The feeling around the dinner table was palpable excitement. Georg listened, with interest, as the children spoke about how they worked so hard on their play. After each child spoke, he couldn't stop himself from glancing to Maria. Most of the time, she was looking elsewhere, whether to Gretl as she spoke softly to her or to Brigitta who she would give a large grin to. Only once did their eyes meet, her blue eyes, which seemed brighter with her dress, sparkled. He felt his pulse quicken when she smiled and only broke contact when another one of his children called his attention.
He knew he shouldn't keep looking to her but she seemed different, or something inside him had awoken. Either way he knew the path going forward needed a drastic change, but he would allow himself, only for tonight, to admire her from afar.
Unknown to him, Elsa watched him with careful eyes. She watched as his eyes would go around the room to each of his children, and always land back on the governess who was sat at the opposite end. She made a note to herself to bring this little observation up to him later when they were alone.
With dinner finished, the children ran to the ballroom with Maria behind them and the captain, with Elsa and Max behind her. He watched her from behind. The dress really fit her in all the right places and blue really was her color. He made a mental note for himself to order her some more fabric, mainly blue ones.
He helped her set up 3 chairs for each of them in front of the stage and watched as she disappeared behind the stage. She climbed up the ladder quickly handing the puppets around and looked to the children around her. "Ready?" She whispered and they nodded. "Marta, curtain!"
It was beginning well. The children and herself dancing the puppets around the stage with ease, just as they had practiced. Marta had become distracted and nearly missed the background change and she had not expected her to blow the foam on her which caused her to sputter.
As it came closer to the end it proved to be quite exhausting to Maria. While they had been able to pause earlier and take breaks, organizing and handling the puppets and singing had taken its toll and the last note came and she let a relieved sigh with a smile.
She could hear the captain's laughter and the loud clapping from him and shouts of praise from him and Max. The children all hopped down and Maria took a few more moments to collect herself before climbing down and leaning heavily on the stage.
Georg walked over to her, seeing that she was out of breath and red from the activity. "Well done, fräulein." He stepped closer to her and she looked into his eyes. He lowered his voice slightly and smiled at her warmly. "I really am very, very much impressed."
"They're your children, Captain!" She said enthusiastically and with a smile. She could feel herself blushing at both his compliment and the appreciation in his eyes.
The way she looked at him with her shining blue eyes made him want to reach out and touch her, and he could feel his left hand twitch at his side. He could also feel Elsa's piercing gaze on him and he nodded his head towards Maria regretfully and turned to Elsa.
He had Elsa's arm and was walking her out, not entirely paying attention to what she was saying his thoughts on how well Maria had done with the children.
"I'm not sure I'll make a very good nun!" Maria said.
The comment made him pause, his heart flutter and a small amount of hope rose within him. Thoughts began rapidly coming to him. Would that mean she would stay? He hoped that she would, seeing as the children loved her. Their eyes met briefly, his eyes showing that he would definitely be bringing this up at their next meeting. Her breath hitched and she softly smiled back at him, walking out of the room.
Max was announcing about finding the perfect opportunity, his family in the Salzburg Folk Festival. He laughed and walked away from his charming friend into the drawing room.
"My children will not sing in public!" Georg said firmly, holding up a finger.
"Well, you can't blame me for trying."
"Children! Who should we hear from next?" Maria spoke and all the children gathered around her, whispering frantically. He watched as she crossed the room and held the guitar up to him.
The children, and their governess, had practically begged him to sing. Grabbing the guitar from Maria, careful not to brush his fingers against hers, he plucked the strings and began to play the first thing that popped into his head; Edelweiss.
Maria was leaning on a chair across from everyone as she heard the Captain pluck a few notes of something that sounded so familiar. When he began to sing the first verse of the song, her heart began to beat faster.
He turned around to face everyone and sat on the settee next to Leisl. Maria, completely taken by his voice and his song choice, had stood and backed herself to stand and admire him from the wall.
The way his voice wavered slightly while he sang made her heart swell. He always seems so sure of everything he did, but he seemed unsure of himself. She was sure it was because he hadn't sang a full song in so long.
'You look happy to meet me.'
He looked directly at her with a playful grin and she couldn't help but beam back at him. Such a meaning because she was happy! Happy to be in a nice and welcoming home, happy that she was able to bring joy back into the house and back to the children. Most of all she was happy to meet him.
He sang, looking at his children. 'Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow. Bloom and grow forever.' He thought of his children, how they had blossomed under Maria's care. He wanted them to continue to bloom and to grow knowing of his love for them, and with the care she had been providing them.
'Bless my homeland forever.'
He looked to Maria and found her staring at him, a dreamy look on her face. He had hope in his heart that she understood the double meaning for him; his homeland of Austria, which he held so near and dear to his heart, and for the home he had with his children, which she had provided. A home that she helped bring back. A home with her in it.
He nodded his head for Leisl to join which she did on the floor next to him and they continued the song in a beautiful duet. Repeating the same verses as before, he looked at each of his children, who were all looking back at him. Smiles were all on their faces as they listened to him sing.
'Bless my homeland forever.'
Finishing the song, holding the note a bit longer, he stared directly at Maria now, the same look on her face, the small smile slowly fading as he felt she understood what he had meant. He gave a small shrug of his shoulders, smile spreading. He would have stared into her eyes all night had Max not decided to speak up.
"Anytime you say the word, Georg, you could be apart of my new act- the von Trapp Family Singers!"
He laughed at the thought and set the guitar on the floor in front of him, hands resting on top of the head of the guitar. He made a sideways glance to Maria the same time she had turned her head back to him. They smiled briefly at each other, their eyes doing the talking for them.
That was beautiful.
He smirked. I'm a bit out of practice.
Don't sell yourself short, Captain.
"I have a wonderful idea Georg!" Elsa spoke, breaking their eye contact as they both looked over to her. She stood up from the settee across the room and made her way over to him. "Let's really fill this house with music. You must give a grand and glorious party for me while I'm here."
He turned towards her, slightly annoyed but hid his tone. "A party?" She had asked once before but he had told her, not so gently, that he had no interest with the current climate in Austria.
He could hear the excitement from his children, all talking over each other. Maria shushed them before they got too loud and the Baroness continued.
"Yes, I think it's high time I've met all your friends here in Salzburg, and they've met me. Don't you agree?"
"I see what you mean." He turned back to his children, amused with their excitement.
Their excited chatter began again and was cut off by Maria announcing it was time for bed. Small protests could be heard all around, but they all stood up and bid their father good night, all excitedly chattering as they left the room. The littlest couldn't contain herself.
"It'll be my first party father!" Gretl ran backwards out of the room with a happy yell.
A large smile spread across Georg's face as he thought of it being her first party. He stood and carefully set Maria's guitar against the settee. He turned a gave a quick smile to the baroness and reached out his arm for her to take.
"Looks like you've got your party." He quipped, his slightly annoyed tone coming through. He knew with her saying something in front of his children, he wouldn't be able to refuse.
"Nothing too fancy, Georg. Just lavish." She laughed quietly.
He hummed. "Trouble is, I won't know whom to invite. These days it's difficult for an Austrian to know his friends from his enemies."
"Yes well, we'll leave all those details to you." She gave a quick sideways glance to Georg, who looked deep in thought. All night he had been eyeing Maria and then to top it all off, he sang basically to her! No, she thought carefully, now was not the time to bring up his indiscretions of the night. "I believe it is time for me to retire for the evening, darling." She turned and gave a quick peck on his cheek and with a glance towards Max turned to go towards her room.
"Well Georg, my friend." Max clapped his hand on his friend's back. "There's no doubt in my mind you'll be able to pull together a wondrous event. Now, I believe there is a delicious bottle waiting for me. I just need to go find it!" Max chuckled.
Georg looked toward his friend. "Max," he tutted and chuckled. "You're going to drink me out of house and home!"
"Well with a cellar like yours it's hard not to!" He said with hearty laugh and with that Max was off towards his cellar.
Georg turned around and looked back in the room where they had just been. Ever since the mountain, when Maria had revealed her foster mother would sing it to her when she was small, he knew he wanted to sing it to her, but why he wanted to, he wasn't exactly sure.
He hadn't really meant to either. It was just the first thing his fingers began to play. It could have been the way she had looked at him, or how beautiful she looked. He could no longer deny to himself what he was beginning to feel for her and that thought startled him.
He decided he needed to go for a walk in the night air and walked out towards the terrace, humming edelweiss to himself. One thing he was certain about was there was no way he was going to be able to let her go at the end of the summer.
A/N: the description of the captains singing is from Edelweiss ft. Christopher Plummer's original vocals, truly a travesty that his version isn't the original!! Maybe for the 60th next year they'll put his version in!
End bit was actually a scene they had decided to cut from the movie, with the exception of a few small details changed. I wish they hadn't removed it because it was a moment where Georg had accepted some of his feeling towards Maria!