Were there car-rental companies in the 1930's?? I'm not sure, but I am too
lazy to try and find out, so please just be with me and believe that there
were. At least one. In Paris.
*Tiny Victor/Victoria joke / reference included. At no extra charge! *
Please bear with the long Georg-and-Maria-free intro to this chapter. It's going somewhere good, I promise!
JoolsFan
Chapter 5 - Lost and Found
"Bon soir, Michel! Ready for the night shift?" Alain started pulling on his coat just as Michel walked around the counter into the hotel reception area.
"Oui, hopefully nice and quiet as usual," Michel answered, nodding at the book he just put down on the desk behind the counter. "Anything I should know about?" He took off his coat and shook the rain off it.
"Well, Monsieur and Madame Juilliard have checked in again this afternoon. That makes six times this year," said Alain, while buttoning up. "Oh, and Captain and Baroness von Trapp have rented a car for the day, but they have not returned yet. They were planning to go in the direction of Corbeil, on a picnic." He looked outside at the rain, which was still fiercely hitting the windows as the wind blew the water almost horizontal. "You don't suppose anything happened to them in this weather, do you?"
"It's only a storm," Michel shrugged. "Not a flood. They're probably only drowning in each other's eyes, I've never seen a couple so completely in love before." He smiled wistfully. "But I'll keep an eye on the door. I'm sure they'll be in soon."
"All right, thank you. Bon soir then," and pressing his hat tightly on his head, Alain ventured out into the downpour.
Hours passed and Michel's wish for a nice quiet night seemed to be granted. He was engrossed in his book and drank cups and cups of black coffee to stay awake. Occasionally, a night-revelling guest would come in, and judging by their appearances, the rain was still coming down steadily. The wind seemed to be dropping though.
When two men in long coats and wearing elegant hats walked in, Michel greeted "Bon soir, Count Grazinski, bon soir, Monsieur Todd." The count was something of a celebrity in Paris and Michel treated him with respect. The gentlemen nodded back at him and quickly walked on to the elevators.
Temporarily distracted from his book, Michel watched the elevator go up. Just then, Madame and Monsieur Juilliard walked in, looking particularly wet and tired.
"Bon soir Michel, can we have our key please? Room 435, as usual."
"Oui monsieur, just one moment. Isn't the weather just terrible tonight?" Michel chatted pleasantly, as he reached around for the key.
"We just came from Evry, it was even worse there," remarked Monsieur Juilliard. "They said it was worst in Corbeil, we heard that lightning struck the church tower there."
At hearing the mention of Corbeil, Michel remembered what Alain had said about the Von Trapps. He looked at the numbers on the board and saw the key to the Honeymoon suite still dangling from its hook.
He turned around and handed Monsieur Juilliard his key, mumbling a goodnight wish.
Glancing at the clock, which announced to the world that it was nearly 3 a.m., a strange feeling came over him. So the weather was even worse in Corbeil. What if something really had happened to the Captain and the Baroness?
***
"Where are you going," asked Baroness von Trapp as she felt her husband softly slide out of her arms.
"I thought you were still sleeping," whispered the Captain.
"I am.." said Maria, keeping her eyes closed to shut out the soft light of dawn.
"I'll be back in a minute. I'm just going to use the eh, wonderful bathroom facilities." With a soft kiss to Maria's forehead, Georg got out of what had served as a bed that night.
Maria turned onto her back and stretched her hands above her head. The few pillows had hardly been able to disguise how hard the wooden floor of the cabin was, and she felt a bit stiff. She smiled though, as she remembered how Georg had made her forget about their unusual surroundings the night before. She looked up when she heard him come in.
"The weather has cleared up," Georg announced as he closed the door behind him, coming back from the old-fashioned outhouse. "But it is rather cold out."
"Let me warm you up." Maria turned back the blanket in an invitation for him to join her again. Looking at her tousled hair, the soft, loving look in her eyes and her bare arms and shoulders, he didn't have to think twice. He snuggled close to her and she put her arms around him. The feel of his cool skin on her own woke her up completely, making her realise something.
"You're not going to believe this," Maria said.
"What is it?"
"I'm hungry.. " She pulled an apologetic face at his disappointed look.
"What am I doing wrong?" Georg looked up at the ceiling in mock despair. "Every time I have my beautiful wife in my arms on our honeymoon, all she can think of is food!"
Maria giggled.
"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just insatiable." She gave him a suggestive look, which was made all the more charming by her slightly colouring cheeks.
"I think I know the feeling," the Captain murmured lowly, and kissing her hungrily, they proceeded to satisfy their appetites.
***
"Yes, this is the car," the tall policeman concluded after comparing the licencse plate to his notes. "But where in the world are the Von Trapps?"
He looked around in wonder, and when he saw no sign of life, looked at his collegue in the hope of finding an answer there.
The shorter one of the two Gendarmes had a slightly keener expression. He pointed in the general direction of the river.
"I see smoke there, but I don't believe there are any farms around here." He bit his lower lip thinking. "Isn't that where Mussard's old cabin is?"
He gestured to Fabrice - for that was the tall gendarme's name - to follow him and briskly started walking in the directon of the cabin.
***
"That was better than food," Maria murmured contently, and put her head on her husband's chest with a satisfied sigh.
Georg only smiled in agreement. He brought up his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. He wished they could stay like this for hours, enjoying the warm afterglow of lovemaking and just holding Maria close to him, but he knew they couldn't. He shifted slightly so he could stroke her back, and kissed her nose.
"We should go back, you know," he said reluctantly.
"I know. Somebody at the hotel might miss us." Maria agreed, but showed no intention of moving.
"No they won't," Georg mused.
And was proven extremely wrong, when the door opened and two gendarmes appeared in the doorframe.
*Tiny Victor/Victoria joke / reference included. At no extra charge! *
Please bear with the long Georg-and-Maria-free intro to this chapter. It's going somewhere good, I promise!
JoolsFan
Chapter 5 - Lost and Found
"Bon soir, Michel! Ready for the night shift?" Alain started pulling on his coat just as Michel walked around the counter into the hotel reception area.
"Oui, hopefully nice and quiet as usual," Michel answered, nodding at the book he just put down on the desk behind the counter. "Anything I should know about?" He took off his coat and shook the rain off it.
"Well, Monsieur and Madame Juilliard have checked in again this afternoon. That makes six times this year," said Alain, while buttoning up. "Oh, and Captain and Baroness von Trapp have rented a car for the day, but they have not returned yet. They were planning to go in the direction of Corbeil, on a picnic." He looked outside at the rain, which was still fiercely hitting the windows as the wind blew the water almost horizontal. "You don't suppose anything happened to them in this weather, do you?"
"It's only a storm," Michel shrugged. "Not a flood. They're probably only drowning in each other's eyes, I've never seen a couple so completely in love before." He smiled wistfully. "But I'll keep an eye on the door. I'm sure they'll be in soon."
"All right, thank you. Bon soir then," and pressing his hat tightly on his head, Alain ventured out into the downpour.
Hours passed and Michel's wish for a nice quiet night seemed to be granted. He was engrossed in his book and drank cups and cups of black coffee to stay awake. Occasionally, a night-revelling guest would come in, and judging by their appearances, the rain was still coming down steadily. The wind seemed to be dropping though.
When two men in long coats and wearing elegant hats walked in, Michel greeted "Bon soir, Count Grazinski, bon soir, Monsieur Todd." The count was something of a celebrity in Paris and Michel treated him with respect. The gentlemen nodded back at him and quickly walked on to the elevators.
Temporarily distracted from his book, Michel watched the elevator go up. Just then, Madame and Monsieur Juilliard walked in, looking particularly wet and tired.
"Bon soir Michel, can we have our key please? Room 435, as usual."
"Oui monsieur, just one moment. Isn't the weather just terrible tonight?" Michel chatted pleasantly, as he reached around for the key.
"We just came from Evry, it was even worse there," remarked Monsieur Juilliard. "They said it was worst in Corbeil, we heard that lightning struck the church tower there."
At hearing the mention of Corbeil, Michel remembered what Alain had said about the Von Trapps. He looked at the numbers on the board and saw the key to the Honeymoon suite still dangling from its hook.
He turned around and handed Monsieur Juilliard his key, mumbling a goodnight wish.
Glancing at the clock, which announced to the world that it was nearly 3 a.m., a strange feeling came over him. So the weather was even worse in Corbeil. What if something really had happened to the Captain and the Baroness?
***
"Where are you going," asked Baroness von Trapp as she felt her husband softly slide out of her arms.
"I thought you were still sleeping," whispered the Captain.
"I am.." said Maria, keeping her eyes closed to shut out the soft light of dawn.
"I'll be back in a minute. I'm just going to use the eh, wonderful bathroom facilities." With a soft kiss to Maria's forehead, Georg got out of what had served as a bed that night.
Maria turned onto her back and stretched her hands above her head. The few pillows had hardly been able to disguise how hard the wooden floor of the cabin was, and she felt a bit stiff. She smiled though, as she remembered how Georg had made her forget about their unusual surroundings the night before. She looked up when she heard him come in.
"The weather has cleared up," Georg announced as he closed the door behind him, coming back from the old-fashioned outhouse. "But it is rather cold out."
"Let me warm you up." Maria turned back the blanket in an invitation for him to join her again. Looking at her tousled hair, the soft, loving look in her eyes and her bare arms and shoulders, he didn't have to think twice. He snuggled close to her and she put her arms around him. The feel of his cool skin on her own woke her up completely, making her realise something.
"You're not going to believe this," Maria said.
"What is it?"
"I'm hungry.. " She pulled an apologetic face at his disappointed look.
"What am I doing wrong?" Georg looked up at the ceiling in mock despair. "Every time I have my beautiful wife in my arms on our honeymoon, all she can think of is food!"
Maria giggled.
"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just insatiable." She gave him a suggestive look, which was made all the more charming by her slightly colouring cheeks.
"I think I know the feeling," the Captain murmured lowly, and kissing her hungrily, they proceeded to satisfy their appetites.
***
"Yes, this is the car," the tall policeman concluded after comparing the licencse plate to his notes. "But where in the world are the Von Trapps?"
He looked around in wonder, and when he saw no sign of life, looked at his collegue in the hope of finding an answer there.
The shorter one of the two Gendarmes had a slightly keener expression. He pointed in the general direction of the river.
"I see smoke there, but I don't believe there are any farms around here." He bit his lower lip thinking. "Isn't that where Mussard's old cabin is?"
He gestured to Fabrice - for that was the tall gendarme's name - to follow him and briskly started walking in the directon of the cabin.
***
"That was better than food," Maria murmured contently, and put her head on her husband's chest with a satisfied sigh.
Georg only smiled in agreement. He brought up his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. He wished they could stay like this for hours, enjoying the warm afterglow of lovemaking and just holding Maria close to him, but he knew they couldn't. He shifted slightly so he could stroke her back, and kissed her nose.
"We should go back, you know," he said reluctantly.
"I know. Somebody at the hotel might miss us." Maria agreed, but showed no intention of moving.
"No they won't," Georg mused.
And was proven extremely wrong, when the door opened and two gendarmes appeared in the doorframe.