Chapter 6

Maria and the children talked and toured the villa for a few hours before the housekeeper, Frau Schmidt, came and announced it was time for the children to freshen up for dinner. Maria asked if anyone needed any help getting ready, but they all declined, saying she should take the time to get used to her room. The housekeeper showed Maria her room and left her to freshen up. Maria was so impressed with the room, it was much too gorgeous for a simple postulate like her.

Maria unpacked her very small bag and walked into the beautiful bathroom, she looked in the mirror and tried to tame her short strawberry hair. Oh how she wished she had another dress to change into, this had to be the ugliest dress ever, why even the poor didn't want it. She decided that tonight during her meeting with Georg, she would ask if she could take a couple hours to go into town and get some fabric. Before she realized it, it was already time for dinner and she wasn't even finished getting ready yet.

Georg sat at the dinner table with the children, wondering where their pretty governess was. "Children, what did you think of Fräulein Maria?"

"Oh father, I think she's amazing." Georg was not surprised in the least to hear his eldest daughter praise Maria. He figured she would welcome her, being the responsible, big sister. Before he could ask the children anything else, he heard hurried footsteps running towards the dining room. He looked back at the children and gave them a wink. "Oh Captain, Children, my apologies. I completely lost track of the time, do forgive me."

"That's quite alright, Fräulein." Maria hadn't even looked up at Georg, yet she could feel his eyes on her. She glanced up and met his eyes and smiled. Just then, the children and Georg picked up their utensils and began to enjoy their dinner. Maria couldn't help but stop them. "Excuse me Captain, haven't we forgotten to thank the Lord?" Maria raised her eyebrows playfully at Georg when she asked her question. "Of course, I apologize Fräulein. Would you do the honors."

"Of course." The children, almost in unison, bowed their heads and clasped their hands together.

"For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen." Georg followed suit and then the children with a chorus of "Amen"

"So Fräulein how was your first day with the children?" Georg asked her as she walked into his study for their nightly meeting. "Oh Captain it was wonderful! The children are amazing and they're so helpful to me. You and your wife did a terrific job in raising them."

"Thank you." Georg smiled and nodded. He got up from his desk and walked over to the mini bar. "Have a seat, Maria." Maria noticed immediately that he didn't call her Fräulein. Was it intentional or just a slip up? She sat down on the right end of the settee and watched Georg pour two drinks. She would have to tell him that she was not a drinker of alcohol other than seldomly at holy communion. Before she could say anything, he was walking back to her with a drink in each hand. He sat on the left end of the sofa, although not as close to the edge as Maria. He handed her a glass and sent her a reassuring nod and smile. "It's lemonade. I figured you wouldn't be a drinker." Georg smiled and watched as Maria took a sip of the drink. "Well, Captain I had an amazing day with the children today, but what about you? was your day equally as pleasant?" Maria didn't know what came over her to ask him that. They were supposed to be discussing the children.

"Any day that I have to spend stuck in this study is not a very pleasant day for me." Maria watched as he chuckled and she also noticed that if seemed as if he was a couple inches closer to her. "Tell me Maria," There it was again, there was no way he slipped up twice. Were they only to use such formalities around the children? "What was your life before you went to the abbey? You spoke a little of your parents that day in the mountain but I would like to know as much as possible about you." Maria looked up from her glass and saw Georg staring into her eyes. His gaze was very intense. "It's sort of a sad story, are you sure?"

"If it's not too uncomfortable for you, then I am sure."

"Very well. The first 6 years of my life were perfect and blissful, My parents were very much in love and even though we were poor as church mice, I wouldn't have changed a thing. We would sing and play music and dance and laugh most of our days, others we would venture out to our mountain and spend hours out there just taking in the beauty of it all. Then, when I was 7 my mother fell ill with scarlet fever and passed away shortly after. I was devastated and heartbroken but not as much as my father, I had never seen someone cry so much, and that was just in front of me, it broke my heart to hear his sobs through the walls at night. I wanted nothing more than to run in there and comfort him but ever since my mama passed, he didn't speak at all. I didn't want to make it worse so I left him alone even though it felt as though my heart was ripping in half."

Georg was staring so intently at Maria as she poured her heart into her story. His heart broke for her and for her father, he knew all too well what it felt like to lose your other half.

"Im afraid the grief got to be too much for him. he went weeks without properly eating and sleeping and he became so sick that the doctor said there was no hope, that he would most likely be gone before the week was up. And he was right." Maria looked down at her lap. tears threatening to fall. She knew Georg was watching her but what she didn't know was how much he longed to pull her into his embrace and comfort her. But he knew he couldn't do that. Instead, he settled for placing his hand on top of hers on the sofa. This gesture caused her to snap her head up and look between him and their hands.

"Maria, I'm so sorry for your loss. You've been through so much in your lifetime."

At this moment Maria wanted nothing more than to hold onto Georg and for him to comfort her. But she knew she couldn't do that. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Georg" He smiled when he heard her say his name almost in a whisper, trying to keep her emotions in check. Just then, he looked down and saw a tear roll down her flushed cheek and onto their joined hands. At that point, all thoughts of propriety flew out the window and he reached over and grabbed her shoulders and pulled into his arms, hugging her and letting her cry into him. "Let it all out. It will do you good." Maria looked into his eyes and blinked before speaking again.

"Sadly, that's not the worst of it. I've learned how to keep my emotions in when speaking of my parents. It's what follows that makes my heart hurt so badly."

"Maria, please, never feel as though you must keep your emotions in, especially with me. I will gladly be that shoulder to cry on or just sit and listen to you. I promise." Maria could feel her heart bursting with so many emotions all at once, but the most intense being affection. She knew from the first day of meeting Georg that she was physically attracted to him, but now seeing him letting her be so vulnerable with him was making the attraction grow even stronger. "Thank you." Maria said. Barely managing to get the words out as a whisper behind all the emotions. "That means so much to me. More than you could ever know."

"You said that unfortunately, that wasn't the worst of it? Oh forgive me, I should not have pried. I'm sure it's too painful to share." Georg patted her hand which caused her to look up at him, and she saw so much emotion in his eyes. She saw so much sympathy and care. "To anyone else, I would agree with you. But tonight, you've made me feel so comfortable and I feel as though I can share that aspect of my life with you."

"Maria, are you sure? Please don't feel pressured."

"I promise I don't. I think it will do me good to get it all out." At that moment, Maria realized she was still in his arms and blushed furiously. She sat up quickly but not so quick that it would scare him. They looked at each other and smiled.

"When my father passed, I felt so alone. I wasn't even aware that I had any living relatives. I specifically remember my parents saying that I didn't. So when I was told that I would be sent to live with my uncle, I was so confused. I thought that maybe my parents kept him away for a reason and now I know why. At first when I went to live with him, he mostly just ignored me and left me be. Granted, that meant I had to secure my own meals and take care of my own mending and such, but I didn't complain. To be fair, I preferred to be alone with my thoughts. But a few weeks after I arrived he started drinking very bad. He would get violent and yell and throw things and I would try to calm him down but now I wish I wouldn't have." Maria tried to continue her story but her emotions overcame her and she was violently weeping into her hands. Embarrassed that she was sitting on her employers couch crying, although she didn't consider Georg her employer but her friend.

"Maria. did he hurt you?" Georg wasn't stupid of course the mean old drunk would see the child as an easy target for his words and insults but Georg couldn't stand to think of poor, sweet, innocent little Maria getting beat by this man. Maria couldn't even answer him through her sobs, all she could do was nod her head a few times and hope he got the message.

Georg couldn't take it anymore. He slid to her side of the couch and pulled her back into his embrace. "Shhh. It's ok, I'm here. Like I said, just let it all go Maria." Georg knew at that moment, he was falling for this girl. "I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve that. No one does, but especially you." Georg didn't even realize that he had started stroking her hair as an attempt to comfort her. Maria cried in his arms for a few moments more before sitting up and looking at him, her eyes full of tears and his full of compassion. "Georg, I'm so sorry I must look a fright. Thank you for being that shoulder for me. I don't realize how badly it needed to be let out." She looked intensely into his eyes before she spoke again. "Thank you." Two words. But there were enough to send butterflies through both of their stomach almost simultaneously. Maria took a deep breath and finished her story. "I had to live with that man and endure it until I turned 16. One day it got particularly bad and he did something that I would feel uncomfortable speaking of. I know what you're thinking and no, he didn't take advantage of me, not fully. I think he would have though had I not kicked him unconscious when he tried something.

While he lay on the floor, I packed the very few things I had and ran. The only place I knew to go was the Abbey. I would often climb a tree during my childhood and look over into the gardens and listen to the sisters sing. So it felt as though my only option was to escape to the abbey." Maria hesitated before finishing. She looked down at his hand resting near hers on the sofa and surprised both him and herself when she reached over and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Trying to reassure herself that someone cared and was listening to her. "Georg, can I confide in you something huge? I've never told anyone this before and I'm not completely sure I have admitted it to myself."

"Of course, Maria. Anything." Georg knew for a fact that he was in love with this girl. even though he knew so little about her. But he knew he had to push those thoughts out of his head. My god, she's a postulate who is pouring her heart and soul out to me and i'm selfishly thinking of my own feelings.

"Georg, I-I'll never be a nun." The words were out she had said it. She felt terrible for not telling the reverend mother sooner and what's worse, for acting as though she didn't want to leave the abbey to come here.

Maria met his eyes and saw shock, sympathy, and affection all at once. She knew it would be very easy for her to fall in love with this man, even if she had only know him for a day. And she knew she was beginning to fall for him. But how could he ever return her affections? She had lied to him upon first meeting him and then he had thought she was a postulate which threw romance completely out of the window. And now she had just told him that she was not meant for a life at the abbey, which meant that romance technically was back on the table. But how could he ever feel the same for her?

Before she could wonder anymore, Georg reached and grabbed her right hand and repositioned himself so that they were facing one another then he softly reached up his other hand and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes.

Maria could feel her beating so hard she was sure he could hear it. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he did feel something for her.

He then closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers. Maria sighed into him as the butterflies in her stomach felt as though they were doing cartwheels. Georg knew he was a goner. He was hopelessly in love with this woman. He didn't care that he didn't even know her last name. His heart fluttered as he kissed her. He hadn't kissed anyone since his late wife, and he hadn't ever planned on it again. That was until he met Maria. Even when he saw her dancing and singing on her mountain, he knew there was something special about her, that she was meant to be with him.

He pulled away from her and rested his head on hers. It was at that moment that he seemed to regain his senses. He pulled back with fear in his eyes and couldn't even bring himself to meet hers. "Oh my God Maria I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did that, It's just- Oh God what have I done, what-" Maria stopped his senseless rambling by pressing her lips to his and she reached a hand up to cup his face. He moaned and she felt his lips curl into a smile. She pulled back but not far from his face, still close enough that she could feel his breath. "Georg, Please don't regret that. I wanted it just as much as you." They both smiled and she fell into him and rested her head on his chest.

They stayed there and talked for what felt like hours more before the clock chimed 3 times and they realized how late it was. She sat up and took him in and looked him in the eyes. "Thank you, Georg. For everything." He grinned and kissed her once more. Sometime during their conversation, they decided to remain formal around the children while they got to know each other more. "Would you mind if I take one of these books with me? Brigitta said that you wouldn't mind."

"Of course not. This is your home now too. You are welcome to whatever we have."

She walked over to his bookshelf which was located behind his desk. She picked a book and turned to leave. As she was turning around, one of Georg's 3 pictures stuck out to her. It was the one of his father and the boy from the story. She picked the photo up and asked where he got it. "I found it amongst my father's things when I cleared out his room after his passing. The photo is of him and the boy from the story I told about."

"Georg, the boy with your father, that's my father." Georg was stunned. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I've seen this photo before. In my childhood home, my father told me it was of him and his dearest children friend. So it seems Georg, that your Father's story about the mountain was true all along."

Maria looked up and smiled at him. She knew right there that she loved him. She couldn't wait to know everything about him, and to connect with the children more. They bid goodnight and Maria walked to her room. As she closed the door and walked to her bed, for the first time in a long time, she fell immediately into a peaceful sleep.

To be continued...

Wow what a chapter! If you couldn't tell be now, I am a total sucker for romance. I apologize for the long chapter but I was on a roll and couldn't be stopped lol

Please let me know how you feel about the chapter.

I still don't own TSOM.