Thanks to everybody (prereaders, readers and reviewers).
Usual disclaimers here.
Salzburg, Von Trapp's villa, July 3rd 1937, evening
"So, you've known Father for years?" Louisa asked.
"What was he like at that time?" Kurt interrogated curiously.
"Is that true you knew our Mother too?" Gretl whispered timidly.
"Why hasn't anybody ever talked about you to us?" Brigitta wondered aloud.
"So I guess I can consider you as my big sister now, can't I ?" Liesl said smiling broadly.
"You're part of the family now. You won't ever leave us, will you?" Marta asked anxiously.
"Of course she won't! You're going to stay with us forever, aren't you Maria?" an excited Friedrich exclaimed.
The children, Mani's children, had recovered from their previous surprise and now were assaulting Maria with endless questions, which she was unable to answer to. So many interrogations, whereas she had not really recovered from her own shock yet. Never the Mother Abbess' motto had been so significant for her. "When the Lord closes a door, somewhere else he opens a window..." This sentence never had been so right. Maria could not believe it yet. It was too good to be true. So Captain Georg von Trapp was her dear Mani? How could he have changed so much? So different but at the same time he was still the man he used to be. The way he had ruffled tenderly her hair. The way his timid smile lightly lifted a corner of his lips. The way he pronounced her kind nickname. She had found him again, after all these years. Just a few hours had gone by and she was beginning to hope again, to believe she could be happy in this shattered outside world. Just a few hours and her past resignation had totally disappeared, evaporated. Just a few hours and she knew that she could be happy in another place than her dear convent, her old protective sanctuary.
"Maria?" Liesl asked, waking her up from her sweet reverie. "If you want to have some time by yourself, it's okay. Friedrich, Louisa and I can take the others to bed you know," she offered with tender smile.
A bit startled, Maria became aware of the children's presence again. They were staring at her with loving eyes. They have discovered that their beloved Fräulein Maria, who had helped them so much, already had met their father years ago, that, actually, she could be considered as a member of their family. It had been such a wonderful and surprising day for the whole family!
After Maria had recognized Mani, she almost had thrown herself into his arms as she used to do when she was a little girl. The embrace of their Governess and their father had surprised the children, while the Baroness watched them with growing displeasure. Eventually Mani had told them the whole story, delighting his children, reassuring Elsa. Of course, everybody but Max was too surprised at that moment to react, to comment the extraordinary piece of news in any way. When Mani had finished his story, exchanging a quick but gentle glance with Maria, a deep and tensed silence had filled the room where they were sitting, as if everybody inwardly tried to understand what this event really meant, what its signification had been in the past, what it was going to change in their future life. Then, fortunately, Max, as subtle and understanding as in her clouded remembrances, had offered a much-needed diversion, inviting the children to sing once more, saying that their first song had really impressed him. Songs were the best way to express unspoken feelings. Songs were also the best way to help not to think too much. Max knew that more than everybody else. However, Maria could add that work was the best way to escape from invading thoughts, so she drowned herself willingly in the incredibly long process of getting seven excited children to bed, telling them repeatedly she would try to answer their endless questions the next day.
Max was exhausted and all he wanted now was going to bed. Nevertheless, he did not want to leave Elsa and Georg alone as long as the expected argument had not happened yet. Both were dear friends of him, well especially Georg, and he did not want them to have an argument about some misunderstanding. Elsa was not happy at all with the last event of the day, he could tell. She had not uttered a single word for hours, which was not a good omen at all. The way she smoke cigarette after cigarette, the way she bit her lips constantly, the way she kept on watching Georg and Maria showed her increasing discomfort and jealousy. On the other side, he knew that everything concerning Maria was a quite touchy issue to Georg. The ship-girl, as he used to call her, was so important to him. She literally saved his life back in 1919, and she helped him so much today, just as a guardian angel would have done. Max silently prayed that Elsa would be able to understand that or else she would have to expect the worst.
The three were in the foyer now and tensed silence filled it once more. Elsa was sitting in the couch, smoking nervously. Georg was standing by the window, his eyes lost into space, certainly thinking about the delightful events of the day. Max was next to the Baroness, trying desperately not to fall asleep. He silently took a bet about who was going to break the silence first. Georg or Elsa? At last, the Baroness spoke, trying vainly to hide her discomfort. He just had won his bet.
"So, darling, would you be so kind to explain me all this things? She asked, her tone too aggressive in Max's opinion. "Not a good start at all..." he thought bitterly. The way Georg glanced blankly at Elsa confirmed him in his opinion. "Would you excuse me Elsa? I was not listening," he answered back flatly.
"I asked you, Georg, would you be kind enough to explain why this little Governess of yours almost threw herself in your arms?" she asked again with an inquisitive expression.
God! It waseven worse than he had imagined! Now Georg was looking at his guest with a frightful coldness. Max knew that cold, angry stare too much. Hell was going to break loose in that room if he did not do anything. Such a wonderful day could not end like that. Had not they talked about marriage a few hours ago? It would be such a waste! Clearing his throat, Max spoke before his friend could open his mouth.
"Well, dear Elsa, as our beloved Georg told you and the children earlier, Fräulein Maria, or, better said, Maria, happens to be that very little girl he looked after just after the ending of the war. It was then I met her too. He was thinking about adopting her when members of her family wanted her back twenty years ago. That's all. You can imagine her shock when she recognized us today..." he tried to explain as clearly and briefly as possible. Besides, how could he explain the intense relationship, which had grown between them? How could he put it into words?
Georg shot a thankful glance at him, smiling timidly. Max's brief but clear explanation had given him enough time to calm down a bit.
"There is nothing more or nothing less than what Max just told, dear. I really am sorry for not having told you about that story earlier," he said humbly. Then he went on, a bit more firmly that time: "I just hope that you will accept her as a member of my family, of our family, that's all."
"Of course darling, of course, if it can make you happy!" she answered vividly. She even tried to joke a little: "I just wanted to understand it all well. You can be so secretive at times, Georg, that it can be quite surprising. That's why I like so much, my dear mysterious Captain..."
Max looked down desperately, trying hard not to shook his head. The end of the day had not been as devastating as he had feared, of course, but that try at a mundane joke was really too much given Georg's current state of mind.
"Well, Elsa, if you had understood it all, it's perfect," he answered with cold politeness again, not answering the tentative joke at all. "Now, if you would excuse me, I'm going to rest a little since the day had been quite exhausting." With that, he walked towards Elsa and gently kissed her hand, before adding with a polite smile: "And I humbly think you should do the same, dear. Mountains air can be so exhausting to people who are not used to it..." With that, he saluted his old friend with another thankful glance and left the room.
God that had been close! However, they seemed to have jut out the difficult issue quite easily. Elsa was looking quieter now. Nevertheless, as Max watched his sophisticated friend smoking one last cigarette, he could not help to wonder what effect Maria's return might have in the following days. He was sure that Elsa had no reason to be jealous of Maria at all even if something in Georg's behaviour bothered him a little. Still, what if the ship-girl's return made his friend's old self reappear? He and Elsa were perfect for each other as they were now. However, there was no way she could stand Mani Von Trapp at all and vice versa.
Maria stopped nervously in front of Mani's study door. Just before she walked up with the children, he had asked her to come and join him after her nightly task. And here she was, just a few meters away from him. She had hoped this moment to come for years! Yet, she could not help to be nervous now. What was she going to tell him? What was he going to tell him? So many years had gone by! However, without really thinking of it, she knocked lightly at the door. Now, there was no way to back away. "Come in," his low voice answered simply.
Timidly, she opened the door and came in his private room. The sight of it took her breath away. Books, photography's, maps everywhere with no order at all, his collection of old weapons on the wall, countless and various objects he had brought back from his trips... That was so much like him! Then, she saw him, nonchalantly lying on the couch. Gone were the vest and the tie. He was reading. Staring at him incredulously, she tried to contain her laughter desperately.
"One word, ship-girl, one single word, and I make sure that tomorrow and I'll tell the children about all the little stupid thing you did when I had the misfortune to look after an insufferable tomboy," he said with mock severity while taking off his reading glasses.
She could not help it longer and burst out of laughter. Her Mani? Wearing glasses? It seemed so out of place!
"Maria?" he warned her, closing his book. Nevertheless, an amused smile was forming on his lips.
"I didn't say anything!" she protested, still giggling.
"But you thought of it," he answered smiling. "Well, that's good for this time ship-girl. Come and sit down now," he added while gently gesturing her to sit by him.
Maria's nervousness had totally disappeared now, so she quickly went to the couch, cuddling herself lightly against his shoulder. Taking the book he was reading, she playfully asked:
"Alexander von Humboldt's travel story? Don't you know it by heart?"
"Of course I know it by heart, but that's not a reason not to read it again. Once I knew a girl who always wanted the same bedtime stories," he answered with a twinkle in his eye.
Unconsciously cuddling herself closer, Maria smiled warmly at the remembrance. She asked tentatively:
"You wouldn't happen to have it at hand, would you?"
"Nostalgic, Maria?" he gently answered with a new question.
"I guess I am a bit. Aren't you?" was her simple answer.
Georg stared at her a bit surprised. He would have wanted to talk with her about what she had done during all these years, to explain how he had become such a mean person. He did not expect their old intimacy to reappear so quickly and so naturally at all. Besides, the way she was cuddling against him was affecting him in a strange way... Putting this curious feeling aside, he sighed. After all, travelling back to the past was not such a bad idea, on the contrary. He got up and looked for the special book. When he found it, he went back to the couch. However, before resuming his reading, he whispered humbly:
"I'm so sorry, Maria. I must have disillusioned you so much..."
She did not let him finish his apologize.
"I don't have the right to criticize you in any way, you know. Moreover, as an euphemism, let's say you badly needed someone as ill-tempered an stubborn as you are to help you to open up your eyes, am I wrong?" she answered with a gentle smile, stroking his shoulder lightly. She added finally, looking up at him mischievously, "Can we begin now, Captain Mani?"
"Of course, tomboy, let's go," he almost whispered. With that, he put his reading glasses on again and quietly began to read the magical lines expressing Christopher Columbus' wonder when he saw the Orenoque River for the first time.
Author's notes:
Well, I'm writing this because I'm afraid that some Georg's freaks might want my head after this chapter. If reading that he's wearing glasses bothers you, remember that he's apparently in his mid forties: people at that age begin to wear glasses! That's all...Don't hit me, please... ^_^
Moreover, as things are going to get more and more tense in the following chapters, I decided to ransom them: as soon as I get 10 reviews (5 for chapter 11 and 5 chapter 12), I will post the rest. Hope you don't mind the deal! ^_^