Captain Von Trapp hid his thoughts and feelings under a carefully crafted expression. His guests kept flattering his cook's skills, the appearance of his home, and his children's voices, but except for the latter topic, he had very little interest in hearing their praises. His mind kept wandering back to the courtyard, where his governess had, once again, impressed him with her hidden, surprising skills – this time, by her ability to dance as gracefully as a princess.
He glanced at the empty place which had been set up next to Max's. He had waited for her as long as possible, and at last, as the host, had been forced to invite his other guests to go into dinner. At first, he had been jealous of Max's choice of dinner partner; then, he had started to wonder what was keeping Maria. Perhaps the children had been more difficult than usual to put to bed after all the excitement. Or, perhaps, Maria was finding it difficult to find something to wear. He should have thought of her before this party, he should have sent her additional fabric so that she could have made herself a lovely evening dress...
Elsa leaned forward and whispered something silly to him. He forced himself to answer and smile, but after the short exchange, he leaned back in his seat, utterly disgusted with himself. What was he doing? He was being dishonest and unfair to both himself and Elsa.
There had been a time when Elsa's cheerful chatter and lavish parties had managed to draw him, just a little, out of the cold shell he had encased himself in after his wife's death. He had hoped that, perhaps, Elsa might prove to be a woman who would make a suitable new mother for his seven children. If anything, this visit had negated such notions. Elsa had been kind to, but awkward around, his children. She was excellent at witty repartees, but the moment that he tried to engage her in more serious conversation about politics or his gratitude towards her, she did her utmost to turn the conversation back to the frivolous small-talk of which he had already had his fill. Every time he was around her, he felt compelled to act like a dashing, smooth-talking aristocrat. It was an act he pulled off with relative ease, but he was becoming more and more aware that it was a charade.
When he was with Maria and the children, however, there was no need for pretenses. He could simply be Georg Von Trapp, a family man, who was not averse to playing a guitar and singing a quaint tune with his little ones. A man who found himself smiling almost every time he looked at Maria.
It was high time that he faced the truth. He was in love with his children's governess!
Was it truly so surprising? It was so easy to love Maria – the energetic, fearless, beautiful Maria, who had suddenly turned his villa back into a happy, loving home.
And the children adored her. There was not a doubt in his mind that they would infinitely prefer to have her as a stepmother, rather than the Baroness.
He needed to straighten everything out. He would straighten it out. He would get through this party, get a good night's sleep, and tell Elsa in the morning that there was no hope of them becoming anything more than good friends. Then he would set to figuring out whether he had any hope of winning Maria's heart. After all, she had only taken the job out of obedience to her superior at the convent. For all he knew, Maria was still planning to take her vows and become a nun. If God was calling her to religious life, he, Georg Von Trapp, a mere mortal, would have to bow to the decree, and let her go. The mere idea of her departure made his heart wrench in his chest.
Finally, the tiresome festivities came to an end. The guests left. Elsa pecked his cheek, and made her way to her room. Georg thanked his staff, bid Max goodnight, and ascended the staircase which led to the family wing.
A few steps from the top, he had just finished stifling a yawn when his eyes caught sight of a heap of luggage, limbs, and rough fabric, lying on the floor.
Things are about to get really interesting!
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