Chapter Thirteen

"For the Allies, Georg?" Maria gasped as Georg explained what he had been doing in the time following Johnny's birth, when he had attained the "promotion" at the university. "That was dangerous, we were refugees! If anything had gotten out…" Maria was floored. She didn't think Georg had wanted anything to do with the war, not even reading the papers very often. To find out he had been involved in United States submarine battle plans and hadn't even told her was certainly a shock. Though now, it all made sense. His time away from home, his distance, his silence…it had all been so he could maintain his secret. If he let himself get close, he would have let on to her, it was his nature to be open and expressive when they were alone. It all made sense.

"Yes," Georg confirmed. "And I am sorry I didn't tell you. Obviously, I was so engrossed in what I was doing, I failed to realize you needed me, that you were struggling. I am so sorry for that Maria, you should have been my priority, I should have seen it and I didn't. I can only seek your forgiveness for that."

Maria didn't even need to think twice about it. There was no way she wouldn't forgive Georg, he was doing what he thought was right, what he thought was needed. "There's no forgiveness involved," Maria replied softly. "I love you, I have always loved you, and in those difficult days, I still loved you. When I had Johnny, something happened to me and it took few years before I felt in control of myself again. By then, the war was over, you were home again, that horrible secretary of yours…"

Georg shook his head, "She was my handler, actually. My point of contact. When the war ended she went back to intelligence and I went back to being a teacher, father, and husband. You were jealous?"

Maria replied indignantly, "Never, I just…she was so worldly Georg. So much more interesting, certainly beautiful, and…I felt that while you loved me and I knew you were faithful to me, but yes, I felt you preferred her, talking to her and all."

Georg lifted Maria's hand to his lips, "Darling, that wasn't true, not at all. There is no one in the world that I wanted to be with more than you. Perhaps, after giving birth you were a bit self conscious."

Maria shook her head, "It was more than that. I know now what it was and it lasted a few years so I thought after having Edit that Brigitta was feeling the same way. Lost and lonely, that was a few years ago. Now, of course I know better. My situation was almost certainly "baby blues", Brigitta's is emotional abandonment, and much worse." Maria sighed again and squeezed Georg's hand.

"I felt inadequate, lost, and alone, but for me, it was only a feeling, and deep inside, I knew that. I was trying to feel better, to try anything to feel better. I thought perhaps if I was actually alone, I wouldn't feel lonely, I would have a partner so I wouldn't miss one…but that wasn't reality, that was depression. For Brigitta it is her reality, and I feel…I need to be the one begging forgiveness, Georg. Hers and yours."

As Maria made that declaration, a slow, familiar waltz began to play. Georg smiled and rose by his chair, buttoning his suit jacket. "As you said, no forgiveness involved. May I have this dance, Baroness?"

Maris blushed as no one else was dancing, still she put her hand into Georg's replying in a soft, husky voice, "Yes,Captain, you may."

Three Hours Later

"I really should go back to Liesl," Maria whispered as she snuggled against Georg's bare chest in the aftermath of their lovemaking. She had gone back to his hotel room with him, not wanting to spend more time apart once the air was cleared. "She'll be concerned."

Georg laughed, "No, she won't. She would be more concerned if you did come home tonight, I would think. This marriage has never had a greater champion than Liesl, unless of course, you count Max."

Georg dropped a kiss on Maria's head as she laughed out loud. "Thinking of Max, I must thank him for taking such good care of you since we have been apart. Or was it Brigitta, hmm?"

Georg raised an eyebrow, "What would make you think I can't take care of myself?"

Maria chuckled, "You didn't do such a great job of that before I came along. You need someone making sure you don't drown in your own brooding."

"I'm a brooder," Georg replied. "I admit it, and it is always worse without you. All the traveling I had to do during the last part of the war, I missed you Maria. I missed you then and I missed you now. I will never stop feeling terrible about leaving you alone when you needed me. I think the worst part of it, for me, wasn't that you doubted my love for you, that's a part of it, but it was the you doubted yourself, that you didn't see how wonderful you were…and are."

Maria blushed and turned her head so that Georg couldn't see her eyes. She never felt as strong or as special as she was through her husband's eyes. She was truly blessed.

All of a sudden it hit her in the gut that one of her children never knew what that felt like. It hurt her mother's heart to realize that for at least ten of the last fifteen years Brigitta, their smart, precocious, observant girl had been living in misery.

Georg felt Maria's body begin to shudder. He leaned on his elbow and looked down at her face to confirm his suspicion. "Maria, Brigitta is going to be fine. Don't cry over it. It'll be fine. We are going to sit down with her and figure this all out. Don't cry."

Georg was truly magic. This was her Georg, that he could understand and immediately know what to say and how to say it. It was the absence of that that could have cost them so dearly. "Georg, Brigitta has never known this kind of love. She has never known this kind of connection to her husband, to the one person that should know her heart better than anyone else, and she…I didn't…I should have known. When she talked with me about being unhappy a few years ago, I thought it was the same thing as what happened to me. The "baby blues", only it wasn't. It was…I feel…'

Georg began to rock Maria gently in his arms. "You had a similar experience and your came through. It was only natural you would think that after all, she had young children, Edit was only three, it was possible, Darling. We know the truth now, we'll go to her tomorrow, tell her she can stay with us in the little guest house, pay a sliding scale rent if that makes her feel better about staying with us. We can help her go to school or whatever she needs to do and she can help us. I have a feeling those kids need some real structure and discipline, an environment we can certainly provide. Don't cry over spilled milk, they say. What's done is done after all. Isn't that what you always tell me?"

Maria rolled over and kissed Georg on the lips softly. "I love you," she whispered. "I really do, I love you so much."

Their kisses once again began to deepen as they pulled one another as close as physics allowed. They made love again, making up for the time they lost.

The next couple of days the couple spent reacquainting with one another before going to visit Brigitta in her less than adequate apartment. Maria looked around the rooms her daughter and grandchildren were currently living in. It was not enough space, there weren't many linens or dishes, it bore the mark of a woman that truly had nothing of material value to show for 15 years of her life.

"We think," Maria began, having decided with Georg that she would approach Brigitta about moving in with them. They both felt it would demonstrate the support from her mother Brigitta felt was lacking at first. "That it might be better for you and for us, honestly, if you would stay in the guest house on the property. This place is too small and this way we can help with the children when you need it. You can work more hours and save more money for the things you need to make your house truly your home."

"I can do this on my own," Brigitta replied. "I just have to figure out the timing of everything and if the court is going to make Peter pay anything for the children. If he does, I can get some household things and, we're going along okay here, really."

As if fate planned to call her a liar, PJ rushed into the apartment with another boy, both shouting at the top of their lungs. "PJ!" Brigitta interjected. "Do not run in the house screaming!" To her dismay, PJ slowed his run to a walk but kept yelling back and forth with his friend. "PJ, what did I just say?"

The young man stopped, turned to Brigitta with a smug look on his face, and replied, "I wasn't running."

Maria had to place a staying hand on Georg's thigh to keep him from shooting from his seat to set the boy straight. Brigitta sighed, she was mortified PJ was acting like this in front of anyone, let alone his grandparents, specifically his grandfather. Georg, with the exception of those lost years, was a very loving, guiding parent, but he commanded and demanded respect from his children. PJ's attitude would never have even developed in her childhood home.

Maria was proud of Georg, though he stiffened all he said was, "We can help with the children, Brigitta. You have always done what was right for your children, and coming to stay in the guest house, and taking advantage of the structure and stability that comes with it, that's what's best here. You know it is."

"I can't, Papa," Brigitta replied. "I chose to leave and I have to do this by myself. It's simply a matter of…"

"Pride?" Georg raised his eyebrow. "Lord knows I've done a lot of things for foolish pride, Brigitta, and a lot of it at the expense of my children, but I do believe God cautions all of us against being prideful for a reason. Just think about it for a couple days, and call us. We'll be here."

Georg and Maria stood up and gave Brigitta strong, affirming hugs before heading for home.

A/N: Both of their secrets are out and our number one couple is on the way to healing. There is still more wooing for Georg to do, and Maria as well, but first Georg's temper gets him into a bit of a fix.

Keep reading to find out.

Let me know what you think about Georg's secret in the comments. Did you suspect that all along or did I manage a surprise?