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 9: A Grand and Glorious Party
When the night of the party finally arrived, the entire von Trapp house was caught in a flurry of preparations. The whole upstairs was in confusion as the girls raced back and forth between their rooms, searching for lost hair ribbons and missing shoes, vying for spots in front of the mirrors.
Kurt, who was still in his everyday clothes, sat sprawled out on the floor and remarked to no one in particular, "I can't understand why you girls need hours and hours to get dressed!"
Liesl tried to explain that there was a big difference between getting dressed for school in the morning and getting ready for a party, but Louisa could have told her that it was useless. She knew her brothers would never understand. They were boys, after all. To them, the only difference would be that they had to wear clothes that were more formal than usual.
Usually, Louisa might have agreed with her brothers. She wasn't all that interested herself in spending hours perfecting her appearance, primping starched clothes that were never very comfortable anyway. But tonight was different.
She could just barely remember what it had been like when her parents had thrown large, elegant parties on summer nights. She could just recall the glitter of the chandeliers and the sparkling of gems, the silk and satin, the fragrance of flowers in the warm air, and the lilting music of the orchestra. She remembered waiting on the terrace with her brothers and sisters, watching through the windows and being completely in awe of the beauty and elegance of it all.
Most of all, she remembered her parents moving through the crowds of elegant people, her mother's quiet grace and her father's easy manner with his guests. To be having a party like that again meant that for the first time since Mother had died, Louisa could almost believe that things were back to normal.
Father did not permit his children inside the ballroom or great hall when there was a party. At informal gatherings, he assured them, he was proud to have them meet his guests, but a party like this should remain an adults-only event. He did not object, however, to them watching the festivities from afar, so Louisa and her siblings gathered on the back terrace shortly before the party was to begin, waiting for the guests to arrive.
The boys soon grew bored with the lack of action and began an impromptu game of tag. Liesl's mothering instincts took over as she cautioned them repeatedly not to muss their good clothes, while Brigitta and Marta spent most of the time speculating aloud as to what everyone would be wearing.
"Why aren't they here yet?" Gretl demanded finally. "They should have been here ages ago!" Well, perhaps more like a few minutes, but even a short amount of time would seem like ages to someone Gretl's age.
"It's considered fashionable to be a little late," Louisa told her, rolling her eyes a bit. It had always seemed like a stupid tradition to her. Why bother claiming that the party would start at eight if no one would show up until eight fifteen?
"But why?" Gretl persisted. "Don't they know Father hates it when people are late?"
Smiling, Liesl explained, "No one wants to be the first person to arrive. It makes them feel uncomfortable."
"Besides," Brigitta added sagely, "most of them are hoping to make a grand entrance."
"Like this!" Kurt had wandered over in time to catch the last part of the conversation, and was now doing a dramatic imitation of a snobby aristocrat sweeping into the room. Louisa couldn't hold back her giggles as her brother put a hand to his heart and fluttered his eyelashes, pretending to introduce himself to Father.
Finally, the guests began to arrive. Louisa and her siblings clustered at the doorway, watching the elegant ladies and gentlemen make their way into the ballroom. The girls ooohed and ahhhed over the gowns, whispering excitedly to each other and pointing out especially beautiful ensembles.
"Did you see the diamonds on the lady in the lavender dress?"
"She looks like a chandelier!"
"The women look so beautiful" Brigitta sighed.
"I think they look ugly!" Kurt retorted immediately, a scowl on his face.
"You just say that because you're scared of them," Louisa teased.
"Silly. Only grown-up men are scaredof women!"
Louisa laughed. Where had Kurt gotten that idea?
As usual, Gretl was not content to listen to any conversation without making sure her opinion was heard. "I think the men look beautiful!"
Louisa smirked. "How would you know?"
Gretl made a show of not answering, sticking her nose into the air with a superior look on her round face.
Liesl, Louisa noticed a moment later, had wandered off from the group and was evidently engaged in some sort of daydream, dancing with an imaginary partner.
Ever inquisitive, Brigitta asked her, "Liesl? Who are you dancing with?" Louisa, however, suspected that she already knew. Sharing a room with Liesl meant that she frequently saw the dreamy-eyed looks on her sister's face as she stared away at nothing.
"Nobody," Liesl told her with a distracted smile, her blue eyes still tightly closed.
"Oh yes you are!" Louisa murmured knowingly.
"May I have this dance?" Friedrich asked with exaggerated politeness, bowing and rescuing his oldest sister from having to reply to Louisa's observation.
"I'd be delighted, young man!" Liesl exclaimed, curtsying deeply. The two began a lively waltz, and danced the springy steps until
Fräulein Maria interrupted.
"Why didn't you children tell me you could dance?"
Louisa and Friedrich just shrugged, but Kurt jumped in. "We were afraid you'd make us all dance together. The von Trapp family dances!" The children giggled as Fräulein Maria laughed and shook her head.
The orchestra struck up a song that was vaguely familiar to Louisa. "What's that they're playing?" Gretl asked Fräulein Maria.
"It's the Laendler. It's an Austrian folk dance."
"Show me?" Kurt requested.
"Oh, Kurt, I haven't danced that since I was a little girl!"
"Oh, you remember. Please?"
She hesitated a moment longer before appearing to give in. "Well, all right, come on over here."
Louisa and her siblings looked on in amusement as Fräulein Maria led an awkward Kurt through the steps of the dance. Louisa had to stifle her laughter, watching her brother tripping and lumbering. When it came to dancing, Kurt was far from graceful, to say the least. The children had all had lessons when they were younger, and they'd learned some basic dances at school, but Kurt had never been particularly interested.
Out of the corner of her eye, Louisa saw Father approaching. To her shock, he tapped his son on the shoulder. "Uh, do allow me." Kurt nodded cheerfully enough and stepped aside to let Father take his place. Louisa felt her eyes widen. Father was going to dance with Fräulein Maria? True, he was outside with the children, not actually part of the party itself, but Louisa was old enough to know that it wasn't exactly the done thing for barons to dance with their children's governesses.
As they moved through the graceful steps together, the image Father and Fräulein Maria created was nothing short of mesmerizing. They moved together beautifully, seemingly caught up in the music and the dance. They twirled and tapped, swished and clapped, swaying elegantly in time to the orchestra's playing. Suddenly, caught in a position of intertwined arms, Fräulein Maria stopped. For a long moment, no one spoke. Father and Fräulein Maria remained frozen.
Appearing very flustered, Fräulein Maria murmured, "I don't remember any more."
Ever direct, Brigitta pointed out the obvious. "Your face is all red."
"Is it?" Fräulein Maria brought her hands to her cheeks before explaining feebly, "I don't suppose I'm used to dancing."
At that moment, the baroness came over next to Father. "Why, that was beautifully done. What a lovely couple you make."
Father looked very uncomfortable. Straightening his gloves, he declared, "Yes, I think it's time the children said good night." Louisa couldn't help but think that he was groping for an excuse.
Fräulein Maria, however, appeared relieved at the change of subject. "Yes, we'll be in the hall in a moment. We've go something very special prepared, right?"
"Right!" The children responded, following her past the hedges. Louisa followed her siblings quickly. On the way, though, she and Liesl exchanged glances. She knew they were both thinking the same thing: what in the world had that been about?
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Moments later, Fräulein Maria announced to the guests in the ballroom, "The children of Captain von Trapp wish to say good night to you."
Louisa took her spot on the step, clasped her hands behind her back, and began to sing with her siblings.
"There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple, too
And up in the nursery and absurd little bird
Is popping out to say Cuckoo!"
The children shifted positions until Marta, Gretl, and Brigitta stood behind Kurt, Louisa, and Friedrich, popping out and imitating a cuckoo clock at the appropriate times.
The introduction to their song finished, the children lined up to sing their individual farewells to the guests. The only hitch in the song occurred when it was Liesl's turn.
"I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne. Yes?"
Father had been covering his mouth with his hand, but at Liesl's request, he lowered his hand and said simply, "No." The guests laughed warmly at this, but somehow Louisa didn't think Liesl would find it nearly so amusing.
When the song was finished, the children made th eir way slowly up to their rooms. As seemed to happen more often than not, however, they didn't go directly to bed as they were supposed to. Louisa, Liesl, and Brigitta helped the youngest girls get ready for bed, then sat up in the sitting room with the boys, wrapped in quilts and talking about the party long into the night.
They all agreed that it had been wonderful, though Liesl could not help grumbling with wounded dignity, "I do think Father should have let me stay! He still treats me like a child." Louisa did feel sorry for her sister. In a lot of ways, she knew, Liesl was right about the way Father treated her. Still, though, she shook her head. Had Liesl really thought Father was going to say yes?
As they finally made their way sleepily to their beds, Louisa's thoughts drifted back to the way father and Fräulein Maria had looked when they were dancing together. She was certain she hadn't imagined the look that had passed between Father and Fräulein Maria, and yet…Father was keeping company with the baroness, and Fräulein Maria was in training to be a nun! So what were they doing looking at each other the way Liesl looked when she talked about Rolfe. The more Louisa thought about it, the more confusing it all was.
Well, one thing was certain: it had been a wonderful party. For the first time in a long, long time, everything at the villa had been perfectly peaceful and happy. If only things could stay that way!
Louisa drifted off to sleep, not knowing that the next morning their happy little interlude would end.
A/N: Feedback is very much appreciated!