The children returned to school the week after they returned from England, leaving the house much quieter until mid-afternoon. Though she missed them while they were gone, Maria was somewhat grateful for their absence, for she was rapidly realizing just how overwhelming planning a wedding was, at least a wedding that involved Austria's most loved naval hero. The Reverend Mother had informed them that the best date for both the Abbey and the bishop was November 3. It was not quite as early as Georg had wanted, and at first, Maria had been upset at needing to wait two and half months to call him her husband. Now, however, she was realizing that she would need every minute of those two and half months she had to spare if she was going to finish all the wedding preparations in time. Georg had urged her to pass off some of the duties to others, even offering to hire someone to help. However, when Maria had tried to let Frau Schmidt and one of the more experienced maids help, they still came to her with every decision which ended up making more work for her in the end. Eventually, she had decided it would be easier to do the bulk of the work herself.
On one particular afternoon, Maria was heading to the corner of the drawing room where she had set up what Georg referred to as "the wedding command center" (or, when out of hearing of the children, "wedding hell") when she heard Frau Schmidt's voice floating out from the sitting room. "I'm afraid that Captain von Trapp is out today, but I can take a message." Curious, Maria turned to the sitting room instead, pushing the door open slightly. Frau Schmidt looked over at her immediately, and her eyes lit up as a small smile formed on her lips. "Actually, I have his fiancee here now. She can help you."
Maria's brow furrowed as the older woman held out the phone to her. "Who?" she mouthed.
"Her name is Gretta," Frau Schmidt whispered. "She's one of the candidates." Maria cocked her head slightly, still puzzled. "For the nanny position," Frau Schmidt added.
Still confused but knowing she should not delay the caller any longer, Maria pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Oh, hello!" The woman on the other end had a bright, cheery voice, and she spoke quite quickly. "I was just calling to inform you that I am unable to make an interview on the eighteenth like I know we set up. I was hoping that perhaps I could come the day before or the day after?"
Having not known about any interview on the eighteenth, Maria truly had no opinion on what day she should come. However, she knew the woman expected a response, so she glanced at the calendar that Georg always kept by the phone. When she flipped to the dates in question, Maria was surprised to find a number of lines which read "Interview" with a name and a time. She recognized Georg's handwriting immediately, so he must have been the one to set up the interviews. But why had he done so? And why had he not told her? "Hello?" Gretta said. "Are you still there?"
"Oh, yes, sorry, I was just checking our calendar. It looks like there is some time at 2:00 on the seventeenth or 4:30 on the nineteenth."
"The seventeenth would be perfect. Thank you!" Maria bid the caller goodbye and hung up, looking over at Frau Schmidt who was watching her closely.
"Frau Schmidt, what do you know about these interviews?"
The older woman's eyes softened, and she gave Maria a kind smile. "I know that the captain was trying to ease your burden and has nothing but concern for you. You should speak to him about them."
"Of course. Thank you." Maria hesitated a moment before marking down the interview she had just set up. Hopefully, Georg would return from town soon.
Unfortunately, Georg returned with the children, having picked them up at school since he was already in town. Maria spent the remainder of the afternoon helping them with their homework while Georg worked on something in his study, and she did not see him until dinner time. After dinner, they immediately began the well-established nighttime routine, and before Maria felt like she even had time to blink, it was 8:30 and Georg was talking about taking her back to the Abbey. "I actually had something to ask you about before that," Maria said, stopping him before he could leave to grab the car.
"What is it?" His brow furrowed in concern.
"I got a call today from a candidate. Frau Schmidt said she was applying to the nanny position."
"Oh, thank you for handling that. I had been trying to do most of the scheduling so you did not need to worry, but I appreciate your help."
"Why are you interviewing for a nanny position?"
He looked genuinely puzzled. "For the children, of course."
Now, it was Maria's turn to be confused. "I thought I was going to take care of the children."
"You will certainly still be taking care of them, but you're going to be running this household as well as attending various social functions. No one expects you to do that without some help. We always had a nanny, ever since Liesl was born."
"I don't want a nanny, Georg. I don't want someone else raising our children."
"The nanny would not be raising them."
"Who would wake them up in the morning and help them get ready?"
"The nanny, of course."
"And help them with their homework when they came home?"
"Likely the nanny, but I imagine you and I will as well. I certainly helped with some before."
"And read them bedtime stories and put them to bed at night?"
He sighed, grabbing one of her hands and pressing his lips to the back of it. "I see your point, but Maria, I do not know if you fully understand just what will be expected of you once we are married. You will be running this household, from simple things like making the menu decisions for the week to the more complex issues of staffing. You will be expected to attend a variety of social functions and even host some. And it may be selfish, but I would like you to myself from time by time, to take you out on the town or maybe just stay in and lock ourselves in the master suite without worrying about a child banging on the door." His eyes twinkled with mischief as he pressed an even longer kiss to the back of her hand.
Maria's heart fluttered both at the thought of alone time with him but also with a twinge of fear as she thought about his earlier words. She had known that her life would be quite different as a baron's wife, but with the craziness of wedding planning, she had not fully considered what differences there might be. Reminding herself that marrying him was worth it and that she had faced far greater challenges, she took a calming breath before saying, "Be that as it may, Georg, I still want us to be the primary caregivers of our children. And I certainly would have preferred to have this conversation before you scheduled half a dozen interviews. Were you even going to tell me or just surprise me when someone else bustled in one day to start caring for the children?"
He winced at that. "Honestly, my love, it was not an intentional oversight. I was planning to have you sit in on the interviews, but I was trying to take the burden off of you to do the initial legwork. I know you have a good deal on your plate right now."
"I appreciate the thought, Georg, but in the future, I would prefer if you discuss things like this with me."
"I did not realize you felt so strongly about it."
"Truthfully, I am looking forward to caring for the children far more than the other duties you mentioned I will have after we are married. Well, except perhaps the last one." She blushed, and he smirked at her before growing thoughtful.
"Frau Schmidt has been handling a good deal of the household management with some input from me," he finally remarked. "Perhaps we could leave that system in place but add you as a backup for the times when I am not around."
"And instead of a nanny, could we hire another maid who has some experience with children?" Maria suggested. "That way, she can take some of Frau Schmidt's duties and also be available for childcare if we need her. A compromise of sorts."
Georg considered for a moment. "It would be an unusual position, but I suppose it could work. I can work on drafting up an employment offer tonight though I will likely need you to help with the follow up." At her confused look, he sighed. "I do not know anything definite yet which is why I have not mentioned it, but I have been meeting with some new. . . contacts in town, and they started hinting today that they will likely have need of my services soon. Knowing the way they work, I will be lucky to get twenty-four hours' notice before I need to leave which was another reason that I had been searching for a nanny." He huffed out a laugh. "I never realized I would one day consider the Brits punctual."
Maria knew he was likely going to have to leave soon after their discussion with Allan, but the news still hit her harder than she expected. However, she forced herself to remain calm as she replied, "Why don't I stay here while you are gone? After all, they cannot possibly find fault with me staying under your roof if you are not also there."
"You would be surprised what others can find fault with, but I agree with you that it is our best option for now. The children would probably revolt if I tried to find anyone else to care for them."
Maria raised an eyebrow at him. "And you thought a nanny would go over well?"
He chuckled. "Touche, Darling."
Georg's prediction turned out to be correct. He arrived to pick her up at Nonnberg the following morning with a frown on his face. "What's wrong?" she questioned.
"I need to leave immediately. I have a 10:00 train which gives me just enough time to say goodbye to you and drop you back at the villa before heading to the station."
"Oh." Maria's face fell as well. Though she knew his departure was imminent, she had thought—perhaps foolishly—that they would have a bit more time. "I need to pack my bag. It should be quick; I do not have too many things. Oh, and I suppose I should let Sister Berthe know where I will be so they do not worry." He nodded.
"Go. I will be waiting for you."
"I should not be long." Unfortunately, though packing did not take her long, it did take a few minutes to find Sister Berthe and longer than Maria had expected to convince the nun that staying at the von Trapp villa was perfectly innocent since her fiance would not even be in Salzburg during her stay. Eventually, the older woman did relent, even agreeing to tell the Reverend Mother so Maria would not be delayed further. After thanking Sister Berthe, Maria practically ran back to the gates of the Abbey, muttering apologies to Georg as she slid into the front seat of the car.
He drove them in the direction of the villa, but he surprisingly pulled the car off the road behind some bushes before they reached the drive leading up to his house. Maria looked over at him, confused. "I want to make sure I have a chance to say goodbye to you properly without my household staff and two youngest children nearby." And with that, he leaned towards her, pressing his lips firmly to hers. His hands went immediately to the back of her head, cradling it as he deepened the kiss. His tongue ran along her bottom lip sensually, and she parted her lips to allow it to tangle with hers. As always, his kiss was intoxicating, leaving Maria craving more. She grabbed onto the lapels of his suit, uncaring if she wrinkled it, pulling him as close as she could given the constraints of their location. He dropped one hand to the seat to balance himself as he began to move his lips to her chin and then down her neck, nipping and sucking. Maria lost herself so much in his caresses that she did not even realize she was unbuttoning his shirt until her fingers touched warm skin.
With what appeared to be great effort, he gentled his kisses, eventually pressing a final, almost chaste kiss to her lips. "Perhaps it is good that you were delayed. I do not know if I would be able to resist making love to you if I did not have to catch a train in forty minutes." Maria's heart beat faster at his admission, knowing that if he had proposed the option, she would have accepted.
"We should get to the villa then."
"We should." He trailed a hand down her cheek to her collarbone and torso before finally resting it on her thigh, squeezing gently. Only then did he start the car, steering them back onto the road before returning the hand to her thigh. Maria could feel its warm weight through her skirts, and she had trouble keeping her heart from racing out of her chest.
When they reached the villa, he gave her thigh a final squeeze before shutting off the engine. "I am not going to come in if you don't mind," he told her. "I have already said my goodbyes to the children, and I am afraid if Marta and Gretl see me again, it will make leaving that much harder."
"I understand."
"I'll take your luggage to the door."
"Oh, I can do that."
"I insist." Before Maria could argue further, he exited the car and grabbed her small suitcase from the back. Once he set it on the front steps, he turned back to her, cupping her face in his hands and giving her a long, lingering kiss.
"I love you," he told her sincerely. "I will likely not be able to contact you during while I am gone but know that I will be thinking of you constantly."
"And I of you." Then, with a final kiss, he was gone.
Maria woke the morning after he had left to find blood staining her underwear, and she immediately felt relieved of a burden she had not realized that she had been carrying. While she had told Georg the truth that she would have welcomed a baby with open arms had one come, it was also true that a pregnancy would have complicated things. It seemed God had decided not to bestow that particular blessing on them just yet.
Two days later, Maria was in the drawing room frowning over pictures of floral arrangements. She had not realized just how many options were available, and the sheer number of choices left her paralyzed, unable to make a decision despite the rational part of her mind that told her it did not truly matter which she picked. Vaguely, she heard someone knocking on the front door, but she ignored it, knowing that Franz would answer. As expected, a few seconds later, she heard the sharp click of his heels in the foyer followed by low voices. Maria looked up suddenly, recognizing the second voice. Quickly, she set aside the pictures and stood, making her way to the foyer.
"Max! I was not expecting you," she called. The impresario turned, greeting her with a wide smile.
"I sent a telegram a couple days ago," he informed her, giving her an unexpected but welcome hug.
Maria turned to Franz, frowning. "I did not receive a telegram."
The butler held his chin a bit higher. "I have been placing Captain von Trapp's correspondence in his study," he told her firmly. Maria sighed. Though many of the servants had been somewhat reluctant to accept her as the future mistress of the house, Franz was the only one who was openly defiant of her.
"In the future, please bring telegrams to me while the captain is away."
"I am under the captain's employ, and I do not know that he would approve."
"You can ask the captain when he returns, but I am sure he would have no problem with it." Franz stared at her a moment before looking over to Max. Max's eyebrows rose, and the butler finally huffed.
"I will leave future telegrams on the table in the hall."
"Thank you." Franz gave a single emphatic nod before turning and leaving the room.
Max turned back to her, smiling. "I must say, I am impressed. I know this is a big change for you, but you seem to be handling it admirably."
"Thank you but I often feel that I have no idea what I am doing, particularly when it comes to planning the actual wedding."
"Speaking of which, I had expected to be called upon as chaperon, so I was most surprised that I learned about the engagement from the Vienna gossip circles and not Georg himself. I got here as soon as I could after I heard though I did have some business to conclude. Where is Georg by the way?" Max looked around as if expecting Georg to suddenly appear.
"Away."
"Oh? Not in Vienna, I assume, since he would have called on me."
"No, I don't believe he went to Vienna." Max stared at her for a moment, his eyes shining with a shrewdness that showed just why he was—as Georg had admitted to her one day after securing a promise never to tell another soul, particularly Max himself—Georg's oldest friend.
After a tense moment, Max's face relaxed back into his normal easy grin. "Ah. In that case, I have time to enjoy myself before I need to take up my chaperon duties."
"We don't need a chaperon." Max's eyebrows arched as he stared at her in disbelief, and Maria colored, realizing what she had accidentally implied. "What I mean to say is that I am actually staying at the Abbey. Well, except while Georg is away."
"In that case, I shall just have to avail myself of Georg's hospitality with no real excuse!" He chuckled, and after a moment, Maria joined him. The mention of hospitality, however, suddenly reminded her that with Georg away, she was the one in charge of that.
"Oh, I need to tell Frau Schmidt to find a maid to prepare a room!" she exclaimed suddenly, turning to do just that. "And I'll make sure the cook knows to set an extra place for meals, and-"
"Maria, my dear," Max said, stopping her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Just relax. There is no need to go to any trouble on my account. Hasn't Georg told you I'm basically family?" Maria gave him a small smile. "Now, I am just going to take my suitcase to my normal room and then we can have a long talk about exactly what you and Georg have been up to in my absence." With that, he started up the stairs with his suitcase before Maria could even think of a response.
The children were overjoyed to find their Uncle Max at the villa when they returned from school that day, and his presence provided enough distraction to allow Maria to get a good deal of wedding planning done. By dinner that night, Maria was beginning to feel like perhaps she would be able to finish what she needed to do for the wedding after all, particularly as Max had offered his help. "Not with all the girly details," he had clarified. "But I have been around aristocrats for quite some time, so I can certainly provide plenty of information on the more practical aspects like who should absolutely not be at a table with whom and which dishes are best to serve."
Twelve days after Max's arrival, Maria found a telegram on the table where Franz had been grudgingly leaving them. Surprisingly, it was from Georg, informing her that he would be returning the following day though he did not provide a time. The children begged Maria to let them stay home from school, but she insisted, knowing Georg would not appreciate it if they skipped. They then asked if she could collect them from school when he did arrive, but she managed to put them off by promising to ask their father about that. Her answer led to a number of groans, for the children were well aware Georg would never agree to anything of the sort, but they did finally grab their school things and head to the car with Franz.
In the end, Georg did not arrive until late afternoon, so the question of picking them up from school was moot. The children spotted him first; they had apparently been watching for his car out of the window of the school room and came thundering down the steps as soon as it turned into the drive. When he opened the door, all seven immediately accosted him, Gretl in Friedrich's arms. Georg laughed as he hugged them, and Maria took a moment to watch him, searching for any new injuries. He appeared to be moving with ease, and she did not notice any pain on his face which caused her to breathe a sigh of relief. As he finished greeting the children, he looked up, and their eyes met. Suddenly, all the breath seemed to leave her lungs. She was not even aware of what she was doing, but her feet were suddenly moving her towards him. "Maria," he breathed, reaching out. She flung herself into his arms, remembering the children at the last minute and burying her face in his neck instead of pressing her lips to his like she wanted. She knew at that moment that she would not be able to keep a kiss chaste, something he seemed to understand as well, for he simply embraced her, burying his face in her hair.
Dimly, Maria heard Max's voice. "Come on children, let's give your father and Maria a few minutes. Why don't you sing me a song in the music room?" Maria sensed the children moving away from them as Max called out, "You have five minutes, Georg. You're welcome." Georg did not respond verbally to his friend; instead, he pulled away slightly, framing Maria's face with his hands before leaning forward and capturing her lips in a kiss. Immediately, Maria parted her own lips, and their tongues dueled fiercely. Her hand moved to his upper back, holding his body as close as she could, while his own hands roamed over her body, one landing on her butt as the other tangled in her hair. The kiss was all-consuming, and Maria felt lightheaded and dizzy as his lips moved against hers. She hoped it would never end.
Eventually, however, he pulled away, resting his forehead on hers. "Knowing Max, he meant exactly five minutes which means we will have company very soon." Sure enough, when Maria strained her ears, she could hear the children's chatter growing closer. Georg grinned at her, pressing a final kiss to her lips before pulling away entirely, turning to meet his children.
After a rather boisterous dinner—even by the von Trapp standards—Max surprisingly declared an intention of turning in early. When Maria turned to Georg in confusion, he had simply laughed and remarked, "Max is truly a horrible chaperon. Or the perfect one, I suppose, depending on your perspective." They put the children to bed together, a process that took longer than usual due to their excitement over having their father home. However, they eventually settled, and after final kisses goodnight, Georg wrapped an arm around Maria's waist and led her into the hallway. "Care to join me for a nightcap in my study?" he asked. "I can take you back to the Abbey in a bit, but I was hoping to spend more time with you."
"That sounds wonderful though I need to be back by 9:30 or there will not be anyone to let me in."
"Of course." They walked together to his study where he poured drinks for them both before joining her on his sofa. Maria noted as he sat down that although he did not look injured, he did appear to be quite tired. She wondered just how much sleep he had the past few days.
"What happened?" she asked. "Or, I guess, what can you tell me?"
He gave her a slightly tired smile. "A good deal of back and forth but very little actual progress," he said. "They're testing my usefulness. I had some information that my British contacts agreed I could give, but I could not give it all at once or risk seeming over-eager or like I was hiding something. Instead, I had to draw it out which took some time."
"Are all your trips going to be like this?"
He sighed, taking a large sip of the brandy he held. "Hard to say. It will depend on how long it takes me to gain their trust, I suppose." He grimaced. "This is certainly not where I imagined I would one day be, feeding secrets bit by bit to Nazi's."
"You know you're doing it for the greater good."
"I know. I just. . . I hated myself for most of these two weeks. Yes, I was only giving information that my British contacts agreed I could give, but it was still useful. It had to be useful or they would stop talking to me. And I know as I get in deeper, things are going to be much harder. I will have to do more to convince them of my dedication to the cause, and I cannot help but worry what that might be."
Maria considered his words for a moment, grabbing his free hand and playing with his fingers. "When the Reverend Mother first sent me here, she described you as a kind and honorable man. It did not take me long to realize just how true her words were, and the more I have gotten to know you, the more truth I have seen in them. You are the most honorable man I know, Georg. I have no doubts that no matter what happens, you will make the right decision."
"Does your faith in me ever waver?" He sounded almost awed, setting aside his glass so he could touch her face.
"Why should it?" And with that, he was kissing her, but it was a different kiss than the desire-driven one they had shared when he first returned. Though still deep and passionate, the current kiss seemed to be more a melding of their souls, a silent confirmation that together, they were strong enough to face whatever trials life threw at them. It was not a kiss about their physical relationship but rather a physical manifestation of their emotional connection, a connection that Maria still could not fathom. She loved him not just with her heart but her soul as well, and she knew he felt the same.
When he finally broke away, he simply stared at her for a few minutes, stroking her cheeks gently. "What about a happier topic?" he asked after a minute or so. "How are the wedding plans coming along?"
"Better than I expected," Maria told him honestly. "Max has been much more helpful than I imagined."
"He is a man of hidden talents."
"I did finalize the guest list. I left it on your desk for you to look over one last time, but if you are comfortable with it, I can get the invitations sent out this week."
"Well, there is no time like the present, I suppose." He stood, and Maria immediately felt the loss of contact. Fortunately, as soon as he retrieved the list, he returned, sitting close enough to her that she could feel the heat of his body. He scanned the list for a few minutes, his frown deepening. "This looks like the list I gave you. Did you add anyone?"
"I did add Theresa." Maria pointed to her friend's name at the end.
"One person? There's no one else—no family or other close friends you would want to invite?" Maria shook her head. He peered at her curiously, and she took a deep breath.
"I do not have any family left that I would want at my wedding." She could immediately see that he was curious, but he respected her privacy enough not to press the issue. However, she knew she would have to tell him eventually, and as he had said, there was no time like the present. "My parents died when I was six," she explained. He made a noise of sympathy in the back of his throat, reaching out to rest a warm hand on her leg. However, he said nothing else, for he knew her well enough to know she needed to tell the story at her own pace. "I was sent to my uncle's house, my mother's brother. I had only met him once before at my grandmother's funeral, and I barely remembered him." Maria took a deep breath, steeling herself for the next part. "He was. . . not the nicest person. He certainly did not want children and did not seem to know what to do with the small child that was suddenly living with him. I quickly learned to do most things for myself—cooking simple meals, fixing clothes, cleaning up after myself, for he hated a dirty house. For the most part, in the early years, I kept out of his way and he let me be. But then I got older, and he started expecting more from me—cooking his meals, for example, or cleaning the whole house. I went along with his requests at first, but they eventually grew so numerous that I was missing school. At that point, I asked for fewer responsibilities. And then. . ." Maria trailed off, closing her eyes against the sudden onslaught of emotion.
"You don't have to tell me," Georg assured her.
"No, I want to get this off my chest. It just might take a minute."
"Take your time."
"He hit me," Maria finished, her words barely above whisper. "Not too much at first, but the beatings grew worse over time. Until one night when I was sixteen, he knocked me unconscious. When I came to, I fled. I was afraid of what might happen if I stayed there any longer. I passed my teaching exam and did some tutoring and teaching to put myself through nursing school. I thought that since I had patched myself up so many times before, it would be a good fit. And, well, you know the rest of that story."
Georg took her hand in both of his, pressing his lips to the back of it. "I suspected before that you did not have an easy childhood, but I never knew. . . you're amazing, you know that, right Maria? To have not just survived but thrived despite the circumstances."
Maria shrugged, a bit self-conscious. "I am not the only person who had a difficult childhood. I know from various comments you have made that yours was not easy either."
Georg sighed, letting their clasped hands fall back to her thigh. His eyes took on a faraway look. "I was an only child," he told her finally. "And until I went to the Naval Academy, I was taught by a series of tutors, so I was always lonely. I suppose that's why when Agathe mentioned that she wanted a houseful of children, I went along with it immediately." He gave a small smile but soon grew introspective again. "Don't get me wrong, my life was not bad, certainly not in the way yours was. I was the heir to a large estate, and we had plenty of money so I never wanted for anything."
"Except for companionship."
"Except for that, I suppose. My parents raised me the way they had been raised—I suppose they loved me in their own way, but they were aloof and not very affectionate. Their biggest goal for me was to mold me into the perfect aristocrat who would bring honor to the von Trapp family name. I was not very good at doing what was expected of me, so my father dealt with my insubordination in a fairly typical manner for those days—with a belt. Eventually, I learned that if I tried to object or avoid a beating, it would be worse, so I would just ignore them as much as possible until he had finished. It worked fairly well until I reached the Naval Academy. The students there. . . well, let us just say they have their own initiation rights that are far worse than the belt. Unfortunately, I had conditioned myself so well to ignore the abuse that it took a trip to the hospital with multiple internal injuries before I realized I needed to change my approach. I taught myself self-defense with help from an older student I had befriended, and the next time they came for me, I was ready. After that, I vowed to never find myself defenseless again."
Maria's eyes widened. "That's why you agreed so readily to teaching the children self-defense."
He nodded. "I never want any of my children to be in the position I was in. And with the way the world is heading. . . well, I am afraid they may find it necessary to defend themselves sooner rather than later."
"Do you truly think it will come to that?"
Georg's expression was grim, and Maria felt him tighten his grip on her hand. "I think that Germany is currently ruled by a very charismatic, very influential madman, one who is quite capable of preying on people's fear and hatred to sway them to his side. And given how quickly he has clamped down on Germany, I think it is not unreasonable for him to meet many of his other expansionist goals as well. Truthfully, I feel Britain and France are being too accommodating right now, but they fear the alternative will be worse for everyone."
"War," Maria guessed. She did not know much about politics, and most of what she had learned was from him, but she knew enough to understand the implications of the current political climate.
"Likely sooner rather than later. I truly hope it does not reach that point, but I cannot conceive of another way this might end."
"What will happen to you then?"
Georg took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I am not truly sure. I suspect my British contacts will want me to stay in my current position to pass information, but I do not know that I will be able to manage that for long. I imagine there will come a point where the Nazis will ask me to do something my conscience will not allow, and even if that does come to pass, once war breaks out, they will want me down in a submarine. I will not be much use to Britain there."
"Allan said he would help you craft an escape plan.'
"He has been working on it. It has been. . . slow going. The Nazis do not take lightly to those who cross them. If my true affiliations were to come to light, we would likely need to leave the country." Maria could not stop the stricken expression forming on her face though the rational part of her brain had already reached the same conclusion. Georg reached out, cupping her chin and brushing his thumb over her lips. "It is not something to worry about now. It will be some time before such a thing comes to pass, and a number of things can happen in that time. For the moment, I would prefer to focus on our upcoming nuptials." Maria allowed the change of topic, but their previous conversation had cast a dark shadow over them that was impossible to dispel completely.
By the time they had finished talking, it was well past 9:30. Georg suggested Maria stay at the villa one more night, pointing out that no one had to know. Maria reminded him of Max and the children and assured him she could climb well enough to enter the Abbey even while it was locked. He finally grudgingly agreed, driving her back to the Abbey before following her to the back where a section of the wall that needed repair provided convenient footholds. Georg waited until she had scaled the wall, turning back to blow him a final kiss, before walking away.