When The Lord Closes A Door

Chapter 8

Maria sat on the park bench with her sewing on her lap watching the three children she cared for playing on the grass in front of her. She was quietly humming the last few bars of My Favourite Things, partly because the song had got annoyingly stuck in her head, and partly because she needed a little cheering up. While it was a sunny day and they were all having a nice time in the park, she felt an emptiness inside her, like something was missing.

Of course she knew what, or more specifically, who was missing. Ever since she'd ended her friendship with Georg two months prior, she felt lonely. Even though the Jewish family she worked for were very kind and welcoming towards her, she didn't feel the same sense of belonging as she had when living with the von Trapp's or at the convent.

Although she still saw the Reverend Mother and the other Sisters briefly each week at morning Mass, it was not like she could sit down over a cup of coffee and have a deep and meaningful conversation with any of them. In fact, the entire idea of sharing the woeful and painful details of her love life with either the Reverend Mother or Sister Berthe was laughable! And with all her family dead and no other friends to call on or rely upon to be a confident, she felt terribly alone. No, Georg had really been her only true friend. And now he was out of her life and she missed him dreadfully – his friendship, his conversation and his company.

Maria let out a sigh. Despite trying to tell herself that she and Georg could have been just friends, she knew deep down it was the best for everyone that they had broken all ties with each other. For as much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, there was no denying the truth: she was very much in love with Georg and the fact that they couldn't be together was practically ripping her apart inside.

Maria tried not to think about Georg and the Baroness being together, but it was hard for them not to be since they were married. Maria wanted to rid herself of all the bitter and envious thoughts of the woman who had stolen her love and just try and accept the situation for what it was. However, once or twice, quite ashamedly, ridiculous ideas of the Baroness succumbing to an 'unfortunate accident' crossed her mind: like being hit by a bus while she flashed her gaudy wedding ring around, or being buried under a pile of glamourous evening gowns as she got ready for yet another posh event. But then Maria quickly scolded herself for having such thoughts.

Then, at many times during each day, her mind would stray to think just about Georg. She would wonder what he was up to, and whether he was missing her as much as she was missing him. She found herself imagining about what might have been if circumstances were different, and even daydreaming of Georg finding her then taking her in his arms and kissing her passionately.

Maria knew she shouldn't feel that way about a married man and each week at Mass she became more and more convicted of how wrong her feeling towards him were. And she also knew that she should be repenting and asking for forgiveness as she sat in the darkness of the confession box each week. But she did not.

Instead, each night when she was alone in her room saying her silent prayers, Maria would plead to the Lord, begging him to somehow find a way to bring her and Georg together, although she knew in her heart that there was no hope.

Trying to put thoughts of Georg out of her head so she could focus on her current task, Maria quickly blinked away the couple of tears that were forming in her eyes. Just then, the eldest child, Rebekah came running up to her. "Fraulein Maria, can we go and feed the ducks on the lake?" the girl asked.

"Yes of course," Maria replied, putting down her sewing and bending down to retrieve some bread from the basket at her feet. "Just be careful that your brother doesn't fall in like last time," she warned remembering the previous time the children had attempted to feed the ducks.

"Don't worry, Fraulein, I'll look after him," the young girl promised. "I'll make sure he stands back from the edge when he's trying to throw in the bread. And if he does over balance again, I'll also try and catch him before he falls in the lake this time and not end up in there myself!" she added with a giggle as she ran off towards the lake. Maria stifled a laugh as she thought of her habit of somehow managing to let the children she cared for end up in lakes. Thankfully her new employers had found the funny side of the four of them coming home soaked to the skin, unlike that fateful day at the von Trapp villa when she had stood wet before Georg as he unleashed his seething anger towards her.

Oh Georg, Maria thought. Was there anything that didn't remind her of him? she asked herself. She shook her head and stood up, planning on following the children down to the waterside when she heard heavy footsteps on the pavement behind her.

She turned around to see Georg hurrying towards her. "Oh Maria," he panted breathlessly. He looked like he'd run the entire way to the park. "Thank god I've found you."

Maria was taken completely by surprise by his unexpected appearance. She hadn't seen him in months but suddenly there he was standing in front of her, out of breath and looking utterly dishevelled: his usually impeccably coiffed hair flying wildly around his face, his tie loosened with the top buttons of his shirt undone and he was sweating profusely.

"Georg, are you alright?" Maria quickly asked him in a panic, instinctively placing one hand on his shoulder to steady him as he bent over to catch his breath.

"No…" he gasped. No, he was no alright, Georg thought to himself. Nothing was right, but he had no idea how to begin. He'd been driving around for hours searching all the parks and gardens looking for her and now that he'd found her, he was suddenly lost for words. But he'd found her; she was here and that was all that seemed to matter at that moment.

Straightening up, Georg impulsively flung his arms around Maria pulling her into a tight embrace. "Oh, I've been looking for you everywhere," he cried in relief now he had found her and she was in his arms.

Stunned and completely bewildered by Georg's bizarre behaviour, Maria wriggled herself out of their awkward embrace. "Georg, what's going on? I don't understand. You really shouldn't be here… I mean, we agreed not to see each other again…" she stammered, "and someone could see us…" She quickly spun her head to check on the children, firstly to make sure that they hadn't seen Georg or their embrace and secondly that they hadn't fallen in the lake. Thankfully the three children were all playing happily on dry land at the water's edge and were completely oblivious to Georg's presence.

"I know and I'm sorry," Georg cried, dropping his head down into his hands and rubbing his temples roughly. "But I had to see you… It's an emergency." He raised his head up and looked her right in the eye. "S-something's happened."

Maria had never seen Georg like this. He was a nervous wreck. Hearing his words and seeing the look of terror in his eyes, Maria's blood went cold. Her thoughts went immediately to his children.

"Is it the children?" she whispered, saying a silent prayer in her heart hoping desperately that nothing had happened to any of them.

"No," Georg shook his head and Maria let out a breath of relief. "It's… something else." After he'd left the villa, Georg had been so intent on finding Maria after learning about Elsa's illness that he hadn't even thought about what he was going to say or how he was going to tell her about it, but he did know it wasn't something he could just blurt out to her.

Georg swallowed hard and tried to regain some composure. "We need to talk," he said slowly. "Privately." Georg gently inclined his head in the direction of the children down at the lake. The two older girls were now looking back at Georg talking with their governess with great interest.

Maria looked over at the children, then back at Georg, then back at the children. "Georg, I don't know," she hesitated. "I have the children with me. I can't just leave them to go off with you…"

Georg closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly realising what a predicament he was putting her in. "I understand. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." He slumped his shoulders then ran one hand over his face. "I just didn't have anyone else to turn to," he admitted in desperation. Glancing once again at Maria's charges down by the water, he let out a defeated sigh. "I should go," he said quietly.

Georg turned and began to leave. Maria watched him walking away for a moment, before she twisted her head to look at the children who were all now making their way back towards them. She knew she only had a second or so to decide what to do. It took her less than that to make her decision: he needed her.

"Wait!" Maria called out to Georg. He turned back around, his face hopeful. "Perhaps I can organise something… drop the children back home to their mother then meet you later?"

Georg looked relieved. "Thank you, Maria, I appreciate it."

"So where?" Maria asked quickly. "Back here or at the Mirabelle Gardens?"

Georg thought for a second. No, either place was too open and far too public. He didn't want to be overheard, or seen, especially by anyone Elsa knew, like Hilda von Doss. He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket for his notebook and pen. He quickly scrawled down an address on a blank page, then ripped it out of the book and handed it to Maria. "Meet me here. It's much more private than either here or the gardens. I'll wait for you there for the rest of the day."

Before Maria could object, Georg turned and disappeared leaving her standing open mouthed and being bombarded by questions from the children about who that strange man was.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating this story. It has not been forgotten. I'm sorry I wasn't able to individually thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter and sent well wishes to my daughter. Thankfully she is well on the way to recovery and so it's meant I've been able to get some writing time in. Therefore hopefully the next update won't take as long as this one. Please review!