Georg locked the door to the honeymoon suite as the bellhop left. Finally, truly alone with Maria, he turned and smiled at her.
Still adorned in her gown, she rubbed her hands together. A sign of her nerves, he deduced. He walked slowly over to her, catching her eyes and refusing to look away. He reached out and took her hand in his.
"Here we are," she said softly, her chin trembling.
He nodded. "As far from Salzburg as we could get in thirty minutes," he said and gestured to the still visible outdoors.
Maria followed his hand and looked out the window to the town they had chosen to spend their wedding night in. The dark, calming waters of Lake Wolfgangsee shadowed by the mountains gave her a sense of total isolation and privacy. "It is a lovely place, St. Wolfgang," she said and looked back at him. If anything, her inner tension heightened at the fact that he apparently hadn't removed his gaze from her face. His expression took her breath away.
"Don't you think," she began, feeling her stomach tighten and her heart begin to beat a little faster, "that we should close those drapes?"
He smiled in understanding at her. "Yes, I guess we should," he whispered and released her hand. As she watched him walk over to the window, Maria was relieved that his back was to her. She turned around so she could stare around the room.
It didn't help her nerves that the first thing her eyes laid upon was the bed. She took a deep breath to try to calm her agitation. There was nothing to be afraid of, she tried to tell herself. This was perfectly natural, and she had nothing to fear…
Despite the internal pep talk, her cheeks flushed and she put her hand to her mouth, trying to stay calm. She tried to regain the feeling she had felt when they were alone in the carriage; she had been completely ready to do anything he had asked of her at that moment. But after a day of thinking about it, and knowing what was coming, she was overwhelmed with anxiety.
The soft touch of hands gently rubbing her shoulders brought her back to the present, and she tried not to tense at Georg's soft touch.
He delicately turned her to face him. Cupping her chin in his hand, he smiled at the apprehension he saw in her eyes. He kissed her nose and traced his fingers along her cheeks. "Did I tell you how beautiful you are in that gown?" he asked.
"Not in the last hour," she informed him, smiling. "And I don't think I've told you that you're very handsome in your uniform."
He cocked his head. "I don't think we compare, my love," he said and kissed her cheek. Pulling away, he studied her face. "What are you thinking about?"
Momentarily thrown at his seeming desire to talk, she blinked at him. "Thinking?" she asked stupidly.
"I'll tell you what I'm thinking," he said as he guided her to the loveseat across from the smoldering fireplace. "I'm thinking that this is the happiest day of my life. You, this wonderful, charming, sweet, beautiful, stunning, woman have agreed to be my wife. I think I'm luckier than I deserve to be."
She shook her head as they sat down. "Now Captain, you know that you are much too hard on yourself," she admonished and played with the fringe on his shoulder.
"Yes, but I can still think it from time to time," he said. He looked up at the ceiling. "Was it just me, or was that aisle today insufferably long?"
She laughed. "Try walking up it in this gown with all those people staring at you, and you!" she said, pointing at him. "You just got to stand atop the stairs and watch me!"
"I would have preferred to run down, pick you up, carry you up the stairs, hurry through the ceremony, skip the reception, and just spend the rest of the day here," he confessed, his eyes sparkling, "alone with you."
"Well, that would have been a huge waste of money, then," she said and they laughed. "But it does sound rather appealing."
His face turned serious.
"What is it, Georg?" she asked, alarmed at the sudden change in his mood.
"You really are amazing," he mused and her cheeks turned red. "No, I mean it. You've done so much for my family. I don't know if you realize it, but you really are a gift from God."
She looked past him, embarrassed. "Georg, I-"
He put his fingers to her mouth, silencing her. "Now, it's my turn. Whatever you wish, Maria von Trapp, for the rest of my life, I will give you," he pledged.
Tears came to her eyes. Somehow, his impromptu promise touched her more than the vows they had exchanged earlier that day. Breathless at the intensity and love she saw in his eyes as he stared into hers, she cupped his face in her hands.
"You are my everything," she whispered and kissed him. He returned the embrace and wrapped his arms around her. She was so absorbed in feeling the soft movements of his mouth and the slight moans coming from his throat, that she didn't register the loosening of her gown at first.
When his hand started to caress her bare shoulders, she tried to pull away, surprised. He smiled and didn't allow her to escape too far. "I think you've been trapped in that gown long enough," he murmured to her and unfastened another button. He moved slightly to trace tiny kisses along her jaw line. She closed her eyes and exhaled, reveling in his touch.
"Besides," he whispered into her ear. "As stunning as you are in it, I think you'd be a lot more breathtaking out of it."
Warming at his suggestion, she pulled back and met his gaze. "Well, then by all means, Captain," she said lowly. "Permission granted."
Smiling, he resumed his task until the back of her gown was completely unhooked. Sliding it off of her shoulders, he stood and gently guided her to join him, the gown falling to the floor.
Taking her into his arms, he hugged her tightly to him. "I love you," he said so softly, she wasn't sure she had heard him. Hugging him closer to her, she sighed in total peace. He led her away from the loveseat, their eyes never parting.
Stopping at the foot of the bed, he paused and studied her face. Gone were the apprehension and fear; nothing but trust and love were in her eyes. She looked serene in the dim glow of the room.
He was amazed that she could have such an effect on him. He owed her his life. Just by entering his world, she had opened his eyes and had set him free.
He took her face in his hands reverently and stood very close to her, his face barely touching hers. He could feel her pulse quickening and her breath getting shorter. She held his gaze, and he felt as if he was getting lost in her eyes.
He gently placed his lips to hers and felt whatever remaining tension drain from her body. He deepened his embrace, and he felt the buttons of his jacket being tugged on. Breaking away, he caught her expression, and was vaguely surprised to see her eyes starting to glaze over with desire.
Georg backed away a step and dropped his hands from her face, allowing her to finish her task. Her cheeks reddened, and she pulled the jacket off with a combination of grace, determination, and impatience. Her expression changed to what he could have sworn was annoyance as she saw his vest blocking her way to his shirt. With equal frenzy, she removed that too, and a low growl came out of his throat at witnessing her frantic movement.
Feeling a deep urge form within him, he leaned forward to capture her mouth again. Instead of wrapping his arms around her, he ripped his shirt apart, too impatient for the propriety of buttons. He felt her lips smile in excitement beneath his as she stepped into his embrace. Within an instant, the offending garment was flying across the room, and neither of them knew nor cared where it landed.
He brought her closer to him and moved his hands to the zipper on the back of her slip. He felt her trembling beneath him as he slowly pulled it completely open. His hands caressed her bare back and traveled down to her waist. The sensation of her fingers running through his hair was making it increasingly difficult to remain standing. He pushed the slip to the ground, and his hands started the exploration they had been aching to do from the moment he had realized he loved her. He murmured her name lowly into her ear, and he heard her breath stop for a second.
She paused and took a step back as they stared at each other. In the soft light of the room, he saw a small, slightly shy smile come to her lips. Their faces met in a silent understanding, and he put his hands on her shoulders, guiding her towards him again.
"You take my breath away," he told her, staring into her eyes.
She looked at him, a spark to her eyes. Again wrapping his arms around her, he scooped her up and carried her around to the side of the bed. Finally free to be only for each other, they lost themselves in the bliss of the moment.
***
The moonlight shown through the thin curtains, and gave the room an unearthly glow. The window was slightly ajar, and the gentle, quiet noises of night sounded through the room.
Maria snuggled closer to her husband as the chill of the night air filled the chambers. He leaned over and pulled the blanket up further around them.
"Shall I go and close the window?" he offered.
"No," she murmured, wrapping her arm around him to prevent him from leaving. "You're keeping me warm."
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "That's why I'm here," he whispered. He looked down to study her face. The light that had appeared in her eyes a little while ago was even stronger as she stared back at him. She reached up and traced the lines of his face.
"I love your jaw line," she said.
He raised his eyebrows. "My jaw line?"
"Yes," she answered, a light laugh coming from her throat. "It's so, uh, strong looking."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes," she repeated, the laughter getting deeper. "It's very regal."
Her laughter died away as she stared into his eyes. "But what I really love about your face are your eyes."
He widened them for her to see them fully, and she smiled. "They're so…" she trailed off.
Returning her intense stare, he leaned closer to her. "Captivating?" he suggested. She nodded. He leaned closer still. "Mesmerizing?" he asked. Again, she gave a mute nod. "Enchanting?"
Her mouth opened to say something, but words failed her. Her hand moved further up to remove some hair from his forehead. She returned her gaze back to his face, and she smiled lovingly at him.
"You have made me so happy," she whispered. "I cannot believe that this is happening."
He returned her expression and cupped her cheek. "Was it all that you had hoped for?"
"Everything and more," she responded and nodded. "Thank you for a beautiful day, Georg."
"It paled in comparison to you," he answered, and the glow to her eyes spread over her entire face.
"You were very sweet with…" she trailed. "I know that I… I mean, I don't know…"
He smiled at her and kissed her lips gently. "You were everything I imagined you to be," he answered lowly, making her cheeks redden. "Everything and more."
She smiled and closed her eyes. He nestled further into the sheets and hugged her to him. "I don't want this night to end," she murmured.
He absently traced lines up and down her arm. "It won't really," he told her. Her head moved up to look at him questionably.
"This is only the beginning, Maria."
They stared at each other for a long moment. He smiled as she tried to stifle a yawn. "I'm going to take that as a good sign," he said and tapped her nose lovingly.
She smiled wryly and moved her head to rest on his shoulder, leaning into his neck. "Life is perfect," she declared.
"Perfect," he repeated and stared at the crown of her head, feeling her arm drape across his chest. He reached up and placed his own arm over hers. He felt her breathing start to become steady, and he kissed the top of her forehead. She murmured softly and shifted in his embrace.
Georg closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet aroma of her hair, savoring the sensation of feeling whole again. He felt as if God had given him a second change at life, a life with Maria. He couldn't have dreamed it any better.
"Good night, Baroness," he whispered to her.
"…love you," came the deep response. He kissed her head again, and sighed in contentment. The quiet sounds of the night eased them both into a peaceful sleep; each warmed by the other's presence and with the promise that they had the rest of their lives to savor the peace they felt together.
Fin