The bride and the groom stood facing at each other, about six feet separating them. Georg stood at the door, and, with a mischievous smile on his face, locked the door behind his back. Maria's heart fluttered a little faster at the sound as she looked at Georg, her husband, and became playful as well.
"Well, hello there," she said, her own mischievous smile forming on her face. "Now that's what I expect a sea captain to look like! What brings you so far from the sea, good sir?"
He caught on, and he responded in an equally merry tone. "Well, I've come ashore to be married. To an extraordinary young woman who looked after my children and opened my eyes to the joys of life again. She also awakened my heart, only to steal it away, but I wouldn't have it in better hands." He took a step closer to her.
"I see," said Maria, who's voice was losing breath as she tried to keep up the playful tone. "Well, I'm sure that she is the luckiest, most blessed lady in the world. I happen to know her, and she has never been happier."
"Oh, you know her?" His eyes and tone became more serious, more intimate, as he stepped even closer to her. "What, by chance, is your name?"
Maria could hold back the fullness of her smile no longer. She looked right into his eyes, and said sweetly and happily, "Maria von Trapp."
That did it. All pretense dropped, Georg wrapped his arms around his wife, lifting her clean off the ground as he spun her around, a triumphant sound bursting from his chest. Maria laughed and held on tightly for dear life, at last in his arms again after so long. When her feet hit the ground she stayed in his arms, burying her face in his chest and inhaling his scent.
Georg could have cried, he was so happy. "Oh, my beautiful wife…" he murmured, pulling her head back to look at her face. "At last, I can call you that."
"Yes," said Maria, reaching up a hand to touch his face finally. His well-shaven cheek was just as she remembered it. "My husband."
Georg leaned in to lock his lips with hers, starting slowly and then getting more heated as they opened to each other. The hunger of six weeks separation was now rising to the surface and begging to be let out. Who knows how long they just stood there kissing like that, but Maria was completely off the ground in his arms when a knocking – in a merry rhythm – interrupted them.
Georg, whose stare could have melted the door, slowly extricated his arms from around his new wife and went to the door, knowing only his best man would knock like that at a time like this.
Sure enough, upon opening the door, there stood Max with a merry twinkle in his eyes and a knowing smile on his face.
"What do you want?" said Georg in a dangerously annoyed but calm voice. Maria simply stood where Georg had left her, trying desperately to lower the redness in her face.
Max was unfazed by the less-than-friendly greeting. "Your carriage has arrived and most of the guests are waiting for the Baron and Baroness von Trapp to come out so they can throw rice in the air and see who catches the bouquet." His eyes fell on the lovely flowers that Maria had dropped to the floor once Georg's mouth had found hers. Maria hastily picked it up.
"Thank you, Max" she said, still a bit flushed. "We'll be right out."
His smile remained, looking between the blushing bride and the annoyed groom. "Now, do you two require a chaperone to leave this room, or should I send for –"
Georg abruptly closed the door in Max's face, and both could hear his merry laugh as he walked away.
Maria raised her hands to her head and began removing some pins. "Help me with my veil?"
Georg went to her and obliged, doing the task gently, not too experienced in this. In the end, the long veil was removed, but a shorter veil that fell to her waist remained.
"One more thing," said Maria, and reached behind her back to fiddle with something there. Georg was confused until he saw she had removed the train of her gown. "Clever," he said, as Maria twirled once showing the new result.
"The dressmaker said it would be easier moving around and dancing," said Maria. "I will get to dance with you, won't I? After all, I only have had one dance with you that I forgot the finishing of." How easy and natural, she felt, to talk to him and joke with him. Six weeks apart had not left any awkwardness; at least, none she had noticed yet. She was very glad of that.
Georg smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You have my word."
Maria smiled, and buried her face in his chest, holding him tight to her. "Oh, I've missed you so…" she whispered, not knowing if Georg could even hear her. He did, and tilted her face upwards to meet his eyes.
"Beyond words," he replied, and kissed her once, deeply. Offering her his arm with a smile, he said, "Shall we, Baroness?"
Smiling at her new title, Maria nodded and took his arm.
The Baron and Baroness von Trapp exited the church and ran down the steps as the wedding guests cheered, throwing rice in the air and showering everyone. The children's cheers were the loudest and most joyful of all.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, just before the lovely closed carriage, the couple stopped. Knowing what she had to do, Maria called to everyone while holding up her bouquet, "Ready?" A cheer, then Maria turned her back to the audience and threw the bouquet over her head.
She turned around just in time to see Marta barely catch it in her small arms. She looked so surprised, she who had never been the best at playing ball with her siblings, she who so rarely won anything. Then she looked at her parents and smiled, revealing the missing teeth. Utterly adorable.
After blowing a kiss to the children, Georg helped Maria into the closed carriage before getting in himself and yelling for the driver to depart jovially.
When the cheers from the crowd had faded away, Maria turned to face her husband, who held out his arms for her. "Come here."
She immediately complied, and he leaned back in his seat as she settled herself on his chest. "I haven't felt this much at home in weeks," she murmured.
"I know the feeling, but only to a degree," he said, one hand idly stroking her cheek. "I at least had the children . . . I'm sorry you had to be so isolated."
Maria smiled into his coat. "It's all right, and I wouldn't call it isolated. The sisters were very good to me, and since I was a guest rather than a discipline problem, they managed to make me feel at home most of the time . . . I helped with sewing and mending clothes for the poor as much as I could, just to have something to do . . . because if ever I was alone, missing you was sometimes too much to bear."
He held her tighter. "I know exactly what you mean. Being with the children has been a blessing, like I was able to make up for some of the time I wasted. But if alone . . ." He kissed her hard, as if assuring himself she was real. Her response made that guarantee.
When they had fallen into comfortable silence again, Maria raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "Georg?"
"Yes, my love?"
"You still have not told me anything of our . . ." Why, why did she have to steel her voice from shaking now? "Honeymoon, other than for how long we'll be gone. Can I find out now?"
Georg smiled, though secretly hoping she would be pleased with the surprise. "All right. Just to prepare you, the reception will end around the children's bedtime. After tucking them in, we will change into our traveling clothes and board a night train for our destination."
This information alone surprised her. Maria had expected to spend her wedding night in either the villa or a hotel or at least a stationary place. They would be traveling that fast? "Where is that?"
"Well, that depends on your opinion of the French."
Maria's eyes widened. "France?"
"Paris, specifically, but we wouldn't spend all of our time there. Definitely make a trip to the coast, to Versailles, and –"
Georg was cut off by Maria jumping at him and kissing him hard. His eyes widened then he closed them, a laugh rumbling in his throat as he kissed her back. She pulled back abruptly, realizing how ungraceful – not to mention rude – that must have been. "I'm sorry, it's just . . . I . . ."
Georg pressed a finger to her lips. "Let's get one thing straight, Baroness: Never apologize for doing something I completely enjoy."
Maria blushed, embarrassed, and nodded. Georg could no longer resist her.
"Now, my dear," he said in a deep, seductive voice that made her heart race in excitement. He wrapped his arms around her as he spoke. "It is tradition that the guests be at the reception to greet the new bride and groom when they arrive, so this carriage will be idly wandering the streets for a while." He was kissing her face now, re-learning her lovely face with his lips. Her heart was racing and her breath was escaping her. "Now what to do until then . . . Well, after six weeks of nearly unbearable separation . . . I believe we have quite a bit to catch up on . . . Wouldn't you agree?"
Maria just nodded before their lips and tongues clashed.
And they proceeded to do just that.
A/N: Ah, love, isn't it wonderful? Let's just let them make up for six weeks worth of kisses before being put on display, shall we? Next up: the reception! Keep an eye out!