"Do you really think they would take offense to it?"

"No, I don't," Maria said softly. But then, her eyes fell to the floor and her head drooped.

"What is it, my darling?" Georg asked, cupping Maria's cheek and tilting her face up towards his again.

"But, are you sure about this Captain?" she asked him. "I'm a dirt-poor girl from the country, a failure of a nun and I know nothing about Austrian society. I'm not exactly proper baroness material."

"Proper!" Georg was outraged. "Maria, do you honestly think I care whether any of this is proper or not? I love you because you're beautiful and unique and independent. I want to marry you because I love you, not because I think you would make the perfect baroness."

"Not that I would," Maria giggled softly.

"Not that it matters," Georg said. "I love you and the children love you. Those facts are more important than any title or standing in society."

After kissing her forehead again lightly, Georg trailed his hands from where they rested on Maria's shoulders to her hands and he led her over to one of the benches lining the outside of the gazebo.

He took a seat on the edge of the bench and motioned for Maria to do the same. She responded eagerly, very unlike how she had acted when he put forth the very same question earlier that evening.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she rested herself lovingly against his side.

They didn't know how long they stayed out there, resting in each others' arms. Maria told him stories about how she had been orphaned at a young age, her horrifying childhood with her uncle and how she wound up at the Abbey. Georg told her all about his past in the navy and how he'd met Agathe; telling her more about his late wife than he'd ever told anybody else.

He suddenly stood up and walked back to the centre of the gazebo. Maria felt sad at no longer being in his arms, but then he turned around to face her. "And now, my dear Fraulein," he said with a mischievous smile. "I for one don't believe you forgot the steps of the Laendler that night, and I was wondering if you would do me the honour of finishing it here with me."

Maria's face broke out into a huge grin. "Of course, Captain," she said, dipping down to a curtsy.

Georg gently took Maria's hand in his and soon the couple were dancing the folk dance in the gazebo under a full moon and a sky full of stars.

Neither felt the need to pull away during this dance, and, as it ended, they stared lovingly into each other's eyes and Maria could hardly breathe. She had never expected anything like this to ever happen to her.

She had planned on living her life away in the convent at Nonnberg, and yet God had led her here. But she didn't mind that she was no longer going to be a nun. Dancing in Georg's arms she knew she was where she belonged. She was home.

Georg was left breathless too. After Agathe had died, he had felt as though he'd died with her. He certainly hadn't ever considered on falling in love again, even with Elsa.

And then Maria had arrived, and brought music back into the house, opened up his mind to life and, most importantly, brought him closer to the children. He was so fortunate to have found love in the amazing woman he was dancing with, and that she loved him back.

When the dance ended, Georg dipped Maria down and kissed her. Maria smiled underneath his lips and kissed him back, with a ferocity that startled Georg. It was still very light, but something unexpected coming from someone who was as new to romance as Maria was.

"That was amazing," Maria sighed, as their lips parted.

"No," Georg said. "You are."

Thank you, Captain," she said softly. "But all the same, I think we should head off to bed now, don't you agree?"

Georg nodded and, with Maria still clutching tightly onto his hand, they walked out of the gazebo, through the gardens and up to the house. After producing a key from some invisible pocket in his jacket and unlocking the door, Georg led his fiancée through the empty silent house to her bedroom.

"Goodnight, Maria my darling," he said, clutching her hand through the gap in between door and the wall.

"Goodnight... Georg," she leaned forward and kissed him again, relishing in the fact that she could at last call the Captain by his first name. 'Georg' she sighed as she crossed the room to her bed.

It sounded wonderful.

Maria woke earlier than normal the next morning. She had forgotten to close her curtains the evening before and now a drop of golden sun was spilling through the window and onto her face. She smiled to herself. Last night had been magical.

Quickly, however, she remembered that, for the moment, she was still the governess in the household, and it was still her duty to look after the children. Not that Maria had ever considered looking after the children as a duty; she had loved every minute of it.

Since she was still the governess, for the time being, she knew that she would need to go and wake them up and get them ready for the day. In fact, she was surprised that none of them had come in and awoken her – after all, they were all overjoyed at having her back with them.

Quickly she got dressed and slipped out of her room. But as she approached the children's bedrooms', she saw Georg slipping out of the girls' bedroom and softly closing the door behind him.

"Good morning, dear" he said, taking her hand in his and pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "I have woken the children up. You won't have to worry about them until after breakfast."

Maria smiled at her fiancé as they descended the stairs together. When they reached the bottom step, Max suddenly appeared from out of the parlour.

"Surprise, surprise," he greeted them cheerfully. "I must say Georg, even with Elsa telling me last night, before I drove her off to the railway station, I really was wondering when you would admit it to yourself that you'd fallen in love with the Fraulein."

"Yes," Georg announced. "In fact, Maria and I are going to be married."

"Again," Max was grinning even more. "I'm not at all surprised. And I think the children, or some of them at least, figured something was going on."

Georg looked over at Maria with a smile on his face. "Let me guess," he asked. "Brigitta?"

Maria simply grinned back. "She notices everything."

"Well, anyways, I'm so happy for you both," Max said. "And I'm sure the children will be too."

Knowing there would be a lot to discuss over breakfast, Maria and Georg smiled at one another and followed Max to the dining room.