Surely this was a dream.
Maria exhaled as the Captain's arms wrapped around her, his strong, gentle embrace both holding her steady and allowing her to feel as if she was soaring. His fingers danced along her neck, tracing along her hairline. His touch made her breathless, and she held him tighter. She stared at the gazebo walls beyond them. The glass shimmered in the moonlight, and she could see her muted reflection.
It was her and yet… she was unlike how she'd ever seen herself before. She was soft and relaxed, and she realized it was the first time she'd ever felt that way: so thoroughly content. Even entering the abbey, when she thought she was going to where she belonged, she hadn't felt such utter and complete peace.
And it was with this family. With this man. A man who was something she'd never even considered being in her life until the moment she'd met him. He was commanding yet gentle, authoritative yet playful… He made her feel safe, loved, and alive.
And he loved her too.
She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.
Georg smiled, and he caressed her hair. He'd been haunted by visions of her for weeks. Images he'd initially dismissed as charm at her exuberance and energy. At her simple, unwavering piety. She had been unlike anyone he'd ever met, and at first he thought it was just her joie de vivre he'd been intrigued by.
But the more he spent time with her, watching her love his children, watching her effortlessly and joyously live her life, that he felt himself mesmerized . She was captivating. Her voice was serene, her eyes so brightly blue, and she seemed so wonderfully soft. His fingers had twitched with the need to brush along her skin.
He indulged in that act, now that he was permitted to do so. His fingertips traced along her neck, and she shuddered.
Pulling back, he cupped her face in his hands, staring at her. "You are so beautiful."
Beneath his hands, he felt her cheeks warm. She blinked up at him. "I…I feel that way now."
Georg's head tilted to the side. Vaguely he remembered her saying something about having a wicked childhood. He stepped back, his left hand lowering to capture her right. "You have always been beautiful, Maria." He reached his other hand up to play with the sleeve of her dress.
Maria's breath quickened. She'd certainly never felt beautiful before, but with him gazing at her like that, and his preoccupation with her dress, she was at a loss for words. She could only smile.
Georg guided her to sit on one of the benches. He wrapped his one arm around her, while the other hand gently took hers. "I can only imagine how the children will react."
At that, she laughed lightly. "Me too. There go my lesson plans for the day."
Georg grinned. "You're no longer the governess, Maria."
She turned up at him. "Everything will be different."
He gazed down at her, seeing a flicker of fear in her eyes. He traced her jawline. "Different, yes. But better."
Her smile was luminous in the soft light. "So much better."
He studied her, scarcely believing this moment was real. His earlier thoughts returned to him, how close he came to losing this. "Can you ever forgive me?"
Not expecting that, Maria pulled back. "Forgive you?"
Georg offered a rueful smile. "I almost made a huge mistake." He didn't want to mention Elsa, but he also didn't want anything between them.
"Oh," Maria said, looking over his shoulder. Should she say what the Baroness had told her? "I thought you…you didn't feel the way I felt. Or if you did…" She met his gaze, wanting complete transparency. "If you did, you'd get over it."
He frowned. "Get over it?"
"That's what I was told," she said, her voice hesitant.
"By whom?" Georg's voice trailed and by the look on her face, he knew the answer. It was his turn to glance away, feeling a flicker of anger at how Elsa's actions had affected them all. "I see."
Maria sighed, not wanting to focus on that night. "I thought I was…I was wrong to have feelings for you," she admitted.
His gaze returned to her. Maria with her innocence and her purity that was so charming and engaging. He never wanted it to fade, and he was filled with a desire to protect it and to assure her of his feelings. His brief ire with Elsa vanished, and he brought her hands to his lips. All that mattered was that they were together. "I could never get over how I feel about you," he said and was rewarded with a dazzling smile. He laughed lightly. "And if it makes you feel better, I convinced myself that I was the only one who felt something more when I was with you."
"Oh," she breathed, surprised.
He stilled. "And what you - we- feel is not wrong."
Maria's cheeks warmed, Mother Abbess's words echoing in her mind. Her breath caught at the expression on his face. Yes, this was good, this was holy, and this was where God wanted her to be. She exhaled and nodded. "It's wonderful," she whispered.
Georg kissed her forehead. "And now it's just us…"
Her hand tightened in his. "Captain -"
"Captain?" he repeated, shifting to gaze down at her. His eyes were playful.
Maria gasped. Everything truly was different, and as that reality started to creep into her mind, her heartbeat quickened. "I mean…" She gulped. "This is more than this moment." She gestured around them. Again, she caught their reflection in the glass across from them. Their pale mirrored images were dreamlike and foggy, and that was how this moment felt. But it wasn't going to last forever, as much as she wanted it to.
"Maria?" he asked, concerned.
She shook her head and turned to face him. She smiled. "I've never been a Baroness before," she said.
"You will be the perfect Baroness," he said and waved dismissively. "And it's all just frivolity, to be honest." His eyes held hers. "You will shine above it."
She reached up to caress his cheek. "All I want is to be your wife," she confessed.
He captured her hand and brought it reverently to his lips. "You have my heart, Maria. You have for a very long time, and you always will."
Her eyes shined. "And you have mine, Cap-"
His eyebrows rose.
She blushed. "Georg," she breathed.
Georg's smile faded as he leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers. Maria's entire body sparkled with energy, and she reached up to cup his face in her hands, bringing him closer. Something new and scary was forming within her, something she'd only barely begun to acknowledge. Before this evening, she'd tried to ignore it. But now, now that he held her in his arms and had told her he loved her, she felt herself falling deeper into it. It made her heart race, this need to touch him, to be touched by him. It was exhilarating and wonderful, and she could hardly believe it was happening to her.
Parting, whatever breath she'd been able to retain left her lungs at the what she saw on his face. She was only just beginning to learn what to call it: desire.
For her.
Flustered, she inhaled and took his hand again as she rested against him. He placed a light kiss on her forehead. They remained quiet, relishing in this moment where it was only the two of them. The humidity had lifted, leaving a cool, light feeling to the air. In the distance, an owl called, echoing in the still, peaceful silence.
A light turned on in the house, and Maria sighed. "I supposed it is a good thing I haven't unpacked yet," she confessed.
She felt his chest rumble as he chuckled. "Why is that?"
"I'll have to go back to the abbey," she said.
Puzzled, Georg shifted. Go back? But then he realized. "Oh, yes." He was almost sad.
"I shouldn't live here while…"
"You have no other home to go to?" he asked.
Georg was surprised at the tension that raced through her. Uneasy, he drew back and turned to face her. For a brief moment, her countenance was melancholy, but it vanished as she smiled at him.
"My home was at the abbey," she said.
There was so much about her he didn't know, and he was troubled by the sadness that she had just barely concealed. "Maria?" he asked. "Truly? A wicked childhood?"
Her mouth dipped, remembering that she had told him that. She was about to dismiss it, saying she was just being dramatic. But his eyes were so kind, and not in a pitying way. He was concerned and he wanted to help. Because he loved her. The idea made her eyes brighten.
He frowned at the tears in her eyes. But then she shook her head and took a breath. "My uncle was not kind," she started.
Georg's eyes narrowed.
"My mother died when I was very young, and my father sent me to live with my uncle. And he… he made it clear I was a burden. I learned it was best to stay away from him."
A horror filled Georg. "Maria…"
She offered a sad smile, reading his thoughts.. "Just words…nothing more than that," she assured him. Words were enough; it had taken her years to heal from the hateful things her uncle had hurled at her. And she was still healing, with God's grace.
Georg exhaled, slightly relieved. But the anger remained. How anyone could treat her with such cruelty… and yet she was so filled with love. How she could be so gentle after such an upbringing filled him with awe.
She turned and gazed at the lake. "And I was… was just as headstrong."
Georg couldn't help but smile but only squeezed her hand. She squeezed his back. "When I said I was going to join the convent, that was the end. He was a staunch atheist, and I was raised that way too." A wistful expression fell over her. "But when I heard a priest talk one day…I fell in love." Her voice trailed.
Entranced, Georg stared at her.
She returned to him. "And I will always be grateful about that," she whispered. "Because it brought me to you."
Georg shifted and took her hands in his. Maria was taken aback at the fierce expression on his face. "Maria, you will never feel unsafe again," he said.
Maria gasped.
He brought her hands closer to him. "You are cherished by this family. By my - our - children."
Her eyes tingled with tears.
"But none more than I," he said. "You will only know love for the rest of our lives."
A tear escaped. Her throat tightened, and all she could manage was "I already do."
Georg hugged her tight, and Maria, who'd long since forgiven her uncle, realized she never needed to think of him again. When she'd entered the abbey, she'd put that hateful world behind her. Yet she'd remained restless. But now, in the Captain's - no Georg's - arms, she knew she truly was leading the life she was born to live.
They remained still for a moment, until a lark's dull cry echoed across the lake. They pulled apart only slightly, and Maria reached up to trace her fingers over his cheek. He smiled and searched her face, guiding her to stand.
"I suppose it's getting late," she said.
"I have no idea what time it is," he dismissed.
She grinned as he kissed her forehead. "I want this moment to last forever," she confessed.
Georg was about to suggest they remain right there until the sun rose, but another light turning on in the house caught his attention. Someone might be noticing his absence. One of the children might need their governess.
No, not the governess. Their new mother. The idea made his heart quicken.
Puzzled, Maria blinked at him. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Shall we, soon-to-be Baroness von Trapp?"
The new name sent a thrill through her. Not necessarily the title, but the idea of being his Baroness. Her smile was radiant. She pulled him closer, making him grin as she looked back to the house she'd grown to love.
"Yes…Georg," she said as they walked back to their home.