It was funny how everything could change in the course of one day, Maria reflected as she stared blankly at an essay that Kurt had written. The smile on her face simply wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she willed it to. As hard as she tried to focus her attention solely on the children's work she most definitely should have had marked by now, her attention seemed to center around something, or someone, else entirely. Ocean blue eyes and a charming, if not a little too smug, grin had captivated her mind for much of the morning.
It was curious to Maria how much she had changed in the last twenty-four hours. How she felt in the present was a far cry from how she felt only the day before. Instead of confusion and hurt, she felt herself in a state of elation that she had never quite felt before. Her smile grew as she remembered the previous night, and the man who had seemingly changed everything.
The day before had seemed hopeless. Maria had been miserable after what had taken place in his study. She wasn't sure how she would be able to bear living under the same roof as him for the rest of the summer due to the utter confusion she was feeling regarding him. She had willed herself to forget what had happened, but her traitorous mind only brought back the memory of his lips against her skin, and the way his hands felt so gentle and warm as soft fingers explored her body. Her mind hadn't been able to focus on anything else for the rest of the evening. It was torture.
She had avoided him. She had needed to avoid him. Just looking at him was enough to bring tears of both frustration and hurt to her eyes. She couldn't understand what had happened. She couldn't understand why she had let him continue to kiss her even though she had concluded that it would be disastrous to the both of them.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. She could understand that she felt something when he touched her, something she had never felt before. Every caress, every press of his mouth, was enough to set her nerves on fire. A part of her had never wanted him to stop. She had known that she felt something for him, it was clear in all the signs she had desperately tried to ignore; the hammering of her heart at the sight of him, the way her knees seemed to turn to jelly when he touched her, the magnetic pull she felt towards him whenever he entered a room.
She tried to bury the feelings. She couldn't feel anything for him. There were so many factors that she couldn't just ignore. He was her boss, she was looking after his children, they were from two completely different backgrounds, and most of all, Georg was in some sort of relationship with Elsa, whether he knew it or not.
Besides, despite her own feelings, she was not entirely sure what he felt. While he wasn't the type of man to go around seducing his children's governesses, it seemed absolutely out of the question to Maria that he felt anything but physical attraction for her. Not that she would know – she had limited experience with men, after all.
She was prepared to not speak of the incident again. She was prepared to keep a professional, if not more distant, relationship between them. She was prepared to deflect any sort of questions or comments he might make about the incident. She hadn't been prepared for him to approach her that night. Even so, she had told herself to stay strong in her resolve. However, she had failed miserably, and her resolve had began to deteriorate the moment she laid eyes on him.
When she had opened her door to find him standing there, a bundle of towels folded neatly under his arm, she had been at a loss for what to do. She knew why he was there, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the towels. After spending an entire evening building up her walls enough to protect herself from him, she had felt them crumbling down under the tender gaze of his eyes, projecting that he too was unsure of the next move.
She had tried to stay strong, she really had. She had convinced herself that nothing should ever happen between them again. She wanted him to leave, but he had been insistent, and she had been tired after the emotional toll the day had taken on her. She decided to hear him out, even if it was only to tell him off.
He was more severe than she had initially predicted. He asked questions that she wasn't sure how to answer. Maria was a lot of things, but she was certainly not a liar. When he asked why she had stayed in his study that morning, she couldn't find a suitable answer that didn't end in a blatant lie or the possibility of showing him what truly lie in her heart. She had tried to brush the question off, but she should have known better. Georg was persistent when he wanted to be.
The more he spoke, and the more his eyes watched her with an intensity that was sure to make her squirm, the further her walls came down. She couldn't explain it. There was something about the sincerity of his voice as he told her he didn't think that what happened had been a mistake that had given her a foolish sense of hope. As much as she didn't want to have feelings for him, the idea that he could have feelings for her made her heart beat twice as fast against her chest.
However, the hope that had been planted in her mind was not enough to make her ignore all the reasons that things shouldn't happen between them. She needed him to know that the children were very much a factor, and so was Elsa. She couldn't be with him if there was another woman involved. It wasn't fair to anyone.
She tried to stick to that resolve. She tried to remind herself that it wasn't fair to herself, Georg, or Elsa. But her resolve was slipping fast, and she knew when he had started talking about how she had changed things for him that she wouldn't be able to keep her control for much longer.
His admission of having feelings for her nearly swept her away. The idea seemed so absurd, so impossible, and yet, there he was standing before her and admitting to feeling something more than just attraction for her. And then he was asking if she felt the same. It had seemed pointless to lie to him when he had been so painfully honest with her. She found herself nodding in answer, and everything had shifted in the ground that lay beneath them.
The moment he placed her hand over his heart, she knew she was gone. There was nothing she could do to deny the way she felt about him. She was lost to the beat of his heart against her palm. She was lost to the way it hammered akin to her own. She was lost to the way his forehead fell gently against her own, and the way his breath whispered across her lips in a promise. She was entirely lost to Georg.
Everything had happened so quickly after that. She had known things were getting out of hand again, something that seemed to happen when she was with him, but she couldn't bring herself to mind. He felt like heaven as he held her, telling her that she was beautiful with such certainty, Maria knew she would be lost forever to him. As quickly as it had started, Georg stopped it in favour of addressing her doubts.
While she was still aware there were several obstacles between them, she was also aware that denying her feelings or the pull that lay between them was fruitless. He had convinced her entirely that he wanted to be with her, and that he would make things work between them. He had told her that he would make it clear where he stood with Elsa. He had told her that they would take their time to figure things out between them before they talked to the children. He had made everything seem much easier than it was.
She still had her doubts. She knew there was a lot they had to deal with. However, she didn't want to keep running from her feelings as she had for the past several months, and it seemed that Georg didn't want to either. She wanted to know where things would go with them. Her heart pleaded with her to let go of her doubts and allow her the happiness she could feel in the safety of his arms. Laying next to him as she fell asleep had put her at more peace than she could ever remember feeling. She trusted him when he told her that he would make things right and that they would figure everything out together.
Maria smiled down at the paper she hadn't really been reading. Figuring things out with Georg didn't seem so bad, she reflected, remembering earlier that morning. She had woken that morning to him kissing her neck, a sensation that at first startled her. Disoriented, she had nearly forgotten the night before and had possibly thought it had been a dream, but as he coaxed her out of sleep with the press of his mouth, she found she was quite happy to have been wrong.
When she turned around to find that he was indeed really there, looking down at her with an open admiration that threatened to be her undoing, she couldn't bring herself to remember her doubts. The man she was coming to adore was lying next to her, holding her gently to him, and that was all that seemed to matter in that moment.
She couldn't really say how long they had stayed in bed. She couldn't bring herself to care. He had kissed her over and over as if it was his mission to prove that the night before had been real. He had kept the kisses restrained enough as to not get out of control, but he let all his admiration and care for her seep through the gentle presses of his mouth.
It wasn't until Georg reluctantly announced that the children needed to get up soon that they got out of bed. With a fleeting kiss – or five – he left with a promise to see her at breakfast, leaving Maria in a daze. She had woken the children up with zombie-like movements, unable to keep her mind off the tingling she felt in her lips.
The children had looked at her as if she was crazy. They had noticed how tense she had been the night before, and no doubt they now wondered why their governess couldn't stop smiling. Maria tried to fight off her joyful smile in an attempt to appear normal, but the smile just wouldn't go away.
At breakfast, she was sure everyone would be able to see right through her. Once she had entered the dining room to find Georg already seated, her smile only widened. He had returned it with a smug grin of his own and a subtle wink that threatened to melt her heart. She vaguely wondered if she would be able to make it through breakfast.
The children seemed content with talking amongst themselves, but Maria, for the life of her, couldn't recall what the topic of conversation was. Her eyes continuously searched for Georg's across the table, and when he caught her eye, she felt her breath catch in her throat. Without speaking a word to her, he was able to convey everything he felt through smiles and looks. It was torture to be in the same room as him but have to keep everything she felt repressed. She marvelled at how well he seemed to handle it.
She thought she had been caught when Brigitta asked why her face was all red. Before Maria could even open her mouth to say anything, Georg asked with a cocky grin if she was perhaps coming down with something. The mischief in his eyes had been clear, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She could only muster a weak reply that perhaps she was coming down with something, but she felt fine in the moment. She could tell that Georg was chuckling to himself, even though he did his best to hide it behind his hand.
They had parted their separate ways at breakfast, but not before Georg had caught her hand after all the children had run out of the room, eager to start their studies. He had given her a quick, but powerful, kiss and told her he would see her later before leaving the room and leaving Maria incoherent for the next thirty seconds.
She wasn't entirely sure why Georg had such an effect on her, but Maria was becoming increasingly aware that she didn't mind at all. She liked the feelings of bliss and joy when she was with him. While she would rather that they were able to be open and honest with the children, she understood why they should wait, and she found the secrecy to be almost thrilling. With having little to no experience in such a situation, she found that keeping it between herself and Georg might prove to be beneficial. She wanted to really figure out what exactly she felt and where things might go before getting the children involved.
A buzz from her phone pulled Maria from her reverie. She picked it up off the desk and couldn't help the smile that widened across her face when she saw Captain pop up.
Captain: Could you come to my study for the moment? There's something I need to ask you. [Sent at 10:03 a.m.]
Maria was a little caught off guard by the message. What would he need to ask her? And why didn't he ask her earlier? He had her alone after breakfast, couldn't he have talked to her then? She lifted her eyes to the seven children working diligently. Would it raise suspicions if she left?
To Captain: Can it wait until lunch? [Sent at 10:05 a.m.]
She wasn't sure that she wanted to go down there. She didn't want to tip off the children. While it could be entirely justified for their father to want to speak with their governess, Maria was sure they would be able to see right through it. She didn't have much time to contemplate it before another buzz sounded.
Captain: It could, but I'd like to see you now. I miss you. [Sent at 10:06 a.m.]
Maria fought the urge to laugh as she typed out a response.
To Captain: You saw me less than two hours ago. [Sent at 10:07 a.m.]
Maria had just put down her phone when the next message came in.
Captain: Please? [Sent at 10:07 a.m.]
Maria stared at her phone. For a man who was very in control and at times authoritative even, it was strange to have him plead with her. The smile widened on her face.
To Captain: I'll be down in a few minutes, but I shouldn't stay long. [Sent at 10:09 a.m.]
Captain: I'll be on my best behaviour. [Sent at 10:09 a.m.]
Maria smiled before shutting off her phone and rising from her seat.
"I'll be right back, children. You can take your break now if you want. You've all been working very well over the last hour," she told them. As expected, skeptical eyes rose to meet hers.
"Where are you going?" Marta asked. Maria tried to control her features as she spoke.
"Your father wants to discuss something quickly. I'll be back before you know it," she said, proud of the even tone of her voice.
"You said that yesterday," Brigitta pointed out. Maria stilled. "But you missed lunch."
Seven pairs of eyes were now fixed upon Maria. She felt her heart sink a little. Most of the children were rather observant, could they see something was going on? Did they somehow know what was happening?
"Brigitta, if father wants to talk to Maria, she shouldn't keep him waiting. I'm sure she will be back soon, right Maria?" It was Liesl's voice that spoke up. Maria glanced over at the girl. Despite her neutral tone, Liesl was giving Maria a look that suggested she knew something was going on, and that the conversation would not end there. Maria gave a nod.
"Yes, I'll be right back," she replied, avoiding Liesl's unnerving gaze. Before any further questions could come her way, Maria walked out of the room. The faster she got to Georg's study, the faster she would be back upstairs. If she was fast enough, perhaps the children wouldn't question her.
She walked hastily towards his study, stopping only when she reached the door. She knocked tentatively and waited to be let in. She didn't have to wait long at all. As soon as her knuckles touched the door, she was being pulled inside. She was hardly able to process what was happening before her back was against the door, and Georg's eyes were staring down at her.
"Hi," he said. His hands were positioned on either side of her head, trapping her between him and the door. Funny, she thought, she didn't really feel like she was trapped. The warmth that his body radiated was more inviting than suffocating.
"Hi," she replied breathlessly. He gave her one of his charming smiles before he leaned his head closer to her own, his lips brushing over hers.
"I did miss you," he told her. His face was still impossibly close, and she couldn't think a single coherent thought when the earthy scent of his cologne washed over her senses.
"I-It's only been two hours." She cursed herself for stammering, but she couldn't help that her brain seemed to turn to mush around him. Georg pecked her lips.
"Yes, but you see," he started before placing another kiss against her lips – this time with a little more pressure, "now that I can kiss you, it's all I can think about."
If Maria's heart hadn't already been about to beat right out of her chest, it certainly would now. He kissed her again, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Maria responded eagerly, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair. She couldn't seem to get enough of him. Everything was so new, and although she didn't have much experience, she knew she really enjoyed kissing him.
Just as earlier that morning, he kept his kisses light and gentle, showing a restraint he seemed to have possessed overnight. His hands came down to rest on her waist, pulling her gently to him. He traced light circles with his thumbs over her t-shirt, an innocent action that was doing sinful things to Maria's body.
He broke away to press his lips against her cheek, making his way to her jaw and down her neck. She struggled to remember why she had come down her in the first place. She could vaguely remember his text message.
"Georg?" she asked. Her voice sounded distant to her ears.
"Hm?" he muttered into her neck. She didn't answer right away, taking a moment to find her words as he nipped the side of her throat.
"What, um, was it that you wanted to ask me?" she questioned, focusing her energy on her current line of thought and trying not to get distracted by the heat of his mouth.
"Ask you?" he repeated against her throat. He moved down an inch, reaching her collar bone. Maria's fingers tightened in his hair in response.
"You said to come down her to, erm, ask me something?" Her voice was small as he nipped at her collar bone. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he kept his attention firmly on her skin and the best way to elicit gasps from her throat. Maria struggled to keep focused as his tongue swept just under her collar bone. "Georg?"
His head slowly rose, his eyes meeting her own. He gave her a devilish smile before kissing her lips once again. This wouldn't work, she told herself, she couldn't think while his skillful lips were moving against hers like that. One of her hands left his hair, resting against his chest to push him back. He moved back without any resistance and gave her a sheepish smile.
"I told the children I would be right back," she told him quietly. Georg's smile fell slightly, but he nodded all the same.
"Right, yes. I wanted to ask you if you would accompany into town with the children this afternoon," he said, his voice just a smidge lower than when she had entered the study.
"Are you sure?" she asked. Going into town sounded like a splendid way to spend the afternoon, but as Georg was a stickler for the children's studies and required reading, she wondered what had brought this on.
"Well, I told Mrs. Schmidt last night that I was coming up to your room to ask you if you wanted to go into town today. However, the question seemed to have slipped my mind," he said, sporting another devilish grin. Maria couldn't help but return the smile.
"I would love to," she replied.
"I was thinking that we could go after lunch," he suggested.
"What about required reading?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We can skip it today," he said with a shrug. "I think they deserve a day out. They do work rather hard most days."
"Won't we have to take two cars?" she questioned.
"I can have Franz drive you, Marta, Gretl, and Liesl into town. I'll take Kurt, Louisa, Brigitta, and Friedrich. I can just call Franz when we're done," he replied. Maria resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"I can drive, you know," she told him. Georg raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Promise you won't scratch my Mercedes?" he asked. This time, she didn't resist rolling her eyes at him.
"I promise," she replied. He gave her a boyish grin, the one that made her heart pump furiously.
"I trust you," he said, his eyes conveying the power behind those three words. She gave him a small smile back, taken back by the uninhibited way he watched her.
"I really should go back upstairs and tell the children," she whispered, a part of her feeling the sorrow of parting ways with him creep into her veins. Everything between them was so new, like a spark catching wood, and she couldn't get enough of the feeling of fire igniting her bones when she was with him.
"Yes, I suppose you should," he replied, his voice low. His eyes were transfixed on hers, and Maria wasn't sure she could move. She felt frozen in place when he looked at her with such wanting in his eyes.
"I'll see you in a couple of hours," she told him. Georg nodded, lifting a hand up to rest against her cheek. She leaned further into the warmth of his palm and watched a smile form on his lips. He brought his face towards hers again at an agonizingly slow pace. When his lips touched hers finally after seconds of anticipation, she felt the sparks ignite throughout her body. He was incredibly gentle, only applying light pressure, but it drove Maria mad all the same.
Respecting that she had to leave, he pulled back before he could linger too long. Maria opened her eyes to find his already watching her with a tender gaze. He gave her another soft smile before backing away completely, letting his hands slip over her body. He took two steps back in order to put distance between them.
"Enjoy the rest of your morning," he said, a softness seeping through his tone that made her dizzy.
"You too," she replied in a daze. With one last lingering look at Georg, committing every feature to memory, Maria turned towards the door and opened it with a quivering hand.
She walked on unsteady legs back to the study room. On her way, she marvelled at the way Georg was able to unhinge her entirely without doing more than pressing a simple kiss on her lips. As she walked up the stairs, she brought her fingers up to touch her lips, feeling the tingle that went through them. She smiled to herself and wondered if it was always that way between two people.
"Maria!" Gretl's squeal of delight shook Maria from her daze. Each of the children looked up as she entered the study room, giving her big smiles.
"I told you I'd be right back," Maria said, patting the youngest girl on the head.
"What did father want?" Louisa asked.
"He wanted to know if you all wanted to go into town today," Maria told them. She watched as the children looked excitedly between each other.
"Are you going to come with us this time?" Brigitta asked. Maria nodded and got several shouts of excitement in return.
"We will go after lunch, but until then, you need to work hard. We won't be doing required reading this afternoon," she announced. The children looked pleased with that information, especially Kurt, whose favourite words were lunch and no required reading.
After being gently hushed to go back to work, the children focused on their studies with the promise of an eventful afternoon before them.
The children were nearly bouncing in their seats at lunch with the excitement that the afternoon held. They were both ecstatic that they would be able to spend their afternoon outdoors in the city of Salzburg, as well as overjoyed to spend time with their father. It was endearing to Maria just how excited they were to get to spend time with their father. After watching him revert back into himself for the past several days before the party, it was a charming idea to picture him with his children once again.
Maria knew Georg felt guilty about treating his children so icily over the past days. While he hadn't been as cold and stern as he had several weeks ago, the children had seen that stony mask slide back on their father's face, and that deeply bothered Georg. Maria could see it in his eyes when he joined them for lunch. He held so much remorse for the past five years, and now he felt as if he had slipped back into his old ways, even if it was only for a few days. She could see the pained glint in his eye when he didn't think anyone was looking, and it broke her heart.
Once Georg excused everyone from the table to get ready to leave, Maria walked up to him, placing a gentle hand on his forearm. He turned to look at her, his eyes brightening slightly.
"You know they love you, right?" she asked. Georg nodded solemnly. He cast his eyes down to where her hand rested before placing his hand over hers.
"I know. I just wish I knew how to stop disappointing them," he replied.
"They aren't disappointed. Especially now. They are excited to get to spend the day with you. One day isn't enough to wipe the past away, but it's enough for them right now," she told him. He glanced up at her skeptically.
"How did you get to be so wise?" he asked. Maria gave him a bright smile and watched as his eyes lowered to her lips briefly.
"Some just call me naïve," she replied. Georg let out a deep laugh that Maria could feel in her bones.
"Those people are the naïve ones," he told her, bringing her hand to his lips to place a kiss on her knuckles. She felt her breath hitch as his lips gently pressed against her skin. He must have heard it because he started chuckling lightly.
"We should get ready to go," he said. Maria nodded her agreement. He placed another gentle kiss to the back of her hand before releasing it. They both ventured out into the foyer where six joyful faces waited for them.
"Where's Friedrich?" Maria asked, noticing the missing boy.
"He's looking for his headphones," Louisa said, rolling her eyes.
"It's a twelve-minute drive, does he really need his headphones?" Georg asked.
"He says you only listen to old music," Marta replied. Kurt let out a giggle while Maria tried not to laugh. She hadn't really had the opportunity to hear what Georg had on his playlist, but the children had informed her that most of it was wildly outdated.
"Is that what he thinks?" Georg asked, raising an eyebrow. The telltale sound of footsteps turned everyone's attention to the landing above where Friedrich was emerging from his room. He made his way down the stairs but stopped wide eyed when he realized that all eyes were on him.
"Friedrich, you get shotgun. You can hook your phone up and play music that's not so, ahem, old," Georg said. The young man looked up at his father with bright eyes.
"Really?" he asked in disbelief as if the idea that his father would open his mind to any other music options was impossible.
"Really. Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, you are also with me. Liesl, Gretl, and Marta go with Maria," he said. The children nodded before walking through the door and heading in the direction of the garage. Maria and Georg trailed behind them.
"I think that meant a lot to him," Maria said as she fell into step with Georg.
"I just really hope he doesn't listen to any death metal," he said as he scratched behind his ear. Maria let out a light laugh.
"Where should we meet?" she asked.
"I was thinking we could meet at that little café a couple blocks away from Mirabell Gardens and then walk over there. The children seemed to really like walking around the gardens the last time I took them," he said. Maria nodded and smiled at the idea. When she had lived near Salzburg when she was younger, she had loved walking through the gardens too.
"That sounds nice," she commented. He shot her a sheepish smile as they entered the garage. He dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a set of keys. He held them out to her.
"Drive safe, okay?" he said. Maria gave him a small smile before reaching out to take the keys from his hand. She let her fingers linger on his for a second more than necessary.
"You too," she said. He returned her smile before tearing his gaze away from her and walking over to one of two black Mercedes. Maria turned towards the second car and hopped in the driver's seat. Gretl and Marta were already settled in the back, playing with their dolls while Liesl was fastening her seatbelt in the passenger seat.
"Are we ready?" Maria asked. She received two very enthusiastic squeals from the backseat that made her smile. She looked over to Liesl who gave her a nod and a smile. Fastening her seatbelt and starting the engine, Maria began to pull out of the garage after Georg. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Liesl switched the radio station to the kids' channel.
The first two minutes of the drive were relatively quiet except for the quiet hum of poppy kid's songs and Marta and Gretl's voices, which were very invested in their dolls. It wasn't until Maria turned on to the main road that Liesl spoke up.
"Maria?" her voice was soft and sweet.
"Yes, Liesl?" Maria replied. There was a pause before Liesl spoke again.
"Is there something going on between you and father?" The question very nearly made Maria jump, but she steadied her hands on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to crash Georg's car.
"I'm not sure what you mean," she replied. Her heart was thundering in her chest. Had Liesl seen something? Or heard something? What would make her think that anything was going on? Maria couldn't very well lie to the young woman beside her. Their relationship, and what Maria considered to be a blossoming friendship, had been built entirely on trust between the two. Maria had made it clear to Liesl that she trusted her and that she could trust Maria in return.
"Well, you seemed quite cross with him yesterday. I thought maybe he had said something to upset you, but this morning you were looking at him differently," Liesl explained. Maria tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She glanced in the rear-view mirror to make sure that Gretl and Marta were still preoccupied with themselves.
"Differently?" Maria asked. She was unsure of what else to respond with. She was tempted to just come right out and say it, but she had agreed with Georg that they would wait until he was able to talk to Elsa before they said anything to the children.
"You blushed every time you looked at him," Liesl said blankly. Maria took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. She had known Liesl was observant, but she had underestimated just how much. She wondered if any of the other children suspected anything. She doubted it. They might have caught on to the looks at breakfast, but she doubted that it made any difference to them, except perhaps Brigitta who was mature beyond her years.
"And your face was all red when you came back up to the study room this morning," Liesl spoke again, cutting off Maria's thoughts. "He looks at you differently too, but he has for a while."
"He has?" Maria asked breathlessly. She could see Liesl's smirk out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes. He changes when you come into a room. And I noticed the last time we went out without you that he was glued to his phone most of the morning. He doesn't often text people, unless it's for work, but texts from work don't make him smile like that," Liesl replied.
Maria felt the breath robbed from her lungs at that statement. Yesterday she had been contemplating about how Georg was likely only physically attracted to her or looking for a way to fill a void. Hearing from Georg that he had feelings was one thing, hearing from an outside source that he had been less than subtle about his feelings was entirely breathtaking.
"I think I have my answer," Liesl said. Maria could hear the satisfaction in her voice. "You're blushing again."
"Liesl I-."
"You don't have to explain yourself," Liesl cut her off. "I understand, and your secret is safe with me."
Maria spared a glance over at the young woman beside her. Liesl sent an encouraging smile in her direction.
"Thank you, Liesl," Maria said quietly.
"He seems happier when you're around. I like to see him happy," Liesl replied. Maria smiled. Liesl really was an intelligent young woman, Maria had known that for a long time. But Liesl always seemed to astound Maria with her maturity and her perceptiveness. It was easy at times to forget the girl was only sixteen.
"I like to see him happy too," Maria said. She caught Liesl's grin from the corner of her eye and couldn't help but smile. She had been worried that perhaps the children wouldn't be open to the idea of their father being involved with anyone, given their hostility towards Elsa, but Liesl didn't seem upset in the slightest. It warmed Maria's heart and gave her a brief sense of hope for the future when she and Georg would be able to share with the children.
"Any word from Rolf?" Maria asked, changing the topic. She had been meaning to ask Liesl for a few days about her situation with Rolf, but everything had seemed so chaotic lately. However, Rolf had seemed to be rather on and off with Liesl and it concerned Maria. Liesl was clearly head over heels for the boy.
"Briefly. He asked what I was doing this weekend," Liesl replied. Maria nodded.
"What did you tell him?" Maria asked.
"I told him I would probably be busy with my studies," Liesl said. Maria glanced over at her.
"Did he want to do something with you this weekend?" Maria inquired. Liesl shrugged.
"He said there was this movie that he wanted to see coming out this weekend. He wanted to see if I could go with him," the young woman replied.
"And you told him no?"
"Father would never let me go," she replied solemnly.
"What makes you say that?" Maria asked.
"I love father dearly, but sometimes he thinks we're just as he left us five years ago. I think he still thinks I'm eleven and completely unknowing about the world," Liesl said. Maria understood where the girl was coming from. She had seen that Georg had the tendency to treat the children as if they were far younger than they were. He set strict rules that applied to all of them. While he had gotten better about it, she could still tell he had issues with accepting how much his children had grown up, especially his oldest who arguably had to grow up the fastest.
"Why don't you ask Rolf if he still wants to see that movie. I'll talk to your father," Maria said. She knew it would be a bold move. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries with Georg's children, but she also wanted to see Liesl happy. If she could help to find an understanding between them, she would be happy with that.
"Really?" Liesl asked.
"I'll talk to him, but I can't make any promises. If he says no, I can't try to force his hand," Maria replied as she pulled up to the little café. She was pleased to see that there were several parking spaces free. She pulled into the spot next to Georg, who was already leaning against the car with sunglasses perched on his nose. Maria glanced at the time. She had made it there in exactly twelve minutes, how had he beaten her?
"Oh, thank you Maria!" Liesl exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. Maria let out a light laugh.
"Don't thank me yet," Maria replied as she turned off the engine. "Girls, we're here."
"I see father!" Gretl exclaimed as she waved out the window. Maria unfastened her seatbelt as Georg approached the car. He opened one of the back doors.
"Hello, darlings," he said as he extricated Gretl out of the car. Marta unfastened her seatbelt and exited out of the car, running up to hug her father's leg. Maria closed the car door and looked over the top of the car to find Georg's eyes already on hers.
"What took you so long?" he asked with a smirk. Maria raised an eyebrow at him.
"I was doing the speed limit," she replied. Georg gave a hearty laugh at that.
"Okay, let's go to the gardens. Friedrich, Kurt, I believe you know the way. Would you be so kind as to guide us?" The boys nodded eagerly before taking off down the sidewalk through a crowd of people. Louisa and Brigitta followed them while Liesl collected the two youngest on either side of her and began walking. Liesl threw a knowing look in Maria's direction as she left the two adults behind.
Maria and Georg fell in step together as they trailed behind the pack.
"Did Friedrich end up playing death metal?" Maria asked after a moment.
"No. He played some sort of folksy band that he said he really liked. I didn't mind it actually," he replied. "I promised Brigitta that she could play her music on the way back."
"It's a good way to get to know them," she said. Georg nodded.
"Lord knows I could use all the education I can get on my children," he said, a bitter note in his tone. Maria glanced up at him.
"It'll take time, but they don't hold it against you," she told him.
"I wish I could say the same for myself," he replied. He sounded almost helpless. Maria wished she could say something encouraging to get him out of the dark place his mind was at, but she knew he would have to get there on his own. She could tell him over and over again that his children loved him and didn't resent him for when he was grieving, but he had to realize that for himself. Her words could only go so far.
"How was the drive?" he asked after a moment. Maria frowned slightly, unsure if she should tell Georg what she and Liesl discussed.
"It was fine," she said. She could hear the strain in her voice, and she knew Georg heard it too when he looked over at her. "Liesl knows."
"Knows what?" he asked. She didn't miss the slight anxiety in his tone when he asked.
"About us," she replied quietly. She heard him curse under his breath.
"How? Nothing happened until yesterday," he stated. Maria nodded in agreement.
"She knew before that, apparently. We aren't as subtle as we think," she told him. She was surprised to hear Georg laugh.
"I suppose not. Was she upset?" he asked.
"No. She seemed oddly okay with everything," she replied quietly.
"I thought she might be," he said. Maria could see the gardens just around the corner at the end of the street. The sight made her smile.
"You thought she would be okay with us?" she asked. Georg nodded.
"The children adore you, Maria. They think the world of you," he told her. Maria frowned.
"Well, as a governess yes. But it's different when you and I are…" she struggled to find the word.
"When you and I are?" he asked. Although he was wearing sunglasses, Maria could tell that there was a teasing question in his eyes.
"Involved," she replied, settling on a word. Georg chuckled, and she heard him repeat the word quietly to himself.
"They love you, and I don't think us being involved is going to change that," he told her as they walked on the path of the gardens. She was doubtful of his words. Liesl might have taken it well, but what about the rest of the children? They loved their mother so much, and Maria didn't want them to feel like she was coming in to replace her. She chastised herself. She was getting too far ahead of herself. Her and Georg hadn't really even defined their involvement yet.
"Stop worrying," he said. Maria glanced over at him and watched a smirk spread across his face. "You get this crease between your forehead when you start worrying about things."
"But I am worried," she replied.
"You have nothing to worry about. Remember, we are taking this slow. I know there's a lot we have to figure out still, but we will figure it out together. You're not alone in this," he said. Maria gave him a small smile. She still had her doubts, but she trusted Georg. As if sensing these doubts, Georg brushed the back of his hand against hers, letting the back of his fingers catch hers for a moment before releasing them. The action was small but reassuring to her.
"There was something I had to ask you," she said, as she caught a glimpse of Liesl sitting at the fountain as Marta and Gretl looked awestruck at it.
"Ask away," he said with a small smile.
"Liesl mentioned that a friend of hers wanted to go to a movie with her this weekend," Maria started gently. She was about to continue, but she was cut off by a groan from Georg.
"It's not that Rolf boy, is it?" he asked. Maria looked at him bewildered.
"You know about him?" she inquired.
"Unfortunately. I may not have been all there for five years, but I'm not blind. His father works in the postal service and got Rolf a job on our route. Franz informed me that he caught Liesl sneaking out into the yard to meet him one night. In fact, I caught him lurking around the yard one afternoon not too long ago outside Liesl's bedroom window," he said bitterly.
"That's why he started to talk to her less," Maria said, more to herself than the him. He turned towards her.
"Clearly, he hasn't stopped talking to her enough if he's asking her to go to the movies," he said, the bitter note in his voice turning darker.
"Oh, but Liesl's crazy about him. A movie wouldn't hurt, would it?" she asked softly. She could see the muscles in his arm tense at the suggestion. She suddenly regretted bringing it up. She didn't want to make him angry on a nice outing with the children.
"She's just a child. Running around with boys isn't going to do anything but cause her pain," he replied. She could tell he was struggling to keep his tone even while he watched Kurt and Friedrich taking pictures of a bird.
"She's sixteen, she's not a child. She needs some independence," Maria told him quickly. She cursed herself for speaking without thinking. It wasn't her place to tell him how to parent his children. If he wasn't angry already, she was sure her words would have done the trick. She braced herself for impact but was surprised when he stayed silent.
Georg kept walking while Maria trailed beside him. His silence almost seemed deadlier than his words. At least if he argued with her, she would know where she stood. But he said nothing, instead opting to walk silently, giving no indication of his feelings in the moment.
"Georg, I'm sorry. I shouldn't tell you how to act with your children," she told him quietly, hoping her apology would be accepted. Given how new this thing between them was, she didn't want to ruin it right off the bat with her outspokenness. Georg gave a heavy sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.
"No, you're right. She'll be seventeen soon. I shouldn't keep her under lock and key. I just don't want to see her get hurt," he replied.
"I know you don't, but that's how we learn, right?" she asked gently. She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye before she spotted Brigitta and Louisa joining Liesl, Marta, and Gretl by the fountain. The youngest three waved enthusiastically at the two adults. Georg and Maria both waved back before Georg stopped and turned towards Maria.
"She can go, but I want to meet him first," he said. Maria gave him a big smile.
"Liesl will be thrilled," she told him. She watched a reluctant smile spread across his face as he looked towards his daughters, who were beckoning the adults over.
"Yes, well, if he hurts her, she's never leaving the house again," he said. Maria let out a light laugh as they began walking in the direction of the five girls.
The rest of the afternoon was one in which Maria would call blissful. After walking around the gardens for a while, the nine of them embarked onto the streets where the children insisted on going into each shop to look around. Maria was constantly being called over to look at neat little knick-knacks by each of the children, while Georg's attention was taken up by the boys who were trying to explain the newest video game they wanted to their father in an attempt to persuade him to buy it for them.
After just over an hour of venturing into shops, and Georg finally giving up and buying the boys the video game they wanted, Kurt declared that he was hungry, which came as a shock to no one. The walked back to the little café they had parked at to eat. Sitting seven children and two adults to a table was tricky, but luckily the café wasn't busy at all. With a few tables pushed together, the children were set with the pastries of their choice, while Georg and Maria settled on an afternoon tea.
Maria hadn't missed the way Georg strategically placed himself next to her. As the children's focus remained on devouring their pastries at impressive speed, Maria felt Georg's hand catch hers under the tablecloth, interlacing their fingers without raising any suspicion. She had felt her cheeks begin to burn at the contact and tried covering up by taking a sip of her tea; however, when she raised her eyes once again, she was met with a knowing smile across the table from Liesl.
After the teas had been finished, and Kurt's stomach was temporarily sated, the group set off to head back home. Maria's drive was filled with excited exclamations from the two girls in the back, raving about the fun they had out with their father and their governess. It brought a smile to Maria's face that the girls seemed to have had fun. They had particularly enjoyed when Georg gave them each piggy-back rides in the gardens, though Maria didn't miss the small twinge of pain in Georg's face when he later stretched his back.
Upon arriving home, the boys begged their father to play their new video game, to which Georg conceded at record speed. The girls wanted to go outside, which Maria was more than glad to join them as the sun was beaming and there were few clouds in the sky. It really was a beautiful day.
Georg asked Liesl to stay behind, and Maria presumed it was to speak about Rolf. She smiled inwardly. Georg had progressed so much, not only as a father but as a man. Perhaps it was because she now knew the taste of his lips and the warmth of his skin, but he seemed softer somehow. He was less of the stoic, closed off man she had come to work under. He had transitioned into a kind and gentle soul, even regarding his children. While he still had moments where he could be a bit gruff and stern on the outside, he showed more of his heart than Maria believed he had in a long time.
Before long, Georg interrupted the game of tag the girls and their governess had been entangled in to announce that dinner would be in fifteen minutes. The girls ran inside to wash up, while Georg lingered on the patio stairs, his eyes focused on Maria.
Despite herself, she could feel the blush creep onto her cheeks. He wasn't doing anything but looking at her, and yet, it was enough to heat the skin of her cheeks.
"I talked to Liesl," he told her as she approached the stairs. Maria gave him a small smile.
"How did it go?" she asked. Georg shrugged nonchalantly.
"As well as you'd expect. I told her she could go, so long as she brought him over so I could formally meet him. She seemed to be okay with that understanding," he replied. Maria gave him another smile as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He began to descend the stairs at an agonizingly slow pace. "She brought you up."
"She did?" she asked. She was a little unsure of what capacity in which Liesl would bring her up. While she was sure it wasn't bad, she felt the nerves in her stomach all the same.
"She did. She said that she liked that you made me happy," he said, coming to stand in front of her. He was wearing that charming half smile that made Maria's knees go weak.
"She said that?" she asked, feeling her mouth go dry when he glanced at her lips.
"Yes, and I can't say that her observation is wrong," he told her, a hand coming up to cup her face. "You do make me happy, and today was incredible."
"It was fun," she commented, her mind clouding over at his proximity. Georg gave her a smile before leaning in slowly. She stopped him by bringing her hand up to his chest. "Someone could see us."
"We have about five minutes before Kurt runs out to tell us to hurry up and get to the dinner table," he whispered. He maintained the distance between them, leaving the choice to Maria. She knew he wouldn't do anything to make her uncomfortable. If she didn't want to risk them being seen, he wouldn't advance further. But with the way he was staring at her as if she was made of glass, and the feel of his breath against her skin, she couldn't resist.
She slowly closed the gap between them, pressing her lips against his. She felt him smile briefly under her lips before he deepened the kiss ever so slightly. Knowing they were in a tricky predicament, both kept the kiss sweet and slow without losing too much control. But Maria had realized she had missed the feel of him. It was crazy, she reflected, how much she constantly wanted him to kiss her. Being someone who had limited experience with kissing, she was surprised at just how much she enjoyed it.
When Georg gently pulled away, Maria swore it couldn't have been more than a minute that they had been standing there. He backed away to put some distance between them while giving her a satisfied smirk. As if on cue, Kurt emerged through the doors.
"Father, Maria, it's dinner time," he exclaimed before turning back through the doors, presumably running towards the dining room. Georg rolled his eyes, but there was a fond smile planted on his face.
"Shall we?" he extended his arm in the direction of the stairs.
"I suppose we should, before Kurt starves to death," she replied. Georg chuckled, and together they ascended the stairs. They walked in a companionable silence up the stairs and across the terrace. Neither had to say a word. The day had been beautiful in all regards, and they were both satisfied just being in each other's presence.
Georg looked over at Maria and gave her a gentle smile as he signaled for her to go through the door first. She obliged, her heart pounding twice as fast when she felt his hand on the small of her back as she walked through. As the made their way to the dining room, the distant sounds of the children talking sounding through the air, she felt her doubts leave her.
For the first time in a long time, Maria was uncertain about the future, but she was okay with that. She knew whatever was in store, she would have Georg by her side, and that was a comfort in itself.
If only it would last.
A/N: Hello! I'm sorry that it took me forever to get this chapter up. I've been lacking the motivation to write over the last little bit. A lot of it stemmed from having a general idea of where this story was going, but not really having a cemented idea about how to execute it. Over the past week, more of my focus went into developing the next several chapters, and boy, do we have a lot in store for us. (Just to give you an idea of what's in store, I have a chapter in the near future that's labelled as Everything Goes to Hell in Roughly 10,000 Words. Do with that what you will.)
This chapter was quite the predicament. It was one really fluffy chapter that had a filler-ish vibe. But it's a steppingstone onto our next chapter which I'm really excited to write. However, I did like this chapter because it was just Georg and Maria having a peaceful day; no angst, no drama, no repressing the feelings. If only every chapter could be this pure.
Now that I've gotten a majority of the plot cemented and several outlines written up, I'm hoping my updates will become more frequent again. However, I do have a birthday coming up over the next week which means a good deal of family commitments. With that being said, I do have a bit of the next chapter written up, and it's going to be a big one. But I think I sense a rating change coming as well. Will next chapter finally be the chapter? Stay tuned.
Thank you to everyone who has followed this journey and continues to follow it. Once again, all of your comments on the last chapter had me smiling, and I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to leave your thoughts. I can't wait for you wonderful people to read the next chapter.