She sat with her hands in front of her, a small woman poking and prodding at her fingers. She bit her lip, a bit nervous at not knowing exactly what to expect, and the woman began to file her nails. She wasn't sure anyone had studied her hands like that before, which was quite unnerving.

It had taken her a long while to accept the idea of maids and butlers waiting on her, and sitting in a nail salon was no different. She didn't care for the idea of someone pampering her when she certainly didn't need it. Her nails were a bit scruffy, but she wasn't sure she needed to pay someone to go through the trouble of fixing them. She was certain it didn't matter in the slightest how her fingernails looked to others.

"You look as though you're being tortured." The Countess laughed from her seat beside her, and Maria smiled in return.

"Goodness no, not at all. I just have no idea what I'm doing." She received a warm smile in return.

"I can't believe you've never had a manicure."

"It's true. I've never stepped foot in any kind of beauty shop. I cut my own hair and everything."

"Goodness, what a shame."

"I've never minded. There was not a lot of emphasis on hair and nails at the abbey, I suppose." She chuckled a bit, briefly having a mental image of sister Berthe with bright red fingernails.

"Do you have a mother, dear?" She had never been asked that way before, and she couldn't decide how she was reacting. She felt guarded, but safe at the same time, and it was unnerving. She was a bit afraid to answer, knowing it would bring up feelings that her pregnancy was making it difficult not to cry over. She wished for a mother desperately at times. She sighed, smiling a bit.

"Is it that obvious I don't?"

"I'm simply curious to get to know you better."

"My mother died when I was two. I was raised by men most of my life. And now here I am supposed to be a Baroness…I'm afraid I don't quite fit the mold, as they say." The Countess frowned, perhaps wanting to ask more questions, but deciding to refrain. She was very dignified, after all. She wouldn't discuss personal matters in mixed company.

"Who wants to be just like everybody else anyway? Isn't that what you said to Brigitta last week when she was feeling down?" Maria laughed, meeting her eyes once more.

"It's easy to give the advice, isn't it?" The young lady moved to work on her other hand, beginning to paint her nails a very pale pink. It was lovely, quite feminine. She could honestly say she had maybe painted her nails twice in her life, both in teaching college at the suggestion of a friend. It had always chipped off, and it didn't appeal to her much to keep it up.

"I like you very much, you know. I do hope you'll decide to stay in England." Her smile grew, and she couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling of joy in her heart.

"I hope we do too. I've enjoyed my time here, and in your home immensely. Not to mention, the children adore the time with you. We're very thankful to you for letting us stay for a bit."

"You stay as long as you like. I probably shouldn't say it, but you are becoming something of a daughter figure to John and I. He adores you too, you know." She laughed, for some reason thinking about the practical jokes they had played on Georg the evening before at dinner. Obviously, her husband was unamused by their antics.

"I've never had a real family, until I met Georg and the children. And now I'm amazed to call you both family as well. I do feel quite blessed by it all." They shared another smile, and the Countess cleared her throat. Maria hoped she wouldn't cry, as she knew as soon as she saw someone else's tears, she would be a mess herself. "You know, the Reverend Mother at the Abbey became sort of a motherly figure to me at times. I do miss her quite a lot, especially when I feel in need of guidance."

"Was she good at giving advice?"

"I suppose. Mostly she helped me find the answers within myself, which was terribly frustrating at the time." They laughed, and she felt nostalgic at the memories, a bit sad at the knowledge that she would likely never see her friends at the Abbey again. She prayed daily that they were safe. "She was truthful though, and I feel a good friend should be."

"I agree. It is hard to find someone to trust in these silly society circles, isn't it?" Maria raised her eyebrows, surprised that she had finally found someone who shared her opinion.

"Yes. Especially the women. They're awful." The Countess laughed wholeheartedly, and Maria found that the sound of her joy was catching, the nail technicians laughing as well.

"We have a lot in common, dear. There's no doubt we'll continue to get on just fine." She smiled at the friendship, noting that it really was the first time the two of them had spent time alone together. She quite liked the prospect of having a moment to chat and relax, and her nails were looking lovely too. Perhaps she didn't mind some of the finer things her life had to offer.

She and the Countess spent the rest of the day together, chatting and shopping. They found some beautiful fabrics that Maria ended up purchasing to make some new dresses. She needed something to wear that could to support her expanding stomach, and nothing she saw in any of the shops were appealing to her. She was not wearing dresses that made her look like she was in a tent, she mused. It was her first time leaving the house, aside from a couple of quick trips to the market with Georg. Those trips were mostly to get some time alone on days when the children were extra boisterous, they hadn't actually explored much during those times.

She didn't expect to fall in love with her surroundings like she had. It caught her by complete surprise, and she only really noticed she had when they were being driven back to the house, watching the trees pass by the car. She felt happy, safe, as if she had waited her whole life to be where she was. The children were happy, she and Georg were happy, it couldn't have gotten any better than that.