Georg opens his eyes slowly adjusting to the light in the room. As he looks around he realizes he is in her room. Her pillows hold her scent. Lilacs! He remembered the smell when he held her close to him last night. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he imagines her in his arms. Their bodies so close that her blue eyes look into his. He realizes at that moment that he has fallen in love with her but does she feel the same. The look he saw in her eyes when they stopped dancing held confusion but also something else, something he hasn't seen since Agathe used to look at him that way. Dare he think that she loves him too? Is that why she left? He sits up and walks to the door. He would have to find out before it was too late.

He goes to his room, showers, changes and heads downstairs. Looking around there is no sign of the children. He has to tell them about Maria.

Frau Schmidt enters the foyer "Good afternoon Captain. Would you like some lunch?

"No thank you, do you know where the children are?" he asks.

"They were all up early this morning. The last time I saw them they were out by the terrace. Come to think of it they didn't have breakfast or lunch"

"Hmm it's 2 oclock I wonder where they are. It's not like my children to skip meals, especially Kurt" he says as he heads to the terrace. He opens the terrace doors and is relieved to see the children walking up the stairs.

"Good afternoon children, Frau Schmidt tells me that you were all up early this morning and that you skipped breakfast and lunch. Where have you been?

"We were picking berries Father" Friedrich answers.

"Picking berries, all morning? What kind of berries? He says knowing full well Friedrich was not telling the truth. He knows his children well enough to tell when they were not being truthful.

"Strawberries" Friedrich answers

"Strawberries, well you have been gone a long time; you must have picked a lot of them" he says looking around, "Where are they?

"We ate them" it's the only answer Liesl can think of.

"You ate all of them? Well since you ate all of the berries I will tell Frau Schmidt not to worry about your lunch" He waits to see how long it takes for one of them to tell him the truth.

Leisl speaks , her voice breaking, "Oh Father, we were not picking berries. We went to the abbey to talk to Fraulein Maria. Gretl found her note this morning on the floor of her room. We went to the abbey hoping we could get her to come back. Sister Margaretta said she isn't seeing anyone."

Gretl goes to her father and starts to cry "Father, we want her back. We promise we didn't do anything to make her leave"

Georg picks his younger daughter up and sits on the stairs. The other children gather around him. "Oh sweetheart you and your siblings didn't do anything to make your Fraulein leave. I promise I will do everything in my power to bring her back. Now why don't all of you go in the house and get something to eat"

Georg puts Gretl down and motions for Leisl to take everyone inside.

Georg walks over to the lake. For the first time in a long time he began to pray "Heavenly Father, I know I haven't spoken to you in a long time. Please forgive me. I was so distraught after my wife's death that I shut out my children and you. But now I have found someone who has made me whole again. She made me see that shutting out my children was wrong. She brought music back into my life. She is everything to my children, to me. I need a chance to tell her I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her. I am asking you to bring her back. I know she prays to you. Somehow you must let her know how much I love her"

Georg walks over to the gazebo and sits on the small bench. He has to find a way to get her to see him. He decides that he will go to the abbey in the morning to talk to the Reverend Mother. Maybe if she knows why Maria really left she will be able to convince her to come back.

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Sister Margaretta goes into the chapel. Maria is still at the altar, her head bowed in prayer.

"Maria, the Reverend Mother wants to see you" Sister Margaretta says as she gently touches Marias shoulder.

Maria crosses herself and gets up. She doesn't say a word. Sister Margaretta heads towards the office and Maria follows closely behind her. Sister Margaretta knocks on the door.

"Ave" Sister Margaretta brings Maria into the office. Maria kneels and kisses the Reverend Mothers ring.

As Maria stands the Reverend Mother gets a good look at her. She clearly sees how unhappy Maria is and that her eyes are swollen from crying.

"Sit down Maria. I'm sorry you are unhappy. Why did you come back? Were they unkind to you? The Reverend Mother asks.

"Oh no Mother, I was frightened, confused. I've never felt that way before. I knew if I came back to the abbey I would be safe"

"Maria, I have never known you to be afraid of anything. What is it that you can't face?

"I can't face him again" Maria says looking down.

"Him? The Reverend Mother asks Sister Margaretta to leave.

"Captain Von Trapp? She sees Marias head slowly raise at the mention of his name. "Are you in love with him? She asks.

Maria jumps out of the chair and heads to the other side of the room "The Baroness came to my room last night and told me he was in love with me. She also accused me of being in love with him. I became scared and confused. That's why I came back to the abbey. I thought by coming back I would be safe. But now after praying I realized that I am in love with the Captain but I have no right to be. I was there because it was Gods will that I be the governess and nothing more".

Reverend Mother goes to Maria and places her hands on her shoulders "Maria, does the Captain know how you feel"

"I don't know. There were times when he would look into my eyes and I could hardly breathe. Than when we danced last night, I blushed in his arms. Oh Mother I couldn't stay. I've made a solemn vow to God to be his servant. To ask for the Captains love would be wrong"

"Maria, if you love the Captain it does not mean that you love God less. You must find out what is your true path in life. You must go back Maria"

"Oh Mother please don't send me back. This is where I belong"

"Is it Maria? Perhaps God sent you there because the children and their father needed more than a governess. When God closes a door somewhere he opens a window. No, you must go back and find the life you were born to live"

"But Mother what if he doesn't love me?

"Maria you will never know unless you go back. I wasn't going to tell you this but maybe it will make a difference, last night when you were in your room I received a call from the Captain. He wanted to make sure you were here. He sounded very upset. He wanted me to give you a message. He said that he wants you to come back. The only way you will know for sure is to go back"

For the first time since being back at the abbey Maria feels hopeful. Hope that maybe, just maybe the Captain loves her. The Reverend Mother is right. She had to find out, she had to go back.

She hugged the Reverend Mother and went back to her room to change. The Reverend Mother called Sister Margaretta back into her office "There was a new Postulant admitted to the convent today, do we still have the dress she was wearing?

"Yes Mother it is in the robing room"

"Wonderful, please get it and bring it to Maria." Reverend Mother says as she goes to her desk.

"Yes Reverend Mother" Sister Margaretta says as she leaves the office.