Twenty-Two

This was the last day that Maria and Georg would spend in Switzerland. Through the night and the next morning, they would be on a train across the continent to the northern coast of France. From there, they would take a ferry across the English channel to the island of Britain. If they were lucky and the weather held out, they would be in London by that night.

As Elsa and Philomena helped Maria pack her things that afternoon, it was clear to them both that she was less than enthusiastic about leaving. She told them hesitantly about her fears for the future, and her despair of leaving her beloved mountains for God only knew how long.

"Don't feel badly, honey," said Philomena, wrapping a comforting arm around Maria's shoulders. "Anybody going so far from home feels this way, and it's only natural."

"Thank you," said Maria gratefully, and resumed her packing.

"So…you really have no idea what you will do after you and Georg reach England?" asked Elsa tentatively, her tone showing that she only wanted to help.

Maria heaved a deep sigh. "No…I don't know how long the family will stay in England before sailing to America. Not for very long, I think, because Georg said they needed to be there before the summer is over…I don't know where I'll go from there."

"You hadn't thought to go with them?" asked Philomena in surprise.

Maria paused in her task, and tried to mask her sadness with a chuckle. "As what? I'm not family, I'm just the governess."

"Maria, don't talk such nonsense," said Elsa firmly. "You are their family."

"According to whom?" Maria couldn't help but snap.

"According to everyone who has seen you interact with them! Myself, Max, the Gruber children, and the family itself! Those children love you like their own mother." Elsa stopped herself from mentioning that Georg loved her, too; she had done that once before and the result had been disastrous.

Thankfully, Philomena spoke up right where Elsa left off, in the most gentle of tones. "And Georg loves you so much, Maria."

Maria froze, but her hands and lips trembled while her eyes became brighter. "Don't…say that, Philomena, please don't say that…" She began packing furiously. "It's not –"

"Don't say it's not true, Maria," interrupted Philomena. Elsa wisely remained silent. "The three of us have watched you these past two and a half weeks, and it's undeniable what is between the two of you. Elsa could spot it when you danced all those weeks ago."

"And, if anything, it's gotten even stronger," added Elsa, silently begging Maria to hear she was being sincere this time.

For a long minute, Maria stood silent, fiddling with the blouse she had paused in folding. Then, without looking up, Maria softly spoke in a calm voice. "I cannot deny my heart is his, for longer than even I thought before. But I won't believe he feels the same for me unless he tells me himself." She looked between both women. "Fair enough?"

They nodded. Elsa spoke next. "Maria, would you go with them to America?"

Her answer was immediate. "Yes, if they asked me to. I love that family as if it were my own. If I could be a part of it…I wouldn't care if I never saw my mountain again." Her voice was so resolute and passionate, there could be no denying her sincerity. "But I can't very well invite myself to come along, can I?"

"Clearly you haven't talked to Georg about any of this," Elsa observed.

"I've been so focused on his recovery and didn't want to burden him with my problems," said Maria, and the two older women smiled at her selfless nature.

"Well, talk to him now!" said Philomena. "Max is helping him pack now. This should all be resolved before the two of you reunite with the children."

"I know…" said Maria. "But I'm nervous…"

"Maria," said Philomena, putting her warm hands on Maria's trembling shoulders. "After getting to know you, and hearing of all you've done for this family, I have come to the conclusion that you are the most courageous woman that I know. You can do this."

"But what if he…"

"Darling, as more experience women of the world, we know about such things," said Elsa. "So believe me when I say that Georg knows, not thinks, he loves you."

Philomena could see the hope begin to rise in Maria's eyes, so threw the final bait. "Go and find him. Tell Max that I would like to see him so he will be out of the way."

Maria bit her lip as a nervous smile lit her face. Finally, she nodded her head a bit, took a deep breath, and left the room.

Philomena and Elsa were left grinning at each other.

Max and Georg finished packing with a satisfied feeling. Georg walked to his window and looked out at the lovely day. "I'll bet you'll be glad to be on the move again," said Max with a smile.

"You have no idea, Max," replied Georg, leaning against the windowframe in meditation. "The farther away from that place I am, the better. I want to see my children again and get them as far away from here as I can."

"Understandable," said Max, stepping towards him a bit. "But there is one question that needs to be answered right away."

"And what is that?"

"When are you going to tell Maria you love her?"

Max asked this in a very frank and matter-of-fact way, without accusation or needling. But Georg still had an affronted reaction. He turned sharply to Max, opening his mouth for a rebuttal, but Max just calmly held up a hand and said:

"Don't bother denying a fact, Georg. You're much smarter than that."

This did indeed silence Georg. He turned back to the window, the fierceness in his face not lightening up at all. He gave a firm, one-word reply: "Never."

This shocked Max. "What? But…why?"

"Max, you're much smarter than that," snapped Georg, throwing his friend's words back at him rudely.

"Explain it to me anyway," Max snapped right back.

Georg looked at him again, and Max could see the torture in his eyes. "Do you honestly believe I could ever bring myself to ask so much of her after everything that's happened? Do you honestly think I could ever trust myself with so wonderful a treasure when I've already almost put it to death?"

"Georg, she –"

"No, don't!" Georg yelled, backing away from Max a bit, looking more fierce and tortured than ever. "Don't you dare say what she feels, you don't know! She could never…after what I've done…how could she? I could never ask so much of her!"

"Georg, please, listen –"

"NO!" Georg finally lost his temper a bit, nearly shouting now. "I never asked for this, Max, and I don't want it after all that has happened. God only knows all that those bastards beat out of me. I would only break her, and I can't…" Georg, knowing he needed to be alone to cool down, stormed out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Max sighed and rubbed his temples. Feeling the need for some fresh air himself, Max left the bedroom intending to go down the hall in the opposite direction that Georg had gone. But before he could even start, he froze at what he saw. There stood Maria, nearly hidden by the door Georg had thrown open, looking small and stricken.

After closing the door, Max said, "Oh, no, you heard?"

When Maria spoke, her voice was hollow but hurt, with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Philomena sent me to get you…I couldn't help it."

Max immediately pulled her into a comforting hug and let her cry a bit. "I'm so sorry," was all he could think to say.

But Maria surprised him when she pulled away from him. Her eyes held a similar fierceness that Georg's had held, but it was the right kind of fierceness. She wiped the tears from her face and said, "I love him, Max. What am I supposed to do?"

Max felt relief flood through him as strongly as it had when he'd heard Georg was safe. What a perfect match they are, he mused, before speaking to her with soft determination.

"Before you two arrive in England, this is what you have to do. It may be the only way…"