Disclaimer: Blablabla, they're not mine. Yadaayadaayadaa. You know the drill.
Rating: Still PG I guess. I mean if you don't agree with me, fine.. But I think it's PG. The end.
A/N: Yeah, yeah, yeah I know what you think. You thought I wouldn't update this story anymore. You thought I died or something. You'd already given up hope. So I apologize. I hope you real TSOM freaks out there haven't given up on this story yet, the biggest one hasn't. Or have you Bar? No you haven't. Well I'm glad I at least have one reader left.
I won't hold you up any longer. Just one last word of wisdom: Enjoy! Oh and R&R is always appreciated.
Chapter 6: The Spark
After dinner five of the Von Trapp children had gathered in the bedroom of Liesl, Louisa and Brigitta.
Louisa, who always had been reluctant about allowing the boys into their bedroom, had agreed to it only for this one time. As Brigitta always said: "Certain necessities require rule breaking."
Although Louisa often disagreed with Brigitta on subjects of necessity, this time however she had to fully agree with her younger sisters statement, because what they were about to discuss was indeed of utmost importance.
"I say, we treat the Baroness just like we treated all the other governess's." Friedrich exclaimed. Quite pleased with the idea of torturing this woman until she ran screaming out the door, with the promise of never wanting to see the horrible monsters who'd put oil in her mascara and glue on her toothbrush.
"Yeah, that's really going to work." Brigitta called sarcastically from behind the book she was reading in her bed. She closed it, put it down on the nightstand beside her and turned her full attention towards the people in the room.
"Do you seriously think father is going to thank us, if we do such a thing? He's going to marry this woman. This isn't just an employee he's hired to take care of us. He actually lóóves the Baroness."
"Or so he wants us to believe."
All heads turned to Liesl, who stood by the window looking out into the garden with her arms crossed in front of her.
"What is that suppose to mean?" Kurt asked his eldest sister, wanting to know what Liesl was getting at.
"I'm only saying that, to me, they don't look like a couple who are deeply in love with each other."
"What do you know about being in love?" Louisa countered her sister.
At this, Liesl turned around and softly sat down on her bed.
"I know they aren't."
"Oh, and on what grounds do you base that fact, miss know it all?" Brigitta teased her sister, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she saw Liesl's expression change.
"Well, for one, there's no real spark between them"
"A… spark?" Brigitta arched an eyebrow as the words rolled of her tong and she let her voice linger on "spark".
"Really Liesl, you've got to be kidding me."
Suddenly a knock was heard, all heads turned in dismay towards the door, Friedrich and Kurt hastily got up from the floor, but before they could hide away from the person who was about to enter the girls bedroom, it opened, revealing Fräulein Maria.
Not really surprised at the scene in front of her she put her hands on her hips and looked at the children with slightly arched eyebrows, a questioning expression was written all over her face as she saw the shocked faces of the children look back at her. As if she just caught them conversing about some highly classified secret.
"I'm not even going to ask." Maria sighed and let her hands drop to her side, never being able to stay mad at these children for long.
"If you go to your beds right now, I won't tell your father about this."
Friedrich and Kurt quickly left the room with apologizing looks on their faces.
"I'll check on you two later!" She called after them, shaking her head before closing the door behind her. She knew exactly what they'd been talking about. And frankly she couldn't blame them. The thought still hadn't left her mind either, and she doubted it would ever truly go away.
"Fräulein, you've got to talk to father about this."
"About what, Louisa?"
"You know what I mean. I saw your face at the dinner table. You're as much opposed to this as we are."
"Louisa, shut up." Liesl hissed. Making the girl annoyingly look around to her eldest sister who was already lying in bed.
"Why should I ? You saw her reaction when father announced the news."
"That's quite enough, Louisa. First of all I am undoubtedly very happy for your father and the Baroness. I've heard your father wanted to propose to her for some while now, and I will not talk to him about who he should or shouldn't be marrying." Maria swallowed hard, but could still feel the lump that had formed in her throat after the words of reason she'd spoke to Louisa didn't even sound convincing to her own ears.
"According to Liesl they aren't even in love." Brigitta spoke softly, having opened her book again, she carefully looked over the edge of it, at her Fräulein, observing her reaction.
Maria had turned towards Liesl, curiously looking up at the girl. But even before Liesl could answer her Fräuleins unasked question, Brigitta did it for her.
"Yes, she reckons that the "spark" is missing……Whatever that means." Brigitta rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her book.
"Oh, I see."
"You believe in the "spark"?" Louisa asked her Fräulein in disbelieve. By now having switched off her night lamp and also crawled into her own bed.
"Yes, I believe I do."
"You do?" Liesl asked hopeful.
"Yes, I believe there must be some connection that makes two people fall in love. Whether it's a spark, a look or just a feeling, I don't know. But I do believe there's something, Louisa. So, yes, I think Liesl's right."
Liesl smiled at her Fräulein, grateful that for once she didn't have to prove her sisters wrong.
"And now I want all of you to get a good nights rest, while I check on the boys. Trust me girls, you'll eventually get used to the idea."
One by one she kissed all three girls on the forehead and wished them goodnight as she tucked them in.
Then she walked back to the door and switched off the light, but before she closed the door behind her, she heard Liesl ask her one last question.
"Have you ever been in love, Fräulein?" Not knowing how to answer this she remained silent for a while. But eventually she settled for a twisted kind of truth, not precisely knowing whether it was a lie or a real fact.
"I don't know, Liesl, I really don't know."
Before Liesl could reply to that, her Fräulein had already closed the door behind her, leaving Liesl with answers to questions she'd asked herself repeatedly over the past few days.
"What do you think, that could've meant?" Brigitta's voice whispered.
"I think it means there is a spark in this house. But not between our father and the Baroness."
"What do you mean?" Louisa asked as it still hadn't dawned on to her, what her sister exactly meant.
Brigitta on the other hand had quickly recognized meaning behind the words Liesl claimed to be true.
"No way!" She practically yelled as she sat up in bed. "You're not saying what I think you're saying. Liesl, that can't be true, and even if it were true, they don't want it to be true. I admit father and Fräulein Maria are….."
"What?!" Louisa's voice came, interrupting Brigitta's rant, finally having put two and two together.
"Our Fräulein and father? Liesl, you're nuts." Louisa exclaimed saying it as though it had taken years to figure out Liesl wasn't mentally reliable.
"Oh, please Louisa, don't tell me you've been living under a rock these past few days. There have been plenty of signs. For instance, their dance at the ball? Does that ring a bell somewhere?" Liesl said sarcastically yet feeling enthralled at the same time, as she'd finally solved the puzzle.
"Or when father sang Edelweiss a few weeks before the ball." Brigitta chimed in.
"Okay, correction, you two are both mental." Louisa shook her head, in disbelieve. Not wanting to accept their stupid way of thinking. She then turned her back to her sisters and closed her eyes. She didn't want to listen to any more of their ridiculous ideas.
"You wanted to talk to me, Captain?"
"Yes, please come in Frau Schmidt."
Frau Schmidt closed the study door behind her and turned to face her superior. Her boss looked tired tonight. More than usual, she observed.
"What is it you wanted to talk to me about, Captain?"
"It's the wedding invitations. The Baroness insisted you'd check this list." He rummaged through the papers on his desk and pulled out a large piece of paper.
"Yes, Captain." She said and hastily looked at the long list. Long was an understatement she concluded. The list was huge. Even more people were invited to the wedding than there had been to the party last month. She stopped when she recognized a few names. She was acquainted with quite a number of guests. Not personally of course, but she recognized most names and the faces that belonged to them.
"Was that all, Captain?" She asked while neatly folding the paper.
"Yes, Frau Schmidt, that's all."
She turned around but then hesitated as she shot another glance at the Captain, who by then had turned his attention back to the papers on his desk. The tired look still eminent on his face.
"Captain?" Frau Schmidt dared.
"Yes, Frau Schmidt?" The Captain looked up a bit surprised that the woman still stood there. Mostly Frau Schmidt never wasted time when there was work at hand.
"Well, I hope you don't mind me asking, sir. But you look a bit tired. Is there something I can get you?"
The Captain remained silent for a few seconds, pondering Frau Schmidt's offer. It was not like he didn't appreciate her concern for him. But it actually hadn't really dawned on to him,
he indeed didn't feel all that well. Physically he felt fine, tired maybe but that never before had prevented him from going about his everyday business.
"No. But I appreciate the offer, Frau Schmidt. And I guess I'm indeed a bit tired. I might turn in early tonight.
"Of course, Captain." Frau Schmidt nodded her head and turned her attention back to the door and this time indeed intended to leave. If the Captain felt out of sorts for whatever reason it wasn't her business. Although she'd worked for the man for nearly eighteen years she still found that when it came down to someone else's business you should just look away and stick to your own.
"Frau Schmidt?" Taken a back Frau Schmidt looked at the Captain again and closed the half opened door she'd been holding.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Do you think I made a wise decision?"
"About the guests, Sir?" She asked confused. Not quite knowing what her boss was trying to say.
"Yes, of course!... The guests!" He agreed nodding his head almost feverously. A small smile crossed his face as he looked up to her but she noted that his voice trailed and his eyes turned distant yet again.
He was acting strange today, she thought. Maybe he was getting the flu. She made a mental note to inform the maids to keep a closer look. Maybe she could convince him to drink some herbal tea. That might help.
"Yes, Captain. I think you made a wise decision. All your friends and the Baroness' seem to have been invited." She scarcely looked through the list again.
"Yes, well. That'll be all, Frau Schmidt." He said. Already sounding more like his old self again as he waved absentmindedly to the door indicating she should really leave now.
"Yes, Captain."
Without further ado the housekeeper left her superiors study room. She briefly wondered what could be the cause of his distracted mind. But she quickly cast those thoughts aside, remembering her motto. "Do not interfere with someone else's business."
She looked at the list again. Sighing she thought of all the invitations she had to write.
"Well, lets not waste anymore time then, Helga" She encouraged herself.
"Now where are those maids?"
A/N: Just a tiny note. I made Frau Schmidt's first name up. I didn't know what her real firstname is/was and I had to think of something. So Helga it is.. Oh and I didn't come up with it.. A friend of mine did. So I won't take the credit for Helga's name.