Two days later, Maria somehow managed to settle the youngest two children down for their nap and start the oldest five on their summer work without much complaining, leaving her with a bit of unexpected free time. Immediately, she excused herself from the school room, promising to return before they had finished their assignments. She forced herself to stay calm as she exited the room, but as soon as she had closed the door behind her, she practically flew down the hallway and to Georg's study.

Since their engagement, Maria had been working hard to show the children that nothing would change about her relationship with them. To help with that, she had spent all day the previous two days with the children, trying to show them that her relationship with their father would not stop her from spending time with them. Georg, too, had spent most of the previous afternoon and all of the morning of the current day with them. Unfortunately, that meant he had spent the previous two nights working, so they had not had time for their normal nightly talks. Therefore, aside from a brief, surreptitious caress that morning at breakfast, they had not touched in two days, and Maria found herself craving his touch, so much so that she had a hard time focusing on anything else.

It was odd, she mused as she made her way through the foyer to the study door. Less than a year before, she had been ready to dedicate her life to God and never know the touch of a man, and she was perfectly content with that decision. In fact, she actively avoided all touch from men. Now, however, just a few short days after experiencing a passionate embrace for the first time in her life, she could not imagine her life without his touch. She wondered if relationships between men and women were always like that or if theirs was somehow unique.

He bade her to enter almost as soon as she knocked, and she slipped quickly inside. He was sitting at his desk, papers stacked in front of him, but he looked up as soon as she entered, and a feral grin spread across his face. "And just what are you doing down here?" he questioned, his voice a low purr.

Maria suddenly found herself at a loss for words. "I. . . the children are all asleep or working, and I thought. . ." She trailed off, unsure exactly how to ask for what she wanted. What exactly were you supposed to say to the man you wanted to ravish you?

"You thought," he prompted, standing and stepping around his desk so he was closer to her.

"Well, it's just, it's been two days. . ."

"Two days?"

"Yes, and I thought. . ." She trailed off again, flustered both by his proximity and her own boldness.

He leaned closer so that his breath washed over her face as he spoke. "I need you to say the words, Maria," he told her. "I need you to tell me what you want. What you need."

"You," she breathed, unable to get another word out.

The grin widened. "Oh, my darling girl, you have me." She shook her head impatiently. Surely he was not going to make her say the words? She would die of embarrassment.

One look at his face, however, told her that was exactly what he was going to do. Maria took a deep breath. She knew she could do this. No one had ever accused her of a lack of confidence. "Your hands. . . on me," she finally managed. She saw a flare of triumph in his eyes, and he reached out to grab her hips, pulling her flush against his body. His scent overwhelmed her, and she felt her head swimming.

"What else?" he breathed.

"Your lips."

"On you?" he purred when she did not clarify further. She nodded jerkily, and he finally leaned forward, pressing his lips lightly to hers before pulling away. "Like that?" She gave a mewl of frustration, but he merely chuckled. Maria, however, was done with his teasing. Leaning forward, she took matters into her own hands, pressing her lips insistently to his as her hands gripped the lapels of his suit jacket. He responded almost immediately, opening his mouth slightly beneath hers as he finally gave her what she needed. Suddenly remembering his injury, she let go of the suit jacket, but she simply could not bring herself to take her hands off of him. Instead, driven by a primal urge that she did not fully understand, she began tugging at the bottom of his shirt. It did not take her long to pull it from his pants, and she immediately slipped her hands beneath it, pressing them to the warm planes of his abdomen. He growled into her mouth, and she felt his tongue sliding against her lips. The feel of the smooth muscle against her lips was surprisingly sensual, and she pressed her body closer to his, enjoying the sensations coursing through her. His tongue pressed again, harder this time, and she moaned.

He tore his lips from hers briefly, growling, "Open," before kissing her hard once more. When he pressed his tongue to her lips again, she followed his instructions, parting her lips. Immediately, he invaded her mouth, plundering it ruthlessly with his own tongue. Following instinct, Maria tangled her tongue with his, and it was his turn to moan. She would never have guessed that such an action could feel so amazing, but she was rapidly realizing that whatever small details she had garnered about romantic relationships from books she had read paled in comparison to reality.

Eventually, he tore his lips from hers, his chest heaving as he sucked air into his lungs. Maria expected him to stop kissing her then, but he once more surprised her by moving his lips to her jawbone and then sliding them downward, nuzzling into her neck as he planted a series of kisses there, alternating between light caresses and firm presses of his lips to her skin that had her breathless with anticipation. Her own hands moved to his back, her fingers pressing into his warm skin and pulling him as close as she could manage. In the process, one of his legs made its way between hers, and she pressed herself against it, seeking contact for reasons that she could not fully comprehend.

A knock at the door interrupted their frenzied caresses, and they quickly pulled away from each other, fumbling with their clothes. "Yes?" Georg called, trying to suck in air without making too much noise.

"There are visitors, Sir." Franz's voice floated through the door.

"Visitors?" Georg looked confused. He had managed to tuck in his shirt again, so he gestured with his head for Maria to step behind him before crossing to the door. He opened it enough for Franz to see him but not Maria. "I was not expecting anyone. Who are they?"

"They are actually looking to see Fraulein Maria, Sir, but I wanted to speak with you first before allowing them to enter." Now, it was Maria's turn to be confused, for she was not expecting any visitors either. She knew Georg was curious, but to his credit, he did not turn to look at her.

"Thank you, Franz, it is time I took a break anyway. I will go find her and ascertain who these visitors are. Please show them into the drawing room to wait."

"Very well, Sir." Georg closed the door and turned immediately to Maria.

"You didn't tell me you were expecting anyone."

"Because I wasn't." His eyebrows rose.

"Then I suppose we should go and determine the identity of these. . . visitors." Maria nodded, tugging her skirts one final time to make sure they were lying flat before following him out of the study. When they entered the drawing room, Maria's mouth dropped open in shock when she saw two familiar figures.

"Gretchen? Theresa?"

"Friends of yours, Fraulein?" Maria heard the undercurrent of suspicion in her fiance's voice.

"Former colleagues," she told him, knowing he was smart enough to put two and two together. "I was not expecting them. What are you doing here?"

"Well, after I ran into you a few weeks ago, I happened to mention our encounter to some of the others, and a lot of them were eager to see you again. You left so abruptly, we never even had a chance to say a proper goodbye. And you had mentioned you worked here, so I thought I would take a chance and come see you to set up some time to catch up."

"Catch up?" Maria asked faintly.

"Of course. As you pointed out, we have not seen you in nearly four years!"

"If you'd like, Fraulein, I can watch the children for the next couple hours so you can go now."

"All of them?"

"Do you not think I can handle my own children?" Maria heard the challenge in his tone though it seemed almost mocking. Twenty minutes before, she would have responded in kind, but with two former acquaintances gawking at them, she could not. Instead, she turned back to the nurses, suppressing a sigh.

"Would now work?"

"Perfectly!" Maria turned again to Georg who simply smiled at her.

"I can inform the children if you would like to get ready."

"Thank you. I should not be more than a couple hours."

"Take all the time you need." They stared at each other for a moment more before Maria forced herself to look away, trying to keep her friends from growing suspicious. As she left the room, she felt a warm hand run briefly down her back, squeezing her hip slightly. She wanted to smile at Georg in response, but she kept her eyes forward.

She changed quickly and made her way back downstairs where she found Gretchen and Theresa waiting in the foyer with Franz hovering nearby, eyeing them suspiciously. She forced a small smile for her the other two women. "Ready?" Gretchen asked, trying to sound casual though Maria saw her giving Franz an uneasy look.

"I am." Maria followed them out to a waiting car, hesitating slightly when she saw two figures inside.

"I hope you don't mind, but I've invited a couple of others as well," Gretchen said airily.

"No, of course not," Maria said though in truth, she preferred the group to be as small as possible.

"Wonderful." Gretchen beckoned her into the car. "I don't know if you remember Drs. Lorenz and Fischer." Maria vaguely recognized the two men to whom she gestured, and she nodded in greeting.

"It is good to see you again," she said politely. They mumbled something similar. Gretchen seemed unfazed by the lackluster introduction.

"There's a small cafe near here that I have heard wonderful things about, but I've never gone. Would that suit?" They all agreed, and Gretchen immediately slid into the front seat next to the two men, leaving Maria to slide into the back with Theresa. As she did so, Maria gave Theresa a genuine smile. In truth, Theresa was the one person at the hospital who she would have called a friend, and she would not have minded spending time with her one-on-one.

It did not take them long to reach the cafe, and Gretchen kept up a steady conversation as they settled into their seats. Maria half-listened while she read the menu in front of her, trying to remember how much money she had with her to determine what she could afford. When she heard Gretchen say her name, she suddenly re-focused on the others at her table. "I'm sorry?"

"I was just asking what you thought of working for the famous Captain von Trapp," Gretchen remarked.

Maria felt herself growing a bit flustered, remembering just what they had been doing when Gretchen and Theresa arrived. "Uh. . . he is a very fair employer," she answered.

"That's really all you have to say about him?" Gretchen smirked slightly.

"He has seven wonderful children," Maria ventured. Gretchen tutted.

"Oh, come on, Maria, I've heard all the talk going around. And I saw the way you looked at him when we visited. Not to mention the bruise that's rapidly forming on your neck." Maria's hand flew involuntarily to her neck, unsure of exactly what Gretchen meant but knowing from the looks she exchanged with the two men that she was implying something sordid.

Fortunately, Theresa came to her rescue before she had to answer. "You know as well as I do that all we have heard is gossip and no good ever comes of listening to that."

"I am not so sure about that. I for one would be most interested in hearing more gossip about the Captain. He is such a mystery; no one seems to know where his true allegiances lie," Dr. Lorenz remarked. Maria glanced over at hims sharply, wondering what he meant by that statement. He was watching her closely, and she forced her face to remain neutral.

"Oh, I am sure I would not know that," she said, keeping her tone deliberately light. "I am only his governess after all. Now, if you'd like to talk about his theories on education, that I can do." The others all laughed politely, but Maria noted with some trepidation that Lorenz still watched her closely. After Georg's recent revelations, she could not help but see something sinister in his gaze. What was he trying to do?

"I am sure there is a good deal of engineering and navigation involved," Fischer remarked.

"Once a Navy man, always a Navy man, I suppose," Lorenz agreed. "Even if the Navy no longer exists." Again, Maria could not help but hear the undercurrent of suspicion in his tone. She thought for a moment, trying desperately to think of a way to discreetly change the topic. Finally, she settled on the one topic she could always discuss—the children.

"That is certainly true. Let me tell you about the first time he went sailing with Friedrich. . . "

The conversation stayed in safer territory after that though Maria did have to redirect twice more—once when Lorenz made a remark about Georg being a "proud Austrian" and once when Gretchen began to ask pointed questions about her relationship with her employer. Both times, a story about the children's exploits managed to distract them, but when they started the questioning for a third time, this time working together, Maria simply could not force a change in topic. Theresa fortunately came to her rescue.

"I have to visit the ladies room. Maria, care to come with me?" Maria nodded, standing and following Theresa away from the table. Both women quickly took care of their business, but Maria noted Theresa lingered over washing her hands. Sensing the woman wanted to tell her something, Maria followed her example. Finally, as she began drying her hands, Theresa spoke. "I don't know exactly what your relationship is with Captain von Trapp, and I do not care to engage in idle speculation about it as Gretchen does, but I warn you to be careful. These are dangerous times with people taking sides left and right. Based on a conversation I overheard earlier, your employer has not yet taken a side which could be very dangerous for him—and you as well."

"The Captain can handle himself, I am sure." Mostly, Maria corrected in her head, remembering the bullet.

"And you?"

"I fail to see why they would care about a lowly governess."

Theresa appeared to consider her next words carefully. "Just remember that both sides are willing to use whoever is necessary to advance their cause—even a lowly governess."

Maria was still mulling over Theresa's warning when she arrived back at the villa half an hour later. Hearing shouts from outside, she crossed the foyer and made her way to the veranda where she saw something that she had never expected to see which chased all thoughts of the impromptu reunion out of her mind. The oldest five children were playing football—a not uncommon occurrence as Friedrich had a bit of obsession with the game and tried to coax his siblings into playing every chance he could. He had even convinced Maria to join them on a few occasions though she preferred other games, such as tag or Red Rover, for she simply did not have the coordination to successfully kick the ball in the direction she wished. On the current occasion, however, Friedrich had found a different sixth player, one who did not seem to have Maria's coordination problems.

Georg had discarded his coat and tie and rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows. His shoes and socks were also missing, and Maria saw grass stains on the gray slacks he wore. He looked nothing like the starched aristocrat she had grown accustomed to seeing, and the sight of him made her heart pound in her chest and sweat begin to form on her brow. She watched as Liesl kicked the ball to him, and he smoothly stopped it with a bare foot before juggling it forward toward the goal Kurt guarded. At the last second, using a move that Maria did not see, he passed the ball to Brigitta who kicked it toward her older brother. Kurt managed to stop Brigitta's kick, but when he tried to pass the ball back to Louisa, Georg suddenly appeared in its path, reversing its direction and sending it soaring into the goal.

Liesl and Brigitta cheered loudly in celebration, rushing forward to hug their father. He threw his good arm around both of them, pulling them close as they exclaimed excitedly. As soon as he finished hugging them, he turned to Friedrich, Louisa, and Kurt who stood a couple meters away, looking dejected. He said something to them that Maria could not hear, but they quickly threw themselves into his embrace as well. Maria did hear Kurt's next comment. "Papa, can you be on my team now?"

Georg laughed loudly. "I need a cold drink before we play anymore, but I think we can manage that." He walked over to the blanket where Marta and Gretl had been sitting, swinging his youngest into his arms. "Who wants to go ask Frau Brunner for some lemonade?" Louisa and Kurt volunteered immediately, and they quickly ran off toward the kitchen for the desired beverage. Georg turned toward the terrace then, and his grin broadened. "Maria, you're back!"

"I just got here," Maria said, hoping her voice sounded steady. She had not realized until that moment that he had also unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and some dark hair peeked out of the collar alluringly. He smirked as he noticed her gaze, and she quickly looked over at the children.

"Did you enjoy your time with your friends?" Liesl asked politely as the six von Trapps made their way to the veranda.

The conversation at the cafe suddenly came back to Maria, and her nod was a bit hesitant. Georg noticed, of course, and his smile slipped slightly. "It was enlightening," Maria said. Liesl seemed puzzled by the answer, but her brother chose that moment to kick the football he was juggling a bit too far, hitting her squarely in the back of the shins. She turned to reprimand him, forgetting about Maria. Georg passed by the bickering pair, ascending the steps with his three youngest to join Maria on the veranda.

"Meet me in my study tonight after the kids are in bed," he whispered as he passed by Maria. "I would like to be enlightened as well."

Kurt's voice interrupted them suddenly. "I thought you said you wouldn't kiss and stuff in front of us!" he exclaimed indignantly, appearing in the doorway with a pitcher of lemonade. Behind him, Louisa carried a stack of glasses.

Georg's eyebrows rose, and Maria wondered if he was going to reprimand his son for the admittedly disrespectful way in which he spoke. However, whatever playfulness the football game had unleashed in him still seemed to be present, and he said simply, "I believe I said our behavior should not be noticeably different. So if you would not like to notice anything different, I suggest you turn around." With that, he leaned forward again, this time pressing his lips firmly to Maria's. It was the first time he had kissed her in front of anyone else, and for a moment, it felt a bit odd to have an audience, especially since Maria heard a breathy sigh from Liesl's direction and grumbling from Kurt's. However, the feel of Georg's lips on hers quickly chased away any strangeness, for kissing him simply felt right, like she was coming home.

Conscious of their young audience, they kept the kiss short and chaste, but the proximity and Georg's disheveled appearance was having a definite effect on Maria, and it was difficult for her to pull away. He seemed similarly affected, and she watched him swallow hard before straightening and turning to his children to begin serving the lemonade.

They played another game of soccer though Maria bowed out, citing the uneven teams if she played. Instead, she sat on the sidelines with Marta and Gretl and cheered on both teams. Once more, Georg's team, which now consisted of Kurt and Brigitta, won, but the older children did not seem overly upset. They congratulated their siblings before Goerg sent everyone inside to clean up for dinner.

Dinner was loud and boisterous with many retellings of soccer plays, but the children began to crash almost as soon as it was over, and it was relatively easy to put them to bed. Georg finished reading the nighttime book as soon as Maria had put the older children to bed, and she waited as he said goodnight to them before they walked down to his study together. Once he had served them both drinks, he took a seat next to her on the sofa, so close their legs were pressed together. "So, I am guessing lunch included more than a friend who wanted gossip about our relationship," he remarked.

"It did," Maria confirmed. "Gretchen definitely wanted that, but she had invited a couple doctors as well."

Georg frowned. "Not-"

"No!" Maria said quickly before he could finish his statement. "I do not think I could have faced that. These were doctors who I knew in passing, but I honestly could not have told you either of their names until Gretchen introduced them to me."

"Why did she invite them then?"

"I am not sure, but one of them kept asking about your political views. Maybe I was reading too much into it because of what you told me a couple days ago, but it seemed a bit odd."

"You're right to trust your instincts. What did you say his name was?"

"I didn't. Gretchen introduced him as Dr. Lorenz, but I truly don't remember anything about him so I could not confirm that's his real name nor do I know his first name. Theresa, however, was a good friend, and she did not contradict Gretchen, so I'm inclined to believe the name is his real one. Theresa also warned me that I should be careful because you had not chosen a side which was a dangerous position that could get me in trouble as well."

Georg's frown had deepened. "I don't know a Lorenz, but that does not necessarily mean anything." His left hand's fingers drummed against his knee, a sure sign he was thinking hard. "I don't like this. We have not even announced our engagement, and people are already trying to use you to get to me. Perhaps you should not go to the ball with me."

"Georg, you cannot keep me locked in a tower so I stay safe." He raised an eyebrow at her, and she rolled her eyes. "I am serious, Georg."

"Maybe we should not announce our engagement then."

"Theresa was quite clear that even my position as governess made me. . . interesting to them."

"Dammit!" Georg slammed his glass down so hard on the table liquid sloshed over the side. "This is why I never got involved in this while Agathe was alive. I'm a danger to everyone around me. You should get away from me as quickly as you can."

"No." Maria reached out, covering his hand with hers, a bit worried when she felt it shaking. "I love you, Georg. I am not leaving you. Perhaps it would be less dangerous without you, but it is also a life that I do not feel is worth living. Now that I have you, I intend to keep you. And you know how stubborn I am."

He gave a short laugh at that, but she could still clearly see the anguish in his eyes. "If something happened to you because of my actions, I just. . ."

"I know. And I cannot promise that nothing will happen to me. What I can promise is that I love you for who you are, and that includes the honor that insists you stand up for what you believe in."

"What did I do to deserve you?"

"I ask myself the same question." He kissed her then, and though it was passionate, there was a tinge of desperation as well. Maria returned the kiss with equal fervor, and they only pulled away when air became necessary. Georg rested his forehead on hers, cupping her cheeks in his hands.

"At least promise me you will not take foolish chances. If something does not feel right, run."

"I'm stubborn, Georg, not stupid."

"And I want you to have a way to protect yourself. I can teach you some self-defense and basic skills with a weapon so you-"

"No guns," Maria insisted. The very thought of carrying a weapon such as the one Georg had pulled from his desk drawer sent a shiver down her spine.

"But-"

"No. I'm happy to learn self-defense if you think it will be useful, but I refuse to carry a weapon. Besides, once we are wed, I don't ever plan to leave your side, so it will be a moot point."

The joke had the desired effect; Georg gave a huff of laughter and relaxed somewhat. "That sounds like a good plan to me," he agreed.