I'm very sorry for the mammoth gap between updates, but hopefully you won't need to wait 8 months for the next one :)

Elsa pursed her lips together in distaste as she surveyed her surroundings, as much as she appreciated nature that did not mean she felt the need to be a part of it. She drew her legs in slightly closer so that she was firmly seated in the middle of the picnic rug, God forbid that there be ants roaming around – she gave a small shudder at such a thought.

"Chicken?" Max offered her, waving the offending drumstick in her face, a devilish smile on his features.

"I fear I shall have to decline," she returned easily, her perfect nose wrinkling as she rubbed her fingertips together, "far too messy."

Max gave a wry chuckle. "I'm afraid that today will be rather messy, my dear, whether you like it or not."

She gave a deep sigh. "I'm beginning to think that perhaps I should have feigned that headache after all."

"It might have gained you a reprieve," Max admitted, "but it does defeat the purpose of you being here. After all you have to get to know them at some point, and I do believe that due to recent events the children's approval may now hold more significance for you."

Elsa gave a quiet laugh. "Georg is his own man, as long as the children don't despise me, which naturally I shall ensure that they don't, then I shall have an engagement ring on my finger before the summer is out." She cast an amused look at her friend as she added, "And I shall not have to force myself to eat such items just to curry favour."

Max's eyebrows arched slightly at her comments, just twenty four hours ago he would have agreed with Elsa, but he had known Georg just as well before his wife had died and he could remember the man he was then, and that man was quickly returning. He took a bite of the drumstick and chewed it thoughtfully. Elsa was right in one way, Georg would not let his children have a deciding vote, but their happiness now held a lot more sway than the idea of a stepmother who would simply tolerate them up until the point she could plan their entrance into Society. His eyes narrowed in the bright afternoon sun, not only that but then there was also the issue of the young governess to attend to, Georg may not admit it, but Max could easily identify the beginnings of an infatuation, and if Elsa were not careful then he was certain that would only blossom. Still, there was nothing he could do for the moment, the cards would fall where they may and he would simply just have to advise in the way he saw best.

"I hope you're not going to eat all the food?" Kurt asked, his face red as he panted slightly from the exhaustion of the ongoing football game.

Max chuckled at the young boy's worried tone. "We've been sent up here with enough food to feed an army for a month. You don't have to worry," he assured him, "there will be plenty left by the time your game has reached its conclusion."

"You should come and play," Kurt told him. "That way we can have proper teams, old versus young."

"What a charming thought, I'm afraid however I shall have to decline, someone simply must keep the Baroness company."

Kurt shot the woman in question an unimpressed look. "She can join the girls. Fraulein Maria is teaching Marta and Gretl how to skip."

Elsa's eyes widened in dismay at such a thought, she offered the boy a weak smile as she told him, "I simply couldn't partake, it just wouldn't be ladylike."

His head tilted and he bit his tongue to stop himself from pointing out that Fraulein Maria was a lady and she was skipping. "What about handstands?"

"I'm wearing a skirt."

"You could tie it around your legs like Liesl and Brigitta have."

"What a thought," Max drawled, his eyes glittering dangerously, his mouth quivering with barely repressed laughter.

"This is silk, that wouldn't be possible."

Kurt's frown deepened, he sensed there was little point in suggesting she climb trees with Louisa, but he really did want his Uncle Max to join in their game, and he wasn't even sure why she had agreed to come along in the first place because she didn't seem to enjoy anything of the activities associated with picnics. "Right," he muttered darkly before stomping back in the direction of his game, where his father was giving Fredrich pointers.

"Oh dear," Max mumbled, "I do not think you have managed to gain his approval."

Elsa waved her hand dismissively. "Plenty of time for such things."

Liesl paused to tighten the knot of her skirt just above her knee, looking over at the Baroness and giving a short tut. She looked up to see Louisa's ankles dangling to the side of her left ear, her younger sister leaning over the branch and grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Can we not at least put a spider in her drink?" She asked quietly.

Louisa gave a delighted chuckle. "You're meant to be the nice one," she pointed out gleefully.

Giving a shake of her dark hair, Liesl pinched her sister's ankle in retaliation. "What can I say, she annoys me. So can we?"

"No, the spider would drown and as much as I'd love to see the look on her face it would just be cruel."

"To the spider?" she confirmed needlessly.

"Of course. I could arrange for one to end up in her hair though," Louisa remarked easily.

A smile spread across Liesl's features. "Perfect," she told her.

"No." They both turned, Louisa peering out from between the leaves so that she could see a rather stern looking Brigitta glaring at them both in turn, her hands resting on her hips. "Fraulein Maria made us promise that we wouldn't."

"I know," Liesl sighed, "But we have to get rid of her somehow."

"She's not here for that long," Brigitta protested, rolling her eyes slightly.

Liesl and Louisa shared a grim look of understanding, their younger siblings hadn't seemed to pick up on the fact that the Baroness was extremely close to becoming their new mother, and then they'd be stuck with her; for good. "Well," she replied carefully. "We don't want her accidently staying for any longer than she has to."

"No," she repeated, stamping her foot almost petulantly. "We promised, and it will look like Fraulein Maria can't keep us under control. I don't want her getting into trouble."

Dropping out of the tree, Louisa patted her younger sister's shoulder as she took in her flushed features and almost tearful eyes. "We don't want that either," she assured her. "We just don't want the Baroness here."

"I don't think she's that bad, she's quite pretty and..." Brigitta floundered as she tried to find another positive aspect to the woman, finally landing on, "and exotic."

"Exotic?" Liesl giggled.

"Yes." Brigitta blushed. "Well we haven't met anyone like her before, have we?"

"No, thankfully not," her oldest sister mumbled before adding in a stronger voice. "If it upsets you so much then we won't do it," she assured her firmly.

"Good," Brigitta declared as she brushed some of the dirt off her skirt, before tugging on Liesl's hand. "Now come on, you said you'd show me a cartwheel."

Louisa gave a snort as she followed on behind them. "She's no good at cartwheels; I'm much, much better."

"And so modest," Liesl teased in return.

"I do hope my cheeks don't go red," Elsa murmured to Max. "There's nothing more gauche than ruddy skin."

"I've always found pink cheeks to be rather attractive," came Georg's teasing words from behind her.

Elsa jumped, fixing a delighted smile on her face as she turned to look at him. "Georg, how awful of you to sneak up on me like that."

"I simply wanted to check that you were enjoying yourself."

"What's not to enjoy?" She replied, batting the question away without really answering it. She patted the spot on the rug next to her as she added, "although I would enjoy having your company."

He glanced over his shoulder to where his sons were practicing their skills with the ball and gave a small nod. "I think they can continue without me for a short while." He sat down next to her as he added with a charming smile, "And I would hate to think of you suffering with only Max for amusement."

"He has been as charming as he could be," Elsa assured him with a lilt of laughter. She rested her hand on his arm as she admired him. It was true that he wasn't quite the suave and sophisticated Captain Von Trapp that she was used to, but like this, with his shirt sleeves pushed up his strong forearms and his dark hair rumpled she had to admit that his appeal was most certainly not diminished in any way.

"You're not eating," he remarked quietly. "Something wrong with the food?"

"No, no not at all," she assured him.

"Just not the dainty food you're used to?"

"Not quite," she admitted. "I have to admit that I've not been completely won over by the idea of alfresco dining on the mountain, however charming a picture it paints."

A frown flickered across Georg's face, one he forced himself to squash. He did not know why he was so disappointed with Elsa's response, when he had first brought her here he had had no intention of taking her on any family outings, other than perhaps church on a Sunday. He knew what Elsa was good at, knew her strengths lay in her charm and elegance, that she would be the perfect Society wife and would smooth the way for his unruly rabble of children into said Society, but she could never be a mother to them; not in the real sense of the word. His brow furrowed again, he had never wanted a replacement mother for them, but neither was he quite as certain that Elsa's brand of charm was what they needed either. He felt her elegant fingers brush across his arm as she remarked quietly, "Georg, you've disappeared again."

His hand folded neatly over hers. "Simply thinking," he assured her.

"I don't know how you can do so much thinking in this heat," she teased.

He gave a small shrug, unable to formulate an appropriate response to that, Elsa enjoyed frivolity and she would most certainly not appreciate being dragged into his malaise. Instead, he shielded his eyes as he shifted to watch his children enjoy themselves, a smile pulling at his lips as he watched Gretl clumsily try to time her jumps in time with the skipping rope.

Even from here he could see the frustration welling up in her face, the way her small fists clenched together, her cheeks flushing. He gave a weary sigh; he could sense a temper tantrum welling up. It would appear that the young Fraulein had also noticed the upcoming storm, and he watched as she placed her hand on Gretl's shoulder, leaning down so that she was level with her. He watched with interest as she spoke quietly to his youngest child before straightening. Gretl clutched onto Fraulein Maria's hand, a look of intense concentration now on her features as they both moved into the middle of the rope.

Georg gave a quiet snort of amusement as it suddenly dawned on him exactly what the governess had in mind. Sure enough in the moment that followed he watched as the older girls ran over, Louisa and Brigitta picking up the ends of the rope and swinging it rhythmically as Leisl and Marta watched with delight. He saw Fraulein Maria shout, "Jump," and watched as both she and Gretl followed the command, saw the smile that almost split his daughter's face in two at her triumph. Fraulein Maria threw her head back, laughing in delight at her reaction, continuing her instruction so that Gretl could pick up on the rhythm.

Surprisingly it was not Gretl who faltered first, but the young Fraulein; she landed clumsily on one jump and was unable to time her next one correctly, her ankle catching on the rope, causing her to topple sideways. Unthinkingly he got to his feet, moving swiftly to where she was. She was still lying on the grass when he reached her, but she wasn't injured, in fact she appeared to be giggling quite happily. "Oh dear," she remarked to Gretl, "it would appear that I need to learn to take my own advice."

"Yes," Georg remarked dryly. "It would appear that the student quite quickly surpassed the teacher."

Maria's head jerked up from the warm grass as she realised that once again her employer had caught her in a most ungraceful and unprofessional act. "Captain," she spluttered awkwardly. "I didn't realise you were watching us."

His mouth twitched as he tried to suppress his amusement, remarking, "You were making so much noise how could I help but notice?" he teased. "Now Fraulein, I trust from your laughter that you are not injured?"

Maria pushed herself up onto her elbows and shook her head. "It was just a small tumble, I've had worse."

Georg's eyebrow arched at that comment, he might not know the girl very well but so far she had certainly not shown that she was graceful in any way shape or form. "I can believe that," he finally replied in amusement. He held out his hand. "Here, let me help you." Her lips twisted thoughtfully as she stared at his proffered hand. "It is not a trick," he assured after a moment.

"I didn't think it was," she admitted. It just seemed...odd, the thought of taking his hand. It would be rude to decline of course but...oh she was being silly. Just because she had never taken a man's hand before it didn't mean it was offered out of anything other than helpfulness. She rested her palm within his, and felt his easy strength as he helped pull her to her feet. Maria couldn't help but study his face, he was certainly an attractive man she thought suddenly. Her face flushed as she tore her gaze away, unable to quite reconcile that her thoughts would take such an inappropriate direction.

"No sprained ankles then?" He asked her, his eyes studying her so intently that she felt her cheeks almost burn under his gaze.

"No." She slipped her hand out of his and in turn flexed both her feet as proof as point. "I'm as right as rain."

"Good." His head tilted as he continued to study the unusual young woman in front of him. "Although you do look quite flushed, Fraulein."

"The heat, I'm sure."

"Hmmm." He wasn't quite convinced by her reasoning, although he couldn't say why, after all it was warm and she had been quite enthusiastic in her teaching. "Perhaps we should pause for lunch then?" he suggested.

"That sounds like a very good idea," she agreed readily, stepping out of his immediate eye line so that she could gather her charges together. "Come along girls, you heard your Father. Louisa, could you please tell the boys it's time for us to eat?"

Watching as his daughter darted off to the other side of the hill, gesturing and yelling wildly, Georg winced. "Perhaps next time you might suggest she do so quietly," he murmured. "Or we'll have most of the nearest village up here thinking they're getting a free lunch."

Maria couldn't help but laugh as they walked towards the rugs together. "She is in the middle of seven children, and believe me one has to be loud to be heard, and besides it is the role of children to be noisy." She saw his face shift slightly at her words and could have hit herself, she had promised herself she would do her best not to remind him of the past, of his estrangement from his children and of the rules and regulations he had held them to and yet had managed to do so anyway.

"I suppose that there is a need to make up for time lost," he replied after a moment.

"It can be easily done, and children are very forgiving."

"I can only hope you are correct in that belief."

"I am," she assured him, her chin jutting out obstinately.

He gave a chuckle. "Tell me do you ever believe yourself to be wrong, Fraulein?"

She gave him a small smile, unused to being teased in a manner which held no malice, but finding that she actually rather enjoyed the sensation. "It does happen on occasion, although it is rather rare."

This time it was a bark of laughter that escaped him, and she found her own smile widening in response, unaware that Max was watching the pair of them closely. "I fear we are missing out on what looks to be a wonderful joke," he remarked calmly as they rejoined the group.

Georg eyed his friend with suspicion, he sounded far too innocent and Max was at his least trustworthy when he sounded as though he should be at his most. "I'm afraid it wouldn't be to your appreciation," he replied after a moment, his attention turning to Elsa only to find that the entire conversation had passed her by.

"Thank God it's time for food," Kurt announced as he all but belly flopped onto the picnic rug. "I'm starving."

"You're always starving," Friedrich muttered.

Kurt didn't reply, he was far too busy scanning the items of food available to him and beginning to pile them onto his plate.

Maria cleared her throat meaningfully, and Georg watched as all seven of his children looked up at her. She gave a strange inclination of her head, and then again, as though she had developed an odd sort of tick. Finally, Liesl gave a sigh and asked, "Baroness, would you like to take first pick of the food?"

Elsa gave a weak smile. "Very kind of you my dear, but I don't have much of an appetite at this moment." She waved her hand airily, "do continue on without me." Her eyes landed on the children's somewhat dusty and stained hands and her lips thinned considerably. "I've always thought it unfortunate that there is no way to wash up before eating at a picnic."

"Oh but there is," Maria informed her cheerfully. "There's a stream a little way down the hill if anyone needs a clean off."

Elsa simply looked at her in amazement, surprised that her mild dig had sailed right over the girl's head, her eyes then landing on the rather large streak of dirt that ran down the length of her bare arm. "Perhaps you will need it more than the children," she suggested, ignoring the way Georg frowned at her comment. There was something about this girl that riled her, although she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was the children's blind adoration, or perhaps it was her constant cheeriness, either way it grated on her.

Maria's eyes followed her gaze and she gave another small laugh. "You may be right, Baroness." She took an orange from a struggling Marta and peeled it deftly before handing it back to her, sucking a stray drop of juice off her thumb before continuing, "Still a little dirt has certainly never done me any harm."

"They do say that cleanliness is next to Godliness."

"Elsa," Georg growled warningly. He was well aware that Elsa was more than capable of placing some well aimed barbs, and in this case they were completely unnecessary.

"They do," Maria replied, still smiling as she answered, "But I don't think I'll ever be able to scale such heights."

Feeling Georg's hand rest on her arm, Elsa bit back another retort as she saw that the older children were now glaring at her and instead fixed a dazzling smile on the girl, telling her, "I wouldn't be so quick to put yourself down, Fraulein. After all you have done such a wonderful job with the children."

Ruffling Marta's hair, Maria replied, "Well they are the most wonderful children."

"Indeed," Elsa murmured, reaching to squeeze Georg's hand, perturbed to find that his attention was not on her but the young Governess.