She laughed joyfully as the children greeted them in the driveway, nearly knocking her down as she stepped out of the car, their arms wrapping tightly around her. She couldn't hear a word through all the shouts and questions, the intense excitement thrown her way, and all she could do was laugh right along with them. Franz made his way to the trunk of the car, having looked quite annoyed since he picked them up from the train station, and he began taking hers and Liesl's bags from the trunk. Georg smiled, making his way into the crowd and lifting Gretl into his arms as she wrapped him in an embrace as well.
The children had simply been told that their father had gone to retrieve Liesl, and that Maria would be staying for a while. Nothing more, nothing less, and she was certain the older children especially would be pressing her for answers soon enough. An extended visit without her husband did not make a lot of sense, and she couldn't do much to hide the bruised cut upon her cheek. But for the time being, she was simply happy to be with them again, forever, if she had her own way. She was certain that anything that needed to fall into place eventually would.
They entered the villa, all laughing and talking over one another as they told stories of their days since the last time they saw one another. Liesl gushed about her trip, telling them of the exciting places they went, and she clearly couldn't wait to boast a bit about her time away from home. The children were hanging on her every word, and Maria shared a smile with Georg at her excitement. Franz sat Maria's bags down at the bottom of the stairs that led to the side of the house where her old bedroom was, but Georg stopped him.
"Please, Franz, would you place Maria's bags in the guest room next to mine?" He nodded, silent and always a bit frustrated, and Maria wondered to herself if he really had become just that much grumpier since she moved away. But she supposed she wasn't a staff member anymore, she was technically a Baroness and a guest to their home. It shouldn't have seemed like an unordinary request, aside from the fact that he had simply just never cared for her.
"Fraulein Maria, that means you will be closer to us!" Gretl shrieked with excitement, and she laughed as she took her hand and pulled her further inside. Liesl looked away, obviously knowing the truth behind the specificity of his request and feeling a bit bashful for knowing. Maria met Georg's eyes briefly, and he gave her a quick smile. He nearly asked Franz to place her bags in his own bedroom, but he didn't want the children to hear. Not to mention the fact that he wasn't sure exactly what their relationship would be; what either of them even wanted it to be at that point. They certainly wanted to be together, but it would be a matter of when the timing was right. It wasn't going to be mere days after she had left her husband that they could freely be together, after all.
Supper was full of chatter. Spending time together in the sitting room was full of chatter. In fact, it was constant noise and conversation until Maria agreed to help the children to bed and finally found herself alone in her guest room. She sighed as she laid down across the bed, running her hands over her temples to help her body relax. While she loved the children with all her heart, she needed a moment to be alone with her thoughts. Her entire life felt so surreal in that moment, and she needed to pull herself together.
She opened her eyes, finding and following the patterns on the ceiling. She had spent very little time in the family wing of the house, aside from putting the children to bed, and she found that she felt a bit out of place. She would have been quite content staying in her old governess bedroom, if she had to choose. It would have at least been something solid and familiar, which was what she needed the most; stability. She felt quite unraveled.
She thought about her husband, what he must be doing in that moment. He had surely returned home and found her letter by then, she imagined. Was he angry? Relieved? She had no way of knowing, and she found that she really didn't care either way how he was reacting. She felt millions of years away from him, and she found that she was quite thankful for it. While she supposed she should have been upset or regretful, she felt she had never made a better decision in her life than going home with Georg.
She could sense his uneasiness between them, and she wished many times that evening that she could bring it up, but she hadn't found herself without one, or all, of the children occupying her attention. She supposed he wondered where they stood, what their relationship was at the moment. She wasn't sure she knew the answer to that question either, but she did know they couldn't be careless with their actions. She was still married until further notice, so she could have hardly said she was courting someone else. But they weren't even courting, they seemed to have skipped past that stage altogether and were easily declaring their love for one another. While her life had never been conventional by any means, even she was confused by her relationship with Georg.
She knew that she loved him, there was never a doubt in her mind about that. She had loved him from the moment she saw his face, but she also knew that loving somebody was the easy part. She was determined that she wouldn't hurt him again, and she needed to be sure she was in a good enough place emotionally to be good for him too. She stood from the bed, the aching in her head quite dull compared to what it had been, and she was thankful for it. She supposed that once she felt better physically that her mental state would improve. Each day would be better than the day before, she decided. One day at a time, just like Georg said.
She looked in the mirror above the dresser, not quite recognizing herself. She had been afraid to look too closely, afraid of what she would see. Her cheekbone was bruised, a healing cut right beneath her eye that was glaring at her, and she could make out the outline of hands upon her throat if she pulled down the collar of her dress. He had hit her hard enough to break the skin, and she shuddered at the thought, but nothing could compare to the feeling of being unable to breathe. She didn't quite remember how it had hurt, she only remembered the fear she had felt when he brought her to the ground, his body so heavy atop her own, and then the sudden relief as she finally was able to pull air into her lungs. She had been completely terrified. For a moment, she had sincerely thought he was going to kill her…he had wanted to.
She shook her head at the thought, taking off her earrings and placing them atop the dresser. As she changed into her nightgown, she wondered what Georg was doing at that very moment. Was he thinking about her? Was he dressing for bed too? Was he hoping that by putting her in a room near his own that they would be visiting one another at night? She felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought. She knew they wouldn't be able to have a typical relationship for a long while, but she hoped it would be more than nighttime dalliances and hidden glances. She wished they could simply be together and shout their love from the rooftops. She smiled at the thought. One day she was certain they would. Unfortunately, the practice of patience was something in which she found herself to be quite unskilled.
She washed her face and brushed her teeth, putting lotion on her hands before stepping back into her bedroom area. She looked at the clock and bit her lip. It wasn't late, by any means, and she knew he would still be awake. She certainly didn't want him to think she was coming to him for anything unsavory, she truly did only want to talk to him. She missed their conversations before everything had turned so dark, his humor and laughter when their words turned playful. She couldn't take it, she was not going to allow another moment to go by without him. She exited her bedroom, bare feet padding across the floor, as she didn't even care about putting on a robe or slippers. There was no time, or necessity, for such measures. She quickly knocked upon his bedroom door, biting her lip in anticipation as he opened it.
"Hello, my name is Maria. I just moved in next door." He laughed, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling brightly.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Georg. Would you like to come in?"
"Quite forward for someone I've only just met." She smiled at the sound of his laugh. It wasn't easy for most to make him laugh, so she felt quite honored that she understood him in that way.
"My most sincere apologies." She bit her lip, and he raised an eyebrow at her attire. "But if you'll excuse me, I believe it is you who is being forward. Your ensemble is quite risqué."
"Oh, stop." She laughed, looking down at her billowing nightgown. She supposed it was quite thin, but it was far from something even she would call promiscuous. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"Not at all, do come in." He stepped aside for her to pass, taking in her scent as he closed the door behind them. She looked around, smiling at how clean and gentle his room appeared. Not at all dark and gloomy as she had somehow always expected, but light and airy instead.
"I've always wondered what your room would look like." He laughed, having many follow-up questions about why his postulant governess would have ever needed to wonder such a thing.
"You mean you never took a peek?"
"Oh, heavens, no. I assumed this was one of the rooms that 'are not to be disturbed.'" She placed her hands upon her hips as she did her impression of him from her first day at the villa.
"I didn't sound like that." She stepped further into the room, turning to face him with a laugh.
"You absolutely did! Right before you blew a whistle in my face."
"I didn't. I blew it at the children." She laughed harder, as if blowing a whistle at anyone was appropriate.
"We seem to remember that day a bit differently, darling." He smiled brightly at her words, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck before he could pull away, pulling him closer to her body before their lips disconnected. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his forehead against hers.
"I was worried you wouldn't come over."
"To your room? How could I possibly stay away?" She closed her eyes, taking in the safety of his presence, his masculine body against her own.
"I nearly told Franz to put your bags in my room today, but didn't want to cause anyone to ask questions." She smiled, secretly wishing he would have, but understanding that they needed to at least try to keep up appearances. She especially didn't want the children to witness anything immoral or unsavory. Their entire relationship was improper, and she certainly didn't want them to think either she or Georg approved of such circumstances. She knew he felt the same, even though they hadn't truly discussed a thing about their living arrangements.
"I don't want to set a bad example…more than I already have, anyway." He scoffed, pulling back enough to meet her eyes.
"You are a wonderful woman, Maria. You've done nothing but set a pristine example for my children." She looked at him in disbelief, eyebrows raised.
"Perhaps in the past, but now…"
"Maria…"
"With Liesl knowing so much, and the older children are far from daft…"
"Darling, please."
"But we should be ashamed…"
"Maria, honestly." She met his eyes as he stopped her mind from spinning. "Did you come in here to tell me how awful we are, or did you come to make love?"
"I originally came to talk." He laughed, but she wasn't joking. She had absolutely wanted to talk, but somehow that conversation seemed too big at the moment. All she wanted was to be wrapped in his comforting embrace, to pretend that everything was alright.
"You always have my ear." She smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips. She kissed him softly, trailing across his cheek before whispering into his ear.
"Like this?" She pressed the smallest kiss to his earlobe, and he had to stop himself from taking charge and ravishing her right there.
"You know what I mean." His words were quiet, and she smiled as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"Yes, and I love you for it." He closed his eyes as she began to place gentle kisses across his cheek, moving to his neck. She could feel stubble beneath her lips, and she felt taken aback that her Captain was anything but perfectly groomed at the moment. She smiled against his skin, excited by the fact that she would be able to see him that way every night for the rest of her life, if she wanted.
"I will not be able to listen if you keep doing that." She laughed, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his pajama shirt.
"I thought I was here for something more unsavory." He smiled as he ran his hands across her back, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin silk that covered her.
"I thought you were here to talk." She finished unbuttoning his shirt and ran her hands over his bare chest, placing one last lingering kiss to his collarbone before meeting his eyes.
"Well then, it seems we must get on the same page." She nearly shrieked as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and lifted her from the ground, her laughter making his heart melt in more ways than he could describe. He gently tossed her upon the bed, quickly covering her body with his own as he kissed her passionately. She sighed against him as his lips caressed hers, his fingers already beginning to pull the bow at the neck of her nightgown.
Her hands were all over his body, touching everywhere she could. She pushed his opened shirt from his shoulders, and he tossed it to the floor before returning his kiss to her lips. She opened her mouth to him as his tongue met her own, her entire body ablaze from his touch. It felt surreal to be in his home, in his bed, and she had to stop from pinching herself to be sure it was all real. His hands moved up her thighs, caressing her skin as he pushed up her nightgown, and she took the opportunity to roll them over and straddle his waist. He seemed a bit surprised by her actions at first, but knew that she needed to feel in control while so many things in her life were spiraling. He would have gladly allowed it anyway.
She kissed down his neck, over his chest as her hands began to push down his pants. Everything was silk, from his pajamas to his underwear, and she couldn't believe the softness beneath her fingers. Her lips moved to take one of his nipples between them, her tongue sliding across it and sending jolts of desire straight to his pelvis. She could feel him breathing heavily beneath her lips, and she smiled as she moved her kiss over his stomach, his skin warm against her mouth. She pulled down his underwear, tossing them to the floor with the rest of his clothes and leaving him completely naked before her.
She quickly returned to his body and began kissing his inner thighs. Her heart was pounding at the thought of taking him in her mouth. She wanted to very much, but had no idea why or what she would do once she got there. She had never done it before, no matter how often her husband brought it up…no, she couldn't think about him. Not in a moment so perfect. Instead she focused on the sighs of the man beneath her lips, and she slowly took him in her mouth. He gasped and whispered her name as she continued to take him in as far as she possibly could. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, watching in complete elation as she pleasured him, taking him in several times before she added just a bit of suction. His hips thrust upward without his control, but she continued on with her exploration of him.
After a moment of testing her own abilities, she wondered what exactly she should have done next. He seemed to like her attention very much, but she was coming up a bit short on what else she could possibly do to him in that way. She released him from her mouth, leaving him gasping for air as she made her way up his body and kissed him hard upon the lips. His kiss was hot, sensual, and it nearly took her breath away. She needed him immediately.
She quickly lifted her nightgown and pushed her panties down her legs, effectively maintaining her position and the lust behind their kiss, much to her delight. She kicked her panties to the floor, bunching her nightgown about her waist, and she quickly made their connection. They shared sighs of relief, finally becoming one again after all they had been through. It felt like years had passed since they were able to be so close. She moved her hips, and he bit her lower lip as she pulled away to sit upright upon him. She grasped his chest in her hands, sighing as she continued to move. He hurriedly lifted her nightgown over her head, desperately needing to feel more of her in his hands, but suddenly he stopped at the sight of her.
"Maria…" He couldn't continue, and she stopped moving as she followed his gaze. He was sitting upright beneath her, eyes fixated on the dark, purple bruises that littered her arms and throat. He looked her over, noticing another large bruise upon her thigh, another on her hip, and he couldn't believe his eyes. He had seen the mark upon her face enough that it was no longer a shock, but the marks upon her body were undeniably chilling.
"Would you like me to put it back on?" He met her eyes quickly, realizing she was talking about her nightgown, and he shook his head before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. She felt self-conscious, wondering if he saw her in a different light.
"No, my love. You are absolutely stunning to me, in all ways." She smiled, knowing he was only a bit surprised by the sight of her, but it certainly had no bearing on how attractive she was to him. "I could kill him."
"Shh." She placed her fingers over his lips, gently stopping him from taking the moment in another direction. She only wanted to focus on the two of them. "It will hurt him more if you make love to his wife."
She began to move once more, and he took her hips into his hands, gently squeezing the flesh in his palms. He never could believe just how perfect she felt in his hands. She leaned back and wrapped her legs around his waist as she sat upon his lap, the angle ensuring all parts of their bodies were pressed against one another. He pulled her close, his hands caressing her back, fingertips moving across her spine, before one of his hands moved through her hair. He pulled her into a deep kiss, his tongue slipping between her lips as she moved harder against him.
Sweat began to glisten upon their skin, the light from the lamp on the bedside table making them shimmer as they moved together. She broke their kiss and pressed her forehead against his, unable to breathe properly as her body throbbed and pulsated around their tight connection. Everything felt so perfect between them, as if they were two pieces of a puzzle that were only made for one another. Her heart nearly burst at the love she felt pouring from every kiss, every touch of his hands.
She gasped as a wave of heat ruptured inside of her, a whimper escaping her lips at the deep explosion. She felt as if she were melting inside from the sheer heat. He held her closer as her body fell weak, moving her through her pleasure in an effort to be certain she felt it as long as she possibly could. She sighed as she regained her ability to move, her pelvis grinding hard against his until he felt he would burst at any moment. He could feel her throbbing around him, their connection so tight he could no longer bear it, as his entire body began to shudder. She held him close, pulling his head to rest against her shoulder as he came undone. His hands grasped her hips, squeezing her tightly as he convulsed and shivered beneath her thrusts.
"My God, Maria." His words were breathless against her shoulder, and she couldn't stop a quick laugh from escaping her lips. It all felt so surreal.
They stayed still, wishing for nothing more than to remain in that moment for the rest of their lives. She closed her eyes as they held tightly to one another, imagining it was all as perfect as it felt, that it was all real. He kissed every inch of skin he could reach, moving across her neck to finally take her lips with his own. His lips were soft, sensual as he kissed her like there would never be another shared between them, before they untangled their limbs and disconnected. They lay upon their backs, each catching their breath as their bodies cooled from the heat of their exertion.
He looked to her, finding her eyes closed and her face more relaxed than he had seen in quite a long time. He rolled upon his side and took the moment to observe her, simply taking in the sight of her in his bed. Her face was relaxed, a small smile gracing her lips, and the rise and fall of her chest began to slow. He couldn't stop himself from reaching out to touch her, his fingertips gently gliding over her cheek, down her neck, between her breasts and to her stomach. Her nipples hardened and her skin prickled as he touched her, taking in the feeling of her skin. His eyes roamed over her body, his fingers running over one of her nipples. He looked to her face to find her watching him. She smiled, somehow amused by his observation of her. He ran his fingertips over her skin once more, tickling between her breasts.
"They're quite small." He stopped, laughing a bit at her words. He gently cupped one of her breasts in his hand, pushing it up a bit.
"You are lying on your back. Roll over." She smiled, rolling upon her stomach. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his lips so soft against her skin. "There, now look at them."
"I don't know, I'm still not much impressed."
"Oh, I certainly am." He trailed his fingers down her spine, the heat of her skin reminding him of the passionate reason for it. "I prefer focusing on another of your attributes, however."
"Oh? And what is that?" She laughed, wondering what could possibly be impressive about her body, as she had always felt incredibly plain. He ran his palm over her backside, squeezing as her flesh filled his hand.
"You have a very full ass." She laughed harder than she meant to, surprised by his words, and he smiled brightly at his ability to catch her off guard.
"Does full mean fat?"
"No, not at all. I like that I can grasp it in my hands when you're on top of me." She felt herself blush, which seemed quite silly after all they had just done together.
"Well, I'll happily spend my time on top of you as much as you'll allow." He laughed, squeezing her backside once more before leaving his hand to rest there, pressing kisses to her shoulder.
"I can't believe I'm seeing you like this, touching your skin. I never thought I would, and then you came back into my life like a whirlwind."
"That is typically how people describe me." She laughed, and he smiled at her acknowledgment that she certainly wasn't a quiet person about life. She met his eyes, finding them bright and happy, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "I feel the same way, you know. I can't believe we're here together; that I'm in your bedroom, in your home. I feel like I've been wandering around lost for so long, and finally I've found my place again."
"Even though I know there's much to work out, I am quite happy in this moment." She smiled brightly, feeling tears threatening to well in her eyes, but she held them back.
"I'm so happy with you too." She sighed, and he sensed that thoughts of the reality of their situation were returning to her mind. "What are we going to do?"
"That is a loaded question, isn't it?" She smiled, placing her fingers beneath his chin and pulling him to her for a gentle kiss. "What is it you want to do?"
"You know what I want. I want to be free of him, and I want to be with you, the way it's supposed to be." He chuckled, wishing it were so simple. He didn't have to tell her it wasn't, she knew the weight of it all.
"We will visit my lawyer tomorrow. He will at least be able to give us some direction."
"I would like that very much. Thank you." He nodded, feeling his body responding once more to her closeness, as well as the swell of her backside beneath his hand. He squeezed once more before moving his hand upward and applying pressure to each side of her spine. She closed her eyes, sighing at the tightness that she didn't realize she held in her back.
"And how should we address our relationship to the children?" She met his eyes, wishing he had simply told her what to do rather than asking for her opinion. It made her a bit nervous to think that even he wasn't sure what to make of things between them.
"They are your children. Do you have a preference?"
"Whatever we do, I only want to avoid causing them any pain and confusion." She nodded in agreement, wishing the same. It would devastate them both if the children ever looked to them as any form of example in their current situation.
"I don't want to lie to them…I've done enough of that for a lifetime. But I also think that perhaps we need to act as if we are simply friends in front of them, at least until we know our course of action. I would be sick if they ever found out about the things I've done." He pressed a kiss to her lips, lingering for only a moment, before meeting her eyes once again.
"We, darling. You don't need to take it all on alone." He gently corrected, and she gave him a small smile. With him by her side, the circumstances didn't matter in the slightest. She somehow knew that everything was going to be alright.