Chapter Two: Be Our Guest
The house – well, not a house, it was more a mansion, Maria decided as she peered through the iron gate. You couldn't call such a thing a house. It was bigger than any home she'd ever seen before. And with it's cheerful yellow exterior and ornate fountain that sat in the middle of the circular gravel driveway it looked like something out of one of her books. Maria knew that Aigen was where most of the wealthier people lived, and of course she knew that this Captain von Whatever was rich. But knowing something was a lot different to seeing something.
She wasn't sure what exactly she'd been expecting – maybe a massive, gothic ship that was just docked on the lake? As ridiculous as that was, it was probably closer to what she had anticipated. Taking a steadying breath, she pulled on the heavy gate and walked across the gravel towards the front door to ring the bell. She pulled the note out that Sister Margaretta had given her and looked at the slightly crumpled paper.
Captain Georg von Trapp
Villa Trapp
Aigen bei Salzburg
Von Trapp, that was it. Maria pushed her hat off her face as it fell down for the millionth time just as a tall, dark haired man with an impossible air about him opened the door. This must be the Captain, Maria assumed.
"Hello, Captain!" Maria said cheerfully. "I'm the new governess."
The man gave her an odd look and said in a sombre tone of voice, "And I'm the old butler, Fraulein."
"Oh," Maria replied, as she was lead inside.
She stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes took in the grand foyer. There were huge chandeliers hanging from the intricately carved ceiling and all the furniture was upholstered in shades of sunshine yellow. It looked like this home belonged to some aging duchess, not a sea captain, and she half expected a fluffy dog to trot across the marbled floors and yip excitedly. Where were the all the statues of ships and mermaids? And there should be a swordfish hanging on the wall, Maria thought. And cutlasses. And anchors. The walls should be navy or dark green. Not yellow. This was not right. It went against every story she'd ever read.
The butler had left her and she placed her guitar and bag down so she could look around. She had never been in such a grand home before and she was intrigued to see more of the place. Maybe it was all for show and there was some hidden room somewhere filled with treasure and trinkets? Maria cautiously pushed open the door to one room and found herself in a dark ballroom. The chandeliers and furniture were covered with sheets and the dust on the floor was at least an inch thick. But it was still utterly magical. Unable to help herself, she curtsied to an invisible partner and pretended to flutter a fan. She could imagine it being filled with people, the ladies all dressed in gowns made of silk as impossibly handsome man in finely tailored suits twirled them about the room. She hummed a few notes of a waltz as she danced about the room.
There was a loud bang as the doors flew open and the figure of a tall man was outlined in the doorway. His authoritative posture clearly told her without words for her to leave the room and she hurried back into the foyer and turned to face him.
"In the future, you'll kindly remember there are certain rooms in this house which are not be disturbed," said the man in polished, clipped words.
Unable to help herself, she stared. Now, this must be the Captain.
"Yes, Captain, sir," Maria said.
Maria watched as he closed the door and she couldn't help but continue to stare at him once he faced her once more. With his bespoke suit, neatly combed hair, patrician features and cultured voice, he didn't look anything at all like the mean sea captain of her imagination. He didn't even have a hat.
"And why do you stare at me that way?" the Captain questioned, his voice sharp.
"Well," Maria said with a relieved sigh, "you don't look at all like a sea captain, sir"
"I'm afraid you don't look very much like a governess," he retorted.
He was mad – no, Georg wasn't mad, he was seething with irritation and fury. The governess – if one could even call her such a thing – had completely ignored everything he had said and now she was late for dinner. This Fraulein Whatshername had dismissed his carefully constructed orders, embarrassed him in front of his children and had had the cheek to tease him. Georg could still picture the impish gleam in her eyes and smile that tugged at her lips when she had blown the whistle at him. The nerve!
And here he sat with his children, patiently waiting for this girl to arrive for dinner. He had asked the Reverend Mother of Nonnberg Abbey for a faithful and dedicated person whom he could trust to look after and instruct his children. Not some slip of girl who looked, and acted, as if she was in dire need of a governess herself. She clearly lacked any discipline, had no use for any manners and was devoid of any respect for him whatsoever. Georg drummed his fingers on top of the table and cast a stern glance towards Kurt as he heard his son whisper to Louisa that he was starving.
"Just serve the food, Franz," Georg snapped, tired of waiting after another ten minutes of tense silence.
He caught the small smirk on Louisa's face that she sent in Liesl's direction a moment later. In the back of his mind, he dimly wondered whether the children had done something to the little would-be-nun. Maybe she was tied around a tree somewhere, he couldn't help but smile at the thought. Serves her right.
The stony silence of the meal was interrupted when Franz re-entered the room.
"A telegram for you, sir."
Taking the paper from his butler, he cast a quick glance at the contents and saw it was from Elsa.
"Franz? Who delivered it?" he heard Liesl ask.
"That young lad Rolf, of course."
Georg looked back town at the note. Elsa had been insisting on being brought back to Aigen for months now. He knew why of course, she was expecting marriage. Hell, everyone in Austria was expecting the marriage between him and Baroness Elsa Schraeder. Part of him, the part that he kept buried deep within – or more accurately, kept locked away in the attic where the memory of his wife was hidden away, couldn't bear the thought of marrying again unless it was for love. And he knew that would never happen. While he was fond of Elsa, and she had been a great comfort during his darker times, there was no love there.
He was faintly aware of Liesl asking him something and he just grunted in response, still too lost in his own thoughts. Maybe it was time to bring her here. What good would anymore waiting do?
On the numerous occasions that he had visited Elsa in her home, he had met her mother. And she had asked him why he had not just sent his children to boarding school and save on the trouble of hiring governess after governess. He had always been against the idea, knowing Agathe would be appalled with him if he sent their children to boarding school – a place he had detested as a child himself. But he had tried, for her, how he had tried. And now he was clearly scraping the bottom of the barrel if all he could manage to hire was some odd child with a strange haircut and the ugliest dress he had ever seen. Maybe it was time to move forward.
"Children, in the morning I shall be going to Vienna," he announced and was immediately met with protests from the children. Silencing them all with a hard stare, they ceased.
"How long will you be gone this time, Father?" little Gretl asked.
"I'm not sure, Gretl," he said, avoiding looking any of the children in the eye.
"To visit Baroness Schraeder again?" asked Louisa and Georg heard the underlying question in her voice.
"Mind your own business!" interjected Friedrich.
"As a matter of fact, yes, Louisa," Georg said, taking a sip of wine.
"Why can't we ever see the Baroness?" asked Marta, peering up at him.
"Why would she want to see you?" mocked Kurt.
"You are going to see the Baroness," Georg said, speaking over the rest of the children's outbursts. "I'm bringing her back with me to visit." He took another sip of wine. "And Uncle Max."
There were delighted cries at that which Georg hurriedly silenced with another quelling look. They were all disturbed by a sudden flurry of activity as the governess came hurrying in. He saw she had changed out of the ugly grey dress and was now wearing what must surely be her habit with a striped apron thrown over the top.
"I'm so sorry!" Maria said, rushing in and moving to her seat.
"It appears that being on time is something else lacking in your repertoire, Fraulein," said Georg with a scathing smile aimed her way.
Maria's face flushed and she hastily moved to sit down on her chair but shot up immediately as something sharp poked her. She looked down and saw a pinecone resting on her chair, and as she glanced around at the children she watched as they all carefully avoided her eye.
She had just spent the best part of her afternoon trying to recover her stolen items - the children had taken her hat and shoes and hidden them away. Her hat had been placed on a large and angry pig on the farm attached to the property and her shoes had been tied by the laces and flung up high into a large oak tree by the lake. After wrestling with the pig and climbing the tree, her dress had been dirtied incredibly so and she had had to shower and change into her postulant habit.
"Enchanting little ritual," she heard the Captain say as she deftly brushed the pinecone away and took a seat. "Something you, ah, learned at the abbey?"
"Um," Maria said, with another brief glance at the children. "No, it's, uh… rheumatism."
There was a heavy silence and Maria watched as they all continued to finish eating their dessert. Clearing her throat, she spoke again.
"I'd like to thank you all," Maria said, looking around at the children. "For the precious gift you left in my pocket earlier today. And helping me unpack my things."
"What gift?" asked the Captain.
Maria looked at him across the table; his features furrowed into an irritated scowl with his fork halfway to his lips.
"It's a secret between the children and me," Maria replied with a small smile. If she was to get anywhere with these children, then she certainly was not going to tell on them to their father. Besides, she needed to prove to the Reverend Mother she could do this.
How would it look if she was sent home without even making it one day like the governess before her?
"Then I suggest you keep it, and let us finish eating," the Captain retorted sharply, stabbing his fork into his cake with unnecessary force.
"Knowing how nervous I must have been, a stranger in a new household," Maria continued. "Knowing how important it was for me to feel accepted it was so kind and thoughtful of you to make my first moments here…" She paused and gave them all a large smile. "So warm and happy… and pleasant."
Maria noted how all the children were staring hard at their piece of cake, all of them having ceased eating. There was the sound of crying and Maria saw that one of the younger girls, Marta, had started to cry softly into her dessert.
There was an exasperated sound from the Captain as he put his fork down. "What is the matter, Marta?"
"Nothing," whispered the little girl as the rest of the children started to cry.
It was then that Maria realised that the eldest von Trapp was missing. She hadn't seen her when she'd come downstairs and she wondered where the girl had gone.
"Fraulein," Georg said, as the sounds of his children crying grew louder. "Is it be at every meal, or merely dinnertime, that you intend leading us through this rare and wonderful new world of indigestion?"
"Oh, they're all right, Captain. They're just happy," Maria said cheerfully.
It was then that the butler came in and cleared the plates, and then a moment later the housekeeper came in.
"Oh, there you are, Fraulein Maria," said the housekeeper before she turned to the Captain. "Captain, would you like me to fetch Fraulein Maria her dinner?"
Georg threw his napkin down on the table. "No. She was late and we are finished." If this girl couldn't manage to arrive on time for a meal then she can miss out, Georg thought angrily.
Maria felt her mouth drop open. He wasn't going to let her eat? She felt her stomach rumble in protest.
"But, sir, it's no trouble to fetch her something," said the housekeeper gently.
"No," repeated the Captain. "If she doesn't eat with us then she doesn't eat at all." He stood up and raised an eyebrow at Maria. "Maybe you will learn to be on time, Fraulein. I also expect bedtime to be strictly observed in this house. Can you manage that, I wonder?"
Maria opened her mouth to respond but he cut her off before she had the chance.
"I am returning to Vienna tomorrow morning," he said. "Instructions will be left with Frau Schmidt and I expect you to follow them."
And then the Captain turned on his heel and marched out of the room.
It was an hour later when Frau Schmidt was in the kitchen, preparing a tray of food to take up to the new governess. She knew the Captain could be cruel, harsh and all together unpleasant. But she knew it wasn't really him. The boy she'd known had grown up to be a caring and considerate man, and underneath the horrible persona he'd crafted out of grief she firmly believed that man was still there.
"What are you doing?" came the voice of Franz as she placed a drink on the tray.
Frau Schmidt turned and gave the butler a withering look. "I'm taking Fraulein Maria some food."
"No, you don't!" hissed Franz, walking over to her. "If the Captain finds out you violated his orders and fed her, he'll blame me!"
"Oh, hush," muttered Frau Schmidt, giving Franz another dissecting look. "Did you see the way she stood up to him? None of the others have done that before. She wasn't frightened of him."
Franz sighed. "Mathilde, she's just a girl. He'll eventually scare her away like he does all the others - or the children will. It's pointless."
She shook her head. "No, Franz. I am not giving up. We have done too much of that already." She gave him a small smile. "And I know you care, no matter how much you pretend."
"Fine," said Franz with a resigned wave of his hands. "She can have a glass of water, crust of bread, and then-"
"Franz," Mathilde interrupted, "She's not our prisoner – we are not actually on a warship despite all appearances. If we want her to stay we are to make sure she feels welcome. She's our guest."
"She's the governess."
Mathilde just continued to prepare the tray of food and ignore Franz's resigned sigh as she headed out of the kitchen and towards the governess's room.
The rest of the household staff made sure to keep out of the Captain's way, obeying his orders without question. It was easier. But it was wrong. Mathilde, and Franz, had seen governess after governess come and go. Over the years, it had been them that dealt with the Captain and the children the most. Seeing the tears and the anguished faces. Hearing the angry shouts and shrill whistle. Enough was enough.
She had reached the door to the governess's room and knocked politely on the door before entering. The girl turned away from one of the large windows and gave Mathilde a large smile.
"Here you are, you'll feel better after some dinner," said Frau Schmidt gently, placing the tray on a small writing desk.
Maria looked at the plate. "But he said, 'If she doesn't eat with us then she doesn't eat at all.'"
"Mmm, people say a lot things in anger," said Frau Schmidt, giving Maria a warm smile. "It is our choice whether or not to listen."
Maria smiled back at the housekeeper and sat down at the desk, eager to eat the food that sat there.
"I'll be back in one moment, dear," she heard the housekeeper say before the door shut.
Busying herself with her dinner, Maria reflected on her first day. It had been awful, that was for sure. But at least nothing had been set on fire and she still had all her bones in tact. So that was always something. But it was clear these children did not want a governess. And it was also clear that their father had no interest in them whatsoever. Which greatly infuriated Maria. How could a father leave his children alone with a perfect stranger?
"Here you are, dear," came the voice of Frau Schmidt as she re-entered the room.
Maria turned in her seat and saw the woman holding a few different coloured fabrics in her arms.
"The Captain had these sent from town," she said, placing them on her bed. "For your new dresses."
"Thank you," said Maria, she paused and then added, "Do you think the Captain would get me some more material if I asked?"
Frau Schmidt gave Maria a puzzled look. "How many dresses does a governess need?"
"Oh, not for me," said Maria. "For the children. I could make them some play clothes."
The housekeeper sighed and sat on the edge of Maria's bed. "The von Trapp children do not play. They march."
"But that's so wrong," Maria said, getting out of the chair to sit next to the older woman. "They're children. They should be playing."
"It's the rules," said Frau Schmidt.
"Rules can be broken," Maria said, "Especially if they are ridiculous. You can't agree with the way the Captain runs things, surely?"
The housekeeper hesitated. While she had only just met Fraulein Maria, there was something about the girl that had just made Mathilde instantly warm to her. After helping Fraulein Maria back inside once she had rescued her hat and shoes, the girl had firmly insisted on not telling the Captain what the children had done. Which was a surprise - and a first. Every other governess had run screaming to the Captain, telling him what horrible children he had and demanding immediate payment before fleeing.
"The Captain…" Mathilde hesitated. "The Captain has been through a lot and it's just the way things are run."
"Why do you care about him so much?" Maria asked before she could stop herself. "Sorry, I really should think before I speak."
Frau Schmidt sighed. "It's all right, dear. The truth is I've looked after him all his life."
Maria frowned. This house was clearly suffering. And suffering because one man couldn't let go of his wife. It was like the house was cursed with his grief. All his children wanted was for him to be home and all his staff wanted was for him to be happy - despite the fact that he treated them like they were nothing more than animals. Something to be whistled for. Maria couldn't understand how so much hope and love endured in this place full of sorrow.
After dinner, Frau Schmidt had been kind enough to help Maria put the children to bed – after much protest from the children. But a stern warning from the housekeeper that their father wouldn't be happy had quietened their arguing. Though, Maria had heard the whispered questions from sibling to sibling, asking why their father was leaving again. And why couldn't the Baroness just come here now? Why did he have to leave and get her?
The two youngest had been easier to put to bed then the others. Gretl, who earlier had proclaimed a liking to Maria, had been ecstatic when Maria had opened a book in the nursery and read it to her and Marta. The eldest, Liesl, was still missing and upon questioning it was clear the children were not going to tell Maria. She hoped she was safe wherever she was, and she had been tempted to go and ask the Captain. But what if this just lead to more of his wrath aimed at his own children? So, Maria had held her tongue.
"He takes his grief out on all of you," Maria said, returning from her thoughts. "It's not fair. You did nothing."
The housekeeper gave Maria a sad smile. "You're right there, dear." She stood and walked over towards the window. "You see, when the Captain lost his wife he shut himself away. Locked her memory away. He runs this house as if he is on one of his ships. Whistles, orders." She turned to face Maria again. "No more music, no more laughing. Nothing that reminds him of her. Even the children." Frau Schmidt looked down and sighed. "And I did nothing to stop it."
Maria felt her heart ache for the woman, and for the children – and even for the Captain. It was obvious the loss of his wife had affected him greatly, but it was no excuse to take it out on his children and staff. Especially not this kind old woman who clearly cared for all the von Trapp children and their formidable father.
"What will happen if the children don't behave?" Maria asked.
The housekeeper let out a sigh and turned to face Maria. "I know I do not know you very well, and I really shouldn't be telling you this, but you seem like such a nice young lady." She gave Maria a small smile. "I'm afraid that the Captain may send them to boarding school. Sell the house."
Maria felt her heart sink.
"I want to help," she said earnestly. "I really do."
"Thank you, dear," said Frau Schmidt. "Those children just need their father. And…" she trailed off and wrung her hands briefly. "The Captain's thinking seriously of marrying the Baroness before the summer's over."
"That's wonderful then," Maria said. "The children will have a mother again. Then he won't leave."
The housekeeper gave a small shrug and said, "Maybe." She gave Maria another kind smile. "Now, goodnight, dear."
"Goodnight, Frau Schmidt."
A/N This is mostly another setup chapter with a lot of scenes from the movie. I cut most of them out since we all know how they go. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, especially guests. Reviews are greatly appreciated and mean a lot :)