Hedwig Von Trapp was an interesting woman, to say the least. Maria entered the drawing room after changing into a navy colored skirt and matching jacket, hoping the darker color would make her appear more sophisticated in some way. Her future Mother-in-Law was sipping from a cup of tea, her posture superior and her dress looking nothing less than perfect. Her build was a bit heavy, but she moved with a grace that Maria only wished she possessed.

Georg did a double take when he saw her enter, as she had not worn any of her new clothes yet, and he was quite surprised by her appearance. He was used to seeing her in light colors and more airy fabrics, and even though she looked stunning to him, it was a shock. She met his eyes and smiled as he took her hand, bringing her into the room to meet his mother.

"Mother, this is Maria." She smiled and extended her hand, but the woman didn't even look at her.

"Surname."

"Rainer."

"Hmm..." Maria stood quietly throughout the exchange, bringing her hand back to her side when she wasn't acknowledged. She looked to Georg, who appeared unsure of how to proceed as well. He gave her a small smile and led her to a chair across from his mother, sitting in his own next to her.

"It's quite nice to finally meet you." Maria tried, but a look of pure distaste was shot into her eyes. At least the woman finally looked up from her tea, she thought.

"Is it? Tell me why it's nice to meet me." She was taken aback, unarmed and completely nervous. She felt like the shy little girl she was as a child, all of a sudden.

"Um, oh, well...Georg has told me such lovely things about you, and I'm glad to get to know you myself."

"Georg, you're marrying a dishonest woman. Imagine the things she is keeping from you." Maria's mouth could have hit the floor from her shock, and she saw Max uncomfortably shift in his seat next to Hedwig.

"Mother, you've known her for two minutes, and already we're doing this?" Georg spoke nonchalantly and kept his composure, which completely impressed Maria. She was trying her best to remain polite and follow his lead.

"Whatever do you mean?" She raised her eyebrows, taking another sip of her tea while awaiting his response.

"You know very well what I mean. Give her a chance."

"Hmm." She looked back to Maria, squinting her eyes a bit. "Stand up."

"I beg your pardon?" Maria looked at her in question, unsure she heard her correctly.

"She lies and she's deaf; what other fine qualities will we find?" Maria felt a flame ignite in her stomach at the words, but did her best to continue smiling.

"Maria, you don't have to do this." She stood from her chair, ignoring Georg's protests.

"Yes, well, the hair is much too short. You haven't much shape, but the clothes are fine. I'm afraid, however, that you look a bit like you've been playing in your mother's wardrobe." She laughed as she took another sip of her tea, but Maria was finding her antics to be far from humorous. She was self-conscious enough without help from anyone else.

"Luckily there's something to be said for personality." She tried to joke, but it obviously was unappreciated.

"Yes, there certainly is."

"Mother, that is enough. This is her home, you will not insult her in it." Maria sat back down, noticing the older woman's eyes widen in surprise.

"She's living here? What on earth...?"

"Yes, and you will not insult her." His mother laughed incredulously, looking him over this time rather than Maria. "And don't start on me either. You haven't been here in three years, you cannot play the game of superiority."

"So disrespectful anymore." She sighed and shook her head, placing her tea upon the table. "Why haven't you called these past years? I find out everything I know about you from your sister. Even she calls."

"Yes, I'm sure she does." Silence filled the air, and Maria felt that she was intruding on a personal conversation, something between Georg and his mother that she wasn't sure she should be a part of. She wanted to excuse herself, but the tight grip he had on her hand let her know that he needed her to stay.

"What is your name again?" She jumped as the older woman addressed her.

"Maria."

"And how did you meet my son?" She was incredibly nervous to divulge too much information. Though she supposed it didn't matter anyway, the woman already disliked her, simply for existing.

"I've been the governess here since April." She groaned, her face contorting in a look of disgust.

"Oh, Georg, the help?" She shook her head, but Georg didn't respond. Maria could see his jaw tighten, and she knew if he responded then it would not have been in his best interest anyway. "Maria, do you come from wealth?"

"Not at all. I grew up on a farm, actually."

"Your family?"

"All dead." Her words sounded harsh, which was unintentional, but she was feeling deeply protective of herself.

"And how did you become a governess?"

"I was a postulant at Nonnberg Abbey. Georg requested a governess, and here I am." Eyebrows raised, Hedwig looked to her son for confirmation.

"Georg, you do realize the rumors spreading about?" He nodded, well aware of what people were saying about him and his fiancée. He hadn't divulged most of the things he had heard to Maria, for fear that she would be devastated by the things people were saying about her.

"Yes. Though I'm not sure what I can do about it."

"You've brought disgrace to our name. There is absolutely nothing you can do other than be wed at once and hope something extraordinarily horrific happens to someone else to distract from this." Maria's eyes widened, appalled by the woman's words.

"Wishing horrific accidents on others is a sure way to deserve a horrific accident on yourself." Maria couldn't believe the words as they left her mouth. Apparently Georg couldn't either, as she felt his hand tighten upon her own, perhaps bracing them for what was to come. Hedwig only looked at her, eyes squinted in observation.

"Maria, it is nearly lunchtime. Since the rest of the staff is away, I think it's time you head to the kitchen, yes?" Maria's eyes widened in fury, and she opened her mouth to speak again, but Georg stood and walked her out of the room as quickly as he could. He placed his hand to the small of her back to guide her toward the stairs, creating distance between them and their guest.

"I know her behavior is deplorable, but you must remain respectful."

"Me?"

"You are quite good at letting your mouth run off without you. I ask you to please do your best to give her no reaction."

"Georg, she is obscene." He chuckled, obviously having known that his entire life. He seemed used to it, which made her feel sorry for him. She couldn't imagine how such a woman would have raised and shown proper affection toward her children.

"And you are the complete opposite. Don't allow her to pull you into her web." Maria narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. She was simply visiting, it wasn't as if she would be there forever. If Georg hadn't seen her in three years, surely she wasn't just going to start coming around now. Perhaps the time they spent with her would be good practice for the conversations she would be expected to handle at parties, she thought. She took a deep breath and looked to the floor to gather her composure, but something by the door caught her attention.

"Are those her suitcases?" Georg looked as well, his eyebrows raised.

"Shit."

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She took the children into the garden after school, deciding that after all day in a classroom, they needed some fresh air. She laid out a large blanket with some snacks, and they all began to work on their homework. Nothing in the world could make her happier than the smiles on their faces as they enjoyed time together.

As they sat upon the blanket, she found that her new clothes were not exactly meant for sitting upon the ground. She tried to modestly curl her legs to the side, feeling the tightness of the fabric digging into her stomach. Groaning, she moved to sit upon her knees. It was better for a moment, until her feet began to fall asleep, causing her to move back to her previous position. Even though it was September and beginning to cool down a bit, the sun felt hot against her back as the jacket she wore seemed to trap the heat. She felt incredibly sweaty beneath her clothes, and she knew she was on the verge of appearing extremely unladylike.

"Fraulein Maria, are you alright?" Brigitta's concern made her smile, and she nodded her head.

"Yes, dear. I don't believe I'm suitably dressed for sitting on the ground." She saw Hedwig moving on the terrace, pretending not to notice the children in the garden, but Maria could instantly feel the judgment poured upon her. The woman probably thought it was deplorable that she was sitting on the ground.

"Why don't you change into your usual clothes?" Kurt inquired, looking for something to distract him from finishing his homework.

"I'm trying to impress your grandmother. I want to look my best." She smiled, musing to herself that she could have been dressed like a queen and Hedwig still would have despised everything about her.

"Good luck." Kurt's sarcastic words elicited a giggle from the other children as they continued to work.

"Yes, well, all I can do is my best." She shrugged, leaning over to make sure Gretl was making progress on her work. "Are you children excited to see your grandmother?"

"We don't know her." Friedrich spoke, his tone sounding more and more like his father's every day. He was becoming a man right before her eyes, and it often took her by surprise.

"Perhaps we can use this time to get to know her. What if we did another puppet show?" Liesl placed a hand upon her arm, smiling softly.

"Fraulein Maria, you don't need to try so hard. We've always just stayed quiet and kept to ourselves until she leaves."

Maria bit her lip, unwilling to let the time be wasted. She would have loved to have a relationship with her future mother-in-law, but she would have loved even more if the children would forge a relationship with their grandmother. Her heart soared at the idea of bringing them together.

"You know me. I'm no good at keeping quiet. Excuse me." She stood from the blanket, straightening out her skirt as she ventured toward the terrace. She had no idea what she was going to say, and her heart was beating wildly, but she felt like she needed to try. She smiled as she approached Hedwig. "Good evening."

"Yes." She continued looking out over the garden as Maria moved to stand next her her, keeping a bit of distance for comfort.

"The children are nearly finished with their homework. I'm sure they would love it if you'd join us for a picnic in the garden."

"It's nearly suppertime. Is it typical of you to spoil their appetites?" She smiled, keeping her cool as Georg would have expected.

"The picnic consists of fruits and vegetables, just enough to tide them over. So you'll join us?" The woman scoffed, her hand to her chest in astonishment.

"I will not sit upon the ground."

"Goodness no, we'll bring out a chair."

"The sun is too hot."

"The chair will go beneath a shade tree." She finally turned her head, meeting Maria's eyes.

"Young lady, what exactly are you trying to do?" Maria shrugged, her hands clasped behind her back as she tried to keep still. She was incredibly nervous, but knew she couldn't back away just yet.

"Simply inviting you to spend time with your grandchildren. They're extremely bright, you know. And quite amusing." Hedwig looked at her as if she had two heads, or as if she were the most daft person on earth.

"I am not here to see them. I'm here to assess the damage that will need to be repaired by my son wanting to marry someone like you." She stepped closer, and Maria felt her heart jump at the sudden proximity. "I would love nothing more than to see you packing your bags and on your way back to the convent."

Maria stood still, wishing she could understand where all of the hatred came from. She had never even met the woman, so she obviously hadn't had the chance to do anything particularly hate-provoking. She knew there would be no understanding either, as Georg had informed her that his mother was a completely closed book; nothing gets in and nothing gets out. She only wished there was something else she could do. She merely shrugged, letting the words roll off her back. It would do her no good to let her feelings be hurt.

"Well, it's unfortunate that you'll be spending your time on unrealistic fantasies while you're here. It would be much more prudent to at least learn your grandchildren's names." She smiled politely, nodding her head in a form of goodbye as she left to return to the children, kicking off her shoes as she joined them upon the blanket. Smiling on the outside, the rest of her wondered if there was any way she could talk Georg into simply sending his mother home.