Dancing, Guessing Games and Locked Doors

Many couples glided across the dance floor, their dresses and tailcoats swishing along with them, to the sweeping, celestial music of the orchestra. Maria leant against the wall, beaming at them. Never had she felt such contentment in her life as she did in this moment, this joyous day that had suddenly given her everything. She blinked, thinking back to the early morning preparation, the long walk down the aisle to which there didn't seem to be an end; the moment Georg had taken her hand with an adoring smile and lead her up the steps to the priest. Maria had become a von Trapp, and it felt unbelievably good to be called the wife of Captain von Trapp and mother to seven children. Her mind went instantly to the handsome uniform Georg had worn, making him look both brave and beautiful. It seemed like the pieces of a puzzle had all fit together now, with everything she had ever wanted. Staring serenely again at the dancers, her smile could not disappear for one moment without resuming again a second later. Suddenly, her eyes glanced upward at the figure towering over her and smiling along with her too. Her newly wed husband grinned down at her, slowly taking her arms and kissing her softly on the mouth. Maria knew that a blush was appearing on her cheeks but she earnestly tried to ignore it; although public displays of affection were not what she was used to, and probably never would become used to, she determined that it was her one day of eternal bliss and that the guests were there specifically for them. Indulging a little more into the kiss, her hands snaked round his waist and then her eyes fluttered open as her head leaned back on the wall. Her eyes did a quick dart around the room, reddening a little more at the sight of the children in plain view of them. But then her eyes focused on the face of her husband, and the way he was looking at her.

'I love you, Maria von Trapp.'

Sighing in elation, she let her hands fiddle with his hair as she replied, 'I love you too.'

Georg's lips reached her neck, causing a shiver to run up her spine.

He smirked at her with a gleam in his eyes that instantly entrapped her, yet she was still conscious that they were being watched.

'I hope this party ends soon,' he whispered, again sending a ripple down her body and making her heart beat faster.

'So do I,' she answered, hearing a longing in her voice that she had never heard before; yet her husband clearly identified it. His hands caressed her skin, sliding up her arms to cup her face, his thumbs stroking her cheek.

'Do you think we could send everyone home and the children to bed?' He asked suggestively, his forehead briefly touching hers. Maria was enamoured at the contact, gasping just a little as his fingers caressed her lower back and toyed with the lacing.

'Georg,' she breathed, wanting nothing more than to kiss him passionately, 'there are people all around us watching.'

He turned briefly over his shoulder to look, and then back at Maria, 'nobody's taking any notice, darling.'

'The children might.'

'The children should know by now the desires of the human body.'

'You're forgetting Gretl and Marta, and possibly Brigitta.' She giggled, watching him smirk apologetically.

'Well, maybe we should...' His eyebrows raised slightly, and his voice deepened into a husky tone, 'find a place without guests and children.'

'We can't abandon our own wedding party, darling.'

'We don't need to, completely,' he said, a devious twinkle in his eye, 'no one is taking any notice anyway, they're all drunk, Maria, so we might as well spend our time wisely and sneak upstairs while we still can.'

'It looks like you're a little drunk too,' She chuckled, trying to keep a firm grasp on reality without losing it in the enchantment of his eyes, 'and I think we should wait until everyone's gone.'

Georg closed his eyes briefly, opening them again and whispering, 'I don't think I can.'

His voice was layered in seduction and invitation, and Maria wanted so much to surrender to it; his lips were so close to her ear that she could feel his breath on her skin and the rest of her body turn hot.

'I've waited long enough for this night, Maria,' he said, tucking her hair behind her ears, 'and teasing me now is a terrible wedding present.'

She smiled, feeling Georg's lips press light butterfly kisses on her forehead, on her cheek and jawbone and neck until she felt as though the whole world was watching. As Georg straightened up, she saw the hunger in his face, the same hunger that she felt stir inside of her. Maria couldn't deny that like her husband, she had been practically unable to think about anything else over the advancing weeks, with all kinds of worries and doubts but also hopes and desires. Nevertheless, she looked him in the eye, attesting, 'we have a whole honeymoon for this,' although her voice didn't sound very convincing. Maria knew she was rapidly losing her common sense as his hands roamed over her body, making her gasp more than once. And even though they were in the corner of the large room, they were still very much visible. For the last time, she peered over her husband's shoulder to see the children, still oblivious but gradually coming closer. Although Maria tried to protest one last time, Georg's lips met hers again and instantly she relinquished her resistance. Once they drew apart, she leaned up to whisper, 'where do you have in mind?'

Georg smirked wickedly as he replied 'follow me,' and laced his hands through hers. Checking all around him, they slowly began in the direction of the door, remaining as casual as they could. Eventually, they managed to slip out unnoticed and Maria knew that it would perhaps be the first bold discretion in a long line of future discretions, yet Georg's hands holding hers rid her brain from all of those things; although she would never leave behind her pious nature and devotion to God, it had soon dawned on her that being a von Trapp and a postulant were two very different things.

Georg pulled her suddenly through a door, closing it quickly.

'Your study? Isn't that a bit obvious? If people were to come looking...'

'...then they'll probably look in our bedroom first, darling. Everyone knows my study is out of bounds.'

Maria could hardly argue with his answer, at the speed in which he drew her up into her arms. Now when she kissed him it was freely and fervently, her arms looping round his neck and her feet nearly leaving the ground. Georg leaned her up against the wall, his arms wrapping tighter round her waist and grinning against her mouth. Maria felt his fingers working at the tied lacing of her dress, inevitably loosening it. Kissing him again she let herself relax and in retaliation confidently tugged at his tie, causing him to chuckle in his deep baritone. He helped her rid of his tie and threw his jacket behind him and carelessly at his desk, Maria's eyes widening at the many objects falling to the floor in the disturbance. It almost surprised her that he had done it, his reputation of being an organised sea captain seemingly preceding him; but Maria knew that she was seeing the real side of her husband, as she had glimpsed over the passing weeks. Georg had nearly finished working on her dress and she could feel her bare back against the cold walls, his lips pressing kisses all over her skin. All thought of the party outside escaped her as her hands caressed his shirt, feeling the raised muscle underneath. Although she was completely prey to his ministrations, she too tantalised him by undoing the first buttons on his collar.

A loud, unexpected knock at the door disrupted them in horror, stopping what they were doing immediately. Not daring to move or make a sound, Maria and Georg's faces met with identical dilated eyes and raised eyebrows as they heard someone talking outside.

'Brigitta, you know father's study is off-limits,' Kurt said, his voice loud but muffled through the heavy door; Maria made sure her body didn't move an inch.

'Well, where have they got to, then?' The girl fired back.

'Maybe we should look in the gardens?' Liesl suggested, tapping the door again and finding no answer.

'How silly to miss out on their own party!' Kurt emphasised, their voices slowly diminishing as they walked away, 'I want to eat already.'

As soon as their voices were no longer heard, both Maria and Georg sighed in relief. Although Georg had locked the door behind them there was still a possibility of their children hearing their ragged breaths. Slowly, he detached himself from her, picking up his tie and jacket.

'We need to get out of here quickly.' Maria said, watching as he nodded silently in agreement. Georg noticed her struggling with her dress, tying it up as fast as he had undone it.

'I'll just make sure that no ones out there.' He said, unlocking the door and peering through the gap. Maria joined his side, her breathing gradually returning to normal. Georg ran a hand trough his tousled hair, smoothing it down as he quietly slipped out of the room. Maria followed, being lead round to the main door.

'Where are we going?'

'We're going to appear from the outside and make it look like we wandered off around the gardens.'

'Would you believe that?'

He stopped short, looking in her eyes. 'No, but they'll have to believe it.'

The air was cold and Maria was nearly shivering as they raced round the villa, ending up at the lake and walking up the terrace. As they walked casually back into the ballroom, many guests turned and ran up to them, shouting over their shoulders to notify others and asking them where they'd been.

'I'm sorry, we just made a turn round the gardens.' Georg said smoothly. Maria marvelled at his coolness, distinctly aware that under the pressure she couldn't have lied so flippantly. Many of them seemed to accept this and lead them toward a dinner table set already with plates of food. She felt just a little bit guilty to have kept everyone waiting, but their rendezvous had been an experience worth skipping their own wedding dinner for. Abruptly, the children rushed into the room all at once, eager to start eating.

'There you are!' Kurt exclaimed, 'where were you? I'm starving!'

Georg laughed lightly. 'We should have known you would be waiting for us to eat.'

Everyone ravenously tucked into their food, yet Maria was unsettled by the traces of her husband's caresses and kisses that she could still feel on her skin. Her hand sought his for support and Georg winked at her discreetly as she began to eat. Mildly embarrassed, she managed to make it through two courses and another waltz before the party haltingly disbanded. Dancing with her husband however made her want to never stop, with the music in her ears and the face of the man she loved plastered over her eyes. As they had elegantly turned and spun, she felt Georg draw her closer and hold her tenderly, his eyes seemingly searing into hers.

'You know,' he said, cocking his eyebrow, 'that was only the prelude of things to come.'

Maria tried to compose herself but her insides melted under a recurrent heat.

'Well, surely the party must be over soon.'

'I wouldn't count on it,' he grimaced, his eyes following a crowd of guests rapidly consuming glasses of champagne, 'but maybe we could force the guests out the door.'

Maria's eyes widened. 'I hope you don't mean physically.'

'No, no, no. We could make an excuse...you could say that you're feeling unwell.'

'How?'

'I'll pretend to feel your temperature and announce that you're a little bit hot and need to lie down.'

'Then, what about the children?'

'They've already had hours over their usual bedtime.'

The corners of her lips pulled up into a smirk. Just thinking that in a few minutes she could once again and resolutely be in private with Georg was a temptation she couldn't resist, despite her truthful and honest demeanour.

Georg's hands felt her cheeks and forehead, mocking a concerned look.

'Maria, you're growing hot.' He exclaimed, making sure his voice carried across the room.

'I guess I do feel a bit light headed.' she admitted.

Georg called Franz over, telling him that Maria felt too ill to continue dancing and socialising. As a crowd ultimately drew toward them, so did their advice; Georg persistently tried to keep away the voice of an esteemed doctor who asked to examine her.

'She'll be fine, honestly,' he declared, flashing his most charming smile, 'I'm just going to make sure she gets some rest. It's probably just alc- no, no, no.'

'Silly me,' he muttered under his breath, 'the excitement of the day.'

Maria tried also to assure them of her well being, supporting her husband's analysis. Although it took a little while for everyone to stop, soon they were making their apologies and excusing themselves. Maria realised in those moments how hauntingly real he made each lie and each farewell, his acting skills masking his true intentions underneath; it shamefully intimidated her slightly. Once everyone had wished her a quick recovery and made their way out the doors, Georg instructed the children to bed and following suit, they left the room.

'There,' he said, smirking, 'that wasn't so hard.'

As he pushed the door to their bedroom open, Maria suddenly fell shy. Turning toward her husband, even with a loving smile on his face, she felt overwhelmed with his speedy dismissal of the crowds and what was to come next. Words could hardly leave her mouth as his hand cupped her cheek lightly. Although her heart willed her to submit to his touch, her body moved of its own accord and stepped out of his reach.

'What's wrong?' He asked, his face crumpling in apprehension.

'I...I don't know, I think...watching you lie so casually around your friends, acting well enough that no one could see your actual intentions...' She let her sentence trail off, fearing that she had spoiled the evening.

'You're saying that my acting skills are too good?'

'I'm saying...fearing...that you might always act differently around me in a way that I will never be able to understand...what you actually mean.' She finished, closing her eyes so she couldn't see his reaction.

'You think that my love for you is fake?' He said, astonished.

When Maria reopened her eyes she could see a clear hurt and anguish on his face and she wished she had never spoken a word.

'No, of course not. I just...it's sometimes hard to know what you're thinking. What you're really thinking.'

'You want to know what I'm thinking?' He said, now gently stepping closer, 'I'm thinking that I married the most beautiful, incredible woman in the world.'

Maria looked down at her feet, feeling just a little ashamed of questioning his legitimacy.

'I-I'm sorry.'

'No, don't be. You just need to know that everything I say and do to you is genuine. If ever I lie to you it would be only for your protection.'

His fingers grazed her cheek, and her hand held them there, her eyes fluttering shut.

'And you have no need to be nervous.' He added. Maria opened her eyes and laughed, knowing that he could sense her slight trembling.

'I know I don't.' She whispered, looking into his eyes with conviction.

Gently, he leaned down to kiss her, soft and tenderly this time, wrapping her up in his arms. All of her worries slipped away; all of the nervousness of being with him physically had disappeared. Their kisses deepened, and Georg guided them to the edge of the bed, ultimately laying her down. Her hands threaded through his hair as he kissed her neck, and once more she loosened his tie. Georg's forehead met hers, both grinning at each other when he turned out the lights.

•••••

Maria felt the warm hands over her before she saw them; opening her eyes, she observed a solitary streak of sunlight spilling over them onto the floor. Warmly smiling, she caressed the arm wrapped round her chest and reflected on her wedding day; it was now her first morning with her new husband and children, her first day as a von Trapp woman. Peering over her shoulder she glanced at Georg, his hair ruffled and his eyes closed, breathing deeply onto the pillow.

Leaning slightly more back into him, her thoughts wandered immediately to their honeymoon. She had been teased long enough about the location, yet he had yet to tell her. Speculating on where it may be, she soon felt a looming shadow looking down at her. Turning to face him, Maria kissed her husband and grinned at the sight of his bed head and drooping eyes.

'Good morning, darling.'

'It appears to be lunchtime.' He smirked, glimpsing the clock.

'Really?' She gasped.

Nodding, he turned on his back, bringing her with him.

'Are we not getting up?' She laughed.

'There's no need, we've already slept the day away.'

'Don't you think everyone will be wondering where we are?' She asked, resting her head under his chin.

'I expect that they already know.'

'And I expect that I should know already where we are going on holiday.' She quipped.

He merely chuckled in response.

'You've teased me enough about it, I want to know.'

'Really?'

'Yes.'

'Guess.'

At this, she straightened up to look at him accusingly.

'Do you have to do this?'

His laugh was deep and bright, and it filled her up completely to hear it. Maria never thought that she could ever be in this position in her life, in the bare arms of a man she adored so much.

'Is it in Europe?'

'Yes it is.'

'Germany?'

Georg scoffed. 'Certainly not.'

'I guess I should have known not to say that.'

'Darling, the world is filled with hateful people but your only fault is your beautiful innocence. If you can even call it a fault.'

Maria smiled and kissed his cheek.

'What about Spain?'

'I'll let you into a secret, Maria. I'm not a fan of sunny holidays.'

'I'm not surprised.'

'Really? And why is that, may I ask?'

'Well, when we first met you didn't smile like you do now.'

'When we first met, Maria, you came here in a frightful dress and made play clothes for the children out of drapes.' He deadpanned.

She sighed. 'Okay, well if it's cold then maybe Russia?'

'Not quite.'

'England?'

'No.'

'Can you tell me now?' She pleaded.

'City of love; famous tower; amazing croissants?'

Her mouth slowly pulled into a smile.

'We're going to Paris, to France.'

'Oui.'

She hugged him, the ray of sunlight warm on her back. Maria had never been to France, she had never stepped outside of the Austrian borders; but she knew that it would be the perfect place to go for the both of them.

'Not only does it have plenty of tourist sights but also many fabulous restaurants and sensational skylines.'

'It is a sunny country though, isn't it?'

'Its warmer, but not irritatingly so.'

'How many times have you been there?'

'Many. It was a popular post of the navy. Docking there and staying in the city of Paris before sailing away again...only this time it will be so much better.'

'It sounds wonderful.'

'It will be wonderful with you in it.'

Maria realised just how lucky she was; it had been an unexpected path in the life she lead but it had ended up in the best place she could possibly have been.

'I almost forgot to ask you,' he said, 'how was it waking up as Baroness von Trapp?'

'I think that it still could be a dream.' She answered.

Georg's lips met hers briefly. Proving his point, she added, 'But I don't think I could have come up with a better one.' She smiled.

Suddenly, his face transitioned to a look of seriousness, and Maria felt butterflies in her stomach as he began to speak.

'Maria,' he said softly, 'your insecurities...last night, about me and about us. They were...dispelled, weren't they?'

'You mean that they've gone?'

He silently nodded.

'Well...' she started; yet she struggled to form any words to speak.

'Look at me.'

Her eyes met his and they were full of a want; a want of reassurance.

'You know that whatever I think about anyone else, I'll always think highly of you.'

This time, she nodded, unable to reply.

'And you know that I love everything about you; especially your naïveté.' He grinned.

Finally, looking at her husbands face, she managed to answer. 'Of course I do.'

Their lips met, and Georg held her as if he would never let go; making Maria feel like the most loved woman in the world.

'I know it's roughly only been a day, but I'm completely certain already that I want your children, Maria. Beautiful children, that would have the most remarkable woman for a mother.'

'I want children with you too, Georg,' She said wondrously, knowing that it would complete her whole sense of self if she saw mini Georg's running around her feet, 'But only-'

'Only what?'

She chuckled. 'Only if you don't make them whistle or march.'

He smirked, his hands grasping her waist.

'It naturally follows then,' he said, his tone returning to it's seductive whisper, 'that we don't leave this bed until dinnertime.'

Rolling her over onto her back, she laughed in delight and pleasure, embracing him tightly; and completely in awe of who she now was, and would remain for the rest of her life.