The last chapter was short but this one is longer. Thanks for reading! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Sound of Music, Maria, Georg, the Baroness, the real von Trapp's or any of the other brilliant Rogers and Hammerstein characters.
Elsa:
The papers Elsa had received from the French underground had printed the name Annie Jackson instead of Armina Janklowitz. Elsa knew with the name Armina had she would never get through the patrol at the train station so the Baroness called on her old friends from the underground to help out. Armina's parents had been killed in a skirmish against the Nazi's and Elsa knew the girl was not supposed to have escaped.
The underground had mistakenly printed Jackson for Armina's last name and now Elsa was forced to parade around as if Armina was her daughter. The thought of adopting Armina had crossed Elsa's mind a number of times since the Reverend Mother had first delivered her a number of weeks ago, but Elsa had yet to talk to Charles about it and she didn't want to do anything else that might upset her relationship with her husband. She knew Charles would be upset by the fact she waited so long to tell him about the baby and by the fact she was playing a dangerous game in trying to get Armina out of Paris.
The seven year old spoke English quite well, but she had a distinctly German accent. Elsa prayed that once they arrived at the station the patrollers would direct their questions to Elsa and not the little girl.
The previous night had been a rough one for both Elsa and Armina. The wind and rain beat against the shallow hotel window and Armina had awoken in the middle of the night. Elsa heard the girl whimpering softly under the noise from outside and Elsa wished she could have remembered the song the von Trapp children used to sing when they were afraid. Something about brown boxes and strings…
The words weren't coming to Elsa so she pulled on her yellow nightgown and sat down on Armina's bed. She gently put a hand on the girl's shoulder and to her surprise Armina jumped into her arms. The girl began babbling about the nightmare she had. A giant green ogre was chasing her through Paris, throwing cars aside and ripping up buildings that stood in his way. Armina finally fell back asleep in Elsa's arms but Elsa had no such luck when she crawled back in bed.
The rain was still drizzling when Elsa awoke the next morning, and she felt quite sick. She pushed the thought of being ill to the back of her mind, however, because she knew they had to get out of Paris and soon. She helped Armina get dressed and explained to the girl they were going to pretend her name was Annie Jackson and that Elsa was her mother. Elsa called for a cab to take them to the train station.
Elsa looked up from the forged papers in her hand out the cab window. She inhaled deeply and wished she hadn't eaten that piece of rye bread for breakfast.
"I love train rides," Armina said from the seat next to Elsa. Elsa forced herself to smile as if nothing were the matter. The Baroness wasn't sure if it was her pregnancy or her nerves that were making her sick.
"I'm glad," Elsa replied careful to keep her voice upbeat.
Armina smiled back excitedly and looked out the rain soaked window at the people on the street. Armina was by no means an attractive girl. Her dirty water colored brown hair had an unnatural grey tint to it and her nose and eyes were always a little to red compared to pale milky skin. When she smiled, though, one forgot about the homeliness of her features.
Armina was not by nature an affectionate girl, in fact, last night had been the first time since meeting she had hugged the Baroness. Elsa felt to earn a hug from the little girl was a worthy pursuit and she reasoned with pride that most children who are unattractive grow to be ravishing beauties. Elsa knew Armina would be a ravishing beauty, she could see it in the girl's baby blue eyes.
"Here we are," the cab drive said and pulled up to the curb. Elsa searched her purse and paid the man as Armina opened the cab door. The rain had stopped, and Elsa was relieved for she had not brought an umbrella.
Once out of the car Elsa took Armina's hand and leaned down to talk to the child.
"Now, remember what we talked about Annie," Elsa said searching the child's expression to make sure she understood.
"I remember," she said and then added with a giggle, "mother."
Elsa nodded slowly and straightened back up. She gripped her cane with one hand and Armina's with the other. Once they reached the ticket window Elsa released Armina a bit cautiously before she showed the man their boarding passes. He glanced at them and waved them through without much thought. Elsa inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good.
Elsa led Armina through the train station, all the while keeping a close eye on the German soldiers who paced back and forth on the platform. The rain had stopped but a misty fog began to creep in making the only visible colors surrounding the station shades of grey and black.
Armina easily jumped up the stairs into the box car and Elsa handed the girl their luggage. The Baroness had some difficultly in hosting herself onto the narrow steep steps with her golden cane in hand. She reached for the railing but her first attempt at stepping up was a miserable failure. When she nearly stumbled she decided she had better reconsider how to get up the steps, as a fall in her present condition could be dangerous.
Armina put a hand on Elsa's arm, as if the girl had intended on pulling Elsa up onto the steps with sheer force.
"Mother," Armina whispered as her eyes grew big.
She was looking over Elsa's shoulder. Elsa gave up climbing the steps for a moment turned to see what had caught Armina's attention. Before Elsa could react a young Nazi was extending his hand to her.
"May I help you ma'am?" the boy asked, his German accent thick. Elsa was alarmed but quickly regained her cool and smiled gratefully. The boy helped her onto the steps and she nodded again.
"Papers," the other young solider said.
His face was stern and his manner was not as pleasant as the one who helped Elsa up the steps. Elsa cast her eyes downward and searched her purse for the forged papers. She was careful not to betray any emotion.
She held out the tickets and passports and the German solider ripped them out of her hands. He looked them over and then looked up narrowing his eyes at Armina.
"Your daughter, freulin?" he asked. Elsa forced herself to remain calm. She nodded elegantly.
"She doesn't look much like you," the German responded.
"She takes after her father," Elsa cooed. Her voice low and composed but her heart was racing.
The boy drew his gaze from Elsa to Armina and back again when the voices of men shouting caused him to look away. Elsa peered over the top of the soldier's heads to see the railway manager arguing with a man holding a protest sign. The German's did not excuse themselves before they walked away from Elsa to see what the trouble was.
Elsa quickly ushered Armina into the box car. She breathed a sigh of relief and scanned the rooms for the compartment assigned to them. The suitcase Elsa had given to Armina was far too heavy for the girl. With her free hand Elsa lugged the bulky black luggage through the tight box car hallway. They finally arrived at their destination and Armina quickly pushed the sliding door open and jumped into the plush seat next to the window. Sitting across from Armina was a woman dressed in all black was stared out the window.
Elsa was beginning to feel sick again but she entered the compartment with a smirk and used all her strength to lift the heavy case to the shelf above their seats.
"This is so exciting, mother," Armina said.
Elsa felt a bit wary the girl had gotten used to calling her mother so quickly. Once Elsa gracefully took her seat the woman in the seat across brought her hawk eyes to face them. She was an old woman, with a full head of silver grey hair pulled into a lose bun under her black lace hat. The woman wore a white broach around her high necked dress and her chin was lifted so high she had to look down her distinguished nose at her compartment mates.
Elsa glanced quickly at the woman and then directed her gaze out the window. A few moments later she jerked her head in recognition of who was sitting across from her.
"Elsa Schraeder," the shrill high pitched flawlessly elegant voice rang familiarly in Elsa's ears.
"Aunt Rosalind," Elsa gasped.
Elsa's old aunt swept her eyes disapprovingly over Elsa as she had done so many times before and gripped the fur of the long haired tiny dog on her lap. The silver haired woman straightened her back, a trait Elsa had inherited.
"This child is not your daughter, you have no children," Rosalind factually scolded.
Elsa was about to speak when another woman entered the compartment. She was a mousy looking skinny thing with jet black hair matching Rosalind's outfit. Had it not been for the submissiveness of her manner Elsa thought perhaps the woman could have a sharp kind of beauty.
"This is my housekeeper and traveling companion, Angelica Stine," Rosalind informed cutting off Elsa from speaking. The mouse gave an intimidated nod before settling in next to her employer.
"Mother, look," Armina said pointing out the window. A German solider took a note from a delivery boy, spotted Elsa and Armina through the window and ran out of sight. Elsa took a deep breath and looked her aunt straight in the eye.
"Aunt Rose," she began in the hardest tone she had ever used with her overbearing aunt, "You must not say anything. I will explain later."
Rose had no time to reply, for by the time her shocked expression melted into annoyance the German solider was already knocking at the door of their compartment. Elsa was not sure what she would do if they were caught. She decided she would have to stall the solider long enough for Armina to escape, although the girl had no where to escape too. Elsa would be arrested and Charles…oh, Charles, why had she acted like such a fool the last time she spoke with him?
"Baroness Jackson?" the solider asked. Elsa stood defiantly with her chin lifted high.
"Yes," she replied. He bowed and handed her a piece of paper.
"This just arrived for you," he explained, "they had some trouble tracking you down but we managed to get it to you before you left."
Elsa nearly passed out with relief. Rose stomped her foot on the carpeted floor.
"Why did he call you Baroness Jackson? And what does that letter say?" The old woman questioned, her voice flustered.
Elsa ignored her and read the note.
Elsa Stop The von Trapp's home Stop Concerned Stop When are you arriving Question mark
The young solider turned to left but Elsa stopped him.
"Wait, I have a reply," Elsa began. The boy took out a paper and pencil.
"Coming home today, stop. See you soon, stop. Elsa," she told the boy. She picked up her purse and paid him as the train began to inch forward. She sat down and smiled at Armina who looked as relieved as Elsa felt.
"What are you doing on this train, Elsa? What is going on? I demand to know," the old woman scolded as her lips tightened into a bitter wrinkled line. "So help me girl you'll be the death of me yet."
As if to exaggerate the point Rose put a pale white hand to her forehead and closed her eyes as if she was in real pain. The train was now well under way and the motion of it brought back Elsa's nausea.
"This little girl is Annie, and we are traveling home," Elsa explained as she rummaged through her purse to find a white handkerchief. She put the white cloth to her cheek and hoped her sickness would subside.
"Jackson is a vulgar name. Why did he call you Jackson?" Rosalind demanded recovering from her faux death sleep.
The lifted eyebrow above the old woman's eye made Elsa suspect her aunt was hiding something. Elsa took a deep breath but nothing seemed to ease her stomach. She had failed to write her great-aunt with news of her wedding. No doubt Rosalind would shun her for eloping and lecture her about marrying an American. Although, in the past Charles and Rosalind seemed to have a relationship Elsa never quite understood.
"He called me Jackson because," Elsa's voice was quite harsh and she would have continued in her anger save for the fact she felt her breakfast making a return.
"Excuse me," she said weakly as she grabbed her cane and stumbled to the door.
From the corner of her eye she could see her aunt's look of outrage at being treated so rudely but Elsa did not care. The one thought on her mind was getting to the bathroom in time. She hurried down the hallway and frantically opened the door to the restroom. Thankfully she made it. After about ten agonizing minutes in the bathroom Elsa began to feel much better. She would be glad to finally be in her own house and to focus on taking care of herself and the baby.
If there was a phone on the train Elsa would have called Charles then and there and told him everything. Of course, there was no phone and she had no idea where Charles was…if he was alive. She couldn't think about that. After washing her hands she splashed cold water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She was pleased to see she appeared surprisingly attractive if not a little colorless after what she had just gone through.
When she returned to the cabin Armina was no where in sight. Her aunt's housekeeper was gone too and Elsa began to panic.
"Sit down," her aunt order in that shrill voice.
"But Ar-Annie," Elsa said.
"Good heavens child, the girl is fine. Angelica took her to the dinning car to get some sweets. The girl was all frigidity about your sudden departure so I told Angelica to get her something to eat," Rose explained. "Sit."
With a deep sigh Elsa obeyed the commanded of her grandmother's younger sister. Elsa pressed the damp handkerchief to her forehead and closed her eyes for a moment.
"You've been ill," Rose stated. Elsa did not bother to open her eyes. She knew her aunt was gazing at her with those terrifying hawk eyes. Silence ensued when Elsa did not answer.
"You're going to have a baby, aren't you?" Rose asked. At that, Elsa's eyes popped wide open and she stared at her great aunt in alarm. How could she have guessed? Elsa was nearly three months but she was not showing in the least. Aunt Rose didn't even know Elsa had gotten married. What must her aunt be thinking?
"You have forgotten I used to know you as well as my own daughter," Rose explained with something that might have almost been a smile on her thin aged lips, "And I lived with you when you were with child before, or have you forgotten that too? I know you're acting strangely."
"How is Elaine, Aunt Rose?" Elsa asked.
"Don't you go changing the subject," Rose demanded so shrewdly the lazy dog on her lap lifted its head.
"If that husband of yours hadn't written me I might not have even known you got married," Rose scolded again, "You didn't seem at all thrilled to tell me a moment ago. It makes an old woman think you are avoiding her. You haven't visited in how many years?"
Aunt Rose almost sounded sad as she spoke. A little pang of guilt arose within Elsa. How considerate of her husband to write to Rose. Elsa didn't think she loved her Charles more than at that moment.
"You had Elaine and Richard, I didn't want to intrude," Elsa answered, defending her actions.
"Nonsense," Rose said sharply, "You were never an intruder, and help me if I ever understood why you thought you were. Wasn't I there for you after your parents died? We were quite close back then. Elaine was quite fond of you too. I remember all those carriage rides you took. Wasn't she with you when you first met Charles? Oh, I know it's true that you are as stubborn as a three legged goat and you're cantankerous too, but that's no reason for you to avoid your only family. What would my late niece have thought of such behavior?"
Elsa could not avoid smirking at her aunts words. 'Stubborn' and 'cantankerous' were just the terms Elsa would have used to describe the old woman with whom she once lived.
"Aunt Rose, I'm really not in the mood to listen to one of your lectures," Elsa replied waving the white cloth as if it was a sign of surrender.
"Charles has the misfortune of being an American, but he has more sense than you do," Rose continued. Elsa could not help from snapping at her.
"He enlisted, how much sense can he have?" Elsa heard the words slip out quickly with a bitter undertone. She didn't know how much Rosalind knew about her relationship with her husband, but the last thing she wanted to do was give her aunt information that might prolong the painful conversation.
"Enough sense to ask me to come to Switzerland and look after you until he returns," Rose answered.
Elsa was silent for a moment while she digested the information. Even though he was enlisting Charles had been concerned about leaving Elsa. The thought made the tired Baroness smile just a little.
"I wondered why you were on this train," Elsa said, almost to herself. Aunt Rose's expression turned to annoyance once again.
"Blast it all girl," Rose said stomping her foot, "I need details. Who is that little girl that called you mother? She seems like a sweet little thing, that is, if I liked children, which I don't."
Elsa rolled her eyes. Her aunt always said thing she didn't really mean. She was a bitter old woman, forced to live alone in a huge house in Vienna once Elaine married and Richard passed away. The years Elsa spent at her house were not pleasant as Rose insisted on running a household along the guidelines of discipline and propriety. Again Elsa did not answer. She moved uncomfortably in the seat and looked out the window at the streets of Paris rushing out of sight.
"Very well," Rosalind said her voice lower and the shrillness gone, "Keep the answers to yourself. You've always kept to yourself."
The old woman took a deep sigh and ran her wrinkled white hand along the mane of her dog.
"I can't say I blame you," Rose chuckled, "I was much like you when I was your age. Of course, I had my Richard. I knew what a gem he was. You'd do well to remember the same about Charley."
Elsa was quite astonished that proper and elegant Rosalind would refer to her husband as the vulgar American sounding 'Charley.'
"I know Aunt Rose," Elsa replied humbly, feeling like the nervous child of her youth waiting for the large oak door to swing open and relieve all five foot six inches of her fearsome old great aunt.
"You've always liked him, I never quite understood why?" Elsa questioned, attempting to wiggle free of her old childish fear of her great aunt.
Rosalind's lips formed into a round tight 'o' shape, as if she were about to kiss someone. She narrowed her hawk eyes and lifted her noble nose up a little higher.
"He's your husband, girl, you should know better than anyone his good qualities," Rose replied. Elsa lifted her eyebrows and looked at her aunt with contempt and amusement combined. When a smirk appeared on Elsa's lips Rosalind continued.
"Oh, all right," she began annoyed, "If you must know I've always liked Charley because he is a hero just like you. In fact, that is the problem you two have. You both get angry with each other when you act like heroes. Charley went off to war because it's against his nature not to fight for what he believes in. I imagine that ordeal with the German solider a moment ago could have gotten you into a great deal of trouble but you refused to turn your back on a little child. You were even injured due to your nature to act like a hero. Well, I say Charley is every bit as heroic as you and you'll do well to remember that next time you quarrel. Don't think I don't know what's going on. Charley told me enough when he phoned me. I know the two of you haven't spoken. What you need is a good slap upside the head."
Rosalind finished her shrill lecture by giving Elsa an unnerving smirk. The Baroness sighed, ashamed of her behavior. She knew her aunt was right but she did not want Aunt Rose to know she knew. Elsa hesitated from replying long enough for Angelica and Armina to return from the dinning car. The moment Angelica enter Rose began shouting out orders.
"Fine my black gloves and take my hat off, it's giving me a headache. Not so fast girl, do you want to give an old woman a heart attack? Close the blinds the light is too bright and make sure the purser knows I'm here," Rosalind barked.
Elsa took a little comfort in seeing her aunt had not changed from the time she knew her. Poor Angelica ran to and fro at Rosalind's commands and never seemed to do anything quite to Rose's liking. Once Rosalind began dosing off Elsa put a hand on Angelica's arm and shook her head. Angelica stared at her in surprise and finally smiled. Elsa told her to explore the train and take a break from the demands of Rose as the old woman would be quite safe with Elsa and Armina. With a thankful bow the mousey woman left the cabin. Elsa wondered how anyone could be so desperate for a job to put up with working for her aunt.
As the train traveled on Elsa's stomach fell back into place. Elsa herself was about to fall asleep with she felt a tug on her arm. She opened her eyes to see Armina looking at her expectantly.
"Mother? Should I still call you mother?" Armina asked.
"Probably best to do so, until we are off of the train," Elsa replied, her voice barely above a whisper to keep from waking Rosalind.
"What is your husband like? Do you think he will like me?" Armina asked, her face was paler than usually and her tiny hand gripped Elsa's arm tightly. This was a conversation Elsa knew she would have to face eventually.
"Of course my dear," Elsa assured, "I don't see how he could do anything but adore you."
Armina smiled brightly and settled back into her seat. She looked out the window and after a few minutes looked back up to Elsa.
"Are you going to adopt me, I mean, if your husband likes me?" Armina questioned. Every part of Elsa wanted to tell the girl yes but she couldn't bring herself too, not before she had spoken to Charles.
"I wish I could give you an answer Armina, but only time will tell," Elsa stated sadly. Armina's spirits were not crushed.
"Well, whatever you decide, I'm glad I got to stay with you for this long," the girl said.
Elsa thought her heart would break at the words. Armina turned her attention back out the window. To Elsa the scenery seemed to crawl by. She wanted to go home and see Charles. If she wished hard enough maybe he would be there when she arrived. Maybe he had changed his mind about the war and would be sitting in his favorite chair reading the paper when she walked in the door.
Her dreams faded as soon as she remembered Rosalind's words. Charles was a hero. Elsa hated it, but she could hardly say anything after what she had risked to save Armina. Her one consolation was the house would not be empty when she arrived. At little comfort as it was, Rosalind and Angelica would be there and Armina. After so many months Elsa would finally be able to talk to Maria again. She clung to that thought as she finally drifted off to sleep.