Ch. 7: Truth Revealed
Michael and Maria welcomed the guests to the rehearsal. It was about to start and Maria was unhappy because her children had not yet appeared. The rehearsal began and soon that was over and the two of them sat down at a table to eat lunch.
"I think that went well." Michael said. "I can't wait though for tomorrow when I am really going to marry you. No more of this fake stuff." Maria had to laugh.
"I can't wait either." She said sincerely.
Georg watched the two of them from a distance. His children had whined about going to the rehearsal. None of them really wanted to go. The boys said they did not need to see a wedding more than once while the girls did not feel well. Georg learned that a few of his girls had caught a bit of the flu so he decided it was best for them just to stay at the hotel.
Georg watched his brother and was happy to see him look so well and happy. However he failed to notice Michael's fiancé. Georg very rarely noticed woman anymore. He had been so wrapped up in Maria he was unwary of them and while he would talk to them still he never would really look at them twice. He decided to go and introduce himself to his brother's bride. As he walked he wished Maria were along with him so he could brag at the beauty of his fiancé. He walked over to the table the two were sitting at. Maria was up getting something to drink. Michael spotted his brother.
"Georg?" He asked. "I thought you were dead." He said visibly confused. The two shook hands and Georg told Michael of how he survived the horrible camps and Nazi beatings. Michael was thrilled that his brother was still alive. It did not dawn on him that Maria was staring at them until he looked up for a moment. Maria looked like she had just seen a ghost. He face was pale white. Michael got up.
"Maria this is my brother Georg. Georg this is my fiancé, Maria." Maria's face became even whiter. Georg turned and stared at her in disbelief. It was she. Not wanting to cause a riot right there and then Georg stuck out his hand to shake Maria's.
"It is nice to meet you, Maria." He said slowly. Maria slowly put her hand in his and she felt a shock of electricity between the two of them. Maria knew he knew who she was. She couldn't help but stare into his sharp blue eyes. Georg wanted to take her and kiss her right there and then, but he knew she was supposedly about to marry his brother. The thought angered him beyond belief. The band began to play and Michael suggested they go and dance. A young aristocratic woman asked Michael to dance and Michael accepted and told Maria to dance with Georg. Maria practically screamed and told him no. Michael whispered and reminded her to that the polite thing to do was dance with people you didn't like.
Little did Michael know that Maria did not want to dance with him because she didn't like him. She didn't want to dance with him because she feared she what she would feel when they danced. He was her previous fiancé for crying out loud. She reluctantly let Georg lead her to the dance floor. Suddenly the song changed and the familiar strands of the Laendler filled the air. Maria's jaw dropped as she found herself once again lost in Georg's eyes as they spun around together. Georg knew he should not have accepted this dance. It was much too risky. He desperately wanted to be dancing with her as more than friends. The way it was supposed to be. They again stopped dancing, gazing into each other's eyes.
"Can I talk to you for a moment Maria?" He asked. He just had to settle this now. He had to win her back.
"Yes, sure lets go and sit down." Maria's head nodded. Georg had to resist putting his hand in hers. He found that hard to do. They soon sat down at a small table. Both of them stared at each other not knowing where to begin.
"Maria I wanted to tell you something…" Georg started. Maria cut him off.
"Georg, everyone thought you were dead. What happened?" She asked.
"They did think I was dead. Word got around, but it turned out I survived the Nazi beatings. I stayed in hiding for a while then came back to find you. I found out you were getting married…to my brother none the less." He answered her.
"Georg do you have any idea how hurt I was? How much it hurt me? I wanted to die. I didn't know what to do." Maria began tears in her eyes.
"Yeah sounds like you were hurt by my death. So hurt you decided to get married a month afterwards." Georg had not intended to be that harsh with Maria. He was not mad at her he was more mad at his brother and himself.
"It wasn't like that!" Maria shot back. "Michael taught me that I could still love people even after you. He brought my life back, kindov like what I did to you." Maria could not believe that Georg was acting this way. "Don't you want me to be happy?"
"Of course I do Maria. That's why I came to talk to you." He answered.
"Well what do you want to know?" Maria asked. Georg resisted the urge to kiss her fully. Instead he told her what he was feeling.
"Well the truth is I want to do something to you, but under the circumstances I do not think it would be the honorable thing to do…" He drifted off.
"Will you please just get to your point?" Maria asked.
"Yes my question is…do you love him?" Georg asked looking into her eyes.
"Well what do you mean? He is a really nice wonderful caring person. He made me happy after the news of your death. He…" Maria stuttered off.
"Maria you are ignoring the question." Georg told her.
"Well I don't understand it." She told him lying. He could tell she was lying. So he played along and explained it better.
"A One word answer Maria. Do you love him as much as you once loved me? Does just thinking about him make you shiver? When you touch him does that send a chill up your spine? Does his kisses feel even better than mine?" Georg asked. Maria would not answer. She grew more upset at Georg with each passing moment.
"Georg what is the reason for you making me so unhappy the day before the happiest day of my life?" Maria asked.
"Do you really want to know?" He asked.
"Yes!" Maria practically shouted.
"Then answer my question. Do you love him?" He told her. He knew that if he could just get her to realize that she didn't love him she would be his.
"I want to know what your point is first." Maria retorted back.
"My point Maria is that I love you more than Michael ever will. Don't marry him…marry me." Georg talked with tears in his eyes. He stroked Maria's check. Maria began to fall in love with him all over again until he whispered to her.
"I will always love you more than him. So do you love him?" Maria was already annoyed with this question. She was also beginning to think Georg just wanted her to prove to his brother that he was better than him. She pulled back and glared at him.
"For your information Georg I was hurt when you supposedly died. Then though, I found someone who I began to love so much. So the answer is yes to all the above questions." Maria stood up aghast. "Oh yeah, also he is a much better kisser than you." Maria stormed over to the lake leaving Georg at the table. He was surprised and a bit jealous at her remarks.
Maria angrily ran to her room and sat down by herself. She didn't mean to act so rudely to Georg, but deep down inside she knew he was right. The thought of him knowing her so well that he could read through her act mind boggled her. Maria decided that even though she would always love Georg she still did love Michael. That's what she told herself as she made her way down to the party. She saw Michael and Georg talking.
"So Michael I see how it is. I save your life and while I am rotting in prison you steal my fiancés heart hmm?" Georg asked him.
"I didn't know she was your fiancé Georg, until she told me about your family. She did not know I was your brother until today." He answered.
"You didn't have the decency to tell her I was your brother? That is being honest." Georg shot back.
"You are just jealous that your little brother finally has something you don't." Michael continued. "Anyways Georg, Maria and I were a match made in heaven. We were meant for each other. We have the same interests. We are the same age. You are definitely not her match. You are older and how can you ever love anyone more than Agathe. You can't. You were just using her for pleasure."
"What one Earth are you talking about? For your information I love her more than I ever did Agathe and I would never use her in my life. Age doesn't matter much and that is no reason to decide you are a perfect match. I love her more than you. That should tell you something." Georg yelled.
"I'm afraid you are wrong, I love her way more than some widowed Sea Captain could ever love." Michael said. This angered Georg even more.
"Look at us. We are acting like she is a prize to be won." Georg said trying to calm down.
"She is just a woman Georg." Michael said calmly. Georg felt ready to slap his brother over the head.
"She is not just a woman Michael. She is the most wonderful person on the face of this Earth it is sad you don't know that." Georg scowled. "I came to wish you good luck." He said insincerely.
"Thanks brother. I will see you at my wedding to Maria." Michael smirked and saw Maria. He kissed her fully in front of Georg to aggravate him.
Georg sadly watched the couple walk off. He knew that he had lost; yet he could not believe he had lost. He put his head in his hands and sulked. How had things gone so miserably wrong?
Note: Please review and tell me if you want a happy ending or not! So many things could happen…