Twenty-Four

Maria did not go back to Georg until the ferry was docking on the Hampshire coast. And she didn't say a word to him for a good while afterwards. It's not that she was particularly angry, though she was just a little bit; what made her silent more than anything was her great sense of embarrassment. She wished she could jump into the ocean he loved so much and sink to the bottom like a rock. She had laid her whole heart bare before him, made herself completely vulnerable in her typical outspoken way, and he had given no response or reaction beyond shock.

Be fair, Maria: you did run off before you gave him a proper chance to do that, her conscience berated her. Of course, she had to admit this was true, but still she felt her embarrassment grow when she remembered Georg's shocked face as she'd confessed her love for him.

What set Maria on edge the most was that the move was now in his court, so to speak. She'd played her hand – shown him all of her cards, in fact – and the only thing she could do now was wait until she got some kind of response. Would it come soon or later? Maria wanted it to be soon, but hopefully someplace private (she was very thankful that no one had been near them when she'd made her confession).

So, hard as it was, Maria kept her silence and avoided looking at him as they got off the ferry. Georg kept a hand on her arm to ensure he would not lose her in the crowd, and hailed a taxi for them. Both were glad that they could speak English very well.

In the taxi, Maria felt almost numb. She barely heard Georg asking questions of the taxi driver, but she did feel his eyes on her throughout the short ride. She refused to meet it, feeling that if she did she would break down, and she didn't have the energy left to be that vulnerable to him again today.

When she felt the taxi come to a stop, she looked out of the window. They had pulled up to a small hotel that looked more like a large but cozy mansion, with a lovely garden all around it. She heard Georg say in explanation: "I knew that the main hotel would most likely be full with our ferry's late arrival, so I asked if our good driver would take us somewhere just as good, but smaller and out of the way."

"This is a good place," said the taxi driver in a friendly way. "First rate 'n excellent people. Nice couple's been running the business the last fifteen years or so."

Maria liked this idea much better than a bigger, crowded hotel, so she smiled gratefully at the driver as Georg paid. They then got out of the cab and walked up the front path paved with cobblestones. Reaching the front door, she could read the painted gold letters above the front door: The Abbey Arms Hotel.

Georg set one of his suitcases down and pulled the cord that rang the door bell. Within seconds, it was opened by a petite woman in her late forties, early fifties at most. Her fair hair, pulled back in a bun, had silver streaks; her blue dress was simple but suited her; though small wrinkles line her eyes and lips, her face was still lovely. Her smile was warm and welcoming.

"Good evening!" she greeted as waved them inside the lovely front hall. "If you're needing lodgings, we've plenty of room for you."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Georg in flawless English. "We do need a place to stay for one night."

"Then you've come to the right one," she said, not fazed at all by his foreign accent. She held out her hand for the both of them to shake, which they did. "I'm Anna Bates."

"Georg Von Trapp."

"Maria Rainer."

"Just leave your luggage there for the moment," said Anna. "My son, William, will have heard the front bell, and knows that means guests have come. He'll be right down to help you carry it up. Let's just get you all signed in first. My husband and his assistant will take care of that."

She motioned to the other end of the hall by the stairs, where there was a desk with two people sitting at it, both on the same chair. There sat a tall, broad man in his early-to-mid-sixties, his thick dark hair grayed and a cane propped at the desk beside him. On what was presumably his good leg sat a little girl of about nine or ten, with blonde curls and hazel eyes that matched her father's. He was reading to her softly from a well-worn copy of Peter Pan.

"Mark your place and close the book, you two, we have guests," said Anna with a smile, approaching her husband and daughter. They obeyed her, and the little girl hopped off her father's lap and walked around the desk. She smiled as she greeted: "Good evening, and welcome to The Abbey Arms Hotel. Will you be needing one room or two?"

None of the four adults could help smiling and laughing a bit. The little girl looked at her father, who had stood up with the help of his stick, over the desk. He stood taller even than Georg. "How was that, Papa?" she asked in earnest.

"Very good, my Fiona," he said with a smile, his deep voice matching his build. He turned his kind eyes and soft smiled to the guests as he opened the large register. "You're lucky; we close the front desk at nine o'clock, being a small, family establishment. Just fill out your names here."

"Two rooms, thank you," said Maria to Fiona as Georg signed the book, giving her a warm smile. Fiona shyly returned it before burying her face in her mother's blue skirt. Anna affectionately stroked her hair.

Mr. Bates pulled out two skeleton keys from a drawer, each with a leather tag that bore a number. "You'll have the two tops rooms on the third floor. They overlook the back garden, facing west so you won't have a blinding wake-up in the morning." He handed a key to each of them.

Just then, a young man about Friedrich's age came down the stairs. He had his father's height, dark hair and face, but was lanky like his mother. "William," she said, "Please help our guests up to the top rooms. Their luggage is by the door."

"Yes, Mother," he said, with a smile for the guests.

"And take Fiona with you," said Mr. Bates. "It's her bedtime."

"Oh, Papa, just a bit longer, please?" she pleaded, even as she rubbed her eyes and leaned against her mother.

William walked up to his sister and crouched before her. "Come on, Fi. What if I give you a ride?" He winked.

Her face lit up, and she eagerly went behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She squealed as he lifted her up, and her legs wrapped around his waist securely so he could have his arms free. "Follow us, then," said William with a grin to Georg and Maria.

They could not help but grin back and follow. "I'll carry my own bags, young man," said Georg. "Just take hers, please."

"Yes, sir," said William, and picked up Maria's carpetbag and guitar before he and his sister led the way up the stairs to their rooms. Georg followed next, followed by Maria. She found herself looking over the railing at the couple below just before they left her line of sight, and caught them steal a warm smile and kiss.

A/N: Alas, just as I do not own The Sound of Music, I do not own the two fine owners of this hotel. They are the creation of a Mr. Julian Fellowes. You don't need to know who they are, but if you happen to, I smile to thee. :D