A/N: I still don't own any of the characters.
Thank you all for reading, and for those who have left reviews, thank you many times over. The reviews make such a difference.
The last chapter was a little more heavy and troublesome (obviously), so I wanted to write a lighter chapter now. I hope you enjoy it!
ooooooooooooo
The sunlight was streaming into the master bedroom, and the house was full of the smell of bacon frying, but Maria wasn't aware of any of this. She was still asleep although it was well past the usual time she would be out of bed.
Maybe bacon and breakfast were figuring into her dreams, maybe she was dreaming of mountains and music, maybe the farm where she was raised. She could be dreaming about anything but there would be no way to know.
Georg was glad she was still asleep. He was aware of how exhausted she had become over the last few days, working full time (and more!) as cook, housekeeper and seamstress. Still, he did need to wake her up before too long, and he also knew she would be upset at the thought of sleeping too late.
He and the children had eaten their breakfast already, and they were staying uncharacteristically quiet. The older ones were aware that she needed to sleep, the younger ones felt like they were planning a jolly surprise for her by staying quiet.
Down in the kitchen, Anna was preparing a plate of food for Maria. This was her first day at the new Von Trapp house and the two women hadn't even met yet. So far, Georg was totally and thoroughly satisfied with her work. Breakfast had been satisfying and delicious and she told him she would go to the market for the food necessary for lunch and dinner, once she had discussed the menu with Maria.
Anna was a similar age to Liesl, which Georg was also glad of. His children would need friends in their new home. Once, he would have objected at his daughter being friends with a servant. Things had changed. Their closest friend these days was a subsistence farmer who lived in the mountains and to whom they owed a great debt. Georg had been surprised to realize that he liked this man as much or more than he liked any of the wealthy friends he had left behind in Austria. Besides, he thought to himself with a small smile, it would be quite hypocritical for him to object to any of his children being friends with a servant, considering that he had married the governess!
So Georg sincerely hoped that Anna would prove to be a good friend to Liesl. He was surprised, though, to see how shy Liesl was around this other young woman. His Liesl who was naturally so vivacious, who used to sneak out of the house to visit the telegram boy, who had hoped to stay at a party and drink champagne and had the guts to ask for it in front of all the guests. His Liesl, his vivacious oldest daughter, was suddenly shy. She had helped Anna get breakfast together, and would probably help clean up after breakfast, but she and Anna were barely even making the most tentative small talk, each as shy as the other.
Georg knew that she had been deeply shaken by the events that had occurred right before they left Austria, but he hadn't realized how shaken until he saw her be so shy with this new girl. Once again, he was incredibly grateful that he didn't have to help his children through their ordeals by himself, and that Maria was by his side, or would be back by his side now that he had gotten her some help.
Anna finished arranging a plate with some toast, bacon, eggs and fruit and handed it to the Captain. He put his finger to his lips in a gesture of silence, reminding the younger children to stay quiet. With the plate and a cup of coffee balanced in both hands, he climbed the stairs up to the bedroom he shared with Maria.
oooooooooooooooo
Maria was still asleep, but there was still no way of telling what she was dreaming about because as soon as she felt the kisses on her eyes and on her face, she began to wake up and all dreams fled from her mind. At first she snuggled into bed, enjoying this rain of kisses. Then she realized that the sun was streaming into her room and that it must be quite late in the morning already. She immediately woke up the rest of the way and sat upright, looking at Georg. How could he have let her sleep so long?! There was so much to do! She tried to climb out of bed but was restrained by her husband, who kept kissing her. These weren't the passionate kisses that usually led to something more, but sweet, loving, undemanding kisses. They were also not stopping, and as much as she enjoyed kissing her husband she was trying to speak.
Finally she was able to push him away long enough to say "Breakfast! I need to get up!"
He looked at her in amusement and started kissing her neck, very gently. She found herself melting a little into his arms. Between kisses he said "Anna is here. Remember? She made breakfast. We've all eaten, the children are all dressed. All you need to do is eat your own breakfast."
At that point he stopped kissing her and reached down to the ground to produce the plate of food and cup of coffee. "Breakfast in bed, Baroness," he announced. "And no one deserves it more than you."
Maria was stunned. No one had ever brought her breakfast in bed before. She looked at her husband slightly suspiciously, but then began to eat. The food was good, and she was hungry. Before she realized it she was enjoying her meal with gusto.
"You musn't make a habit of this," she said gratefully but regretfully, "or I'll want breakfast in bed all of the time." "But this was dear of you," she added with a smile.
After a few more moments of enjoying her eggs she asked "Where are the children?"
"They are downstairs, why do you ask?" Georg said in slight confusion.
"Well, the house is so quiet I was sure they were out," she explained.
"Ah!" he couldn't help but gloat a bit. "Well, they were in on this little surprise for you and didn't want to wake you too soon."
"You got the children to stay quiet this long?" Maria asked, slightly skeptically.
"Yes," Georg acknowledged with satisfaction. "Although I don't think they would have stayed this quiet if they hadn't wanted to surprise you," he added with a touch of chagrin. "I doubt they would have stayed quiet just for me. They must be bursting at the seams right now."
"Mmmm," Maria acknowledged, moving on to her toast. "Speaking of seams, I do need to start sewing soon."
"No, you don't," Georg admonished her. "The only things you need to do today are to meet with Johanna and Karolina to get them started on the sewing, tell Anna what to make for lunch and dinner, and play with the children." "Oh," he continued as he began kissing her neck and collar bone even more passionately, "and I might find a thing or two for you to do here … with me …"
Whatever else he would have said trailed off as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her fully on the mouth. The plate and the coffee were quickly forgotten about as she returned his kiss in full.
Maria melted into his arms and she found herself wishing that she could stay there all morning. She had been so consumed with work over the last several days that she had barely had any time with her husband.
However, a steadily increasing sound of talking and chatter was rising from the lower floor. "I think I had better get dressed and join the children" she said as she reluctantly she broke away from him. "Thank you for breakfast in bed, Captain," she said and reached up a hand to smooth his hair back from his face. "It's a luxury I've never experienced before."
His hair had turned slightly grey at the front, which for some reason made her heart melt even more. She leaned forward and kissed him once more - a kiss full of promise – before she got out of bed to get dressed.
Georg lay back on the bed and watched her dress. He was a happy man. How could he not be, having a wife like this? He loved the way she looked at him, and was amused that she still called him Captain from time to time. It had turned from a title to a term of endearment, and sometimes (he suspected) a little joke on her part.
oooooooooooooooooo
A few hours later Johanna and Karolina were upstairs sewing clothes. Maria had given them sketches of the outfits she wanted, and all the necessary measurements. She was very satisfied with their work and happy to be able to leave the sewing room. They were both lovely girls in their young twenties and she was glad to have them in her new home.
Both Johanna and Karolina were obviously bursting with curiosity about their employer's situation – why they were in Dorfli, why they had no clothes yet apparently had plenty of money. However they had the good taste not to ask. Or perhaps Tobias had instructed them not to ask, Maria mused to herself.
She was also delighted with Anna. Maria too saw the possibility of a friend for Liesl in this young woman, however she was also aware of how shy Liesl had become.
Liesl didn't seem to trust herself anymore to choose friends, or at least she still didn't trust her heart. Maria knew though that she would find her confidence again, eventually. In the meantime she decided to do all she could to encourage this potential new friendship. After she and Anna had discussed the menu for the day Maria had then suggested that Liesl accompany Anna to get the necessary food. It would allow them to spend a little more time together, and get Liesl more familiar with Dorfli.
Georg had gathered all necessary papers: proof of their Austrian citizenship, bank statements, birth records, the bill of sale for their new house, and their marriage certificate, and he had gone off to see the nearest immigration officials. Maria was once again incredibly grateful that she had such a knowledgeable and capable husband to run these family affairs. She agreed with him whole heartedly that he should be completely honest and ask for political asylum. Now that they were employing three Swiss women, it made their case even stronger. He had also brought receipts, proving how much money they had already spent and how much money they would likely bring to the Dorfli economy. She couldn't help but be slightly anxious, but knew that if anyone could make everything work out alright, it was Georg.
Maria had also taken a brief trip into Dorfli to order another bed and bedding linens. On the days that Anna stayed in their house, she would sleep downstairs near the kitchen, and she would be comfortable. They knew she wouldn't always sleep in the house, that there would be times she would return to visit her family in the mountains, but she now had the option of staying down in the village whenever it was necessary.
Everything was falling into place and it felt wonderful. Life was much less of a burden than it had been yesterday.
She walked outside to watch her children playing. The air was as crisp and clean as it had been at the villa, and the mountains just as beautiful. She wrapped her arms around herself, closed her eyes and silently thanked God for all that they had received.
oooooooooooo
Maria was jolted out of her happy reverie by a very anxious Gretl who had run up to her and was pulling on her skirts.
Before she could ask her youngest daughter what she wanted, Gretl began to speak, slightly agitated. "Mother," she demanded, "Brigitta said that Pietr is a goatherd! Is that true?"
"Yes it is, Gretl," Maria explained. "Almost every day he takes all the goats in the village up into the mountains to graze – to eat grass and flowers and everything else that tastes good to them – and then he brings them back in the evening."
Gretl still seemed agitated. "Is he lonely?" she asked.
Maria suddenly understood this line of questioning and knelt down to be more at Gretl's level. "I don't think so," she reassured her daughter. "He's a friendly boy, he's already friends with us. I would say more that he's a friendly goatherd." "Although," she continued, "he may be a bit lonely during the day when he only has the goats for company."
Gretl seemed concerned again. "Why don't we ask him when we see him?" Maria suggested. "We can ask him what he does all day when he's with the goats." "Maybe we can even join him up in the mountains one of these days for a picnic," Maria continued. "We could visit Herr Kramer as well!"
Gretl puffed out her chest in that way she did when she was pleased. "I think we should sing the puppet show to him," she announced.
"What a wonderful idea, Gretl!" Maria agreed. In her mind, friendship and music were always a good idea.
"When is the puppet show going to get here?" Gretl asked.
Maria's heart sank as she realized how little Gretl understood about their new situation. "Oh darling," she explained gently, "it's not."
Gretl furrowed her eyebrows. "But Uncle Max said we could keep it!" she said in confusion.
"Well, yes darling," Maria tried to explain. "We could keep it when we were in Austria. But we're in Switzerland now and we had to leave behind anything we couldn't carry, including the puppet show. And everything we left behind has to stay in Austria because we can't let anyone know where we are."
Gretl's eyes filled with tears and her chin began to wobble. "Everything?" she asked in a breaking voice.
"Everything," Maria affirmed.
"But the puppet show, and my dolls! Why can't we get them?" Gretl asked tearfully.
"You see, darling," Maria began, "those bad men – the men with the black spider – wanted your father to leave home and go fight for them. We wouldn't see him for a long time, and maybe never again. He didn't want to go fight and we didn't want him to go. You'd miss your father so much, wouldn't you?"
Gretl nodded in tearful confusion. She would miss her father very much. "But why couldn't he just say no?" she asked.
"Well," Maria explained, as gently as she could, "those men were pretty bad. He tried to say no. He wanted to say no, but they wouldn't let him. They were going to take him away from us. So we left, and you remember, we had to leave in secret. We left behind a lot of things that we loved, but we still have each other and we're still together, and I think that's the most important thing."
There was nothing else to say for the moment as Gretl continued to cry and Maria gathered her up into her arms. She knew that each of the children were probably still scared and confused in his or her own way, and she'd need to have various types of this conversation with most, if not all of them. As badly as she felt for Gretl, Maria was happy that she was having a good cry. Eventually she would stop and this conversation would help her move on and adjust to their new life.
After several minutes of Gretl crying onto her shoulder, Maria started to speak again. "You know what makes me happy?" Maria asked her. Gretl took a deep, shuddering breath and shook her head. "It makes me happy that we're all together, and that I get to be here as your mother."
Gretl nodded. Having Maria as her mother had become one of her favorite things. "The mountains are so beautiful, that makes me happy," Maria continued. "I'm happy that there's Edelweiss here. I'm happy we've met Anna, and Johanna, and Karolina, and Pietr and Herr Kramer."
"What has made you happy here?" she eventually asked.
Gretl sniffed and thought about it. "The goats," she finally said.
"Good!" agreed Maria. "And one of them is even named after you. What else?"
Gretl hesitated and then said "I like our new friends too."
"Oh, so do I," Maria agreed. "We would never have met them if we hadn't come to Switzerland." "And there's something else," she continued, dropping her voice almost as though she were telling Gretl a secret. "All of our favorite things – the ones we sing about – are here as well."
Gretl looked at her mother with wide eyes. She hadn't thought of that. "All of them?" she whispered back.
"Every single one of them," Maria answered. She got out her handkerchief and began to wipe up Gretl's face. "I think we should sing that song. What do you think?"
Gretl nodded in agreement.
Maria sat down on the ground, pulled Gretl into her lap and wrapped her arms around the small girl. She hummed a note and together the two of them began to sing.
The song attracted the rest of the children who, as they heard it, came and joined in. Eventually Maria got back to her feet and put Gretl down. Louisa had thrown a handful of leaves at Kurt who retaliated by chasing her around and around the others. Soon all eight of them were singing and spinning each other around the way they had on that stormy night just a few months earlier:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudel
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into spring
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad!
They sang it over and over again, dancing and laughing until they all began to collapse on the ground in happy exhaustion. It took a little while for the giddy giggles to subside. Maria was happy to hear her children laughing all together. Music and laughter were some of the most healing things she knew.
Finally Maria called them to attention. Still laughing, they started to sit up, pulling leaves, grass and twigs out of each other's hair.
Maria knew how much Gretl liked to talk, and how much she wanted to know – or at least act like she knew -- everything, in an attempt to keep up with her elder brothers and sisters. Although she knew it would bring down the mood, Maria wanted to make sure that the conversation she had with Gretl would be accurately represented.
She waited while they continued to get the giggles out of their system. Friedrich pushed Louisa back over, and before she toppled over she grabbed Brigitta who went down with her. Soon some of the children were rolling around on the ground again, gently wrestling with each other. She waited patiently and indulgently for them to get all of that energy out of their systems. This was exactly what she had wanted for the children when she had first met them in their uniforms back when they were supposed to march rather than play.
Once she had their attention again and was confident that they had gotten their energy and laughter out of their systems, she began to speak. "Now, children," she began, hoping her tone was light but serious, "Gretl and I had just been having a conversation. This isn't easy to say, and it's sad for all of us, but I wanted to make sure that you know that everything we had to leave behind in Austria needs to stay behind in Austria. It's not safe for us or for your father to let anyone in Austria know where we are. That means that no one in Austria can send anything to us." She let that sink in, and though the children looked considerably more sober she was relieved to see that none of them looked surprised, including Marta. Some of them were even nodding their understanding.
"But," Maria continued in a lighter tone, "we are all here, together, we have each other, and that means more to me than anything we left behind in Austria." She reached out a hand and caressed Marta's face as Marta was sitting right next to her. "I also know that we are going to build a beautiful life for ourselves here in Switzerland. And you father and I want you to know that we love you very much, and if you're feeling sad or confused, that's okay, and we want you to come talk to us about it."
Maria looked around at the seven faces she had grown to love so much and wished she could hug her all her children all at once. Instead, she just sat with them, radiating all the love that she could. After a few moments she spoke again. "Gretl and I made a wonderful discovery about Switzerland and our favorite things. Gretl, would you like to tell them?"
Gretl sat up proudly. It wasn't often that she was in the position of telling her siblings something. "All of our favorite things," she began, "all of the things we sing about, they are all here in Switzerland as well!"
Maria saw a few smiles cross the faces of her older children as they realized the truth of that statement, and as they realized how happy it had made Gretl.
Marta, meanwhile, was in awe. "All of them?" she asked.
"Oh yes," reassured Maria. "All of them. Would you like to sing the song once more to be sure?"
Marta nodded, her eyes as wide as Maria had ever seen them.
"Hold on, don't go away," said Maria and she hurried to her feet and into the house.
A few minutes later she reemerged, carrying the guitar. She played a few opening chords and soon they were all singing once again. This time they didn't run or dance around, all eight of them continued to sit together, singing, harmonizing, and thinking of each of their favorite things and how each one was indeed in Switzerland as well as Austria.
As they finished the song, each one smiling a little, Marta leaned closer to Maria and said "Mother?" in a tentative yet questioning voice.
"Yes, Marta?" Maria said encouragingly.
"Can we get some kittens – with whiskers?" Marta asked.
"Oh, yes Mother, please?" chimed in Louisa, and pretty soon all of the children were imploring Maria to get some kittens.
"Children, children!" Maria finally cut through the noise to quiet them down. "I think we're going to need to ask your father about that."
There were a few groans from children who didn't want to wait, but Kurt said confidently "You can convince him, I know you can."
"I will do my best," Maria assured him, "but he will make the final decision." She knew it was probably a done deal – Georg wanted to do all he could to help his family settle into their new home happily – but she also knew that she would have to discuss it with him first. And it was important that the children recognize that he was still the head of the family. Although they all had such deep respect for him that she doubted they would or could ever forget that.
Maria could tell that it was already getting late in the day, that Anna had probably started dinner preparations, but she was concerned that Georg wasn't back yet. So she kept talking to distract them all, as well as herself.
"Do you know what else they have here in Switzerland?" she asked.
"What, Mother?" Liesl asked helpfully.
"Edelweiss," Maria said more happily again. "As a matter of fact, I think that one of these days we should go on a picnic and look for Edelweiss."
That suggestion was met with vocal agreement by all the children. It was Marta, though, who suggested "let's sing that song too."
"Wonderful idea," Maria agreed and once again picked up the guitar and began to play the opening chords.
oooooooooooooo
Georg came home as it was approaching dinner time, weary but satisfied. He was immediately aware of his family singing his favorite song. They did sing so beautifully together, and Maria's voice soared above them all. He smiled. This was right. He walked closer to a window where he could see and hear them better.
As they finished the final words "bless my homeland forever," he couldn't help but feel slightly choked up, as he had felt about a week ago at the festival. He walked outside to greet them when they had finished his song and immediately the children got to their feet and hurried to meet him. 'This is right, too' he thought to himself. He greeted each of his children but was careful to give Maria a long and pointed look, finished with a nod.
Maria just smiled back in pride and relief. Obviously, something had gone well today. But even more than that, her heart still melted when she watched the once stern and distant Captain being so warm and loving to their children.
ooooooooooooo
Anna, Johanna and Karolina all ate dinner in the kitchen while the Von Trapps sat down to dinner at their new dining room table. Maria was a little uncomfortable separating their helpers in such a way – she herself was not unlike them in background or in the fact that she had once been a servant. But Georg had different views on these things than she did, and she also felt it was very important for the whole family to be together for meals. They were such a big family, it was necessary to consciously bring the family together as often as possible or else she was afraid it might scatter, or that the bond they each had with another might weaken.
Anna, Johanna and Karolina were actually much happier to eat together in the kitchen. The house itself -- probably the largest in Dorfli – was overwhelming to them, and the family, though sweet, was still a little intimidating to them as well. They had realized that they were working for Austrian aristocracy – a Baron and Baroness no less – and they were still happy to keep their wide-eyed distance. The Baroness herself was much easier and friendlier than they had thought she would be, but she was still a Baroness and their employer. They were far happier eating together in the warm kitchen discussing their new jobs. Each might have wanted to speculate as to what had brought this wealthy, aristocratic family to Switzerland so suddenly and with apparently no possessions besides what they had worn, but Herr Kramer had been so strict in his letters about respecting the family's privacy that none wanted to be the first to breach that rule.
Meanwhile, in the dining room, Gretl asked the question that had crossed everyone's mind to varying degrees over the past week: "Father, how long are we going to stay here?"
Georg sighed inwardly. He wished he knew. "Well, Gretl," he began, thinking carefully as he spoke, "I think we will live here long enough for you to make lots of friends and be very happy. I hope that we can go back to Austria some day, but that day may be a long time from now."
"Are we going to go anywhere else soon?" she persisted.
"No," he felt confident giving that answer after the day he had just had. "We are not going to go anywhere else anytime soon."
"That's good," she informed him. "Because all of our favorite things are here as well. All of them," she stressed.
"All of them?" Georg asked in feigned astonishment. "Why, I suppose you're right. I see them all right here!"
Gretl's look spoke volumes, letting him know that she didn't think he was making sense.
"Oh, yes. I see them all right here," Georg reiterated. "And they're names are Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, Gretl and Maria."
"No, father!" she said, dismissing him like a silly child. "I mean our favorite things! Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles--"
Georg shot Maria a look of helplessness and slight alarm.
"Children," she said in her commanding voice, taking charge of the situation, "as much as we love hearing you sing, I'm afraid we're going to have to have a rule of no singing at meal times."
She looked around at some blank faces and Gretl's surprised face. Maria then saw the three oldest children trying to smother their smiles and she shared a quick look of amusement with them."
"I think we should keep meal times for talking," she explained. "But there's no reason why we can't sing together after dinner. As a matter of fact," she concluded, "I think we should start working on some new songs!"
And with that, meal times were settled to everyone's happiness.
ooooooooooooooooooo
Later that night the children were all in bed, Johanna and Karolina had gone home and Anna had gotten into her new bed ready to make breakfast the next morning.
Maria emerged from the bathroom, finally ready for sleep herself, and climbed into bed next to her husband. She had already made each of them a simple dress or outfit to sleep in, but they were very simple. Georg ran his fingers along the neckline of her shapeless sheath and said "I think we'll have to send away for something a little more elegant," and with that he kissed her collarbone. "A little more revealing," – another kiss – "a little more like the night clothes we got for you in Paris."
As accustomed as she had become to sharing her bed – and more – with Georg, Maria couldn't help but blush. Georg snickered slightly to himself at her embarrassment and kissed her once again. He was lying on his back, and so he put his arms around her and gently pulled her on top of him. Before she knew it, Maria was lying on top of her husband. He kept his arms around her but allowed her the space to prop herself up and look down at him. Maria decided that she quite liked this position.
"So, Maria Von Trapp," Georg began, "did you have a good day?"
"Yes," she replied as she kissed his forehead, "but first I want to hear about your day. What happened?"
"Oh, nothing much," he replied evasively as he began to run his hands up and her back.
"You, Captain, are a tease," she admonished and propped herself up even higher.
"Oh-ho," he protested, "I am the tease? I think not Baroness Von Trapp. Here you are, lying on top of me and you want to discuss politics and immigration."
"Georg!" she said, exasperated, "what happened?"
He relented. "It was exactly what I had hoped for," he told her. "We are legal immigrants now. They know who we are – who I am – and why we left. At first they weren't sure that they wanted such a potentially notorious escapee behind their borders, but ultimately they were convinced." "I believe," he continued with a wry smile, "that our finances helped to convince them. We can and already have contributed to the economy here in Dorfli, especially since we have already hired three women who previously did not have work." He looked up at his wife and ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it back slightly. Georg was so glad he had relieved Maria of her arduous work load, and that action had led to other benefits as well. "So we are legal immigrants," he concluded. "They know everything there is to know, and I have been granted political amnesty." He could see as well as feel her entire body relax against him as she let out a big sigh of relief. "We still need to be careful, but I see no reason why we can't stay here for the foreseeable future."
Maria relaxed even more, closed her eyes, and let her head drop lightly onto his shoulder. Georg could tell she was saying a prayer of thanks. He held her closer to him, this time putting his hand on the back of her head. He whispered his own silent prayer of thanks, although Georg's gratitude wasn't just for their current political safety, but also for Maria herself.
After a few minutes of mutual prayer and gratitude, Maria propped herself back up and smiled down at her husband. There was so much love shining out of her eyes that Georg felt he could live forever in her gaze.
Finally he asked her again: "And you, Maria Von Trapp, did you have a good day?"
"Yes, it was definitely a good day," she told him. "With a start like that, how could it not be?" She leaned down and kissed him once more.
"Johanna and Karolina are wonderful – together they were able to finish Kurt's new outfit. Tomorrow they will start on an outfit for Brigitta." "And Anna," she continued, "is wonderful. I had forgotten how good it is to spend the day with our family, rather than cooking for nine. Thank you, again."
Georg smiled contentedly up at her. All he wanted to do was love her, please her, and be with her.
"I did have a talk with the children," she continued. "Gretl hadn't realized that everything we left behind in Austria is staying in Austria."
"That must have been a rude shock," Georg said with a bit of concern.
"It was," Maria agreed. "But she's clear about it now – they are all clear about it."
He tightened his arms around her gently, grateful that she had been free to be with the children while he had been taking care of their family affairs.
"There is one little thing, though," Maria added.
"What is that?" Georg asked with even more concern.
"The children have all agreed that they would like some kittens," she informed him, and he could hear the amusement in her voice. "I think it's a good idea. It will give them something new to love that they never had back in Austria."
Georg did not like pets. He thought they were entirely too bourgeois, but he could tell this was already a lost cause, and that the family would be getting kittens. "Kittens?" he asked helplessly.
"Kittens," she affirmed, with a bit of amusement.
"Kittens," he repeated, and looked up to the ceiling with the air of a man who was silently suffering a great wrong, and nodded.
Maria laughed inwardly. She knew that this man's life hadn't been the same since the day she arrived at the villa, but she also knew that he wouldn't change it back for anything.
"Now," she said coyly, and started to run her fingers around the neckline of his pajama top. "What was that you said this morning? Something about finding a thing or two for me to do here, with you?"
"Why, Baroness Von Trapp," Georg protested with a great show of shock. "Are you trying to seduce me?"
"Maybe," Maria replied as she started to kiss the skin under and around his ears. "Do you need to be seduced?"
"Not at all," he almost growled, and rolled over so that he was on top of her, and began to pull off the simple, shapeless, soon to be replaced night dress.