Here is chapter four which ends what I could name the "When two lost souls meet" act... Don't worry, others will come soon...

Another big thanks to my prereaders Elizabeth and Franziska who I am giving a lot of work to!

Usual disclaimers here: I don't own TSOM, don't wanna make money out of it even if I'm broke!

Salzburg, Von Trapp's villa, June 18th 1937, morning

The next morning, Maria woke up quite early. Looking at her watch, she saw it was only 6:30 a.m. and then tried to go back to sleep, in vain. So, after a little while, she proceeded to get up and have breakfast before looking after the children who were due to get up at 8 a.m. exactly. The anger of the evening had disappeared and she felt now faint hope mixed with anguish. Seven children... She really did not know how she was going to manage... Of course, she had been a school teacher for a few years before joining the convent as a postulant. But it was so different now. Not only did she have to give them lessons, which would be the least difficult part she believed, but she also had to look after them all day long, from morning to the evening, and that would be really difficult. Nevertheless, she was quite relieved having been able to break the glass with them the former evening. Maybe the eldest, Liesl, would be glad to help her in her new task... And the little ones were so cute...

"I really have to make serious plans before doing anything," she thought as she walked down the stairs to the dining room. "First, making new dresses for me and new clothes for the children. Then, I will be able to improvise one thing ot two. There is no way that I let those children spend their summer holidays only walking in the park. It's so unfair..." She was lost so deep in her plans as she came in the dining room that she did not notice that the Captain was there at first.

The Captain was having breakfast alone, reading the morning newspaper. As usual, news of the world were not rejoicing at all and the columns were filled with sounds of upcoming disasters... He was pondering about the last news about the civil war in Spain when he heard somebody coming in the dining room. Looking up, he saw Maria entering the room, lost in her thoughts.

"Good morning, Fräulein," he managed to say flatly.

The postulant gazed at him, looking surprised by the sound of his voice.

"Oh, excuse me Sir. I did not see you. Good morning," she answered politely then took a seat. This time, there was neither a pinecone nor any other prank... Silence filled the room once again. The Captain stared discretely at the young woman who had angered him so much last night. He could say, seeing the faint spark in her eyes, that she was up to something, but he had no idea about it. "I just hope she will not launch a revolution in the household while I am gone... Let's pray..." he thought. Clearing his throat, he broke the silence:

"Fräulein Maria?"

"Yes, Sir?" answered the postulant, helping herself some tea.

"As I told you yesterday, I am leaving for Vienna this morning and..."

"I am sorry, but you told me that twice last night, Sir," she interrupted him then went on, smiling mischieviously:

"I perfectly understood that I must give lessons to the children in the morning then make them walking in the park in the afternoon. They have to get up at eight a.m. exactly and go to bed at nine p.m. no less exactly. They must not yell in the household or sing or play stupid and childish game or behave improperly if I have the foolish idea of getting them to town... I think I got the idea, Sir,  don't I?"

"Yes, perfectly" he answered back, trying to hide his rising anger. Yesterday, she was disobeying his orders and right now she was making fun of him. How did she dare? Damn woman. In order to escape from the doubts she had awaken in him earlier, he resumed reading his newspaper. However the sight of an article saying that the best solution for Austria was joining the Third Reich made him frown sadly. He heard her voice once again:

"Excuse me, some bad piece of news, Sir?"

"And why would a postulant be interested about news of the world, may I ask?" he answered back, his voice full of venom.

"You know, Captain, I am not a postulant in some Carmelite monastery... And I really am interested in news from the outside world," she said with irony.

"So, if you want to know, Franco's army had took the region of Bilbao with the assistance of the Nazis and the fascists whereas the democracies are always talking of the politic of appeasement. The Spanish Republic and its legally elected government will fall sooner or later, it is just a matter of time. Then the Japanese forces are rampaging China and Korea. Finally, Hitler is speaking more and more about the Anschluss and there are more and more Austrians who seem to agree with him... Should I go on or have you had enough bad news for your breakfast, Fräulein?"

"So, this is basically the same story as last week, isn't it?" she answered sadly.

He looked up at her, surprised by her sudden concern. "Yes, it is..."

She spoke again with a blank voice:

"Still, I believed firmly that somebody would react after the bombing of that small village back in April..."

"I am afraid that you are way too idealistic, Fräulein," he answered gently.

"Maybe... But..." she could not utter another word because of the tears that were forming in her eyes. "When I think about those people, those children killed in such a horrible way... What did they do?"

"I don't know, Fräulein, I honestly don't know..." was all he managed to say. He suddenly thought about his own children, condemned to grow up and live in such a dark time. "Somebody, anyone, protect them from any harm, please," he prayed silently.

Breaking once again the deep silence, he said softly:

"Fräulein? It is almost eight a.m. Maybe you should wake the children up so I can bid them goodbye before leaving for Vienna."

There was no order in his voice, just a suggestion.

"You're right. I am going immediately," she answered, happy of the diversion he just offered her.

The Captain looked at Maria while she was hurriedly coming out the room. He never used to talk about politics with anybody. So, why had been so eager to share his obsessions with a mere stranger, with a young, sensitive and innocent postulant? Maybe because he had the fugitive impression that she, among anybody, would be able to understand his feelings about that. Max was too pacifist and Elsa... Elsa did not care at all about that stuff. "Politics is so boring and depressing, come on Georg..." she used to say with a gentle smile... But the look in her eyes when she spoke about the bombing of Guernica, about the children... It remembered him a look that had haunted him for so many years. How could such a young child have wanted to die?

Maria tried to calm herself down a bit before walking to the children's rooms. The little ones were already wide-awake, waiting for their new governess to help them dress. Liesl and Louisa were preparing in the bathroom while Brigitta was in her bedroom, fully dressed. She waited for her siblings to be ready while reading a book.

"Hello everybody," Maria said cheerfully. "Have you slept well?"

Gretl went to her happily: "Oh yes, Fräulein Maria! I dreamt about kittens whiskers all night long and the thunder didn't make me cry at all!"

"That's good for you, Gretl" she answered, caressing the little girl's hair. "Children, you must go downstairs and have breakfast for your father is going to leave soon. Come on everybody!" With that, she proceeded to help the little ones dress while Liesl and Louisa went to wake the boys up...

All that activity helped her to forget the horrible events she talked about with the Captain a little. Still, more than the tragic news, something else was bothering her. It was the sad, almost despaired look he shot at her when he had answered, "I don't know, Fräulein, I really don't know..." It was so much like Mani's one when he used to think about his time during the war...

Salzburg, Von Trapps' villa, June 18th 1937, afternoon

The meal had been as much happy as it could be under the circumstances. But the idea of making new clothes has rejoiced the children a lot and now they were chatting loudly about all what they would do with such garments... Maria was sitting on the terrace, sewing a new dress for her and shooting a glance from time to time to the children who were doing a ball game in the garden. Even if she did not want to, she remembered the departure of the Captain.

The children were standing in front of the villa in a straight line, saying goodbye to their father. The little ones were having a hard time holding back their tears, especially Marta. He talked to her one last time: "Fräulein Maria? I hope you will manage all alone while I am gone. If you need anything, just ask Frau Schmidt, she will help you..."

"Of course, Sir. I wish you a good trip, " she answered softly. Then she almost whispered: "Be prudent, they say that Vienna is a dangerous town for those who don't think like the majority..."

He shot a surprised look at her. That glance, once again... He managed to form a timid, reassuring smile, the first one in years. Then he spoke to the children: "I will be back soon with the Baroness and Uncle Max. In the meantime, try to behave properly," and with that, he took a seat in the car and turned the engine on without looking back.

Maria stopped sewing suddenly. She had not seen such a smile for years, not since she had to leave him... No, it could not be... In the garden, the children were still playing with their ball...