New chapter up! I hope you'll like it. : ) Please review to let me know what was good and what could be better.
Chapter 11
Liesl woke up slowly from her sweet dream. The sun was warming her face and she just lay in her bed for a while with her eyes closed, listening to the sound of the morning. 'It must be early still' she thought as she turned in bed to look at her watch. '6.30 am. That means fräulein Maria wont be here to wake us up for another half hour.' Liesl was feeling great this morning though and she decided to get dressed and help Maria with the rest of the children. She quickly put on her dress and splashed her face before walking slowly to Marias room. Her knuckles gently touched the door to her fräuleins room and she waited for Maria to open it. She was usually up by now anyway so she would surely not be bothered with having Liesl around. No one answered the door however, making Liesl worried. 'Where could she be at this hour?' She decided to check downstairs first and then think of something to do. Maria was not in the dining room, not in the kitchen nor was she in the other rooms Liesl checked. This was not like fräulein Maria at all. The clock chimed seven times and Liesl ran to her fathers room. A couple of feet from it she could see the door open, only to reveal her missing fräulein in nothing but her nightgown and with her clothes from yesterday in her hands. Liesls jaw dropped and she couldn't do anything but stand there and stare. Her father joined Maria in the hallway and they started kissing sweetly, neither seeing Liesl standing almost next to them.
"I should go wake the children" Maria whispered to Georg between the kisses.
"Oh, let them sleep. I'm sure they would be glad to sleep late sometimes." Maria raised her eyebrow and smiled.
"What ever happened to all of your principles?" Georg pulled her close to him and passionately pressed his lips to her. He parted from her and took her hands in his.
"They disappeared when I fell in love with you." At his words Liesl couldn't help but gasp and immediately had Marias and Georgs attention.
"Liesl!" Maria exclaimed, trying to hide her clothed behind her back.
"For how long have you been standing there?"
"I don't know father." All three of them had flushed faces and Liesl would have rather been dead than forced to put up with this embarrassment. She fought those thoughts away and spoke up.
"I came here to ask for the whereabouts of fräulein Maria since I couldn't find her in her bedroom but I see you've taken care of her so I'll just go and wake the others up." Liesl turned and started to swiftly walk away, hoping to forget everything happening during the past five minutes.
"Liesl wait" she heard Maria call and she turned back, not believing her bad luck.
"I'm sorry you had to witness this and I truly hope you and I will still remain friends after this. Do you feel offended about this, about us falling in love?" Liesl grinned sheepishly and shook her head no.
"Of course not! I thoroughly enjoy it and I am so happy for you. This situation was just kind of awkward. You know, I, Louisa and Brigitta knew all along that you were in love." Maria was astonished, as was Georg.
"You did!" they asked simultaneously.
"Maria, you were rather obvious. Both of you actually were."
"Do you think the others will feel the same way as you do?" Maria asked anxiously.
"Well, it depends…"
"On what?"
"Do we get to call you Maria now instead of fräulein?" Maria released her breath.
"You may call me whatever you like darling." Maria hugged Liesl tightly, happy for her blessing and reassurance that the others would react similar.
"Thank you Liesl."
"For what?"
"For everything."
"No problems Maria. Now, I've go tot wake the others up as I've got very important matters to gossip about." With a wink she left Georg and Maria, who were standing looking like fishes.
"I guess the children saw it before we did."
"You are quite right darling." Georg kissed her nose.
"I really need to get dressed now. Do you want me to wake the children?" Maria asked with a teasing smile.
"Mmm, what's the alternative?" His eyes twinkled mischievously but his thoughts were interrupted by shrieks from the girls bedroom.
"The most of them will be up already I believe. Let's meet outside your bedroom when you are finished and we can get them ready together."
"Are you sure about this Georg?"
"Of course. I love my children and they love you. I would do anything to make them happy." He pressed her against him and stroked a strand of hair away from her face.
"I would do anything to make you happy. I love you Maria."
"I love you too." They simply stood there gazing at each other for a moment before Maria remembered what she was supposed to do.
"See you soon my love."
"See you soon… Maria."
When Maria was dressed and ready for breakfast she exited her room and found Georg right outside her door.
"Let's go wake some imbeciles" he said as he took her hand. They went to Marta and Gretls room first to wake them and help them get ready. The little ones were delighted to have their father around and couldn't stop laughing as he tickled them and played with them. 'What a beautiful family. I wonder if I ever truly will be a part of it. Now, what am I thinking? We will never get married because that would be too much to ask from Georg. Marrying beneath himself. No, never going to happen. He truly is a gentleman but there the line is drawn.' Maria smiled at the sight before her and remembering what she was doing she finished braiding Gretls hair.
"There, you're done." The girl ran to her father, her face radiant, and Maria laughed heartily.
"What's so funny?" Georg asked.
"You are. Playing with your kids like that. Not at all like a sea Captain."
"Now you little…" He grinned and turned to his daughters.
"Maria is a pirate and we are the good guys. Catch her!" Gretl and Marta jumped at Maria, making her stumble backwards. Georg captured her elegantly before she hit the floor and he couldn't stop himself from kissing her on the mouth. Gretl and Marta went hysteric at this and shrieked from happiness.
"We have to tell the others about this!" Maria and Georg heard before the two children ran off down the hallway. Georg chuckled.
"Now what?"
"We go and wake Kurt and Friedrich and then get down for breakfast. I'm sure the others will be there soon enough."
"Very well." They kissed briefly and went to wake the still sleeping boys.
As Maria had predicted the girls had already sat down at the table in the dining room when she and Georg entered. Mysteriously enough Marias chair had moved itself from its usual place at the end of the table to the place next to Georg. Since every other seat was taken by now Maria had no choice but to sit next to her beloved.
The children watched Maria and Georg with bemused expressions. The couple was so obviously in love with each other and every childs face was radiant. As Maria sat down Marta couldn't help herself.
"Are you two in love?" Marias cheeks turned pink but she smiled at the young girl and nodded before letting her eyes fall on Georg.
"Nothing escapes my little dearies, does it?" he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"I do love Maria very much, as most of you already figured out."
"Will you two have babies?" Gretl piped in.
"Gretl! You shouldn't ask that" Louisa scolded her younger sister.
"Why not? I don't want to be the smallest one all the time." Georg looked at Maria.
"We'll se about that." Marias face shot up to meet his eyes and she could hardly believe what he just said. 'Does he really want to have a baby with me? A bastard?' As if Georg could read her mind he smiled. Maria felt her cheeks redden even more and her stomach seemed to be filled with butterflies. Georg took her hand in his under the table and stroked it gently, making Maria feel like she was in heaven.