11
As they traveled towards the city, Maria recapitulated the events of the last few days. It could be said that they were unusual to say the least.
For Maria everything was a kind blur, there were so many twists and turns of the events. From fighting and the struggle with the Captain to reconciliation, appraisement and finally, to her surprise, an easy teasing friendship. Maybe friendship was too big a stretch. After all they came from two different worlds, but they had bonded through the children's wellbeing. Somehow they had moved on.
Perhaps, if she had known earlier that all she needed to do was to jump into the lake twice, she would have done it right away, she murmured to herself with a smirk.
After the second jump into the lake, everything changed for the better. The tense and grumpy Captain disappeared and was replaced by a playful and relaxed father who spent every free minute with the children, to their great delight. He wanted to be involved in everything from their lessons and , games and to their music sessions. Every now and then, each of the children thanked her as if she were a good fairy who had fixed everything with a magic wand.
He still teased her, knowing very well that she would retaliate. Very often they would forget that they were not alone and then would be stopped by the giggling children who were watching them in amusement. But Maria did not see that as flirting, not that she had previous experience, but it seemed to her that it was a friendship.
She would probably still be in deep thought if they hadn't arrived at the meeting place. Earlier, they agreed that she would take the bus with the children and meet up with Captain, Max and Baroness, who came by his car, near the fountain. Everyone had come to town with a special assignment. The Captain had some business errands, the Baroness went with Liesl to buy a dress, Max with the rest of the kids for a walk, and Maria to buy a very modern doll with a porcelain face for Marta's birthday.
They agreed to all meet at a new patisserie at Mozart platz. Max had heard that was the place with the best cakes and ice cream, but had forgotten its the name. After agreeing on a meeting place, they all headed in different directions.
Maria turned the corner and slowly looked at the shop windows that led her to the best toy store in the city while enjoying her solitude.
"So Fraulein, did you go for toy shopping or sightseeing?" She heard a deep baritone voice which she immediately recognized, then turned to see the smirking Captain.
"Oh really? What about you Sir? I didn't know that your business errands included tracking a governess. As a matter of fact you left in the opposite direction!" she said, challenging him with raised eyebrows. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hide that she was glad to see him. Often it seemed to her that when they talked it was if they were the only two people who existed in the world.
"I figured you were going to buy a porcelain doll after all, so with your clumsy record I didn't want to risk it!" he said mockingly, immensely satisfied with the nice shade of pink on her cheeks.
She huffed.
"Alright, if you promise to behave you can come with me!" she said lightly in the same easy fashion, lifting her chin in a ladylike manner. She was wondering where she saw that, to be honest she never saw Baroness act like that. The Baroness was distant, observing and remote, yes. But she never showed that she was from the upper class. It was only when she spoke, especially about Viennese parties, gown's and travels, that her background was obvious.
"And just for the record I only stumbled once!" she said defiantly already annoyed with him and regretting allowing him to join her.
"Really, not even when you're sliding down the banister or running. Usually even when you walk slowly you often stumble!" he continued, provocatively. Of course he knew he was exaggerating but he just liked to tease her.
She just looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a tilted head, a mischievous smile already set.
"Thank you sir for such precise observation, but, you know how, oh can I explain to you, I was only practicing!"
"Practicing what?" now she had caught his attention, Maria thought, smiled inwardly. It was time for payback.
"Well, hm, you know a "proper greeting" Reverend Captain Sir!" and then she just discretely raised her right hand to him to show him what she meant, smiling widely and contagiously, showing beautiful teeth.
"You little minx!" he said smirking, totally surprised with her silly reply and still a little embarrassed by his Hitler's mustache. But then he added more seriously.
"I am wondering if you have noticed a lake in the park. It seems to suit your habit of jumping in!" he said playfully, poorly trying to sound threatening.
"Oh, you wouldn't dare?!" She lost her smile, thinking for a moment, he had already proved that he could be be crazy at times, like herself but he was supposed to be an aristocrat for God's sake. It must be that silly whistle, there was no other explanation, she thought.
He just raised his eyebrow and glanced at her, watching the doubt overwhelm her. Then he started roaring with laughter, throwing his head back.
She smacked at his elbow and rolled her eyes, visibly annoyed with his challenging attitude.
Relaxed from their banter, they were slowly approaching the toy store and sharing smiles, like some kind of private joke between them. But, of course, when Maria couldn't be quiet.
"Ah, I know why you want to go to the toy store!" She said proud of her deduction, but there was a mischievous smile again.
"Oh, really, please enlighten me!" he said sarcastically.
"You secretly want to buy something for yourself!"
"And what would that be precisely?" he asked sarcastically but with genuine interest. He waited patiently for her to make another witty remark.
"That would be a new whistle, of course, maybe something new, like a bird whistle!" she said giggling, not trying to hide her gloating over the shock on his face from her boldness.
Some time ago he would have throttled her, but that was a long time ago. Now he would like nothing more than to grab her and kiss her senseless, right there on the street, even if everyone would see. But no, no she was his annoying governess who the Reverend Mother had sent to him, to tame her, but the opposite had happened. He had realized he was lost when she blew that damn whistle and looked at him with that mischievous eyes and smile. And he couldn't do anything about it because of her vocation, he could only silently suffer.
She really would be the death of him.
While their teasing and smiling continued they didn't even notice that they had entered the toy shop and were standing in front of elderly saleslady, who observed them with her mouth open in awe. Georg, noticed and recognized her amazement, and said playfully (he would do anything to push Maria over edge).
"Hello, we would like to buy for our daughter a doll with a porcelain face, for her birthday!" he said nonchalantly, smiling inwardly and eyeing Maria, who looked visibly uncomfortable. But his smug face soon was replaced by the shocking reaction of the saleslady.
"Oh, my God I knew it, you are married, the way you are looking at each other and that bickering!" she exclaimed while looking at an elderly man seating by himself and reading a newspaper, who must have been her husband.
Both Maria and Georg were in shock, not quite believing that it was true, mouth dry, frozen, not speaking, embarrassed with one single thought: "Was I so obvious? No way, I was just being polite and he (she) is annoying. It's just friendship". And both decided to put that aside and play along, because the lady had already forgotten herself and started rambling and accusing her husband.
"Do you remember Dietrich, we used to be like this all the time, loving glances, bickering and everything, but now it's only bickering!" She was already yelling at her husband and both Maria and Georg watched amused by his discomfort.
The situation seemed to escalate, so Georg decided to cast a new bait, looking behind Maria: "I think the doll's are over there, behind you Darling!" he said playfully, emphasizing the last word and waiting for her reaction.
"Let's go, Darling!" Two can play that game, she smirked.
It seemed that when it came to the children, they were able to reach an agreement immediately. And they choose a beautiful doll with long black hair, a porcelain face, with a white dress and shoes. To be honest, the doll looked very much like Martha and they were sure she would be thrilled.
But in the background the saleslady was still grumbling at her husband, so they quickly left, leaving more money than necessary and separated. Georg went to hide the gift in the trunk of the car and Maria proceeded to the patisserie.
xxx
She met with everyone on the terrace in a good mood. Everyone had already eaten their ice-creams except the Baroness, who was drinking her coffee. Not wasting a minute Maria went inside to choose her ice-cream. She was elated with the possibility of different kinds of flavours.
It was a beautifully decorated pastry shop with imitations of palm trees, coconuts and pictures of ships and pirates all over the walls, but behind ice-creams there was big sign: "At pirates".
"Finally! Bella Maria! Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting for you?" said a familiar teasing voice. She turned and saw her friend Luca, now really looking like a pirate with an earring, white shirt, belt over his waist and a red scarf over his head.
He looked handsome like she remembered him, but not like her imagined pirate. She shivered. There was someone else who reminded her of the pirate from the book, and that was not Luca.
Just like the first time they had met, they immediately talked as if they had known each other for years. Maria was thrilled to meet him again.
As they pleasantly recounted what had happened to them and laughed at the adventures her thoughts wandered. Why was it so easy to talk to Luca, why did she feel so relaxed as if talking to her brother, and more importantly why she didn't feel anything?
Or, on the other hand, why she didn't she feel butterflies in her stomach, why didn't she want to erase a mocking smile with her lips, why didn't she...? Her wandering thoughts were abruptly interrupted by an icy sharp voice.
"What 's going on here?"
It was enough to look in his eyes to know how furious the Captain was, even worse than by the lake, both times. Oh God, she could already see herself jumping into the lake again. But why was he looking at Luca. What had he done wrong?
Still smiling and in a good mood from the encounter with Maria, Georg had headed to the patisserie terrace where everyone was sitting except her, saying she had been gone for a long time. Using some unconvincing excuse he went to look for Maria.
He hated it when she "flew" under his radar.
It didn't take long for his sharp and analytical mind to immediately conclude where they were, damn Max and his recommendation.
She was standing too close to the damn pirate and smiling at him and he was looking at her adorably like he would "eat her with a spoon". But when he casually touched her elbow, something in him exploded. Inwardly he screamed: Leave her alone! She is mine! She belongs to me! Barely restraining himself and trying to stay calm, he waited for an answer to his question.
"Hello Captain, this is my friend Luca! Luca, this is my employer!" quickly recovering Maria, tried with a cheerful voice to ignore his thunderous gaze.
"Nice to meet you Captain!" Luca answered, not at all scared by the Captain's look.
"You are keeping my Governess from performing her duties!" he said in an arrogant and formidable voice, too hurt with her attention to that rogue.
"Oh, I am sorry I didn't know that adults need a Governess!" Luca said lightly and mocking, irritated by his aloofness.
Momentarily Captain made a step forward to Luca, now standing toe to toe, his fingers twitching just waiting for something, anything to punch him right there. Maria was frightened he would make a scene, she had never seen him like this, he looked so furious.
"Listen smartass, she is a children's Governess and a postulant, soon she will take her vows, I suggest you call her Sister Maria!" he said speaking into Luca's face, emphasizing "sister." He turned to Maria and gestured with his hand for her to go to the terrace. Luca recovered quickly and called out to Maria, but she waved her hand away saying that the Captain was just too protective.
Maria was fuming.
She waited on the threshold: "Sister Maria?" she asked, taunting, barely containing her anger. With a strange and dangerous expression on his face, he just passed by her.
Still enraged, he immediately chased off everyone from the terrace to go home. With him in such a mood, no one dared to contradict or utter a word. Maria's ice cream was long forgotten. Even Elsa was surprised with his "50 shades of mood", she had never seen him like this.
In his furious exit Georg noticed on the other side of the street the saleslady and her husband walking and still having an argument. He saw how she hit him on his head with her umbrella. In any other situation that would have been hilarious and he would have roared with laughter but in his rage he just cursed Maria and himself.
xxx
Max had an idea about what it was all about. The children had recognized Luca and had a nice chat with him. He even left a deep impression on Elsa with his charm and appearance.
He suspected that Georg was attracted to Maria, but this was something else, something more dangerous and his friend had fallen deep, very deep. Whatever had happened inside he felt sorry for the poor guy, knowing how Georg could behave when he felt threatened.
He noticed how Georg looked at Maria, craved her attention, followed her with longing eyes, and how his demeanor changed when she entered the room. But his friend was too noble to jeopardize her vocation and was prepared to admit defeat by God and only by God.
In any other case he would have fought tooth and nail, with everything. Max felt sorry for his tortured and caged friend.
XXX
" He saw how she hit him on his head with her umbrella." I hope you like this chapter and smiling with this umbrella thing :)