A/N: Thanks to everyone that has been reviewing, favoriting, and following. I'm looking forward to hearing from more of you as we get further into the action. This could be a potential trigger for victims of assault. Not explicit at all but wanted to warn incase.

Chapter Seven

Maria was the first one at the fountain that afternoon. She sat down and waited for Heinrich to come to her playing with the hem of her skirt to keep her whirling mind distracted. How was she going to do this? Was she going to be able to tell him no or would she lie and go on as if it was her heart's desire. Very few people of that past married for love. In all honesty, very few people in the Austrian aristocracy married for love. They would marry for position, they would marry for money, but love was often an afterthought.

"Fraulein Maria," Heinrich greeted with a smile. "How are you? I'm so sorry I was running late."

"That's perfectly all right, Herr Mueller," Maria replied. "I was enjoying the air."

"You do love the outdoors, so it seems," he replied. "I'm glad that you were able to come. Are the children in town with you?"

Maria nodded, "No, I suspect that what we have to discuss is best done on our own. I know that you came and saw Captain von Trapp yesterday, about what we discussed."

"Yes, I saw you by the window," Heinrich confirmed. "The Captain was quite formidable, just as I always remembered him. When I saw you shopping that day, he seemed more relaxed, but I suspect it was the content of my question that got his guard up."

"The Captain likes order and routine," Maria informed him. "So, the fact that you came to the villa midday and unannounced, that would get him unsettled. How did the meeting go? I didn't hear anyone shouting."

"No," Heinrich replied. "In fact, the Captain didn't seem to understand why I was asking him for permission, though once I explained how we both felt about your position in his household, he understood, and he gave his consent for me to formally invite you to come courting with me. You must tell me Maria, is my suit welcome?"

Maria took a deep breath. She didn't want to hurt Heinrich he was a kind man, but she couldn't accept his offer. Her heart was just not in the same place as his. "Herr Mueller," Maria began.

Heinrich stopped her, "Maria…I think given the circumstances we can drop the titles, don't you?"

"No," Maria replied. "I think the circumstances will require that we continue to use one another's titles, Herr Mueller. I'm so sorry, but…I cannot accept your offer of courtship. I just don't return your feelings and it wouldn't be fair to you. You deserve a woman that will love you and I am not that woman. I really am sorry."

Heinrich took a breath and stood up, pacing back and forth. "So, you knew the entire time that you weren't going to court with me? Instead of telling me outright the other day you pushed me to see Captain von Trapp, to get his permission! What did you think that he would say? No? Of course, he'd never say no! If he did the rumors alone…How daft can you be thinking that?"

"Herr Mueller, I cannot apologize enough…" Maria began. She too stood up, she felt Heinrich's anger and disappointment and it made her incredibly nervous.

"No," Heinrich snapped. "It seems you can't! You played me! You played with my feelings! For what?!" Heinrich reached out and grabbed Maria by the forearm as she tried to step away. "You don't get to walk away from this without telling me!"

"Let go of me," Maria commanded in her best governess voice. "I have told you I am sorry that I'm not interested in your suit and further I am sorry that I was too frightened to tell you that myself. It's true I hoped the Captain would put an end to this for me. I don't like to reject or be rejected, I am so sorry."

Maria pulled her arm free. It hurt badly, he had probably bruised the skin. She would have to be sure to keep it covered for the next couple of days. "Now, I must go. Please Herr Mueller, do not pursue this further. If I was not interested in your suit before this display, I am certainly not interested now. Goodbye, Herr Mueller. Do not contact me again."

Maria turned on her heel and headed as far away from the fountain as she could get. She needed to breath; she needed some fresh mountain air. The grabbing and pulling had brought back so many fears and memories. She couldn't go back to the villa like this, not shaking and scared. If she did the Captain would be obligated to confront Heinrich even though the Captain had given Heinrich leave to pursue Maria. She didn't want that; she didn't want violence or conflict. She had her fill of it.

As Maria headed towards the mountains, she was so distracted she didn't feel the eyes on her. Eyes that had been on her since the party, eyes she never noticed when she was on her own. She was always too lost in thought. She was blindsided when the eyes that had followed her became a full body, and further when that body became hard and violent, its hands covering her mouth, and pulling her into the bushes seemingly all at once.

Maria was too scared to scream, too distracted to understand what was about to happen…this had always been her safe place, and in her mind it still was. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and hid in her sacred mountain sanctuary, blocking out every kiss, every touch, every anything…until it was over, and she was alone again.

The children were disappointed when Maria didn't return for lunch, but when she didn't return for dinner either, even the Captain grew concerned. It was not like Maria to stay out this long with the children, never mind on her own.

The Captain knew that today was the day she was going to meet up with Heinrich Mueller and let him know she didn't wish to court him. What if she changed her mind and they were sharing a meal together right now? No, Maria would have sent word. She would never wish to upset the children no matter what.

Max was even on edge about Maria's absence. He kept the children as calm as he possibly could given the unusual situation, but by the time the sun set even Max's jovial nature couldn't settle them down. Finally, the Captain sent them all with Frau Schmidt to their rooms so he could think.

"Something happened," the Captain said to Max. "She went to meet Heinrich Mueller today. She was going to tell him she didn't want to be courted by him. He's not the type to get angry but perhaps she changed her mind?"

"I doubt it," Max replied. "The girl wears her heart on her sleeve, she wasn't interested in Heinrich at all. Fraulein Maria doesn't strike me as someone that is unsure of her emotions."

"No," the Captain replied. "No, she isn't that. I'm certain she turned him down perhaps she just needed some time alone, but it is getting very late."

"We need to go look for her," Max sighed. "I'll take the road from here to the city and perhaps you go out into the countryside. She might have gone there to think and just got disoriented in the dark."

"No," the Captain replied. "I mean, yes, we need to look for her, but if she's up on her mountain she wouldn't be disoriented, she's like me on the sea, she's instinctual about it. If she's up there, it's because she wants to be there or because she…has no choice."

The Captain clapped his hands in decision. "Well, first things first, Max, you must come with me while I darken Heinrich Mueller's front door. If he is like his father, I have nothing to be concerned about but if he isn't…He was the last person we know that was supposed to see her. Let's go."

The Captain needed Max with him. Every instinct he had at the moment was screaming at him to somehow step into the situation and protect Maria. It was his fault. If he had just told Heinrich no when he asked…but he didn't and now Maria might be in trouble.

The Captain pulled his Mercedes to the front of the Mueller villa and got out of the car almost before it stopped moving. Max was at his heels, he knew his best friend and he knew what this mood meant. "Georg," Max said quickly as they walked quickly to the front door. "Don't do anything in haste, I beg you."

The Captain stopped and took a deep breath, "No, Max, I won't do anything in haste. I'm going to ask a question and if I don't like the answer to that question, I'm going to take my time in dealing with I can assure you."

The Captain rang the bell and waited for the butler to admit him. Then he waited in Heinrich's salon with Max just as he'd had Heinrich sit in his own. Finally, Heinrich appeared, "Captain von Trapp? Herr Detweiler? How can I help you?"

"Well, you can start by telling me everything that happened when you met Fraulein Maria today," the Captain replied. "And end with telling me where she is now."

Heinrich's eyebrows knitted together in question. "She would be at your villa, would she not? She declined my offer of courtship rather abruptly today and left while I was still standing at the fountain. I didn't pursue her from there, as I had already acted like a cad in grabbing her arm the way I did. I thought at first that was why you were here. I did, I'm afraid, manhandle her a little bit in my surprise and my anger and I do apologize."

Max moved to stand closer to the Captain as his blue eyes flashed with rage. "You dared to lay your hands on Maria? You dare to lay your hands on any woman in anger? "

"Captain, I am sorry," Heinrich plead. "I was upset that she had me see you in hopes that she wouldn't have to face me herself…but I did apologize to her, and I do apologize to you. I don't know what happened after she left me at the fountain. I hope she's all right. I was angry with her, but I don't wish her any harm. Do you need help looking for her?"

"No," the Captain replied. "No, you've done enough already. If I find out that you did harm Maria more than you've let on or anything else, so help me…and God help you because only God could. Do you understand?"

Heinrich nodded. Captain von Trapp was a very intimidating man, just like his father had been, but he was honorable and would never hold anyone responsible for something they didn't do. "I do, and I assure you, Captain, you'll find no reason to make good on that promise. My word."

Heinrich offered the Captain his hand then saw the two men out. "What now, Georg?" Max asked.

"We go back to the villa, we see if she's come home if not, you drive into town and I'll go up into the hills," the Captain sighed. "If he was aggressive with her, Maria shies away from me when I touch her arm or her shoulder gently, we don't know much about her, we don't know about her childhood or her youth, she doesn't talk about it. He might have scared her back to the abbey. When we separate, you check there, I'll continue up to the Untesberg. If we don't find her there, we notify the police."

Max agreed to the plan then got into the car so they could execute it.