A/N: Sorry for the longer wait on this one; I've gotten through all of my pre-written stuff until the climax (which I tend to write first) so updates are going to be a bit further apart for awhile. The reality of living with three young children. . .

In the two weeks that followed, two to three times a week somehow morphed into nightly meetings in Georg's study. For the first few, they kept to neutral topics, talking mostly about the children or the events of the day. However, they slowly began to branch out into other topics. For the most part, the topics were innocuous; they discussed things such as their favorite foods or places they always wanted to visit. On one particular night, however, Maria found herself confessing her confusion about her future vocation, something she had not even told the Reverend Mother. Part of her wondered why she was telling the Captain about her uncertainty; after all, she had only known him for a couple months. It seemed natural to talk to him, however, and he did offer sound advice.

The night following their conversation about Maria's future, Brigitta and Marta begged another story from their father who had been in Salzburg all day. With the reconciliation, it seemed they had grown accustomed to spending at least some time with him every day, and they did not react well to his absence. He seemed to sense this as well, for he acquiesced to their extra reading request without complaint. Maria finished checking on the older children before heading down for the study. She hesitated outside the door, for she had never been inside without him before. She considered waiting just outside the door until he was finished reading to his daughters, but a loud banging down the hall reminded her that some of the servants were still up and about. If one of them saw her standing outside his study, it could cause some nasty rumors. Remembering that he had offered to let her borrow his books anytime she liked, she decided that she would not be able to do so unless she could access his study at any time. With that logic, she slipped inside.

At first, she stood just inside the door, unwilling to disturb what she knew was a sanctuary of sorts for him. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, but all she could see even when they did was the dim outlines of the objects in the room, for the moon was still only a slim crescent outside the window. Deciding it was silly to stand around in the dark like an intruder, Maria made her way carefully to his desk so she could turn on the lamp that sat on top of it. As she did so, she happened to glance down to see a telegram sitting on top of the desk, somewhat haphazardly placed on the otherwise tidy surface as if someone had thrown it down in haste. Maria did not really intend to read it, knowing it was private, but the first words caught her eye, and she could not stop herself. "Lecturer needed in Berlin 15.11. STOP. Radar detection, depth charges, streamlined hulls. STOP." Maria frowned slightly, wondering why he had not mentioned the request to her or the children. Perhaps he was not going to take it? For many reasons, she hoped that was true. He had only recently reconciled with his children, and she knew they would not be happy if he left so soon after starting to bond with them again. In addition, Maria was not sure how she felt about the Captain helping the Germans. In her time at the villa, Maria had come to see the truth in the Reverend Mother's description of him as a kind and honorable man. However, Maria could not imagine an honorable man helping the new German regime. She did not follow politics closely, but she knew enough to realize that the Nazis who had taken power in Germany were not the type of people anyone would describe as kind and honorable. They were ruthless in their grabs for power, and their leader, Adolf Hitler, ruled with an autocratic style Maria thought would have chafed an independent man like Georg.

But you don't really know him, a small voice in her head reminded her. Yes, they had talked quite frequently, and she thought she was getting to know him better, but the truth was, they had never discussed their political views. Perhaps Georg was a Nazi supporter. Perhaps he was even a prominent person in their party–such a position would suit his need for control.

Maria was so lost in her own musings that she did not hear the door open until a cold voice remarked, "I would have thought you understood that certain things are private such as my personal correspondence."

Maria visibly flinched, turning to face the irate Captain. She could see fury etched onto her features, and she realized that he had every right to be angry. She had let her curiosity get the better of her once again. "I'm sorry; I just-"

"Get out!" He did not shout the words, but he might as well have, for each one was dripping with cold fury.

"Captain, I-"

"I said get out!" This time, he did raise his voice, and Maria immediately scurried to the door, staying as far away from him as she could given the limited space near the doorway. Once she was out of the room, she practically ran to the steps and up to her room. She shut the door behind her, locking it without thinking. She stood against it for a moment, letting her breathing return to normal. After a few moments, she finally stepped away from the door and moved to her wardrobe for her nightgown. Before she grabbed it, however, she turned back and unlocked the door and opened it a crack, reasoning that one of the children might need her in the night. Gretl in particular still woke up a couple times a week, and it was much easier to hear with the door cracked open. Even if the children slept through the night, there was no reason to change her habits. She had made a mistake in Georg's study, but he certainly did not seem like the type of man who would punish her any more than he already had.

Maria slept fitfully that night, and she was still tired the following morning when she made her way down to breakfast, Gretl in her arms. She strapped Gretl into the chair that Frau Schmidt had found in the attic a few weeks before, and the baby eagerly began to reach for the silverware in front of her. Maria moved it out of her reach with practiced ease, taking her own seat and looking to the head of the table. Georg was scowling at his morning paper; he did not look up at all nor did he say anything to acknowledge her presence. It seemed he was still upset with her.

Once Friedrich, the last of the children to arrive, took his seat, Georg folded his paper and set it aside before nodding at his children to begin eating. They looked to Maria, clearly confused, for she always insisted on saying grace before eating, and Georg had supported the practice in the past. On the current morning, she knew she would gain nothing by forcing the issue, so she bowed her head and folded her hands and thanked the Lord quietly before starting on her own breakfast. For a few minutes, the only sound was the clinking of silverware on plates. The children all seemed to sense the tension between the two adults, and none of them dared break the silence.

Georg spoke first, clearing his throat as he set his fork down on his plate. "I will be leaving later this morning," he told the children firmly. They all began to protest immediately, but he held up a hand to stop them. Though he had certainly softened towards his children in recent weeks, he still possessed the command that had made him an excellent Navy Captain, and his children fell silent almost immediately. "I will try to return as quickly as I can," he promised. "I hope this trip will only be three or four days." He gave his children a small smile then though Maria noted he still did not look in her direction. Though upset that he was still mad at her, she was grateful to see that he seemed to be taking his children's needs into consideration when making his plans.

"Where are you going, Father?" Liesl questioned, having obviously resigned herself to the fact that he was going to be gone. Maria was not too surprised–she was a smart girl, so she obviously realized that Georg would still need to travel sometimes but recognized the shortened trip for the olive branch it was.

Maria saw Georg's lips tighten, and he finally looked up at her. "Berlin," he said shortly, and from his tone, Maria had the distinct impression that he wanted to say something else but felt he could not given what she had seen the previous night. She was not sure exactly why he wanted to lie to his children, but it made her wonder once again just what exactly he was doing in Berlin.

"You've never been there before," Friedrich noted.

"Not recently," Georg said, but Maria noted a glimmer of something in his eye. He's lying, she realized.

"What are you doing there now?" Louisa pressed.

"The same as always," he answered quickly. "Now, I want you all to behave while I am gone." He looked sternly at all his children, effectively ending their interrogation. They all nodded solemnly. Maria noted that he did not add "for your governess" or even look at her as he spoke, and her heart sank further. How mad exactly was he? "Good. I plan to have a surprise for you when I return."

"What is it?" Kurt questioned excitedly.

Georg chuckled. "If I told you, it would not be much of a surprise, but trust me, you will like it." He wiped his mouth, checking his watch. "Now, I must get going so I can catch my train. I will see you all in a few days." With that, he stood, pressing a kiss to his daughters' hair and ruffling his sons' before striding from the room. Maria noted that he had somehow managed to make it through the entire meal only looking at her once. She wondered if time away would decrease his anger or make it worse. She hoped it was the former; she was not sure how many more interactions like the ones at breakfast she could take.

Maria let her habits take over, quickly helping the children prepare for school in plenty of time for them to get into the car with Franz. They were quieter than usual though Maria was happy to note they seemed more accepting of their father's departure than they had the previous time. When Maria mentioned their previous pranks to Friedrich and Louisa, the older boy had rolled his eyes. "We don't need those anymore, Fraulein," he assured her. And indeed, it seemed they did not, for the school day passed uneventfully for all the children. However, it quickly became clear that though they were not reverting to their previous misbehavior, they felt their father's absence quite keenly. Louisa refused to go to her riding lessons the day after he left, claiming that there was no point. Maria finally managed to convince her to go by pointing out that she could show Georg the things that she learned when he returned. That afternoon, Kurt had his own tantrum when he could not quite figure out how one of his models fit together and ended up throwing it across the room. When Maria offered to help, he refused, claiming that she would not know anything about model building since she was a girl. Reminding herself that he was only six, she decided not to take offense, instead distracting him with a card game. All in all, she was hoping that the Captain's estimate of three days proved accurate, even if he returned just as upset with her as he had been when he left. She was not sure she could survive much longer.

Fortunately for Maria's nerves, she heard a car pull up just over three days after Georg had left while she and the children were in the schoolroom working on their homework. When they looked at her eagerly, she dismissed them, knowing they would not focus until they had greeted their father. The oldest five immediately ran for the door with Maria following behind at a more sedate pace, Marta's hand in hers and Gretl in her arms. She arrived in just enough time to see the five children throwing themselves at their father who bent to hug them, smiling broadly. As he did so, Maria caught sight of a second figure behind him, a man she did not recognize. He was tall and thin with dark hair and a few wrinkles around his eyes that told Maria he was likely a couple years Georg's senior. His eyes were kind, however, and they watched the scene in front of him with obvious amusement. "I must say, Georg, I never expected to see you allowing quite such a. . . boisterous greeting," he remarked, chuckling at his friend.

"I have been gone for a few days," Georg defended. The man nodded, his gaze sweeping over the children who were currently talking over each other in their eagerness to tell their father everything that had happened in his absence. As they moved upward, he caught sight of Maria on the stairs. "And who is this lovely young woman, Georg?"

Somewhat to Maria's surprise, Georg looked straight at her and even gave her a small smile. "That is our governess, Fraulein Maria."

"Ah, the infamous Fraulein Maria. I should have known. Georg fairly sings your praises." Confused, Maria looked to the Captain. She thought his cheeks might have tinged slightly pink, but she quickly dismissed that thought as unlikely. The Captain did not blush.

"I was simply remarking on how well you handle the children," he said with a slight cough, glaring at his friend. "This is Herr Dettweiler."

"But call me Max. I insist," the man added, stepping toward her. Marta shrank against her side, and he paused, smiling at the small girl. "Is that Marta?" he questioned, his tone softening as he crouched down to Marta's level. "The last time I saw you, you were no bigger than Gretl there. And now look how big you've grown." Marta peeked out at Max, seeming to consider him for a few moments. However, it was not until Georg stepped over, having finally finished greeting the older children, that she dared go near him, and even then, she watched him warily as she ran to her father.

"Papa!" she said, her voice soft as she threw herself at Georg. Immediately, Georg picked her up, hugging her tightly as he whispered something only she could hear. She giggled and turned to regard Max with more interest. "You played pony!" she told him. Max looked to Georg in mock horror.

"I thought we promised to never mention that again!"

Georg smiled wickedly. "I do not recall any promise of that sort."

"Play again!" Marta declared. Max glared at her father who simply smiled more broadly.

"I don't know why I come here," Max finally said, sighing in defeat.

"The excellent wine collection," Georg suggested, setting his daughter gently on the floor. She joined her older siblings who were all watching Max expectantly.

"Alright, into the drawing room, all of you. But don't think I'm putting you on my back, Liesl or Friedrich!" Max gestured for the kids to follow him, and they eagerly did as he asked. Georg watched them go for a moment before turning back to Maria, holding out his arms for his youngest. She passed Gretl to him, and he greeted the baby with a kiss to her head before settling her against his shoulder.

"I trust that things went well here, Fraulein?" Georg remarked.

"Quite well. The children were very well behaved. They missed you, of course, but they understood that you had to be gone for a few days." Maria paused, working up the courage for what she wanted to say next. "Captain, I never had a chance to apologize for my actions before you left. I truly am sorry for-"

Georg gave a dismissive gesture, interrupting her apology. "No apology needed, Fraulein. I realized on my trip that I overreacted. Let us call it even and not speak of it again."

"Thank you, Captain," Maria told him sincerely.

"On the contrary, Fraulein, I am still very much in your debt and should be thanking you." The intensity was back in his gaze, and Maria felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared at him. She did not think she had ever met anyone with eyes quite as blue as his. They made her think of the sea she had only ever seen in storybooks, and she could not help but imagine she could drown in them.

Liesl's voice broke their stare suddenly. "Father? Fraulein? Are you coming?"

Georg broke his gaze from hers, turning to his daughter. "We will be right there, Liesl," he promised. Turning back to Maria, he gave a half-smile. "Trust me, Fraulein, this is entertainment you do not want to miss," he told her. With that, he led the way into the drawing room. When Maria stepped through the door, she stopped immediately and put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Max was on the opposite side of the room, Marta on his back with her arms wrapped around his neck. He was prancing around the room in an approximation of a horse's trot though Maria doubted any horse had ever trotted quite like he was. Still, Marta was thoroughly enjoying herself, and the normally taciturn girl's voice was louder than Maria had ever heard it when she begged, "Again, Unca Max, again!"

Maria turned to see Georg watching the scene with obvious amusement though there was something else in his eyes as well, a softness that Maria had been seeing more and more as he grew closer to his children. Kurt broke off from the group watching Max to run to his father. "Can you do that for me, too, Papa?" he begged. Maria smiled at the boy's form of address. Kurt and Brigitta had been calling Georg Father like their older siblings when she first arrived, but after she suggested the more childish form of address, she noticed them changing to it more and more often as they grew closer to their father. Though they did it naturally most of the time, both seemed to have realized that it was a good way of softening their father if they wanted something and were willing to use it for that purpose.

Georg's eyebrows rose. "This is Uncle Max's game," he told his son.

"Uncle Max says I'm too heavy!"

"Can't have him messing up my back," Max remarked from across the room, now toting Brigitta. "You know it's always been a problem. Besides, you're younger." Georg scoffed but did bend over to lift his son onto his back. While his canter was not quite as enthusiastic as Max's, it nevertheless pleased Kurt immensely and led to requests from his other children as well, even, much to everyone's surprise, Louisa. Partway through Louisa's ride, Georg looked across the room. Meeting Maria's eye, he gave the now-familiar half smile and winked at her. She smiled back, and her grin turned into full blown laughter as Max dramatically collapsed onto a nearby couch, once more complaining about his back problems.

Georg lasted only a few more minutes than Max before insisting on a more sedentary activity. The children begged him to play, and they spent the rest of the time until dinner playing and singing. Max entertained them all at dinner with outrageous stories of his exploits in the Navy and afterwards, only censoring himself when Georg gave him a sharp look as he started to go into a bit too much detail about his female companionship. After dinner, Max and Georg retired to Georg's study, and the children all went upstairs to prepare for bed, surprisingly without complaint. Even Liesl did not mention playing piano, seeming to realize that Georg needed a bit of time to adjust to being at home once more. For the same reason, Maria did not ask him to read a book to the younger children but instead read an extra one herself to silence their protests. Once she had finished putting the youngest three to bed, she reminded the oldest of their bedtime before heading downstairs to get a cup of tea. The weather had turned decidedly cooler, and Maria had been chilled all day, so she hoped the hot beverage would help finally chase away the last of her shivers and allow her to relax.

On her way back from the kitchen, the study door opened, and she heard Georg's voice remark, "I just want to go say goodnight to the children and then I will return. I am sure you will find a way to entertain yourself in the meantime, likely involving my liquor cabinet."

"Saying goodnight to the children? Whatever happened to the Georg I used to know? I do not recall you ever saying goodnight to the children."

"I was reminded recently that things will be different now by necessity." He stepped out of the study, his head turning so that he was staring directly at Maria. She flushed immediately. Though she had not been purposefully eavesdropping, he likely had not wanted her to overhear his conversation with his friend. He cleared his throat, and Maria noted he looked a bit nervous as well. "No reading requests tonight?" he asked.

"I thought that since you had a guest. . ."

Georg waved her off. "Max can take care of himself for a few minutes. He's less of a guest than a leech anyway." He grinned at her, and she grinned back immediately.

"I am sure the children would love to see you." He started to move to the stairs but turned back. "You are planning to join us tonight, right, Fraulein?"

Maria's eyes widened, for she had been planning nothing of the sort. She had assumed their nighttime talks in his study would be put on hold until Max left. "I would not want to interfere."

"It would not be an interference at all," he assured her. "I certainly enjoy your company, and I imagine Max will as well. I will ensure he is on his best behavior."

"If you're sure."

"I am. I. . . missed our talks while I was gone." He said the last words softly, but Maria still understood him perfectly well. She had not anticipated that admission. Of course, she had missed their talks, for she had genuinely enjoyed speaking with him. He had so much more experience than her, having seen dozens of countries and spent time with countless people in his life. He had so many interesting stories to tell and wonderful advice for what seemed like every situation. But she could not imagine what he had gained from their talks. Her experience was limited to the farm she had lived on with her uncle, a year of nursing school, and her time at the convent–certainly not much perspective, especially when compared with his.

"I did as well," she told him just as softly. He gave her a small smile before turning fully to the stairs and starting up them, Maria following behind with her tea.

After Maria ensured the oldest four children were in bed with the lights off, she returned downstairs. The study door was open, and she heard two voices inside, so she assumed Georg had finished his story already. She paused in the doorway, a bit hesitant to enter, but Georg saw her and smiled invitingly. "I told Max you would be joining us," he said as she stepped into the room. "He assured me that he would refrain from telling lewd jokes for the night." Max gave him a look of mock horror, and Georg raised his eyebrows at his friend with a small smirk.

"I do not know why Goerg is so worried," Max remarked, taking a sip of the amber liquid in his glass. "I am personally much more interested in hearing about you, Fraulein."

"Oh, I can't imagine why!" Maria said. "My life is not that interesting."

"Au contraire, Fraulein, I am most interested to hear what a postulant thinks about taking care of Georg's. . . lively brood."

Maria chanced a quick glance at the Captain who simply gave her an expectant look. "They really are lovely children, Herr Dettweiler."

"Max. And please, I have watched them before. I want to know what you really think."

"I. . . really, I do think they are lovely children. We have had a wonderful time." Again, Maria looked to Georg who finally took pity on her.

"I think all of us are perfectly aware of my children's virtues as well as their shortcomings. There is no need to rehash them. Perhaps you can tell us about your latest project." That simple comment was all it took for Max to begin expounding on the latest singing group he was training–or, in Georg's words, exploiting. Maria listened and laughed, thankful to have the attention off of her. She found she enjoyed Max's company almost as much as Georg though for different reasons. Max was quite amusing, and he provided great entertainment for both Maria and Georg until the clock struck ten and Maria excused herself for bed. Both men bid her goodnight as she left.

Over the next few days, life gradually returned to the way it was before Georg had left for Berlin. Max sometimes joined his time with the children as well though Maria noted that he rarely rose before noon and, even if he did, he tended to lounge around until the sun was at its zenith. The children, of course, relished any attention the men gave them, especially Kurt whose models became decidedly more complex with two former Navy men helping build them. With full days, time passed quickly, and before Maria had really comprehended what day it was, she found it was nearing Advent. Liesl cornered her the day before the first Sunday of Advent, looking a bit nervous. "What is it, Liesl?" Maria questioned.

"We were just wondering if you could talk to Father about decorating for Christmas."

"Me?"

"He never really liked doing it. It was always Mother who decorated, but we thought you might be able to convince him to let us do so this year."

"I am sure you could be just as convincing if you asked."

"Please, Fraulein!"

Maria truly could not refuse the children when they stared at her in that pleading way. "Alright, dear, let us go see if we can find him."

They found him in the playroom upstairs crouched on the floor beside Kurt, Friedrich, Louisa, and Brigitta with a variety of toy soldiers spread in front of them. Maria could not hear everything he was saying, but he seemed to be discussing the merits of different formations. Maria cleared her throat, and they all looked up to her. Seeing Liesl standing with her, the children smiled. It seemed they had all hatched the plan to recruit Maria to help convince their father to decorate and Liesl had just been the spokeswoman. Maria was not too surprised–as the oldest, Liesl was often the one to come to her with the others' requests, particularly if they felt those requests would not be well-received.

"Can I help you with something, Fraulein?" Georg questioned.

"The children actually had a request for you," Maria said, nodding to Liesl. Liesl cleared her throat.

"We were just wondering about decorations this year," she said, her voice growing softer as she spoke.

"Advent is tomorrow," Maria clarified, "and we thought after mass might be a good time to begin decorating for Christmas."

"Oh." Georg was silent for a few seconds, seeming a bit conflicted. Finally, he spoke. "I believe all the decorations are still in the attic. I can talk to Frau Schmidt about getting a couple of the maids to take them down so you can all go through them."

"Really, Father?" Liesl asked, excited.

"Yes, my dear. I see no reason why we should not make the house look festive." The children all cheered, beginning to discuss their favorite decorations and where they would put them. Seeing their excitement, Maria decided to venture one step further.

"Captain, one more thing. There's a farmer who would provide the tree for the Abbey every year. They let me go to help pick it out the two years I was there–I suppose they realized that I was one of the few that would enjoy traipsing through the snow to do so–and I grew rather close to the man. He has a large number of trees, and he told me quite a few times that he did not have much use for them anyway. I suspect that if I asked, he would have no problem with us cutting down a tree from his land to decorate."

Georg looked at her a bit skeptically. "We have always had a tree delivered in the past."

"Oh, but it is so much more exciting to choose one yourself!"

"Please, Father!" Friedrich pleaded, his eyes bright. Georg looked at him and then at the faces of his other children who were all watching him eagerly. Finally, he turned back to Maria.

"Who exactly do you expect to cut down this tree, Fraulein?" he questioned.

"Oh, I had not really thought of that," Maria admitted. She thought for a moment. "I am sure Matthias will if I ask him to. I can attend mass at Nonnberg tomorrow and talk to him then."

Georg's eyebrows rose. "That seems above and beyond the call of duty."

"He's a very nice man."

Suddenly, Georg chuckled. "I am sure he is, Fraulein, but no need to impose on him so much. I can cut down the tree. I did learn some survival skills at the Naval Academy, and chopping down trees was fortunately one of them though they were teaching the skill more for firewood acquisition than Christmas tree chopping." The children cheered more loudly, and Maria smiled broadly at the Captain.

"I will talk with him tomorrow and arrange a time for a visit."

True to his word, the Captain arranged to have a couple maids bring down the boxes of decorations, and Maria and the children spent Sunday afternoon after mass going through them. There were far more than Maria had expected, but she supposed that made sense for a house as large as the one they were decorating. She was happy to find a few boxes of ornaments and lights for a tree as well, and she set those aside to use once they had acquired the tree, an adventure they planned to make the following Tuesday, a time she had confirmed with the farmer at mass that morning. "What's this, Fraulein?" Kurt asked, holding up a wire circle with four candle holders set in it. Maria looked over and smiled when she saw it.

"That is an Advent wreath. I was hoping we would find one," she remarked, taking it from his hands.

"What do you do with it?"

"You use it to mark the four Sundays of Advent," Maria explained. "That's the season of waiting for Christmas. You put candles in each of the holders–three purple and a pink–and then decorate the frame with evergreen boughs. You then light one more candle each week. We can set it up on the dining room table and get some evergreen boughs when we get our tree. If you look through the box, you'll probably find the candles as well." Kurt eagerly dug through the box, holding up the four candles triumphantly a few seconds later. He headed for the dining room to set up the Advent wreath just as Brigitta pulled a number of stockings from the box she was unpacking. "Can you help me hang these above the fireplace?" she asked Maria who happily obliged. Liesl and Louisa were also in the drawing room when they entered, adding a number of candles to the mantle as well. They helped Maria arrange the stockings to their liking. Kurt had joined them by the time they had finished, proudly declaring that the Advent wreath was in place. Maria congratulated him before noting that they were still missing one child (for the youngest two were napping upstairs). "Where's Friedrich?" she questioned.

"Outside," Louisa told her. "He found the big wreath for the front door and wanted to hang it." Maria's eyes widened as she realized that such a task likely entailed a ladder and a hammer and nail, two things which could be rather dangerous for a nine-year-old without supervision. She quickly exited onto the veranda and made her way around the house to the front, breathing a sign of relief when she saw Georg on a ladder instead of his son, carefully hammering a hook for the wreath into the door.

"Father decided to help, too, Fraulein!" Friedrich announced happily upon seeing his governess.

"I happened to see Friedrich on a ladder struggling with the hook, and I thought it might be wise to lend a hand," Georg explained, carefully scrutinizing his work before reaching for the wreath Friedrich held.

"I'm sorry, Captain; I was helping the other children with their decorations and did not notice he had slipped away," Maria apologized.

Georg waved her off. "No harm done. I thought it might be good to join in the decorating anyway to help put myself in the holiday spirit. It seemed like the right year to do something. . . different." He gave her a half-smile, and she could not help but smile in return.

The children wanted to join Maria and their father to choose a tree, so they waited until the oldest four were home for school before setting out for the farm. Georg drove with Maria in the front giving directions, and they had soon pulled off the road next to a large, wooded area. As they all exited the car, Maria holding Gretl, Georg moved to the trunk to retrieve his ax and sled. "You are sure this is the right place, Fraulein?" he teased, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I would hate to trespass on some unsuspecting farmer."

"I am quite excellent with directions, Captain."

"Oh, I am sure you are." There was an undertone to his words Maria decided not to explore. Instead, she passed Gretl to Liesl before removing a large piece of cloth from in front of her seat. A couple of the women she had known growing up had similar cloths for carrying their babies, leaving their hands free for other chores, and Maria had thought the idea would work well for Gretl when she was taking the older children on walks. It had taken her a few tries to figure out the proper way to tie the fabric around her body, and she had dropped the dolls on which she was practicing a few times before finally discovering a way to keep them in place. Gretl seemed to enjoy the wrap; on the current occasion, she actually clapped her hands when she saw Maria begin to twist the fabric around her body. As Maria reached out to take the baby from her sister, she saw Georg standing by the trunk of the car, ax in hand, watching her very closely. A bit self-conscious, Maria looked away, quickly settling the baby against her body and tightening the wrap to hold her snugly. "Impressive, Fraulein," Georg remarked, his voice low. "I am constantly amazed by your ingenuity." His voice no longer held any of the teasing lilt it had earlier, and Maria flushed at the compliment.

"I just copied what I had seen others do," she demurred.

"Mm-hm." He stared at her for a few more seconds before finally turning to the woods. "I suppose it is time to pick a tree then," he remarked. Immediately, the five oldest children started off, slowing only when Maria called to them to stick together. She took Marta's hand in hers, walking at a more sedate pace and trying unsuccessfully not to look at Georg. He had forgone his normal coat and tie for the outing which Maria supposed was sensible given the nature of their mission, but she had not expected the sensations that rushed through her when she had seen him standing in the foyer with a shirt open at the collar, exposing a bit of his chest, and trousers made of a rougher material than his usual formal attire. She was not sure why his somewhat rugged appearance affected her so, but she found that she rather liked seeing the rougher side of him. It made him seem more human.

Fortunately, the children provided ample distraction from her musing. It did not take them long to pick trees that they liked; unfortunately, all of them wanted a different tree. Maria tried to help them compromise on one, but they argued back and forth until Georg put an end to the discussion by telling them if they could not agree on one of the trees they had already picked, they would simply have to keep looking until they found one they could all agree on. They stopped bickering almost immediately, rushing off to find a tree that their siblings would like as well.

It did not take long for Marta's short lets to begin to tire. "We're going to stop and take a rest for a bit, Captain," Maria called out to Georg. He looked back at them, nodding in understanding when he saw Marta leaning heavily on Maria's leg.

"We wouldn't want you to miss all the fun, would we?" he questioned, heading back to Maria's side. Much to Maria's surprise, he picked up his second youngest daughter, placing her carefully on the sled. He adjusted his ax slightly on his shoulder before setting off, showing no signs that the additional weight of the two-year-old–which Maria knew from experience was quite considerable–affected him.

Eventually, Brigitta found the tree that everyone agreed was perfect. Maria was a bit surprised at first, but as she thought more about it, she realized that it made sense that Brigitta had picked the tree. In addition to being the most observant of the children, she was also the least competitive which likely made the idea of her picking the tree easier for the other children to stomach. Once confirming that the children were sure about their choice, Georg managed to chop down the tree surprisingly quickly. He called Friedrich over to help him load it on the sled, and the boy smiled importantly as he tied the knots as his father instructed. Once the tree was secure, they started back to the car, Marta now walking again. The tree did seem to hamper Georg's progress somewhat though he still managed to easily outpace Maria and his youngest two daughters. He would stop periodically to check on them, instructing the older children to do the same. It was slow going, but they did eventually pull the tree out of the forest. It took quite a few false starts before Georg finally managed to tie the tree to the car in such a way that all of them still fit inside. They drove much slower and fortunately made it back to the villa without any mishaps. Once there, instead of finding Franz, Georg called Friedrich over to help him carry the tree into the house. As they started inside, Louisa asked if she could help as well. Georg seemed surprised, but he acquiesced to her request, and the three of them wrestled the tree into the main foyer where Maria had already set out the lights and decorations.

The children's excitement built over the next few weeks, so much so that Maria worried they would be so weary by Christmas that they would not enjoy the actual morning. Their excitement was certainly starting to wear on her; she had known from the beginning that taking care of seven children would likely be tiring, but she had always thought she would be up to the task. Now, however, she was trying to recall the last time she had been so exhausted. Fortunately, Georg and Max were still helping quite a bit so she did not have to manage everything by herself, but she could see that they, too, were getting tired. Max had started skipping their nightly talks more often than not, something that Maria knew, even with their limited acquaintance, was quite unusual for him. Georg, however, still met her every night after the children were in bed though they often mutually agreed to cut the talks short.

Four days before Christmas, Maria was contemplating asking to forgo their talk despite her enjoyment of it, a conviction that further increased when he joined her outside his study, looking more weary than she had yet seen him. Before she could open her mouth to ask about skipping the talk, however, he spoke. "Please come in, Fraulein, we have quite a bit to discuss tonight." Maria's brow furrowed as she wondered what might warrant discussion, but she did not question him, instead following him into the study where he poured her usual soda. As she took it from his hand, she happened to glance down at the desk beside him where she saw a telegram similar to the one that had caused their fight a few weeks before. Quickly, she looked away lest she incite his anger again, but he had already noticed her gaze. Instead of yelling, however, he gave a tired smile. "Now you can see the reason for our discussion tonight." Maria nodded. Silently, she wondered who could possibly want him to lecture so close to Christmas, but she did not dare ask such a question. Instead, she let him lead the conversation. "I am going to try my best to be back before Christmas, but the timing is obviously not ideal, so I cannot guarantee anything. I wanted to make sure you had all the relevant details about the Christmas celebration in case I could not." With that, he launched into an explanation of his plans for the day, including everything from the location of the gifts to the menu plan and what she would need to do in order to prepare it on Christmas Day since the rest of the servants would be off.

Maria's head was spinning by the time she left that night, and he gave her a small, tired smile. "I know it is a lot of information, but I am sure you will manage wonderfully should it be necessary," he assured her.

"I wish I had your confidence, Captain."

"The children love you, Fraulein. In the end, that is what will matter. And Max will no doubt continue to impose on my hospitality, so you will have him to help as well."

"Do you think that your lectures will extend past Christmas?" She stumbled a bit on the word "lectures," for it was becoming quite clear to her that it was unlikely he was lecturing while away. If he noticed, he chose not to comment.

"I honestly cannot say. I truly hope not."

"When are you going to tell the children?"

"Tomorrow at breakfast. I will need to leave immediately following it to catch the train."

Maria nodded. "Safe travels, Captain," she told him. There was more she wanted to say, much more, but she simply did not have the courage.