The deal is done
Once in the villa Maria and Hans were left in the foyer, taking in all that was around them, neither had been inside anything so elegant. As Maria was taking it all in, turning around in circles, which was the third time now, she noicticed her uncle picking something up and was about to put it in his pocket. "What are you doing" coming towards him whispering, so no one else could hear her, "put it back, now". He turned to her finishing putting the object in his pocket and saying, "now don't you dare think you can start telling me what to do lady… besides look around you… they won't miss it". But as Maria was just about to take the object from her uncle, she was interrupted when two people entered the room.
Maria straightening up and trying to make herself as innocent as she possible could, but it didn't work she'd had guilt written all across her face. Her uncle on the other hand acted as if nothing was wrong, he walked towards Alfred shaking is hand and just started talking to him as if they were best friends, even though they'd only met a couple of times. Maria herd her uncle speak, "well here she is". At that Maria couldn't help it she felt three sets of eyes on her, looking her over as if she was a structure that had to look just right, at least to fit in to the kind of place she was in now, it was unnerving, so she set her eyes to the floor studying the carpet she was standing on.
She kept her eyes glued to the same spot, but her ears open to the trio words passed, at least to what she could hear they were talking quite low. Maria looked up for a second and noticed an envelope from Alfred to her uncle, that was it the deal was done.
After her uncle saying his good byes to the couple and a nod in Marias direction, he was just about to put his foot on the first step to leave, when he heard Alfred's voice behind him, "Hans... one more thing", Hans turned around to find out what, as he notice Alfred had followed him and was quite close too, it dawned on him when Alfred hand was going straight towards his pocket, Alfred put his hand in Hans pocket to pull out the object, that he had just removed from the table. The look on Hans face was priceless, and Maria was even more than happy to of witness it. Alfred looked at him and nodded as if to say that is all now leave, and he did just that with a tale between his legs.
Maria was left in the hall now with the couple, she felt them looking her over again, she just let them, waiting for them to comment, or to tell her the next step in her life. Elizabeth was the one to speak, "now…come with us," with a strong command in her voice. Maria did as she was told, following them to the sitting room. Maria didn't have a clue what was going to happen next.