Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer created these characters and I am integrating them with the plot of the Sound of Music. I take no credit for either work of art. Not making any money, just having fun and putting my thoughts out there.

After reading lots of FanFiction, finally putting my own creation out there. Trying to figure out how to navigate things, so sorry if anything is off. I'm sure working on an old computer doesn't help. I'm seeing where this story goes and where the characters take me. Any feedback is appreciated!

Bella's POV

The more I thought about it, the harder it was to ignore the itch. Sitting on the hard, wooden pew of the cathedral, I wanted nothing more than to tear my veil from my head and begin furiously scratching at my scalp like a dog infested with flees. Only the glare I was receiving from Mother Cope kept me from doing so.

I tried to shift my attention to my surroundings. As the other Sisters sat still and attentive, soaking in every word of the sermon, I watched streams of light pour through the cathedral's decorative stained-glass windows. I would give anything to be on the other side of that glass, in a place where I could move and talk freely.

I had come to the Abbey when I was very young. Both my parents, Charlie and Renee, had been killed when I was a child. I barely remembered them and our home. To be honest, life in the Abbey was the only life I had ever really known. I always thought I would grow up to be a nun, I just wasn't sure that I would be a very good one. A good nun didn't itch or daydream during a sermon.

My attention was drawn back to my surroundings as the Sisters stood and began to file out of the cathedral. I stood and began to follow them when I felt a hand rest upon my shoulder.

"Isabella," Mother Cope whispered, "I request a moment of your time. Please come with me." The solemn expression on her face sent a boulder of anxiety straight to my gut. I could not fathom why she should want to speak to me individually.

I nodded my head and followed her to her quarters. I could feel the eyes of the other Sisters as we walked swiftly through the stone halls of the Abbey. A blush of embarrassment crept up my face at the attention.

Mother Cope ushered me into her office and took a seat at her large mahogany desk. She motioned to the seat across from her and I quickly took it. "My dear Isabella," she began. "You have been at the Abbey a long time, no?"

I swallowed thickly. "Yes, Mother Cope. The Abbey has been my home for many years, my whole life really."

"And yet it does not make you happy." I started to contradict her when she raised her hand in silence. "You may love the people here, but this life-, this life of solitude, that I am sure you do not love. I think it would be best for you to leave the Abbey-"

"But where would I go?" I injected. "The Abbey is all I have ever known. I do like it here, truly Mother Cope. I know I have not always been well behaved, but I promise that I will do better. I will try to stop singing in the garden, and just today I itched so badly in mass that I literally sat on my hands to keep from scratching, but I am trying so hard to be good and-"

"Rest easy, child. I have seen how hard you have tried. There is a man in Salzburg who is in need of a governess for his children until September. I have no doubt that you would be perfectly suited for the job."

"But the Abbey-"

"Will still be here while you are gone." Mother Cope responded. "We all have different ways of serving the Lord, Isabella. I want you to explore this form of service. If you find that it is not suited for you, I will be more than happy to have you return to the Abbey. It will not be easy for me to let you go."

"Yes, Mother Cope. "How many children does the man have?"

"Captain Edward Cullen has seven children."

"Seven children!" I could not imagine having so many children. I could feel my head beginning to ache.

"Don't you like children?" Mother Cope questioned, raising one eyebrow and staring straight into my eyes. The soft lines of her face seemed to lift, perhaps because she was trying to reign in a smile.

"Yes, but seven children?" I exclaimed, trying to wrap my head around the idea. Seven?

"Yes, my dear. He is a retired naval captain. A fine one and a brave one. His wife died of scarlet fever several years ago, leaving him and the children alone. It is my understanding that the family has had several governesses, but none of them have stayed for an extended period of time."

"Do you know why that is?" I couldn't help but wonder why the Cullen's had gone through so many governesses. Perhaps there was something wrong with the children, or maybe even the captain himself.

"That I am not sure. I suppose that Captain Cullen would be able to give you a better answer to that question. I will write to Captain Cullen and tell him to expect you tomorrow."

Edward's POV

"Captain," Frauer Stanley said, saddling up to my side. "I have prepared a room for the new governess."

'New governess?" I asked, trying to hide my surprise. Had the old one gone already?

"I took the liberty of hiring a new one, Captain. I figure this one will last just long enough to find her replacement." Frauer Stanley glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. It was no secret that my children were a… challenge. Most likely because all of the governesses we had obtained so far were absolutely dismal in their behavior management.

I nodded solemnly, the children could not be left without a caretaker.

"This one is coming from the Abbey." Frauer Stanley sighed.

"The Abbey?" I gasped in surprise. "You mean we are getting a nun?"

"Quite right, Captain. I imagine she will put the children quite quickly in their place." Frauer Stanley nodded her chin in confidence.

"Sounds quite like a bit of a bore, but good for the children." I acknowledged. "Their mother would approve." Tanya had been full of life and deeply rooted in her Christian faith, something I could scarcely stand since she was ripped away from our lives.

"She will be here tomorrow, Captain." Frauer Stanley responded. A nun was the last thing I expected to welcome into my home, but if she ran my home like Mother Cope ran the Abbey, I was sure the new governess and I would get along just fine.