Shelter From the Past
Chapter 5
Love, Trust, and Secrets
Part 1
Disclaimer: YES! THEY ARE FINALLY MINE! Kidding, I just wanted to know how it felt to say that.
Author's Note: I really should just stop apologizing for my late updates. I write when I have a spare moment, and I'm having fewer and fewer as this month goes on! Part two of this chapter will hopefully follow shortly…fingers crossed…
Author's Note #2: To the author of The Betrothal: WHY DID YOU REMOVE YOUR STORY? It was a fabulous story and one day it just disappeared! Please bring it back…
Summary: see chapter one
"By the way, if either of you decide you need more space, there's plenty of room in the barn." The couple's mouths dropped open causing Johann to chuckle before turning on his heel to follow the children.
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"Finally alone." Was the first thought that entered both Maria and Georg's heads once Johann was out of earshot. Though both were still somewhat embarrassed by his last comment, neither knew how appealing Johann's suggestion had sounded to the other. The hours since Georg had received his commission had taken an emotional toll on them both, and at the moment, there was nothing either of them wanted more then to forget their current reality. Georg had yet to ask what was bothering his wife, but that could wait; they weren't going anywhere.
With so many unsaid words between them, Maria and Georg felt an almost odd silence; each unable to start the conversation they knew needed to come next, so instead Georg opted for small talk, hoping to ease the tension he knew would only increase once the children were asleep.
"Your brother's charming, you two seem very close." Maria sighed in happy remembrance.
"We always were." At his questioning look she went on. "Our parents died when we were very young; we only had each other for most of our lives. I feel so guilty I haven't spoken to him in years."
"This house isn't actually that far from town, why didn't you visit him?" Maria tensed.
"A lot of reasons-" She paused at the sound of many feet clunking back down the hallway. She smiled. "None of which however, I will bore you with right now."
The two adults grabbed hands and walked towards their laughing offspring. Maria strained to hear what they had become so hysterical about. Johann loved to embarrass her, and she was just a bit concerned that they were laughing at one of her childhood mishaps. Sure enough, her little sister instincts had proved her correct.
"Is it true you broke your leg while trying to "fly" out your window?" Louisa asked between giggles. Maria glared; of all the stupid things she did, that was the one he chose to humiliate her with. Even Georg had developed an amused expression.
"Johann." His laughter stopped at her I'm going to kill you now tone of voice. "How did this fond little memory happen to come up?" She started inching closer to him trying desperately to keep the smile off her face. This only enhanced her children's grins when they realized what she was doing.
"Um, well, you see, um." He stuttered.
"Yes…" By this time she backed him up against the wall.
"Well, I pulled out the sheet you had tried to use as a cape and it just came out and they don't think any less of you and I didn't tell them anything else and please don't hurt me!" She wanted to laugh so badly her mouth was starting to hurt. Thoroughly amused that he was still intimidated by her temper after all this time, she decided to let him go. She stepped back from the wall.
"It's alright, I was never really that mad." His eyes opened wide.
"Are you serious?" She nodded. "Wow, I never gave you enough credit for acting." She smiled.
"Thank you, but-'' She paused to address the small child tugging at her skirt. "Yes Marta."
"I'm really sleepy."
"Oh, I'm sorry dear, why don't we set up the blankets."
Maria, Georg, and Johann quickly laid out the makeshift beds and tucked the children in in their respective rooms. And despite what most of them had said, all of them fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows; all except one.
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The three adults walked quietly back into the dining room, not quite ready to go to sleep yet. Maria felt more at ease with Johann by her side. His presence gave her reassurance for what she was going to try to tell Georg. The couple sat down close to one another and Maria rested her head against her husband's shoulder; perhaps she was more tired then she thought. Johann smiled at them and turned around to boil some water for tea. No one spoke, but it was a peaceful silence; as if they finally felt free to breathe.
Johann walked back to the table with the tea. Maria was about to say something when Brigitta walked sleepily into the room.
"Brigitta?" Her father asked concernedly. "What are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep." Turning to Maria, "Mother could you read to me?"
Maria looked between Georg and Johann; their talk would just have to be postponed. Receiving silent nods from both of them, she walked her yawning daughter back into the living room.
Georg and Johann shared a brief glance, their thoughts quite apparent on their faces. "Alright, she's gone, talk to me."
Georg had questions and Johann felt that even though they would be talking behind Maria's back, it was necessary for him to give the whole story to Georg before he heard Maria's somewhat biased version of events.
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"Why can't you sleep sweetheart?"
Brigitta had worried Maria since they left the house hours ago. She seemed more troubled then any of the other children, and Maria didn't know if it was simply her keen sense of observation was telling her more then the others, or if there was actually something wrong with her about.
"I'm worried." She stated simply.
"Worried about what?" wondered Maria.
At this point in their lives, "I'm worried" could apply to any one of a long list of problems. Maria's face must have looked questioning, for Brigitta hesitantly added.
"I'm worried about you."
Maria was surprised she wasn't more shocked by her daughter's confession; then again, she couldn't help thinking in the back of her mind that that wasn't the last inquiry about her wellness that would be made that night.
"What do you mean?" Had she been that obvious?
"Well, you've seemed different ever since we started walking here and if you and father know that something might happen to us…"
"Phew, it's not what I thought."
"Sweetheart, your father and I would never hide anything from you that could potentially put you in danger."
"But-''
"I promise."
"And you-''
"I'm fine. I'd be even better though if I knew you were resting."
"Alright. Goodnight mother." She said sweetly.
"Goodnight Brigitta." She turned to rejoin Georg and Johann.
"Mother?" She stopped walking.
"Yes."
"How long do you think we'll stay here?"
"A good question…" "I honestly don't know, but it probably won't be more then a couple of days; just until the weather calms down." Brigitta smiled and lay back down on her pillow.
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"What do you want to know?" Johann asked plainly. He assumed Maria had told her husband absolutely nothing about her childhood, so he decided to answer specific questions before divulging the epic of their younger years.
"Well," Georg sighed, he didn't have anything to form a question about. Maria had only described her childhood as unfortunate, and when he'd pressed for more, she'd shrugged his inquiries and said that it wasn't important now. "Maria said that she had had an unfortunate upbringing, could you possibly tell me why?"
"Of all the vague questions!" "I can try, but you may not understand a lot of it."
"Why not?"
"Well from the way you asked me about her, you don't sound convinced that Maria could have had an unhappy anything." He smiled.
"No," he looked wistful. "I suppose not. She's just so kind, and generous, and loving, it's hard to imagine that she grew up surrounded by hate. Not to mention that her relationship with you seems so positive-''
"Now," Johann cut him off. "Believe me, we weren't always this close. It actually took an incredibly devastating group of events to make us stop being the stubborn siblings that we were until she was ten."
"What happened?" Georg was growing more curious by the moment, even if it was striking him as odd that Johann was much more open about the subject then Maria was.
"A lot of difficult things to deal with that all came at us too fast and too close together."
Georg exhaled. "I know that feeling."
Johann smiled. "Then you'll know we didn't deal with it very well." He became serious again. "Our mother died when Maria was nine; I was eleven. Our father was so insanely in love with her that her death made him lose his mind. He brought us here one night while we were sleeping, and then the next day he was gone. We never saw him again, in fact the last time we even within a few feet of him was at his funeral; he committed suicide a few years afterward." Johann took a moment to breathe.
"You said he brought you here; where is here, well, what I mean to say is-''
"What significance did this house have to us?"
"Yes."
"It belonged, belongs, to our Uncle." The normally endearing term was said with such disgust that Georg had a hard time hiding his surprise. Johann noticed, but wouldn't elaborate on his apparent dislike.
"It's not my place; Maria needs to be the one to tell you."
Georg let it go, but only because he was processing more information already then he knew what to do with. Maria had been through so much more then he'd ever imagined and clearly even more then that as she still had secrets to reveal. What ever they were, they were bad enough to make her terrified at the mere mention of the house, and he was determined to help her face them. Johann's voice broke through his thoughts.
"I guess the other thing I should probably tell you about our Uncle is that-'' He stopped himself as Maria came back into the room. She smiled at both of them and then resumed her seat next to Georg. He reached over and pulled her closer to him as he kissed her forehead.
"Is Brigitta asleep?" he asked.
"Not yet, but she probably will be in a few minutes. She was worried."
"About what?" Johann joined in.
"At first she said about me, but then she seemed to be more concerned that we were keeping something from all of them." The only words Georg really heard were "about me". That would make the forth person that evening who was openly concerned about Maria; he needed to talk to her alone and find out what was wrong.
"Darling is there a place where we could talk?" Maria was about to answer when Johann smarmily added.
"I told you already, the barn is up for grabs." Maria glared at him.
"Actually I think that would be a good place for us to go; we won't be overheard." Johann's grin tripled in size. "And we won't be doing whatever is going on in your head right now." His expression faltered for a moment before he realized that her tone was playful, not accusing.
"I'm going to sleep then." He addressed Maria, "Do you want me to set up the extra mattress for you?"
"If it's not too much trouble. I'm really tired and I'll probably be joining you soon anyway."
"Alright," He pulled her into a hug, "I'll see you in a little while, don't stay out too late."
"We wont."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
With that, Johann walked towards the bedrooms and Maria took Georg's arm as she led him through the side door from the house to the barn in order to stay out of the rain. Time alone with him was all she needed; time alone to explain everything.
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Part one is complete! Please review, it keeps me inspired! I face a big decision right now: To bring her uncle back while they're there, or to not. When and if you review, could you also answer this question; I want to please my readers. This decision does not affect part two of this chapter, though, so I will keep working. Hope you enjoy the story!