"I thought that Father was going to send Fraulein Maria away," Louisa confided to her oldest sister in a hushed whisper. "I've never seen him look so angry as he did at the lake."
Liesl gave a small nod, "I thought so too," she admitted. "But she seems to be here to stay."
Biting down on her bottom lip, Louisa pondered what possibly could have happened, "I wonder what made him change his mind...I mean I'm happy that he did, I want Fraulein Maria to stay forever but..." she trailed off, unsure of how she wanted to word her next thought.
"I know what you mean," Liesl remarked as she brushed her hair carefully, wanting to look her best for dinner. She thought for a moment and placed her brush down on the small dressing table, turning to face her sister, "You know that she can't stay forever though, don't you?"
Louisa flushed pink. "I know that," she hissed. "I'm not dim. I'm just saying I want her to."
Liesl turned back to the mirror, trying to look unaffected as she replied, "We all do, but when we go back to school, she won't have anything to do and then when Father marries the Baroness-"
"You don't know that he will," Louisa cut in hotly, her eyes sparking and her fingers curling into the throw on her bed in ill-disguised frustration.
"He wouldn't have brought her to meet us if he wasn't at least thinking about it," she told her sister sagely. She was sixteen, she knew how these things worked…well she knew bits about them, but certainly more than Louisa could hope to.
Louisa's lips thinned. "She doesn't look like a mother. I don't think she'll read Gretl or Marta stories, or tuck them in."
"No, probably not," Liesl admitted. "We'll just have to do that for them."
"If she doesn't send us off to boarding school you mean." Louisa flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she sighed wishfully, "If only Father could marry Fraulein Maria instead."
Liesl let out a giggle. "I thought you said you weren't dim. That will never happen."
Sitting bolt upright once more, her cheeks bright red with embarrassment for voicing her secret wish, Louisa snapped, "I know it won't, we've been through this, but it's the only way she'll ever get to stay forever."
"I know, but we'll just have to make the most of her while we have her," Liesl answered. "And face the rest when we come to it."
"Hmmm, do you think the Baroness is afraid of spiders?"
Liesl's eyes twinkled with merriment. "I certainly don't think she'll like them, or frogs for that matter."
"I wonder if any of her dresses have pockets."
"There's only one way to find out. I think we should start with sneaking a snake into her room. Do you think you can find another one?"
Louisa smirked, "Oh I think so, Kurt will be glad to help me look as well. Although we should probably try to think of some new tricks as well."
"No tricks," came a voice from the doorway, and the two girls whirled round guiltily to come face to face with their governess who was standing with her hands planted firmly on her hips, as she pursed her lips disapprovingly at them.
"We were just...uhm..." Louisa looked at her sister in desperation but even Liesl seemed stuck for an excuse and offered a helpless shrug instead.
"I know what you were just doing," Maria replied in amusement, "but you're not to, not anymore."
"You've never minded any of our tricks though," Louisa protested.
"That doesn't mean you should continue with them. It will only upset your Father, and I don't think that is very wise, after all he was so very happy to see you all this afternoon. I would not want you to spoil that." Maria looked between the two girls, could see the indecision on their faces. She honestly believed that the Captain meant his words, meant that he really would try to repair the void he had created between himself and his children, but it would not help if they were to alienate the woman he intended to marry.
"Fine," Liesl sighed after a moment. "We won't do anything, but that doesn't mean the boys haven't already," she grudgingly admitted. It had been so long since their Father had been close to them and she did not really want to risk ruining that.
"Good, well I shall see you both at dinner," Maria told them firmly. "I shall leave you to gather the younger girls." Normally she would have done so herself, but she now had something she wanted to check.
She walked calmly away from the door, only beginning to rush when she knew that she was out of sight. She could only hope that the Captain had not already guided his guests into the dining room.
Flinging herself around the doorway she saw that she was safe, that she was the first in the room. She scanned the table, surely the Baroness would be sat next to the Captain, or would she be seated at the other end of the table? Maria gave a soft sigh, she had absolutely no idea of the etiquette behind seating arrangements and so she'd just have to check all the chairs, just to be on the safe side, and while she was about it, she might just check the children's pockets when she went to collect them. Surely, they should be glad of the prospect of a new mother? The Baroness was certainly formal but that did not mean she was not capable of warmth given some more time. The Captain surely would not be considering marriage if she were not.
Shaking her head, she went back to her task, tipping each chair backwards in turn, looking to see if the children had left a gift on any of them. She had just reached the top of the table when she heard the Captain's voice ask her, "Fraulein, what are you doing?"
Maria looked up guiltily to see the Captain and his two guests framing the doorway, all three of them impeccably dressed for dinner. "I uhm," she felt her skin heat and flush underneath his direct gaze, his head tilted in curiosity. "I was just checking that everything was adequately prepared for tonight," she finally offered weakly.
"Ah, I see." His eyes twinkled in the same way that she had noted that Liesl's had when she'd talked about what tricks they could play. "I thought perhaps you were looking for pinecones."
Maria felt her mouth go dry, he knew and what was worse was that he was teasing her. She watched as the Baroness frowned as she asked, "Why on earth would she be looking for pinecones in here?"
Tilting her head in the Captain's direction, Maria asked, "Yes, Captain, I imagine that if I were to look for pinecones the garden would be the place to go."
"Quite, but I have noticed that certain items seem to appear in the oddest of places in this house."
She could not help but glare at him, at his obvious amusement. She tapped her fingers against the top of the chair she was standing at – his chair – and remarked, "Well since you are all here, I would hate to keep you waiting, I shall just go and collect the children."
Stepping to the side, she watched for a moment as the Captain led the Baroness to her chair and realised with a prickle of horror that it was one that she hadn't checked yet. Her feet felt glued to the floor as she watched him draw back the chair and guide the Baroness into it, letting out a rather loud sigh of relief when she sat down without incident. She saw the Captain look at her again, and for a moment she honestly believed that he was holding back a laugh. She turned to go and collect her charges when he called her back, "Ah, Fraulein, one last thing before you go."
Maria turned at the doorway, watching as he made his way towards her, could feel the Baroness's and Mr Detweiler's eyes upon her. She felt herself on edge as he moved closer to her, she was not afraid, but she could not quite describe what it was she did feel in regard to his proximity. He indicated that she should hold out her hand, his back blocking his guest views as he drew his hand out of his pocket and pressed something into her hand, his fingertips grazing her palm and she felt a jolt at the sensation. Looking down, Maria smiled widely when she saw that he'd handed her a pinecone. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling as she realised that he had beaten her to the punch. He gave a small shrug. "As I said, the oddest of places."
She could not withhold her laugh and closing her hand around the offending item gave him a small nod, before rushing once more from the room.
"What are we going to do tomorrow, Fraulein Maria?" Marta asked as she prodded at the small pile of vegetables on her plate with her fork.
"I have not thought about it yet," Maria admitted. "But no doubt we shall find something to amuse ourselves.
"Can we go on a picnic?" Gretl asked enthusiastically.
"Perhaps, we shall see," Maria told the little girl with a smile.
Georg looked over to where they were sitting, having only just been able to hear the quiet conversation from his place at the head of the table. "I believe a picnic sounds like a marvellous idea." He turned to Elsa. "What do you think?"
Elsa blinked nervously before fixing a polite smile on her face. "It does sound charming," she replied.
"Then that's decided, The Baroness and I shall take you all for a picnic tomorrow."
The children stared amongst each other in delighted disbelief, while the colour drained from Elsa's face, she had believed that Georg had intended for the governess to accompany the children, after all that was her role. She hadn't expected to attend at all. She looked towards him. "Shall it just be the two of us and the children?"
"And Max of course," Georg confirmed. He knew that he was pushing Elsa's boundaries with this request but then she had to become accustomed to the children at some point and sooner was probably better.
Brigitta's face fell. "What about Fraulein Maria, Father?"
"Perhaps it is time that we allowed Fraulein Maria to have a day off, hmm?"
He watched as his children's faces crumpled, all seven of them simultaneously making their disapproval of this idea clear. "Oh no, Father!"
Sighing, although his smile was still firmly in place, Georg settled back in his chair and looked over to where his governess was sitting, looking slightly flustered by the fuss. He was amused by how she could deal with his children so easily when they were being utter hellions and yet the seemingly common and mundane could still throw her. "Well, Fraulein Maria, what do you say to this?"
"I think that it is your decision, Captain," she replied after a moment's thought. She did not want to admit that she would be disappointed not to spend the afternoon with the children but neither did she want to interfere.
He thought for a moment, he did not want to acknowledge the thought that he would be glad of her company, but rather from the practical point of view it would be easier for him to integrate Elsa into the children's lives if she were there to smooth the way. Keep them under control. "Well...if you do not mind forgoing the day off then you shall join us."
"Very well," Maria smiled, nodding her head. She turned her attention back to Marta and chided her gently, "Marta, you have to eat those, or you won't have any desert."
Marta grumbled slightly but finally raised her fork to her lips.
"I believe I shall bid you both a fond goodnight," Elsa remarked, getting to her feet and offering a small smile to both men, as she gracefully excused herself from the room.
"I shall see you out," Georg offered, getting readily to his feet.
Putting her hand on his shoulder, she stopped him. "There's no need, I shall see myself to bed." She nodded towards Max, "Good night," she told him.
"Good night," he answered, taking a sip of his scotch and savouring it, waiting until she was out of earshot before remarking, "What an eventful day."
Georg sighed tiredly, "I fear that you are hinting towards something."
"Oh, nothing really." He eyed his friend carefully, watching for any glimmer of a reaction as he added, "just that your governess wasn't quite what I had expected."
Letting out a dry chuckle, Georg remarked, "I don't believe that she is what anyone expected, certainly not from a place like Nonnberg."
"Yes, I imagine that she was quite a surprise to you," Max admitted. "But what I find...curious, is how you led me to believe her to be some miserable, frump."
"I don't believe I ever used those words."
Max topped up his drink from the crystal decanter and leaned back in his chair. "But neither did you correct me."
"Max whatever it is you are driving at, just say it," Georg told his old friend impatiently.
He shrugged, nonchalance faked but convincing nonetheless. "Just that to an outside eye, it would appear that you were hiding the fact that you had a vivacious, pretty young postulant living within your house, and from your oldest friend as well."
Georg felt his spine stiffen. "Just what are you suggesting?"
"That perhaps this girl has a propensity to get under your skin."
"Nonsense," he denied.
Max eyed him, tilting his glass in his direction, he kept his tone even as he told him, "There is no shame in it, Georg, we have all had out heads turned by someone completely unsuitable at some point. I merely bring this up to urge you to take caution-"
"There is no need to warn me" He interrupted tersely, Fraulein Maria is my children's governess, nothing else."
"Good," Max declared, utterly unconvinced. "Just so long as that is the truth of the matter."
Georg glared down at his own drink, his skin prickling uncomfortably. Truth be told he did not want to dwell on what thoughts Fraulein Maria brought to his mind, or on why he had never corrected his friend's image of her.