A/N:

Guys I'm SOOOO sorry for keeping you waiting for so long! I've been really really busy…. And I will be very busy the coming week, too, so I'm issuing a review ransom! If I know you're all wanting more it will be a lot easier for me to write! So, as soon as I've received… let's say… 8 reviews, I'll update!! Thank you all for your great feedback until now – it is really important to me to know that people are enjoying my story.

But now, on with the next chapter!

PassionChild

Chapter 4

Completely in shock after the thought had struck her that Doctor Schwindler was Georg's son, Maria quickly ran after the two men and followed them into Louisa's room, wondering what she should do with the information she'd just discovered. For a second, she wondered if she should let this man enter Louisa's room - she wasn't even sure he was really a Doctor!

But then, Maria remembered the good advice and acute diagnosis of yesterday, and decided that at least, his medical expertise could be trusted.

As the Doctor greeted Louisa, who was just waking up, and discussed her situation with her and her father, Maria stood back a little and tried to decide what she should do.

While the Doctor continued to speak with Louisa, Maria tried to think of a plan.

"Well, I'm very relieved to see that you're feeling so much better," he told her, while patting her hand. "You just stay in bed until you've got your strength back now. I'm sure your father and your, eh… governess…" - he looked over his shoulder and gave Maria a knowing glance - "…will take very good care of you."

Louisa just nodded, still to weak to say much. But Maria was very happy to see that the colour of her cheeks was much healthier again. As the Captain and the Doctor made their way to the door, Maria quickly patted Louisa on the head. The girl's eyes were closed and Maria assumed she had nodded off again, but as she was about to leave, Louisa grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"Thank you so much, Maria,' the girl mumbled. "I know you saved my life. I know you were here with me all night… And thank you for praying for me."

Maria squeezed Louisa's hand tightly and smiled. "You just get your rest now," she told her. She bent toward the girl to kiss her cheek, and quickly left the room.

To her relief, the Captain and the Doctor were still talking in the corridor. As she approached, she heard Georg say: "Thank you very much, Doctor. I shall show you out."

Thinking that this was her only chance, Maria quickly walked up to them and put her hand on Georg's arm.

"Perhaps we should offer the Doctor a cup of coffee?" she suggested, smiling sweetly and looking from the one to the other. "After all, you've done so much for us."

Georg looked up to her with a grateful expression. "Yes, darling, that is a good idea!"

He turned to the Doctor. "Would you give us the pleasure, Doctor?"

Dr. Schwindler seemed doubtful for a minute, but then his usually serious face broke into a smile. "Yes, Captain, I'd like that very much."

Satisfied that she had managed to keep the Doctor in the villa for a little longer, Maria led the two men into the salon, her mind racing what to do next. Frau Schmidt was busy in the dining room across the hall, and came to ask if there was anything she could do. Soon, the Doctor, Georg and Maria were sitting down and drinking their coffee.

For a while, they talked a bit about Louisa, but when the conversation fell silent for a moment, Maria felt that she had to bring up the subject which had been holding her every thought for the last half hour. She had let Georg carry on the conversation with Dr. Schwindler as much as possible, so that she had had time to find a way to bring up the topic.

"So, Dr. Schwindler," she began. "I must say you seem very familiar to me. Could I have seen you somewhere before? In school, maybe? I'd say we must be around the same age."

She looked closely at his face, and she was not disappointed, for the Doctor cast a worried glance in her direction. For a moment he seemed thrown off balance, but he quickly recovered. For a second, Maria felt guilty for making the Doctor uncomfortable, but she realised she had no choice but to question him. She was certain he had been dishonest with them, and therefore she quickly silenced her conscience.

"Well, no, Fräulein, I am not originally from around here. I was born in near Genua, in Italy, and went to school there. I only came to Salzburg a few years ago, with my mother, who wanted to return to her home country. So I can't see how I could look familiar to you."

Maria was slightly disappointed at the Doctor's quick recovery and believable response, but she could see that her remark had at least had its effect on Georg: he was looking at the young man intently, his eyes squinted. She decided to pursue the subject a little more.

"In Italy! How interesting! Was your father Italian then? Schwindler does not sound like an Italian name to me."

The Doctor was now visibly getting uncomfortable at Maria's interrogation. But he felt that he could not do anything other than answer her.

"No, Schwindler is an Austrian name. It is my mother's name. I never knew my father." He spoke in curt sentences, making it clear that he did not enjoy to talk about this subject at all.

"Oh, I see." Maria nodded. This bit of information only strengthened her suspicion. "Would you not like to know your father, then?"

Her eyes never left the Doctor's face and she could see him turning red, and looking

uncomfortably in the Captain's direction. As the eyes of the two men met, Maria could see that something snapped inside Dr. Schwindler. The young man turned his head back toward Maria and lifted his hands in the air in a gesture of despair and anger at being so persistently questioned by Maria.

"Stop torturing me so! You must know, or you wouldn't be asking all these questions!" he cried out. Standing up, he took a step in the direction of the Captain, who was still staring at the Doctor with a piercing look.

"It's you!" The young man pointed his finger at Georg. "My mother told me that you are my father!"

For a moment, a deafening silence filled the room as the young man stood in front of the Captain, looking at him with piercing eyes.

Then, the Captain jumped up out of his seat and stepped toward the young man, so that they were standing very close.

"I don't believe you," he yelled at him. "How dare you come into my house and claim to be my son! Get out!"

The Captain put his hands on Dr. Schwindler's shoulders and started pushing him towards the door. He was shaking with rage and the Doctor had turned white in fear of the Captain, whose eyes were afire with anger. But as Dr. Schwindler started stepping backwards, Maria jumped up and pulled Georg away from him.

"Georg, stop that,' she screamed at him, pulling on his wrist to stop him from moving toward the Doctor.

Georg quickly turned his head, looking at her in surprise.

She let go of his wrist, putting her hands on his arms. She shook him thoroughly to make him realise the obvious.

"Look at him, Georg!" she told him. "Look at his face! His eyes! His mouth! Look at him and tell me that he is not your son!!" Her voice was high as the tears began to well up in her eyes. She calmed a little and took a step back, but did not let go of Georg.

"Just look at him, " she repeated.

And as the Captain did just that, Maria saw the anger change into disbelief on his face.

Georg studied the face of the young Dr. Schwindler, who had been calmed a little by Maria's influence on the Captain, and as Georg kept watching, he knew that Maria was right. He had seen it himself since Maria had started asking all those questions. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself - but how could he deny that this young man had his eyes, his mouth, and looked like an older version of Friedrich?

And the story - as the Captain recalled what Dr. Schwindler had told them about his childhood, he started to put the pieces together.

"Tell me your mother's name," he said, his voice beginning to tremble.

Dr. Schwindler looked into the Captain's face, and saw that he had already convinced him. All he needed to do was give the final bit of proof.

'Her name is Leonora. But you'd have known her as Lola…"

Hearing that, the Captain nodded slowly. Maria had not taken her eyes off him, and was not surprised to see the tears well up in his eyes.

"Lola… yes, Lola… '' the Captain said, his voice barely above a whisper. He shook his head, and then looked up into the eyes of the young man again.

'My oldest son…' the Captain sighed, and as the tears began to roll down his face, he reached out and put his arms around the Doctor.

Dr. Schwindler finally relaxed, and when he finally felt his Father's strong arms around him after all those years, he cast an upward look and whispered 'Thank you'.

Maria looked on as Georg let his emotions roll freely as he held his son in his arms. She could not contain her own tears, and for a moment, the three of them stood in the salon, expressing the sheer joy of having found each other.

***