20
Breakfast passed in the same mood as the last two days and Maria was already sick of all of it. Since she had been avoiding any conflict with the Captain, this had already started to exhaust her.
So she prayed for her restraint and calmness.
Her timid attitude only taunted him more and worsened his otherwise awful mood. So he started a new tactic, occasionally to disapprove of the children's behaviour, which of course started setting off all sorts of alarms for Maria.
He did it on purpose, with an obvious provocative attitude and a challenging look, waiting for her reaction.
She tried to silently answer the children's questioning looks with the most tender smile in order to calm them down. They had talked about it the day before, so she reassured them with some funny explanation about adult behaviour.
All in all, she was more upset than the children.
Still, she was hurt.
It was as if the last few weeks of friendship had meant nothing to him.
Maria was disappointed and bitter with his pig-headed attitude. In the end she felt an unshakeable need to put him in his place and teach him a lesson.
Despite the fact that she was his employee and below his social class, that didn't mean he could tread on her and humiliate her.
But as it usually happens when you wish for something very much, God hears you!
The opportunity arose completely unplanned and before she expected it.
Maria and the children were outside and enjoying another beautiful sunny day. The Captain and Max sat on the terrace, both far away, sitting together but each in his own thoughts. Suddenly, in the heat of the game, the ball rolled from boys and fell into the lake. Unable to reach the ball, Kurt began to undress to retrieve it.
Maria stopped him immediately, offering to get it herself, avoiding the potential wrath of an obstinate Captain. She quickly took off her shoes, lifted her skirt a little, and entered the lake. Luckily the ball wasn't far, but far enough that it couldn't be reached from the lake shore.
Although the sun shone for days, the water in the lake was cold and she shuddered. The children were on the shore of the lake and cheering for her. She grabbed the ball and threw it to them and the boys continued to play while she remained in the lake under the watchful eyes of the girls.
As she approached the shore of the lake, her leg suddenly caught below a root of water tree and at first glance it seemed she could not pull her leg out. The girls immediately began to panic. The restless Captain arrived in a hurry to check what was going on. That was the last thing Maria wanted. He immediately reached out, with hand to help her pull her leg out.
Everything happened so fast, in an instant he forgot his anger and disappointment. Georg dismissed all that while his legs were carrying him to save the woman he loved, even if she didn't belong to him. All that went through his head, as he looked at Maria, was that she had never looked more beautiful and adorable.
She looked tempting as she shivered from the cold and bit her lower lip. But her irritated expression when she saw him immediately brought him back to reality and the tightness in his chest returned. He held out his hand to her and immediately felt an electric shock, which made him extremely annoyed, reminding him that she was his weakness.
He immediately took the opportunity to attack her, the only thing left to him, he thought sadly.
Maria hated herself for being in this situation and the fact that it was he who had to come to help her. When she accepted his hand she immediately shuddered but this time not from the cold.
Suddenly images flashed before her eyes, about two of them, in the last two months. Maria began to melt from those memories and from the warm and firm touch of his hand.
And then he spoke up and it all went wrong.
"Fraulein, I can't understand how you are so reckless every time you fall into a lake. Next time I'll let you drown! It seems, that's the only way I can save my children from your imprudence" he said irritably and impatiently.
Although he knew very well that he was wrong. Darkness overcame him and he wanted to hurt Maria.
And he succeeded.
Mary was not only hurt, but also very furious, he saw that in her eyes.
He knew how much she loved his children and would never jeopardize them. Georg saw all of that in Maria's murderous gaze, and her jerked out of his hand immediately which told him that she would no longer retreat in front of him.
On the contrary! That was enough.
At that moment Maria didn't think.
Suddenly she felt a wave of anger all over her body, everything darkened before her eyes. His words stabbed her in the heart, she loved him too much to take his words lightly. In her rage she instinctively raised her other leg, leaned on the edge of the lake, used it as leverage, and it was enough to jerk the Captain's arm and pull him in.
The rest became another legend of the Von Trupp household!...
...as she watched with immense pleasure as he went flying towards the lake and barking at her.
"Fraulein!"
That was priceless!
He deserved that, she thought contentedly.
He had already fired her once, so maybe he would again, but it didn't matter, it was worth it.
She was used to it by now, she thought to herself, barely concealing a smug smile. There was a wonderful sense of relief that she felt all over her body.
While the Captain was trying to get up in the water, Maria used the moment to get ashore and prepare herself for the next fight.
Of course, he saw her and the children laughing shyly, as was Max.
Maria pretended that everything had happened by accident and feigned surprise by her clumsiness. But she couldn't hide her smug smile and that, mixed with the humiliation of falling into the water, irritated him even more.
He wanted to drown her in the lake.
To strangle her.
How dared she?
Of course, she did it on purpose!
How dare she?
He hated her!
Wet and cooled by cold water he hurried out of the lake. Mad with anger and ferocity, he only had one goal: to grab and throttle her and end his agony.
How dare she?
But his lovely, brave boys, and even Max, were already beside her to defend her. Had it not been for his angry confused mind he would have started laughing at how Maria was standing defiantly, almost like in a boxing stance.
She really looked hilarious and ridiculous.
Did she really think he would hurt her?
"Fraulein," he growled with a threatening voice, ignoring her guardians.
"Yes, Captain!" she answered coyly, but proudly. There was again that mischievous smile like when she blew into the damn whistle.
"Father it was an accident, we sent the ball into the lake, she just helped us!" The boys hurriedly and bravely exclaimed.
They straighten up even more to emphasize that they were ready to defend their beloved governess. He was so proud of them.
He stabbed Maria with his gaze the whole time, looking at her menacingly, but his anger began to subside
"Surely it seems that Fraulein Maria will not rest until the whole Von Trapp household is drowned!" he said sarcastically.
"Great idea, sir. After all, this is a naval household. When I think about the number of times I jumped into the lake I certainly deserved the title of Admiral!" she said wittily, encouraged by her guardians.
"Careful Fraulein, perhaps your wish will come true!" he said in a threatening and dangerous tone.
There was a long silence, again words were not needed as many times before.
She flinched, but she did not move and looked him straight in the eye.
Max was prepared to intervene.
Hell, he had been on standby for the last two days.
Knowing both personalities, this was completely expected. He was just afraid of which direction it would go. There had been from the start a strong and palpable attraction between them.
However, this was not necessary, they spoke and reconciled again with their eyes, like so many times before.
"Georg, please come into the house to change clothes, you'll catch a cold. We don't want to upset children!" Max said pleadingly, discreetly reminding him that children would worry if he got sick.
Georg came to his senses. Max was right. With a long gaze at Maria he left them all. Everyone was relieved, even Maria, who was sorry in the end, when she thought of the Captain's potential cold and the children's worries.
The children were immediately scattered to continue with their games, so Maria wanted to go after them, but Max stopped her.
Max was uncomfortable to pry into her privacy, but when he remembered the stakes in the game of life, everything else was negligible.
"Maria, you didn't tell me, what are your plans when you move into the apartment?" he asked softly, remembering what Georg had said to him last night.
"Well, nothing special, I'll start preparing for teaching and looking forward to spending time with the Captain's children!" she said sadly, realizing she would miss them incredibly.
"Ah, a new life, full of possibilities, all kinds of experiences!" he said slyly.
"Yes, of course, but the most important thing for me is to be independent and be close to the children, I hope the Captain will allow that, I love them dearly" Maria said with hope and expectations.
"So now that your life has turned the other way, don't you want to have your own family?" Max asked cunningly.
"Well maybe one day, when I meet such a person, for now the Captain's children are the center of my world!" Maria said sincerely and heartily. Finally, now or never, Max thought.
"And what about that Italian? It seems you could be a good couple, he suits you?" he loathed himself, but he had to be direct.
She failed to say that the center of her world was also Georg, it was as obvious as night and day. Probably at this moment, his miserable and tormented friend was sitting pensively in his study with a whiskey. His thoughts were interrupted by an energetic voice.
"What? No, no really we are just good friends, really nothing else! Two days ago we said goodbye, he is going to his fiancée!" she said sincerely with wide open eyes, not believing that Max could even ask her that. She was completely surprised with that slightly silly question.
Max breathed out a huge sigh of relief, in fact he just realized he was so tense he held the air in his chest, all the time. Maria was telling the truth, it was common knowledge that she was a terrible liar. That was evident from her genuine surprise at his question.
But because of his friend, he had to be convinced.
"Two days ago, really? So you spent time together?" he asked subtley, again holding his breathing.
"Only partially. When I was returning from the mountain I missed the bus, set off on foot, Luca spotted me and drove me to the villa!" she said simply, oblivious to Georg's misunderstanding.
Max was overjoyed enough to kiss her on both cheeks, but he didn't dare to anger the beast, who may be watching everything through the window.
But Maxy Waxi will have to be rewarded for his efforts, with the finest wines from his cellar, he concluded, smugly.
"Maria, may I ask you a big favour?"
"Of course, Max, what is it?" she asked with curiosity.
"Maria, you have to talk with Georg!"
"What, no way! Besides, he wants to throttle me, you saw that!" she said quickly, resentful because she agreed immediately before asking what it was about.
"Maria, please listen to me, I can't tell what it's about, but you have to talk with him. Please. I know It will not be easy, but you are brave enough, please," he sincerely pleaded. He was sure Georg would in his fury mention that incident.
"Alright I will do it for you. Only for you. But I can't promise anything!" she agreed, not understanding why it was important to talk to the unbearable Captain.
xxx
So its about time for another a Legend of Von Trupp houshold :-) Do like it ? What do you think?