While he was away, Georg had received an invitation to a ball hosted by a friend of his father's and his elderly wife. He had shown the invitation to Maria the day after he returned, seeking her opinion on their attendance. Maria had considered carefully, but she knew that eventually she would have to become more comfortable with accompanying him to social functions. It would be part of her role as his wife and baroness. And, as he aptly pointed out, it would be a chance for him to dance with her without any ulterior motives.

Therefore, just over a week after his return, Maria found herself donning a new gown that Liesl had helped her select. It was light blue (Georg had mentioned once that blue was his favorite color on her, and she had taken that to heart) with no sleeves, leaving the pale skin of her neck and shoulder exposed. It hugged her curves nicely and made her feel—as Brigitta had so aptly put it—like a princess. All five girls had helped her prepare for the ball; even little Gretl had accompanied her sisters into the room Maria still thought of as her own—though she no longer slept there. The toddler had spent most of the time playing with toys, but the girls had asked her to pass them a few items which she had done happily. Maria had smiled to watch them interact, knowing they were trying to show that they had all accepted her as part of the family.

When Maria finished preparing, she exited the room with all five girls trailing behind her, Gretl holding tightly to Brigitta's hand. She saw Georg in the foyer, twisting his gloves in his hands as he often did when bored or nervous. He turned upon hearing them, and Maria watched with a rapidly-beating heart as his eyes widened and darkened, studying her figure almost hungrily.

"See, I told you he would like it," Liesl whispered, giggling. Her sisters all nodded.

"I knew I raised brilliant daughters," Georg said, reaching out to take Maria's hand. Bowing over it, he pressed a soft kiss to the back of it.

"We expect you to bring her back by curfew," Liesl said in mock seriousness. Georg chuckled.

"I make no guarantees," he said.

"Father, can we go to the next party with you?" Brigitta asked.

"Perhaps when you are a bit older," he said.

"I for one don't particularly care," Louisa said. "It seems too much fuss for just a few hours."

"I would love to go to a party," Liesl said, her voice a bit dreamy. "It would be wonderful to see all the other women there, to dance all night long."

"And who precisely are you planning on dancing with?" Georg questioned, narrowing his eyes at his oldest daughter. She shrugged.

"No one in particular," she said. "I just think it would be lovely." Maria squeezed the Georg's hand, which still clasped her own, reminding him not to press too much. At twelve, Liesl liked the idea of romance, but she was still young enough that she had no particular person in mind other than perhaps some characters from her favorite stories. If Georg tried to question her too much, however, she would think of someone who she wanted to dance with, likely someone of whom her father would not approve.

"Alright, you five should go prepare for dinner. I hear Frau Steiner has a special meal planned. Send your brothers down so we can say goodbye to them as well." They nodded and hurried off, and Georg turned to his fiancé, leaning over to whisper in her ear, "You look gorgeous, Darling. So ravishing that I am no longer sure I want to go out for the evening."

Maria chuckled a bit self-consciously. "We already promised we would attend," she reminded him.

"It truly is a shame." He cast a glance over his shoulder at the upstairs hallway. Finding it empty, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. She pressed her body closer to his, and he responded instantly, dragging her closer. Their tongues clashed almost immediately, and she lost herself in the heady sensations. It was only Liesl's voice which broke them apart.

"The others will be down soon to say goodbye, so I would recommend making yourselves presentable," she suggested, a note of amusement in her voice. "Besides, I don't believe there is much more foundation." With a final smirk, she disappeared into the dining room. Georg turned to his fiancée, confusion on his face. Maria had buried her head in his chest, her hands still clinging to the collar of his tuxedo jacket, trying to hide her reddened cheeks.

"Care to tell me what she meant by that?"

Maria groaned. "It seems you may have been a bit. . . over-zealous the other day on the terrace." His eyebrows contracted in confusion, trying to decipher what she was telling him. Maria knew it would not take him long to remember the encounter, however, and in a few seconds, understanding passed over Georg's face. He glanced down at her neck, his head cocked slightly to the side. "You can't see it now," Maria assured him. "Liesl did a remarkable job with the foundation."

Georg's expression darkened. "I hesitate to think of where she acquired that particular skill."

"She is twelve, Georg. Trust me, it was the first time she employed it in such a fashion."

"Still, she should not be wearing make up at all. As you said she is twelve. Where did she even find it?"

Maria hesitated slightly, but she could not lie to him. "I bought it for her a couple weeks ago." His eyebrows arched, but before he could comment, she plowed onward. "She is starting to get some acne and the other kids at school were teasing her about it. I have been there, but I was never able to do anything about it when I was her age. However, she mentioned that some other girls employ a technique with foundation to hide various skin blemishes and wanted to try it, and as much as I know vanity is a sin, I also understand how difficult that age is for a girl."

Georg pursed his lips, considering, but eventually, he sighed. "I suppose I see your point, and it did come in handy for us. I am sorry about the mark. I did not mean for things to get so out of hand the other day. I am afraid my behavior was entirely unbecoming of a gentleman. And with skin as light as yours, I suppose the outcome was inevitable."

"It is not entirely your fault. I certainly helped to escalate the situation. I am just happy that my normal clothes are sufficient to cover it. I nearly did not wear this dress in order to avoid showing the mark, but your daughters insisted."

"I personally am glad that they did." He frowned suddenly. "Please tell me none of the others knew what the mark was. It's bad enough that Liesl knows, but the others are much too young!"

"They're much too smart for their own good sometimes, but I think in this case at least, they were in the dark. Liesl told them it was just a bruise; I confess I was too embarrassed to think of a story so quickly." He opened his mouth to comment again when running feet announced the presence of the last two of his children. He smiled at them and ruffled their hair, bidding them a final goodbye before shooing them off into the dining room to finish their dinner. Then, he turned back to Maria with his eyebrows raised. "Shall we?" he questioned. She nodded, her lips set in a tight line, and he guided her from the house with a gentle hand at the small of her back.

Maria was quiet for the first part of the trip, steeling herself for the night. Her experiences thus far had not endeared her to the upper class, and she was not sure the party on the current night would help much in that regard. She was sure that Georg was not looking forward to the evening either, but he had adopted his normal stoic mask which even she, as well as she had come to know him, could not read. Thoughts of Georg made her remember why she was going, and she sat a bit straighter in her seat, knowing she would do anything in order to marry the man next to her. Attending a few social events a year seemed a small price to pay.

"You're lost in thought, my dear," Georg said, placing a comforting hand on her knee.

"Just worrying about tonight."

He nodded, having obviously expected that answer. "You'll do fine, my love. You've done wonderfully so far." Maria raised an eyebrow, and he gave her a wide smile. "Truly, you have. But just say the word, and I will turn this car around and go home."

"No, we said we were going, so we will go. I am sure it will be fine."

He watched her for a moment. "Alright, but just say the word, and we will leave immediately."

They arrived at the party only a few minutes after it had started, a surprising feat given the lateness of their departure. They actually ended up arriving before many of the other guests, a fact for which Maria was grateful. It gave her time to grow comfortable with the setting before she had dozens of names to remember. Their hosts greeted Georg and Maria cordially, but Maria noticed the look in their eyes as they did so, their gaze dropping to her hand on his arm. She had seen the look many times before; it seemed to follow her everywhere she went in town ever since she and Georg had announced their engagement. Inevitably, a second look would follow, one that slid down to her stomach. Sure enough, in just a few seconds, the Countess's gaze fell, and she seemed slightly disappointed at finding Maria's stomach obviously flat.

She felt Georg's muscle tense beneath her hand, and she squeezed his arm slightly to calm him. "Count and Countess Meyer, it was very kind of you to invite us tonight," he said, his voice calm. "I don't believe you have yet met my fiancé, Maria." He motioned to the woman at his side, and she held out a hand.

"It's lovely to meet you, my dear," the countess said with a smile that appeared too wide.

"And you as well," Maria responded respectfully.

"That dress is stunning on you. It really brings out your eyes."

A blush crept across Maria's cheeks as she remembered Georg saying something similar in a tone of voice that left no doubt as to the direction of his thoughts. "Thank you. The girls helped pick it out."

"Oh, of course, I forgot how close you are to the children. Tell me, how are the little dears?"

"They're wonderful," Maria said simply.

The Countess laughed, and Maria found the sound grated on her nerves. "Oh, my dear, you don't have to lie to me. I'm sure the Captain is well aware of what a handful they can be. Oh, the stories we've heard around here. I'm surprised they didn't send you running for the hills on your first night."

"Maria is tougher than you may think," Georg said, coming to her rescue. His eyes met hers, and she read the clear message in them. Much to my relief, she stayed.

"Well, my dear, that is excellent to hear." The Countess patted her shoulder condescendingly before turning to her next guest. Maria heard Georg exhale softly, the only emotion he let slip through his impenetrable façade. He had put on his public face now, the face of the proper, upstanding naval hero. Looking at him, it was hard to imagine that he was the same man who had lain in bed with his two small daughters just the previous night making up tales of grand adventure. Or the man who had spent nearly the entire day two days before sailing around the lake with his sons, even forgoing his usual coat and tie and leaving his loose shirt unbuttoned for a dishevelled appearance that made Maria's heart beat wildly. It was certainly hard to imagine him as the man who had held her so close on the terrace, evoking feelings in her that she had never imagined. Involuntarily, her hand moved up to touch the spot on her neck that Liesl had expertly concealed. His sharp eyes immediately noticed the gesture, and they slid to the side in warning. Self-consciously, she dropped the hand again, wondering how she would ever fit in to this society. How could she be as poised, as buttoned-up as he was when every time she looked at him, her mind continued to wander to the intimate moments they had shared?

As strange as it was at first, however, she found that she enjoyed the public-facing side of Georg as well. He truly was a sight to behold in a full tuxedo, his Navy medals pinned to his breast and the Maria Teresa cross hanging from his neck. His bearing was regal and powerful, hinting at the strength and discipline that he had needed to make him a fine naval captain. If she were being honest, that was the first part of him she had fallen in love with. Seeing him with the children, relaxed and carefree, had just made her fall more deeply in love.

Georg carefully guided her from the entryway to greet some of the other guests, and an interesting routine soon developed. It seemed every single female at the party (and some who were not single) from the age of eighteen to eighty wanted to greet her fiancé. And they were not content with a simple "hello;" they wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, batting their eyelashes and simpering sweetly. A few even had the audacity to touch him, one running a gloved hand down his arm and another placing a hand on his shoulder. Though Georg did retain his dignity and steered them resolutely away from those situations, Maria could tell he was growing uncomfortable with the attention. After one particularly forward woman had grabbed his bicep fiercely, he excused himself and guided Maria to a rather secluded corner of the room, finally allowing his mask to slip.

"I'm sorry about that. I regret to say that perhaps those of us in the so-called upper class are not as mannered as we would like the world to believe."

"Is it always like that?"

"Veiled insults couched as compliments? Yes, I am afraid that is the mark of a well-bred lady."

"No, I mean are women always. . . you know, so forward with you."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "The word you're looking for, my dear, is flirting. And it has been awhile since I was on the receiving end of so much attention. The last time was right after the Great War. Once I married Agathe, as I mentioned before, most seemed to understand I was off limits." He sighed. She had dropped his arm when they had stopped in the corner, and he brought his hand to her lower back now, his thumb pressing sensually into her flesh. "I knew it would be difficult, that people would wonder if we needed to marry or speculate on what was happening before the engagement. But I did not realize that it would start that again."

"What do you mean?"

"Those women tonight? They feel that they deserve to have me for some silly reason."

"So they're jealous? Of me?"

"That seems to be the case."

Maria laughed lightly. "I was jealous of them as well," she admitted.

"Without reason, I hope you know."

"I do."

"I love you, Maria." His thumb moved in small circles around her lower back.

"I love you, too." For one wild moment, Maria thought he was going to kiss her despite the number of people milling about the room. And though she was a private person as well, she would have let him. But the moment was interrupted as another man joined him, a young woman on his arm.

"Captain Georg von Trapp. I thought I recognized you," he greeted.

Georg turned to face the man, his hand dropping from her back. Maria found that she instantly missed its presence. "Captain Schwartz. I was unaware that you were in Salzburg," Georg said. Maria could tell he was tense, and she wondered what the history between the men had been.

"I only just arrived yesterday. I was going to call on you, but you saved me the trouble. Allow me to introduce Baroness Wolfe," he said, gesturing to the young woman beside him.

"Pleased to meet you," Georg said, bending over her hand to kiss it. Maria saw the now-familiar spark of interest in the young woman's eyes, and it took all of her willpower not to sigh loudly. She supposed it was only to be expected; the captain she was with seemed to possess none of Georg's poise and elegance. He had obviously not worked as hard to keep himself in shape as Georg had done, leaving him thicker around the middle than was probably healthy. "This is my fiancée, Maria," Georg said, holding his arm out so that she could grab onto it once more.

"Enchantée, ma cherie," Schwartz replied, kissing her hand. Georg stiffened beside her when his lips lingered slightly longer than necessary, but she pulled her hand back quickly. He turned to Georg then. "I must congratulate you, Captain. I had heard the news, of course, but I did not realize how lovely your bride-to-be is."

"What brings you to Salzburg?" Georg questioned. Though his tone was polite, Maria knew from the tenseness of his posture that he wanted to be anything but polite with the other man.

"Oh, just some business. As I'm sure you've heard, the Third Reich is growing more powerful. I've heard rumors that he plans to make Austria his own very soon. Just think, Georg, that would give us a Navy again. I'm sure you've been dreaming about that day as much as I."

Georg's tone was clipped as he spoke. "My dreams are my own business." He looked as if he wanted to say more, but he bit off his words. Maria let her finger run down his arm soothingly, the gesture hidden by his arm. He nodded curtly, acknowledging the gesture, and excused himself to lead her into the ballroom. An orchestra was playing but no one had begun to dance yet. They stood just inside the doorway, Maria's fingers still gently stroking the back of his arm as she waited for him to cool down. Eventually, he spoke. "I had hoped to avoid the subject of politics tonight, but I suppose in this day and age, it is inevitable. I am sorry that I did not control my reaction better."

"I don't blame you at all, Georg. He seemed like a truly awful man." They were silent a few seconds more until Maria continued cautiously. "What happened between the two of you? You were cold and distant before he even brought up the current political situation."

Georg sighed, and his eyes took on a faraway look. "It was a long time ago, Maria."

"Obviously you have not forgotten."

"It's hard to forget." He turned to her, his face pained. "Let's get something to drink. Then I will talk." She nodded, accepting that he needed more time, and he led her to the bar where he ordered a glass of champagne and one of water. Drinks in hand, he led her to an empty table away from the dance floor where most of the guests stood. Ever the gentleman, he set his glass down before pulling a chair out for her. Once she was seated, he sat beside her and surprised her by reaching over and taking her hand in his, clasping it above the table. She cast a worried glance around the room to see if anyone could see the gesture, and he smiled.

"It's not a crime for me to hold hands with my fiancée," he told her, tightening his grip as if to prove a point. Seeing his smile, she relaxed, letting him run his thumb over the back of her hand as he lost himself in his memories for a moment. Finally, he spoke again. "As you may have guessed, Captain Schwarz and I served together in the Navy. He was the commanding officer I briefly mentioned before, the one who wanted me to fire on the HMS Farnborough."

"The one involved with you earning the Maria Theresa Cross," Maria remembered.

He nodded. "We were actually fairly close in position during most of our naval career; it was somewhat of a lucky break—or more likely his title—that allowed him to makeLinienschiffskapitan before I did. Given that, our relationship was not what you would expect of a subordinate and his superior officer but it certainly was not friendly either. The best way I can describe it would be civil, at least in the early days we knew each other. He was one of those people who never understood why I was content to spend my days on a submarine instead of moving to one of the larger battleships or cruisers. You see, submarine work was not considered. . . worthy of a man of my breeding and social class. Most men of my rank would much rather be above the ocean, wind in their hair, sun on their face. But I loved the submarine. I liked the power of it, the thought that you were on your own in those waters, able to act quickly because of your independence." His eyes glazed over, an expression she had seen on his face before when he spoke of the sea. She let him sit in silence, playing with the fingers of his hand.

"We were nearing the end of the war, and we were feeling pretty good about ourselves. We had managed to sink nine boats so far in the war, six British and three French. But then Japan joined the forces, and the tides seemed to be turning against us. We were still very active in the Mediterranean, but we didn't have as many victories any more. Then one day, we saw it—three British destroyers and two cruisers in the distance. There were only three of us—my U-boat, the dreadnought Schwartz was commanding, and a cruiser. And we had been out there for weeks, so we were all tired. Engaging would have been fatal. The admiral on the cruiser gave the order we all knew he would—retreat. So we started to submerge but then I noticed something. Schwartz's boat had managed to get out into the open sea, but the cruiser was blocked by a fourth destroyer. There was no way they would make it.

I didn't really have much choice at that point. I radioed back that we were going in. Schwartz came on the radio then, told me I was crazy and that I needed to get out of there. I pointed out the position of the cruiser, and he just told me that we needed to cut our losses, that he was my superior and I needed to listen to him." Georg sighed. "I was furious at him. Our only chance of all getting out of there alive was to work together, and he had just told me that he wouldn't do that. No one dared contradict him either, even the admiral. Schwartz was a powerful man. Still is really. Comes from one of the most powerful families in Austria. We got the torpedoes ready. I don't even really remember much about what happened next now; when you're in the middle of something like that, you don't really think, you just react, let your training take over. You can't think too much. There's just not enough time to do so. You need to trust your instincts. And that's what I did. We hit our mark with the first two torpedoes and missed with the third. But one of the hits was to the destroyer blocking the cruiser's escape. I knew it was a fatal hit; after awhile, you can just tell those things. They started towards us then, but our job was done. The cruiser was free. I had our crew fire two more of the torpedoes. Both hit their marks. We started to submerge then, and I was feeling pretty good to have come out of that alive. I still don't know exactly what tipped me off. Maybe it was just a second sense, one that came from years of training. But I knew something was wrong. I started yelling at my crew to speed us out of there, away from the boats. I don't even know how I knew what direction to go, but somehow I did. And then there was the explosion. . . I had never been so close to a depth charge before, and I hope I never have to be again. It's like nothing you've ever experienced. Knocked all of us off our feet, flooded a good portion of the submarine. . ." He cleared his throat. "We lost forty-three men that day on our boat alone. We never even found the bodies, but that's pretty typical for the Navy. I'm still not exactly sure how we got back to neutral waters, the damage was so extensive. But we had good engineers, and we made it. That was the last major battle I participated in. Three of the ships we hit sunk which brought our total up to twelve; that's actually what got me the Maria Teresa cross." He touched the medal gently with the hand not holding hers.

"For 'successful military acts of essential impact to a campaign that were undertaken on the officer's own initiative, and might have been omitted by an honorable officer without reproach," Maria quoted. Georg grinned at her, a bit surprised.

"I suppose I've always been a bit of a rebel."

"Now that surprises me." She reached out her hand to cover his on the cross. He let her play with it for a moment before clasping her hand in his and bringing it to his lips.

"I still find it hard to believe that any military officer would just turn away from a fellow ship like that," Georg said. "That's the point at which my relationship with Schwartz really went sour. I couldn't help but blame him a bit for the men who were killed. I know it's not exactly fair since we may have had the same outcome if he had stayed, but I would have appreciated the chance to make it different."

He stared off into the distance, and as Maria looked closer, she realized his eyes were glistening. "I told all of their families myself," he whispered. "I technically didn't have to as the senior officer, but it felt like the right thing to do. It's not like I had anything else to do anyway. The war ended soon after that, and we lost the coast and thus the Navy. So I was essentially a captain of nothing."

"I would beg to differ, Captain," Maria said, squeezing his hands, forcing him to look at her. If he had not already had her complete heart, he would have in that moment. Watching the struggle of emotion on his usually impassive face, Maria realized just how deeply he cared about the men that served under him. The Reverend Mother had called him "kind and honorable," and while those adjectives certainly described him, they did not even begin to do him justice. He was so much more than that.

He cleared his throat, dropping one of her hands to reach for his champagne flute. He swallowed the remainder of the glass in two large gulps before setting it down again. His face had cleared by the time he finished, and his eyes were no longer wet. "What's past is past, I suppose," he told her. The music had changed to a slow waltz, and he held out a hand. "Care to dance, my dear?"

"I would love to." She placed her hand in his, and he stood, helping her to her feet as well. A few other couples had begun to dance as well, moving around the room gracefully. He pulled her into a waltz position, keeping a proper distance since both knew many eyes were on them. Though they had both replaced their gloves, Maria could somehow still feel the heat of his hand in hers even through the two layers of fabric. She felt the fingers of the hand on her back twitching, and she looked at him, curious. He offered a small smile, pressing his fingers into the flesh of her back to still them.

When the waltz ended, he moved away from her, disappointing her though she kept a smile on her face as she took his arm and allowed him to lead her off the dance floor. More guests had arrived by that point, and they engaged in the necessary pleasantries with them. They were finally pulled into conversation by another naval officer, this time a man that Georg seemed to respect, and Maria stood beside him for a few minutes as they exchanged war stories. Her attention soon began to wander, and her eyes slid over the other people in the room. All of them seemed so perfectly dressed, so poised, so elegant, she found herself wondering how she ever believed she could fit into this society. Suddenly, she was not feeling so well. She dropped her hand from Georg's arm, and he turned to look at her, question in his eyes. "I just need to use the restroom," she told him. "I will be back." He seemed reluctant to let her leave, but he did eventually nod, and she moved away from him.

Since she knew he would be watching her go, she did move in the direction of the restrooms. Once there, she closed and locked the door, leaning against it as she breathed deeply, regaining her composure. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, her head slightly clearer. Walking to the sink, she splashed water on her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror for a moment. The woman who stared back at her was not what she was expecting. She had never considered herself pretty. It was not necessarily that she thought herself ugly but simply that she did not really think of herself one way or another at all. But Georg had told her repeatedly that she was beautiful, and as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she started to believe that perhaps he might have spoken the truth. Liesl had helped her curl her hair and pull it back into a loose bun, letting a few tendrils curl down over her face, accenting it nicely. Small diamond earrings, a gift from Georg she had been reluctant to accept, sparkled in her ears and a matching necklace hung over her bare neck.

Shaking her head, she forced those thoughts to the back of her mind. She was going to marry Captain Georg von Trapp, a decorated naval hero. She needed to start acting the part of his wife, diamonds and all. It was part of him, part of the man she loved, and she could accept that. With this new resolve, she turned to the door, but voices just outside stopped her. "Did you see her, Addy?" one of them questioned.

"Oh, of course. It's hard to miss her. Well, hard to miss them really."

"I know you certainly weren't going to miss him," a third speaker said with a snicker.

"I wonder what he sees in her," the first speaker mused. "I mean, he could have any woman in the room. Surely he knows that."

"If what I've heard is true, Captain von Trapp is well aware of his charms," the third speaker said.

Maria stood stock-still as the woman confirmed her suspicions. They were speaking about her and Georg. She supposed she should have expected as much since people seemed able to speak of nothing else since they announced their engagement, but it was still quite bothersome to hear.

"So then why her?" the one named Addy asked, a whine in her voice.

"Barbara tells me they're in love," the first woman said.

"Oh, please, maybe she's in love. He is most certainly not. Though I can certainly understand his infatuation with her. What male wouldn't want a plaything half his age?" the third woman said.

"Miriam!" the first woman exclaimed, shock in her voice.

"I certainly wouldn't mind being his plaything," Addy said.

"You wouldn't mind being anyone's plaything," Miriam muttered.

"Well, that dress tonight certainly does cast some doubt on some of the rumors," the first woman said. "There's no way to hide a pregnancy in it, at least not one past the first couple months."

"We'll all know soon enough, I suppose," Miriam said. "Did you hear they're only to be engaged two and a half months? It makes you wonder about the hurry."

"Well, the captain is an honorable man. If he got a woman in a situation, I am sure he would do what he could to take care of it quickly."

"Maybe they are preventing such a situation."

"I cannot imagine that! She was supposed to be a nun."

"That didn't stop her from jumping into the captain's bed as soon as she could," Miriam said. "But perhaps you're right, perhaps she's not doing anything to prevent that. After all, if the captain is such an honorable man, a baby would be one way to ensure the marriage goes through."

"You can't truly think that, can you?"

"It wouldn't be the first time it's happened."

"I might try it," Addy said. "If it ensured I could marry him."

"You wouldn't!" the first woman sounded shocked.

"I just might. But it's no use anyway. He hasn't left her side the whole night. And the way he looks at her. . . let's just say that I think he very much wants her in his bedroom if she's not there already." She paused. "Ohh, what I would give to have someone look at me like that. Especially him."

"Well, if you truly want it, I say you only have to wait a month or two. If there is no pregnancy, he will grow bored by then, and you'll have your chance."

Their voices faded as they moved away, and Maria finally felt it safe to come out of the bathroom. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and she felt the familiar urge to run, escape to her mountain where she could be safe. But she could not do that now. It was much too far and night had already fallen. Instead, she forced herself to remain calm, returning to Georg's side and placing her hand on his arm. He looked down, giving her a small smile, but his lips quickly frowned when he saw her expression. Excusing himself from his conversation, he led her to a relatively quiet corner of the room. "Something's bothering you," he said. It was not a question.

"It's nothing," she told him quickly.

"It does not seem like nothing." His eyes searched hers.

She took a deep breath. "Later," she promised, nodding to one side. He glanced over, his frown deepening when he noted at least two people nearby obviously attempting to eavesdrop.

"Later," he confirmed.

"Georg, there you are!" a shrill voice exclaimed. Both turned to see a woman about Georg's age approaching them, her smile revealing gleaming white teeth. Maria was standing close enough that she could feel Georg flinch, but he nevertheless greeted the woman with a smile.

"Baroness Moller," he said. He turned to face the newcomer. As he did so, he reached out the hand hidden by his body, brushing it against hers. Despite the fact that both of them were wearing their gloves, the slide of his fingers over hers was oddly arousing.

"Oh, this must be your darling fiancée! How do you do, my dear? I'm Baroness Moller, but you may call me Miriam." Maria's eyes widened slightly as she recognized the voice and the name from earlier.

"I'm Maria," she said after a couple seconds, forcing her face into a neutral expression.

"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Maria. Tell me, where did you get that gorgeous gown?" And just like that, they were talking about fashion. Maria felt hopelessly over her head, and Georg was no help, continuing to simply stroke her fingers as he let his attention wander. She stumbled through as best as she could and was grateful when Miriam recognized someone over Maria's shoulder. Before she stepped away, however, she stopped, squinting. "Oh, dear, I'm afraid you have a little something on your neck," she said, starting to reach out. Maria's eyes widened as she realized what Miriam saw. She supposed that the water she had splashed on her face had rubbed off the carefully-applied makeup at least partially.

"I believe I hear a Landler playing," Georg said, smoothly coming to her rescue before Miriam's fingers reached their destination. "If you'll excuse us, I promised Maria that I would dance the Landler with her at least once tonight. It's a special song to us." And with that, he led her onto the dance floor, stepping away briefly so that he could bow to her.

"I'm so mortified," she whispered as they began the familiar step-hop rhythm with the other couples. "I should have asked Liesl if I could take the foundation with me."

He peered down at her neck as they swung out to promenade side by side. "You can barely see it," he assured her. "Baroness Moller has the eyes of a hawk. I wouldn't worry about her."

They spun together, and she felt herself relaxing into the rhythm. His hands dropped to her waist as they moved, and his thumbs briefly rubbed circles on her hip bones before he moved his hands away. She relaxed into his touch as they continued to dance, the movements easy and natural, just as they had been the first time. When they reached the spin that brought them closer, electricity sparked between them again, and she watched as he leaned forward, his eyes on her lips. Maria's eyes widened as she realized his intention. Though she had certainly enjoyed the kiss the last time they had danced the Landler, they had been in private then. "Georg, you shouldn't," she whispered.

"Yes, I should," he objected, still moving closer.

"Yes, you should," she yielded, and then his lips were on hers. It was relatively brief, certainly less intense than many of their other kisses had been lately, but it was still the first time he had kissed her in such a public setting. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment when he pulled away, and she glanced nervously around at the other people in the room. A few of them averted their eyes when they caught her gaze but not before she saw their looks of disapproval.

"People are watching," she told him softly.

"Good," he said. His hand still rested on her waist, keeping her close, and their faces were close enough that his breath washed over her lips as he spoke. "Maybe they will finally take the hint."

"Aren't you worried about what they will think?"

"I stopped worrying about what people thought long ago." His eyes scanned the room briefly. A small smile spread over his lips, and he leaned forward again, pressing a second brief kiss to her lips before finally letting her go and turning to offer his arm. "Command Schwartz was watching," he explained at her puzzled look. She raised an eyebrow at that but still took the offered arm as he led her to the dinner table.

No one mentioned the kiss at dinner, a fact for which Maria was grateful. She was still learning how to best deal with the veiled insults, and she was not sure how well she would be able to handle it if they started talking about the kiss. Georg, fortunately, stayed beside her for the whole meal, resting one hand on her knee. Its comforting weight reminded her that she was not alone, that she had someone who would help her, and she slowly began to relax. They were surrounded by people who seemed less prone to gossip, and the conversation remained on safe topics. They asked after the children, and both Georg and Maria spoke warmly of some of their latest exploits. When Maria told the story of Friedrich's misadventure with the sailboat that ended up with his father in the lake, everyone around her laughed. "I must say, I find it hard to see Captain von Trapp in a sailboat with his son," one of the women remarked, her eyes sweeping over Georg's figure.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "It's not a submarine, but it is at least something."

"Already training them up to be Navy boys, I see," one of the men said.

Georg shrugged. "They can be anything they want to be."

"But you really hope they choose the Navy."

"It's in our blood."

After dinner, Maria found herself pulled into a conversation with a couple of the women who were seated near them at dinner. Both had been quite kind to her during the meal, and that did not change even when a couple of Georg's old Navy comrades had pulled him from her side. In fact, Maria found herself enjoying their conversation—they were were both witty and intelligent, and they had the ability to smooth over social situations that everyone in the upper class seemed to possess in spades. But unlike others Maria had met, they seemed to use that to put her at ease, quickly moving on from topics when it was clear she was uncomfortable and lingering on those where Maria actually had something to contribute. They discovered quite quickly that Maria enjoyed music, and they had a lively discussion on that topic for quite some time with the ladies giving a number of suggestions for operas that Maria should consider.

As the music started again, Maria glanced around to see what Georg was doing. One of the other woman, who had insisted Maria call her Margaret instead of using her title, smiled. "Your captain is over there, likely still talking shop with the other men. But I am certain he would happily end that conversation for a dance with you."

Maria could not stop her blush from forming. "Oh, no, I am very much enjoying speaking with you. I just wanted to see where he was."

Margaret patted her arm knowingly. "I enjoyed speaking with you as well, my dear. You have a keen mind; I can see why Captain von Trapp is so smitten with you. But I know if I were as young as you and had a man who looked like your captain look at me as he does you, there is no conversation that would keep me from dancing with him. Go." Maria glanced at the other woman who gave her an encouraging smile as well as she made a shooing motion. Thanking them for a lovely time, Maria left, crossing the room to where Georg stood. When she was within hearing distance, however, her footsteps faltered, and the smile slipped slightly from her face.

"Come on, Georg, I served with you for years. I know what your reputation was. 'A woman in every port,' they say, and you had the good looks, the money, and the rank to make that dream come true."

Georg chuckled, shaking his head at his friend. "You know it was not quite like that, Hans."

"So you are saying there were no women? I find that hard to believe," another man remarked.

"Well, it certainly was not every port," Georg said. "Just the special ones." The other men around him laughed, but Maria slowed her steps even further. She knew he had a past, knew that his reputation as a rake when he married his first wife was not completely undeserved. But she also knew that he had been honest when he told her he was always faithful to Agathe. Still, she could not stop herself from wondering how she could ever measure up given his experience. She was almost a nun and had not even had a real kiss before she met him. He was her first everything. She remembered the words she had overheard earlier, the thought that he would become bored with her one day, and she realized that such an outcome was not too farfetched. What did she honestly have to offer him anyway?

"Uh-oh," one of the men remarked, causing the whole group to turn.

Georg's eyes went wide with shock. "Maria," he whispered.

Maria needed to get away. She was not able to face him, not at the moment. "I just came to tell you I was going out to get some air," she said quickly, speaking to his knees instead of his face. Without waiting for a response, she turned and nearly ran to the terrace. She was sure that action would start the tongues wagging anew, but she could not bring herself to care at the moment. Instead, she walked to the edge of the terrace, breathing deeply as she stared off into the darkness.

A few minutes later, she heard the door open and knew without turning that it was him. He came to stand beside her, not touching her, sensing somehow that she needed her space. After a few moments, he remarked, "My past. It bothers you, doesn't it?"

Maria considered her response for a moment. "Not for the reasons you think," she finally told him, turning to face him. He cocked his head to the side, question in his eyes. "How many were there?"

"Seven," he answered immediately. "Including you and Agathe." Maria stared at him a moment, a bit taken-aback, both at the number and the fact that he knew it so readily. He gave her a small smile. "My reputation is perhaps a bit exaggerated."

Maria could not bring herself to return his smile given the worries still dancing through her head. "My number is one, Georg. You. I have never even come close with anyone else."

"I wish I could say something to change the past, but it is impossible."

"I don't want you to change your past. It's just. . . when I was in the bathroom earlier, I heard some of the women talking. One of them mentioned that you were sure to grow bored with me in time and cast me aside."

"I thought we agreed not to listen to baseless rumors. Surely you know me better than to assume I would do such a thing."

"I know you would not, but why wouldn't you? Because of honor? Or duty?"

He arched an eyebrow. "No, because I know that I will never be bored with you." He enunciated each word slowly, his dark gaze unwavering as he stared at her.

"You cannot know that."

"I can."

"But how? You have quite a bit of experience, Georg, even if it is not as much as your reputation suggests, and I have none. Everything is so new to me, so mystifying, and I really have no idea what I am doing. But you. . . you know exactly what to do because you've done it all before."

"Not everything." At Maria's questioning look, he glanced around. "You were the first to give me your virginity," he admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Agathe-"

Georg shook his head. "She was courting a British officer before we met, and they took things further than perhaps they should have. She told me that she was planning to marry him, but he was killed in battle. And that brings the grand total of people living who know about that particular secret to two." Maria nodded, a wordless promise not to betray his confidence. Georg's eyes took on the now-familiar faraway look as he spoke about his first wife, but Maria noted that it no longer had the pain that it once did. She was glad he was starting to look back on those memories fondly. "She was so nervous when she told me about him, just after we were engaged. I was furious at first, but after taking a couple days to calm down, I realized that it would be hypocritical of me to condemn her given my own past. Those in glass houses. Anyway, after I knew, I did become considerably less worried about that aspect of our relationship and when the opportunity presented itself a couple months later, we both jumped at the chance to become one in every sense of the word though we were not yet wed. It was a special experience, do not get me wrong, and there were definite benefits to not being her first partner, but at the end of the day, something almost seemed to be missing. I did not realize what it was until my time with you."

"What?"

"Complete and total trust. I gained it over time with Agathe, of course, but with you, I knew in that moment we became one that you were completely devoted to me whether or not I deserved it. It's a rather overwhelming feeling, to tell the truth, and one that I wish I could give to you in the same way though I hope to show it over time. Because I am devoted to you, Maria. No matter what the gossips say, that will never change." He finally reached out, grabbing her hands in his and bringing them to his lips. "As for the charge of boredom, let us just say that you have given me a new experience on that front as well. With every other woman I have been with, I have always been able to control my desire, to keep it from overwhelming me at inopportune times. But with you. . . God, Maria, sometimes all you need to do is look at me and I find myself ready to carry you off to the nearest room with a locking door to have my way with you. It has never been like that before. Trust me, boredom is the last thing you need to worry about."

His eyes shone with such intensity that Maria knew he was speaking the complete truth, and she felt compelled to make her own admission. "It is like that for me, too, Georg. Sometimes, I cannot think of anything else. I have lain awake at night in the Abbey, remembering what it was like to have you next to me. And I cannot stop the thoughts even though part of me is urging me to kiss the floor at the same time." He gave a dark chuckle at her words. "I thought it was always like this."

"No, darling, this is all for you and me." They were standing close now, much closer than they should be standing in public. Fortunately, no one else was on the balcony, so they had relative privacy. "I am very tempted to kiss you right now," he told her. "And not the chaste peck from earlier."

"That would start some new rumors," she said, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"Perhaps I should kiss you then."

"Georg-" she began, but he suddenly tugged on her arm, cutting off her words. He pulled her away from the open doorway, back into the darkness on one side of the terrace. Without further words, he pressed his body into hers, lowering his lips to hers. She leaned back against the wall to the house, and his hands came up to brace themselves on the same wall as he kissed her forcefully.

After some time, he finally pulled away. "And here we go again. Can you feel what you do to me Maria?" He pressed his body firmly into hers, leaving no doubt as to his desire for her. "What we should do is to go back into the ballroom right this second and dance a few more waltzes—at a proper distance, of course—before I take you back to the Abbey for the night." Despite his words, he simply pressed closer to her, his lips hovering just over hers.

"But that is not what you want to do," Maria said.

"No, I want to take you back to the house and ravish you thoroughly until you have no doubts as to my desire for you."

"Then why don't you?"

His blue eyes darkened until they were almost black. "That is a very dangerous thing to say right now."

"Is it?" Maria let her hands trail down his back, squeezing his muscles. She was not exactly sure what she was doing but knew she must be doing something right when he groaned appreciatively, his hips pressing into hers.

"Maria, my love, I do not know if you realize just how close I am to making love to you here and now," he muttered. Her eyes widened in surprise, for though she knew him to be quite passionate in private, his aristocratic upbringing meant that he tended to keep their affections behind closed doors. And though they had a bit of privacy at the moment, neither knew how long it would stay that way. The truth was, however, that Maria wanted him just as much as he seemed to want her.

"In that case, we should get the car." He looked down at her carefully, clearly making sure she was comfortable with the turn of events. After a moment, a slow smile spread across his face, and he pressed a quick, almost chaste kiss to her lips, a stark contrast to his hips and hands which were doing wicked things to the rest of her body.

"Come on, I know a back way," he told her, tugging her towards a staircase off the veranda.

"Should we not say goodbye to the host and hostess?"

He waved off her concerns. "They will never remember if we did or not. Right now, I need to get you home as quickly as possible or we will cause far more of a scandal than forgetting to say goodbye." Maria was practically running to keep up with him, something he obviously realized, for he slowed a bit, offering his arm. He set a quick pace after that though slow enough to allow her to walk in heels. A valet retrieved their car immediately, for none of the other guests had left yet, and Georg gave the young man a handsome tip before helping Maria into the vehicle and sliding in himself. He drove home quickly, his fingers tapping a random rhythm on the steering wheel. At one point, feeling rather adventurous, Maria placed a hand on his knee. Immediately, he turned to her and shook his head. "Don't," he said fiercely, adding, almost as an afterthought, "Please. I am barely hanging onto my self control as it is. I doubt I will be able to if you touch me."

Maria nodded, wide-eyed, keeping her hands in her own lap for the remainder of the drive. He stopped the car in the garage, threw it into park, and almost jumped out of the vehicle. Once she was out as well, he grabbed her hand, pulling her inside and across the foyer. As they started up the stairs, she stepped closer to him so she would fit on the step, and something inside him seemed to snap. He pressed her against the banister of the staircase, his kiss hot and demanding. Already, Maria could feel him hard and ready against her stomach, his desire obvious even through the layers of clothing they still wore. She remembered his confession from the terrace, and it caused a flood of desire in her own body as well. She responded enthusiastically to his kiss, pressing her body against his as her hands tangled in his hair.

Suddenly, she felt cool air hit the back of her thighs and his fingers against her inner thigh. A shred of reason forced its way to the forefront of her mind. "Georg, the staff," she gasped, her words breathy as his skilled fingers found their way to her underclothes.

"In bed at this hour," he muttered against her neck.

She tried again. "The children."

"Also in bed."

"Georg, you know as well as I that they do not always. . .uh, stay that way." Maria's words ended in a moan as he pressed two fingers against her already soaked underwear. "Do you really want them to see us like this?"

He pulled away with a growl. Without warning, Maria suddenly felt one of his hands encircle her back as the other slipped under her knees, letting him lift her into his arms. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you somewhere the children and staff won't see," he responded, moving more rapidly than Maria would have expected given that he was carrying her weight. He turned away from the room where she had stayed when they reached the top of the steps, carrying her quickly down a hall that she had never dared enter before. It did not take him long to reach the door at the end, and he quickly stepped into the room, kicking the door shut behind him before depositing her somewhat unceremoniously onto the bed. Immediately, his lips returned to hers as his hands slipped back under her skirts. Before long, he was making good on his promise to show just how much he desired her.

When Maria finally began to breathe normally again, she felt him kissing the back of her neck. Smiling, she turned in his arms, and he immediately brought his lips to hers for a long, deep kiss. He shifted so that he was lying on his back, pulling her on top of him. Feeling his warm, naked body, still sweaty from their recent liaison, beneath her was having a definite effect on her senses. His hands were still roaming her body, discovering sensitive places Maria had not known existed. He pulled his lips from hers, looking down at her with a lazy smile. "Georg?"

"Once more I find myself at a crossroads. I should stop now and take you back to the Abbey for the night. But I want to spend the rest of the night showing you just how far from bored I am."

"I am not ready to go back to the Abbey yet. As long as I get there before Morning Vespers, I can sneak in and no one will be the wiser." His grin widened.

"How fortunate I am an early riser." And with that, they lost themselves to each other.