"Well…" Elsa stared at the empty doorway. She had expected the children to be a little resistant to the idea of boarding school, especially in the beginning, but she hadn't expected them to put on such a turn. Still, they should know better than to snoop around and eavesdrop. Like they say, you shouldn't listen to others' conversations – you might hear something you don't like.
Honestly, what has that girl been teaching the children… If the children had a real governess, they would know better than to listen in on the adult's conversation. Anyway, once the new school arrangements were properly explained, they'd come around to the idea. What wasn't there to like about boarding school? You got to spend all your time with your wonderful new friends. "I'm not sure what all the fuss is about…" she added with a sigh.
"I don't think they're keen on the idea of Liesl going to finishing school," Max's response earned him a withering look from across the table.
Elsa narrowed her eyes at Max. This was all his fault. If he hadn't been asking so many silly questions about the children and governesses, she wouldn't have even broached the subject. Not with the nun in the room. That girl had a way of putting the most ridiculous ideas in Georg's head.
"I'm not sure what the children had in mind," Elsa pressed her fingertips against her scalp, an instinctive, soothing gesture that had followed her from childhood. She watched Max load up his fork with another mouthful of cordon bleu. At least he was enjoying the changes she'd injected into Cook's rather tired repertoire. She couldn't have faced another Weiner schnitzel. Glancing at Georg's plate, she noticed his main course remained largely untouched, but she bit her tongue. She'd learned the art of picking her battles. "Of course, there were going to be changes," she added.
"Oh, I imagine everything's come as a surprise. A new mother, new schools…" Max wiped the crumbs from the corners of his mouth. "It's been a big day for them…"
"It's been a big day for everyone…" Elsa muttered under her breath. This morning, when Georg announced their engagement to the children, she'd never imagined the day ending with the nun's return. "They'll come around, won't they, Georg…?" she turned to her left, but Georg seemed miles away. As usual, his mind seemed to have followed the children out of the room. Was it the children, or that nun…
"Well, if anyone can calm the situation, it will be Fraulein Maria," Max took a final mouthful of what had proved to be a most delicious main. "She can work miracles, that girl…" he added amongst a mouthful of crumbed chicken.
"Urgh!" Elsa huffed, taking a sip of wine. "I have no idea why she returned," she took another sip of wine for good measure. "Does anyone…?" turning to Georg, she let out a bitter laugh. "I don't think she knows herself…" she added when there was no answer to her question. She'd been so busy getting ready for dinner, there hadn't been an opportunity to have a quiet chat with Max about the latest developments, but she was keen to hear his thoughts. Perhaps Georg had said something to him…
"I'm not too fussed why she returned," Max paused, taking a mouthful of wine to wash down his main course. "I like the girl…" he added.
"I just hope the summer hasn't set the children back too far," Elsa shook her head distastefully.
"On the contrary…" Max leaned back in his chair, amused at seeing Elsa in a spin. Rarely was she thrown off kilter by another woman, and never by a woman like Fraulein Maria. "She's done wonders with the children…" his eyes shifted to Georg, "and not just the children."
"Don't be ridiculous, Max!" Elsa huffed.
"What…?" Max sounded wounded.
"We know why you're so wrapped up in the girl!" Elsa snapped. "Who knew the children could sing?"
Georg flinched at Elsa's question. Here he was, their father, and he hadn't had a clue. How could he when he'd forbidden them from singing, music, play, laughter… even life. What father did that to their children? Until Maria forced him to open his eyes, he'd known precious little about his children. She'd arrived like one of God's unlikeliest angels, moving through their summer like a whirling dervish. Then, just as suddenly, she was gone. And now, she'd mysteriously reappeared. But why? He turned to Elsa. Such a beautiful, graceful woman; every movement as refined and elegant as the one before – even when she was eating dinner.
But marry Elsa…?
Last night, with Maria back at the Abbey and her future as a nun sealed, marrying Elsa had made perfect sense. But had it? Even after courting her for two years, they seemed horribly unprepared for what lay ahead. And that was all his fault. They hadn't stopped to discuss their plans for the children, he'd simply assumed things would carry on as usual. They'd live here at the villa, the children would travel to school in the morning, and return home in the afternoon. Of course, it wasn't a glamorous life, but that was their life.
When Elsa had spoken about taking the girls under her guiding wing, he'd never imagined that meant shipping them off to finishing school. Perhaps it was too much, expecting a woman to take on his seven children… He turned away, taking a sip of wine. Suddenly, it tasted rancid...
"You know…" Elsa's words broke the lengthening silence.
Georg's thoughts interrupted, he forced himself to concentrate on the woman beside him. Forced himself to be interested. Forced himself to maintain the façade…
"I can't help but think the girl's up to something," Elsa continued.
Georg bristled at Elsa's accusation. There was one thing in this world, of which he was certain.
Maria never played games…
"It just seems very odd that she turns up as suddenly as she left," Elsa placed her knife and fork together on the edge of her dinner plate. "Don't you think so, Georg?"
Georg's expression remained blank despite Elsa searching him for an answer. Tightening his fists, he resisted the urge to leap to Maria's defence. "I'm not sure…" he mumbled under his breath, unwilling to say too much with staff coming and going from the dining room.
Silently cursing himself, he should have approached this marriage with far greater caution, given it the due consideration it deserved. The consideration his children deserved. It was a life-changing decision – a decision that would change the children's lives, too – and he'd rushed into it.
Why did he propose to Elsa? Something had held him back in the past, so why now. His thumb drummed the table. He knew the answer to that. Maria. She'd made her decision and left. She'd chosen life at the Abbey, and neither him, nor the children fitted into that world. How could they? An ageing widower and his seven children weren't easy for any woman to take on. His heart tightened. But she'd never given him the chance to ask...
"Captain…?"
Georg jumped a little at his name. Looking up he was met with Franz's blank look.
Georg waved the plate on the table in front of him away with his hand. "Apologise to Frau Muntz, will you?" he mumbled, knowing the woman would fret, worried there might be a problem with the meal she'd prepared. "I have no appetite tonight…"
"Yes, sir," Franz balanced the Captain's plate on the one already resting on his forearm.
Georg reached for his glass of wine, a sure way to remain out of Elsa's conversation. He took a sip, but it still tasted bitter. So, why had Maria returned now? He sighed. Did it even matter if she wasn't intending to stay...
"Mark my words…" Elsa whispered, watching Franz and one of the young maids disappear through the doorway, "that governess is up to something…"
oOo
"It's not fair, Fraulein Maria…" Brigitta sniffed. "Why can't you stay?"
"As I've already explained, sweetheart, your father will be marrying the Baroness…" Fraulein Maria chose her words carefully, navigating the children's inevitable questions with a heavy heart. "You'll have a new mother…" she added, forcing the words through the tightness in her throat.
"That's what Father said," Friedrich answered sadly, resting his chin on his hands.
"But why is Father marrying Baroness Schraeder?" Louisa wrapped her arms tighter around Brigitta's shoulders, pulling her younger sister back against her chest and resting her cheek on her hair. "It makes no sense."
"Well…" Maria paused, wondering how she could possibly explain something she didn't understand herself. "Sometimes these things aren't always obvious…"
"She doesn't even like us…" Marta whispered, nestled under Fraulein Maria's arm.
"I don't believe that for a minute, sweetheart!" Maria dismissed Marta's sad words with a forced brightness that belied how she was really feeling. How any of them were feeling. It had been almost an hour since she'd escaped, ushering the children and their upset away from the dining room. They'd found their way upstairs to the bedroom shared by the three youngest girls. The largest of the children's rooms, it was big enough for them all to spread out, so had always been the room where they gathered to discuss the really important things. Glancing at Friedrich, Maria smiled at how much he was becoming his father's son. Possibly a little over-dramatic, tonight he'd referred to the girl's room, as the War Room…
Maria was sitting on Gretl's bed with her legs stretched out in front of her and a pillow between her back and the bedhead, the two youngest girls were snuggled either side of her. Sleep had found Gretl some time ago, but Marta was defiantly fighting off heavy eyes and the ever-increasing urge to yawn. As the hour wore on, she was slowly the battle.
Louisa was on Brigitta's bed, leaning against the wall, her feet hanging over the edge. Brigitta was leaning back against her sister, wrapped in her arms. The boys were on Marta's bed, lying on their stomachs, feet in the air behind them. Maria glanced at Liesl, sitting in the armchair between the two youngest girls' beds. Her heart was breaking for all the children, but she was most concerned about Liesl.
The Captain's eldest daughter had barely said two words since leaving the dining room. She supposed she should be thankful the younger children had stopped crying. Now, everyone was just angry and worried.
"Everything was wrong after you left, Fraulein Maria," Kurt mumbled, his sullen fingers picking at the embroidery on Marta's quilt.
"Oh, Kurt, I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Maria replied gently, trying to lift the creases from the boy's brow. "This is just a small misunderstanding that needs to be ironed out."
"But you heard what she said," Friedrich snapped.
"Now, Friedrich, everyone has a name…" Maria corrected the boy.
"Baroness Schraeder…" Friedrich sighed.
Maria nodded, choosing to ignore Friedrich's eyeroll.
"She… Baroness Schraeder… said we'd all be going to different schools," Louisa said. "Which schools?"
"I'm not sure, Louisa," Maria answered truthfully. But it would be a shame to shift the children from their schools when they were all settled. Especially, Louisa. The Captain had told her some time ago, there'd been issues with some girls in her class. But this year had seen a complete turnaround, and she'd been thriving, according to the teacher's latest reports.
"But why send Liesl away?" Brigitta's question broke the silence.
"To finishing school…" Louisa snorted.
"I'm sure Baroness Schraeder has the best of intentions," Maria felt obligated to mount some kind of defence when the woman wasn't here to answer for herself. After all, she was engaged to the Captain and it wouldn't be right to drive an even greater wedge between the children and their new stepmother. Still, it was difficult to believe this was simply a misunderstanding, especially after Frau Schmidt's warning about boarding school. "Perhaps we just need to speak to your father in the morning."
"Can you speak to Father, Fraulein Maria?" Brigitta begged.
"Yes, Fraulein Maria, he listens to you," Kurt nodded.
"Couldn't you speak to him tonight?" Friedrich raised his chin from his hands hopefully.
"Perhaps we should let everyone have a good night's sleep, and talk to your father in the morning," Maria suggested. The Captain had seemed just as blindsided by Baroness Schraeder's plans as anyone, so they may be downstairs discussing the children this very minute. Although, she would have hoped, they'd already had that conversation some time ago.
"I don't think I'll be able to sleep, Fraulein Maria," Marta whispered.
"Oh, I'm sure everything will work itself out, sweetheart," Maria managed a smile as the little girl stifled another yawn.
"What if it doesn't?" Brigitta asked.
"The sun always comes out again…" Maria said, as much to herself as the children. Perhaps this was God's will. Returning to help the children with their stepmother, not returning to the Captain, as the Reverend Mother had told her. The Captain… Her heart wrenched at the thought of him. Since the drama at dinner, she'd been so absorbed with the children, he'd barely crossed her mind. And thinking of him now, her heart ached as much for him as the children…
"I need to speak to Father tonight…"
Maria turned to the armchair, Liesl's face still ashen and blank. "Are you sure?"
Liesl nodded. "I can't leave home…" she whispered, shaking her head. "Baroness Schraeder can't make me leave home," she added defiantly.
"I can come with you, if you'd like," Maria offered, then felt guilty for immediately wishing she hadn't. Holding her breath, waiting for Liesl's response, she really wasn't ready to see the Captain. But if Liesl wanted her to be there by her side, of course, she wouldn't hesitate.
Liesl replied with a shake of her head. "I need to do this alone…"
Ignoring her sigh of relief, Maria couldn't be prouder of the Captain's eldest daughter. "At this hour, you'll probably find your father in his study," she smiled, hoping Liesl knew just how proud she was.
"What will you say to him?" Louisa asked, worry written all over her face.
"I don't know," Liesl pushed herself up from the armchair.
"Tell him not to marry Baroness Schraeder…"
"Kurt!" Maria gave the boy the sharpest look she could muster, but she couldn't find it in her heart to really reprimand anyone tonight. Not the children, anyway.
"Tell Father we're not changing schools," Brigitta chimed in.
"Tell Father to let Fraulein Maria stay…" Marta mumbled, barely awake.
"Wish me luck…" Liesl forced a smile at her brothers and sisters. She leaned across to the middle of Gretl's bed and gave Fraulein Maria a hug. "I'm so happy you came back to us," she held onto her governess's shoulders a little longer than necessary. "I wish you could stay…"
Maria held the Captain's eldest daughter tight. "You'll be fine, Liesl…" she placed a kiss in her hair. "I know your father will listen to what you have to say…"
"I hope so…" Liesl whispered. Loosening her hold, she stood up and made her way between the beds, stepping over the pairs of shoes heeled off and discarded on the floor not more than an hour ago. Passing Kurt, she reached out and ruffled his hair. Forever cheeky and cheerful, his glum look was so out of place. With all eyes following her, she reached the door and turned to nod – a final forced show of bravado for her brothers and sisters. She pushed her shoulders back at Fraulein Maria's nod of encouragement. "I won't let Baroness Schraeder tell me what to do…"
oOo
"Now, Max…" Elsa paused, placing the tip of the cigarette between her lips. Drawing in a deep breath, the acrid smoke burned the back of her throat on its path to filling her lungs. Exhaling through pursed lips, the smoke hung low overhead, before slowly rising and dispersing. "I really need to know what game you were playing."
"Me…?" Max looked up from where he was nursing a brandy on the settee opposite. "I don't play games."
Elsa dropped her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. "It's me you're talking to, Max!" she snapped.
"No games, I promise, Elsa!" Max laughed, reaching behind his back and adjusting the cushion.
"Well, what was with all the questions?" Elsa prided herself on never being anyone's fool, least of all Max's.
"Nothing sinister…" Max shrugged, but Elsa's expression remained unchanged. "Oh, if you must know, I need Georg to change his mind about the children singing at the Festival."
"What's that got to do with the nun?" Elsa snapped.
"If anyone can sway Georg, it's that young lady," Max smiled.
"I hate to derail your little scheme, Max," Elsa leaned across to the ashtray on the side table and stubbed out her cigarette. "But I think I'll be the one doing the swaying when it comes to Georg."
Max raised his brow and laughed. With Elsa joining in the laughter, he turned to the decanter on the side table to top up his glass.
"I don't know about you, Elsa," Max replaced the stopper on the crystal decanter, "but I never expected so much excitement today."
Elsa raised a questioning brow.
"This morning, I thought it would be impossible to outdo your engagement," Max smiled, "but the young lady appearing out of the blue, certainly comes close."
"Hmmm…" Elsa muttered, never happy to be upstaged by anyone. Let alone a nun…
"I don't think any of us were expecting to see Fraulein Maria again," Max continued. "Not after she took off in the middle of the night."
"Hmmm…" Elsa reached for her cigarette case on the side table. Solid silver, it was a gift from her late husband for one or other of their wedding anniversaries. As the years wore on, she'd forgotten exactly which one. "Well, I certainly never expected to see her again…" she added flippantly.
"Perhaps if we knew why she left, we might be able to make sense of her return," Max took another sip of brandy.
"So, Georg didn't say anything to you before dinner about the nun's return?" Elsa asked for a second time.
"Not a thing… but I don't think he has a clue either," Max shrugged. "The poor girl certainly seems lost in her thoughts."
"You know, Max, I don't think we need to waste too much time trying to analyse what's going on in that girl's head," Elsa laughed, a hoarse, croaky laugh.
"Still…" Max mused. "Any idea what happened the night of the party?" Pausing, he closely studied the woman sitting opposite. "I was waiting for the young girl to join me for dinner, but after she went upstairs to change, she just vanished…"
Elsa's eyes shifted away from Max's. Tugging at the edge of her smart little bolero jacket, she cleared her throat.
"You know something, don't you?" Max took another sip and watched Elsa over the top of his glass.
"No, I don't," she answered a little too quickly.
"Oh, yes you do, Elsa!" Max laughed.
"I really don't know a thing, Max!" Elsa pressed fingertips against her scalp, that instinctive, soothing action that betrayed her when things became uncomfortable.
"You do!" Max exclaimed triumphantly. "Now, tell Max all about it… every teensy, tiny detail…" he dropped his voice to a whisper. "You know, I won't tell a soul…"
oOo
The splash of cool water went some way to soothing her hot, angry cheeks. Glancing up at the mirror above the small basin, she still looked a mess. Rubbing at the tear stains with her palms, she tried to erase any evidence of her crying. Biting back another surge of tears, she wondered what just happened. She usually managed to stay strong, putting on the same brave face she'd been wearing for years, but the uncontrollable sobs had started as soon as the bedroom door closed behind her.
Studying herself in the mirror, her cheeks were still flushed and blotchy, her eyes red and watery. She'd only stopped by to straighten her dress and pull back the loose ends of her hair. She sighed. Over the years, she learned, being alone with yourself was often harder than being surrounded by your brothers and sisters.
They'd been through so much together – her bothers and sisters, and her – they couldn't be separated. Not now. Not when they'd just grown closer to Father. At least Fraulein Maria understood. Deep down in her heart, she doubted if there would ever come a day when she wanted to leave her family and home. She stared back at herself. Why can't this summer go on forever? It had been the best summer in years. Father, Fraulein Maria, Uncle Max. Every day had been an adventure – picnics, bike rides, the mountains, swimming in the lake, even puppet shows.
Reaching for the towel on the rail, she wiped her face dry. Holding it to her hot cheeks, she peaked over the edge of the towel at her reflection. Father, what are you thinking, marrying Baroness Schraeder? She's nothing like Mother. Slowly pulling the towel away to reveal the rest of her face, she took a deep breath, and another, then smiled. It looked as forced and fake as one of Baroness Schraeder's. She sighed.
At least the tears hadn't lasted long. Over the years, she'd learned to stop them almost as soon as they started. Her brothers and sisters needed her to be strong, not crying like a baby. She touched her cheek with soft fingertips. They weren't nearly so red, and she'd stopped before her eyes had a chance to become puffy and angry looking.
Her gaze moved above her forehead. Frowning at the loose strands of hair, she reached up and pulled at one of the ends of her bow. The ribbon fell away, releasing her hair around her shoulders. With a frown, she looked around for her hairbrush. As much as she loved her sister, she wished she didn't have to share a room – and a bathroom – with Louisa.
Biting her lower lip, she used her fingers to smooth her hair instead. A few more minutes to tie back her hair, a few more minutes to pull herself together, and she'd be ready to go downstairs.
She couldn't believe Father wanted to send any of them away…
oOo
"Max, I don't know what you're talking about…" Elsa answered coyly.
"Oh, yes you do!" Max pushed himself up from the settee and walked across the large woollen rug to take a seat beside Elsa. "You know exactly what I'm talking about…" he whispered with a wink.
"Oh, Max, you are terrible!" Elsa reached out and pushed his arm playfully. "I'm sure there's nothing I've ever said or did that might have anything to do with the girl leaving," she answered breezily. "I'm not that clever!"
"So… you had spoken to her, then?" Max shuffled closer.
"Well, of course we've spoken…" Elsa rolled her eyes.
"On the night of the party, after the little governess went upstairs to change for dinner?" Max circled around Elsa's deflections; certain he was getting closer to the truth.
Elsa glanced over her shoulder, beyond the doors and into the large foyer. There wasn't a sound. The children would be upstairs licking their wounds with the nun, and Georg had sulked off to his study almost as soon as dinner was over. "There really isn't much to tell…"
"But you did speak to her?"
"Well, I decided someone needed to help her choose an outfit for dinner," Elsa dropped her voice. "God knows what she could have turned up in…"
"So, you did speak to her!" Max declared triumphantly.
"Don't look at me like that, Max!"
"Well, something must have scared her off…"
"Oh, Max, it's only the children who think I'm the wicked stepmother!" Elsa's husky laugh filled the sitting room, spilling out into the foyer.
Liesl stepped softly off the staircase into the foyer. She winced as Baroness Schraeder's laughter, a sound she'd come to resent, reached her from the sitting room. She could just picture the Baroness seated on the settee beside Father, a hand on his arm or leg, while she laughed and batted her eyes at him. It was obvious Father felt uncomfortable when she touched him in front of everyone. If she could see the way he reacted when she touched him, why couldn't the Baroness.
She'd been hoping to talk to Father alone, and Baroness Schraeder was the last person she wanted to see, let alone talk to. Walking across the foyer, she hung in the shadows, keeping close to the wall. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long before Father excused himself from the sitting room. Most evenings, just after they went upstairs with Fraulein Maria, he'd go to his study to catch up on paperwork. Sometimes, when she or Brigitta would sneak downstairs to the library in search of a new book, they'd hear Father and Fraulein Maria talking and laughing in his study.
Softly stepping past the hallway that led to the dining room, she skirted the side table with its vase of yellow roses. It was Fraulein Maria who'd brought flowers back into the house, just like she'd brought music and laughter… and Father. However, the bright cheeriness of the roses seemed horribly out of place tonight. But then, so did Baroness Schraeder's laughter. Carefully reaching the doorway to the sitting room, taking care to avoid the light that spilled out into the foyer, she pressed herself against the wall.
"You know your secrets are safe with me, Elsa!" Max encouraged.
"Why Max!" Elsa exclaimed. "You know I don't have secrets!"
Liesl jumped at Uncle Max's sudden laughter. What secrets were they talking about? Frowning, she wondered why she still hadn't heard her father's voice. But then, he had been quieter than usual at dinner tonight. Holding her breath, she slowly shifted her head, tentatively peering around the doorframe. She could see the back of Uncle Max's head, and beside him on the settee, she could see Baroness Schraeder's platinum blonde hair pinned as tight as ever in its usual swept up style.
Her eyes did a quick lap of the room before she pulled back into the shadows. Father wasn't with them in the sitting room. Thankfully, she'd find him alone in his study. Curious about Baroness Schraeder's secrets, she decided there wouldn't be any harm if she stayed a little longer. With her back against the wall, she pressed herself deeper into the shadows.
"Tell Max every teensy detail…"
"Oh, Max!" Elsa purred.
"There must have been something…" Max persisted.
"Well, I'm not sure what you're implying," Elsa laughed. "I certainly don't think the young lady is scared of me!"
Liesl sucked in a breath. They were talking about her…
"Still, you must have said something…" Max continued.
Liesl shook her head, resisting the urge to run into the sitting room and tell Uncle Max the Baroness had barely spoken two words to her since she arrived. Why was she making up stories?
Elsa glanced over her shoulder, her eyes searching the doorway to the foyer and beyond. She turned back to Max, a sparkle in her eye. "We did have a little chat…" she whispered.
Liesl strained her ears, trying to hear what was being said on the settee in the sitting room. Baroness Schraeder hadn't said a word about finishing school…
"Ah-ha!" Max declared triumphantly. "I knew it!"
"Keep your voice down," Elsa hissed, "or I won't tell you a thing."
Max held up his hand and nodded contritely. "Go on…" he whispered.
"Well, she went upstairs to change…" Elsa whispered, "so I followed."
Liesl wondered if she'd heard correctly. Baroness Schraeder had been following her? Racking her brain, she wondered if the Baroness was talking about earlier today, or perhaps last night… It could have been last week for all she knew.
"Oh, you know me, Max," Elsa laughed as she took another cigarette from her silver case. She looked up to find his blank expression. "I offered to help, didn't I?"
"Help…?" Max asked.
The same word ran through Liesl's mind. Since when did she offer to help? Baroness Schraeder was obviously confusing her with one of her sisters. After all, she kept mixing up Gretl and Marta's names, even though they looked nothing alike. And then, this morning, she called Friedrich Kurt by mistake.
"Why, yes…" Elsa tapped the end of the cigarette on her cigarette case. "I suggested she wear that little blue dress…"
Blue dress…? Liesl couldn't remember the last time she wore blue. Perhaps she'd misheard, and the Baroness said new dress…
"Don't give me that blank look, Max!" Elsa flipped the lid of her lighter then ran her thumb along the small wheel. The silence was broken by the sharp crackle of the flint sparking to life. Drawing on the cigarette, she waited until there was an orange glow and curls of smoke, then flipped the lighter closed. "She didn't have a clue about the blue dress either, but that's not surprising…" she drew in a mouthful of acrid smoke. Reaching across to the ash tray, she flicked the cigarette between her fingers, small pieces of white-grey ash falling from the end. "She's not too sharp, you know…"
Liesl could feel her eyes starting to sting. How dare Baroness Schraeder make fun of her! She'd tried her best to be nice to Father's friend. What had she done to make the woman talk so cruelly about her…
"Do I have to spell it out to you as well, Max?" Elsa snapped. "I suggested she wear the blue dress – that one she wore … at …"
Liesl's heart was racing. It was impossible to make out everything Baroness Schraeder was saying, so she held her breath. Perhaps if she wasn't breathing, it would be easier to hear…
"Oh, for God's sake, Max!" Elsa exclaimed. "You saw it too…"
"Saw what…?" Max asked innocently.
"He couldn't keep his eyes off her," Elsa dropped her voice.
Liesl's eyes were stinging, that horrible sting of tears. Who couldn't keep their eyes off her? Was she talking about Rolfe… Had Baroness Schraeder and Uncle Max seen her with Rolfe? It must have been ages ago, when he delivered the last telegram…
"I simply pointed it out…" Elsa declared a little louder than she intended.
Liesl couldn't hear another word. As silently as she arrived, she quietly stepped back along the wall. It was hard to see, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the shadows or the tears pooling in her eyes. Her hip connected with the side table, and she reached out to steady the vase of roses. Swiping at her cheek, she wiped away the first tear that had dared to escape.
In the distance, she heard the hoarse laughter she'd come to despise. She had to speak to Father, she had to tell him how horrible Baroness Schraeder was, that nothing had happened with Rolfe. But she couldn't let her father see her like this, not a blubbering mess. Stopping she'd reached the hallway that led to his study and the library.
Hesitating, doubting herself, she didn't know what she should do. One thing was certain, she should have asked Fraulein Maria to come with her. Fraulein Maria would know exactly what to do next. She took a step down the hallway toward the study but stopped.
If only she knew what to do…
oOo
Thank you everyone for continuing to read.
I don't own TSOM, just having a little lend!
"Immerse your soul in love"