Ch. 6: The Austrian Alps
Maria stared at the beauty of the mountains as the train journeyed over the hills. She had always been so amazed by their beauty. She watched and glanced down at Georg who was by her side sleeping. She smiled to herself thinking of how she always thought it was typically the women who was always falling asleep on the male's shoulder.
Georg stirred soon enough and they began to discuss their plans for the trip.
"I was thinking we could go up to the mountains for a night and then go to the villa." Georg told her. Maria liked the idea, but knew the children would want to see their Father.
"Georg I would love to, but your children are probably desperate to see you. We should go and see them first." Maria told him.
"But…I…" He started.
"No." Maria cut him off. "I am anguish to meet your children and I insist that we go and meet them tonight."
"You don't loose many arguments, do you?" He asked with a smile.
"Not when I am the one who is correct." Maria told him.
"All right lets go and see our…I mean my children first." Georg grew quiet after his slip. How could he already feel they were her children as well when she didn't even know them? As far as he knew she could hate all seven of them. He found that doubtful, but nonetheless a possibility…according to newspapers anyways.
They boarded a bus in Salzburg and soon they were approaching the villa. He could sense Maria's growing nervousness as they neared his house.
"Renee?" He asked closing the gap between them. "Are you all right?"
"Well…no I…" She started.
"Your nervous about meeting my children?" He asked.
"Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl…" She said not paying any attention to him. Noticing him starring at her she spoke. "Oh nervous…who said anything about being nervous?"
"I know you well enough to know that you are nervous." He told her taking her hand. Maria broke and nodded her head.
"I'm terrified," she admitted. "Georg what if they hate me?"
"How could they hate you? You are the nicest person I have ever met. It will be fine." He told her as he gave her a kiss. "Don't worry." he whispered. "I love you."
The door to the villa swung open and out popped two little heads.
"Father is home!" One of them cried.
"Everyone line up in a neat orderly fashion." Came the cry from a girl with dark brown hair.
"Brigitta, we don't line up anymore remember?" Called a small girl that looked no more than five. Georg and Maria got out of the car and walked towards the children. The children ran and met them half way.
"We missed you Father!" They cried in unison.
"Well I missed you." Georg told them while scooping up Marta in his hands.
"Where is the baroness?" Liesl asked happily waiting for the news she knew was coming. Their father had written to them so they were well aware that she was gone…or that's what it sounded like.
"The Baroness and I called off our engagement, like I told you children. She returned to Vienna…I think." He told them giving Renee a smile, but also fearing what Elsa might have up her sleeve if she was truly searching for the "real" Renee. "Anyways children this is Renee, she is a famous singer in Paris and she is going to be staying here for a week with us. Renee, these are my children." He told her with a smile.
"How do you do?" Maria asked. The children smiled at her and Gretl stepped up closer.
"Are you really famous? Can you really sing?" She asked.
"Some people say so, Gretl. I guess it depends on who you ask." Gretl smiled in shock that she knew who she was.
"Do you sing in front of a whole lot of people?" Brigitta asked fascinated.
"Yes Brigitta. Lets see have you been to the Salzburg Music Festival?" Maria asked. The children nodded their heads excitedly. "Well it is much bigger than that."
"Really?" Brigitta asked.
"Father I want to go there." Louisa told him.
"Where to Paris?" Georg asked her.
"Yes and I want to see Renee sing." She told him.
"Well maybe someday you will." Maria supplied. "Maybe on day Louisa you can even sing there yourself." Even thought she was shy her eyes lit up with happiness.
"Oh I am too shy." Louisa answered. "But, Father used to sing with us all the time. We haven't sung recently though."
"You never told me you could sing Georg." Maria said amused.
"Well you know it's not something one talks about especially if they are in the midst of a wonderful singer…" He mumbled.
"Nonsense I am sure you are a wonderful singer. Do you children have a guitar?"
"Yes we do." Liesl answered.
"Do you play Liesl?" Maria asked.
"Well Father tried to teach me, but we both are impatient and we stopped practicing because I was not getting it." She answered.
"Do you still want to learn?" Liesl nodded her head. "Well then we should not waist anytime lets go and get the guitar and sing some songs!" Maria exclaimed excitedly. The children ran into the house happy that they had an opportunity to sing. They noticed a difference from Renee and the rest of the upper class from the start. They weren't sure what the difference was exactly and the reason behind it, but they loved it all the same and took and immediate liking to Renee.
The rest of the day was full of singing songs that were traditional Austrian folk songs. The children loved and cherished them. While singing Maria found out that Georg was indeed a wonderful singer and she relished in the fact that she was able to meet his family and that they liked her.
By the end of the week the children had fallen in love with Renee who was beginning to seem more like a mother to them than anything else. The children suspected something was going on between their father and Renee, though they were not positive since he had not said anything to them about it. The day came that Georg spoke to his children about Renee.
"Children can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked them. They nodded as they went into the room and sat and the soft couches.
"First of all I want to ask you if you would like to go on a picnic to the mountains tomorrow. Renee wanted to go and she told me she wanted to take all of you children with us. So would you like to do that?" He asked.
Seven heads nodded sharply and the little girls smiles brightened at the idea of a picnic in the Alps.
"I would also like to discuss another topic. Am I right in assuming that you children really like Renee?" He asked.
"Yes Father. We adore her!" Liesl's voice said followed by enthusiastic chatter from the children. Georg was not sure how to say what he wanted to, but began anyway.
"How would you feel then if you had a new mother?" He asked quietly.
"A new mother?" Louisa questioned.
"Yes if I asked Renee to marry me?" Suddenly seven heads burst into large grins as they jumped up and hugged their father.
"We would love for her to be in our family!" Brigitta cried. Georg was happy they were taking it so well and he almost became overly happy until he realized something.
"Renee's going to be my mother!" Gretl cried happily. Then it dawned on Georg.
"Well she still has to say yes first darling." Georg answered her. The hardest part still was in the future. He wasn't sure how he should go about asking her to marry him. He quickly decided to ask her on the hills and told the children not to mention anything about their conversation to Renee.
The children and Maria and Georg marched up to the mountains with picnic baskets. They discovered a nice meadow by a pond to sit by. After eating and some singing the children were happily splashing in the water while Liesl watched them making sure none of the little ones would drown.
Maria looked over the hills. The more she saw of Austria the more she realized she missed her old life. As much as she loved performing, the city wasn't her favorite place to live in. Maybe, she thought, it was time to go back to the Abbey in Salzburg. The thought of that scared her and gave her a strange feeling inside. How was she supposed to get through this terrible lie that she was Renee? She would eventually have to tell Georg. There was no way around that and once she did…well she would lose him. That thought made her even more depressed…she really did love him and wished with all her heart he loved her…the real her.
"Renee?" His voice broke her thoughts and brought her back to reality.
"Hmm?" She asked as she put her arms around him.
"I love you." He murmured and kissed her softly. She smiled and told him she loved him to. "You have changed my life in so many ways and…well…I was wondering…. will you marry me?" Maria's smile quickly turned into a stunned expression. Marry him? How was she supposed to answer that request? She would love to, but she was not the true Renee.
"I umm…" She started.
"I know Renee it would be difficult with you performing in Paris and me living in Salzburg, but I love you so much I would move to Paris for you and…"
"I was actually just thinking of how much I missed Austria." Maria told him honestly. "I was thinking of coming back here…back home and leaving Paris."
"But your whole career that you worked so hard for…"
"Georg, I umm…the one thing that is most important in my life is right in Austria…you and the children. I love you all so dearly all I could ever ask for in life is to be your wife." She told him. "I love you."
Georg grinned and scooped her into his arms and kissed her fully on the lips. He took her finger and slid a small sapphire ring onto her hand. She smiled at it with tears in her eyes.
"Children!" Georg yelled happily. With his yell the children ran from the pond to where Maria was standing with their Father. "You are going to have a new mother." By just saying that, seven happy children flung themselves into Maria's arms with glee.
"Are you going to stay with us forever Renee?" Asked Gretl.
"Well I have to go back to Paris in two days to finish my performances in the Opera, but then I will come back." She answered.
"Oh…" the seven of them moaned.
"It is all right children it is closing in about a half a month." She told them.
"That's still a long time." Kurt said angrily.
"Well then how about we celebrate and go to Paris for a half of and month and see Renee perform?" Georg asked the children. The children screamed with happiness yelling yes at the top of their lungs.
After another nice relaxing day Maria parted from the family and headed back to Paris to perform. As Georg told her however, it would not be a long separation. The children would get to journey to Paris for the first time ever in a little under one week.
A/N: So what do you think? Please review!