A/N:
I thought I might declare this fic finished after Georg and Maria made it back safely from their perilous picnic trip ;-). But I got so many requests for more AND so many good suggestions with regard to what else they could be doing from you all, that I decided to go on! I'll try to work in as many of your ideas as possible.
So thank you all for the wonderful feedback! (And keep it coming please.) JoolsFan
Chapter 7 -Surprise!
"Thank you," nodded Georg as the waiter placed his breakfast in front of him.
The waiter walked around him and placed Maria's tray in front of her, as well. As she thanked him, Georg shot an enquiring look at the waiter. Almost impossible to notice, the waiter nodded reassuringly at him before turning around and walking away.
Maria picked up her napkin and placed it in her lap.
"What was that about?" she asked.
Georg looked at her in surprise, then quickly tried to pull an innocent face.
"What, darling?"
"That look you exchanged with Guido?"
"Look? What look?" Georg looked at her with a blank face, and started to butter a piece of toast.
"You're up to something, I can feel it," she told him, and made a grimace at him. When he continued buttering, she sighed in defeat, knowing he wasn't about to tell her what was going on.
"Maybe you're imagining things because you're hungry," Georg suggested, while nodding at the silver cover, which was still atop her plate.
Maria actually wasn't very hungry at all, but took the cover off her plate anyway, figuring she could at least try a bit of toast. But instead of the toast and croissant she was expecting, a cream coloured envelope lay on the plate.
'See! I knew you were conspiring about something with Guido," she exclaimed triumphantly.
'I'm completely innocent," claimed Georg, looking at the envelope. "I have no idea where that came from." But inwardly he smiled. Maria never missed anything.
She gave him a sideways glance before picking up the envelope and turning it around in her hands. There was nothing written on it, making it even more mysterious.
"Go on, open it," urged Georg.
Maria folded it open and found three pieces of paper inside. She took them out and saw that two looked like theatre tickets, and one was a note in a handwriting she recognised immediately as Georg's. She picked it up and started to read out loud.
"My love, I cannot thank you enough for having brought music back into my life. Now let me bring some music into yours.
I love you.
Georg"
Maria swallowed back the lump that had formed in her throat when she read the simple, honest statement. She looked up at Georg for a second before reading out what the tickets said.
"Madame Butterfly... " she whispered. "Georg, these are for tonight!"
His heart filled with joy as he saw her face. Loving music as she did, she had expressed her desire to go to the Opéra, but the receptionist had told them the performances were usually sold out months in advance. Georg however had pulled a few strings and managed to get the much-coveted tickets. Looking at Maria, he knew it had been worth the trouble. She was looking at the tickets with an expression of total admiration.
"I'm glad you like it," Georg said, putting his hand over hers.
She bent over to him and kissed his lips.
"I love you," she said simply.
"And I you, Baroness. Now let's finish breakfast."
*****
Carefully, Georg fastened the last tiny velvet button. "Done," he announced, and took a step back. Slowly, Maria turned around to face him. She smiled a shy smile at him and bit her lower lip in expectation, while waiting for him to comment.
"Beautiful," he whispered softly. "Maria, you are absolutely stunning."
She smiled as a blush crept up to her cheeks. She stroked the material lovingly and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She felt the same kind of surprise she had experienced when she'd looked at herself in her wedding dress. Was this really her?
The mirror reflected a beautiful young woman, her eyes sparkling, her skin glowing, and looking gorgeous and sophisticated in a dark blue velvet evening gown. It was sleeveless with a v-neckline and a deep v on her back, too. The cut was sleek and fitting, flaring out into a slightly wider skirt, which swayed around her legs beautifully as she turned around.
"It's not too revealing, is it," she asked, cocking her head sideways and taking another critical look. She wasn't used to wearing dresses like this and slid her hand over her bare arm, trying to get used to the idea.
Georg walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Not at all," he reassured her. "It's just right." He kissed her on her top of her head, looking into her eyes in the mirror.
"That red one you tried on.... Now THAT was revealing!" He grinned at the memory of it.
Maria cringed in embarrassment. The saleswoman at Lafayette's had urged her to try it on, even though Maria didn't much like the look of it on the hanger. The bright red dress had exposed so much of her shoulders, back and cleavage that she'd hardly dared come out of the fitting room. Georg had looked at it, walked up to her, whispered something in her ear that made her blush as red as the dress, and she'd turned around immediately to take it off.
But the blue one was exactly right indeed. Maria took a last look at the mirror and then turned around to her husband.
"You look very handsome too, Captain," she complimented him on his suit.
"Thank you dear. But somehow, I don't think all eyes will be on me tonight." He smiled at her and offered her his arm.
"Come, Madame," he said, while leading her out of the room. "Your taxi is waiting."
****
Maria looked around in awe at the large baroque reception hall of the Opéra. The size of the building, and even this hall, were overwhelming. The design was sumptuous, with a lot of gold leaf, wall paintings and dark red drapes. A soft, excited murmur filled the room as the guests were pouring in to have a drink after the performance.
She felt Georg walk up beside her and turned to face him.
"Your water, darling," he said, and handed her a glass. "Are you sure you don't want a glass of wine?"
Maria shook her head. "I'm still a bit shaky," she declared, and took a sip. "It really was wonderful, Georg. Thank you so much."
He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close, grateful that the opera had met with her expectations. The story of the young Japanese girl who marries an American navy officer, and then commits suicide when he leaves her for an American wife, was so pure and simple that it had touched him, too. The music by Puccini was beautiful and Maria hadn't been able to hold back her tears as Butterfly sang 'Un Bel Dî Vendremo'.
"Just remember that this sailor will never abandon his wife," he whispered into her ear, making her smile.
They stood for a few moments in comfortable silence, just looking around at the décor and the people around them.
"Oh," Maria said, suddenly remembering something. "Do you know who I just saw? That Polish Count Grazinski, who's staying at our hotel too. Isn't that a coincidence?"
Georg nodded.
"I hear he's a famous performer," Maria added. "Maybe we could go see him?" She looked up at Georg's face to see what he thought of her suggestion.
"Well, maybe we could," Georg answered, deliberately vague. He wasn't sure if the kind of performance Victor did was something he wanted to bring Maria to see.
Maria gave him an enquiring look, noticing his evasive answer. But before she could ask him about it, a familiar voice sounded behind them.
"Well, isn't that Captain von Trapp with his new bride?"
The voice sounded friendly and polite enough, but with an icy edge. Maria and Georg turned around as one.
Holding a glass of champagne and smiling broadly at them was Baroness Schraeder.
I thought I might declare this fic finished after Georg and Maria made it back safely from their perilous picnic trip ;-). But I got so many requests for more AND so many good suggestions with regard to what else they could be doing from you all, that I decided to go on! I'll try to work in as many of your ideas as possible.
So thank you all for the wonderful feedback! (And keep it coming please.) JoolsFan
Chapter 7 -Surprise!
"Thank you," nodded Georg as the waiter placed his breakfast in front of him.
The waiter walked around him and placed Maria's tray in front of her, as well. As she thanked him, Georg shot an enquiring look at the waiter. Almost impossible to notice, the waiter nodded reassuringly at him before turning around and walking away.
Maria picked up her napkin and placed it in her lap.
"What was that about?" she asked.
Georg looked at her in surprise, then quickly tried to pull an innocent face.
"What, darling?"
"That look you exchanged with Guido?"
"Look? What look?" Georg looked at her with a blank face, and started to butter a piece of toast.
"You're up to something, I can feel it," she told him, and made a grimace at him. When he continued buttering, she sighed in defeat, knowing he wasn't about to tell her what was going on.
"Maybe you're imagining things because you're hungry," Georg suggested, while nodding at the silver cover, which was still atop her plate.
Maria actually wasn't very hungry at all, but took the cover off her plate anyway, figuring she could at least try a bit of toast. But instead of the toast and croissant she was expecting, a cream coloured envelope lay on the plate.
'See! I knew you were conspiring about something with Guido," she exclaimed triumphantly.
'I'm completely innocent," claimed Georg, looking at the envelope. "I have no idea where that came from." But inwardly he smiled. Maria never missed anything.
She gave him a sideways glance before picking up the envelope and turning it around in her hands. There was nothing written on it, making it even more mysterious.
"Go on, open it," urged Georg.
Maria folded it open and found three pieces of paper inside. She took them out and saw that two looked like theatre tickets, and one was a note in a handwriting she recognised immediately as Georg's. She picked it up and started to read out loud.
"My love, I cannot thank you enough for having brought music back into my life. Now let me bring some music into yours.
I love you.
Georg"
Maria swallowed back the lump that had formed in her throat when she read the simple, honest statement. She looked up at Georg for a second before reading out what the tickets said.
"Madame Butterfly... " she whispered. "Georg, these are for tonight!"
His heart filled with joy as he saw her face. Loving music as she did, she had expressed her desire to go to the Opéra, but the receptionist had told them the performances were usually sold out months in advance. Georg however had pulled a few strings and managed to get the much-coveted tickets. Looking at Maria, he knew it had been worth the trouble. She was looking at the tickets with an expression of total admiration.
"I'm glad you like it," Georg said, putting his hand over hers.
She bent over to him and kissed his lips.
"I love you," she said simply.
"And I you, Baroness. Now let's finish breakfast."
*****
Carefully, Georg fastened the last tiny velvet button. "Done," he announced, and took a step back. Slowly, Maria turned around to face him. She smiled a shy smile at him and bit her lower lip in expectation, while waiting for him to comment.
"Beautiful," he whispered softly. "Maria, you are absolutely stunning."
She smiled as a blush crept up to her cheeks. She stroked the material lovingly and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She felt the same kind of surprise she had experienced when she'd looked at herself in her wedding dress. Was this really her?
The mirror reflected a beautiful young woman, her eyes sparkling, her skin glowing, and looking gorgeous and sophisticated in a dark blue velvet evening gown. It was sleeveless with a v-neckline and a deep v on her back, too. The cut was sleek and fitting, flaring out into a slightly wider skirt, which swayed around her legs beautifully as she turned around.
"It's not too revealing, is it," she asked, cocking her head sideways and taking another critical look. She wasn't used to wearing dresses like this and slid her hand over her bare arm, trying to get used to the idea.
Georg walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Not at all," he reassured her. "It's just right." He kissed her on her top of her head, looking into her eyes in the mirror.
"That red one you tried on.... Now THAT was revealing!" He grinned at the memory of it.
Maria cringed in embarrassment. The saleswoman at Lafayette's had urged her to try it on, even though Maria didn't much like the look of it on the hanger. The bright red dress had exposed so much of her shoulders, back and cleavage that she'd hardly dared come out of the fitting room. Georg had looked at it, walked up to her, whispered something in her ear that made her blush as red as the dress, and she'd turned around immediately to take it off.
But the blue one was exactly right indeed. Maria took a last look at the mirror and then turned around to her husband.
"You look very handsome too, Captain," she complimented him on his suit.
"Thank you dear. But somehow, I don't think all eyes will be on me tonight." He smiled at her and offered her his arm.
"Come, Madame," he said, while leading her out of the room. "Your taxi is waiting."
****
Maria looked around in awe at the large baroque reception hall of the Opéra. The size of the building, and even this hall, were overwhelming. The design was sumptuous, with a lot of gold leaf, wall paintings and dark red drapes. A soft, excited murmur filled the room as the guests were pouring in to have a drink after the performance.
She felt Georg walk up beside her and turned to face him.
"Your water, darling," he said, and handed her a glass. "Are you sure you don't want a glass of wine?"
Maria shook her head. "I'm still a bit shaky," she declared, and took a sip. "It really was wonderful, Georg. Thank you so much."
He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close, grateful that the opera had met with her expectations. The story of the young Japanese girl who marries an American navy officer, and then commits suicide when he leaves her for an American wife, was so pure and simple that it had touched him, too. The music by Puccini was beautiful and Maria hadn't been able to hold back her tears as Butterfly sang 'Un Bel Dî Vendremo'.
"Just remember that this sailor will never abandon his wife," he whispered into her ear, making her smile.
They stood for a few moments in comfortable silence, just looking around at the décor and the people around them.
"Oh," Maria said, suddenly remembering something. "Do you know who I just saw? That Polish Count Grazinski, who's staying at our hotel too. Isn't that a coincidence?"
Georg nodded.
"I hear he's a famous performer," Maria added. "Maybe we could go see him?" She looked up at Georg's face to see what he thought of her suggestion.
"Well, maybe we could," Georg answered, deliberately vague. He wasn't sure if the kind of performance Victor did was something he wanted to bring Maria to see.
Maria gave him an enquiring look, noticing his evasive answer. But before she could ask him about it, a familiar voice sounded behind them.
"Well, isn't that Captain von Trapp with his new bride?"
The voice sounded friendly and polite enough, but with an icy edge. Maria and Georg turned around as one.
Holding a glass of champagne and smiling broadly at them was Baroness Schraeder.