Georg sits at his meeting trying to pay attention. His mind keeps replaying the words he read in the magazine. He keeps seeing the boys face. The boy is a mirror image of himself. How can this be? His mind sees another face. One he has seen many times but only in his dreams. He remembers her blue eyes and the way they danced when she smiled. He takes out the magazine again. It is subtle at first but then he sees it. The boys smile. His eyes dance just as hers did. Could it be ? He knows it is possible. They were only together one night The boy is the right age. If the child is his why did she not tell him. She knew he loved her.
"Baron, what do you think of our idea. Baron is something wrong" asks the gentleman seated to Georgs left.
Georg looks up from the magazine.
" I'm sorry gentlemen I must cut this meeting short. A matter of great urgency has forced me to leave .I apologize for wasting your time but this matter is just too important for me to wait any longer"
The men in the meeting are at a loss for words. They watch silently as Georg quickly throws his coat on and leaves. He's not sure what do first. He hails a cab and goes to the train station. He decides to go home where he can talk to Friedrich and Liesl. Liesl is home from college and Friedrich has just returned from Europe. He is very proud of his son. He joined the army as soon as he turned 17, though not Georgs first choice for him. He served with the mountain brigade due to him being an accomplished skier. They are both old enough to know about his relationship with Maria although he thinks at least Liesl suspected they were in love. The children were very hurt when she left and they still ask about her.
It is late when Georg arrives home.
Flora the housekeeper greets him at the door.
" Good evening Baron. Your mail is in your study. Everyone has had dinner. Gretl, Marta and Kurt are studying in their rooms. Brigitta and Louisa are playing chess in the living room. The last time I saw Liesl she was in the dining room on the phone. Friedrich is resting in his room."
" Thank you Flora as usual you have everything under control. Could you please tell Liesl and Friedrich I would like to see them in my study?" he asks her.
"Yes Baron I will tell them right away" she says as she heads toward the dining room. Georg goes to his study and opens his mail. He hears a knock on the door and says " come in." Both Liesl and Friedrich enter.
"Hello father your home earlier than we thought. You said you would be spending the night in New York" Friedrich says as he sits down.
" Yes I know I did but something has happened…. Something that could change our lives forever."
Both Friedrich and Liesl look at each other and then at their father.
"Are you ill? Liesl asks reaching out for Georgs hand.
Seeing the fear in Liesls eyes Georg apologizes " No darling I don't mean to scare you. It's just that. Well…. I guess I will start at the beginning. Liesl you have always wondered why Fraulien Maria left us"
" Yes Father you told us she missed her life at the abbey too much" Liesl says looking at Friedrich.
"Yes that is what I told you. But that is not the real reason she left. The night of the party we danced, do you remember" Liesl and Friedrich both nodded.
" Well that dance made me realize that I was in love with Maria and had been for some time. Maria also told me that she loved me too. We could no longer deny our feelings. We ended up spending the night together. I had decided to ask Maria to marry me and I was going to tell Elsa of my feelings. But something happened and Maria left. The note she left me said nothing of her missing the abbey instead she wrote that she could not live in the same house with me now that I would be marrying the Baroness. I went to the abbey to find her but she was gone. Two months later the Nazis took over Austria and we escaped. Even though it has been seven years I still love her and always will. I have often wondered where she might be today and what she is doing"
"Father have you found her?
"No unfortunately not. But I may have found our son" he says watching their reaction.
" Your what! Father are you sure" Liesl says sounding somewhat skeptical. Georg takes the magazine out of his briefcase and shows it to both of them. Both Liesl and Friedrich look at the picture.
" Open to page 24.The article tells the year he was born. His name is Georg" Georg watches as they both read the article. While they both read he goes to his bookcase. Finding the photo album he watches and waits until they are done.
" Father yes the boy is the correct age and his name is Georg but how can you be sure. Georg is a very common Austrian name and there are a lot of orphans due to the war" Friedrich says looking up at his father.
" Yes that is all true but this can't be denied." Georg opens the picture album to a certain page and he puts it in front of them. Both Liesl and Friedrich look at the picture. It is of their father at the age of six. Georg puts the front cover of the magazine next to the photo. Both Friedrich and Liesl look at each picture. The resemblance is amazing. The boy on the magazine cover is the spitting image of their father.
"Now you see why I am convinced he is my son. I needed to tell you both because I am going back to Austria. I don't want the other children to know just yet. I am hoping to bring him back here. And maybe just maybe I will find Maria too" Georg says as he puts the photo album back.
" Father tell us what you want us to do" Liesl asks.
" Please stay here and help with your sisters and brother. I don't know how long I will be gone. I will not be able to communicate with you when I get there. I doubt the phones will be working. All communication is non existent. The only people with access to any workable phones will be for emergency use only. I will be leaving in a couple of days. I have some friends in Washington that I need to go see . I'm sure I will need some kind of special visa to get back into Austria also I will need to get permission to bring him back to the states. I'm not leaving Austria without him."
" Don't worry about a thing here at home we will take care of everything" says Friedrich as he stands and goes to his father.
"Thank you both. I feel better about leaving knowing you both will be here" giving Liesl a hug and Friedrich a pat on his back They all leave his study and Georg goes to say hello to the rest of his children.
Georg retires to his room early that evening. He falls asleep almost immediately.
"Liesl….Liesl", Brigitta shakes her older sister awake.
" What's wrong" Liesl says trying to waken from her deep sleep.
"It's father. I was walking by his room and I heard him talking in his sleep. He sounded like he was crying. I heard him saying Fraulein Marias name over and over again. I wonder what made him think of her?
" I'm afraid father is still very much in love with Maria. He was so distraught when she left that he still has dreams about her" Liesl says as she gets out of bed.
" Do you think we will ever see her again. I wish we could find her for father. I know she did not go to the abbey like he told us. I heard him talking to Uncle Max about a week after Maria left. The real reason she left was because of the Baroness. She thought father was going to marry the Baroness but she was wrong. Father told Uncle Max Maria must have misunderstood something and that is why she left. Poor father tried to find her but then we had to leave Austria" Brigitta says as she and Liesl walk to their fathers room.
They go to the door and can still hear him.
" Go back to bed I will take care of him" Liesl tells Brigitta. Liesl hugs her and then quietly enters her fathers room. Her heart breaks as she sees the tears on her fathers cheeks.
" Maria, Maria! " he cries out in his sleep.
Liesl touches his shoulder with her hand" Father wake up. Father please." Liesl gently shakes him awake.
" What ..Who ..Liesl what is it? Georg asks wiping his eyes.
"Father, Brigitta heard you calling Marias name. She was worried about you. She woke me up. I told her to go back to bed and that I would check on you. You were having a nightmare.
" I'm sorry to worry you both. Yes I was having a nightmare. I was dreaming I was back in Austria and that I had found Maria. She was in front of me holding our child and then the Nazis came and took them. God it seemed so real" he says putting his hands to his eyes.
Liesl takes her fathers hands in hers.
" I don't know why but I believe everything will be all right. I believe you and Maria were meant to be together and you and her will find each other" Liesl says as she hugs him.
"I pray that you are right" he says as he looks at her smiling.
Liesl closes the door of his room. Silently she prays " Dear God please let my father have his wish. He has lost so much. First our mother then Maria and last his homeland. This child could be the key to him finding Maria. Please God he loves her so much.And so do we." Liesl blows a kiss to her father through his door and quietly goes back to her bedroom.