I'm back! So here's chapter 21... Happy days, sweet remembrances and dark clouds approaching... Hope you'll like it! ^_^

As I'm having an examination right now, I won't be able to update the story before two weeks, so be patient, please... It'll be woth the wait!

Then, as I'm having an examination (four seven-hour-long tests), I badly need "encouragements" (yerk, yerk, yerk), I'm putting a ransom again. Let's say, ten reviews? Take your time since I won't update as soon as I get the reviews (chapter 22 is not even wroten) but I'll appreciate it deeply!

A huge thanx to my prereaders here again, for the 21st time!

Usual disclaimers here, and I don't own Much ado about nothing or any play by dear old William (or any movie by great "sir" Kenneth Branagh!!!)

Salzburg, von Trapp's villa, September 12th 1937, afternoon

The children were enjoying the last days of their summer holidays as much as they could. Soon school would start again with its daily routine. So they spent most of their time with their father and Maria, enthusiastically participating to the organization of the upcoming wedding, hiking in the near mountains or, like that day, just spending the afternoon in the park under their parents' gaze. Friedrich and Kurt played football, furiously trying to keep the ball or to steal it from each other. On the bench near the lake, Marta and Gretl were playing with their dolls, giggling happily at some jokes gone out from their imaginary world. Finally, Liesl and Louisa dreamingly listened to Brigitta who was reading some of their favourite lines from their favourite play by Shakespeare, Much Ado about nothing, sighing in wonder at Claudio and Hero's dramatic love, admiring the proud and noble Don Pedro, heartily laughing at the smart and sarcastic exchanges between Sir Benedick and Lady Beatriz.

"Please Brigitta! Read that line again!" Louisa pleaded. "I just love it!"

"Again?" Brigitta sighed. "I've already read it twice!"

"Just one more time!" her sister insisted.

"Please, one last time," Liesl said smiling broadly. "I love it too, it remembers me of some people here," she added discretly showing their father and Maria.

"You're right! Fortunately, Uncle Max's arrival has been much more simple and efficient than Pedro's plot!" Brigitta exclaimed loudly enough to be sure that the couple heard her. With that, she read the lines much to her siblings' delight.  Once again, Sir Benedick and Lady Beatriz's rethorical fight resounded in the park. Then Louisa asked Brigitta her book, winking maliciously at her, and reached for the first pages. Clearing her throat, she began to read loud enough so that her father could hear her:

"Sigh no more ladies, sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever,

One foot in sea, and one on shore,

To one thing constant never,

Then sigh not so, but let them go,

And be you blithe and bonny,

Converting all your sounds of woe,"

Her sisters cheerfully joined her for the last line:

"Into a Hey! Nonny! Nonny!"

They finished in chorus giggling helplessly.

While the children were enjoying this sunny afternoon as they wished, Georg was laying lazily in the grass, resting his head on Maria's lap. The young woman was sitting against a tree so that she could watch the seven children play in the park.

"Do you think they're making fun of me once again?" he asked stretching a little.

"What do you think?" she answered pleasantly with a broad smile. "It's just one more sweet little revenge, I'd say," she went on, lightly caressing his forehead.

"Yes, I'd say that too..." he sighed with melancholy. He had been so harsh with them for so many years... They had every right to make him pay a little, that did not bother him at all. Yet, each time the three girls were making fun of him, it remembered him how much he had been a bad father. That, much more than his daughter's mischievous jokes, was hurting him still.

"Mani?" Maria called him gently as if she had felt his inner and sudden guilt.

"Mmh?"

"If it can make you feel better, just think they're doing it to show you how much they're happy to have found you again, not to have some little revenge..."

"You may be right, as usual, ship-girl," he sighed and stood silent for a few minutes. Then, grinning mischievously, he asked his fiancée:

"What about you? What do you think about this rather sarcastic vision of men I don't agree with at all?"

"I don't know..." she answered dreamingly. "Well, people say that sailors aren't the most constant men on earth. You know? One foot in sea and one on shore..." she added, playfully tipping him on the nose.

"And do you, Maria Patocka and soon von Trapp, think about it?" he went on curiously.

"That I would not have agreed to marry you if I thought that way, darling.  Besides, the nearest sea is hundreds of miles from here, so I guess you have your two feet stuck on the shore for a very long time, my dear sailor," she told him bending to reach for his face.

"And I will never complain about that," he answered lazily before claiming her lips in a deep loving kiss. They pulled apart a few moments later, intently staring at each other.

"Is there a way I could thank you for everything you've done for me?" he asked her seriously.

"Well, apart all what you've already done, just keep your two feet on the shore forever," she answered playfully stroking his hair.

"I see that my daughter's readings are influencing you too much, tomboy," he groaned with mock severity. "I also see there's no way to talk with you seriously today so I'm going to resume the nap those insufferable girls had just interrupted," he went on, trying to look hurt, which made Maria more giggly than ever.

"Come on, it's just much ado about nothing darling! And let me say that you're really a terrible comedian..." she chuckled.

"Nobody's perfect, my dear Lady Beatriz... I wish my horse was faster than your tongue, I'm abandoning the game... Well, or something like that" he quoted from memory. "And, if you haven't noticed yet, I'm sleeping," he lazily concluded closing his eyes under Maria's laughing and loving gaze.

"Have a nice nap, my dear Sir Benedick..."

Losing track of time, forgetting her surroundings, Maria stood still, not wanting to disturb his nap. Caressing his forehead lightly, she enjoyed watching him sleep peacefully, listening to his quiet and rythmic breathing. She was so absorbed by her loving contemplation that she did not notice that Liesl silently had come and sat by them.

"He always looks so quiet and peaceful when he sleeps," the young girl softly whispered. "Ever since I'm a child, I always have liked to watch him during his naps."

A bit surprised, Maria looked up at Liesl. Then, smiling gently, she answered:

"Yes. He's so different... When you look at him in those moments, it's hard to believe he can be so hot-headed or even...so harsh."

Both young women stood silent, wondering how a man who looked so kind and gentle in his sleep could have ever been such a distant person for years.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Liesl asked suddenly.

"Of course, darling. Whatever you want," Maria said softly, not stopping to caress her fiancé's forehead.

"You know, during all these years when Father has been so harsh with us..." She stopped talking. Even if everything had changed, she still found it difficult to evoke those days. Taking a deep breath and went on nonetheless: "I always tried to remember how kind and loving he was before, I always tried not to forget it. Besides, as I'm the eldest, I thought I had to remind it to my siblings constantly... However, somedays it really was difficult, you know. If I wanted my siblings to believe it, to keep faith in better days, I had to believe it myself.  Nonetheless, there were some days I couldn't help to lose that hope, especially when he used to go to Vienna..." She stopped again. The memory still was so hurting!

"Liesl, I don't want to..." Maria tried gently.

"No, no, it's alright. You know what? When I was about to lose all my hopes, I waited him to have a nap on the terrace in the afternoon. He did that quiet often at one time. I think he did not sleep well at night..." she commented with a sad and sympathetic smile. "So, I waited Father to fall asleep and I went next to him to watch him. He always had that kind and peaceful expression. I could have stood by him for hours. In those moments, I knew that, even if he was harsh with us, deep inside, he still was the same. He only hid it. I did not understand why he was doing that, nevertheless, when I had the chance to watch him sleeping like that, I started to hope again," the young girl finished with a teary grin.

Maria did not know what to say. It was the first time that one of the children told her about those awful years, about their feelings at that time. As soon as they had discovered that she had known their mother, they had wanted her to tell them how she was at that time. Then, almost naturally, they had started to tell her about their own memories. However, no one had evoked this period yet. Gently resting her hand on the young girl's shoulder, she whispered:

"Liesl..."

She was surprised to see her looking up at her with a broad smile:

"I guess I was right!" she exclaimed. "The events of this summer proved me right. You can't know how happy I am now!"

Maria was about to answer to Liesl's joyful exclaimation when she heard somebody else sitting next her.

"Is he sleeping?" Louisa asked with a mischievous smile. 

"Yes, he is, Louisa," Maria whispered. "Don't disturb him."

"Don't be afraid! Even the sound of a cannon firing couldn't wake him up!" she answered giggling. With that, she started to stroke her father's cheek with a blade of grass before Maria could do anything. The sleeping man did not even react.

"You see?" Louisa stated triumphantly. "Why do you think we used to play our worst tricks on the governesses while he was sleeping?"

"I remember well!" Brigitta exclaimed with a big grin while she was joining the group. It seemed like the children found it much more funny to watch their father sleep than playing on their own. "Especially the one we played on Fräulein Anna that night!"

"Another one of your horrible tricks?" Maria asked raising an eyebrow. Even if she did not approve their past behaviour at all, she was curious to know what those once unsufferable children had imagined that time.  

"Well, it was two years ago, in the summer. One afternoon, Friedrich and Louisa had caught a sleeping bat and put it in a bag," Liesl began to explain.

"Yes! I remember!" Friedrich interrupted. Then, winking at Louisa, he went on. There was no way he let his sister telling his greatest deed! He had been his idea and he was still proud of it. Fräulein Anna had been one of the toughest governesses they ever had. She was so harsh the children really hated her. However, the usual tricks had not worked with her so they had tried a more radical solution. "I hid the bat in my room till the night. I had put my alarm clock at 3 am to be sure everybody would be asleep, especially Father. Then I woke up and brought the bat into Fräulein Anna's room. I made sure her windows were closed, I released the bat and locked her door. If the bat was asleep when we caught it, it was fully awake when I released it, you can guess!" the young boy finished his story, almost bursting out of laughter.

Kurt and Brigitta were giggling helplessly at the remembrance while Liesl and Louisa had a hard time not to join their siblings in their helpless laughter.

"That was mean, children. Really," Maria scolded them, trying to hide her amused smile.

"Wait, wait... Here's the best part!" Louisa went on with the story. "You can't imagine her shouts of panic when she discovered that a bat was flying everywhere in her room, trying to go outside, hitting the walls, the windows. She couldn't open her door because Friedrich had locked it from outside and, even if she had the idea to open the windows, the bat was too disorientated to go outside! She was screaming her voice hoarse! It was grand! She woke the whole house up, except Father, of course. Finally, Frau Schmidt found the key, walked into her room and made the bat go away. Yet, Father did not even stir..."

"So, when she began to complain about us during breakfast, screaming and crying, Father looked at her as if she was totally crazy. He had not hear anything so he just coud not believe her," Liesl decided to conclude the story she had begun to tell. "Frau Schmidt had to confirm the story about the bat. Fortunately for us, she did not tell someone had locked Fräulein Anna in her room. I don't know if he bought our explaination about a bat that could have come in her room in the evening by the window or not, but the following hour, our seventh governess packed her things and went out of our life."

Maria sighed.

"Like I said, it was really mean."

"What about you, Mother?" Kurt asked curiously. "What would have you done?"

The young woman looked at the boy with mock seriousness. Then, winking at him mischievously, she answered:

"Well, I don't know, Kurt... Maybe I would have waited to catch a bat myself and bring it in your room the following evening. And, above all, I would not have forgotten to lock you in your room... The only difference is that I would have kept the key!"

"Mother! That's mean!" the boy protested with a frown. With that everybody burst out of laughter, except Georg who still was sleeping peacefully. However, the laughing group suddenly heard him mumble something like "Lemme sleep..." Maria and the children looked at him anxiously. Nonetheless, it was his only reaction to their joyful discussion.

"What did I say?" Louisa commented. "Even the sound of a cannon firing..."

"... or the sound of Fräulein Anna screaming..." Brigitta went on.

"...or even little Louisa jumping on his stomach!" Liesl finished her siblings' sentence.

"Liesl! Shut your mouth!" her sister exclaimed, blushing suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" Maria asked curiously. It seemed like she was going to learn many things about the von Trapps' daily life this afternoon.

"Nothing!" Louisa stated firmly.

"Is that this story about you accepting to have a nap in the afternoon only if you could stay with Father?" Marta asked inocently. The younger ones had left their dolls and finally had joined their siblings and parents.

"Marta!" Louisa pleaded.

However, while Captain von Trapp's second daughter was menacing her siblings of horrible retaliations if they did not shut their mouth, little Gretl silently had crawled on her father's stomach and laid there, peacefully closing her eyes. Maria finally noticed the little girl's actions and began to scold her gently:

"Gretl, darling, you're going to disturb him."

"Don't worry, he's used to that," Liesl soothed her worry. Then, winking at a frowning Louisa, she began to explain:

"Well, you must know that Louisa was quite troublesome when she was very little. Let's say from the age of two to the age of five or six."

Louise made a face at her sister and resumed sulking.

"At that time, there was no way she accepted to have a nap in the afternoon. While Friedrich and I were in our room, she always gave a hard time to Mother who had tried everything to convince her. However, Louisa just did not want to sleep. Then, Father finally proposed her to stay and rest with him which she accepted, much to Mother's relief! However, you know how fast Father can fall asleep..."

"I can imagine the end of the story," Maria interrupted, gazing at the sleeping man lovingly. "Let me guess. The one who was supposed to make the other sleep had a wonderful nap while the other who was supposed sleep was only cuddling and playing on her poor father's stomach. Am I right, Louisa?" she went on staring at the blushing girl maliciously.

"Well, hhem..." she only responded. There was no way she could tell the others that this had been the only way her young mind had found to have her father just for herself for a few moments.

Maria patted her on the cheek to show her she did not have to answer. A mysterious girl Louisa was, indeed! Enjoying tormenting poor governesses, climbing up walls but trying  to spend part of the afternoon alone with her father when she was a little child. As mysterious as her father in fact... The young woman was happy to notice that, as days were passing by, she managed to know the discrete young girl more and more.

Frau Schmidt watched the scene with a broad smile. It was not her place to show it, but she was very relieved to see that the Captain had been able to find peace again. She still remembered the day when she first met him more than thirty years ago. She just had come back from England were she had attended to a well-known school for housekeepers. The first months in this new household had been rather difficult. Baroness von Trapp was a kind but very sad woman who used to let her do everything, not to give her precise instructions. At first, she had thought that looking after her two young sons, and especially the eldest one who seemed to be a very troublesome boy, gave her too much work. Then, she perfectly had understood the reason for the Baroness' constant sadness when she had noticed the way the Baron was paying attention to her.  At that moment, she finally had believed what people used to say in town about Baron Emanuel von Trapp. From an outside point of view, he was the perfect nobleman. Yet, from an inside point of view, the reality was much sordid.  A few months ago, she had had to sack a young maid whose pregnancy she had discovered. Of course, the girl had been sorry, as every maid in that difficult situation was. Of course she had cried. Nevertheless, she had sacked her without second thought. Such a thing could not happen in this kind of household! When she had discovered the truth, guilt had consumed her, and somewhere deep inside her mind, still was. It had been then she had begun to know the eldest son better. The Baron kept on trying to seduce her, wanting to talk to her privately in his study, slightly caressing her hip whenever she had the misfortune to be alone... Little by little, she had begun to understand how much the poor young woman she had sacked had suffered. Worse, the Baroness, who had noticed her husband's new infatuation, would not talk to her. Her first experience as an housekeeper in an aritocratic household was hell on earth. Day by day, her pride and honesty were hurt deeply. As hard she had tried to get over the growing pressure, she could not stand it anymore, she was about to quit. Giving in to her employer's advances was not an option at all. She was too proud for that, so she had to go away and find a new job. However, a thirteen-year-old boy had managed to make her change her mind.

Flashback

She was sitting on the bench near the lake. As hard as she tried, she could hold her tears anymore. Her hands were shaking as she was reading the resignation letter once again. Suddenly, someone took it from her hands and handed her an handkerchief. Surprised, she looked up and discovered the person was young Georg. Frowning, he read the letter then tore it into pieces.

"What are you doing? Is everybody in this family thinking that they can do whatever they want with employees?" she exclaimed, unable to contain her anger anymore.

His only answer was a gentle smile which soothed her immediately even if she did not know why. The boy was so mysterious. Since he was in some boarding school in Salzburg, she did not know him really. All she knew was that everybody in the household kept on saying that he was impossible, that he was the shame of his family. Indeed, the Jesuits at the boarding school often complained about his behaviour. With his best friend, he always seemed to look for the next silliest thing to do much to his "noble" father's anger. Yet, the "impossible brat" as people said was standing in front of her, trying to confort her.

"Know what?" he finally said. "Since the day I've discovered my father's behaviour, you're the one who had managed to resist him for the longest time."

"I am sorry Sir, but, you are not telling me you had noticed... that?" she exclaimed in surprise. How could such a young boy have noticed? Suddenly, in spite of her shame, she felt a incredible sympathy for this boy who saw everything and could not do anything about that.

Hidding his bitterness behind a mischievous smile, he went on:

"If you quit, it will mean that Father has won once again, in a way or another, and I won't accept it. You must stay, Fräulein Helena. Since you're here, that house has been a more sufferable place to be."

"I am really sorry, Sir, but I cannot stay here anylonger. It is impossible," she answered as politely as she could. She did not believe she was discussing a decision she had made days ago with a boy she did not even know.

He smiled once again.

"Even if somebody is helping you?" he asked simply.

"What do you mean, Sir, if I may ask?"

"You've been to England, right?" he questioned winking at her.

Surprised, she only nodded.

"So you know what English people mean when they say 'Wait and see'..." he concluded mysteriously before excusing himself and going back to the house.

End flashback

Frau Schmidt smiled at the remembrance. She had waited and, finally, she had seen! Baron von Trapp used to send his eldest son to summer school in order to force him to behave as a boy of his condition should. The whole town talked about that affair for months. The eldest son of Baron von Trapp, yes, the unsufferable one, had striked again! This time, he had stuck extracts of revolutionary books on the walls of the Jesuit school. Texts by Voltaire against the Church. Texts by Rousseau about the right of property. Lines by Baboeuf, Proudhon, worse, by Karl Marx himself! He even had stuck those shameful sheets of paper on the very main door of the school to  sure that everybody could see and read them. In the end, his plan had worked perfectly well, even if the punishment had been proportional to the offense. Baron von Trapp had been so upset by his son's behaviour, keeping on apologizing about it to the Jesuit school, to his acquaintances in Salzburg, that he totally had forgotten his infatuation. Young Georg had been secluded in his room for two weeks but it had not bothered him at all. He had won against his father and that was the most important. The man had stopped trying to seduce her and she had been able to stay in this household. From that day, she had dedicated to serve this mysterious boy with all her might. Frau Schmidt shot one last content glance at the sweet family reunion in the park before coming back to her task. The young hot-headed boy had grown up into a kind and generous man who really deserved his current happiness. Yes, the first months in that household had been harsh. However, she was happy to have stayed here and she would not change her place for all the money in world. Shaking her head slightly, she pushed the remembrances away. She had a wedding to plan after all!

Vienna, Baroness Schraeder's villa, September 14th 1937, morning

"How can I do this?" Baroness Elsa Schraeder sighed watching the telephone intently. Everyday since this evening when she had met Viktor von Trapp, she had tried to find the courage to contact Georg, to tell him about all the frightful things his brother had told her about. However, invariably, this courage failed her everyday. How pathetic! She wanted to help him so much, but, in the same time, she was so afraid to hear his voice again. Besides, what was she going to tell him? She just could not say that the brother whose ideas he did not share at all deeply was worrying about him and his safety. This would be plain ridiculous. However, she could not warn him simply since he perfectly knew she did not care about politics. He would feel that something was going on immediately! Yet, as days went on, guilt had begun to haunt her mind. What if something bad happened to Georg whereas she had had the opportunity to alert him? She just could not live with this terrible responsibility. As hard it was for her, she had to do it even if that meant she inevitably would shatter the blissful happiness which certainly had filled the life of this family for more than a month. She hated it, still she had to do it, that was all. In the end, pushing all irrational fears aside, Baroness Elsa Schraeder took a deep breath and picked up the phone, asking to contact Captain von Trapp in Salzburg.

"Good morning Elsa. How are you? Is there something you want?" Georg asked with a rather unsure tone, obviously surprised by her sudden telephone call.

Elsa did not utter a word for a few seconds. Hearing his voice again moved her more than she had ever imagined. "Damn you Georg von Trapp!" she thought bitterly, desperately fighting against the coward urge to hang up the phone. By the way, why was she doing this? Everything was over between them, after all. So, why did she care so much about his safety?

"Elsa, what's the matter?" he asked again with a worried tone, waking her up from her sad reverie.

Putting her thoughts together, she found the courage to speak at last:

"Good morning, Georg. How are you doing? I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Well, I'm fine, thank you. You're not disturbing me at all," he answered, still surprised. "As a matter of fact, Maria and the girls have gone to town to see if everything was alright with her wedding gown and..." he began to explain inocently. When he realized he was talking about his wedding to his ex-girlfriend, it was too late. He sighed guiltily. "Listen Elsa, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, Georg," she interrupted him flatly. Obviously, the man had lived in a blissful happiness for a month, totally oblivious of the outside world. She went on, trying to control her voice: "I'm happy to hear that everything is going smoothly with the preparations of your wedding. That was one of the reasons why I'm calling you, dear."

"Well, thank you," was all he was able to utter.

"I also wanted to know what kind of gift you and Maria wished for your marriage," she added hurriedly, partly to keep him from talking more, partly to postpone the real tlak she wanted to have with him. "I mean, even if it sounds strange, I want to offer you something. It's the only way I have to stop some rumours here in Vienna," she went on, trying to explain herself awkwardly. "Even if there were no rumours, I still wish I could give you a little gift, it would be my pleasure," she corrected herself, afraid of having hurt him with the evocation of some displeasant rumours.

"Elsa, you don't need..." he began to respond sheepishly, getting more unconfortable as the discussion went on.

"Tut, tut, tut," she interrupted him playfully, hiding her own disconfort. "I already thought about it, but I wanted to hear your advice. The other day, I saw splendid objects in an antique dealer's shop in Vienna. For instance, there is a magnificent viola da gamba from the XVIth century which I think Maria will like very much. You told me she was very fond of whatever was connected to music, didn't you?"

"Elsa..."

"Then, for you, I know I don't know anyhting about that kind of objects, but I also saw a Japanese saber. The antique dealer told me it dated from the XVth century, the Sengokujidai he said. I don't know if it is authentic, but I find it magnificent. How do you call them, by the way?" she went on, not listening to his faint protest.

"Elsa..."

 "Hmm... You've told it to me one day, but I'm afraid I forgot it... Hmm... Katana, isn't it?" she thought aloud, not paying attention to him.

"Elsa," he told more firmly. "What's the matter, in the end?" he asked seriously. He perfectly knew that she was hidding something when she was so talkative. "Honestly, why did you call me?" he questionned her finally.

She sighed. After all, she had not called him to talk about wedding gifts. It was no use postponing the discussion further. Elsa took a deep, long breath then she pronunced softly, silently hoping he owuld not get mad as soon as he heard what she had to tell him:

"Well, I met your brother Viktor a month ago and..."

"What?" he exclaimed angrily. "What did he do to you?" was the first question that came to his mind. Because of the way they had broken off, he immediately thought that his brother might have hurt her in any way.

"Don't worry, Georg. It's nothing like that," she tried to soothe him, even if she did not possess Maria's ability. "As a matter of fact, even if it will surprise you, he helped me a lot. Besides, believe me or not, he keeps on standing up for you in Vienna."

"I only will believe it when I see it with my own eyes," he remarked bitterly. "So, if it's nothing of that, what's the matter with him? I hope he did not convince you to ask me something for him. I'm sorry, but it won't work," he went on ironically. Yet, in spite of his aggressive irony, he silently prayed that his brother had not get in troubles because of his stupid and blind political  devotion.

"It's not about that either, Georg," she answered calmly. She still could not understand why they disliked each other so much. They were brothers after all! After a short silent moment, she went on: "In fact, we talked about you." Then, feeling he could misunderstand her once again, she quickly added: "And, no, it's not about your wedding, if you want to know."

"About...me?" he asked, simply, not knowing what else to say. His brother and his ex-girlfriend talked about him? It was unbelievable.

"Well, to be more precise, about you and your political ideas," she explained herself better, hoping he would understand the hint.

Georg stood silent for a few moments. Elsa's implicit statement had crystallized some inner feelings which had haunted him for months. Even if he did not want to accept it, especially now that he was happy again at last, he would have to make a decision very soon.

"I see..." he simply responded with a dark tone.

"He's worried about you, you know," she added gently. "And, now, I'm worried too, I might say."

He did not answer immediately. Finally, he spoke again with a concerned voice:

"How much did he tell you, Elsa?"

"That you were right from the beginning. That you're on their red list," she resumed her previous talk with Viktor calmly. "I'm so sorry to disturb you in such a happy moment of your life, but I had to tell you. I'm sorry Georg," she almost whispered shamefully. At that moment, she really hated herself for doing that.

"Finally, it seems we agree on one point at last," he bitterly  said to himself more than to Elsa.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. I sincerely thank you for telling me this. Even if I had the feeling that I could be interesting for them in one way or another, I did not know to what extend. I really did not imagine that," he finally answered kindly. "I know it must have been hard for you to make the decision to call me. I'm really grateful, Elsa."

"Stop it, Georg!" she interrupted him with a sad tone. "If you're so grateful, just promise me to be prudent, that's all."

"I promise," he simply pronunced in a solemn tone.

"Good," she answered somehow relieved. Then, wanting to conclude that painful talk as fast as she could now she had said everything she intended to, she added playfully yet sadly: "Well, I guess you've got many better things to do than talking with me. Give my best wishes to Maria and the children, and, if Max is still here, say hello to him for me, will you? By the way, I was serious about the gifts, just think about it. I'm so happy to have been able to talk to you again, Georg..."

Georg sighed sadly. Here she was again, talking endlessly to hide her pain. They had dated for more than a year, they had even thought about marriage at one moment. Yet, they did not each other and probably never would. In fact, the only things they would ever have in common was their incredible ability to hide their inner feelings.

"Be sure I will tell them, Elsa. I deeply thank you for what you did once again. Have a nice day," he gently answered, trying to conclude a discussion which was obviously hurting her. He was about to hang up the phone when, after a slight hesitation, he talked again, wishing she had not hung up already: "Elsa?"

Surprised to hear his voice again, she responded softly: "Yes?"

"Well, if you happen to meet Viktor again, could you tell him that...when he will go to Salzburg...that...well...I won't throw him outside anymore?" he asked awkwardly. In fact, if his brother seemed to worry about him, the truth was that, even if he hated to admit it, he worried about him too.

Elsa could not help to giggle at the awkward invitation. The strange relationship between the two brothers was so amusing and ambiguous at times. They told to everyone who wanted to hear them that they hated each other, but, deep inside, in those dark times, they could not deny the brotherly and indestructible bound that existed between them. She finally answered between two giggles:

"I will tell him, Georg. I will tell him that he's a welcome guest in your house from now on.  Good bye Georg, take care."

"Good bye, Elsa, thanks again," she heard him whisper as she hung up the phone.

She had done it. As painful as it had been, she had done it. Now, the only that she could do was praying that the Nazis would not move faster than him.