Neither woman said a word, neither moved. After what seemed an eternity, the Baroness dropped her head a little to the side. A challenge, perhaps. Maria pushed her shoulders back. It no longer mattered whether the Captain told her to pack her bags and leave immediately. This wasn't about her. Now, it was all about the children. She took a deep breath and pushed out her chin.
Challenge accepted
"I didn't expect to see you tonight, Fraulein Maria," Elsa finally broke the awkward silence. She was still standing behind the leather sofa, her long fingers draped over its back.
"Liesl wasn't upstairs," Maria explained, neither her eyes nor voice wavered. "I came downstairs looking for her."
"That's not what I meant, my dear," Elsa wondered if the girl was deliberately trying to provoke her, or was she just dim. "I meant, I didn't expect to see you at dinner."
"Dinner…?" Maria frowned. Dinner seemed hours ago.
"Mmmm… didn't we agree a tray would be sent to your room?"
"We spoke about it," Maria nodded. "You did suggest I eat in my room, but we hadn't agreed on any…"
"Oh, silly me!" Elsa cut her off, her sarcasm concealed by a casual laugh. "I was, concerned you might be tired, which is why I told you to rest in your room while I made arrangements with the kitchen."
Maria stared back, unsure what she was supposed to say. She certainly didn't want to stand here arguing with Baroness Schraeder about something as unimportant as her dinner. "That was kind of you, Baroness," she remembered her manners. "Thank you."
Elsa smiled, pleased to have gained the upper hand so soon. Her mind went back to the night of the party, when it she'd found it surprisingly easy to manipulate the girl. Even she'd been surprised when the girl had taken off in the middle of the night. Still, she shouldn't waste the opportunity to push her advantage. "While we're alone, Fraulein Maria," she continued, "there is something I wanted to discuss."
"Oh, good," Maria relaxed a little. This might not be so bad after all. "Because there was something I wanted to talk to you about, too."
"And what would that be…" Elsa asked, amused that the nun thought she might have something worth discussing.
"I wanted to talk to you about the children," Maria clasped her hands in front of her.
"The children…?" Elsa raised a defensive brow. "What about the children?"
Maria took a deep breath. "Let me begin with Liesl…"
"Liesl…?" Elsa narrowed her eyes. She could only imagine the tears the girl shed while she told tales to her beloved governess. "What about Liesl?"
"You can't send her to finishing school." There, she'd said it.
Elsa's fingers tightened their hold on the back of the sofa, but her expression remained fixed. "I'm sorry, Fraulein Maria, what did you just say…?"
oOo
"Hurry up, girls!" Frau Schmidt stood in the middle of the foyer, watching the three girls drag their feet across the ornate parquetry toward the foot of the staircase. "It's late, and my patience is wearing thin." If she hoped that would hasten their climb up the stairs, she was sadly mistaken. "You have ten minutes to get into bed!" Thankfully, that seemed to have made them move a little faster. Folding her arms, she let out a weary sigh.
Liesl glanced behind her, checking that Frau Schmidt was out of earshot. "What do you mean?" she nudged Louisa, who was keeping pace beside her as they reluctantly stepped up the short flight of stairs to front door landing. "Father can't be on the terrace."
"Sshh… she'll hear…" Louisa hissed, feeling the eyes of Frau Schmidt on her back. "Keep moving!"
"Are you sure Father's there?" Liesl persisted, turning right at the front door.
"Of course, he's there," Louisa glanced down to the dark foyer below, where the intimidating frame of Frau Schmidt loomed large.
Liesl sighed, still not convinced. Father had told her he was going to speak to Baroness Schraeder. But it was obvious he hadn't. And why would he be on the terrace when the Baroness was in the study. He should have been setting her straight. Nothing about tonight made any sense, perhaps it would in the morning.
"We saw Father, didn't we?" Louisa whispered over her shoulder to Brigitta, who nodded at the backs of her older sisters. "He's definitely on the terrace."
Liesl stopped partway up the flight of stairs. "We can't go to bed. We need to tell Father about Fraulein Maria" she turned to Louisa. "What if Baroness Schraeder sends her back to the Abbey?"
"Bed!" Frau Schmidt called out in a well-practiced tone that managed to carry some distance, while not waking the house.
"She disappeared in the middle of the night once already," Liesl continued. "Who knows, it might happen again."
Louisa grabbed the crumpled sleeve of her sister's dress. "Keep moving and stop carrying on," she muttered under her breath. "Do you think we're going to get past Frau Schmidt?"
"We could make some noise," Liesl suggested, "at least get Father's attention."
"And what good would that do? We'll wake the house, and you know he'll just yell at us," Louisa was still tugging at Liesl's sleeve, forcing her to keep climbing the stairs. "I don't want to hear any of your excuses," she added, in a near perfect mimic of their father. "You know how he gets," she whispered, dropping out of character.
"You're right…" Liesl nodded, her words flat and deflated.
"Of course, I'm right," Louisa mumbled. "He'll send us to bed, and Fraulein Maria will still be stuck in the study with Baroness Schraeder."
"But we have to do something," Liesl stumbled a little as her shoe caught on the top of one of the steps. "What if Fraulein Maria leaves again?"
"Don't think I haven't thought of that," Louisa snapped, her patience wearing thin under the pressure to come up with a plan. "I'm trying my best to think of something…"
Frau Schmidt crossed her arms with a frown. Her eyes followed the three girls' slow climb up the grand staircase. She wasn't in any mood to stand here wasting time, but it was obvious from their whispering, bed was the last thing on their minds. She'd have to keep her eye on them until she was certain the bedroom doors had closed behind them.
Heaven knows what they were doing downstairs at this hour of the night. Liesl obviously hadn't gone to bed. She tut-tutted under her breath. The girl hadn't even changed into her nightgown. It wasn't like Fraulein Maria to have three of her charges running wild downstairs in the middle of the night. Since her return, the governess hadn't seemed herself. She looked lost, as if her joy and happiness had left her. It was too late tonight, but she'd have a word with her in the morning.
Noticing the girls' steps had almost slowed to a stop, she opened her mouth, about to call out to them to stop dilly-dallying. Just as she was about to hurry them along, they picked up the pace, so she clenched her jaw tight. The last thing she wanted was to be yelling up and down the villa at this hour of the night…
"We don't have much time," Liesl whispered as they reached the top of the stairs. "Frau Schmidt will be up to check on us."
"Don't stop…" Louisa reminded her sisters, "she can still see us."
"Tell us you've come up with something…" Brigitta begged Louisa, who always had the best ideas.
"I'm trying…" Louisa snapped, finding it impossible to think with so much pressure.
"Why don't we run downstairs…" Liesl suggested, too tired to think of anything sensible. Her head ached and her eyes felt horribly swollen from all the tears. Having told herself she didn't care how she looked, still, she hoped it was too dark for her sisters to notice. "Like I said, if we make lots of noise, Father will have to hear us and come in from the terrace. While you distract him, I could run to the study, calling out to…"
"That's the dumbest idea you've ever come up with…" Brigitta gave her eldest sister a pitiful look.
"Well, where's your brilliant idea?" Liesl asked defensively as they walked along the upper balcony approaching the hallway that led to their bedrooms.
"Hey! I think I've got it!" Louisa stopped suddenly, clapping her hands together.
"Sshhh… not so loud," Liesl hissed, her eyes darting sideways to the foyer below, certain Frau Schmidt would still be standing there with arms folded. "Keep walking…"
"What is it, Louisa?" Brigitta asked, her enthusiasm returning.
"Don't stop," Louisa grabbed her younger sister's arm. "Frau Schmidt think we're on our way to bed."
Louisa allowed herself a triumphant smile. Not only would they save Fraulein Maria from Baroness Schraeder, better still, she would hold onto the crown for coming up with the best ideas.
oOo
As Maria clasped her hands tighter, her roughly cut nails began to dig in. "You saw Liesl's reaction."
"Liesl just needs to get used to the idea," Elsa's eyes flickered defiantly. Already tonight, the housekeeper had given her a piece of her mind, and she'll be damned if the governess was going to give her a lecture. Technically, she was no longer the governess, she reminded herself, taking great comfort in that fact. "Finishing school will do Liesl the world of good."
"But how can sending her away from home, be good?" Maria stared back, horrified. Liesl had told her she'd spoken earlier with her father. But it seemed the Captain was yet to speak with Baroness Schraeder. Or had he…? Liesl was already in an impossible position, so Maria decided it might be best not to tell the Baroness about the conversation between the Captain and his daughter.
"I don't expect you to understand, Fraulein Maria," Elsa patronised, giving the girl a snooty look. "Trust me, Liesl is in desperate need of an expert's guiding hand before going anywhere near society." Honestly, she wondered why she was wasting her time explaining such things to a nun. She may as well be speaking Swahili. "Finishing school will provide just that," she added.
"But it means separating the children. How can that benefit any of them, especially after all they've been through," determined to have her say, Maria's words were tumbling out. "Surely, after their mother's passing, and then the Captain…" her words drifted off, not wanting to bring up the Captain's past behaviours. Not when he'd made such an effort to make amends over the summer.
"Liesl will blossom at finishing school, I know I did," Elsa stated emphatically.
"What about the other children?" Maria asked, they'd be lost without their oldest sister.
"The children will love boarding school…"
"So, you are sending the other children to boarding school…" Maria blurted out.
"It's for their own good," Elsa sighed. Of course, it wouldn't do her any harm either.
"Baroness Schraeder…" Maria took a step forward, "separating the children by sending them to boarding school wouldn't even enter your mind if you cared for them…"
"I do care for those children," Elsa's voice was low and dangerous. "And the children will thrive…" she was determined they would.
"Thrive…?" Maria's frown deepened. "You can't be serious…"
"The children have proven they are more resilient than you give them credit for," Elsa rolled her eyes.
"But the young ones, aren't old enough to be away from home or separated from their older brothers and sisters," barely stopping for a breath, her sentences were running together. "Imagine Marta and Gretl," she could feel the anger turning to emotion, starting to choke her. "They're far too young… they all are…"
"Fraulein Maria!" Elsa raised her voice over the girl's barrage of words. "Do I have to remind you I will soon be their mother?" She allowed herself to smile as the impact of her words hit the nun as hard as any physical blow. "I will soon be married to the Captain…"
Baroness Schraeder's words echoed in Maria's ears, shredding whatever was left of her heart. "I am aware of that," she finally spoke, her voice flat.
"So, you would do well to keep your opinions to yourself," Elsa snapped. "I was never interested in them before, and now, neither is the Captain."
"But how can the Captain not be interested in his children?" Maria demanded, refusing to believe what the Baroness was saying, determined not to give up. She no longer cared what happened to her, only the children mattered. "The Captain has grown so much closer to his children over the summer…"
"Haven't I made myself clear…" Elsa snapped. She should have just dismissed the girl and sent her upstairs to her room with Liesl.
"Oh, it's all becoming very clear, Baroness Schraeder…" Maria paused for a moment trying to calm the anger that was raging.
"The one thing we can both agree on, Fraulein Maria, is that you will be leaving within days," Elsa snapped, no longer hiding her frustration. "Possibly as early as tomorrow…" she added pointedly.
"I realise I won't be here when the school year starts," Maria agreed. "But…"
"But isn't that the point?" Elsa asked. "It won't be any of your concern where the children go to school."
"None of my concern?" Maria frowned. "My concern for the children will continue long after I leave." I'll never stop thinking about the Captain or his children…
"Be that as it may, Fraulein Maria…" Elsa took a deep breath and stepped along the back of the sofa, running the fingers of her left hand along its back. Bored with the topic of the children and their schooling, she was keen to shift the conversation toward what she really wanted to discuss – sending the nun back to the Abbey. The last thing she needed was this girl hanging around and putting ideas in Georg's head. "I'd like to discuss your return to the Abbey…"
oOo
Some time ago, the older children had worked out the point along their bedrooms' hallway where it was impossible to be seen by anyone standing in the foyer. Just to be sure, one day when no one was paying them any attention, Friedrich had stood on some boxes, pretending to be as tall as Father.
Tonight, once they crossed that imaginary line, the girls knew Frau Schmidt could no longer see them. They might have been out of the housekeeper's line of sight, but that didn't mean they had time to waste. The housekeeper wouldn't move an inch until she heard the sound of the bedroom doors closing. And shortly, she'd be up to check on them.
"Tell us your plan," Liesl turned to Louisa as soon as they stopped.
Louisa looked from Liesl to Brigitta, her eyes sparkling from the light of the lamp on the side table. "The three of us need to go to bed…"
"Bed…?!" Liesl and Brigitta responded as one, looking at Louisa as though she'd gone completely mad.
"That's it?" Brigitta frowned. "That's your plan?"
"I haven't finished, silly!" Louisa rolled her eyes. "Frau Schmidt will be up here in ten minutes – fifteen if we're lucky," she looked around the tight circle they'd formed, the light catching her face, making her appear more serious than her thirteen years. "If she doesn't find us all in bed, you know she'll go spare."
"But haven't you forgotten the most important thing?" Liesl frowned. "What about Fraulein Maria?"
"You two, get going," reaching out a hand either side, Louisa began ushering her sisters towards their bedrooms. "I'll go wake Friedrich…"
"Friedrich…?!" the girls looked even more confused.
"Hey, I didn't say it was a great plan, but unless anyone's got anything better…" she looked around at her sisters, who stared back blankly.
"Surely, we can come up with something else…" Brigitta eventually broke the silence.
Liesl thought for a moment or two, then shrugged. "I can't think of anything, and unless you can Brigitta…" two pairs of eyes turned to the dark-haired girl. "Go on…" Liesl sighed, turning back to Louisa. "Standing here arguing amongst ourselves isn't going to help Fraulein Maria."
"I'll go wake Friedrich," Louisa repeated herself with a little more confidence this time. "I'll tell him to get downstairs to the study and save Fraulein Maria from Baroness Schraeder." She looked at her sisters, smiling triumphantly.
"Is that all…?" Liesl's frown deepened.
Louisa nodded. "He just needs to interrupt them, doesn't he?"
"Well… I suppose," Liesl agreed slowly, still unconvinced. In her mind, she'd pictured something very different – Father bursting into the study to save the day, sending Baroness Schraeder packing before sweeping Fraulein Maria into his arms. She'd seen the way Father had looked at her while they were dancing, and they'd all seen the way Fraulein Maria had blushed in his arms…
"What are you waiting for…?" Louisa snapped Liesl out of her daydreaming.
"Nothing…" Liesl mumbled, grabbing Brigitta's arm and turning them both toward their bedrooms.
"Remember to close the doors loudly enough so they can be heard downstairs," Louisa whispered after them.
"What about Frau Schmidt?" Brigitta stopped and turned back to Louisa, still not convinced their eldest brother was the right person for the job. "Won't she just send Friedrich straight upstairs to bed?"
"Once Frau Schmidt hears the doors close, she'll go to the kitchen," Louisa answered confidently. Having studied the housekeeper's patterns and routines for years, her behaviour was so predictable. "She'll come upstairs after she's done a final check of the kitchen," pausing, she watched her sisters nod in agreement. "And you know, she always finds something that needs doing, so she'll get distracted."
"Can't you go, Louisa?" Liesl asked, still worried about the wisdom of sending Friedrich. "If you go now, there's still plenty of time…"
"Frau Schmidt's already caught me downstairs," Louisa shrugged. "I won't be able to make up an excuse, so she'll just send me straight back upstairs."
"What if she catches Friedrich, though," Brigitta frowned.
"He'll be able come up with a story about something," Louisa sounded a lot more confident than she felt.
"It might work…" Brigitta shrugged. "But Friedrich…?"
"I know, I know…" Louisa sighed. "But it's better than sending Kurt, isn't it?"
Nodding their heads, Liesl and Brigitta turned away. Dejected, they shuffled towards their rooms, shoulders slumped.
oOo
Shimmering across the ink-black sky, a million stars flickered in constellations that had guided sailors and travellers for centuries. Despite being worlds away, they shone so brightly tonight, it seemed there wasn't any need for a moon. It had been almost a fortnight since the new moon had appeared in the east, and for the past two weeks, it had been on the rise.
Tonight, it hung high in the sky overhead, full and bright, preparing for its descent toward the western horizon. In the cloudless night sky, its reflection stretched from the lake's distant shoreline, across the top of the water, to the landing at the bottom of the terrace. Without a breath of wind to break the surface, the water appeared like a plate of ebony glass with a slick of white paint brushed by God's own hand.
The mournful call of an owl broke through the still night air, seeming louder than it probably was. If the breeze picked up a little, it would be the perfect night for a sail. Perhaps he could slip away in the rowboat. What he'd give to row out to the middle of the lake, lift the oars out of the water and just drift. Lying back, he would reel off the constellations, one after the other, just like he did as a boy. He sighed. Why did navigating a ferocious storm at sea seem far less daunting than picking his way through this mess he'd created…
"You're quieter than usual…" Max broke the oppressive silence, deciding he'd given Georg more than enough time to brood.
"Hmph…?" Georg half-turned to grunt over his shoulder. He turned back to look out at nothing in particular.
"You know, I was telling Elsa about the telephone call I made this afternoon…" Max continued, ignoring his friend's prickly mood.
"Weren't you sleeping all afternoon?" Georg snapped over his shoulder.
"I had a nap, Georg, that's all," Max explained for what seemed the hundredth time. It was hardly his fault the children had taken off to town the minute his back was turned. "Anyway, I placed a call with Victor… you remember him, don't you?" The question was met with a wall of silence. "Victor from Paris…"
"Paris…?" Georg's spun around. "You have been running up the telephone calls, haven't you?"
"Hardly my choice," Max explained. "If that Sacha Petrie wasn't such a weasel, I'd still have a stable full of stars to promote, wouldn't I?" Pausing, he took a sip of brandy. "That's the problem these days, you know. There's no loyalty…"
Georg turned away, resting his elbows on the balustrade. With Max lamenting the current state of the entertainment industry, it was easy to get lost in the balmy night. He wondered what was keeping Elsa. It shouldn't take her this long to go upstairs and return with a few cigarettes. It's not like she had to go to town to purchase a packet. Perhaps he should go to the study and wait for her. He could ask Max to send her there when she finally made an appearance.
"…Victor heard something very interesting about Heinrich…"
Georg sighed. Max was now rabbiting on about someone he was supposed to remember. Probably some bore he'd met at one of Elsa's soirees. He couldn't place this Heinrich fellow, let alone Victor.
His fingers drummed the balustrade. He could wait in the study, even if Liesl was still sleeping on the sofa. He'd suggest to Elsa they take a walk outside, and they could quietly slip out the French doors. He just prayed he could let her down gently.
oOo
Slipping into the boys' room, Louisa closed the door softly behind her. For a few moments, she stood still, waiting for her eyes to grow accustomed to the dark room. They must have wasted five minutes already, so that left five, perhaps ten minutes at the most. Over Kurt's snoring and Friedrich's heavy breathing, she heard the door closing to the room she shared with Brigitta. It was soon followed by the door to Liesl's bedroom door being closed with such a bang, it made her jump a little.
With no time to waste, in a handful of short steps, she was beside Friedrich's bed, dropping to her knees. Her brother was lying on his back, mouth wide open. She glared across to Kurt's bed. He was snoring so loudly, she wondered how Friedrich could sleep at all. Reaching out, she placed a hand on Friedrich's shoulder. Nothing. Not even a shift in his breathing. What was wrong with the boys?
She gave Friedrich's shoulder a gentle shake and sat back on her heels, waiting. Still, nothing. She shook him again, this time, harder…
"Wha…?"
Louisa was ready and quickly clamped a hand over her brother's mouth.
Trying to call out for help, Friedrich thrashed wildly at whatever was over his face, his body flailing around the bed.
"Sshhh! It's me, stupid…" Louisa whispered against his ear as a forearm collected the side of her head. "Stop trying to kill me." Friedrich froze. Louisa watched the whites of his eyes lock with hers. As panic shifted to realisation, she slowly lifted her hand from his mouth.
"What are you doing…?" Friedrich hissed back, blinking against the dark.
"You need to get up!" Louisa told him, but he didn't move. "Come on, hurry!"
Friedrich looked around, confused. Was he late for breakfast? Deciding he must have overslept and it was actually morning, he searched for a crack of light between the drapes. "What time is it…?"
"I don't know," Louisa snapped. "Who cares what time it is?" She was already throwing the bedclothes off her unco-operative brother.
But Friedrich simply stared at her, still trying to get his bearings.
"There isn't time," Louisa pleaded with him. "You need to get up, now!"
"Now…?" Friedrich asked sleepily, pushing himself up from the pillow onto his elbows.
"Sshh, don't you dare wake Kurt," she threatened.
"But it's the middle of the night," Friedrich complained. After being made to look like a fool in front of Father this afternoon, he was reluctant to get caught up in another one of his sisters' schemes. Especially, when it seemed, he was always the one left holding the can. Blue strawberries. Cringing at his own stupidity, he reached for the bedclothes. But his sister was having none of that and batted his hand away. It looked like he had no choice. "Where are we going?" he grudgingly pushed himself up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.
"It's just you, I'm not going with you," Louisa was now standing, searching around the floor for her brother's robe. Eventually, her eyes landed on it, unexpectedly draped over the chair in the corner. "Come on!" she tugged at her brother's arm, pulling him up from where he was sitting on the bed's edge.
"Where am I going?" Friedrich stood at the end of the bed rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. He glanced back at Kurt, whose snoring hadn't wavered. Frowning, he wondered how he ever managed to sleep through such horrendous noise.
Louisa's brother was on his feet, but he seemed to be stuck in the same spot. She grabbed his arm and started pulling him toward the door. "You need to get Father to the study."
"The study…?" Friedrich's feet stopped, digging his heels into the floor. None of this was making any sense. "Tell me, genius, how am I supposed to get Father out of bed and down to the study?"
"He's not in bed, dummy!" Louisa was fast losing patience. "He's on the terrace with Uncle Max."
"So, why does he need to go to the study?" Friedrich stifled a yawn. Louisa was making so little sense, he wondered if he was still dreaming.
"Hurry up, Friedrich! There isn't time for all these stupid questions," Louisa stamped her feet. "Father needs to save Fraulein Maria."
"Fraulein Maria needs saving?" Friedrich was suddenly alert. "From what?"
"From Baroness Schraeder," Louisa sighed, reaching down to pick up the robe from the armchair.
"Baroness Schraeder…" Friedrich muttered the name under his breath. He'd never liked the woman who arrived from Vienna all those weeks ago. In the beginning, he'd tried – they all had – but she'd made it obvious she wanted nothing to do with them. Of course, she'd act completely different whenever Father or Uncle Max were around. He still couldn't wrap his head around Father's announcement this morning. A new mother? He doubted he could ever call Baroness Schraeder that. Standing up straight, he pushed his shoulders back. He still didn't know exactly why Fraulein Maria needed saving from Baroness Schraeder, but he'd do everything he could to help. Even if it meant copping it from Father.
"What are you waiting for?" Louisa tugged at his arm.
"Why are they in the study?"
"It's a long story, and I don't have an hour to explain," Louisa shoved the robe against her brother's chest. "You have five minutes to get downstairs without being caught."
"Five minutes…" Friedrich clutched the robe in messy bundle. "Are you mad?"
"Frau Schmidt caught us downstairs and will be making sure we're tucked up in bed in less than ten minutes," Louisa carefully opened the door, peering around its edge. "The coast is clear, so get down there," she whispered, pushing her brother out into the hallway. "Frau Schmidt's in the kitchen," well, she hoped she was, "so, you don't have time to waste."
Friedrich stepped into the hallway, then turned to his sister who was standing in the doorway to his bedroom, nodding him on. "What if she checks on all of us and finds my bed empty?"
"I'm not that stupid!" Louisa rolled her eyes. "I'll make it look like you're in bed."
Friedrich nodded. As usual, there was no getting out of yet another of the girls' schemes. They seemed to have thought of everything. Stuffing his arms into the sleeves of his robe, he moved swiftly, but silently, along the hall toward the upper balcony. Stopping to knot the tie, he turned back for one last glance toward the safety of his bedroom. Louisa was still standing in the doorway, mouthing the word 'go' and giving him an encouraging nod.
Quickening his pace, he pushed his shoulders back. How on Earth was he supposed to get Father to the study? The burden of his sister's misplaced confidence began to weigh heavily. Father had been in a right old mood tonight. Yawning, part of him hoped he was going to run into Frau Schmidt before he got anywhere near the terrace.
oOo
Staring at the ceiling seemed pointless in the pitch dark, but he was determined to remain awake and alert. And if that meant lying here with eyes wide open, then that's what he'd do. Even with the thick drapes drawn against the full moon, he knew every inch of the ceiling by heart. How many years had he called this room his? It was more than twenty years, having finally reached the senior rank of butler after a long apprenticeship.
That had been back in the days of the Captain's father. A stern man who struggled to accept his son's obsession with being underwater. It had rankled with a man decorated for his feats above the water. He also knew something about being the son of a disappointed father. But that's where the similarities between he and the Captain began and ended.
Back then, there had been more staff. Unlike today, when there was too much work for one man to do. What he'd give for just another pair of hands. They were the good old days. The days before the banks closed their branches overnight and the markets crashed.
He sniffed into the dark. It didn't hurt those rich people to have a wakeup call every now and then. It helped them appreciate the day-to-day struggles of ordinary people. Not that they ever really cared. As things improved over the past years, they'd begun to ignore the lessons learned. As soon as a backroom deal was struck or the banks began allowing extensions on the unpaid loans, things just went back to way they'd always been. The world would always be tilted in their favour.
He frowned, certain he'd heard a door closing. Or was it his imagination? Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he waited a moment for his head to stop spinning before straightening his waistcoat. His suit jacket was carefully draped over the back of the armchair, ready to slip into when everyone had finally retired for the night.
For some reason, everyone had been restless tonight. It wasn't just him. It must be the full moon. He sniffed again. More likely, the return of the governess had thrown everything off kilter again. Trust her to show up today. She'd already got in his way tonight. Too stupid to understand her rank among staff, it should have been her who'd left the study, not him.
He was running out of time. Left with no choice, it would have to be tonight.
Forty-eight hours. That's how much longer before he had to report back. Surely, it shouldn't be that difficult to find out what the Captain has been working on. Or, more importantly, for who. After all the telephone calls this week, his money was on John Whitehead. But, of course, they couldn't just go on his say-so. They needed proof.
Pushing himself off the mattress, he made his way across the room to the window. After years of practice, his steps were light, the soles of his shoes not making a sound on the floorboards. Gently pulling back the heavy drape, he peered through the small gap.
A brilliant, moonlit night. He cursed under his breath. He could navigate the villa blindfolded. The moonlight would more of a hinderance than a help. Letting the drape fall to meet its partner in the middle, he turned his back on the window. This room was all he had to show after more than twenty years of dedicated service.
He sighed. It was going to be a long night…
oOo
Except for the moonlight streaming through the large windows, the foyer was dark. Odd shapes of silvery light fell on the floor, angular islands in a sea of black. Crouching at the foot of the stairs, Friedrich scanned around him. If Louisa's intelligence was correct, Frau Schmidt was in the kitchen. Father and Uncle Max were on the terrace, while Fraulein Maria and Baroness Schraeder were in the study. Frowning, he wondered how they'd ended up there alone. He clenched his jaw, not wanting to think about the dressing down the Baroness would be giving Fraulein Maria.
He'd seen the way Baroness Schraeder would look at Fraulein Maria when she thought no one was paying attention. If Father wasn't in the room, she'd often click her tongue at something Fraulein Maria said, making it obvious, she disapproved. And when Baroness Schraeder thought no one else was around, they'd heard the way she spoke to the staff. Like they were stupid, as if they were nobodies. And to think, there was a time back in the beginning, when he'd tried to like the Baroness.
Straining his ears, he couldn't hear a thing. Not a sound from the terrace, certainly, not Frau Schmidt's heavy steps. He was starting to wonder if Louisa hadn't sent him down here on a lark. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been the butt of their jokes, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. This better not be another one of those times. He sighed, telling himself Louisa wouldn't make up stories about Fraulein Maria.
Quickly weighing up his options, he decided there were only two ways things could go. If he went to the terrace, Father would give him both barrels, and he'd be marched straight back upstairs. Fraulein Maria would still be in the study with Baroness Schraeder, so it wouldn't solve anything. The second option was to go straight to the study and interrupt whatever was going on. If he caused some interference, it might be enough to save Fraulein Maria. If things turned pear-shaped and it became a ruckus, Father would hear them from the terrace. In all the chaos, he could slip away and avoid an interrogation. The chances of success seemed far greater than going onto the terrace first.
Mind made up, he ran a hand through his messy hair and stepped off the foot of the stairs.
Keeping close to the wall, staying in the shadows, he was grateful there hadn't been time to put on slippers. His bare feet moved silently across the foyer, making it easier to hear Frau Schmidt's footsteps when she was on the move.
Reaching the doorway, he glanced down the hall to the kitchen. Without any windows to let in the moonlight, it was pitch dark except for the kitchen's bright lights at the far end. He could picture Frau Schmidt in the kitchen, muttering under her breath at something one of the maids had done. Or more likely, hadn't. She set such high standards, never giving an inch, he didn't envy anyone who worked for her.
But he would be forever grateful for Frau Schmidt's care and affection, especially these past years when there had been none. They all adored their housekeeper…
oOo
"Another drink…?" Max asked from where he was seated at the table.
Georg looked down at the glass in his hand. He'd been so lost in his thoughts, he'd barely touched it. "Not for me…" he'd had more than enough red wine at dinner, and he needed his wits about him. The clinking from behind told him Max was pouring himself another. Thankfully, Max had still been wading through his long-winded story about the two characters he couldn't recall for the life of him. Not that he'd wasted too much time on them. Lifting the glass to his lips, he swallowed the rest of the brandy in one gulp. Resting the empty glass on the balustrade, he held his breath, waiting for the burn to pass.
He sighed. It seemed Max was settling in for a long night. If Elsa joined them on the terrace, he'd never be able to speak to her with Max here. And he needed to settle things tonight. This madness had gone on for far too long.
Mind made up, he spun around, placing the glass on the table at the centre of the terrace. "I need to check on something," he muttered.
"But you can't go now…" Max complained. "I was just getting to the best part."
"Max, it's taken half the night to get this far," Georg grumbled under his breath.
"Well, don't be too long," Max answered brightly. "Elsa can't be far away…"
"Send her to the study, will you?" Georg stopped to pat Max's shoulder. "Better still, tell her one of your stories and she'll come running."
"Ha-hah!" Max gave a hearty laugh. "You forget how much Elsa loves gossip, especially the juicy stories!"
"Oh-ho!" Georg's heart wasn't in it tonight. "Not nearly as much as you, Max!"
"Ha-hah!" Max laughed again.
"Just send her to the study, will you?"
oOo
"Ha-hah…"
Friedrich froze, his heart nearly beating out of his chest. Ducking low, he hugged himself tight, hiding in the shadows beside the side table. He peered around one of the table's legs toward the far end of the foyer. Uncle Max's booming laugh bounced around the walls of the foyer. He didn't have to wait long for Father's laughter – forced, not like it was around Fraulein Maria. So, Louisa was right. Father was on the terrace, and if Uncle Max was telling his usual bad jokes, they might be there a while longer.
But he had to keep moving before Frau Schmidt finished in the kitchen. Since leaving the stairs, he'd decided to burst through the study door, act surprised, and apologise for interrupting Fraulein Maria and Baroness Schraeder. He would make up some story about not being able to sleep, so in desperation, he came down to borrow one of Father's books. They couldn't be angry at him for wanting to read, and they were unlikely to continue their conversation while he was rifling through the bookshelf. They'd leave, and he could be upstairs, tucked up in bed before Father was any the wiser.
Well, that was the plan...
Rising slowly from his crouch, he turned his shoulder a little and connected with the edge of the table. Just in time, his hands shot out in front of him, and by some miracle, he managed to stop the vase of yellow roses from crashing onto the floor. Grabbing the edge of his robe, he mopped up some water that had spilled from the vase onto the table. Taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, he began moving silently along the wall. Keeping to the shadows, he inched closer to the doorway of the hall that led to the study and library.
With eyes fixed on the terrace door, and one ear on the hallway behind him in case Frau Schmidt was on the move, he stepped softly, slowly in the shadows. Just as he was within touching distance of the doorframe, a dark form filled the terrace doorway. Ducking into the safety of the hallway, he pressed his body against the wall, praying he hadn't been seen.
If only his breathing wasn't so loud. He tried to breathe through his nose, but that didn't seem to make any difference. He decided to hold his breath instead, but he quickly realised, that couldn't go on forever. His heart was pounding against his ribs, his pulse thumping in his neck, and the blood drumming in ears. Closing his eyes, he waited for the inevitable as Father's footsteps grew ominously louder, drawing closer. Trying to shrink into the wall of the hallway, his heart felt like it was going to burst.
Just when he'd given up, deciding it might be better to reveal himself to Father and take his punishment, he heard something. He frowned. Another pair of footsteps? Frau Schmidt must have left the kitchen. Great! Now, he was going to get caught by the two people he was trying to avoid. The girls weren't going to let him hear the end of it. He pressed himself against the wall, wishing he was anywhere but here. Bracing himself, he wondered if it would be better to just give himself up. He probably would, if the memory of Father's rages still didn't fill him with fear.
Father's feet had stopped. But he was still in the foyer, probably only a few feet from the hallway. A few yards from where he was hiding. The housekeeper's heavy steps were getting louder. They slowed, she must be turning from the kitchen hall into the foyer.
"Frau Schmidt…?"
Friedrich jumped at how loud his father's voice sounded at this hour of the night.
"Oh, Captain! You gave me a fright…" Frau Schmidt's hand was on her ample chest as she tried to catch her breath. The dark outline of the Captain moved toward her. "I didn't expect anyone to be up at this un-Godly hour."
Bravely, Friedrich peeked through half-opened eyes to see his father's shadow move past the hallway.
"Well, I'm surprised to see you," Georg hated seeing his employees working long hours, especially the elderly housekeeper. "Surely, whatever it is, it can wait until the morning,"
"I wish it could, Captain," Frau Schmidt sighed. Quickly deciding against any mention of the girls, she had half a mind to tell the man it was all thanks to Baroness Schraeder that she was still working at this ridiculous hour.
"Go upstairs and get some sleep," Georg told her gently, but firmly.
"But Captain, I just have to check on…"
"I've issued an order, and I outrank you," Georg was firmer this time. "Besides, I don't care what you're checking, it can wait until tomorrow."
"Yes, Captain," Frau Schmidt nodded, too tired to argue. She knew he was right. It was well past eleven, far too late to still be on her feet. Especially, when she'd be up in the morning before sunrise. "Good night, Captain," she added with a smile.
"Goodnight, Frau Schmidt," Georg answered her smile with a nod. He stood, watching her back as she walked away from him toward the staircase. So much more than the housekeeper, she'd been the glue that had kept the household together these past years. He'd be lost without her. Hands clasped behind him, his eyes followed her up the stairs as she reached the front door landing and turned left toward the staff wing. Instinctively, his traitorous eyes jumped ahead of her, finding the hallway to the staff wing.
What on Earth was she up to? Probably tucked up in bed. He'd released his hands, and now the fingers of his left hand were flexing against his leg. He wondered if she was struggling to settle. It was a warm night, sleep wouldn't come easy. Especially, after all the day's excitement. Was she thinking about him? Perhaps that's why she'd returned. After speaking to Liesl, he now had some idea why she'd left, but could he be reason for her return…
oOo
"I thought I made it clear, Baroness Schraeder," Maria frowned. "I will leave once arrangements have been made for a replacement."
"Given the circumstances, that won't be necessary," Elsa explained.
"What circumstances…?" Maria's frown deepened. "Boarding school?"
"Come now," Elsa's voice was low, "don't pretend you had no idea what you were doing."
Maria forced her shoulders back. Baroness Schraeder was still wearing her pleasant demeanour, but her eyes were saying something completely different. "Baroness, I really don't…"
"There's no need to play the innocent," Elsa tut-tutted. "The Captain isn't here to fall for your little trick."
"Little trick…?" Maria shifted her feet uneasily, sensing the Baroness was accusing her of something.
"Right up until the night of the party, I very kindly gave you the benefit of the doubt," Elsa pressed her fingers against her scalp. "I did the right thing and pointed out that the Captain had some silly notion about you," she laughed.
"I have no idea what you're…" Maria began.
"Come now, there's no need to pretend, Fraulein Maria, we are both women after all," Elsa smiled. "This has very little to do with the children, and everything to do with the Captain."
"The Captain...?" Maria could feel her traitorous cheeks growing warmer.
"We both know you carried a flame for him, and at times he may have found you entertaining," Elsa took a step forward. "But he was never going to marry a governess, was he?"
"I am aware of that," Maria answered flatly. Painfully aware.
"So, you can imagine my shock, Fraulein Maria, to see you appear at dinner tonight, against my wishes," Elsa dropped her head to the side, sensing that she was getting the upper hand, "wearing that dress." Her eyes ran up and down the blue dress that had come to symbolise so much.
"My dress…?" Maria's chin dropped to her chest as she looked down at the smocking of her dress that had taken hours to sew by hand.
"Baroness Schraeder…"
"No, no…" Elsa hadn't finished, and raised a hand in the air to emphasise it was her turn to speak. "I would have thought, or hoped, you would have showed me the respect I deserve," she paused. "After all," she smiled triumphantly, "I am engaged to the Captain."
oOo
Remembering where he was, he looked around the moonlit foyer, a little disconcerted how quickly his thoughts had strayed. Thankfully, he was alone.
As the housekeeper disappeared from view, he turned his back on the staircase and faced the hallway to study. "Erhm…" clearing his throat for good measure, he reached up to tug his ear. Still concerned at how effortlessly his mind had shifted to Maria and her bedroom. First things first, he had to focus on Elsa. Feet moving, fingers flexing, he crossed the foyer.
Panicked at the sound of his father's footsteps, Friedrich's eyes shot open. Silently scurrying down the hallway, past the study, he stopped and turned in front of the library door. He began walking nonchalantly along the hall, back toward the foyer. With a bit of luck, he might fool his father into thinking he was coming from the library. Deep breath, shoulders back…
"Friedrich…?" Georg stopped, his frame filling the doorway of the hall, blocking out most of the light from the foyer.
"Father!" Friedrich tried his best to sound surprised.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?"
Friedrich swallowed. Hard. "I should," he agreed, deciding there was no point fighting his father on that point. "I couldn't sleep…" his excuse drifted off.
"Hmmm…?" Georg demanded a better explanation than couldn't sleep.
"I went to the library to get a book," Friedrich crossed his fingers behind his back, the white lie rolling off his tongue.
"Alright then, where is it?" Georg demanded.
"Where's what…?" Friedrich asked, confused.
"Where's the book?" Georg snapped impatiently, reaching out a hand and clicking his fingers.
"The book…?" Friedrich stammered. What little light found its way into the hallway, showed the whites of his eyes growing wider. "Argh… I couldn't find a book in the library…" he immediately realised how stupid that sounded. "And then I remembered that book in your study…" he added.
"Which book?" Georg's frown narrowed.
"The one about Napolean's battles… comparing them to Lord Nelson," Friedrich answered, shifting nervously from one foot to the other. "It's on the bookshelf…" his head turned toward the nearby door, "in your study."
"Yes, I know where it is," Georg's eyes followed the same arc as his son's, landing on the thin crack of light under the study door. When he left Liesl sleeping on the sofa, he'd turned the light off. "You've left the light on."
"I've just come from the library," Friedrich fibbed. "I haven't been in the study," he explained, relieved to finally say something truthful. "I promise," he added, hopeful his father had forgotten the fibs he'd told earlier about where they'd been this afternoon.
"Well, someone's been there…" Georg's feet started moving, reducing the distance between him and his son. Perhaps Liesl had woken. "We should get you that book," his heart softened as Friedrich flashed a smile, his teeth catching the light. Georg reached out and ruffled his son's hair. It was nice having his son back. At that thought, guilt stabbed at his heart. The children weren't the ones who'd left, you fool, that was you...
With an arm around Friedrich's shoulder, he reached out and softly turned the door handle. Not wanting to wake Liesl if she was still sleeping. Unless, of course, it was her who'd turned on the lights. Pushing the door gently from the frame, he frowned. The door was only opened a crack, but was that… It couldn't be. He must be hearing things. It was muffled, but he'd know that voice anywhere...
Maria…?
"Baroness Schraeder," Maria paused to choose her words carefully.
Georg slowly pushed the door open. What was Maria doing in the study…? Standing in the doorway with his arm still around Friedrich's shoulders, he stood staring at the two women at the far end of the room. Maria was standing in front of the fireplace, clearly in deep conversation with Elsa, who was beside the sofa with her back to the door.
"I'm sure the Captain has far more important things to worry about than a silly blue dress…"
Georg stood frozen to the spot. So, it was true about the blue dress...
"…especially, now that he's engaged to you."
Not taking his eyes off the women, Georg roughly turned Friedrich around and pushed him out the door.
"Perhaps I need to spell it out…" Elsa's voice was low and threatening, "we no longer need you. You are not required to stay here a moment longer."
Georg took a step into the study, and then another. He went to say something, to make his presence known. But he didn't know what to say, he just stood there non-plussed.
"I'm no longer asking, I'm telling you," Elsa tossed her head defiantly. "Tomorrow morning, you will return to the Abbey for good."
Georg closed the door. The movement must have caught Maria's eye and her gaze shifted to over Elsa's shoulder. He tried to read her eyes, tried to tell her that he knew everything, that he wanted her to stay. Please don't leave again.
But before he could make her understand, Elsa had spun around. For a mad moment, the world was suspended in time, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion...
oOo
Thank you everyone for continuing to read my story. Apologies for such a long wait between chapters. Special thanks to the guest reviewers who I can't thank personally.
I don't own TSOM, just having a little lend!
"Immerse your soul in love"
