As I didn't post anything at the end of last week, here's chapter eight!

            Thank you everybody for your so nice reviews!

            Usual disclaimers here.

Salzburg, von Trapp's villa, June 23th 1937, afternoon

Maria had woken up this morning with new energy. After all she did not let any problems bother her for long.

She had decided today to take the children to a bicycle ride, an idea that rejoiced them a lot, especially the two boys who were constantly trying to get the better of one another.

"Friedrich! Kurt! Don't go that fast! We can't follow you!" she called cheerfully. The boys slowed down for a little while, waiting for their sisters to join them. However, they quickly found the slow and quiet pace annoying and Kurt said to his brother he was sure he could reach the crossroad before him once again. "Stop dreaming! Ready, steady, go!" shouted the older one. With that, the boys started another fierce race. Maria gazed at Liesl, shaking her head in mock disgust. "Boys..." The eldest von Trapp answered with a gentle smile:

"Excuse them, Fräulein Maria... With the other Governesses, they never even had the possibility to do something like that." Brigitta got a little bit faster so that she was next to her sister and her governess. Giggling, she said:

"Besides, I really can't see either Fräulein Helga or Fräulein Hannah dealing with those endless boyish demonstrations!"

Maria hardly could stop herself from laughing at the thought of old governesses trying do deal with that kind of races...

"Well, I just hope they won't hurt themselves..." she said finally.

"Don't worry about that... Father learnt them how to ride a bicycle in the past. They're really good at that, you know..." said Louisa behind her. 

"Ah..." was all Maria managed to answer. It was the first time one of the children told about their father that way, evocating what they used to do before their mother's death... What could she answer to that?

Thankfully, the girls and she reached the crossroad where Friedrich and Kurt were waiting for them. The first one was beaming with elderly pride :

"Fräulein Maria, I beat Kurt once again!"

Then, turning to his little brother, he whispered:

"Come back in a few years and we'll see who's the strongest... You're still too young to even..."

"Friedrich! It's not very kind of you to mock your brother that way..." cut Maria seriously. "Alright children, as we're going to cycle on the main road now, I want you to be careful and stay in a straight line, Okay? Liesl, go first please, I will stay at the end of the group..." she ordered kindly yet firmly.

"Of course Fräulein Maria!" the seven children answered obediantly.

Cycling quietly at the end of the group, Maria could not help to think again about Friedrich and Kurt's behaviour. They seemed so happy to be able to play like boys should at last... Still, their endless provocations reminded her of her past with Mani. He and his friends were always keeping on saying that they were the best at one or another thing. They were grown-up men, some of them with child as she could remember, they had been officers in the Austrian Navy, however, when they were together, they just looked like a bunch of teenagers... Strangely enough, Friedrich behaviour reminded her a lot of Mani's one.

Flashback

"You said what?" exclaimed a tall, large, blond man. "Repeat it, you stupid Austrian aristocrat!"

"I just said that, Count, even if you're apparently the strongest among us, you never had been able to cope on your own," Mani answered quietly lighting a cigarette. "Remember that time in Santiago? If Karel and I hadn't been there..."

"I would have managed perfectly on my own," the other finished.

"Of course, I'm sure... But ya would have had a lot of big issues. That's the problem with you, you always let your fists talk before your brain, you Hungarian peasant..." answered back his friend with a sarcastic tone.

"How strange it is to hear you saying that, Baron. As far as I can remember, I'm not the one who started the fights in Veracruz, Saigon, Calcutta..." the tall man began to count on his fingers. "Maybe I'm forgetting one or two more..."

"Yes, but I'm smarter and I always got out of it without a single scratch, unlike you..."

While Mani and his friend were discussing endlessly about who was the best at fight, Maria desperately was trying to get their attention so that they could begin to do something interesting at last...

End of flashback

Maria smiled at the remembrance... Too bad she was not able to remember any of Mani's friends exactly. If she had known their names, she could have tried to search for them... "Come on, Austria is not that big..." she mused distractly. However, she had to put those thoughts aside as they were turning to the path which led to the villa. They would arrive soon and then would begin the daily task of making the children change, dine, sing, go to bed... She was exhausted simply thinking about it...

Vienna, June 23th 1937, evening

Georg had the worst difficulties to stay awake. He just had slept a few hours last night and that reception was boring him to death. He sighed as he tried to find a quiet place, far away from the endless gossiping, chirping and, above all, that bloody orchestra who kept on playing waltzes and polkas by Strauss. "If they happen to play "An der Schönen blauen Donau" I swear I'll throw myself out of the window... I really am not in the mood," he thought bitterly.

"Georg dear, what are you doing all alone?" Elsa said gently while taking his arm. "Don't say you are getting bored, I organized this party for you, you know," she went on with a sensual tone.

"Not at all, darling, not at all," he answered with a kind smile, stroking her arm lightly. "Let's say I am a little tired tonight, I am really sorry, Elsa," he excused himself and kissed her hand.

"I hope you are not getting tired of me, because I planned to do so many things in your company this week!" Baroness Schraeder joked flirtatiously.

"How could I? I cannot wait for seeing everything you planned for us, Elsa," he answered, smiling gently at her. He was about to ask her to go out for a little walk when the first notes of  "An der schönen blauen Donau" resounded... "Oh no..." he thought desperately. All he asked was an intimate moment with Elsa not that... The Baroness raised an eyebrow as an invitation. "Georg?" He answered, a bit confused: "I am sorry Elsa, I am afraid I am too tired to dance tonight. I hope you will excuse me." She laughed a little then stroke his cheek lightly:

"Of course, darling, of course. Nevertheless, I would like you to explain your obvious disgust for everything the Strausses composed . It is such a beautiful waltz." With that, she walked away to join her guests again.

Georg's eyes lingered a little while on beautiful Elsa Schraeder. How could he have  such a dream last night? How could he have dreamt of another woman whereas he was so fortunate to have that wonderful person by his side? It was so unfaithful and he was deeply ashamed of it. However, he could not help to think that something was wrong. He was not sure, he did not know why, but instinctively, deep inside of him, something was wrong. Going out in order to get away from Strauss' waltz, he tried to put the thought which had haunted him since his arrival in Vienna aside.

A few guests stood at the terrace and were enjoying one of the first beautiful summer nights. He gasped. Among them was somebody he never expected to see again after their last argument more than a year ago. "What the hell is he doing here? He hates Elsa." Nevertheless, even if he was utterly shocked to see Count Ivan Tszabo, former Captain in the Imperial Navy, he could not help a warm feeling filling up his heart. "An der schönen blauen Donau" was still resounding in the house. Georg walked slowly towards the tall, blond man who was talking quietly with other guests. Ivan looked utterly bored. Smiling timidly, Georg reached for his friend's shoulder.

"Hello, Ivan," he almost whispered guiltily.

The other turned suddenly to face him, his eyes wide-opened with surprise.

"Mani?" Ivan was delighted. If somebody had said to him they would talk to each other again one day, he would have smashed his head at once. But Mani was standing in front of him, a timid smile forming on his lips. Ivan took his friend's arm urgently, quickly walking away from the group of guests. Alone at last, neither Georg nor Ivan could find a way to start a much-needed conversation. The last part of "An der schönen blauen Donau" was resounding. The tall Hungarian smiled mischievously and began to hum : "Te de de de dum, tum tum, tum tum, te de de de dum, tum tum, tum tum." Georg almost burst out of laughter at the remembrance.

"Cadet Tszabo, you're the worst violin player I've ever heard, please stay with the rhythm, will you!" he said imitating old man Münzenberg.

"And you, Cadet Von Trapp, will you stop bothering your comrades who try to do their part properly!" answered back Ivan, laughing too.

Georg gazed up at his friend and whispered guiltily "I hope you will forgive me. I'm so sorry..."

"Forget that, Mani... I do have a big mouth, y'know. As long you don't ask me to have a rejoiced face when you'll get married, I think I can behave... It's your life, pal. If you're happy, that's okay with me..." Ivan cut him, wanting to finish with the difficult issue as soon as possible. Then putting his hand on Georg's shoulder:

"Come, let's go and find Svetlana. She must be talking with old man Müzenberg and his wife."

As the tall Hungarian was leading him back in the house, Georg wondered why Ivan's allusion to his marriage was troubling him so much... It was not because the other knew about it, everybody in the high society of Vienna was gossiping about that. It was because he could not stop feeling that something was wrong. If only his little angel was there to help him once again. He missed her so much at moments like this...

Salzburg, von Trapp's villa, June 23th 1937, late in the evening

"How can a man be so harsh with his own flesh and blood?"

Looking at her beloved photography, an exhausted Maria was wondering about her employer's unsufferable behaviour as she used to do every night after having tucked the adorable von Trapp children to bed. Unfortunately, as hard as she tried, she could not find a single good  and understandable reason. Of course he had lost his beloved wife years ago but it was not a good excuse at all. On the contrary, he should have been more loving and caring than ever, he should have become their father and their mother at the same time even if it was difficult. If her dear Mani could see that horrible man, he would smash his head for sure!

Yet, something was bothering her. In fact, it had bothered her since her first morning in the villa. How could a man with such a kind and intense smile be so harsh and severe? How could somebody grieving for the Spanish people's pain be so indifferent to his children's one? There was definitely  something wrong with that man. When Frau Schmidt had told her about his relationship with the Baroness Schraeder, she had thought that she had to prepare those lost children to greet their new mother, to help this broken family to reunite again. She knew that she had to succeed in that task to fulfill God's will. However, some strange and irrational feeling made her want more. Maybe it was because  he looked like Mani so much at times. Maybe it was because his sad and intense stare had touched her so much. Whatever the true reason was, she had the feeling that she had to help this shattered man to be at peace with himself above all.

"How can a man be so harsh with his own flesh and blood?" she wondered again. Even if she did not know the answer to that painful question, she knew she would find it one day. Sighing, Maria turned the light off and tried to get some sleep, dreaming about a way to discover what was hidden behind Captain von Trapp's cold and aristocratic attitude.