This story switches between Elsa and Maria's point of view which is marked. I hope that helps make it less confusing! Thanks for all the reviews, they are appreciated!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Sound of Music, Maria, Georg, the Baroness or any of the other brilliant Rogers and Hammerstein characters.
Elsa:
The large white oak doors to the von Trapp home had seemed less intimidating when Elsa stood in front of them the night of the party a few days ago. Elsa impatiently lifted her chin and wondered what could be taking the butler so long to answer the door. The unexpected tea with Madame von Trapp was something Elsa wanted to get over with as soon as possible. Her agreement to the offer made her realize she was lonelier than she thought.
Finally the door swung open and to her surprise Madame von Trapp was standing on the other side.
"Hello, come in," Maria said, and Elsa was taken a little aback.
Perhaps Maria didn't realize how improper it was for her to answer the door and not her butler. With an eyebrow lifted in disapproval Elsa entered and was led to the open villa behind the house. Tea was served at exactly eleven forty five much to her amusement. Maria listened if nothing else.
"Your home here is quite lovely," Elsa began, "but I do prefer the mansion in Austria."
Elsa studied Maria to see what she would make of the slightly insulting comment.
"I know Georg and the children miss it terribly," Maria responded.
The redhead set down her tea cup and Elsa could tell she was gathering her courage to speak.
"What have you been up to since the war? I heard you opened your home in Paris to orphan children. That is lovely of you," Maria said.
Elsa stiffened and she sent a hard gaze toward Maria.
"I'd rather not talk about that," she said curtly and averted her gaze.
When she looked up Elsa could see Maria's alarm written plainly on her face. Elsa had to chuckle a little at the way she startled the woman.
"You are trying and I am making it difficult for you," Elsa said.
"It's alright," Maria responded regaining her bright smile. "We'll just try another subject."
Elsa could see Maria scrunch her nose as she thought of something else for them to talk about.
"Oh, I know," she said and slapped her hand on the table. Elsa admired how full of life the girl was.
"Have you ever been to a black pine plantation?" Maria asked. Elsa was surprised by the question and a little wary of it but she did her best to make be polite.
"I can't say I have," she answered cautiously. Maria's eyes lit up as she spoke.
"Georg took the children and I to the most beautiful plantation last week. You really should see it. It's in the hills just above the village. The man who runs it is an American and good friends with Georg. I think you may know him, Charles Jackson," Maria said.
Elsa had not heard the name in many years and even the sound of it so foreign and unique made her heart skip. The Baroness desperately wanted to be nice to Maria, to make a friend because she had none, but the mention of the dreaded name was too much for her.
"Yes, I've met him," Elsa snapped, "And I don't want to waste another breath on such a vulgar, ignorant boy!"
Maria's face went pale with fear. The intention of the Baroness was not to be cruel, but she had always guarded to her heart with ferocity especially when dealing with subject that had left an unhealed wound.
"Oh," Maria finally mustered. "Well, perhaps you'd better pick the subject."
Elsa tried to soften her ruffled feathers a bit by relaxing her shoulders. She regained her composure and hoped to reassure Maria with her smile.
"No, you try again Madame von Trapp, the third time is bound to be the charm," Elsa said lightly. With relief Elsa saw Maria relax as well.
"There is a lovely little Abby down the road," Maria began, "Have you been there? I took the children to mass and the inside of the building is quite lovely."
Elsa forced herself not to slam down her tea cup. She could not believe three times in a row Maria would hit on a painful subject. She looked down into her napkin.
"No," Elsa answered keeping her voice low.
"You should come to church with us on Sunday then, and we can show it to you," Maria invited, her upbeat tone nearly causing Elsa to stand and leave.
"I haven't been inside the walls of a church in twenty years," Elsa growled. She hated to see Maria's dejected look once again. This time Maria seemed to gather a bit of bravery out of her frustration.
"May I ask the reason?" The redhead questioned.
"You may," Elsa said lifting her chin, "But I'm afraid I'll decline to answer."
Elsa waited for a few moments in anticipation. She was sure Maria would give up the effort to befriend her. Elsa wanted a friend so desperately, and although she thought Maria beneath her, the woman was by far the kindest and most accepting she had ever known.
"Well, we make a fine pair don't we," Maria asked, on the verge of laughter. Elsa had to smile in return and ducted her head in relief that Maria would not throw her out.
"I know," Elsa began, "Why don't you tell me what each of Georg's children have been up in the past three years."
Maria's eyes brightened.
"You want to hear about that?" She asked with surprise lining her voice.
"It seems to be the only subject that won't offend either one of us," Elsa replied.
Maria smiled warmly and nodded happily. The rest of the afternoon was pleasant, Elsa even thought perhaps enjoyable. The most notable event in the lives of the von Trapp children was the recent engagement of the oldest daughter, Liesl, to a solider named Jeof. The information meant little to Elsa, but the subject kept Elsa from having to talk about herself. The Baroness only hoped Maria didn't notice that each subject they talked about did not have to do with Elsa directly.
Maria:
Maria did notice that the Baroness refused at all costs to talk about herself. Next Thursday Maria had invited the Baroness back for tea, this time with Liesl and to Maria's surprise the woman agreed. When Georg returned that night Maria sat up next to him in the large king size bed as he read the newspaper.
"I had tea with the Baroness today," she told her husband, not looking up from mending Marta's shirt. Georg put down the paper and looked at Maria with shock.
"Why on earth would you do that?" He asked, his voice somewhat exasperated.
"I like to make new friends," she replied. Georg took of his glasses and shook his head.
"Elsa isn't the kind that makes friends," he responded. Maria really did not want to waste time arguing with Georg on why he thought she should be friends with the Baroness.
"Tell me what you know about her Georg. She is a sad sort of person, really. I never noticed that until today. What is she sad about?" Maria asked. Georg's at first wrinkled his brow but it soon softened as Maria intently watched him for an answer.
"For all the time I knew her I didn't learn that much about her. She's not one to talk about herself. She's very jovial, very charming, but also quite withdrawn," Georg said and left the subject there. Maria was determined to interrogate him for all the information he knew.
"She told me today she hasn't been to church in twenty years," Maria informed. Georg turned his head to the side in thought.
"Huh, that explains a lot. She always had some excuse not to attend mass with us, although I can't say I went as often as I should have before your pious influence," he said teasingly. Maria remained serious, for the subject had not been explored thoroughly enough yet.
"Why do you suppose she hasn't been?" Maria questioned. Georg sighed loudly, a sign he was getting bored with the topic.
"I really don't know, darling. All I know about Elsa I learned mostly from Max. She was married to a man named Henry Schraeder. He wasn't a Baron but he had good family connections and was quite wealthy. The match was looked on with pleasure by both families. He died after only a year or so of marriage and then she moved to Vienna. Her only living relative is a great aunt I think, her parents died shortly after her wedding. She met Max when she first moved to Vienna and the two became fast friends. Max introduced Charley and I to her at about the same time. Although my wife was still alive then so I didn't pay much attention to Elsa. I promise you that is all I know about her past," Georg said. Maria smirked. It was her turn to tease.
"Well, that is very little for a woman you almost married," Maria shrugged.
Georg laughed and snatched the sewing from Maria's hands holding it above his head and out of her reach. Maria tried to grab for it and he only gave it back when she rewarded him with a kiss.
"Max told me that she was in love with Charles Jackson," Maria said, interrupting Georg's reading again.
"You know Max," Georg said looking over his glasses, "I highly doubt that. Elsa loathes Charles Jackson and he is not at all fond of her. It's lucky for us he stopped going to party's or else they might have run into each other the other night. Max would have enjoyed that I'm sure, but the scene for the rest of us would have been unpleasant." Georg chuckled at whatever picture had formed in his mind.
"Hum," Maria replied, "Well, there are far too many unanswered questions about her for my liking. I've made up my mind to befriend the Baroness and there will be no stopping me." Georg closed the newspaper and took of his glasses.
"I wonder what she knows anything about weddings," Maria mused to herself, "I'm almost positive I can convince her to help me plan Liesl and Jeof's wedding."
"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into," Georg sighed, his voice lacking enthusiasm. He turned out the lamp near his side of the bed. Maria put away the shirt and smiled to herself. The Baroness was obviously reaching out for a friend, and Maria decided no matter what the woman did, she would be a friend.
Elsa:
Elsa met Maria for afternoon tea on a weekly basis and she was surprised at how quickly Maria became her friend. They still only discussed subjects of fluffy social value but at least Elsa had someone to talk too, even if the talk was cheap. On more than one occasion Elsa could not help herself from making a comment or two about Maria's rank or something equally insulting, but to Elsa's relief the woman just shrugged it off. Elsa had never known anyone to take an insult so well. The guilt of it all caused Elsa to try her hardest to bite her tongue when a rude thought sprang to her mind.
Maria needed to do some shopping for Liesl's pending wedding and Elsa volunteered to go with her, as she was familiar with the best shops in town. They had taken a taxi instead of driving and walked up and down main street looking in windows and having a good time. Maria didn't seem at all bothered by the fact Elsa was forced to walk slowly with her cane.
"Baroness, look at this dress," Maria said, her eyes glued to a statue in the window of a store. The dress was not all that impressive to Elsa, but to Maria the whole world was full of wonder. Elsa smiled and stopped when she reached Maria's side but she kept her eyes on Maria not the dress. She lightly touched Maria's arm to draw her attention away from the store window.
"Please, Maria, I think it's time you called me Elsa," she said. Maria slyly smiled, not the reaction Elsa had expected.
"Thank you," Maria answered sincerity heavy in her voice.
"Shall we go in and see how much it is?" Elsa asked. Maria shook her head.
"Oh no, Liesl doesn't need any more dresses," Maria replied rolling her eyes skyward. The Baroness looked from Maria to the store window and back again.
"Not for Liesl, my dear," the Baroness said, "for you."
Not only did Elsa encourage Maria to try on every beautiful expensive dress in the store, she made the once governess a gift out of the most costly and elegant one. Maria of course objected from the beginning to the end, but Elsa was very insistent and knew Maria did not dare argue with her too much.
"I'll just package this for you," the white haired store keeper informed them when Elsa finally won the argument.
Elsa nodded and she and Maria waited near the front desk for the man to return. Elsa rolled her eyes at Maria's continued profuse thanking when she heard the bells above the door signal that someone else had entered the store. A man in a striking grey suit approached the front desk and Elsa peered around Maria to see him. He was tall and incredibly handsome with a square jaw and fine brown hair. Elsa gripped her golden cane a bit tighter when she realized she had been ogling Charles Jackson.
"I'm here to pick up an order. Under Jackson," his familiar booming voice filled the store.
He hadn't seen Elsa yet, and try as she might she could not tear her eyes from him, even when she heard Maria say her name. Charles glanced over and did a double take when he realized who was standing next to him. She wondered what he thought of her now. The last time he'd seen her she had been much younger, and she hadn't needed a cane back then as she did now. She searched his eyes to see if they still held that unique intense stare she had seen him give to her alone.
"Madame von Trapp," he said, forcing his eyes on Maria and taking her hand politely.
"Charley Jackson, hello," Maria said pleasantly, "I think you know the Baroness Schraeder."
"That is my misfortune," Charles responded. Elsa felt the blood rush through her veins. Why did he have to insult her in a way that made her face flush?
"You see, Maria," Elsa began her voice cold and pristine, "A vulgar, ignorant boy, just as I told you." Elsa wanted to see how Maria was reacting to their behavior but she could not pry her eyes from the man she had not seen in years.
"Am I a topic of discussion often, ladies?" He asked, his American accent flawlessly insinuating. Elsa felt her temper taking over.
"Kindly direct your offensive manner at me alone, leave Mrs. Von Trapp out of it," Elsa responded, proud of her haughty tone.
"Jealous, are you?" Charles asked, his lovely lips forming into a devilish smile.
Elsa felt as though her legs would give out at any moment and she blamed the reaction on the long day's walking. Charles had hit Elsa a little too close to the mark and she knew it. He always had a tendency to do that. Although Elsa considered Maria her one friend, she still felt shame in the fact she lost a man to a woman of lower rank and much less beautiful. Elsa set her cane against the side of the front desk.
"I'm surprised a store of this reputation would allow your kind in," Elsa said, taking out her white gloves and slowly slipping them over her fingers.
"You're the only one living in the world of past barbarian royalty, Elsa," Charles informed his voice completely overbearing.
"The Baroness Schrader to you," she corrected ice in her voice.
Maria had backed away from the two of them a little, so Elsa and Charles were facing each other directly. The vulgar American extended his large hand and gripped the golden cane.
"What happened?" He questioned, his eyes intently locked on Elsa. She lost a little of her composure at the softness of his eyes but did not give in.
"Nothing," she hissed, "I simply find the cane useful in fending off unwanted company."
Elsa ripped the cane out of Charles' hand and proudly made her way to the exit. She could hear Charles' rich laughter follow her all the way out the door.
The Baroness hailed a taxi and hoped Maria would exit the store before Charles. Finally, with a large blue dress box in her hands, Maria approached and without saying a word climbed into the taxi. The ride to the von Trapp home was spent in silence. Elsa wondered why Maria did not attempt to ask questions about the encounter. As the taxi pulled into the driveway Elsa finally broke the silence.
"Are you not going to ask me about what happened?" Elsa questioned. Maria, her hands holding tightly to the box in her lap, looked up at Elsa.
"You said once you did not wish to talk about it, Elsa. I respect that," Maria replied. Elsa nodded but was saddened. She said a polite good-bye to Maria and wondered why she wished she hadn't told Maria she did not want to talk about Charles Jackson.
Maria:
Maria entered the house singing. The children wondered why she was in such a good mood and she simply answered she'd had a lovely day with Elsa, the Baroness. Liesl helped Maria put the younger children to bed and joined her in the study later that evening.
"Liesl," Maria said excitedly, "I'm bursting if I don't tell someone what happened today, and I know your father won't appreciate it like you will."
"Tell me mother," Liesl insisted eagerly. Maria leaned forward and smiled.
"Today the Baroness told me to call her Elsa," Maria explained triumphantly. Liesl looked at her mother with less excitement.
"Oh," Liesl replied, her voice straining to be excited.
"Don't you see what this means?" Maria questioned putting a hand on the top of her head. "The Baroness, Elsa, has put the two of us on the same plane. Her hard shell is finally beginning to crack."
"Mother," Liesl began, "I don't understand why you care so much. I mean, I almost like the Baroness now, she's been a marvelous help with the wedding, but she isn't a nice person."
"There are three mysteries surrounding the Baroness that I promised myself I would uncover, and in the process try to help her," Maria explained, drawing closer to her daughter to take the girl into the strictest confidence. "First of all, no one, not even Max, knows what happened to her to cause her to need a cane. Max thinks she probably did something clumsy and is ashamed to admit it, but I think there is more to it than that."
Liesl looked thoughtful for a moment, then she brightened and spoke.
"You know, each of the children have a different theory on that. Kurt thinks she made a little orphan child mad and so he kicked her," Liesl said, slightly snickering.
"Whatever happened, it must have been during the war, when she was in Paris," Maria mused, almost to herself.
"What are the other two mysteries mother?" Liesl asked. Maria clasped her hands together under her chin.
"She told me that she hasn't been to church in twenty years. I want to know what is terrible enough to drive her away. She wants to have faith, I can see it, but she's angry and sad about something," Maria explained.
She could see her words were having an effect on Liesl. The young girl was always looking to Maria for guidance and wisdom. Maria thought that perhaps Liesl might soften enough to become friends with the Baroness, a worthy goal if there ever was one.
"Maybe she's sad because she didn't marry father," Liesl suggested, extending her hands outward.
"Perhaps," Maria responded, "Then there is the last thing. Today we ran into Charley Jackson. Max was right when he said the two of them fight."
"Really?" Liesl said intrigued, "What did they fight about?" Maria remembered back to the day she had asked Max the same question.
"He said it was a misfortune to know her, and she called him ignorant," Maria said.
"He insulted her?" Liesl asked, laughing out loud in disbelief. "I can't believe anyone would dare insult her. She is so cold."
"She did not take it well…" Maria trailed off and her voice became more serious, "There was something about the way they…I don't know, but that is the third mystery I want to uncover."
"Do you think the Baroness will ever open up to us?" Liesl questioned. The use of the word 'us' did not go unnoticed by Maria. She knew she had intrigued her daughter enough to have a partner in detective work. The best part was that Elsa would be getting another friend. Maria worried that Elsa did not have enough friends.
"That is why today was so exciting. Before I doubted, but I think with time she might," Maria told her daughter happily. The two women giggled at their scheming before parting ways to turn in for the night.