Maria exhaled happily, letting the cool mountain breeze sift through her hair. She could not have asked for a better day for the picnic with the children and the Captain. The sun was bright, the air was clear, the birds were singing; it was forming to be a perfect day.
The children were setting a couple of blankets down, their excitement clearly evident at not only spending the day in their new favorite place, but also accompanied by their father. The boys weighted the corners of their blanket down before grabbing the ball they had brought along. They ran up to Maria and their father, who were helping Marta and Gretl set up a few snacks.
"May we have a catch?" Friedrich asked, unsure which adult to direct his request to.
The Captain looked at Maria. "You're the expert, Fräulein," he said, and they grinned at one another. "Shall they have a catch?"
She laughed. "Of course," she answered. "Just don't go too far."
The boys ran off, Kurt trying to grab the ball from his brother.
Maria shook her head. "They'll be gone for a while. Well, at least until they realize how long it's been since they've eaten breakfast," she said, giving the Captain a wry smile. She turned her attention to the girls. "What would you like to do?"
Louisa grinned and, as if on cue, produced two glass jars from her basket. "I want to go collecting," she said.
"What are you going to do with your bugs?" the Captain asked with narrowed eyes.
The girl met his gaze and smiled innocently. "Study them, of course."
"Of course," he said, grinning at her.
"Go ahead, Louisa," Maria said with a sigh. "But please don't show me what you find. Just tell me."
Louisa laughed, stood up, placed her hat on her head, and dashed off to the far end of the meadow, a look of sheer determination on her face.
"Will she be alright by herself?" Georg asked.
"She knows this meadow almost as well as Fräulein Maria does," Liesl said.
"Fräulein Maria?" Marta asked quietly. "May we pick flowers?"
Brigitta and Gretl brightened at the suggestion. Maria looked at the Captain and raised her eyebrows. "What would you prefer to do, Captain? See if the boys will allow a third player in their game, pick flowers with a bunch of girls, or discover a new species of insect with Louisa?"
The Captain laughed. "You weren't kidding when you said this was highly entertaining, Fräulein," he said. "I would love to pick flowers, surrounded by such lovely ladies."
He walked over to Gretl and swept her in his arms. "Will you allow a boy to go with you?"
The child laughed and wrapped her arms around her father, and the Captain hugged her to him. He looked over to Maria, and found her staring at him, her expression soft and almost wistful. Their eyes met, and he smiled gently at her. Marta walked over to her governess.
"I saw a whole bunch of flowers over there!" she exclaimed, pointing to a spot near Louisa.
Liesl laughed and picked up an empty basket. She started to lead the group, but turned to regard her younger sister. "Are you sure you want to go over there, Marta?" she asked. "Louisa's looking for bugs nearby."
The child paled, but Brigitta huffed and took her hand. "Louisa will get the bugs before they get to you, Marta," she assured her sister.
The Captain set Gretl on the ground. The girl ran off ahead, laughing loudly and eager to be the first to find the prettiest flower. The other girls ran after her, all collecting dozens of edelweiss, gentians, and primroses, and gently placing them into Liesl's basket.
Maria and the Captain fell a few steps behind, walking in a companionable silence. Occasionally, they would stop to pluck a little flower from the ground.
He watched her for a moment as she studied the gentian in her hand. The deep blue of the petals brought out the hues of her eyes, and the tiny flower's delicacy seemed to mirror her soft beauty. He wanted nothing more than to push back a few strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face. The memory of touching her soft skin made his hand tingle, and he twitched his fingers. He realized that just being near her and talking with her made him feel more alive than he had in days.
She looked up, catching him staring at her. She blushed lightly, but smiled at him as the girls' laughter could be heard in the distance.
"The children are so happy to have you here, sir," she said.
He smiled and looked over at his laughing daughters. "I can see why they love this place," he said. "It seems like a different world."
She nodded. "It is a different world," she murmured, and Georg could see a memory flash across her face.
"Did you come here often as a child?" he asked. She turned to look at him, and he was slightly surprised at the way her smile faltered for a moment. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to pry."
Maria shook her head. "No, not at all," she said, recomposing herself. "Yes, I did come here often when I was young. My uncle's farm isn't too far from here, and I used to come to this meadow when I wanted to be alone."
He nodded, enjoying the insight into her past. "Your special spot, then?" he asked.
She laughed lightly. "Yes, it was the one place I felt like I could be myself," she confessed. "There isn't a lot of time for running and playing when you live on a farm. This place always made me feel closer to God, and it made me happy to be surrounded by nature's beauty. It's home."
Georg nodded and paused, looking around them. The rich greens of the forest and hills shown under the sun, and the majestic mountains filled him with a sense of awe. He heard her sigh and looked over at her, noting an almost melancholy expression on her face.
"What's the matter, Fräulein?"
She shook her head. "I was just thinking about what we were discussing at dinner the night of the party," she started and glanced around the meadow. "All of this is so, oh, I don't know… comfortable. It seems as if it doesn't belong to anyone."
"It belongs to you," he said, his eyes twinkling.
She smiled, but grew serious again. "I mean, everything seems to make sense out here, because it's so simple. It seems almost silly to me, to fight over things that really should belong to everyone."
He nodded, feeling his own sorrow creep up regarding what was happening to their home. They resumed their walking. "We're in a world that's disappearing, I'm afraid," he said slowly. "What saddens me the most is that my children, especially the little ones, won't be able to truly experience the privilege of growing up Austrian."
She sighed. "They'll have it in you, Captain."
He stared at her, a slow smile forming on his face. She noticed it, and felt encouraged by his silent but unmistakable agreement with her thoughts.
"Also," she continued. "I seriously doubt they will be forbidden from coming up here whenever they wanted to!"
He laughed. "Well, that depends on whether or not its owner will permit them."
She grinned proudly. "It's been my special place for years, but I grant you, all of you, special visiting rights."
He stopped walking and stared at her. "Well, I am honored that you've shared this place with my children and with me."
The casual hint in her smile disappeared as she returned his gaze. "I find as I get older that things are always better when you share them with the people you care about…"
Her voice trailed, letting the implication fade away. Georg smiled to himself as she looked down, flustered.
"I regret that I haven't accompanied you earlier," he said.
She glanced up at him and offered a comforting smile. "You had your guests, sir," she said and her face quickly paled. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to—"
He shook his head. "Please don't apologize, Fräulein," he said, his eyes serious. "It simply wasn't meant to be between the Baroness and myself."
She sighed. "I can't help but feel bad, though," she said. When she saw his puzzled look, she blushed. "Forgive me if I'm too forward, Captain—"
"You, forward?" he asked in feigned confusion, and they shared a wry laugh.
"If you'll forgive me, sir," she said again, "but I had hoped that…that maybe…"
He narrowed his eyes. "Maybe what?"
She exhaled in frustration, not knowing quite how to put what she wanted to say into the proper wording. "I had hoped that maybe the children could have a new mother, and I wanted everyone to be happy."
He nodded in understanding. "Well," he said slowly, "then you should be pleased that the Baroness and I decided to call it off. None of us would have been very happy if we had continued our relationship."
"Oh?" she asked, confused by the confession.
He nodded and stared into her eyes for a moment. "Well, you can't marry someone when you're…"
His voice left him as he saw her eyes widen.
"… not in love with her," he finished after a moment.
They held each other's gaze, each entranced by the other. The Captain wondered if he should say what was just brimming on the surface, if he should confess his feelings to her. But the startled look in her eyes told him she wasn't ready to hear it, just as he wasn't ready to voice it yet. He offered her a soft smile before looking down on the ground. Spying a lone edelweiss next to him, he stooped over and plucked it from the ground. Wordlessly, he reached up to place the tiny flower behind her ear. As his hand retracted, he allowed his thumb to trace her cheek.
He smiled at the sight of her, with the little white flower in her hair and her cheeks a charming shade of pink as she stared back at him.
"You belong on this mountain, Fräulein," he said quietly.
She smiled. "Thank you," she whispered, her eyes not leaving his.
The sound of laughter broke the spell, and they looked up to see the girls run past them, heading towards the picnic area. He turned to the meadow and laughed.
"I had thought they would have depleted the entire meadow of its floral life," he said. Maria looked up and followed his gaze to the field, which was still soaked in deep colors and spotted with white.
She laughed too. "I think they're emptying their basket so they can gather more," she said.
The Captain laughed harder. "What do they plan to do with them all?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Make wreaths, bouquets, decorate their rooms," she suggested, gesturing grandly with her arm. "They always seem to find uses for each one."
They noticed how Louisa and the boys had joined their sisters. The Captain looked at his watch.
"They must be hungry," he commented. "It's close to lunch time."
Maria shook her head. "I guess we should join them," she murmured, inexplicably reluctant to return to the children.
Together, they walked over to the picnic area, where the children were standing about, seemingly involved in a deep discussion. Friedrich and Brigitta were standing at an arm's distance, trying to hop in synch with one another.
"What are you all talking about?" Maria asked.
"We were trying to do that dance from the ball," Brigitta said.
The Captain pursed his lips in thought. "Which dance was that?"
"That Lend… the Lender…"
"The Laendler?" Maria suggested, a whimsical smile on her face. "I don't remember them playing that!"
"They played it earlier," Liesl told her. "I believe you were still upstairs."
Maria nodded, frowning. "Oh, what a shame! I would have loved to have done that dance!"
The Captain regarded her, a smile growing on his face. "You know it, Fräulein?"
She nodded, returning his smile. "I haven't danced it in years, but I always enjoyed it."
"Would you have danced it then, Fräulein Maria?" Marta asked.
She turned to the girl. "Yes, I would have liked to," she repeated.
"With Uncle Klauss?" Brigitta asked.
"Brigitta!" Friedrich snapped at her.
Maria looked down, embarrassed. She frowned as a rush of shame ran through her; she hadn't thought of Klauss at all from the moment she had walked out onto the mountain. She dared a look at the Captain, and felt a combination of confusion and, to her surprise, hurt, that he was staring off in the distance, a far-away look on his face. She exhaled, pursing her lips and praying for a distraction from the uncertainty welling inside of her.
"Maybe you can dance it now, then," Brigitta suggested, feeling bad for having upset her governess.
Maria looked at her, a smile of amusement and puzzlement on her face. "What?"
Brigitta smiled. "Can you teach us how to do it?"
Maria's eyes lit up. "Why, yes I can," she started, immediately liking the idea, but unsure as to how to do it. "But we'd need music."
"Can't you just teach us the steps?" Louisa asked.
"I think that's an excellent idea!" the Captain said, brightening at the thought. "But it'll be a little difficult on this ground."
Maria clasped her hands together. "We can do it! Let's give it a try!" she exclaimed.
Gesturing for Kurt to join her, she stepped away from the group, giving her and her pupil some space.
"Let's see if I remember it correctly," she muttered to herself. Looking over at the children, she smiled sheepishly. "Having the music would help jog my memory, but we'll make the best of it."
The Captain laughed, and she looked over to see him regarding her with an amused smile. "I'd think that this would be rather easy compared to a full scale puppet show," he said and they all laughed. "Didn't you tell me yesterday that you loved teaching music?"
"Yes, I did," she said, laughing again. "But this is a little more challenging than I would prefer."
"I have the utmost confidence in you, Fräulein," he insisted, and he saw her cheeks turn slightly pink as she smiled back at him.
The children nodded. Positioning Kurt to face her, Maria winked at him. "First, you bow, and I curtsey," she instructed.
They made a few hesitant steps to the beat in Maria's head when she looked up at the rest of the family watching them. She cocked her head, an idea coming to her. Turning to the Captain, she smiled. "Would you care to join us, Captain?"
His eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry?"
"Would you like to help me teach the children the dance?" Maria asked, that sweet smile returning to her face.
As he had been when she had had asked him to sing a few weeks ago, the Captain was powerless to decline. He turned to Brigitta and offered the girl his hand. Looking up to meet Maria's gaze, he nodded. "An excellent idea."
Soon, the family clumsily moved around the meadow, the Captain and Maria patient in their instructions. Georg moved to join each of his daughters, laughing out loud several times when he had to twirl "under" Gretl or Marta. He looked over at Maria, who moved between Friedrich and Kurt. When she felt his gaze upon her, she looked up.
"You have it easier than I, Fräulein," he commented wryly.
Laughing, she offered him a feigned sweet smile as she took Kurt's hand and skipped with him.
As Georg and Louisa struggled with the final turns of the dance, his daughter stepped away, frustration making her scowl. "The arms are difficult," she said, trying to position her hands properly. "I think you're too tall."
He nodded. "It's easier to show you first," he observed. He looked over at Maria, who was at the same stage of the dance with the boys. A thought came to him, and he stepped away from Louisa. Walking over to Maria, he tapped Kurt on the head, cocking his head for his son to step away. Taking Maria's hands in his, he smiled as she whirled around, surprised at feeling someone closer to her own height next to her. Her cheeks reddened as they stood closely, and the Captain felt himself exhale when he saw her shock dissolve to a soft smile. He returned the gesture and squeezed her hands.
He stepped away from her and turned to his children. "Allow us to demonstrate the final turns," he said. Turning back to Maria, his raised his eyebrows in question. "Fräulein?"
Maria nodded, hoping her cheeks had resumed their normal color. Wordlessly, she and the Captain re-positioned themselves to the complicated arm entwining, moving to a rhythm only they could hear. Maria looked up into the Captain's eyes. She had never stood so closely to him before, and the way he was staring at her made her knees weak.
The sun landed in his face as they turned, and his eyes seemed to sparkle in the light. She felt his arm tighten around her back, and she reflexively clutched his raised hand in hers. The light seemed to make their surroundings disappear. All she could see were the Captain's shining eyes, and all she became aware of was how her breath seemed to leave her body as they gazed at one another.
Maria froze in her spot and dropped her hands. The Captain stood still, gazing at her. She stepped back from him, stumbling over the ground she'd forgotten was there.
She blinked several times. "I don't remember any more," she said softly.
He smiled at her, the warmth not leaving his eyes.
"Your face is all red," Brigitta noted, stepping up besides the pair.
Annoyed with her blatantly expressed emotions, Maria pressed her hands to her cheeks. "It's hot," she said, knowing it was only a half truth.
"Your face was red when you danced with Uncle Klauss too," Gretl said. "Does everyone's face get red when they dance?"
The Captain, eager to deter the conversation from Klauss and to spare Maria from any further embarrassment, cleared his throat and walked over to his youngest child. Squatting down to her eye level, he grinned at her. "Their faces only get red when they're enjoying themselves," he told her.
"Is my face red, then?" she asked, putting her hands to her cheeks.
He laughed and covered her hands with his, kissing her nose. "I would say so, darling," he whispered. He stood up and turned to the rest of his children. "I don't know about you, but I've worked up quite an appetite."
The children started to voice objections, and Georg laughed aloud. "We'll finish some other time," he insisted. "For now, let's eat."
Realizing the dance lesson was officially over, the children slowly nodded and the group assembled to the collection of sandwiches, fruit, crackers, and bottled juice on the largest blanket. They sat about the large space, and the Captain looked over at Maria, who was sitting opposite him. She gave him a grateful smile. He winked at her, not ready to reveal that the distraction was as much for him as it was for her.
Georg put his arm around Gretl as the girl took generous bites out of her sandwich. He caught Maria casting continuous glances in his direction, and he smiled to himself. After a long moment, he looked up and their eyes met. He saw how her cheeks didn't redden this time, and her smile was more relaxed. The little edelweiss was still in her hair, and Georg knew he hadn't seen a more beautiful sight in a long time. He ached to stand up and walk over to her, take her in his arms and declare his feelings, but, for now, it was enough to be there on the mountain with her and the children. He was content just to sit there, surrounded by all the people he loved more than life itself.
Nodding at Maria, he hugged Gretl closer to him, completely at ease and in total peace.
To be continued…