Her Father's Daughter
by Bluebird88
Disclaimer: The Sound of Music is the property of Rodgers and Hammerstein, 20th Century Fox, and various script writers and producers. No copyright infringement is intended. Several lines from the movie are quoted at various points throughout the story. If it sounds familiar, it probably isn't mine.
Chapter 8: Edelweiss and Excitement
Moving slowly backward toward the sofa, Father strummed a few notes that sounded familiar, but Louisa couldn't quite place them until he began to sing.
"Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me…"
Of course, she thought. "Edelweiss" had always been his favorite song. After all, Louisa doubted whether there was any man alive who had more love for his country than her father. She let his voice wash over her, the sound deep and smooth.
When he had finished the first verse, he glanced at Liesl and jerked his head sideways, indicating that she should join him. Hearing her oldest sister's rich voice blend with her father's, Louisa could almost imagine that life was back to the way it had been before Mother had died.
After a while, Liesl trailed off, and Captain von Trapp finished his song alone. When it was over, there was a long moment of silence. Father shrugged a bit and gave a self-conscious smile. Finally, Uncle Max spoke up, breaking the tension. "Any time you say the word, Georg, you can be part of my new act!"
Suddenly, the baroness stood and went to stand behind Father, announcing, "I have a wonderful idea, Georg! Let's really fill this house with music again!" She paused dramatically, then added, "You must throw a grand and glorious party for me while I'm here."
"A party?" Father asked, feigning indifference.
"Oh, please, Father!" the children begged, despite Fräulein Maria's attempts to hush them.
"Yes, I think it's high time I met all your friends here in Salzburg, and they met me. Don't you agree?" The baroness offered a coy smile.
"I see what you mean." Father was clearly trying to hold back a chuckle as Louisa and her siblings voiced their approval once more.
Fräulein Maria interrupted again before they had a chance to press the matter. "Children, it's time to go to bed." Louisa glanced at her. Why did her governess seem so flustered all of a sudden? She smiled, but said firmly, "Come now, say goodnight."
"Awww…" Reluctantly, Louisa stood up and said goodnight to both Baroness Schraeder and Father, nearly skipping on her way up the stairs. A party! They hadn't had a party at the villa in years! She had dim memories of lavish parties from the days before her mother had fallen ill. The children had never been allowed in the ballroom, of course, but she remembered watching with Liesl and Friedrich from the balcony, in awe of the ladies in beautiful ball gowns with sparkling jewels and upswept hair. Louisa had never been as fond of such things as Liesl, but even she had loved the air of excitement that enveloped the house whenever the von Trapps held a party.
Louisa and Liesl got ready for bed, speculating all the while about the coming party. Both girls were sure, of course, that Father would agree. He may not have said so, but his teasing response had been answer enough. Besides, he wouldn't refuse the baroness, and for once Louisa was very glad.
After helping the younger girls get ready for bed, Fräulein Maria came into the room Louisa shared with her oldest sister. "Good night, girls. Please be certain your light's out in half an hour."
"Yes, Fräulein," both girls chorused.
"Don't forget to say your prayers."
Hearing the door click shut, Liesl and Louisa exchanged glances, both sure that they'd have a visitor before long. Sure enough, a few moments later the door eased quietly open and Brigitta slipped inside. She plopped herself down on the rug between the two beds, arranged the skirt of her nightgown around her, then looked up excitedly. "Can you believe we're really going to have a party?"
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The family had scarcely sat down to breakfast the next morning when Captain von Trapp was met with a barrage of questions.
"Are we really going to have a party, Father?"
"When will it be?"
"Is there going to be an orchestra?"
"Will there be dancing?"
"Are you going to dance, Father?"
"Who's going to decorate?"
"Are you going to invite everyone?"
"Enough!" Father finally cried. "No man should have to face such an interrogation before he's even had his coffee." Father didn't seem truly angry, but Louisa and her siblings knew better than to push him further.
They had been eating in silence for some time when Liesl spoke up again, affecting a casual tone. "We'll need new dresses, Father. We don't have any that still fit, I don't think."
Evidently, Father had not yet thought of this, for he closed his eyes in something that looked a lot like a wince. "Well, what about the ones you wore for Christmas?" he asked hopefully.
"Father! We can't wear those! Those were winter dresses," Liesl explained with exaggerated patience.
To Louisa's slight surprise, Baroness Schraeder spoke up in support of her sister. "Don't be ridiculous, Georg! Of course the girls can't wear something from last year. They should have something special for the occasion! In fact, why don't we all go shopping together?"
Uncle Max nearly choked on his coffee. "I'm afraid I'll be occupied," he excused himself hastily.
Fräulein Maria seemed equally hesitant. "I don't know that I would be of any help. I really don't know much at all about dress shopping."
"Nonsense, my dear," the baroness assured her. "I'm sure the girls would be glad of your opinion!"
Louisa had to admit that she wasn't too sure about the idea herself. She had never been a great fan of shopping, and she knew from experience that Liesl could take forever to make up her mind. Still, though, it would be great fun to go to town with her family, and a new dress did sound nice. And if Father would go with them…
"Maybe we should make it a ladies' day out" he suggested hopefully.
"Oh no, Georg," the baroness retorted, smiling at him in a way that Louisa found a bit embarrassing to watch, "we're not letting you off that easily! Besides, the boys will need new outfits, too, and I'm sure they'll want your advice."
The look on Kurt's face made it quite plain that he was not interested in such an excursion, and Friedrich didn't look any too pleased at the idea either. Father only shrugged and winked at his sons. "Well, boys, we seem to be outnumbered." He sighed a bit, then added in a voice that didn't sound particularly pleased, for all the tone was cheerful, "How's tomorrow, darling?"
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The von Trapps, along with Baroness Schraeder and Fräulein Maria, set off immediately after lunch the next day. By the time two hours had passed and they still hadn't decided on dresses, Louisa was beginning to think that Uncle Max had had the right idea in staying away.
First, there was an argument over the colors of the dresses.
"I want pink!" Marta declared immediately, and Gretl nodded in emphatic agreement.
No, thought Louisa, Absolutely not! Not even for Marta would she be seen in that ghastly color! "I am not wearing pink!"
"Oh, wouldn't it be charming if the children matched?" the baroness had crooned then.
Liesl, however, was having none of that idea. "I don't want to match! I'm much too old for that!"
"You weren't too old with the play clothes!" Kurt teased.
Fräulein Maria, apparently noticing Father's increasing frustration with the argument, broke in diplomatically. "Perhaps the children could wear outfits that coordinated, but didn't match."
"How about yellow?" Brigitta suggested, naming her favorite color. "That would go with light blue, too, or maybe cream, so we wouldn't all have to wear the same thing."
The girls agreed to Brigitta's idea, but the drama was far from over. Now that they had chosen a general color scheme, there remained the task of actually finding dresses to suit.
The next major argument came when Liesl found a dress she liked. It was light blue with yellow trim, which fit with what they'd agreed upon, but the style did not. The dress was very fitted, with a low neckline and a straight skirt.
Father took one look at it and scowled. "Absolutely not!"
Liesl tried to protest, but Father was having none of it. "No! You will march right back into that dressing room and put some decent clothes on. Now!"
Liesl apparently realized it was useless. With a frosty glare for her father, she spun on her heel and stalked back to the dressing room to change.
Three stores and another hour later, Louisa thought things were beginning to sound like "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," with the catalogue of complaints that met each dress: too itchy, too long, too short, too loose, too tight, not swingy enough, too ruffley, not ruffley enough!
Father's patience was undeniably at an end. "Honestly, I'm tempted to just send you all to bed early the night of the party! Picking out nightgowns wouldn't be nearly this complicated."
"Now Georg," the baroness attempted to placate him, "It's naturally going to take some time to find just the right dress, isn't that right, girls? Perhaps you might take the boys to look."
"Gladly!" Looking pleased at the opportunity to escape, Father gestured to Kurt and Friedrich. "Come on, boys, let's leave the ladies to it."
At long last, the girls finally each found dresses they liked. After putting on a brief fashion show for Father and Fräulein Maria, they paid for the dresses, had them carefully wrapped, and were finally ready to return home. Louisa had never realized that shopping could be such hard work!
As the day of the party drew nearer, the excitement in the house continued to grow. Gretl, who was thrilled with her first party dress, insisted on trying it on at least three times a day. Marta could be heard constantly asking how long was left until the party, and Liesl spent hours in front of the mirror, experimenting with new ways to style her hair. The boys complained that they were tired of all the fuss, but Louisa knew that they were anticipating the coming festivities as much as she was. It had been a long, long time since there had been music and dancing in the von Trapp home.
A/N: Feedback is very much appreciated!