Chapter Twenty-Three

Maria was still sleeping when Georg returned to their room and slipped back into bed. He and Max both had destroyed their clothes so Maria would not smell Braun on them. Georg would tell her he'd handled things in the morning.

It was only when she felt the mattress shift beside her, she opened her eyes. "Are you all right?" she asked in a sleep filled voice. "You look exhausted."

"I'm fine, Darling," Georg replied.

"Oh, I can smell the smoke and liquor on you," Maria shook her head. "I thought you gave up smoking cigars except for at parties and such."

"I did," Georg assured her. "Max was indulging when I went to have a whiskey to relax. When the supply is gone, I won't be purchasing any more, I promise."

Maria moved to cuddle closer to Georg, "It reminds me of how my uncle would smell, always tobacco and some kind of cheap whiskey. When I entered the abbey, and the only odor was frankincense I was overjoyed to say the least."

Georg settled his arms around Maria and felt the baby give several strong kicks. "Active tonight, hmm?"

"Every night around this time, but usually you are sound asleep," Maria said softly as she reached up and stroked Georg's cheek.

"Not tonight," Georg replied. He was exhausted, physically and emotionally drained after the events of that night, but he still couldn't calm himself enough to sleep.

"I'm sorry," Maria whispered. "I truly am, this is so hard on you, doing as I asked of you, I can see that, but Georg, I know he has connections to the Party, his carriage and demeanor was enough to tell me that."

"Don't worry about it anymore, Maria," Georg soothed. "Max made sure I didn't lose it, I saw him about this tonight, I made it clear he's never to speak of you, come near you, anything. It really is over my love. I wanted to kill him, I did, but my word to you…"

Maria hugged him fiercely "I'm so glad you held your temper! The only one that would pay if you were to do anything to him would be you and I just can't let that happen. There are seven children that need their father."

Georg covered Maria's belly with his hand and rubbed it gently. "Eight," he corrected. "The day I found out you were pregnant I told myself I would love this child, accept this child as I have my other seven children. I know that will be harder for you to do, but I do hope, one day, both of us can let go of the circumstances and just find joy in a new life."

Maria leaned over and gave Georg a little kiss. "I don't think that I'll ever be able to completely forget about…now that I remember it, I can't imagine I could forget about what happened, but you're right, I do wish that we will both be able to release enough that we can enjoy the new baby and not even consider the origin."

"We'll get there," Georg said with conviction. "We will, we'll get there. "Six months ago I didn't think I would ever be lying here with you so close to me, lying in my arms, but here we are. We did it kind of upside down and backwards, but we're here and there's no place I'd rather be."

Maria gave a soft smile, "I never thought I would be here either. I wish I was able to feel that it was worth it to…but I can't, not yet, maybe not ever, I need you to understand that."

"I do," Georg assured her. "I really do. I love you so much, Maria."

"I love you," Maria whispered, returning the sentiment.

They lay together in the sanctuary of their bedroom, just lightly touching one another as Maria began to speak. "The more I think about this, the more I remember. After the party, I smelled him a few times. It was in town, it could have been a hundred other people, it still might have been, but how would he know my mountain?"

"Men like Braun don't like to be denied anything," Georg replied. "I told Max, and it's known in town, he's a totally rotten human being and what he has coming to him is far more than I could ever do. He likely started to follow you, hunt you down…" Georg bristled as he theorized Braun's sinister plot to take what he'd been denied. "Did he say anything to you? Do you remember?"

"All I remember him saying was something like, "No one turns their back to me, or no one denies me…I did block some of it out. How did he get…" The Maria gasped as she realized. "I walked. I walked all the way up there. If he took his car to the road where you found me, he'd have been there hours before I reached that spot. Do you really believe it's over, Georg? He moves in your circles; he lives in this town…"

"I told him what I would do if he ever came near you again, and that includes letting everyone else in our circles know that he's a rapist. Some won't believe me, but some, I'm sure have wives and daughters Braun's helped himself to. Some of them won't let it go. He knows how this works, he's lived here his whole life. He'll stay away, if it's known we'll be somewhere, he'll steer clear. If he sees you in a shop, he won't go inside, he's a pig, not an idiot."

Maria laid her head back down on Georg's chest and rubbed soothing circles there absentmindedly. "What will you do if he…"

"If he goes near you again, I won't be able to hold myself back. I will let people know and I'm pretty sure Max will break more than his nose this time around."

Maria sat up and looked over at Georg, "You said that you didn't touch him!"

"I didn't," Georg replied. "Max did. I might have kicked him in the crotch, put him out of commission for a while…"

"Georg von Trapp!" Maria looked absolutely shocked at her husband's confession. "And Max broke his nose!? What is this? Some kind of strange masculine…"

"Justice," Georg replied. "This is justice. I know you didn't want me to resort to violence and believe me, Maria, I didn't do a ¼ of the things I wished to do. We both needed to release and that was how I did it. I'm sorry if you feel I've betrayed you, we worked so long on building trust, but…I couldn't. i…Max was there to keep me under control."

Maria closed her eyes, she wanted to be understanding. Georg had suffered with this as much as she had though in a much different way. It was selfish of her to ask him to suppress all of that rage. "But Max broke his nose?"

"Braun took a swing at him, Max defended himself, nothing more," Georg replied. "It is over, Darling. It really is over."

Maria took a deep breath, "Is it wrong of me to hope that he's in pain for quite a long time, that every time he moves or breaths or even thinks he's reminded that he can't just steal what he wants when someone says no?"

"Not at all," Georg replied. "You're human, and he'll be judged before a just God, though having a little bit of that judgment on earth for a time is fitting I should think. I hope you can forgive me. I…"

Maria leaned over and gave Georg a loving kiss on the lips. "Forgiven," she whispered gently. "Try to get some sleep. Please. What can I do to help you?"

"Just lie here with me," Georg requested, he made the same request when he'd been so sick with the influenza. "Just lie here, that's all."

"That I can do," Maria replied and shifted so Georg was lying with his cheek against her chest. She gently rubbed up and down until she felt him relax and fall into sleep. She then did the same.

While Maria was occupied with the children the next afternoon, Georg waited for the arrival of Matthias Graber. He had reached out to the young man via messenger and asked him to come to the villa for another man-to-man talk. It was exactly 1pm when Franz announced the young man had arrived. "Please, sit down," Georg invited.

When Matthias was seated, hands folded in his lap, wringing with appropriate nervousness Georg spoke. "Thank you very much for agreeing to meet with me again," he began. "I do wish to apologize for my behavior the last time we spoke, I was caught off guard, however I do admire your gumption."

"My gumption, Sir?" Matthias clarified.

"Yes, it takes a lot of courage to come up to a man's home and inform him of your intentions to court his daughter with or without his consent," Georg replied. "Though, I'm sure you are aware that Liesl herself wouldn't entertain such a notion."

"No," Matthias replied. "But she implored me to try to speak to you again, so when you asked me here…I was wrong putting it like that. It's just that I really care about Liesl, I see her as very special, but I need to spend more time with her, get to know her better, see what kind of a future we could have, but we both decided we won't do it unless we have your permission and blessing."

"I see," Georg sighed. "Young man you don't know how much I wanted to dislike you. When my first wife, Liesl's mother, died I was terribly saddened and dare I admit it, a bad father. I didn't pay as much attention to Liesl, or her siblings and it seems they grew up when I wasn't looking. Still, Liesl is only 17. When you're as young as Liesl and you're being courted, everything in life seems like it is all moonlight and fairy tales, but it isn't. A man that's older, and wiser, like yourself, knows that, but Liesl…"

"I think Liesl is more aware of the facts of life than you are ready to believe," Matthias assured. "I know what's making you the doubtful is the different in our ages…"

"It's not your age that bothers me, Son, it's Liesl's age that does. She is only 17, and you have only experienced so many things at the age of 17. Yes, given her mother died so young and she had six siblings that needed her, she grew up faster, but she still only has limited experience in life," Georg explained. "The political situation is very unsure in Austria right now. Men like me, well, Liesl might not inherit as much as if I had different views and your feelings, both of your feelings, have to be deep enough and genuine enough to hang in there when there's a pile of bills on the table and a sick baby in your arms."

"I'm no stranger to hard, Captain, "Matthias replied. "As you pointed out last time we spoke, I'm below your station, but I am not poor, far from that, I could make a good life for Liesl, if that's what we decided we want. We want the chance to try. Isn't that what courtship is, you talk and spend time getting to know one another, and then you see."

Georg took a deep breath and settled back in his chair. "There will have to be rules. Strict rules, If you aren't in a public place, then you will be in this house. Liesl isn't to be alone with you, not yet. Our driver will bring her to and from wherever it is you choose to take her until I feel I can trust you. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Matthias replied. "And fair. I would like the opportunity to get to know you and the Baroness von Trapp better as well. Liesl speaks so highly of her stepmother…and you."

Georg and Matthias talked through a few more details before Georg stood up and offered Mathia his hand. "You can speak to Liesl now, just ask Franz to call her, I think she's in the music room."

"Thank you so much," Matthias replied, returning Georg's strong handshake. "I think I'll do that."

Matthias left the room with a broad smile. Georg sat down and covered his heart with his hand, he had a feeling way deep down, he was on the verge of losing a daughter, but if it would make his Liesl happy, any pain on his part would be worth it.

It was only a few mornings later as Liesl, Maria, Max, and Georg lingered around the breakfast table that she told her parents she was going to meet Matthias for coffee in one of the street cafes that afternoon. "Would you help me braid my hair up, Mother?" Liesl asked Maria.

"Of course I will, Darling, you go on and start getting ready. Wash out your hair, then I'll help you before you leave."

Liesl smiled her agreement and hurried to go upstairs. "She's so happy," Maria smiled looking over at Georg.

"I'm glad, he did seem like a good young man," Georg replied. "And Hans will be there every minute only parked a few yards away in case I'm wrong."

Maria felt a pang at that comment, though her instincts about Jakob Braun had been correct, the idea of what happened to her happening to one of her girls was inconceivable to her.

Georg saw the look in her eye. She had yet to say anything to Max about what he had done with Braun, but by the set of her shoulders, Georg could tell she was getting ready to address it. Maria got a certain posture when she was going to mention her attack and she had it now.

"Max," Maria finally said as Max continued to munch on breakfast remnants. "Georg told me what happened the other night and I didn't know what to say or how to say it until I sat with it for a while. Now, the only thing I can think to say is thank you. You have always been there for us, from the beginning, and I do thank you."

"He had to pay for what he did, Maria," Max replied. "And Georg gave you his promise, you know how strong his word is. Everyone has that one friend that you'll do anything for, for me, that's Georg. So…I hope you understand."

Maria nodded and smiled at Max. "I feel strangely at peace with this. I feel like his just knowing he's been found out…" She stood up and placed a gentle kiss on Max's cheek and one on Georg's lips before she went to help Liesl with her hair and keep the younger girls from driving her to distraction.

Georg looked over at Max, who was grinning like the Cheshire cat and sighed, "You know Max, as annoying and expensive as you can be, in all my troubles past and all my troubles yet to be, I'll never have a better friend. Thank you for this. Thank you."

Max looked over the edge of the newspaper and smiled at Georg. Nothing else would have to be said about this ever again.

A/N: Two more to go! Next time is baby time at the von Trapp villa and we'll check in on our younger love birds too. It seemed there wasn't much interest in the last post, so I do hope that you found Jakob's punishment as fitting as possible.

Pre War Austrian and German law left rape victims little recourse. If Braun was a powerful or rich man, which he had to be to move in Georg's circles, the word of a lower class peasant style woman would never result in prosecution and if it did, by some miracle, make it to trial, she would be the one tried, not him. Many fathers, husbands and "that friend" sort of people had to seek justice in the streets if they sought it at all.

Keep sending me those reviews, they do motivate me to write more and keep growing my style. It's hard to find time with work, housework, being a mommy, and a Ph.D. candidate but I do try and I do love it.