Chapter 2
She must be in heaven, because she'd never known a bed like this on earth – roomy, supremely comfortable, with soft sheets, plump pillows, and a feather-light duvet. But then she decided that she must still be alive, because she was starving. She squinted open one tentative eye to find two small girls standing not a foot away from her, staring.
"Good morning!" she said. The younger one threw back her shoulders and flashed a big smile, but it was the older one, a brunette, who spoke a shy "good morning" in return.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"My name is Marta," the older girl said, 'and this is-"
The long, shrill blast of a whistle filled the air. The younger girl gasped, and without another word, the pair turned and dashed from the room.
Strange.
This place, whatever it was, was lovely. The sun streaming through the big windows turned the walls lemon-yellow. Besides the big bed, the room was furnished with an armoire, a dainty desk and a comfortable armchair. She was wondering what to do about her empty stomach when a knock at the door signaled the arrival of a distinguished looking older woman in a gray dress and starched white apron, who carried a bundle of clothing.
"Good morning," the woman said. "I am Frau Schmidt, the housekeeper here. And you are?"
"M-Marta," she fumbled. "Yes, my name is Marta." That was right, wasn't it?
"How nice! Just like our Marta!" Frau Schmidt smiled.
"What is this place?"
"You're in Aigen. At the home of Captain Georg Von Trapp."
"Captain?"
"A retired officer of the Imperial Navy. A fine man, and a brave one. He found you by the side of the road during last night's storm, soaking wet, shivering with the cold and barely conscious. Poor dear, you couldn't even get upstairs by yourself! He had to carry you up here, and then I got you settled for the night. We were all terribly worried about you, but you're looking much better already! Now," the housekeeper gestured, "the bathroom is right through there if you'd like to wash up. Your clothes from last night were barely salvageable, so I've brought you some clothes of Liesl's. That's her nightgown you're wearing."
"Liesl? Does she work here too?"
Frau Schmidt laughed. "No, she's Captain Von Trapp's eldest daughter. She's sixteen years old."
"Oh! Does she have two little sisters? They were here when I woke up."
"The Captain has seven children," the older woman explained proudly, as though she deserved all the credit. "Two boys and five girls."
"Seven children!"
"Do you like children?"
"Well, yes. At least I think so." Why was that question so difficult to answer? She hastened to change the subject. "I'll just go wash up, and I'll be on my way," though she wasn't entirely sure where she'd be going. But Frau Schmidt shook her head.
"You're not going anywhere until you're seen by Dr. Weiss, the Captain's personal physician. We sent for him first thing this morning. You're to stay in bed until you're cleared for duty. Captain's orders. I'll have Miri - she's one of the housemaids - bring up a tray."
An hour later, M was gobbling the last crumbs of an enormous, delicious breakfast when the doctor appeared, an elfin man, no taller than she was, with wisps of white hair and warm brown eyes. "Good morning, Fraulein - what did you say your name was?"
"M-Miri," she said uncertainly.
The doctor gave her a swift, appraising look. "A pleasure to meet you, Fraulein Miri." He began his thorough examination. "If you'd unbutton a bit, I'll listen to your heart." As she did so, he continued, "How old are you, my dear?"
"Why do you need to know that?"
"It helps me assess the situation."
"I'm – ehrm – I'm – I'm sixteen. Yes. I'm sixteen," she repeated.
His head was bent to his work, but she saw his shoulders stiffen and she knew she'd made a mistake. Why couldn't she remember how old she was?
At last, he straightened up and pronounced her healthy, but worn out. "The rest of the day in bed, and a few more days close to home, with good food and rest, and you'll be fine. Where did you say you were from?"
"Oh, you know," she said. It was ridiculous, that she couldn't think of the name of the place, though it seemed to be hanging right on the tip of her tongue.
"No, I don't know," the doctor said smoothly, "that's why I asked you."
"I'm from around here. In town," she said, trying to sound casual.
"Hm. I see," he said, as though he didn't really see at all. "Well, then, Fraulein Miri, I will step out for a minute or two, and then I will return with Captain von Trapp." With a courteous bow, he left the room.
She heard a muted buzz of conversation out in the hallway and there was just enough time to scramble into her borrowed clothes before a sharp rap came at the door and the doctor returned with a handsome, middle-aged man: Captain von Trapp. The Captain filled the room with his presence, not only because he was quite tall and broad shouldered, but because his formal bearing gave him an air of authority.
"Good morning," he said briskly. "Fraulein - what was your name again?"
Suddenly, what had been a small pinch of worry blossomed into waves of panic that washed over her. The truth was, she couldn't remember who she was, or where she was from, or who her people were. Nothing. These people would surely think her insane, they would send her away, and where would she go?
"M-" she fumbled.
"Well, that's just it, you see. Frau Schmidt told me your name is Marta, but Doctor Weiss here says your name is Miri. Which is it?"
"Miri-Marta. That's my name," she said hastily, wincing at the obvious lie. "I use both of them. Depending."
"And the doctor says you are from this area? What is your last name, your family name?"
"You wouldn't know it," she said, desperately attempting to sound casual. "You see, while I live here now, my family home is far from here."
"I'm quite well travelled," he assured her. "I know every corner of Austria, in fact. Where, exactly, are you from, Fraulein?"
Her eyes roamed wildly around the room before settling on a pretty seascape hanging on the wall.
"The coast," she blurted.
Something odd flickered across his face.
"Ah. The Austrian coast. I see. Well. You had us all worried last night when I came upon you in that bus shelter. Tell me, how did you come to be there? Out in the road, alone, in a dangerous storm?"
"I was taking a walk," she said weakly.
His firm mouth narrowed and his blue eyes fixed her with chilly, severe look before, hands tucked behind his back, he began to pace the room.
"Fraulein whatever-your-name-may-be. I quite possibly saved your life last night. I took you into my home with no knowledge of who you are, or whether you might pose a threat to my family or my household. The least you can do is be truthful with me-"
The bubble of panic in her chest began to expand. When his gaze locked with hers, her skin prickled with fear and she felt her eyes fill with tears.
The Captain stopped his pacing quite abruptly, and the anger drained from his face.
"- unless you can't." he said quietly. "Is that it?"
"I was thinking the same thing, Georg." Doctor Weiss came to stand by the bed.
"I saw it often enough, at war." The Captain turned to her. "Now. I want a truthful answer from you, Fraulein. You don't know who you are, do you? Or how you got here. "
She looked from one man to the other. "I d-don't understand."
"Explain it to her, Leo," the Captain gestured impatiently at Doctor Weiss and went to stare out the window.
"Fraulein," Doctor Weiss said, perching on the edge of the bed and taking her hand. "Did something happen to frighten you? A threat to your safety, or maybe just very bad news?"
"I don't know," she said reluctantly, but his face was so full of kindness and understanding, that she found herself confessing, "I don't remember. I can't remember a thing."
"Sometimes," the doctor explained gently, "something so distressing occurs that the mind chooses to forget rather than deal with the stress. People in this situation can become confused. Frequently, they will travel away from familiar surroundings to discover or create new identities. Fortunately, the situation is temporary. With rest and complete relaxation, the memories slowly return."
"How long will that take?" she said, trying to swallow back the terror that threatened to overwhelm her. "I don't even know my own name! Or where I live, or about my family!"
The doctor patted her hand. "It's very important to be patient, to let those memories surface on their own, do you understand? They will come when they're ready. Don't strain for it or force yourself to remember; it will only prolong the process and make things worse. Now-" he turned to rummage in his battered medical bag – "I believe I have a tonic in here that will help you, if you can give me a moment."
Captain von Trapp left his post by the window, striding across the room and pausing at the door. "Fraulein. You are welcome to stay here as long as is needed," he said gruffly. "I'm afraid I'll only be here until tomorrow, but Frau Schmidt will see to your care, I can assure you."
"Where will you be going?" she asked to be polite, although he didn't seem the chatty type.
"Vienna."
"Will the children be going with you?"
He looked annoyed. "No. They will remain here with their governess."
"But your wife is going with you?"
There was a long, awkward pause. The Captain's blue eyes turned to ice, and she could have sworn the entire room felt ten degrees colder.
"Their mother," he said curtly, "is dead."
"I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't-," she stammered, but he kept talking over her apology.
"They have just been abandoned by the tenth in a long line of governesses who have come to care for them since their mother died. The eleventh is expected tomorrow, fortunately, as I am anxious to return to Vienna as soon as she arrives."
"What's wrong with the children?" she asked.
"There's nothing wrong with the children," he said coolly. "Only the governesses. They were completely unable to maintain discipline. You will soon see for yourself, Fraulein, that this house cannot be run without it. Now. I must tend to some matters downstairs, so that I can be on my way as quickly as possible tomorrow."
Without another word, he turned on his heel and left her alone with the doctor.
"Doctor," she hesitated. "I can see that I'd just be in the way here. If you ask Frau Schmidt for my things, I can be dressed and ready to go quickly. I don't want to be any trouble to anyone."
Doctor Weiss chuckled.
"Don't let Georg bother you. His bark is worse than his bite, and he'll be leaving again tomorrow in any event. In your situation, it would not be safe for you to leave, and anyhow, you have nowhere to go! No, you'll stay here at least for a few days, and if you're lucky, your memory will return quickly. Meanwhile, plenty of rest today, and nothing more strenuous than sitting on the terrace for the rest of the week. Wholesome food, long naps and good books, my dear Fraulein M. The Captain's library is impressive, so you might want to take advantage of it. By the way, you're not sixteen. In your early twenties, I'd guess. There's probably some young man out there who's moping about, worried about you." Then, with a wink and a last pat on the hand, the doctor departed.
The afternoon passed peacefully. She took a long nap, enjoyed a generous tea tray with enough strudel for an entire family, got settled into her room, and spent a great deal of time admiring the beautiful view out her window, where the lake sparkled in the sunshine and majestic mountains reached up to a perfect blue sky. At one point, she spied a long row of children, dressed in identical sailor suits, marching across the grounds in a straight, orderly line. It was a curious sight, and she wondered when she'd have a chance to meet these unusual children.
Later in the day, Frau Schmidt gave her a tour of the villa, pointing out the nursery and the Captain's suite upstairs, and the various rooms downstairs, before settling her down in the kitchen for an ample dinner.
"The children are dining with their father tonight," the housekeeper explained. "Dinner is very formal when the Captain is in residence. After he leaves, well, then, perhaps you'll want to dine with the children and their governess. I thought you might want a chance to get used to things first," the older woman said kindly.
"I couldn't help noticing that Captain von Trapp seemed very eager to return to Vienna," M said.
"Yes, I suppose he is. He's going to visit Elsa Schrader. Baroness Elsa Schrader," Frau Schmidt corrected herself. "She's a wealthy widow, someone he's been seeing for some time. The last time he visited her, he stayed for more than a month. I shouldn't be saying this to you – I don't know you that well - but if you ask me, the Captain's thinking seriously of marrying her before summer's over."
"That would be wonderful! Then the children will have a mother!"
"Hm," Frau Schmidt said. The ensuing silence was clearer than any explanation might have been.
"Is-" M hesitated, but Frau Schmidt seemed like a friendly, approachable sort – "is Captain von Trapp always so serious? So severe? It's hard to imagine him being – ehrm – romantic enough to be courting anyone."
"No." The housekeeper shook her head sadly. "Very little remains of the young man whose household I joined twenty years ago. He could be quite charming. A wicked sense of humor. But very kind, and the most devoted husband and father you can imagine. Of course he has a certain formal air. You'd expect nothing less from a man with aristocratic roots and years of experience in military command. But ever since his poor wife died, he runs this house like one of his ships. No music, no laughter, nothing that reminds him of her. Including the children. One of the girls, Louisa, is her mirror image."
"Yet he has taken me into his household," M observed. "He didn't have to do that."
"Yes. He is still a decent man at heart, of course. Well. I hope your time here is happy, Fraulein- what shall I call you?" Frau Schmidt asked.
"Fraulein will do fine," M assured her new friend, standing and stretching with a great yawn. Although the sun had barely set, she felt ready to settle into that big, comfortable bed, and to ponder her predicament. Where was her family? Were they worried about her? She didn't think she was married, but did she have a beau, as Doctor Weiss had suggested? She reminded herself of his advice, not to strain for memories she couldn't find.
One thing she did find, easily, was the instinct to settle on her knees, to ask the Lord to protect her and her family from harm and fear until they could be united again. It was only after she'd gotten to her feet again that she saw it: a small glass vase by the side of the bed, spilling over with a mixture of garden weeds and real flowers. The little girls had paid her another visit, apparently. Smiling, she curled up in bed, and let her mind wander to the strange world of the villa von Trapp, until sleep found her at last.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
She slept late the next morning, awakened by the sound of a doorbell and then, a minute later, the same long, shrill string of whistled signals she'd heard yesterday, followed by a racket of banging doors and running footsteps. Curious, she slipped from her bedroom and crept down the hallway just far enough to get a good view of the commotion: what seemed like an entire platoon of uniformed children, flying out of the nursery, arranging themselves in formation, and then marching down the great staircase, and into the vast foyer below. They were arrayed so precisely that the gap was obvious, a gap filled quickly by a young girl with long brown locks who wandered into the foyer from another direction, her nose buried in a book.
Captain von Trapp stood in the foyer, next to a short, stout woman who watched the scene impassively. He walked slowly down the line of children, adjusting a tie here, correcting posture there. The children stood expressionless; not a single one of them smiled or even seemed to meet his eyes.
From where she stood, safely behind a column in the upstairs gallery, she couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but there was no mistaking what happened next: he put a silver whistle to his lips and, one by one, the children stepped forward to shout their names in response to their signals.
She whispered the names to herself, one after the other, and then watched in disbelief as their father dismissed them and they marched out the front door. Five girls, two boys. She recognized the littlest two girls from their visit yesterday, and once again, wondered when she'd have a chance to meet them herself and learn more about them.
The uniforms. The whistles. The marching. Surely this was some strange family game? Frau Schmidt had said something about the house being like one of his ships, but there was something not quite right about it. Shaking her head she returned to her room to breakfast, bathe and dress.
An hour later, she made her way timidly down the stairs, clutching the banister for support. She wondered if Captain von Trapp would seek her out to say goodbye before leaving for Vienna. Or had he already left, now that the new governess was in place? She'd so wanted a chance to thank him for his hospitality. And, she admitted to herself, she was curious to see him up close, and even talk with him, now that she knew more about him and his sad past.
All of a sudden, chaos descended on the household. It all happened so fast! There was a shrill scream from the nursery, followed by the sound of laughter mingled with angry shouts. A grim-faced Frau Schmidt hurried up the stairs, passing M without a word. Doors slammed. She glimpsed the butler crossing the foyer to use the telephone.
Within minutes, the new governess came barreling down the stairway, and, stopping only to scream a last few accusations out into the open foyer – something about wild animals, and discipline, and whipping – she flung open the front door and hurled herself into a waiting taxi.
Before she lost her nerve, M hurried back up the stairs and followed the muffled sounds of laughter until she found the children, all seven of them, lounging around the nursery, a large, comfortable room lined by tall windows, and filled with bookshelves, tables and chairs. The laughter ceased abruptly and the room fell silent when she entered.
"Hello," she said. "I know we've crossed paths just a bit, but we haven't been introduced. I wanted to thank Liesl for the clothes. And Marta and Gretl – is that right? – for the precious gift you left on my nightstand last night."
The youngest girl giggled, but the older children exchanged uneasy glances. They'd obviously expected to be interrogated about the governess' departure. It was the girl in the middle, the one who'd had her nose buried in a book, who broke the ice.
"What's your name?"
She couldn't think of anything to tell them except the truth.
"Well, you see, Brigitta, I'm not quite sure about that at the moment, except that it starts with an 'M'. I've had a bit of a – an illness. I can't remember a great deal about who I am, or where I'm from. It's only temporary," she finished.
"Our mother had an illness," said one of the older girls.
"Yes, Louisa – you are Louisa, aren't you? I know, Louisa, and I'm terribly sorry about that. I'm told you are the mirror image of your mother, is that right?"
The girl broke into a radiant smile.
"This is not the same kind of illness, though. I'll be fine soon, and on my way home, but your father has most generously agreed to let me stay here in the meantime."
"How did you know our names?" said the oldest boy, a tall blond. Friedrich.
"I heard you introduce yourselves to your new governess. What happened with her, anyway?"
There was a long, awkward silence, as though they were waiting for her to find fault with them, but when she remained silent, the oldest girl, Liesl - who had her father's striking blue eyes - began to explain.
"Marta's birthday is next week. Tuesday. It's bad enough that he missed Friedrich's birthday last week -"
The older boy interrupted. "I'm fourteen. It doesn't bother me anymore. But Marta is only six-"
"I'll be seven on Tuesday," Marta interjected.
"He only comes home when he has to find us a governess, you know, so we tried to time everything so that he'd be here on Tuesday. We thought he'd stay longer, but we miscalculated, I guess. He told us at breakfast this morning that as soon as the new governess arrived, he was leaving again," Liesl said mournfully. "So what else could we do?"
"What did you do to her?"
"Snakes," the younger boy – what was his name again? Klaus? No, Kurt! Kurt. That name meant something special to her, though she didn't know what. Kurt cackled gleefully, nudging his older brother in the ribs. "Snakes in the bathtub." He had an impish manner that made her smile, even though she knew she ought to look gravely concerned about the poor governess who'd found a snake in her bath.
After a few minutes' more conversation, and a promise to return to the nursery later, M set out for the kitchen. Along the way, she passed the library. "There are certain rooms in this house that are not to be disturbed," Frau Schmidt had warned her, but with the door ajar, she couldn't help but overhear Captain von Trapp's side of a telephone conversation. So he hadn't left for Vienna yet. And he didn't sound happy about it:
"No, Elsa, I have not forgotten my promise to be back in Vienna tomorrow, and I will do my best to honor that promise, but…"
"Of course I am an honorable man. We're talking about a party, for heaven's sake. I simply cannot abandon ship just because…"
"Believe me, darling. I am utterly miserable, stuck here in the country without you. And I am sorry that I did not call as soon as I got here. I ran into some difficulty on the road, you see."
That last remark disturbed her – not only because she knew she was the difficulty in question, but at the unfeeling statement that he was miserable being at home with his children. But it also reminded her that she was being dreadfully rude, eavesdropping this way, and she began to scurry toward the kitchen. Alas, it was too late.
"Fraulein. If you're going to lurk in the hallway, you may as well come in," he called to her, before returning to the telephone. "Nothing, Elsa. It's just – it's no one. Look, I'll call you later, hm?" and then he rung off.
"I'm sorry, sir," she fumbled, sidling into the room, which was lined with bookshelves and smelled agreeably of leather and wood. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just wanted to thank you again for taking me in. It's very kind of you."
The girl was as nervous as a new filly, eyes darting about the library while she ran her hands through her hair until it stood on end. Now that she'd been cleaned up and given a drab castoff dress, she turned out to be pretty, if a bit disorganized looking: blond, quite slender, all sharp angles and awkward gestures, but with an arresting blue gaze. There was something about her that Georg found vaguely irritating. Why had he called her in here instead of letting her go on her way to the kitchen?
Or maybe it was simply that everything about his current situation annoyed him. He missed Elsa, certainly, but much as it pained him to admit it, it was really the thought of being stranded at the villa – his home – that aggravated him most.
His children frustrated him beyond measure; they were a constant reminder of everything he'd lost, yet they went about their lives without a care. He knew that was unfair – he hadn't forgotten the dismal days and wretched nights after Agathe's death, when even the baby had cried pitifully for a mother she'd never really know. But somehow, four years later, they'd moved on without him. They didn't see Agathe in every corner, hear her voice echoing in empty rooms, they didn't catch her scent in the air. He was plagued by those memories, memories he did his best to escape at any opportunity.
"Sir?"
"Ah. Forgive me, Fraulein. My mind is occupied with business matters. How are you getting along? With your memory, I mean."
"Nothing yet," she admitted, "although I am fairly sure my name starts with the letter M, that's something. And it's only been a day."
"Hm. It happens to men at war as well. Some kind of terrifying experience that shocks the mind into forgetting everything. Rest and quiet and time will do the trick, you'll see."
"I'm reasonably certain this didn't happen to me on any battlefield," she said, and was rewarded by the tiniest upturn at the corner of his mouth, like the ghost of a smile.
"Frau Schmidt said you were a naval hero in the war. Knighted by the emperor, if I'm not mistaken?"
"That was a long time ago. A very long time ago," he said brusquely, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to this governess business."
"Well then. Thank you again. And I hope you will tell me if I can be of any help," she offered politely. She found the Captain quite intimidating, even harsh, but he had, after all, opened his home to her.
He looked at his watch. "Only if you can conjure a governess out of thin air. The agency won't send any more candidates here. I even tried Nonnberg Abbey, but every time I call, the person who answers the phone sounds terribly distracted. They've got some kind of emergency there, and told me to call back next week. I can't wait until next week!"
She didn't stop to think before the words flew from her mouth.
"Captain," she said impulsively, "I could watch them for you."
"You can't be serious! It would be too much of an imposition."
"Who is imposing on whom, Captain? I have no other way to thank you for taking me in. And this way, you can be on your way to Vienna, just like you planned. I know it's a bit unusual. After all, you don't know me. I don't even know me," she said ruefully, "but the children will be perfectly safe, with Frau Schmidt and the others around. I've been getting to know them, and they are lovely children. You must be so proud of them!"
"My children?" he said sourly. "Wait and see. You'll change your tune soon enough." But he had already risen to his feet; apparently it wasn't going to take much to convince him.
"Is there anything special about their routines I ought to know? Bedtimes? Schoolwork?"
He snorted. "Schoolwork? There as a time when I just assumed my children would attend university, but with all the governesses coming and going, they've fallen so far behind on their studies they'll never catch up." He looked at his watch again. "If you're certain, then, Fraulein, I'm going to finish packing and be on my way."
Captain von Trapp was out the door and down the hallway, moving almost at a trot.
"Sir?" she called after him. "What shall I do about…?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," he threw the answer over his shoulder and disappeared up the stairs.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Several of them made me want to sit down with you over a cup of tea and have a chat! I love hearing what you think. I don't own TSOM or anything about it, of course.
