~*Chapter 2*~
Surprised Maria looked at the woman. "What do you want?"
"I got to talk to you, Baroness."
"I'm not a Baroness anymore."Maria whispered, feeling the knot in her stomach again.
Klara laughed. "Well, maybe not at the moment."When Maria did not respond, she went on. "You see, we – Georg and I- are deeply sorry."
"Georg and you?"Maria asked confused
"Yes. However, this was the only way."
"The only way....."Maria looked at her wedding ring again, suddenly feeling the tears coming again. "The only way."She laughed sadly.
"Don't get me wrong. Georg never intended to have a divorce, especially not because of me."
"Really, he didn't? Well to me, everything seems very real!" Maria said aloud.
"I want you to listen to me very carefully now. We don't have much time, in a few minutes this house will be filled with people to organize everything for the wedding."
"The wedding?"Maria almost shouted. "He doesn't loose much time, does he?"
"If you'd ask him, he would tell you that he has already lost too much time–"The sound of arriving cars came through the open windows. "Listen. Take the money that Georg offered you as compensation."
"I won't take anything from him!"
"But you've got to! Haven't you wondered why it's so much?"
"I –"
"Just listen to me!"The sound of a closing door down in the hallway made Klara hurry. "Take the money and leave Austria for a long trip to England, pretend you want to make a journey to forget the divorce – a journey you will never return from. Do you understand me? Never come back to Austria! Make sure that the money isn't in a German bank. Georg will –"she was interrupted by the voice of Herr Zeller.
"Mrs. Kutschera,"he laughed. "I think it's better if you leave this house, now!"
Klara looked at him. "I thought she was already out! Can you imagine how embarrassing it is! I come here to my new home and there's still this, this – Governess". With that, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.
~*~*~*~*~
Everybody except the von Trapp children applauded. They watched the scenery with unbelieving eyes. They had not spoken with their father since he had told them of the divorce of Maria. They just couldn't understand what had happened. Why he behaved so distant again. He even wanted to send them to a bordering school in England. Moreover, he seemed to have arranged with the program of the NSDAP. Actually, none of them had wanted to go to the wedding, but their father had told them unequivocal that they better should. So they finally had given in, however they still ignored their father and his new wife, punishing them with silence.
Nevertheless, nobody, neither the children nor the other guests, noticed that the kiss between the freshly married couple missed everything it should have. There was no longing, no passion. It was just the seal on a pact they had made a long time before.
**ATN: NSPAP means "Nationalsozialistische Partei Deutschlands", that's the name of Hitler's party *** Thanks a lot to my two Betas*** @ChickenCurry: Never forget: The hills are alive with the Sound of Music;-)****
Surprised Maria looked at the woman. "What do you want?"
"I got to talk to you, Baroness."
"I'm not a Baroness anymore."Maria whispered, feeling the knot in her stomach again.
Klara laughed. "Well, maybe not at the moment."When Maria did not respond, she went on. "You see, we – Georg and I- are deeply sorry."
"Georg and you?"Maria asked confused
"Yes. However, this was the only way."
"The only way....."Maria looked at her wedding ring again, suddenly feeling the tears coming again. "The only way."She laughed sadly.
"Don't get me wrong. Georg never intended to have a divorce, especially not because of me."
"Really, he didn't? Well to me, everything seems very real!" Maria said aloud.
"I want you to listen to me very carefully now. We don't have much time, in a few minutes this house will be filled with people to organize everything for the wedding."
"The wedding?"Maria almost shouted. "He doesn't loose much time, does he?"
"If you'd ask him, he would tell you that he has already lost too much time–"The sound of arriving cars came through the open windows. "Listen. Take the money that Georg offered you as compensation."
"I won't take anything from him!"
"But you've got to! Haven't you wondered why it's so much?"
"I –"
"Just listen to me!"The sound of a closing door down in the hallway made Klara hurry. "Take the money and leave Austria for a long trip to England, pretend you want to make a journey to forget the divorce – a journey you will never return from. Do you understand me? Never come back to Austria! Make sure that the money isn't in a German bank. Georg will –"she was interrupted by the voice of Herr Zeller.
"Mrs. Kutschera,"he laughed. "I think it's better if you leave this house, now!"
Klara looked at him. "I thought she was already out! Can you imagine how embarrassing it is! I come here to my new home and there's still this, this – Governess". With that, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.
~*~*~*~*~
Everybody except the von Trapp children applauded. They watched the scenery with unbelieving eyes. They had not spoken with their father since he had told them of the divorce of Maria. They just couldn't understand what had happened. Why he behaved so distant again. He even wanted to send them to a bordering school in England. Moreover, he seemed to have arranged with the program of the NSDAP. Actually, none of them had wanted to go to the wedding, but their father had told them unequivocal that they better should. So they finally had given in, however they still ignored their father and his new wife, punishing them with silence.
Nevertheless, nobody, neither the children nor the other guests, noticed that the kiss between the freshly married couple missed everything it should have. There was no longing, no passion. It was just the seal on a pact they had made a long time before.
**ATN: NSPAP means "Nationalsozialistische Partei Deutschlands", that's the name of Hitler's party *** Thanks a lot to my two Betas*** @ChickenCurry: Never forget: The hills are alive with the Sound of Music;-)****
