Chapter Nine

Maria surveyed her children's disheveled appearances, Liesl and Louisa's tear-stained cheeks and misarranged hair, Friedrich's bloody nose, a long scratch on Kurt's arm, and a quickly forming bruise around Brigitta's eye with a mixture of amazement and disappointment.

"What is going on here? Is this any way for respectable children from a loving family to behave? Is it?" Maria asked sternly.

"No, Mother," they chorused softly.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you?" Maria pressed.

"No, Mother," they repeated louder.

"No," Maria repeated. "Well, if the answer is no, why were you all fighting? What is going on?"

Seven faces looked at her, but no one said a word. Only then did Maria notice Dr. Skinner had followed her upstairs. Sighing, she made the polite introductions, "Dr. Skinner, these are my children, Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretel. Children, this is Dr. Skinner."

Boys bowed and girls curtsied in acknowledgement of their guest, "How do you do?" the man asked, then to Maria, he added, "Baroness, I'm here to help in any way I can. My men and I appreciate your hospitality. Now, if you have this, uh, matter under control, I'll see the arrangements."

Maria nodded, "I have, Sir. Thank you."

When alone in the nursery with her children, Maria sat down on Marta's bed and asked, "So who's going to be the one to tell me what happened here? Liesl? Louisa?"

"We're sorry, Mother, things got out of hand," Liesl replied as a way of deterrence.

Maria shook her head, "It's not like my children to get 'out of hand'. Who or what started all this?"

Finally, Friedrich spoke up, "Liesl did," he told her. "I was talking about our new guests, and she didn't like what I said so she slapped me."

"That's not true," Brigitta declared. "Liesl did slap him, but it was because of what he said about you and Father."

"What did he say, Liesl that made you angry enough to strike him? We have a family rule against hitting," Maria reminded her.

"Yes, but...Mother, if you heard it..."

"Well, I want to hear it, Liesl. Now," Maria instructed in her sternest tone.

"Mother, please, don't make me repeat those things," Liesl pleaded.

"You don't have to," Friedrich snapped. "I'll tell her what I said. I said Father is a traitor and you are nothing but..." Somehow Friedrich could not bring himself to call his Mother that awful thing to her face, so he stuck to the story that they'd all heard floating about town. "He only married you because he got you into trouble."

The hurt in Maria's face gave even Friedrich cause to stop once again. He'd only seen her look like those two other times since he'd met her, the first was when she'd returned from the abbey to learn of their Father's engagement to Baroness Schrader and when their Father had announced that he was going to fight for the Nazis.

Maria, for her part, could not let that comment go, as she had so many other jibes of Friedrich's. Instinctively, she put her hands around her middle as if to protect her unborn child from the venom of its brother's words. Taking a deep breath she began her reproach, "Friedrich, from the moment I met you children, I've loved you and treated you as my own. I loved you, I defended you, I even battled your father for you, not getting anything in return, never asking for anything in return. Well, now, I'm asking for something in a way of compensation, a term you understand very well I know, and that is whatever your Father and I have done to make you hate us, please don't let it come between you and your brother and your sisters, because one day they are going to be the only people you have left." Maria bit her lip hard as she tried to continue, "Now, I want you children to apologize to each other, clean yourselves up, and report for breakfast. Immediately!"

The children sprang into action at their Mother's new tone of voice. Usually, it was their Father giving orders like that, even after he married Maria, he'd do it if he was angry with one of them. When Maria saw the family begin to move, she rose carefully and adjourned to her room to change her clothes. On her way there she was intercepted once again by Doctor Skinner.

"Is everything all right, Baroness?" he asked.

"Yes, everything is under control, Sir. But I would like to make one thing clear to you right now," Maria told him. "I'm responsible for my children and you are responsible for your men. I won't attempt to interfere with matters the concern your troops so don't attempt to interfere with matters that concern my children."

Dr. Skinner looked sheepish. He could tell that his new hostess did not trust him or like him or his men, and he could not fault her, he did of course, take over half of her house, "I only wanted to help," he said in way of apology. "A lady in your condition..." He gestured to her full midsection.

"If...and that is a very big if, I ever need help with anything, you'd be the last one a very long list of people I'd go to about it. If the event arises, and I do need your help, I'll let you know," Maria said in way of complete dismissal, before turning down the hall and going to her room, leaving a shocked Dr. Skinner staring at her retreating back.

Maria slowly got used to Dr. Skinner and his men milling about the house. Three days after the Captain was to deploy, she received his letter telling her that and so much more.

The handwriting was shaky, as if Georg had been enraged when he wrote it, or perhaps worse. They both knew their letters could and likely would be intercepted and read by his commanders, but this letter seemed as if he didn't seem to care.

My Darling Maria,

I hope you'll be able to decipher my handwriting, for I cannot stop shaking as I write this. I was just questioned, rather intently, by my commanding officer regarding my principles and my beliefs. I wanted to be sick. Everything I have done up until now has been for you and the children, I've made no secret of that so it pains me to know that i have failed one of my children so miserably.

Not every officer of the SS agrees with the orders they are being given. There is no war in which a sailor or soldiers 100% agrees with their commanders. They might disagree with an order, they might disagree with a principle, but that doesn't matter as long as they work and work well. That is my goal. I'm a good sub commander, if I were less humble, I'd say I was a great sub commander, and I won't be less than that. The implication I would has left me cold. Though what makes me shake, is how they got to the idea in the first place.

I told you of my misgivings about certain practices happening within our new government in private, just you and I, after some other very intimate moments. They feeling we were spied upon in that position, in our bedchamber, by our son. Dear Lord Maria, what have I done? Have I really taught him this? Have I taught my sons that we...I don't even know what to say.

There is a hurt so deep within my breast now I can hardly breath. I'm almost glad for this next deployment, it will keep my mind occupies and let the emotions simmer down until I can decide what to do next. It would be one thing if it were the truth, if i was betraying anyone other than myself, but I am truly not. I have never pretended to be anything other than a father and a husband. Have I? That's what hurts so much, the untruth of it all.

I'm so terribly sorry to burden you with this now, but, as always, you are not merely my wife, but my dearest friend. I cannot get onto that submarine with this kind of emotion, it won't end well if I do.

I worry for you now more than ever, though it is of some relief that a medical unit will be at the villa during the birth of the baby. You might not require their attentions, but if you do, I'll sleep easier knowing you will have it.

I have enclosed a name and address of a Frau Helga Schreiner, the wife of one of my most talented men. She is with child as well, due in July, and alone in Vienna. I assured her husband you would contact her, perhaps bring her to Salzburg. The two of you can be of help to one another, until we are together again.

Till then, I am, as I ever was and ever shall be,

Yours,
Georg.

Maria's hand opened and the letter fell to the floor. Friedrich had actually done it. He's spoken enough about his father's loyalty in the house, but to think he went to his Youth group commander and...

The baby moved sharply within Maria's belly causing her to gasp and double over. Dr. Skinner was passing the open study door as she did so and quickly moved inside to help her. "What is it, Baroness? Pain?"

She shook her head, "No." She couldn't help but smile. "He's moving, he's so strong now. I've felt him before but never like this."

Dr. Skinner saw the letter at her feet. "Perhaps he is also missing his father," he offered. "Sit down please and take a breath. The fatigue from pregnancy can be overwhelming for a woman with less to do that you have."

"I am fine, Doctor," Maria replied. She'd forgotten herself for the moment, caught up with the magic of her child's motion with in her womb. "As I said before, if I require your help, I'll request it. Were you in search of me?"

"No, of lunch," Dr. Skinner replied. "Just a bite, I was in town trying to help some of the families that have illness and I'm afraid i missed the chow line."

"Frau Schmidt will see you are fed," Maria replied. "If you will excuse me, that is a private letter. Such things still exist, don't they?"

Dr. Skinner held Maria's gaze, "Just be wise about what you do write. You wouldn't want anything you said to be misconstrued. Your husband was vocal about Austrian Independence, and while most are grateful for his change of heart, he has enemies."

Before Maria spoke again, he was gone. Were his carefully chosen words a warning or a thinly veiled threat? She wasn't sure, and she never would be. Their own son was against them, would he be able to corrupt his siblings eventually? Would the Auxillary force the girls to join and brainwash them as well?

"Oh Georg," she sighed. "Oh, my love how I need you now. I need your help, I need someone to help me figure this out..."

She read Georg's words again. He had asked her to take in this young woman, she of course knew she must, he didnt' ask much of her at all. What was one more beneath this crowded roof? Perhaps it might even be nice to have another Navy wife to talk to and worry with. She would make the arrangements in the morning, for the events of this day so far had made her head and her heart hurt.

Maria retreated to the room she so briefly shared with Georg, took out her rosary, and prayed for the strength to simply make it through.