Maria sat slumped over against the cold concrete wall for what felt like forever. She kept asking herself why she left, really. I mean, she liked the Captain, sure, but only because he was coming out of shell, and truly seeing his children for the first time since his wife died. Right?
Wrong.
She thought she loved him. Sure she'd never been in love and was in no point to truly figure out what it was. Especially at this time-with this man. He is to be married to the Baroness. They'll make such a lovely couple.
More tears streamed down her face.
They could never be, assuming the Captain had felt the same way. He was to stay in his class. By marrying a poor postulant turned Fraulein, he would be disgraced. She loved him to much to do that to him. Therefore, she was determined to never bring her feelings for him out in the open, not that it was going to be a problem-she was DEFINITELY not going back to the Villa. Not after what had happened between them and that dance.
Oh, that dance. She felt like she was in heaven. Literally floating around on a cloud, dancing possibly the most elegant dance with the most well-designed man she'd ever met. She could revel in the feelings she was having those few minutes for the rest of her life. Never had she felt better, yet worse at the same time. Once they paused in the middle of the dance, Maria felt something. She wasn't sure at the time what it was, but now she realizes that it was love. She backed away, knowing it was the right thing to do with the children still staring at them. Plus, the Baroness had just interrupted their eye-lock, looking peeved.
Then there was that whole situation in Maria's room. Why had the Baroness come up to help her in the first place? She was perfectly capable of dressing herself. If it wasn't for her, Maria would still be in the place she loved most. The only true home she ever had. The Baroness had sounded so condescending, and much to Maria's dismay, it got through to her.
Why had Maria been so stupid? She must go back. She must talk to the Captain. She slowly stood up, wiped her cheeks free of tears, picked up her things and started to walk back. She got to the gate of the Villa. She grabbed the handle, turned, and stopped. What was she doing? She had no right to speak to the Captain. He had probably read her letter after noticing her absence at the party.
If she was to talk to him, what would she say? She definitely was not bold enough to just come out with it, and would just dance around the subject. Then there was the whole situation on why she left, and having to explain it too him would be much too embarrassing.
What was she to do? Go? Leave? She knew that she wouldn't stay. The Captain was marrying the Baroness, and in a matter of a few weeks, she would be indisposed, gotten rid of. No long a need for her, the Baroness would take over the motherly duties of the household.
She dropped her hand from the handle, sighing in defeat as a trail of tears were forming once again on her cheeks. She turned and, with one look back, left the Villa for good. Never to return.
The hot tears streamed down her face and they stung in her eyes.
Once she got back to the Abby, she sat in the place she was hours before. She crumpled up, knees to her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs, she succumbed to sleep. It had been such a long day. But before she fell asleep, she had one last thought: why did she care so much?
The Captain's thoughts ran wild while he stared at the ceiling in his bed chamber. Why did he care so much that Maria left? From day one she had been nothing but trouble; but his children loved her, and so did he.
What?
What had he just thought? He loved her? No, that's not possible. She's going to become a NUN! Get yourself together Georg, there is no possible way for you two to be together. She probably doesn't even like you.
But that dance.
Oh, that heavenly dance. He hadn't felt like that in years. Since the first time he danced with Agathe, and realized that he was in lo-. NO! There's that word again. No, he wasn't in love with Maria. He couldn't, could he? No.
It seemed like Maria enjoyed the dance as much as he did. When Brigitta came up and questioned Maria about her flushed face, she said she just wasn't used to dancing. I wonder if that was the real reason. The thing that bothered me the most was how Elsa interrupted our dance. We were merely in the middle of the dance, and I was having a fabulous time dancing with Maria. She is a fine dancer. Then, after Maria had run off with the children to get ready for their special surprise, Elsa commented that it looked rather 'warm' outside to my contrary cold note, she was implying that Maria and I…no.
This wasn't happening.
His thoughts were spinning around and around in his mind like a cyclone. Only one question left to answer: why did he care so much?
Oh, this was going to be a long night.