Maria and Marta entered the dining room hand in hand and Maria paused for a moment when she realized that everyone else was already seated and waiting for them. The children sat along the sides of the table and the Captain and Baroness were already seated at the head, leaving the other end for Max and herself.

"Sit down here, darling," she said lowly to Marta with a slight nod toward the open seat.  She rubbed the little girl's back in comfort and kept her gaze focused on her charge, although she could feel nine sets of eyes staring at them.

Marta nodded and smiled up at Maria before sitting.  She glanced around the table at her brothers and sisters and grinned broadly as her silent way to let everyone know that she had spent time alone with her governess, something that did not happen too often for any of the children in the Von Trapp house.

"Good evening," Maria said vaguely to the entire table as she hurried to her seat. 

Max stood and pulled out her chair for her and Maria looked up at him and smiled.  "Thank you, Herr Detweiler," she said sincerely, grateful for his presence tonight.

"Well it isn't every day that I have a dinner date who shows up, and with our history I must use all my charms," he answered with a debonair grin. 

Maria cast him a sidelong glance and smiled again at the impresario.  "Well it's appreciated, thank you," she said softly.

"And I must say, my dear, it is very nice to have you back with us," Max continued while taking Maria's hand and kissing it. 

Sounds of agreement echoed from each side of the dinner table and Maria glanced at the children lovingly and smiled.

"I just couldn't take another gloomy face.  It took all I had to keep the lot of them entertained.  And I can be quite charming and pleasant if I do say so myself," Max quipped with a grin and a small shrug.

Elsa looked at Maria with impatience and smiled cattily at the sight of the naïve girl.  "Darling, you're boring the poor girl to death with all that chatter.  And you know how I feel about cold soup," Elsa interjected in an exaggerated tone, while gesturing to the bowl in front of her.

"You're the only who appreciates me around here," Max whispered to Maria with a sarcastic cock of his head toward the opposite end of the table.

"Oh Max, hush!" Elsa said through a gale of coquettish laughter.

"All right, both of you please," Georg said with authority while eyeing Max reproachfully and noticing his children's sullen looks as they waited to eat.  "Fräulein, would you like to say grace for us?"

The Captain looked upwards toward Maria and she instinctively looked to her lap without meeting his gaze, and merely nodded.  She could feel the Captain's eyes focused on her as she cleared her throat lightly, hoping that her quickened pulse wouldn't affect her voice.  She bowed her head and the rest of the table followed suit, including a clearly bothered Elsa who sighed loudly before conforming. 

"Lord, thank you for our health and safety and for blessing us with this abundant meal tonight.  May you make us truly thankful for what we are about to receive.  Amen," Maria prayed in a small voice.

Everyone began to indulge in the meal, and the silence all around reminded Maria of her first dinner with the family, before more interactive and lively conversation had evolved.  The clatter of silverware against china filled the room for a long while and it seemed that nobody wanted to be the first to speak.

Suddenly a small voice shattered the dreadful silence.  "Fräulein Maria?"  Gretl asked lowly while tugging on Maria's sleeve.

"Yes, darling," Maria answered with relief, grateful for something to distract her thoughts and break the awkward silence.   She looked to the little girl and focused her gaze on her as if they were the only two people in the room.

Gretl motioned with her hand for Maria to bend close to her and Maria smiled softly at her and obeyed, despite the many eyes she felt watching them. 

"I don't like this," Gretl whispered in Maria's ear while pointing to an untouched pile of green beans on her plate. 

"You don't?" Maria said with mock surprise while opening her eyes wide.

Gretl shook her head with certainty and looked at Maria with pleading eyes.  "Do I have to eat it?" she barely whispered.

"How about you eat half of it and then you'll be finished?" Maria suggested in a low voice.

Gretl sighed deeply.  "But…," she started to protest in a sullen tone.

"What seems to be the matter, Gretl?" the Captain suddenly interjected after watching the scene for a moment and noting his daughter's expression.

"I don't want to eat them.  Even half," Gretl said with a pout to her father.  She crossed her arms and sat all the way back in her chair.

The Captain turned his questioning gaze to Maria and she had no choice but to look up at him.  "Gretl doesn't seem too fond of green beans," she explained.

"I see," he said softly, meeting Maria's gaze.  He locked eyes with her for a moment until Maria glanced downward toward her lap, flustered.

"Eat your dinner, Gretl," the Captain told her firmly, clearing his throat gently and looking straight at his youngest daughter.

"Oh Georg, you're such a beast!  The poor child looks terrified of you," Elsa teased in a chiding tone while playfully tapping the Captain's hand. 

He smiled tightly at her.  "Well she needs to learn to be grateful for her meals and to eat what's put in front of her without pouting, Elsa." 

Max glanced around the table and could see Brigitta and Liesl eyeing Gretl, urging her to eat without causing a scene. 

"Georg, children are like---," Elsa started to protest before she saw Max hold his hand up to her to cease her speaking.

 "The trick, Gretl, and polite thing to do is to pretend you're too full to eat anymore.  I know it's worked for me and that's why I'm such a pleasant guest," Max explained in a knowing voice with a smile.  "No problems, just constant charm, good company, intelligent conversation.  Why I'd never make me leave."

The children giggled on either side of the table, especially when Gretl nodded with total belief.

"Father, I'm full so I can't eat these.  Even half of them," Gretl announced with big eyes while pointing to her untouched food.

Max turned to Friedrich and Louisa and winked at them.  All of the children noticed and started to giggle at the display.

"Max!" Georg called, casting him a disapproving look.  He shook his head critically.  "What are you teaching my children?"

"What?" Max grinned with mock offence.  "I'm offering valuable advice to the impressionable little dears free of charge.  Something I don't do too often you know, but for them I'll make an exception." 

"A barter for your keep I see, hmm?" Georg quipped with a small half-smile in his friend's direction.  "I think I prefer someone else's advice when it comes to my children."

Georg smiled wryly at Max and then turned his gaze to the still-brooding little girl.  "Gretl, listen to your fräulein."

"Really, Georg," Max replied with feigned insult.  He shook his head slowly, but winked at Brigitta and Kurt who giggled at his humor.

As Max continued to explain to everyone the merits of disciplining children according to his own credo, Georg turned his gaze to Maria and found her head bowed low next to Gretl's.  At first, the little girl sat pouting with her arms crossed in front of her, pursing her lips with obstinacy.  But as Georg continued to watch, he smiled to himself when he saw his daughter's stubborn look slowly fade.  He watched as Maria leaned over to cut Gretl's dinner into small pieces for her and as she whispered something in the child's ear, making Gretl put her hands to her mouth and giggle.  As if on cue, Gretl picked up her fork and began to eat her dinner with gusto.

Satisfied, Maria gave Gretl a kiss on the top of her head and turned toward her own meal once more.  She absently glanced in the Captain's direction and felt her cheeks tingle and her heart rate increase when she saw him watching her.

'Thank you,' he mouthed with a small half smile, his eyes fixated intensely on Maria's unwavering gaze.  For what felt like an eternity, the boisterous sounds around the table disappeared and they stared at each other, unable to break the connection.

The sudden feeling of someone tugging at his arm and calling his name forced Georg to return his attention to the dinner table.

"Georg? What do you think? Elsa asked him with a raised eyebrow, while patting his arm to try to disguise her impatience, not knowing that it showed in her voice nonetheless.

"What would I think of--?" he trailed.  " I apologize Elsa, what was it you were saying?

The Baroness quickly glanced from her fiancé to Maria, not at all oblivious to the moment they had just shared.  She smiled wryly before speaking with forced enthusiasm.  "Well, what I had said was that Gretchen wishes to spend some time with me while I am in Salzburg. She will be leaving for the Riviera in three days so I was thinking of leaving early in the morning to visit her.  I won't be away too long, darling; I couldn't stand the thought of leaving you for long," she repeated with a regretful pout. 

"Of course you should go," the Captain replied absently, his thoughts still clouded with confusion.  He reached over toward the Baroness and out of habit, patted her hand and cast her a smile.

"Wonderful. Then it's all settled. I will be leaving early tomorrow morning. Try not to miss me too terribly, will you Georg?" Elsa teased in a coy voice. 

The Captain forced another smile and quickly diverted his attention to the food on his plate. Had the table not been filled with the excited banter of seven young people who were so excited to see their governess, the rest of dinner would have been very quiet, as few other words were muttered for the remainder of the meal.