Disclaimers, acknowledgements, notes, warnings, etc: Please see Chapter 01.

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The Sound of Music Chronicles

Part I

The Twelfth Governess

Chapter 04

A Captain and Seven Children

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"Why, I suppose you have a governess for her: I saw a person with her just now - is she gone? Oh, no! there she is still behind the window-curtain. You pay her, of course: I should think it quite as expensive, - more so; for you have them both to keep in addition... You should hear mama on the chapter of governesses: Mary and I have had, I should think, a dozen at least in our day; half of them detestable and the rest ridiculous, and all incubi - were they not, mama?"

Blanche Ingram, in Charlotte Bronté´s, "Jane Eyre"

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Six months after Georg von Trapp had been reacquainted with Elsa von Schraeder at the home of the Eberfelds, in Vienna, he found himself in that same drawing room once more. This time, though the scenario was strikingly similar, there were a number of very important differences.

Young Pauline was again playing Chopin at the piano, but now her new fiancée was by her side, and it was for him that she played. She did not look like she wished to sink to the bottom of the ocean when she saw him; she greeted him warmly and politely. For the first time, he saw her smile. Baron and Baroness Eberfeld seemed rather pleased with her daughter´s choice for a husband, a nice young man from a good family. In their eyes, Pauline could not have made a better choice. Georg agreed wholeheartedly.

This time, contrary to what had happened six months earlier, he was actually enjoying himself. He was surrounded by his peers, his equals. Patriots like him, who shared the same interests, the same values of old Austria. Life was just beginning to smile at him once again.

If he only could do something about making his children just as content…

There it was, what seemed to be the remained pebble in his shoes. As much as a father would ever hate to admit such a thing, his own sons and daughters were becoming quite a nuisance to him.

A governess was a poor replacement for a mother´s love, but it was all he could do for them at the moment. At least a qualified one would be able to discipline them adequately, help them in their studies so that their efforts were channeled to the kind of superior education they needed. Hiring a governess was one of the first things he did, after waking up from the stupor that followed his wife´s funeral.

The first governess had been admitted to his household only days after Agathe died, the last one was hired about three weeks ago, a few days before he left for Vienna. The highest standards were set for each every one of them, they were chosen amongst those who had worked for the best families only. Any flaw, either in their curriculum or in their reputation was enough for him to discard them. There had been ten in all, and he feared that there would be many more, because they had all failed. They knew several languages, they were knowledgeable in art and history, they had perfect manners, but they were still simply unable to control his children. It was where their competence ended and his troubles began. If the governess were the victims of a succession of cruel practical jokes it was entirely their fault, not the children, because they were utterly unable to discipline them. Because of this unbreakable logic, that, at the first sign of complaint because of a prank, if they did not quit of their own volition, he dismissed them immediately.

However, that evening, as he chatted amiably with his friends, discussing politics and occasionally gossiping about the latest scandals in the Viennese society, he could allow himself to forget about the children and their governess for a moment. He´d had three weeks of peace so far. There had been no news from his villa in Aigen-bei-Salzburg, which obviously meant good news. As usual, he left for Vienna giving his staff very specific orders not to contact him unless it was absolutely necessary. The absence of telegrams or phone calls could only mean that the new governess – the 10th, since their mother died – was doing her job remarkably well. It was either that, or finally his sons and daughters were agreeing with what he had determined for them. Discipline was finally taking its toll.

Actually, things had been running smoothly since before he left Aigen. The children did not play a single prank on the woman since the day he had hired her. There had been no complaints from the woman, and the children appeared to be calm and completely subdued. No storm loomed in the horizon, not a single threatening cloud.

Unusual. Very unusual.

Could it be that three weeks ago, he was so eager to run back to Vienna that he tricked himself into believing that the children had finally accepted their new way of life and would stop chasing away every woman in charge of their upbringing?

Now, three weeks later, he still lived under the misconception that his ship was sailing calm waters again. After all, it was easier to believe that than to brood about what to do with the incorrigible rascals all the time. He began to love the comfortable illusion that everything was unusually peaceful, but that alone should have been unsettling to him. It should have given him the hint that something was amiss; that the children were up to something. Nothing had happened, and he should not take for granted that nothing would ever happen again.

Baron Eberfeld´s butler discretely informed him that there was a phone call - from Aigen-bei-Salzburg. He felt his blood turned cold. Keeping his cool hauteur, he excused himself and calmly followed the butler to the telephone. There was no need to rush, no need for panicking, he told himself. After three years, he was well trained in dealing with the children´s antics. If necessary, he would drive to Salzburg tomorrow, cross the name of governess number ten from his list, hire the next one, number eleven and drive back to Vienna. In three days, he would have his peace of mind again.

"I'll pass the call," the butler informed.

"Thank you," he replied tensely. "Yes?" Max Detweiler arrived at this moment, and Georg gestured to him to wait until he finished.

"Uh - uh. They did what? Yes, yes. I see. That's unacceptable" he roared. "Of course, I certainly can't blame her for leaving." He listed for a few moments before conceding "All right, I will come back home – tomorrow, if possible. Thank you, Frau Schmidt. Good night."

"A call from home? Something wrong?" asked Max.

"What else? Trouble with the children again…" Georg answered curtly.

Max shook his head.

"You have more trouble with seven children than I do with all of Europe´s starving artists."

"O-ho, I honestly doubt that."

"No wonder you are considering getting married again! It is becoming a matter of necessity to you, isn´t it?"

"Why else?" Georg shrugged. "They need a mother."

"… and you need Elsa," Max added.

"Yes, I suppose I do need Elsa," he admitted.

"How devilishly convenient." Max wrung his hands. "Oh, the possibilities, my friend, the possibilities… Have you spoken to her about your intentions?"

"No. And I will not until I am certain she – won't say no to my charms." He gave a smirk to his friend.

"Having doubts with yourself old man? You – Captain von Trapp?" Max noted that he may have touched on a sore spot with his friend. Trying to appease him, he added "I don't believe she would – who could resist you? The Naval hero of Austria! I dare say that it's a wonderful match – she is indecently rich, even though she is not exactly motherly."

"Oh, she will adapt, I am sure. No, that is not the issue." His eyes lost their sparkle as he added "I must be realistic, Max. I'm a widower with seven children. Not something that most women find particularly attractive. Attending lavish balls and concerts in Vienna or traveling around the world with me is one thing, becoming a full time mother of seven is another entirely."

"What happened in Aigen this time?" His friend asked, wondering what the little terrors - uh darlings, he corrected himself - had been up to.

"The usual – they terrorized another governess."

"Another one? How many so far?"

"Ten," was the curt reply. Max laughed. "This is not funny, Max! I take my children's upbringing with the utmost seriousness, you must know that."

"Yes, but perhaps too seriously." That earned him another scowl from Georg. "I am sorry, but the image of ten elderly governesses running for dear life because of harmless little children… Come on, Georg, you must give them some credit. They can be quite creative in their practical jokes."

"I wish they applied their creativity into something more productive." He growled. Terrorizing governess wasn't acceptable – no matter how humorous some of the pranks had been.

"And may I ask who their latest victim was?"

"The Eberfelds recommended her to me. A formidable woman, she was employed by Prince and Princess Starhemberg for over a decade."

"What? She survived those two little devils of theirs for more than ten years and yet could not handle your children for two weeks? That is quite extraordinary," exclaimed Max, as they made their way back to the music room.

"Yes, but apparently, seven von Trapps were too much for her."

"Yes. Aren't you just a little proud of them?" his friend added mischievously.

"Max!" he hissed.

"Tell me. What did they do? You know I am as curious as a cat."

"Trust me, you do not want to know…"

"There you are - brooding again…" chided Elsa, walking towards both men as soon as they entered the music room. Noticing the Captain's dark look, she took a hold of his arm, handing him another glass of champagne. "Here, darling, it looks like you need this. Now tell me, what don´t we want to know?"

"Nothing terrible. It's the children, as usual."

Elsa rolled her eyes. Behind them, Baron Eberfeld spoke. "The Captain and his seven children. One could write an entire novel about it."

"More like ten novels, one about each governess they sent running from home," Max informed. "Do you know that Georg keeps a list of waiting governesses in his desk drawer? When one is gone, all he has to do is to cross her name out and ring the next one. It is amazingly efficient. Isn´t that true, Georg?"

"Yes, Max, fortunately or not, one tends to learn from experience," he replied acidly.

"Oh, those children can´t be so terrible," said Baroness Eberfeld asked amiably. "I remember them as being quite talented and well behaved."

"Whatever talents they still possess, Baroness, they are not being used for their own good, I can assure you. Sometimes I think that if we had them infiltrated behind the enemy lines, we would have a better chance of winning the great war," Georg chuckled.

"What do they do with their governesses? Please enlighten us," asked Baron Eberfeld.

Georg shrugged.

"Only the usual tricks at first. Snakes in their pockets, frogs in their beds… or is it the opposite? When that does not work they move on to more… sophisticated tactics," he explained, grimly. "For instance, they made one of them – governess number three, I believe – believe that the house was haunted. Apparently my daughters were inspired by reading too many gothic novels. They were so good at it that to this day some of the maids believe it to be true."

"And you don´t you find their antics just a little amusing?

"No, no, not at all."

"Oh Georg, they are children! Unless they inflicted any serious harm upon their victims… They didn´t, did they?" asked Baroness Eberfeld.

"No, they are satisfied with mild heart attacks," he replied, ironically. "It seems that they do have a well developed sense of ethics. They draw the line at physically harming the women. However, everything else is fair game. They have an uncanny ability to read the enemy and discover what their weakest spots are. That is where they attack."

"It sounds like a submarine captain I used to know," Max grumbled.

"Yes, and I had no idea I would pass such a heritage to my children and they would use their evil powers to victimize governesses!"

"If you don't mind me asking, Georg, why are they even at home?" asked Baroness Eberfeld from somewhere behind Max. "Children belong in a boarding school. Otherwise you'll never be able to move on."

He thought for a moment. If anyone mentioned a boarding school years ago, he would be angered beyond belief. Now he was forced to admit that the idea held a certain appeal to him. Elsa would never say no to a marriage proposal if it came with the reassurance that his children would be away from home during most of the year. She still would be able to provide the right family background that they needed to succeed, and, at the same time, they would not be around him all the time, making him remember…

"Oh mother," Pauline spoke for the first time, with a warning glance to her mother. "It sounds so cold and cruel! Not when they lost their mother."

"It´s quite all right, actually," the Captain reassured them all with absolute honesty, then turned back to the older woman. "I was raised in a boarding school myself, Baroness. I was very unhappy there. I am not sure yet I wish to impose the same fate on my children. Let me just say that I am not exactly an advocate of the idea that a little misery in your youth can be a good preparation for life… unless that proves to be absolutely necessary, of course."

"They are already unhappy as it is, his conscience added in thought. But as an answer, it was perfect. Diplomatic and uncompromising, until he decided what to do.

"Well, I never had a child of my own, but I think we can all agree that the children of today are different," said Elsa, taking his side and saving him from what could potentially become an unpleasant situation. "They need proper guidance, otherwise they become uncontrollable." She patted his hand, as if to show her support and understanding. "Now tell me, darling: how bad was it this time?"

"Terrible, I´m afraid. I have to go back to Aigen as soon as possible, to arrange for another governess."

"Do you have to leave right away or will you come to the opera with us tomorrow night? I reserved the best box in the house," Elsa said. He smiled at her.

"I am sorry, darling, but I must leave in the morning. Frau Schmidt – my housekeeper – is an elderly woman and I fear seven rebellious children may be much more than she can possibly handle." Elsa was visibly disappointed.

"Don´t fret, darling, I am planning to be back to Vienna before the month is over," he winked at her. "I only need the time to contact the next governess in my list, make sure everything is in order, and then I will be back here before you know it."

"Just do yourself a favor Georg, if you don´t mind the advice," Baroness Eberfeld spoke. "Never hire the attractive ones. Cross them out from that list of yours, because they might be more interested in you than the children, and that will be when your real troubles will begin," she finished, throwing a scathing glance at her husband.

"Don´t worry, Baroness, I am sure that is a lesson I have already learned," he replied, cryptically, as he began to enlighten them the tale of governess number five.

In the end, Elsa convinced him to stay another day.

"You are much too angry, my darling. It is not wise to make decisions in such a foul mood," she said.

They were having lunch at his hotel the following morning, as he told her more details about the troubles he was having with the children. The logic was simple: if she was going to be his wife, she needed to know exactly what she was getting into.

"Oh darling, I wish I could help you – and I promise I will, in any way I can," she said. "But you must tell me how. You see, I have absolutely no clue. I never have had any children around me. Rufus and I… oh well, we never had them, and I never worried about the reason why. I suppose I never thought about myself as a mother. And God knows that my poor husband would not have made a suitable father."

"I am taking you to meet them," he said simply, interrupting her chatter.

For the first time, he saw worry etched on her face. Trained as she was to hide her feelings, this time she could not disguise the meaningful raising of her eyebrows, and the look of entire surprise. She was certainly aware of the full implications of the invitation.

"That is, if Max is free to come along," he added. We´ll need a chaperon, naturally."

"Naturally," she echoed meaningfully. "Well, in that case…" she started talking, but stopped almost immediately. He would always recall the moment as the first, and probably the only time, he had seen Elsa von Schaeder at a loss for words.

He decided to help her. "Unless you don´t want to, of course," he added.

"Don´t be silly, of course I want to! I want to…"

"Yes?"

She recovered her composure with a deep breath.

"I want to meet all your friends in Salzburg - and your little ones, of course. I saw Liesl once, when she was a still a baby. I don´t know the others, of course… Which brings me to another matter. You must help me, because I am completely useless when it comes to buying gifts, especially for children."

"Elsa, you don´t have to…"

"Nonsense!" She placed her hand on his wrist. "Georg, please, do allow me to send them a little something. After all, I feel that it is my fault you´ve been away from them for so long! You can take the gifts with you tomorrow," she suggested, giving his hand a squeeze.

It wasn´t entirely her fault, since he had been distanced from his children long before that. The difference had been that, before he did not have any particular reason to go to Vienna other than to stay away from his villa, and, after he reacquainted himself with Elsa, he wanted to be in Vienna because, somehow, he could breathe a little easier when she was around. The challenge now was to bring these two worlds together – the lightness of spirit he felt around Elsa to the heaviness in his chest he felt when in Aigen, surrounded by memories of happier times.

"Why don´t you bring the presents yourself when you come with me the next time?" he suggested.

"Because, my darling, I want to… How can I put it delicately? I must prepare the ground before they meet me."

"Max was right, you are a strategist. A very cunning one!"

"Were those the words he used?" She asked slyly.

"Actually yes," Georg replied.

She laughed. "Then he was kind. He calls me Baroness Machiavelli, you know!" When she stopped, she gazed at him, seriously.

"Do you really have to leave tomorrow?" she pouted. "We´ve been having such a marvelous time here, and I will hate to see you go. I´ll miss you terribly!"

"Yes, I do. I too have to… uh – prepare the ground, as you said so adequately. I have to tell them about you, and right now I have no clue about how I am going to do that. Then there is the small matter of hiring another governess."

"Another?"

"Number eleven. I hope I am successful with this one because, although I do not consider myself a superstitious fellow, the next one, number twelve, will be my last chance. Thirteen never sounded like a good number for me."

"The twelfth governess," she repeated thoughtfully. "It sounds like the title of a Brother´s Grimm Fairy Tale."

"That would be "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", darling," he informed, taking a sip of his wine.

"The Twelve Dancing… Governesses!" she grinned, he grimaced. She continued. "Why not? Maybe you'll be lucky enough so that number twelve will be a princess in disguise; that she´ll kiss one of the frogs the children hide in her bedroom, turning into a prince, charming your children into liking me, and we'll all live happily ever after."

He laughed, mainly at the image of the eleven matronly governesses he had hired so far in the unlikely act of… dancing.