A/N: Thank you so much for your very kind support.
It's time for the Salzburg Festival.
ooooOOOOoooo
Chapter 25: Surprises
Like an alchemist hoping to turn dross into gold, Max was always on the look-out for a hungry little singing group that would make a fortune for him. He had had reasonable success scouting for talent over the years. But, as yet, backing a winner in the Salzburg Festival – the most glittering prize in all Austria - had eluded him.
It was not just for the money of course, he reassured himself. He genuinely wanted to draw the purest music out of them. The fact that their throats contained a fortune was neither here nor there. And of course, trouncing Sascha Petrie for once would be the icing on the cake.
He had high hopes that Maria would achieve the glory he dreamed of, since she was without doubt the most sensational singer he had ever come across. Listening to her was like having the gates of heaven opened. He was utterly convinced that fate was about to turn the light on for Maria, as she took the stage for her first real performance.
Whether or not she won the Festival tonight, it would still be the start of a magnificent career for her. He was enough of a realist however, to recognise the formidable obstacle Georg would be to his plans. He would just have to find a way around that. But for now the task at hand was to coax the best performance out of all the participants at the Festival, which was only hours away.
Dusk was falling. The sky was a rich golden hue shot through with streaks of luminous pinks and mauve. Inside the amphitheatre the light was changing by the moment as sunlight was edged out by the velvety dark embrace of the night, bringing with it a sense of magic and anticipation. The Felsenreitschule was an open-air arena, so the air felt cool and crisp. Above, a million stars were becoming visible with the enveloping cloak of night; the great canopy of the sky adding to the sense of mystery and timelessness in the theatre. All around the stone arches, flame torches were being lit, their bright flares casting a soft amber glow around the walls.
Max was too busy to notice the enchanting atmosphere as the theatre was shrouded in the romance of night-time. This was the last day of the Festival so the winners would be announced at the end. Not surprisingly, tensions were high, tempers were fraying and nerves were stretched taut.
Max prided himself on being something of a social connoisseur. If there was one thing he was an expert in, it was knowing how to get along with people. With his disarming charm he knew how to appease the most demanding diva, pander to the blustering ego of a volatile tenor, or soothe musicians who were more highly strung than their instruments.
So he flitted from one to another, his relaxed tone and wry humour helping to smooth ruffled feathers and solve problems. A neurotic soprano, Frau Mueller, was in the midst of a terrifying tantrum that her spoilt small dog needed sheep's milk to calm its delicate stomach. Like a magician, Max was able to conjure up the concoction (or at least something that looked like it) with flourish. He did not even flinch when the furry little beast bit him viciously. Suppressing his curses as the mutt seemed to grin at him, with its pink tongue lolling and blood dripping from its tiny fangs, Max moved on from the now contented prima donna.
Next, with much bellowing and fist shaking it appeared that the Tobi Reiser Quintet were about to become a quartet as one of the musicians stormed off. Calmly assessing the situation, Max clicked his fingers and had an assistant sneak in flagons of beer from the local tavern. With congenial skill he persuaded the group to sit together with him, sharing stories of their performances. By the time Max had them singing sentimental drinking-hall songs their surly expressions had mellowed, and they were once again united.
After that there was dear sweet Fraulein Schweiger, feeling so out of depth for her first performance, outside of her usual position as the first soloist in Saint Agathe's choir. Her nerves made her rush about fretfully like a distressed hen, upsetting the other performers with her repetitious questions.
Max sat her down with a cup of tea. As if he had all the time in the world he chatted to her about her family. With apparent genuine interest he spent the next hour listening to her as she told him stories about each of her brother's grandchildren, bringing out a treasured, sepia-toned photograph where all twenty-five were present.
At least Max did not have to worry about Maria after she came back from her outing, pale and still nervous, but poised. She was in her dressing room with Georg now. No doubt her fiancé was doing a marvelous job of distracting her from her anxieties. When Georg had arrived he had rather rudely closed the door in Max's face as Max warned him against ruining her stage make-up or displacing the tiny sprigs of edelweiss that Max had artfully placed in her hair.
Max shrugged, he was nothing if not pragmatic. He knew that Georg would do a far better job of soothing Maria than he could, so he was willing to take a break from chaperoning duties just this once. As for those beloved von Trapp children, he had placed them in a side room, since their uncontrolled excitement might unsettle Maria's equilibrium, but he would need to see them shortly.
At that moment, Sascha Petrie barreled into him, frantic and breathless, looking even more wild-haired than usual.
"What on earth is the matter with you Sascha?" Max asked, surprised.
Sascha gulped for air as he clutched Max, panting with melodrama, his over-active imagination unleashed. "Oh dear God, our darling Fraulein Maria is in danger," he wailed.
"What?"
"I was just peeking in her dressing room – just to reassure her you know. I wasn't going to try to steal her from you of course," he huffed defensively, as Max raised sceptical eyebrows.
"I saw that dreadful von Trapp fellow in her dressing room; he had her in his arms."
Sascha had not forgotten how terrifying the Captain had been at the ball. Just because Sascha had made some comments about how handsome the Rumanian prince was, the Captain had been appallingly rude and intimidating. It was alarming to think that he now had the adorable Fraulein in his clutches.
Sascha shuddered, remembering how masterfully the fiend had been holding the Fraulein in his embrace in her dressing room. It reminded him of the brute from the Gaston Leroux story, the 'Phantom of the Opera,' trying to wickedly seduce the exquisite musical star – in this case the innocent Fraulein.
"You have to rescue her, Max," he insisted, giving him a push. "I'll be right behind you," he added bravely.
"Oh you mean Georg?" Max shrugged dismissively. "There's nothing to worry about. Believe me, he's not attacking her. Just calm down Sascha."
"He's not?" Sascha looked at him in disbelief. "But what is she doing with that beastly man?"
"He's not so terrible really, you just met him at a bad moment. And our little Fraulein seems to be able to turn that growling, ferocious tiger into a purring pussycat quite easily."
Sascha was stupefied. He didn't understand females, but he was worldly enough to know that some women had fantasies about taming the untameable. Literature was full of such examples. But surely not the Fraulein? What on earth did that lovely young lady see in such an irredeemable wretch? Surely she deserved someone pleasant and kind? Someone less arrogant and less dark. He shook his head, mystified, as Max went on impatiently.
"Look, I can't explain it all now but I will later. In the meantime, I have a job for you. I want you to help seven very excited children."
"Seven children?" Sascha looked as aghast as if Max had asked him to babysit a nest of cobras. "Are you insane? I don't even like children."
"It's a favour to me, and to the Captain. He's a widower and someone needs to take care of his children while he stays with Maria before her performance. All you have to do is sing a song with them to calm them."
He dragged Sascha towards the door, with Sascha resisting all the way, protesting madly.
"And Sascha, for both our sakes, do not mention our little bet about Maria if you see the Captain. He'll make us both wish we had never been born."
"Bet? What bet?" A quiet, menacing voice asked, making Sascha tremble with fright as the Captain emerged from darkness. In Sascha's fevered imagination, he looked sinister and phantom-like. Although he was mostly in shadow, his face appeared as uncompromising as granite, there was a dangerous glitter in his narrowed eyes, and his mouth was a thin, ominous slash.
"Oh nothing, nothing," Max laughed feebly.
Not waiting for the bite, the snarl, Sascha fled into the room with the children. He decided that he preferred facing what he was sure were a horde of miniature ogres, rather than their father.
"I just came out to see what time you need Maria. But, Max," the tone was hard, "I do hope you haven't been doing something as dishonourable as betting on my future bride?"
Max laughed again, evasively. "Good Lord, Georg, what a thought!"
Needing to distract Georg before he started on one of his tirades, Max led him over to view the rapidly filling theatre as the audience took their seats while the orchestra tuned up. The sense of excitement was palpable.
"Isn't it splendid Georg? We'll be starting shortly. Maria will be act four, so have her here in fifty minutes for her cue."
Georg stared at him long enough to make him shift uneasily. "Alright, but we'll talk about this 'little bet' later," Georg warned him grimly, before striding off.
ooooOOOOoooo
Maria decided that heaven was right here on earth, in her small dressing room, sheltered in her Captain's arms. Never having felt so safe, so protected and so loved before, she wanted nothing more than to remain in the blissful comfort of his embrace. She would not think about the future, she told herself resolutely, because every time she did, taloned claws of fear would sink into her heart, tearing apart her composure.
In any case, for the moment it was easy to be distracted from the dreadful despair because for the last couple of hours, Georg had offered the sweetest, tenderest reassurances, murmuring words of love and need, calling her his angel, his precious darling, and telling her of the unparalleled joy her singing gave him. She knew he was doing it to bolster her flagging confidence for her performance, to convince her that she could do anything, even something as unimaginable as performing in the Festival.
It was working because in the sanctuary of his arms she felt as if she could spread her wings and soar through the air; secure in the knowledge that even if she failed, he would be there to catch her if she tumbled through the clouds and plummeted back down to earth. What was most touching of all was that she knew how much he hated the idea of her singing in public, yet his support for her was unwavering.
This was another dimension to her Captain that she was relishing, this complex man, whom, God willing, she would spend the rest of her life with. At this moment he was surprisingly light-hearted, even playful, firmly keeping the passion at bay. Usually the fierce undertow of attraction would sweep them both off their feet, pulling them into a spiraling vortex of need, making them feel as if they were drowning in a sea of desire. But for now he made sure they stayed anchored in calmer waters, making her feel as if they were floating gently, as if in a raft of tranquility.
Georg left briefly, then came back into the room after asking Max about the timing of her performance, a frown on his face.
Maria was instantly jittery. "What is it?"
The scowl cleared immediately. "Oh it's nothing, it's just those two scoundrels – Max and that Petrie fellow – up to no good. I really don't know how I can still be surprised by the things Max does any more."
"Oh, did they tell you about….?"
"The bet? You knew about it?" he asked in disbelief.
"Max confessed to me a while ago. It was just a bit of silliness on their part. They get carried away by their rivalry sometimes. I know they are both remorseful, and they have both promised to pay for the new roof for the Nonnberg orphanage as penance."
Georg snorted derisively. "They had better! I'll deal with them both after the performance," he vowed.
"Georg no, don't. You're not going to intimidate them over something so harmless. Max told me you already frightened the life out of poor Sascha at the ball. Please don't scare him anymore. He's actually rather sweet."
As Georg still looked harsh she pleaded, "Darling, please." She stroked his face, which, she was learning, always seemed to help defuse his anger.
He sighed, exasperated. "Well, alright, alright. The trouble with you my love, is that you are far too soft hearted. You are letting those two rogues get away with utterly deplorable behaviour."
"I'm sure they will both behave impeccably from now on," she said optimistically, ignoring Georg's disbelieving grunt. "How much longer before my turn?" She bit her lip worriedly.
Georg looked at his watch, before taking her in his arms once again. "Twenty minutes," he murmured against her hair. The minutes ticked by with Maria feeling comforted by the steady beat of his heart and that enticing, subtle scent that was so uniquely him. It was like an elixir giving her peace, and she sighed contentedly.
Before she knew it, it was time to leave the dressing room. A debilitating clutch of anxiety attacked her chest as she held Georg's hand tightly, and made her way towards the stage entrance, heaving in thick gasps of air to calm her suddenly racing heart.
They stood by the stage entrance and waited. Wrapped in Georg's arms, hidden from view by shadows, she could see the back of Max in the glaringly bright spotlight, the audience were looming shadows in front of him. Despite Georg's reassuring presence, the tension twisted inside her as she listened to Max introducing her.
"England may have its English rose, but here in Austria we also have something infinitely precious. Can there be no greater symbol of our country than our exquisite blossom of snow, our edelweiss? Delicate yet strong, sweet yet tenacious; courageously it clings to the mountainside through the harshest blizzards, inspiring us all with its bravery and eternal beauty."
Max paused for a moment as the anticipation ran through the crowd like a swift current. After Maria's singing at the ball, word had spread rapidly about this exciting new discovery, and her performance was eagerly awaited.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you our own 'blossom of snow;' a young woman from the mountains, with a voice as pure and crystal clear as a snow-fed stream. I give you: Fraulein Maria Rainer."
She heard Georg's murmur in her ear, "Sing for me, my darling, just sing for me."
With leaden feet she made her towards the spotlight, only vaguely aware of the scattered applause. Her heart felt as if it was being squeezed into a vice by her nervousness. She was fighting her instincts to flee back into the haven of Georg's arms but she forced herself forward. The spotlight was blinding, she couldn't see anything beyond it, but she remembered to curtsy to the section where foreign royalty and dignitaries were seated, and then to the audience.
Max had instructed her to engage with the audience by talking to them, so haltingly, she spoke into the over-sized microphone.
"Good evening ladies and gentl-"
She hid her flinch as the faulty microphone gave an ear-piercing screech. The high-pitched ringing sound shredded her nerves more, and the silence that followed seemed deathly. She heard some coughs from the audience – were they getting restless? Once more she fought her instincts to run from the stage. If she didn't do something soon the cracks in her composure would become fissures. Swallowing down her dread, she tried again.
"I'd like to sing for you a love song. I know you all share this love, and I hope you will never let it die."
Even as the orchestra started with first strains of 'Edelweiss' she wasn't sure she would be able to do this. But in a flash she saw Georg's beloved face in her mind and felt the calm settle over her, just as it had at the ball. She sang only for him, as if in tribute to his boundless courage and loyalty to his country, unaware of the radiant glow that her love for him gave to her face.
With aching sadness she sang the words. The simple, sweet lyrics belied the reality of a country on the verge of being plunged into darkness and chaos if the Anschluss came.
"Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to greet me"
Max watched from the side of the stage with satisfaction, a tense Georg by his side. The audience were rapidly falling in love with her. How could they not, he gloated to himself. She stood in the spotlight, luminous with her fresh-faced, natural beauty, symbolic of everything that was good and pure in Austria. The audience were so enchanted by the magical spell she was weaving that they were even singing the verses along with her.
Exhilarated, Max realised he was witnessing that rare, mysterious alchemy that connects an extraordinary performer with her audience, something that even polished musical artists struggled to achieve. The audience had not minded that she appeared nervous as she spoke to them, in fact that vulnerability and humility seemed to make them open up their hearts to her even more.
"…Bless my homeland forever."
The applause was enthusiastic, peppered with some cheering. Maria gave a tentative smile in gratitude, her tension was starting to ease, and her innate warmth was pouring out, flowing through to the audience.
The orchestral cue arrived for the next song, one of Maria's favourite pieces: 'I could have danced all night.'
Relaxed now, she sang with passionate joy, remembering the heavenly feel of waltzing in Georg's arms on the night he declared his love for her. Transported by the bliss of that moment she was able reach the notes with matchless perfection. Her voice seemed to shimmer in the air, each note piercing in its beauty, leaving her audience enraptured.
"I only know when he
Began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night…"
Max sighed with relief. Even the very last high G5, an extraordinarily challenging note which many sopranos would have wavered on, was accomplished flawlessly by the joyous rendition. It was a moment of potent magic. Max preened with self-congratulation. She was simply sensational.
Once again the applause was thunderous.
But it was in her last piece that she started to struggle. It was an extremely difficult piece. 'Climb every mountain' requires a daunting range for any singer, moving as it does, from the key of C towards a D flat and ending in an A flat. In rehearsals Maria had achieved that range effortlessly, carried through by the inspiration of the lyrics.
She loved the uplifting words about pursuing one's dreams no matter how difficult the struggle. Every time she sang it she had stirring vision in her head of herself with Georg and the children traversing rocky mountain paths together, strengthened by their immeasurable love for each other, ready to meet whatever challenges the future may hold.
"Follow every rainbow, until you find your dream
A dream that will need, all the love you can give
Every day of your life, for as long as you live…"
But without warning, the vision in her head shifted. With sudden crippling fright and a terrible sense of foreboding she realised could no longer see Georg in the beautiful picture in her mind. He had vanished, and she couldn't conjure up his image no matter how hard she tried.
Instead all she could see was herself alone with the children, whirling around, in her mind's eye, desperately searching for him to no avail. Was this vision in her head a sign from God of what the future held, or was it merely her nerves getting the better of her?
Fear paralysed her throat. For just a second she faltered in her song, locked in her own private hell, panic racing through her blood. She wondered how she could possibly complete the piece when a sob of anguish was welling up in her chest, waiting to burst forth.
With every scrap of courage she possessed she continued on, though the joy was gone from the lyrics. Her heart felt bleak and desolate; she wanted to weep as if the world had ended. Barely keeping her composure she battled on until the song was mercifully at an end, wanting nothing more than to run into Georg's arms and feel the reassurance of his solid presence.
The audience was once again applauding wildly, forgiving her for her momentary lapse. Their pleasure in her performance was undiminished as they showered her with shouts of "Brava." She gave a final bow, overwhelmed with relief that it was over.
Then she heard Max speaking on stage, in a second spotlight. With a sense of disbelief she heard his words.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have been given permission by our distinguished judges to offer you an encore. Our delightful 'blossom of snow' will perform another song."
Maria turned to him, horrified. No please, she pleaded with her eyes. I can't take any more. But he just smiled at her reassuringly.
It seemed there were more surprises in store for her as she watched him turn and signal to Sascha at the side of the stage. And then, there were her seven precious children being shepherded into the light with her. She stood speechless and confused as Max made the announcement.
"As a special surprise for our dear Fraulein, who just so happens to be a cherished governess, she will be accompanied by her charges, the von Trapp children."
Stunned, Maria didn't know what to think. Would Georg approve? Did he know about this? Surely he would hate the idea of his children performing in public? Heaven help poor Max after this little stunt. She wasn't sure if even she would be able to quell Georg's rage at Max this time.
There was no time to think about that as Gretl and Marta rushed on stage, squealing with excitement as they clutched her adoringly. Maria held them tightly, her chest swelling with love. She didn't hear the murmurs of delight, the stirring sighs of "ahhh" that rippled through the audience as the children assembled.
Kurt looked sheepish but was grinning happily; Friedrich marched on proudly, while the other girls looked ecstatic at their surprise for their dear governess. Maria felt tearful joy as she looked at each of her children: Brigitta, with her hair gleaming in the light like a raven's wing, the little girls with their glossy braids, the older girls with their silken tresses hanging loose; the boys standing tall and dignified. All of their faces were glowing, and their eyes were shining brightly. She took a small moment to thank God once again for her blessings, for giving her this family.
Then they were surrounding Maria in a tight circle of love as they began to hum the opening bars to 'The Sound of Music.' The orchestra picked up the notes as they began to sing. Maria gathered her courage from her beaming children, the music flowing seamlessly once again. Although part of her heart remained heavy with dark worries, chinks of light pushed through. She knew somehow that the all-encompassing love for her children would give her strength, despite the unspeakable sense of desolation that pierced her sometimes.
"My heart will be blessed with the sound of music,
and
I'll sing once more."
This time the applause was deafening as the audience rose to their feet in a thunderous ovation. Maria stood back, allowing the eager children to take their bows, her heart flooded with motherly pride. Then they laughingly pulled her back into the spotlight for her own bows. It seemed the clapping and cheering would never stop as they made their way off stage through the rolling waves of applause.
Georg was waiting for them, and to Maria's relief he didn't look enraged at all. He crouched down as the youngest children ran excitedly into his arms, thrilled with their success. His eyes met Maria's in a long moment of loving congratulation. Since their engagement was still a secret she could not go into his embrace as she longed to. Still, even the tender caress of his eyes helped to dispel the awful foreboding from her vision.
Then ushers were moving them away to avoid the children's noisy exuberance disrupting the rest of the show. Finding Maria's opera cape, Georg draped it over her shoulders as they went outside. They found some benches in a park nearby.
In a quiet moment, under cover of the children's euphoric chatter, Georg murmured that her performance had been magnificent and told her how much it had moved him. Maria smiled lovingly back, able to push aside her fears now that she was with him again. Surely it had just been her nerves triggering her panicky imagination?
"Did you like our surprise, Fraulein Maria?" Gretl was beside herself with happiness.
"It was the most wonderful surprise. Without doubt it's the most beautiful gift I've ever received. But how on earth did you all plot this?"
Georg answered dryly. "It was Max's idea of course. He talked me into it, against my better judgement. He thought it might help you with your nerves, and the children thought it was time to give you a real 'precious gift' - to say thank you for everything you have done for this family. So I reluctantly agreed. They spent all day today practicing."
"Well you were perfect. The audience adored all of you. I'm so proud of you." Maria's eyes glistened with tears, deeply touched.
Georg reminded the children with playful sternness, "Even though you did extremely well, this is the one and only time you'll be performing in public." He took the sting out of the words with a smile.
"And now, your governess and I also have a surprise for you." He looked at Maria, adoringly, as she took his outstretched hand.
He cleared his throat. "We have an announcement to make –"
"We know!" came the jubilant chorus from the older children, full of laughter.
"You do?" Both Maria and Georg looked astonished.
"Yes, Father, you really are the worst at keeping secrets," Louisa laughed.
"You too, Fraulein Maria," Brigitta giggled happily
"We could tell for ages," Kurt added, ignoring the scornful looks from his siblings reminding him that he had been the last of the older ones to figure it out.
Their father chuckled with rueful self-satire. "And here was I thinking I was a master strategist, a brilliant tactician in stealth and clandestine operations. But it seems I was outsmarted by my own children." He sighed whimsically.
"Know about what?" Marta and Gretl looked puzzled, desperate to know what was going on.
Georg took them both on to his lap on the bench and kissed their foreheads. "Your delightful governess has agreed to become your new mother, and my new wife."
Both were speechless with shock for a moment, eyes like saucers, mouths agape. Then they shrieked with happiness, and joined the general melee of rapturous hugs. To everyone's astonishment, even the reluctant Kurt had a spontaneous, heartfelt kiss for his future mother.
It seemed there was no end to the surprises for Maria. A production assistant came running breathlessly into the park.
"Fraulein Rainer, you're needed back in the amphitheatre straight away. The judges have made their decision: you've won!"
ooooOOOOoooo
The rest of the night passed in a blur for Maria, a sense of disbelief kept her in daze. Through the mists of disorientation she just acted automatically. She had rushed back on stage, not even having time to take off her opera cape. With Sister's Berthe's scolding words echoing in her mind: "She's always late for everything!" she accepted the flowers and the award, humbled beyond belief. Could this really be happening to her, she wondered for the hundredth time.
A kaleidoscope of images stayed in her mind through the haze: the children's elation and pride that she had won, Georg's quiet, loving possessiveness; Max's smug triumph; the warm, gracious congratulations from the other performers, and a hug from an overjoyed Eliza who had come back-stage. It was all so overwhelming, Maria wondered how much more she could take in.
Later, sitting quietly in the vacated audience seats, as technicians busied themselves dismantling the equipment and clearing up, Maria took a moment to appreciate the different perspective looking up at the stage. She was still barely able to comprehend that this was real and not some incredible dream.
On the stage she could see the children chatting enthusiastically with Sascha. One of the many surprises of the evening had been that Sascha had discovered he loved children, or at least he loved the von Trapp children, though he kept a wary distance from their father. In turn they had firmly taken him into their hearts as their new Uncle Sascha.
Georg merely rolled his eyes at this, and muttered for Maria's ears only, "For the love of God, now they have a second eccentric, charlatan uncle? That's all I need!"
She shushed him laughingly
Georg sat next to her in the audience seats, holding her hand while Max gleefully read out the congratulatory telegrams that had arrived. Since the Festival had been broadcast live throughout Austria, the messages had already started coming in. There was even one from the Chancellor's Office, from von Schuschnigg himself, inviting her to perform at the next diplomatic ball. The Reich Broadcasting Corporation had issued an invitation for a broadcast on the wireless, across Nazi Germany. Not surprisingly, Georg screwed that one up and contemptuously threw it away. Deutsche Grammophon suggested a meeting to discuss a recording contract.
Staggered by it all, it just added to Maria's disorienting sense of unreality. In any case, even if she wanted to pursue any of those avenues, which she most certainly did not after the stress of her stage fright, she would be leaving Austria with the children within a couple of weeks.
On a wave of exhaustion, Maria longed to go home to bed, knowing that she would drop like a stone into a deep sleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. All the tumultuous emotions that had carried her through this momentous day had drained away, leaving her limp. So her heart sank when Max informed her that she needed to do a press conference with the other winners at the hotel next door.
"Does she really need to do that? Maria is tired. Can't you do it for her?" Georg asked irritably. "This is turning into a circus Max."
"They need photographs of her for the morning papers, Georg."
Maria squeezed his hand. "It's alright darling. Why don't you take the children home, they are starting to wilt after all the drama. I'll be in Max's capable hands."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Georg retorted with a scowl at Max.
Max grinned, cheerfully, "Trust me, Georg."
"Not even as far as I could throw you," he snorted, as he went over to gather the children.
Maria endured the explosion of flashbulbs at the press conference. Nothing in her life had prepared her for being thrust into the limelight like this. She wistfully recalled the anonymous life she had led previously - singing her heart out on mountain tops, splashing around in babbling brooks, and getting into too much trouble with the Sisters at the Abbey. This new public attention was certainly not the life she wanted to lead. She only wanted to be with Georg and the children, as a wife and mother, though she suspected that Max and Sascha had plans up their sleeves. She would just have to stand firm.
In the meantime she allowed herself to enjoy being with the delightfully sweet Fraulein Schweiger and the endearing Tobi Reiser Quintet. They all stood with their arms linked together, smiling with genuine pleasure at each other.
Maria was grateful for Max's presence as he deflected the majority of questions from the reporters. There were even some coyly worded questions concerning her job as governess to the children of the widowed naval hero. Maria hoped the flush on her cheeks would be attributed the excitement of the day. Finally she was asked what she would do with the prize money.
"It will be used to fix the roof of the Nonnberg orphanage." She was amused at the relieved looks on the faces of Max and Sascha, now that they were both off the hook for having to pay for it themselves.
Sascha even burst into enthusiastic applause. "It's for a good cause" he informed everyone happily. Maria wondered with a smile if he meant the good cause was himself or the orphanage.
Then, at long last it was time to go home. Fatigue had chiseled away her strength. She was asleep as soon as Max started the car.
ooooOOOOoooo
A/N: Thank you for reading and I would love to know your thoughts. This chapter was a struggle to write, I hope it doesn't show.
A bit of TSOM trivia - the Tobi Reiser Quintet were a real musical group. Who knew?
Keep safe, and stay strong everyone. xx