Chapter 8 Discomfort
As the baroness stood in front of Georg with her hands clasped by her sides, he recognized that they were in an awkward situation, and justifications would probably do more harm than good. He had hardly ever been in a position of having to give explanations of his most intimate or private acts anyway.
"Elsa, I am sorry," was all Georg managed to articulate. "I wished we would have been spared this."
"Oh, don't worry about little old me. I knew something like this was going on. I would just have asked you two had waited until the party in my honor was over." Her sarcasm was bitter and he felt very guilty for hurting her. "But I suppose that was asking too much..."
"I am sorry," he repeated. "I have been dishonest to the both of us and utterly unfair to you"
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Georg," the baroness snapped. "You and I had never been anything but friends that I am aware of!"
The obvious meaning implied in her words, no doubt, was that she was relieved that that had been the case.
"I know, but yet, I regret the fact that you saw and learnt about Maria and me this way…after all, this party…"
"Yes, indeed. This party! You threw a ball in my honor only to start kissing the governess when none was looking!"
"Elsa, it's not like that. You say it like if I was planning this!"
She laughed. "Yet you did it. If someone else was watching…"
Georg knew what she meant. Indeed, the gossip of what had happened would reach the world sooner or later and the humiliating role of disdained woman would be assigned to the baroness by her hypocrite circle of friends.
What was he thinking when he approved of this party in the first place! Celebrating it had implied too much to begin with.
"I assure you I won't allow any improper talking that may affect you or Maria."
"Please Georg, you're not powerful enough so as to be able to control what people think or say!" Elsa raised her voice for the first time. "But don't worry about me; I assure you I don't need any compassion."
"And I wouldn't dare offering that to you. Please don't underestimate me. I respect you more than that," he replied earnestly.
"I just hope you don't have to regret forever what you did today," Elsa couldn't help herself from saying.
He didn't answer for a long time.
"I think I love her."
She saw the glimmer in his eyes and Elsa had to swallow.
"You do, don't you? Then don't waste your time like that with me. Go and tell her."
Georg opened his eyes with obvious surprise at this; then smiled sadly. He thought Elsa had given him some sort of blessing.
"I care about you a lot, you know," he said.
Elsa raised her eyebrows disbelievingly. "Well you have a funny way of demonstrating it, my darling."
There was a short silence before Elsa continued, "Anyway, I think my presence here is beside the point now. I will be packing my little bags now and part for Vienna as soon as this party is over."
"Elsa, you cannot leave at this hour," he exclaimed. "If you must, then at least wait until the morning and Franz or Max will drive you," Georg opposed, half-heartedly.
"You may be right. But I am retiring now, please give my excuses to your friends, tell them I am indisposed, will you? "
"I will of course, and thank you—for everything."
The Baroness only nodded elegantly and parted from him, not looking back.
Georg touched his forehead and felt it damp after the agitation of the last minutes. His conduct towards Elsa had been completely blamable, but he was somehow relieved that she had bowed off graciously. It was something that he would always admire about her, even if he didn't deserve her forgiveness.
In fact, he really liked her as a friend and until recently he would have been glad to join their lives because of the comfort factor and the need he saw in his family for a new mother for the kids. Despite that, Elsa had been anything but a happy prospective maternal figure--just as she wasn't really the match for him.
The whole insane idea he had had of their being a couple had more to do with the fact that he was alone and he wasn't willing to risk his heart to be broken for a second time. Thanks God, Maria had tumbled down his defenses at the correct time to show him those fears were absurd. He felt like a complete man again after almost a lifetime of not realizing how lacking, dryly and cowardly his days succeeded one another.
Consequently, the advantage of what had happened that night was that he wouldn't make the mistake of deceiving both Elsa and himself about a relationship that had never had a future.
Now, the most urgent problem in his head was the thought that he needed to clarify things with Maria.
Georg walked into the house realizing with preoccupation that their discussion would have to wait till he dispatched his friends. He was in a hurry to finish the ball now. In addition to this, was the fact that he would like to save Elsa further pain or discomfort where it was possible.
The Captain hoped that Elsa was the only one who found out of their compromising situation. The last thing needed was to turn Maria into some sort of scarlet woman.
Upon entering the ballroom he searched to see any sign of peculiarity amid his friends; but he was unsure in his conclusions. The aristocrats knew better than to be too obvious, especially if they were to enjoy tearing into pieces their host. So if something was to escape in the form of gossip he would have to wait till the next morning to find out.
In his heart, Georg fervently prayed that by then, everything would be sorted out between Maria and himself, and the social disaster would be considerably less for the both of them, even if the news of their engagement would rock the basis the old fashioned society.
Because…after what had happened, the only honorable thing to do was to ask Maria to be his wife, he decided.
Not that it would be something that he would do for obligation. No, on the contrary, he smiled; even if it was a very hurried decision he knew deep inside that it was right.
In his heart, a light turned on with hope and joy. She would accept, wouldn't she? Maria seemed to share the same feelings that took control of his senses.
A waiter offered him a cup of coffee and Georg accepted it thankful, he felt he would need it for whatever awaited for him during the rest of that endless night, and maybe it'd help with his incipient headache.
"Georg, I wanted to ask you how old are you?" Max had neared him from behind, startling the captain. It was a strange question at the moment.
"Forty-three. Why?"
"Well, because I would have said you weren't above seventeen by the things I've seen tonight."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," said the captain in an effort to save time.
"I have no idea what I am talking about either! I wonder if you care to explain it to me?" Max said looking into his eye. "First, I see Fräulein Maria run across the ballroom and then stumble up the stairs almost falling over her head. Unless it was the Tafelspitz that went bad to her stomach, I cannot account for that behavior."
Georg looked stubbornly into a point in the wall, sighing.
Max continued: "then no five minutes later I notice Elsa sneaking upstairs too, with her eyes filled with tears."
"It would be better if you stayed clear away from things you don't understand, Max."
"I may no comprehend, but it doesn't' follow that I don't care. Elsa is also my friend, Georg."
"And Maria isn't, is she?" exclaimed the captain, put off.
"I have a professional interest in her too, you know—business. I won't let you play with either, regardless," Max said seriously, stripping for the moment of his airs of dandy.
Both men shut up until a group of guests passed by; when they were far enough so they wouldn't overhear them, they started again.
"The role of knight in a shining armor doesn't fit you, Max."
"And the role of Casanova fits you better?"
Georg got extremely miffed at that and had to clench his fists.
"I am going to marry Maria."
"And you decided that before or after dessert?" asked Max matter-of-factly.
"You could make your ironic remarks all night; or you could support me for a change."
"Does Maria know this?"
"In fact, not yet," Georg said unconcerned.
"Aha!" Max didn't appear surprised. "And I assume Elsa is aware of your intentions, isn't she?
The other man moved his head in the affirmative. "Elsa said she wished to leave in the morning. Would you please drive her? I don't think she would like me to."
Max remained thoughtful for long moments, considering the situation with a sad expression.
"I will leave with her."
"You don't have to," said Georg instantly, not wanting to earn Max's antagonism as well.
"I want to."
"She won't want your pity," pointed out the captain.
"But she'll love to have a friend to be with her and with whom to gossip."
Georg sighed slightly and Max started to move as if to leave.
"Max!" he called him.
"Yes?"
"It's for the better—for everybody. I love her with all my soul," this was said with a rather reluctant voice. Georg hated having to give this kind of assurances to any other than Maria, but he felt it necessary if he was to keep that friendship.
Max said barely moving his lips, "You better do. Otherwise a few lives will be shaken and Maria's probably destroyed."
With that final remark he left Georg alone to his own thoughts. The latter cursed in a low voice. Things were more difficult than he had expected. Max had acted in an unlikely way; but of course that was bound to happen when you underestimate someone as Georg realized he had been doing with his old friend.
In any case, Max's doubts on the captain's plans and feelings didn't affect him, as Georg was sure of what he wanted to do and was ready to do it without any lingering hesitation in his spirit.
Finally, he looked out for Frau Schmidt, "Please tell the waiters to stop serving."
She nodded understanding that the gathering was over. The music also started playing softer and softer as a cue for everybody to get ready for their polite goodnights as they reached Georg, who was standing impatiently by the doorstep, this time thanking the tired guests and distributing instructions so as Franz could get the footmen to call in the proper order carriages and cars.
------------------------------------
Notes: Back from the beach with new ideas and stuff. Thanks for the patience:) Please let me know what you think of this chapter.
Thanks for your comments: Edelwyn, The Lonely Goatherd, Becki Rust, rach8241, lindainsweden, Liesel Mccaffrey, Sarah, The Marauders3, CJmynixMG, avdpJAlb, and Fran. I am very glad you're enjoying so far. :)
I will update the next chapter before you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (backwards). Promise we will get to the interaction I meant to write all over, at long last. :evil: