual knowledge. She at least knew they were implying something sexual in nature, and gave herself credit for that.
"They were implying that you often pleasure me with your mouth." She pulled back to meet his eyes, raising her eyebrows in question.
"Like, put my mouth on you?" Her eyes darted downward to fill in the blanks, and he nodded.
"More like take me in your mouth." She nodded, the thought never having crossed her mind.
"Oh, I see...do you like that?" He laughed, kissing her upon the cheek to avoid getting sick, as much as he wanted to risk it to feel her kiss.
"All men like that, it's yet another of our weaknesses." He moved his kiss from her cheek to her neck, doing his best to relieve the tension in her body. "There's a female equivalent, you know."
"I should hope so. It doesn't seem fair that there wouldn't be." She closed her eyes and moved her head to the side, his teeth gently grazing her neck. He kissed downward, lips moving over the little skin he could reach on her chest, given the modest neckline of her dress. She sighed. "What are you doing? I feel dreadful."
"You've just given me an idea to help you relax." He continued kissing her neck, pushing her toward the couch against the wall. As she sat, he moved between her legs, pulling her hips toward the edge of the couch as she leaned against the back. He didn't even seem to mind that he was on the ground, on his knees in his expensive suit. He was too busy with his task.
She watched as he began lifting her skirts, slowly sliding her stockings down her legs, leaving them pooled around her ankles. He placed gentle kisses upon her calves, massaging the bare skin with his hands. She watched in anticipation as he pulled her hips toward him, inching up her legs, spreading them wider as he moved his mouth over her thighs, his tongue teasing her soft skin. Her hands grasped the edge of the couch as she waited for him to make his next move.
He reached over her hips, pulling her panties down her legs at a slow pace. He didn't miss a beat and returned his kisses to her inner thighs, his head disappearing beneath her dress. He spread her legs wider before placing his mouth fully upon her. She gasped as his tongue jetted out from between his lips, slowly moving over every surface he could reach. Her body felt white hot in an instant, her back arching without her control as he worked.
She couldn't believe the sensations he was bringing to her. Every time his tongue changed shape or position sent another lightening bolt through her stomach. She lay her head over the back of the couch, her eyes closed and lips parted; she was nearly panting by the time he thrust his tongue inside of her. He made a noise against her, a groan of delight perhaps, and she felt the vibrations down to her core. He seemed to enjoy every moment of what he was doing, which made it all more pleasurable.
It was impossible for her to focus on anything aside from the things he was doing to her, and her heart was pounding by the time he pulled his tongue out of her and flattened it, licking over every possible sensitive place at once. A helpless sigh escaped her lips, much against her permission, but it seemed to renew his purpose. He took one of her hands and placed it on the back of his head, she ran her fingers through his soft hair.
"Show me." His words were whispered against her, his hot breath nearly causing her to come undone in that moment. She had no idea what she liked, but as he moved against her she pushed him a bit closer and shockwaves were sent throughout her body. She didn't need to give him any guidance after that, he seemed to know exactly what she needed and added more pressure with his tongue.
"Oh my God..." Her words came out in a weak, breathy moan, she could control herself no longer as her orgasm crashed through her body. She could have been hit by lightening for all she knew, her vision going white, her body wildly convulsing against him. He didn't let up, lapping at her as the waves continued to surge, her toes curling and her breathing impossible.
After a moment of mindless bliss, she relaxed against the couch, gasping for air as he placed a few final kisses against her. He made his way out from beneath her skirts and found her panties on the floor, putting her legs into them and pulling them back over her hips. She was so weak, he could have done anything he liked to her, she thought. He then pulled her stockings back up to rest upon her thighs, crawling up her body to look at her. She breathlessly met his eyes, astonishment shining in her own.
"Are you relaxed now?" She nodded, unable to find words. "Good. Now I need you to remind anyone who has the nerve to imply that I keep you on your knees, that I will forever be on mine when it comes to you."
"Georg..." He placed a small kiss to her lips, unable to resist any longer. She tasted herself on him, but found that she didn't necessarily mind it.
"Now please, get your stubborn ass in bed, and don't get up until you are well." She smiled, feeling every emotion she possibly could at once. He pulled her to her feet, giving her one final kiss before sending her stumbling toward the door. Her legs felt as if they were made of water as she climbed the steps to her bedroom.