"I love that you are my person and I am yours, that whatever door we come to, we will open it together".

- A. R. Asher

ooOoo

Dinner that evening was a lively affair. The children were so happy to have Maria back after her day off. It had been her first real absence since arriving at the villa, so the children were not used to her being away. They peppered her with questions about dress shopping, where she had crossed paths with their father, what she ate for lunch, and how old Sister Margaretta was. But despite the happy din in her immediate surroundings, Maria heard nothing but the sound of silence coming from the opposite end of the table.

Only Max seemed to share the energy of the children tonight.

The Baroness seemed frosty and the Captain was brooding.

Without making it obvious that she was staring, Maria watched the Captain chase the same floret of broccoli around his plate for a solid 5 minutes. Occasionally he would sigh, look at the children and give them a watery smile. She could tell he was studying their faces as they chatted around the table. Maria wondered what he was ruminating about this time.

The Baroness and Uncle Max were engaged in lively conversation - Max was filling her in on his plans for the festival this year and he had also gleaned some juicy gossip earlier that afternoon while on a phone call with Sasha Petry. Maria wasn't paying attention entirely to what he was saying since her focus was on the Captain, but it was something about the Baroness' neighbour in Vienna having run off with The Help. Maria grimaced as she listened to them drag the poor man through the mud.

All at once, the Captain looked up and caught her looking at him intently. He gave her a sincere smile and a slight wink. Maria cocked her head to the side, silently asking if he was ok, and he nodded. His eyes darted towards the Baroness whose back was to him. Maria understood almost immediately and nodded gently. Maria smiled and then wrinkled her nose and showed her teeth like an angry cat and Georg grinned and nodded in return, doing his best to suppress a giggle. Maria raised both eyebrows with a knowing smile and returned her focus to the chicken on her plate. The two of them were becoming quite efficient in their methods of silent communication.

The children quickly gobbled up their dinner and asked Maria if they could go and play some board games or work on puzzles before bed. It was evident they wanted to make up for lost time by having some fun after spending most of the day under Frau Schmidt's watch. Maria silently confirmed with the Captain who nodded in agreement and she and the children left the table. As she passed by the Captain, she could not help but notice he had barely touched his dinner. Maybe he was still full from the Nockerl at lunch time, but Maria assumed it had more to do with whatever was going on between him and the Baroness; she appeared to be giving the Captain the cold shoulder. Hopefully she was not angry with him for having taken her to lunch today. Maria was afraid something like this would happen.

ooOoo

Later that evening, with a big sigh, Maria closed the door to Marta and Gretl's bedroom, pausing to lean her back against the door before heading to her own room to turn in. What a day! So many things packed into so few hours. At least all the children were finally tucked in after a rather raucous evening. Maria laughed to herself about how exhausting they were after only a few short hours compared to normally spending the whole day with them. For some reason, the whole day seemed like far less work. She assumed it was more about how their energy was expended throughout the day - today must have been made up of far too many quiet activities, she laughed to herself!

Maria headed to her room and paused at the light switch just inside the door, deciding instead to leave her room in darkness as she made her way to the window. She could tell the moon was shining by the way the trees outside were glowing in the dark and the Untersberg was a hulking shadow with its tips highlighted by moonlight. She pushed back the curtains and looked out towards the lake. It was as still as glass and the moonlight reflected off the surface like a large diamond.

The carriage lamps on the lawn were emitting a comforting glow that reminded Maria of a similar feeling in her heart. Today had been a lovely day. First a trip to town with a friend – one she realized could be more than a friend if she wished it to be so. Of course, she didn't wish it, she was going to be a nun! However, despite what could possibly happen, she had no warm, fuzzy feelings, no butterflies in her stomach when she talked to Leo or whenever he complimented her. The Captain on the other hand, well, he just had to look at her the right way – or worse, place his hand on her back, and she felt as though she had been struck by lightning. It was all so very peculiar.

Looking at her nightgown on the bed, Maria shook her head and decided the evening looked too lovely to not go out and enjoy it. She loved her quiet visits to the gazebo after the children had gone to bed. The solitude of the villa grounds at night while sitting out on the bench was almost as spiritual as attending Mass. It helped ground her and prepare her for a good night's sleep.

She closed her bedroom door and tiptoed down the stairs towards the back terrace.

The villa was relatively quiet, which was somewhat unusual for this time of night. Usually, she could hear the Captain and his guests engaged in lively conversation in the sitting room, but not this evening. There were, however, muffled voices coming from the Captain's study, and the closer she got to the door, the louder they became. It was obvious that the Captain and the Baroness were having a bit of a disagreement. She grasped the terrace door in her hand and paused, straining her ears to see if she could pick up any bits of their conversation...all the while knowing that if Sister Berthe had ever found out what she was up to, she'd certainly be kissing the floor.

Maria could not tell for sure what they were talking about, but it was evident that the Baroness was not happy. It was obvious she had been ignoring the Captain at dinner time. Maybe it was about the Captain's choice to take Maria out for lunch today? Maria wasn't sure why the Baroness would be upset if the Captain had done something nice for someone. Perhaps he had missed a planned outing? Not likely, she thought, shaking her head. The Captain never forgot anything. It was all very strange.

Maria took a deep breath, acknowledging it was none of her business, and let herself out the back door.

ooOoo

Georg pushed back the cuffs on his shirt to peer at his watch: it was already well after ten o'clock. Another evening had gotten away on him! It had been almost two hours since Fraulein Maria had shepherded the children off to bed and about 10 long minutes had passed since he and Elsa agreed to disagree on the day's events. It was clear that neither of them were going to budge on principle alone. Perhaps bringing her to the country was a bad idea, she always seemed out of sorts and unhappy with him much of the time.

Pulling the chain on his desk lamp, he navigated through the relative darkness, trodding in the moon's glow that illuminated part of his path to the door. He locked the door to the study, popping the key into his breast pocket. He had been planning a quick trip upstairs so that he could have a good soak in the bath, but instead decided to stretch his legs after being cooped up in his study for so long this evening. The conversation with Elsa had brought on a dull, irritating headache and surely some fresh air would help.

Soon Georg found himself out on the terrace looking longingly at the spot where the lake met the mountains. He smiled to himself as he recalled that fateful day when Fraulein Maria let him have it - that day the lake had literally and metaphorically met the mountains. He put his elbows on the railing and laced his fingers together, scanning the heavens and watching how the moonlight played on the surface of the lake.

Sighing to himself, he could not help but wonder why things had to be so complicated. Indeed, he had neglected Elsa today, but they had no formal plans, either. Max was here to entertain her? Georg left the disagreement with Elsa feeling quite disillusioned. She was not impressed that he had lunch with the little Fraulein today and he still could not understand why she was so upset with him. It was almost as though she was jealous.

oQoQo

"Georg, dahling, this is just not something that is done! Are you trying to purposefully feed the rumour mill? And what about my feelings? Being passed off for the afternoon so you could have lunch with the Help? Really, what were you thinking?" Elsa huffed while she pressed her curls into her head.

"Elsa, I had an appointment in town and happened to cross paths with Fraulein Maria near the Abbey", he said, lying through his teeth. However, he knew the little Fraulein would never reveal the truth to Elsa.

"I offered her a ride home, but decided I wanted to grab some lunch first. It was all completely innocent. There's absolutely no harm in getting to know the person who is caring for your children, is there? We were chatting about her family, where she grew up, her education, and well, the time got away from me. I apologize."

"Georg, you know it was innocent and I know it was innocent, but what about everyone else? Everyone in Salzburg knows you!" Elsa gasped.

"Elsa, I think you are getting excited over nothing. If I had something to hide, I certainly would not be taking my governess to Café Mozart at high noon. My contemporaries know me to be an honorable man! I dare say you are blowing this whole thing out of proportion!", he huffed back.

oQoQo

Georg ran his hands over his face and shook his head. There was just no figuring out women. One day you do something, and they are entirely happy with you. The next day you do the same thing, and they are not. Sighing loudly, he decided that he didn't have the emotional fortitude to even begin to figure it out right now. He rubbed his temples and then ran his fingers through his hair.

Fraulein Maria seemed to be far less complicated, and Georg really liked that about her. She called a spade a spade, and after a few days, he had discovered that he was getting good at predicting her next move, her next word...He enjoyed this newfound knowledge a bit too much, though, as he often used it to antagonize her. He so enjoyed getting her worked up...when she was irritated with him, her eyes would widen, and her cheeks would flush, and he could tell she was fighting an internal battle with herself to not lose her temper.

However, it was apparent that she was beginning to figure him out as well. With nothing more than a few facial expressions shared between them at the dinner table, the little Fraulein had identified Elsa as the source of his discontent with astonishing precision. She never ceased to amaze him – her ability to read him and his moods - and in such a short span of time. Indeed, he had not experienced such a thing since Agathe was alive. Agathe always knew what he was thinking before he usually could acknowledge it for himself.

"Ahhhh, Agathe!" he sighed as he spun his wedding band around on his finger. The whole chain of events with Aurelie and little Wolfgang yesterday had brought so many memories of her to the surface and he was quite proud of how he had managed them. Yesterday he had also found himself with a well-worn copy of Moby Dick and seven attentive children listening to him read aloud. A month ago, none of these things would have been possible, it would have been much too painful to even think about, let alone to do it.

Fraulein Maria had this way about her, it was incredible, really. How could someone so young and seemingly scatter-brained be the most calming influence he had had in his life in almost four years? Lunch earlier that day at Café Mozart had been effortless. The conversation was so easy, and he didn't have to struggle to find things to talk about. It was nothing at all like the long hours he had spent gossiping with the bores in Vienna. He detested them all. Georg was not making excuses when he told Elsa that the time just flew by while he and Maria were having lunch. It was the first time in ages he had had an adult conversation that he had enjoyed.

Georg, of course, was still coming to terms with memories of Agathe, but he took solace in the little Fraulein's story of love and loss. They had more in common than he could ever have imagined. Losing her own parents, her mother first, then her father to his grief...the poor man died of a broken heart, it seems.

Georg realized that could have been him if it had not been for Elsa. She had broken the cycle of drinking and stupid behaviour he had become trapped in by keeping him madly active. Elsa, however, had done little to help with his emotional wounds since her plan was simply to keep him busy. Any time Agathe came up in their conversations, she would quickly remind him that Agathe would have wanted him to move on. It was evident that speaking about Agathe made Elsa uncomfortable. Fraulein Maria, however, asked him direct questions about her, apologizing when she thought she had overstepped. She listened attentively to his stories and reminded him of how lucky he was to have so many wonderful memories. Maria had very few of her own that she could reflect on since she was quite young when her parents had passed.

For so long Georg had run away from the memories; Elsa was a willing accomplice. It was so easy to escape to Vienna and leave behind the seven faces that reminded him of his wife. It was no wonder he had blocked out everything that reminded him of her. Memories of war, of losing the Navy, being away from home for so long – all those things had quietly intersected with the intense pain of losing Agathe. Whenever he looked at his seven children, he was reminded of all the stupid decisions he had made when he was younger. The understanding that he had willingly put himself in danger's way...missed so much time with his wife...had been so close to death so many times...and yet Agathe was the one who was taken.

And after she died, because of his selfish choices, he had left 7 children without a parent.

Since the day of the argument, Fraulein Maria had not once chastised him for his cowardice. No sooner had she accepted his apology, she embraced the 'new' Captain (which, he laughed, was really the old Captain) and helped him, guided him, and supported him every step of the way. He was now her partner in raising the children. Having someone who cared for them as much has he did made him feel like he was making progress with his grief and that the direction his life was taking was the right one.

Maria made him realize that Agathe was always here with him: she lived on in the children and that now brought him great comfort. No longer did he feel the need to run from his memories – he wanted to be close to them and to make up for lost time.

Georg paused in his musings as he caught sight of the bright, dusty tail of a shooting star headed over the mountains. Throughout his travels as a sailor, he learned of so many interpretations of the phenomena he had just witnessed. Change...someone who has left the world is with you...luck...fertility...love, just to name a few...He smiled as he tried to determine which of those applied to him in that moment. Georg now appreciated that Agathe was with him always. Fertility? He hoped not, he chuckled to himself. Change - for certain! Luck? Perhaps, but more likely God's Will. Governess #12 was indeed lucky, but she had been sent by the Reverend Mother, herself.

The little Fraulein had an incredible sense of things. It was hard to explain. She just seemed to know, and knew about so much about life, families, horses... He still was in awe with her cool head and the way she took charge of Wolfgang's delivery, especially for someone as young as she was.

Even now, if he breathed deeply, he could still smell the scent of her hair as he found himself wrapped around her, grasping her forearms. She was so soft, but so strong at the same time. It had been an entirely innocent moment between the two of them, but it brought on so many stray thoughts, and they continued to pop up today. Those memories from the stables seemed so much more vivid now that they had spent lunch together and then drove home in the car. He smiled at the memory of Maria's wide-eyed wonder earlier this afternoon as she took in the Salzburg countryside, the roof down, and the wind blowing her hair all about. She appreciated the small things in life, and for Georg, that was a breath of fresh air.

Now that he had memories from the real world of time spent with the little Fraulein... he knew more about her, what she thought about things, how she felt and how she smelled...well, since yesterday, he found himself wondering what she would smell and feel like in other places.

And yet, unlike the early days of their acquaintance when he seemingly lusted after her like a randy sailor all the way from Vienna, those feelings were now softened by sincere respect and admiration. Georg clearly understood that his perception of Fraulein Maria had changed since that first day she roared into their lives. Truly, he could not deny he desired her then...and really, little had changed in that regard. What man would not desire a virginal sprite with eyes like the waters off the Bocche? Leo, for example. There was no way he could ever bring himself to compromise their relationship with complicated things like lust.

However, there had been times over the past few days where Georg was certain that despite her innocence, Maria fancied him as well. Occasionally he would catch her regarding him intently; he'd been around the block enough times to know what a woman was thinking when she looked at him a certain way. Just today, for example, he felt her stiffen and search the sky for rain when he had put his hand on her lower back, guiding her towards the café.

She was an unconventionally beautiful woman, inside and out, but certainly not a trophy to be won. She had too many incredible qualities as a human that he respected: the no-nonsense ways in which she managed his children, the care she gave them, her unconditional love and support. Her ability to sense when he needed a little bit of space, or alternatively, a push in the right direction. She also was incredibly considerate of Elsa's feelings as well, even though Elsa had made little effort to get to know her and made it clear to him what she thought about dining with the Help.

Georg knew he should not be thinking about her in this way. First and foremost, he had Elsa, a striking woman, and she could be a mother to his children. A relationship with Elsa meant that he would not have to worry about forsaking the memory of his wife since he did not love her. Especially now when he could think about Agathe without the excruciating pain. Elsa could be his companion, but Agathe would always be his soulmate.

A small part of him wished that the little Fraulein would not return to the Abbey in the fall...perhaps she would stay and help him raise the children. They loved her as a mother, that much was for certain. Yet, given that she was considerably younger than he was – almost 20 years - someone like her would never consider a life with a man as old as he was and with as much baggage...she could see it as a job, perhaps, but nothing more. Besides, she had her heart set on being a nun.

"Ah, Fraulein..." he said with a sigh.

Georg had never met anyone like her before.

It was no wonder she had trouble fitting in in the Abbey. There, she'd have had to bend to their will and follow the rules. Maria was very principle-driven, but not at all rule-oriented. If she thought the existence of a rule prevented something good from happening, she chose to ignore it. Never, though, did she put anyone in danger. Qualities befitting a Knight of the Military Order of the Maria Theresia, Georg thought with a grin.

What little he had managed to drag out of her about her childhood over lunch had truly explained her perspective. He and Maria shared many of the same principles, and in situations where they encountered resistance or difficulty, both were confident that their "second sense" should be followed, even if the choice seemed unconventional. After all, everything she had done to this point demonstrated how true this statement was – and some of Georg's best outcomes in the Great War were the result of following seemingly insane or clearly dangerous hunches.

Shaking himself free from his musings, Georg found himself walking along the lakeshore. He squinted his eyes tightly, running his hand through his hair as he tried to remember how exactly he got here. Not one to miss an opportunity, Georg decided to enjoy the cool evening air against his face. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his top two shirt buttons. He immediately felt his chest expand as he took in great gulps of fresh air.

The stars were bright this evening and Georg found himself looking for the important seafaring landmarks in the sky as he stood on the shore, not too far from where he and Elsa had spoken a few days ago about how charming she was...the perfect hostess...his saviour. How could he have imagined that he would find a saviour in a feisty wannabe Nun from Nonnberg?

So many years had passed since he stood on the hull of a submarine, bobbing about in the salty water, gazing up at the stars. He quickly set his sights on Polaris - the one celestial body that could always help him find his way home. Georg had routinely locked his eyes on that dependable point in the sky and thought about happy times spent with his wife and children...counting the days until they would be together again during his next shore leave.

Tonight, however, as he gazed at the star that had always led him home, another person entered his mind: Maria. He wasn't sure when he had stopped using "Fraulein" when he thought of her, but he found it was happening more often. So many things had changed since she arrived, including her incredible ability to take control of crisis situations and turn them into sunshine and rainbows. Somehow, she had come to represent all that was good in his life now: a life in Salzburg, the children, his home...

Guiltily, Georg shook his head and ran his hand across the stubble growing on his chin. He turned to look over his shoulder at the villa, gripping the rough bark of the elm tree as he intentionally eyed the curtained windows of Maria's room.

"Damn!" he cursed as he turned back towards the lake, pounding his right fist into his left palm. He was grateful to finally be at a point in his life where his wife didn't consume all his thoughts, but shouldn't he be thinking about Elsa instead?

He was supposed to be considering a future with Elsa, but the longer he spent at home with the children and Maria, the more he questioned the sensibility of those intentions. Elsa tried her best to be friendly with the children, but it was obvious she had a hard time tolerating their noise and antics. Ha! Just a few short weeks ago, he would have felt the same. He knew, however, that the old Georg, the man he used to be, loved the happy din of his children: slowly he was reclaiming himself after almost four years.

Apart from Liesl, Elsa really made no effort to get to know the children, and he found that all seven of them eyed her suspiciously when she was nearby. On the other hand, Maria had won the children over within hours of her arrival at the villa, setting them on a path they never could have imagined even weeks ago.

Before Agathe had passed, she made him promise her that he would go on, to find love again, and remarry. At the time, of course, he could not consider that he would ever marry again, let alone find someone who could mend his broken heart. Then, why was he even considering marriage to a woman who did not spark joy, who did not try to have a relationship with his children. Didn't he owe that much to Agathe considering how neglectful of her memory he had been to this point? Agathe knew Georg was a great father, and she would be disappointed in him for settling for less just so the children could have a mother figure. When the children were so wild, he thought a mother would be the solution to his problems. Now he wasn't so sure. But since he had been courting Elsa for so long now, wasn't marriage an expected outcome?

Looking towards Maria's mountain, he sent a silent thank you up to the heavens, to the Reverend Mother, for sending her to his family. She had become his new north star, and because of her, he found himself aching for more than a life filled with the salons of Vienna. It was such a shame that she intended on returning to the Abbey. He could very well be a single father now with her continued assistance. Maria had the children wrapped around her finger and she provided some much-needed stability in his life. How was it that her chaos could foster such a sense of calm, joy, appreciation and gratitude? For a well-travelled man, it was strange how many life lessons he was learning from a young woman who had lived in a convent.

Georg started wandering along the path by the lake towards the boat house. He kicked a larger stone along the path, with each strike he asked himself how he had managed to spend so much of the past few years running away from his family? Now he wanted to be here, but he wasn't sure if it was something Elsa could live with. However, he had no doubt he had led Elsa to believe that a marriage proposal was soon to come. He heard her telling Max not long ago that she felt she was coming to Salzburg on approval. Would she be the right fit with this new world order that would involve the children?

"Damn" he cursed again as he picked up the stone he had been pushing along the path and he tossed it violently into the water. Across the moonlit surface of the lake, he could see the growing circle of ripples that spread out from the point of impact.

Eventually, the undulations ceased, and he stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. Deep in his right pocket, his hand met the resistance of his bosun whistle wrapped tightly inside the cocoon of the rope that it hung from. He pulled it out and held it on his flat, upturned palm. The moonlight gleamed off the small cylinder and he began to turn it. At that moment, the losses of the past four years came to a head: first the memories of that fateful September 3 when his beloved wife took her last breath. How he had promised to keep her memory close and the children closer. How he had promised to find love again. Instead, he had stumbled about the salons of Vienna, a long line of governesses looking after the children, this blasted whistle symbolic of everything he had done wrong...

A tear escaped his eye and ran down his cheek; he swallowed hard and blinked, hoping to push the other tears that were threatening to escape back in.

He looked towards Polaris yet again, tossing the whistle up and down in his hand. He knew how terribly he had failed Agathe. Instead of keeping the memories close, he had drowned his sorrows for four years, doing whatever he could to keep recollections of the good times and the children away. First in a string of meaningless stays along the Italian coast near Fiume, later in France, and finally Vienna. Trying to find some meaning in his life. Little did he know, everything he needed was right here at home. It just took a feisty postulant with big blue eyes and an even bigger heart to make him realize how wrong he had been. He needed to do better. He wanted to do better.

By this point, tears were streaming down his face, and he used the back of his hand to brush them aside. He stared down into his hand at the whistle for a moment, then grasping it tightly, he launched it into the lake. After a second or two of silence he heard the splash as it entered the water, his eyes following the sound to the growing undulations glistening in the moonlight.

Maria reminded him of the whistle's point of impact on the surface of the water: a poignant point in time - her arrival - had set off a series of waves and undulations. Some of them were hard to accept and some brought instantaneous joy; and there were others that required his captain's skills to adjust to a new normal and chart a new course. Just like on the ocean, the waves could be violent one minute and then the next, so serene and calm that they took your breath away.

Georg appreciated his life over the past weeks since Maria had breezed into their lives had gone off-course and she was making huge waves. Although his heart ached at the notion that Maria would leave them at the end of the summer, he was thankful to be on this new journey with her and the children.

ooOoo

Maria had been sitting on the stone bench just outside the gazebo enjoying the fresh air. The gazebo was the one the place on the grounds that brought her as much solace as her mountain. It had a beautiful view of the lake through the trees, and in the distance, she could see the hulking profile of the Untersberg as the moon illuminated its peak, making it look so close to the villa that you could almost reach out and touch it.

As she was sitting alone with her thoughts, she heard the crunching of gravel along the path. Squinting in the direction of the sound, her eyes adjusted from the blue glow of the lake to the shadows of the tree-lined path. There she saw the Captain, obviously deep in thought and disquieted. His conversation with the Baroness had left him upset, that much was for certain. She watched his gait, strong and tall as he kicked a larger stone ahead of him along the path.

As he was walking, all of a sudden, the Captain straightened, leaned into the tree, and then he let out a curse. He bent over and picked up the stone he had been kicking and proceeded to throw it into the lake. She noted he watched out over the water, waiting for that tell-tale "plop" when it finally hit the surface. The Captain continued to stare out over the lake, almost hypnotized by the growing undulations of the water around the entry point of the stone. After the ripples stopped forming, the Captain shoved his hands into his pocket for a moment and then slowly pulled something out. He stood silently for a while, gently plying the object in his hand. What it was she wasn't sure, but Maria had an incredible pull inside, a strong need to rise and walk towards him. She sensed he needed something or someone to talk to.

A wiser woman would ignore the Captain and hope that he didn't see her sitting there. However, she knew she could not make it back into the villa without being spotted. The Captain noticed everyone and everything. Maria also knew that in most moments lately, she was not at all wise. But sometimes the right thing to do was not the wise thing to do. She had a keen sense of when someone needed her help. Consequently, she threw all caution to the wind and quietly rose from her place on the stone bench.

Her feet padded silently across the grass, the dew drops glazing her feet as she walked. She found herself quite close to the Captain, and surprisingly, he had not noticed her yet. She needed to find an appropriate way to break the silence without startling him, but instead, she paused and found herself lost in his profile, mesmerized by the sight of the moonlight glistening off his face. As he looked up to the stars she was struck by his patrician profile, the glint of the moon's glow reflecting off the wave in his hair.

He was such a handsome man, even a future nun could appreciate that.

He was always so strong, but at that very moment, as she saw the glistening crystal of his tears as they fell, and her heart broke a little for him yet again. Over the past few days since their argument on the landing, he began to soften his hard exterior in her presence, giving her a glimpse of the man the older children spoke so often about. From her place on the bench, she had initially sensed he needed companionship, but the tears she was not prepared for. Maria knew he would be embarrassed to know she had seen them, but still, she could not retreat. Her feet were like stone, and her heart reached out towards his; she could not hold back the tide of compassion that welled within her heart.

At that moment, the Captain tossed the item in his hand into the air once, caught it in the same hand, then proceeded to throw it to its watery grave next to the stone he had launched moments earlier. He waited for the splash and again watched the ripples spread out along the water. Using the back of his hand, he wiped the tears away. Maria started to step forward towards him and out of the shadows of the big oak tree.

Suddenly, Georg turned to look over his shoulder towards the place where Maria was standing, seemingly sensing her presence. He startled, but at the same time, seemed to relax when he realized who it was.

"Fraulein", he whispered as he exhaled, vigorously trying to wipe the remaining tears away. "Why is it that you always seem to find yourself in places where you are least expected?".

Maria could not tell if he was angry or indifferent. Nevertheless, as she continued to walk towards him, Maria smiled and said, "Captain, I think it is you who normally finds ME in places that I should not be".

Georg chuckled as he nodded in agreement. "Indeed, you are correct, Fraulein".

"Captain?" Maria spoke silently with a slight tip of the head. "I know it's not my place to ask, but I could not help but notice. And you know, I am far too outspoken, it's..."

"NOT one of your worst faults," Georg said as he interrupted her statement. "Don't ever change, Fraulein, please...". His eyes pleaded with her as she approached.

Maria gently placed her right hand on the Captain's forearm, and offered him her clean handkerchief from her pocket. He shook his head "no", thanking her for the offer, and proceeded to pull his own out of his pocket.

"Is everything alright, Captain?" she asked as she studied his eyes in the moonlight. She had already learned that no matter how serious and proper his outer appearance was, there were moments when his eyes alone highlighted his vulnerabilities.

"Yes, Fraulein, contrary to how I look at this moment, everything is alright. You see, I was just outside for some air and noted the stars were so beautiful tonight. Do you see there?" he asked as he pointed into the sky, placing his arm in front of Maria so she could follow the imaginary line into the heavens.

Maria looked up at his face with questioning eyes - there was so much to see in the sky.

"Polaris, Fraulein. Do you know it?"

Maria nodded gently.

"You will be pleased to know, that I have taken my blasted whistle and pitched it into the weiher, somewhere below Polaris. She has always been my guide to lead me home, and now that I feel like I am finally getting there, I felt it was appropriate that I part with this blight on my past. I hope you'll get over it soon, I know how much you enjoyed my whistle," he said with a grin.

"Sit with me for a moment?" he asked, his eyes imploring her to stay.

"Of course, Captain, it's the least I can do considering you bought me lunch today and gave me a ride home".

"Home", she had said...Georg liked how that sounded. It had been years since he thought of his place with the children as 'home'.

Georg extended his arm in the direction of the stone bench from where Maria had just come. He waited for her to sit and then sat down beside her, leaving just enough space for proprietary's sake.

"You like it out here, don't you?"

"Captain, the gazebo is so beautiful. It is a wonderful place to escape to; it's like being hugged by Mother Nature". Maria replied with a wide smile.

"My wife, Agathe, she loved it out here, as well. Max and I built it for her..."

He quickly dabbed his eye with his handkerchief, took a deep breath and sighed. He wasn't ready to go there just yet. Although he had spoken to Maria at lunch about his wife, as he tossed the whistle away forever, he had experienced so many unfamiliar emotions. Plus, Maria's sudden appearance stirred other feelings he could not quite identify. Looking for a change of topic, he picked the first thing that came into his mind.

"Did you know Fraulein, one particular evening, just like this one," he said as he pointed to the clear sky full of stars, "along Sebenico... it's beautiful country, where the water is as blue as the sky... but the weather there can change on a dime. So much like Salzburg in that way, of course, minus the expanse of towering mountains."

Georg lined up the tips of his long fingers on both hands and tapped them gently before continuing.

"Well, on one particular night, the weather did just that – changed on a dime, I mean. I was on deck looking at Polaris much like we are now, and it was calm and starry. I returned below to organize my paperwork in advance of watch change, and in what seemed like seconds, we were overtaken by a rapidly approaching gale. Normally, we would submerge in an attempt to avoid the swells, but they had come on so quickly and the sub needed ventilation terribly...we tried to ride it out for at least a little while."

Georg turned his head away from the skies and looked Maria in the eyes. Maria had never seen this expression before. It was wistful, powerful, yet hungry all at the same time, and it made her toes curl. He looked so handsome in that moment.

Clasping his hands together, he leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. He paused momentarily before continuing.

"Life under the sea, Fraulein, while turbulent at times, can be such a contrast to what is going on above water. It's incredible to witness how a sea can be so angry at the surface, but below the water, you can putter along so calmly and peacefully. I dare say I, myself, have behaved much like a sub these past four years: calm on the outside, turbulent on the inside,"

Georg paused and cocked his head, almost as though he was trying to find a memory deep inside. He looked Maria in the eyes before continuing.

"Well, I used to work that way, until you came along and made a mess of everything," he said with a wink.

Maria was still trapped by the Captain's spell, but she managed to stifle a little giggle at his teasing.

"Anyway," he continued. "That night, one of my men, Stephson...a tall and lanky fellow, well, he was scheduled to take the next watch, but he was caught in a haze of diesel fumes and war psychosis. He madly broke from his cot, scampered up the ladder and through the open hatch. He stood on top of the sub, threatening to throw himself into the raging waters. The men called down to me in a panic about his state, and I went up after him."

As her hand flew to her face, the shock evident on her features, Maria could not imagine what it was like to be in command of so many men on a submarine. Being responsible for their safety at all times.

"Well, Fraulein. He was perched on the edge of the gun mount, hanging on with his fingernails...threatening to jump. I begged and pleaded with him not to jump, reminding him that he had a crew and family back home who loved him. After what seemed an eternity, I had managed to coax him back as the SMU–5 while the ship dodged the growing white caps."

"I ordered some of the men to take him to his bed and restrain him. It's a terrible order to issue, but once a man goes crazy like that, one can never be sure what he will do next. He had to be returned to shore, but that was impossible in the murky and stormy darkness. As things began to calm down, I was staring at the sky, desperately trying to read the weather, trying to determine our next move - submerge or continue to ride out the waves? I took a moment to regain my composure before returning below to issue an order to submerge, and all at once I swamped with an enormous wave and was tossed overboard."

Maria's hands flew to her face and covered her eyes, almost as though she could hide herself from the terrifying scene the Captain had just described.

"One of the men in my crew, a sly and scrawny man named Detweiller, heard my cries after seeing Stephson off to his cot, and he came charging above surface. I could hear him calling to me and I replied as loudly as I could over the roar of the ocean. On a dark and stormy night, there are no bearings to orient yourself, no moonlight to light your way, but I struggled to keep my head up and moved in the direction of his cries. I was fortunate the waters were warm for it was high summer. I was terrified, but in that moment, I thought about Agathe and the children at home, and it gave me strength to fight against the waves."

"Time after time the life buoy he threw at me landed just beyond my reach. Its splash would toss up even more seawater, the saltwater stinging my eyes. Detweiller and the other men could not see me to know if I had grabbed it or not, the waves were so loud and the roar of the diesel engine drowned out the sound of my voice."

"All at once I heard a splash and was worried that someone else had met my fate. But no, one of the men had thrown himself into the depths and was tethered to the U-boat by a long rope. Through the spray, I could see him struggling against the waves as he made his way towards me. Eventually, he reached me and grasped my shirt with all his might, pulling a safety ring over my shoulders. He tugged the rope he was tethered to and yelled loudly towards the sub. Slowly, we were towed into safety by the remaining crew."

Georg stopped in that moment, as if he had been blindsided by a memory. Maria was certain she saw him shiver.

"Captain. That was Uncle Mmmmax, I mean, Herr Detweiller, wasn't it?", Maria gasped. "He saved your life!"

"Fraulein, there were so many harrowing tales and so many near misses in the war. Most of them I was able to get out of myself. That day, however, without the quick action of one of my men, I would not have survived. I would not be here telling you salty tales of the sea!" he said with a sigh.

"An unbreakable bond was forged with Max that day."

Georg took a deep breath, obviously lost in thought. After an uncomfortable pause, he continued.

"We had always had fun together above and below the sea, but that day everything changed for us. He became my brother. I could never look at him as one of my subordinates. The men on board told him he was crazy for going after me. He was braver than any man who had ever served on my ships, even if it was obvious that sailing was not the life for him. Eventually he was awarded the Tapferkeitsmedaille, silver – First Class - for saving my life."

Georg laughed a little, "and Fraulein, you know damn well he won't let me forget it, hmmm?"

Georg paused, and in almost a whisper, he continued. "Fraulein, did you know, there was another time, conditions very different, but equally as harrowing..."

Maria grimaced as she prepared herself for the Captain's next memory, immediately amazed at the strength he had to endure these moments and make it home to his family time and time again.

"This particular time, I was again saved by an unlikely hero. I found myself battling the waves, the sea spray, the darkness..."

Maria watched as the Captain turned on the bench so he was facing her, his expression soft and kind but deadly serious.

"I really owe my life to two people. Max, of course, being one of them...the other..." he paused thoughtfully before continuing.

Maria had to look away he looked so handsome, so she forced her eyes up at the stars. Taking a deep breath and feeling brave enough to face him again, she returned her focus to the Captain's face, silently willing him to continue.

"Yes indeed, it wasn't that long ago when I was saved a second time. I was being tossed about the flotsam and jetsam, battered and aimlessly lost. Funny thing is, this time I had absolutely no desire to be rescued."

Maria's confusion took over her features as he continued.

"All at once," Georg continued. "...whomp! I was hit over the head by a life buoy. I didn't even realize I was drowning. It hit me again and again, and I tried to ignore it. But it didn't stop – instead the storm grew wilder and more fierce. Yet, I didn't want to be saved, stubborn ass that I am. I fought back."

"But, Captain…" Maria interrupted "how could you ever would you find yourself in a position at sea where you didn't wish to fight to survive? You said yourself, the children and your wife gave you strength?"

"Ah, Fraulein. It was sometime after my wife had died, and I was not at sea,". Georg placed a pointer finger into the middle of his chin and then tapped it repeatedly. Lining up his long finger with the end of Maria's nose, he implored her to again follow the line created by his strong arms. Maria assumed he was pointing at the stars once more.

"It happened right there!" he exclaimed. "In that very place I desperately fought against the storm, not at all wanting to be rescued. But eventually I realized I was wrong. I was so wrong..." he said as he trailed off.

Maria could not make out any specific star or constellation in the sky where he was pointing, and she looked back at the Captain with confusion. At that moment, the Captain's noble profile was overtaken by the most genuine smile of peace and contentment, as if he had found the answers to life's greatest questions. He shook his head and gently grasped her wrist, making a fist with her fingers and then extending her pointer finger. He moved her arm so she could see exactly where he had been pointing.

Georg released his grip on Maria's wrist, leaving it suspended in mid-air.

As Maria studied the place where her finger was now pointing, she slowly realized what he meant. The landing! He was talking about her. She was the storm and the saviour all in one. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Georg smiled knowingly at her as he watched her growing realization. He reached out with his much larger right hand and slowly and covered Maria's left, pulling it down out of the sky. She looked up at him in awe, her tummy doing flips and her mind in turmoil as errant thoughts about the Captain's hands drove her wild.

He scooped his left hand beneath hers, leaving her hand encased in both of his, much like he did the day of their argument when she had offered her support to him in the drawing room. Georg felt Maria's hand and arm immediately relax as he tenderly held her hand.

"I know I've said this before, Fraulein, but thank you. Thank you for being brave enough to rescue me when no one else dared. Thank you for saving me before it was too late. Thank you for being the chaos that finally brought order to this lost soul." He cocked his head to side, patted her hand and then gently dropped hers to her side. He studied her face for a moment before reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. They looked at each other in awkward silence for a good while before he dropped his hand, cleared his throat, and casually looked back into the heavens.

"Despite our differences, Fraulein, a bond has been forged between you and I that will never be unbroken, even years after you return to that Abbey of yours. A bolt of blue fabric is hardly a stand-in for a medal for bravery, but I hope you know the sentiment is real,"

Georg didn't look at her, but he addressed her while taking in the sky full of stars.

"What you did for my family was so entirely unselfish and giving. I was ready to send you back and you were willing to go, knowing you had tried your best on behalf of the children. I am just glad I came to my senses in time and let you rescue us...rescue me."

He took a deep breath, almost as if he was deciding on what he should say next. Whatever he was planning to say, Maria could tell he chose not to say it. Instead, he pushed the cuff of his jacket back and looked at his watch.

"Oh, it's later than I thought, and we have a busy morning tomorrow at Frau Heineman's don't we? And I have promised to take Elsa out for lunch to make up for my negligence today. May I walk you to the villa Fraulein, or do you wish to stay out here for a while?" he asked.

"No, I mean, of course, thank you Captain. That would be lovely. I should get to bed as well. Today was an eventful day, and the children are early risers after all." Maria replied with a smile, trying her best to not let her churning emotions show.

Georg extended his arm in the direction of the villa, and he let Maria lead as they walked towards the house. He caught up to her and walked along side. They strolled along in pleasant silence, both processing their conversation and actions from moments before. Georg opened the terrace door and let Maria in first. Locking the door behind them, they headed towards the stairs across the dimly lit foyer, a solitary lamp in the hall to the kitchen providing a soft glow of light. On the landing by the front door Georg turned to Maria before heading to his wing of the house.

"Goodnight, Fraulein, and thank you again." He cleared his throat and plunged both hands into his trouser pockets. "I hope you sleep well, and um, do try to be on time for breakfast in the morning!"

Maria laughed despite herself, nodding heartily. "Indeed, Captain. I know you are a sucker for punctuality! Have a good night."

Georg smiled broadly at her, and he turned and walked up the stairs towards the family wing. Maria paused briefly, took a deep breath, and began to climb up to her room. Upon reaching the landing of the staff wing, she turned towards his side of the villa and their eyes locked. The Captain had been watching her. He nodded his head to acknowledge her, silently wishing her a good sleep, and then he turned to walk away.

His profile was soon consumed by the shadows of the hall and Maria heard the tell-tale 'thud' as his bedroom door shut behind him. She continued down the hall in a bit of a daze until she reached her room. She slipped inside and closed the door, leaning her back against it. She took her left hand in her right and held it against her heart. The Captain's words were swimming in her head... "

A bond has been forged between you and I that will never be unbroken..."

ooOoo

Georg shut the door behind him, removing his tie and undoing the remainder of his shirt buttons as he made his way towards the bed. He perched on the edge of the bed and looked out the window at the moon that was slowly making its descent in the sky. He pulled the chain on the bedside lamp, and it sputtered to life, instantly lighting the room in a warm glow. He removed his cufflinks and set them on the bedside table. Sighing deeply, he pulled open the drawer and removed the book he had stowed there. He placed it on his lap and then flipped it to the well-worn page in the middle of the book. Georg looked down at the image of the Siren with the cooper hair, tracing her form from head to toe with his finger. The words just spoken to Maria were swimming in his head...

"A bond has been forged between you and I that will never be unbroken..."