When Georg returned from the station, however, it was quiet in the house and in the garden. Too quiet, he thought. What a difference a few weeks made! There was nothing more annoying in the last couple of years than hearing his children being exactly that – children. They reminded him so much of what was never again going to be. He, his wife, their children – a happy family. How wrong he was.
Maria was everything he could ever hope for – but never thought he'd have again. She was so warm and compassionate. She had no reservations about standing up to him – something that Agathe had mastered and that he desperately needed. And she was very unpretentious. He knew how long it took Elsa to get ready for anything. He doubted that Maria had a vain bone in her body. He hoped that he could find out much more about her, his Maria, in the very near future.
While he was sitting in his car, thinking about his children and his governess, he had an idea. It wasn't too late in the afternoon, really. And he knew what a hard time Maria had getting the children down from the mountain – if they were on the Untersberg. So he took a chance, started the car and took off toward the station where the little steam train arrived. He was looking forward to meeting his children, and he couldn't wait to lay eyes on Maria.
As luck would have it, just as he was slowing the car down, the train arrived with a loud whistle – and out came his laughing family. Friedrich and Kurt carried two large baskets, Louisa helped Marta down the steep steps of the old train and caught Gretl when she jumped from the train at her sisters signal. Maria and Liesl were the last to emerge, laughing at something they had obviously just talked about.
Georg just stayed behind the wheel and took the scene in. Yes, he was a happy man again. And he hoped to be even happier. Soon.
Maria saw him first. She looked at him like she couldn't believe what she was seeing – and then she smiled. At him. Her whole face lit up when she looked at him. He smiled and winked at her, gesturing to her not to say anything and jumped out of the car toward his brood.
Brigitta looked up in time to see her father meeting them at the platform. She grinned and ran into his open arms, her brothers and sisters following soon after. "What are you doing here, father?" Kurt asked. "How did you know where to find us?"
"I was lonely at home after I've ran all my errands", he said, grinning at his children. "And I thought that you might have gone to the Untersberg in this beautiful weather. Now, what do you all think about some ice cream?" He couldn't have made a better offer, and while his children cheered around him, Maria smiled at him tenderly. "Good idea, Captain", she said. He felt something like to proverbial butterflies.
"Fräulein Maria has to get the biggest serving, father. I don't want her to cry again while we are having ice cream", Gretl interrupted their moment. Maria swallowed and hugged the youngest girl to her. "Gretl, you know it wasn't because of the ice cream or because of you that I have started to cry that day. I was simply sad." Maria had talked to the little girl the day after her excursion with the Captain and had explained to her that it was not the girl's fault that she had started to cry.
"Let's go now, before the ice cream parlor closes for the day", she said and shooed the children out of the station. They were close enough to Salzburg's beautiful Altstadt that they could just walk there, the children pairing off in a competition to get there first. The two smallest girls went with Liesl and the others let them stay in front, even though they could have been a lot faster if they had wanted to. But they knew how much especially Marta loved her strawberry ice cream!
Georg and Maria followed at a more sedate pace. They were both exhausted – Maria because of all the running and walking and singing and playing they had done on the mountain. Georg because he couldn't sleep last night and had anticipated today's talk with Baroness Schräder. When they crossed a street and had to get back up on the sidewalk, Maria's foot caught on one of the uneven cobblestones and she lost her balance when she felt strong arms catching her fall. Before she knew what was happening, the Captain had his arm around her waist and steadied her.
Maria apologized to her employer and was embarrassed by her own clumsiness. "Thank you for stopping my fall", she said quietly, not looking at Georg. "You are very welcome, Maria", he said and smiled at her. A genuine smile. How she loved that he didn't make fun of her. He offered her his arm and she link her right arm with his left. How nice that felt to both of them, nice and right even in the oppressive heat of the summer's day.
They reached the colorful ice cream parlor in no time and Maria and the Captain had to part in front of the door. Georg gestured for her to enter before him, gallantly holding the door for her. Maria smiled shyly and accepted the gesture. The children quickly scanned the little signs in the display to see what the owner had made that day. "Two scoops each", their father told them – and they started telling the owner's wife behind the counter what flavors they wanted. Youngest to oldest, without any fight or bickering at all. Georg was more than impressed.
After the children all held their ice cream cones in their hands, they decided to go outside and sit under a large oak tree on the other side of the road. Maria made to follow them, but her employer caught her hand. He had seen her intense look at the variety of flavors, and he wouldn't let her leave the little café without the treat that her heart desired.
"Where are you off to, Fräulein?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"My charges, Captain", she replied, just a little sassily.
"But you have no ice cream yet, and Gretl insisted that you get the biggest serving", he reminded her. "And you know how she is." How great it felt to just banter with someone, with her.
"Alright", Maria said, turning to the server quickly. "I'll have chocolate, straciatella and cherry, please". She looked back at the Captain. "That's 50 percent more than any of the children. Are you happy?"
"Very", Georg drawled, trying not to laugh at her. He then ordered his treat, "Lemon, strawberry, banana and blueberry, if you please." Before receiving his cup, he went to pay for their afternoon delight.
Maria looked at him curiously when he picked up his cup. "Now, that's four scoops if I've counted correctly, Captain. How will that agree with Gretl?"
"Well, I'm a grown man and there are many, many vitamins in here", he said, further teasing her. She looked at him with wide eyes. "Ah, that's how you call it", she replied. Both hat to grin at their banter when they exited the little shop and went across the street to join the children.
They sat on the grass beside the children, each enjoying their sweet treat. Gretl went over to Maria and leaned into her side. "Careful, Gretl", Maria reminded her. The girl nodded – both didn't want any stains on their dresses. Gretl compared her cone to that of Maria. "You've really got more ice cream than we do", she said and grinned. After turning her head and looking at her father, she looked disappointed. "But father, you have even more."
"It's just vitamins, baby", he said. "Look, it's all fruit flavors." His daughter looked at the Captain skeptically, but accepted his answer, busily licking at her own ice cream in the heat. The other children laughed quietly at their father's explanation. "So you have you sweet tooth back as well, father?" Liesl said from his right side, smiling at him but with an unsure look in her eyes. Sometimes the children still had a hard time believing that heir playful, loving father was back. But here he was, looking at his oldest tenderly. "Yes, finally."
After the family returned to the villa, everything went its normal way. They had dinner, they sang some songs, the children went to bed at a reasonable hour. Maria went to her room after saying good night to the Captain who had accompanied her to her door. "Thank you for the afternoon", she said, smiling at him.
"I didn't do much", he replied.
"Yes, you did, Captain. You spend time with the children – and ice cream is always a good idea", she said. "How are you feeling after your vitamin boost, anyway?"
"Great, maybe a little restless", he said. "I'll go and sort some of my paperwork out – and then I will go to bed soon, I think." He smiled at her affectionately and bid her a good night, taking her right hand in his left and kissed it lovingly.
"Sleep well, Captain", Maria said softly.
Inside her bedroom, she sat down in the armchair in front of her window. He had kissed her hand. Again. She felt that something in their relationship had shifted ever since the night on the little island. And she liked it. Very much.
After being lost in her own thoughts for a long time, Maria got up and changed into her summer nightgown. She had made it for herself, from some cotton material she had left over from her other dresses. It was short, reaching only to her knees, sleeveless and wide. It was comfortable and Maria had taken to wear it whenever she was in her room. This summer was by far the hottest that the young woman could remember. The temperatures during the days would rise in the high 30s, and nighttime didn't bring much relief. Although all windows in the villa were open to allow some fresh air in, it was still stifling hot.
Tonight was no exception. Maria was exhausted, but she knew that sleep wouldn't come, because her mind was overactive. So she did what she had done occasionally in the last two weeks. She went into her bathroom, grabbed a towel and made her way into the basement of the villa. The heavy iron door that led from the cool cellar was never locked, and she had found an old bicycle there on one of the strolls she had taken in the cooler night air. The bike was rusty and had no light – but it was good enough for her nightly trips.
She fastened her towel on the carrier on top of the rear tire and pushed the pedals forward. Maria rode the bike for a couple of kilometers around the lake, until she was far enough away from the villa. The wind that she generated felt great in her hair and on her face, wearing nothing but her light nightgown and her panties. She had discovered a secluded spot at the lake a while back when she was out running with the children. It was sheltered and hidden by some beautiful old trees, and the grass reached all the way to the water. She leaned the bike against an old oak tree and took her towel to the shore.
There was a faint light coming from the stables that belonged to the estate, just enough that she could see. The moon, almost full, was hidden behind some clouds that had gathered in the night sky. She dipped her toes into the water in anticipation – and let out a heartfelt sigh at the cooler temperatures. Looking around like she always did, Maria made sure nobody was there. She knew it was ridiculous, because the entire lake belonged to the Captain's property and was behind high walls. But she always made sure that she was alone. Taking off her gown and underwear, she made quick work of jumping into the lake water, diving in graciously.
Although Maria had grown up on a mountain, she knew how to swim very well. She had learned the basic strokes at school and found that she liked to be in the water. However, a bathing suit wasn't standard issue in that little chamber that held the things that the poor didn't want, and so Maria never had one since entering the Abbey. The children, for some reason, had never asked to go into the lake with her – she had a suspicion about that one. So her only choice of enjoying a refreshing swim in this hot summer was to go far away from the villa and do some skinny-dipping.
Maria swam toward yet another tiny island in the lake that had a couple of trees. She enjoyed the rhythm that freestyle swimming had, and she loved the freedom and quiet that being out here all by herself brought her. When she reached the island, she found the root of a tree that hung in the air – just right for her to hold onto without having to get out of the water. After a little while she started back leisurely, alternating between backstrokes and breaststrokes. When she could feel the mossy ground underneath her feet and started to climb out of the water, she made out some movement in her peripheral vision. She thought it might be an animal, but soon found that it was a man, walking briskly in the direction of the villa.
And not just any man. Georg von Trapp. In riding breeches, a loose linen shirt and boots. No tie, no jacket. Maria made a quick move backwards so the water submerged her naked body. The movement alerted the Captain, who came towards the shore to investigate. Maria felt trapped – but she had no other option than to face her employer. And really, she had done nothing wrong. She just and simply didn't own a bathing suit and still wanted to enjoy the lake.
When he came around the trees he saw the old bike, the little heap of material where her towel and nightgown lay on the grass. And his governess. Well, actually he didn't see much more than Maria's head as she tried to keep her body under the surface of the lake. He looked in her direction curiously and grinned at her. "What have we here?" he said, leaning against a tree trunk and looking at her.
Maria blushed under his intense gaze. "Well Captain, you see… it was so hot in my room and I couldn't sleep. So I came here to go for a swim and cool down in the water."
"Why didn't you go to the landing closer to the house?" he wanted to know.
"Oh, I didn't want to wake the children with all the splashing", she said. Even though the night air was still warm, Maria had been in the lake for quite some time and she was getting cold. But getting out of the water was no option as long as the Captain was there. Georg chuckled and thought how considerate she was. Just like always when he encountered the young woman unexpectedly, he was happy to be in her presence and wanted to prolong the moment as long as possible.
"Are you cool enough now?" he asked. "Because if you are, we can walk back together", he added.
Maria blushed furiously at his innocent question and stumbled for an explanation why she couldn't come out of the water when he was standing there, watching her. At the end, she had no other option than the truth. "I would love to, Captain, because frankly, I am getting cold in here. But you'll have to turn around."
Georg grinned, thinking that she was just very modest and didn't want him to see her in a bathing costume. "Oh, I'm sure you have nothing to be shy about", he said. You are so beautiful in your dresses, I'm sure you're even more breathtaking in a tight bathing costume, he added in his mind.
Maria looked at him intently, willing him to understand. But he didn't. So she went with all the frankness she could muster. "Captain, I don't own a bathing suit, so I'm in here… well, you know. Without one." Georg had made his way toward the shore, intending to hold up the towel for Maria and maybe rub her shoulders dry when she came out of the water. But while he was bending down to retrieve the towel, the words registered. He looked at her, grinning from ear to ear.
But she was getting colder by the minute and losing her patience with him. "Captain, if you could please step behind one of the trees and allow me to leave the water. I would appreciate it." Georg took the towel and left it as close to the shore as possible, quickly walking behind a thick tree trunk. He was a gentleman, after all.
But he was also curious, and he wanted to see more of Maria. As luck would have it, he could peek between two branches at the side of the sturdy tree. And what he saw tock his breath away. And awoke parts of him that had been rather neglected in the last couple of years.
She was breathtaking. Long legs, lean, with curves in all the right places. Her breasts looked like they would fit into his hands perfectly. But before she could catch him, he actually turned around and gave her the privacy she asked for.
"May I come out of my hiding now?" he asked in a loud voice after a while. She had wrapped the large towel around herself, trying to get dry and warm at the same time. Georg turned and saw her shiver slightly. He stepped forward and went to her. Maria kept her eyes on the ground, feeling embarrassed that he had caught her in less than proper attire.
"Maria, you are cold. And I have no spare clothes to offer you this time", he said, in a neutral voice. Both were remembering their first boat ride to the island, when Maria was so upset by Gretl's innocent questions. The night he had fallen in love with her, really. He led her to some big rocks by the shore. He put his hand on the smooth surface of one of the stones.
"Here", he said, "sit down. They are still warm from the sunshine today." She did as he said and felt much better. He sat beside her, but kept his distance. Still, his hands itched to help her get warmer. He looked at her and asked "May I?" Maria didn't know what he was offering, but she knew one thing: She could trust him. She was certain that he wouldn't take advantage of her, clothed or unclothed. So she whispered "yes", curious what he wanted to do.
First, Georg set his right hand on the towel on her back. He started rubbing in firm circles on top of the towel. Maria immediately felt warmer, by his proximity and by his actions. He then sat behind her and started rubbing her bare arms, to make the skin warmer than it currently was. She leaned back into him unconsciously, the feeling of his strong hands on her cold skin was amazingly comfortable. Never before had Maria been so close to anyone in such a state of undress, but it felt… right.
When his hands reached hers, she gripped them in her own and held them tightly. "Thank you, Captain", she said, in a voice that was much breathier than normal. "Georg. My name is Georg, Maria", he whispered in her ear. She turned her head and looked at him, surprised. While they were certainly more than employer and employee, it had never occurred to her that he might want to get closer to her.
"Georg", she said, trying out the name. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her closer to him. He felt her still cool skin under his hands as he stroked and caressed her arms back up to her shoulders. Slowly, he brought his lips to the side of her neck and placed a tender kiss on the pulse that he saw racing there.
Maria moaned softly. She hadn't seen that one coming. Certainly not when she escaped the oppressive heat of her bedroom tonight. But it felt so good to sit here with Georg, just the two of them in the quietness that came in the middle of the night.
She turned her head around and saw the most amazing sight. Georg looked at her with such a tender look in his eyes that it literally took her breath away. He caressed her cheek slowly as their mouths came closer together. When finally their lips met, the feeling was unlike anything Maria had ever experienced. Tears sprang to her eyes at the tenderness of the moment.
Even though it was a chaste kiss, it couldn't have been more heartfelt. Maria rested her forehead on Georg's shoulder and he tightened his embrace. "My Maria, I love you so much", he whispered into her ear.
Now the floodgates opened. Maria was totally overwhelmed by the development of the evening and the last few weeks, really. She cried like she had cried on the little island in the lake that they had rowed to some weeks back. But this time, she wasn't sad. She was happy. Everything was right in her world, finally. Georg did nothing but hold her, caressing her tenderly.
She hiccupped and looked at him with watery eyes, but a smile on her face. "You know that these are happy tears, don't you?" she asked. He smiled and nodded. "I feel like I have finally found a home, and happiness. A place where I am not the odd girl out, but where I belong." She took a deep breath: "But I never thought you could have the same feelings that I have." Georg looked at her, confusion showing on his face. "Why?" he asked.
"You were so much in love with Agathe, and I'm just a simple, unrefined girl from a shack in the mountains with no family and no future…", she started. But Georg stopped her, with another tender kiss. "Maria, you are anything but simple. You have survived a horrible childhood and yet you have become a beautiful woman, inside and out. You had no fear to stand up to me and let me know what you thought of my behavior toward my children. After that, you encouraged and supported me in getting to know them again as the individuals they are. You never judged me, you just made all of our lives so much better. And somewhere along the way, between the conversations and discussions that we had, the time you spend with the children and me, I found that I can't imagine my life without you. I love you, and I never want to lose you."
Maria was speechless. And her towel had become dangerously loose through all the hugging. She tried to fasten it around herself once more, but Georg was in a playful mood after admitting his feelings. "You know what, Maria?" She looked at him and saw the dangerous gleam in his eyes – a look that he would get before he would tackle one of his sons to the ground in a game or would try and steal some sweets from the girls on their picnics. "I feel like a swim in the lake now. Will you join me?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he stood, pulled his light shirt over his head and started to tug at his riding boots. Maria didn't know where to look. She had never seen a man without a shirt on, and somewhere in her mind she knew that this situation was somewhat inappropriate. But this was the Captain von Trapp she had gotten to know over the last few weeks, too. Somewhat impulsive, a bit reckless – and totally uncaring about the opinion of society. If he wanted to do something, he did it. Even if it went against all rules.
Boots and socks off, he pushed his riding pants down his legs and ran for the water. Maria could see that he left his tight briefs on, but that was all that would be between them. Feeling warm and giddy, she jumped up, let the towel fall onto the rocks and joined him in the water.
-schnipp-
Thank you for your reviews. It means a lot to me that you take the time to read this little story :)