The Terrace Door

"What broke your heart so bad
That you had to close every door,
That you say you have a dark soul
And can't utter the word 'love' anymore?"
― Sanhita Baruah

It had taken Maria a long time to settle her mind and wind down after her disagreement with the Captain over play clothes for the children. Thankfully, the new drapes would be her saving grace! With the Captain gone for an indeterminable amount of time, Maria was free to take some creative liberties with the children. After all, what harm could it do?

Although she went to bed somewhat angry over the insufferable man's stubbornness, every time she closed her eyes, she saw his. Every look he had given her that day replayed in her mind like a silent movie. It was all so confusing.

The Captain was certainly a difficult man, but she had at least managed to figure out the children in relatively short order. Maria felt that the thunderstorm was truly a gift from God! The Reverend Mother was so right – when the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window! He had realized that she needed His help to chart a future with these children.

Maria was able to start to build a foundation of trust with the children at the dinner table, and the circumstances were such that the Lord kept presenting her with opportunities to strengthen that bond. Maria had shielded Liesl from the Captain's interrogation when he questioned her about her whereabouts after dinner. She had managed to deflect his rage back towards her and away from the children when he found them all dancing and singing in her room. With one giant storm, so many of the Von Trapp children's insecurities had blown away with it, and they had all come together and put their trust in Maria.

ooOoo

The next morning, Maria woke with the sun. Rising from her bed she immediately noticed how well she had slept. No stiff neck, no pain in her hip, no rheumatism! Her bed at the villa was definitely an upgrade over her little Abbey cot.

Maria pulled open the drapes that were soon to be repurposed and gazed out over the lawn. The sun was just rising, and a slight mist was rising off the lake. The air was still humid after last night's storm and the drops of water on the grass and on the trees scattered the dawn's early sunlight like diamonds. A handful of geese could be seen just off the landing, honking at each other as they paddled along the still surface of the lake. Maria's eyes were wide as she took in all these sights. How glorious it was to see all of God's creations without guilt! Maria had struggled greatly with being disconnected from nature while in the Abbey. Her new life, for the summer at least, was surely a windfall.

She dressed quickly before washing her face and brushing her hair. Huffing at her golden locks in the mirror, she shook her head. Her hair really had a mind of its own! Giving herself a final glance, she bounded out of the bathroom, grabbed her shoes, and padded silently down the stairs towards the back door. Yesterday afternoon as she exited her meeting with the Captain in his study, she had seen Franz, the grumpy butler, coming in the back door from the terrace. She just had to head back down there and see what was outside.

The villa was terribly quiet. Maria wondered if the Captain had left for Vienna yet. The children would not be up for a while yet. The Captain's official governess 'manual' stated that they typically rose at 8am, although Marta often awoke much earlier. She looked at her pocket watch, one of the few worldly possessions she had managed to hide from the sisters and keep in her belongings. It had been her mother's and she could not bear the thought of parting with it. Closing the brass cover and dropping it into her pocket, with a huge grin she realized she had a good 90 minutes to discover the grounds. She quietly opened the back door and stepped on to the terrace.

If she thought the view from her bedroom window was glorious, the perspective from the back terrace was second-to-none! The lake was steps away and the property was dotted with huge trees, a manicured lawn, and well-managed flower beds. The smell of the elder flowers and spirea filled her nose in the heavy morning air. She wandered up to the gates of the landing, framed by a pair of imposing hippocampi, and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

Maria walked up to one of the seahorses and gently held its muzzle in her hands as her eyes followed the curve of its back all the way to its arched tail fins. What an appropriate choice of decoration for a sea captain! She could easily imagine the Captain armed with his trident, commanding the chariot of Poseidon, hippocampi and all, as they darted across the surface of ocean.

Leaving the hippocampi behind, she opened the gate and stepped down onto the landing. Straight ahead, rising above the lake was her beloved Untersberg. It was the most magnificent sight she had witnessed in a very long time! Although she could see it from the Abbey perched along the Festungsberg, the view from there was quite different from this one. At the Abbey, the mountain was framed by the city and its hodge-podge of steeples, trees, and rooftops. The best view of the mountain was to be had at the edge of the Fortress, further up the hill from the Abbey. However, the view from her position at the villa was so grand: a piece of heaven where the water met the mountains! She turned slowly to take in the perspective of the mountain, the lake, and the villa behind her. The windows glowed in the light of the rising sun and birds flitted between the trees.

Maria padded along the bank of the lake between the bulrushes and willows, breathing deeply while taking in the view. Further along the shore she could make out the profile of a boat house beyond a shady grove of trees. As her eyes scanned the property, she noted a gazebo in the far corner of the lawn. She scampered up the bank and across the wet grass. Not caring in the least that her feet were getting damp, her eyes remained fixed on the glass structure. As she approached it, she decided it was the loveliest thing she had ever seen, well at least since she viewed the mountain a few moments before!

Inside the gazebo, Maria could see the entire property – stables to north side of the property stretching along the very lane Maria had come down the day before. Her mountain to the southwest glistened in the morning light. It was so incredible to be inside of a structure but outside at the same time. There were benches lining the perimeter of the gazebo, presenting her with the perfect place to get away when she had free time this summer.

The boathouse was nestled in a grove of trees and Maria could hear the water lapping inside it along the docks. There was a great oak door with a brass handle, and she grabbed it in her hand and turned it attempting to gain entry. Stuck! The doorknob was terribly corroded, and she could not get it to budge without some oil and brute force. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she turned and tip-toed along the dock that ran along the side of the boat house and around to the big door that faced the lake. Fortunately, that door was open, and inside the boathouse there was a line of fishing poles, tackle, and nets along one wall. Moored alongside the interior dock and tied with a neat cleat hitch was a handsome dory with enough seats for her and all the of the children. She clasped her hands together as she imagined the possibilities.

In the early morning gloom of the boathouse, Maria could not help but wonder if the boathouse was another one of those places that was not to be disturbed. The rusted doorknob indicated this was another place that was not used often. This morning, she had stumbled across this magical place, and of course, she had discovered the ballroom yesterday! It was all so puzzling.

She was starting to put together the details that she had gathered since her arrival yesterday, painting a picture of life at the villa. Whistles, order, uniforms, marching, no more music, no more laughing. Nothing that reminds him of her, Frau Schmidt had said. Everything that was beautiful, enjoyable, and magnificent about life in this family had been effectively shut down with the Baroness' passing. That much she was able to discern.

Making a mental note to return and explore the boat house later, she wandered back along the dock and into the sun light which was now shining down in golden columns through the branches of the trees. Maria spun slowly in a circle as she took in the beauty of this place. The lake, the mountain, the glorious sunshine, the beautiful villa, and the grounds. This homestead was absolutely made for being together with the people you love! She could not understand how the Captain managed to leave it as often as he did. It seemed his grief was still so fresh, so raw, that being in the presence of everything that reminded him of the late Baroness was too much for the poor man to endure. Maria could not imagine that such a brave naval hero could have such difficulty facing the world once his wife had left it.

Wandering along the lawn, she headed in the direction of the stables. A mare and a new filly were grazing along the paddock, and both stopped their browsing to look in her general direction. Maria approached the split rail fence that separated this part of the property from the field and made a clicking sound with her tongue. The mare tentatively moseyed over, her tail swishing away the flies. The filly followed along behind, being sure to stay behind her mother. The mare brought her head down and allowed Maria to pet her muzzle. She wished she had an apple to share. Noticing the longer grass along the fence, Maria bent down and picked a handful of fresh grass, holding it out on her opened hand so the mare could pick them up with her lips. Rubbing the mare between the ears, she leant in and left a soft kiss on the bridge of her nose, promising to return later with a real snack.

Running her fingers along the fence rail, Maria made her way along the outside perimeter of the paddock back towards the main gate. Glancing at her watch Maria noted the time and decided to head back to the house and see what the routine was for breakfast at the villa. It was so easy to lose time out here and she didn't want to start her first full day with the children on the wrong foot. She decided she would wander over towards the garage and then make her way back to the terrace the long way by walking along the front drive.

oOo

After Georg's early morning cold shower, he had sat on the edge of his bed in his robe. He had shaved, returned to his closet to dress, and added the remaining necessities to his luggage. Once happy that he had everything, he latched his trunk and set it on the floor. Drying off his hair with a fluffy white towel, he tossed it over the back of the chair by the window. It was still early. His luggage was ready to go, and he had to kill at least another hour and half before Franz would have the car ready. He picked up one of his books and sat in his chair by the window and began to read.

A short time later, Georg's head rolled suddenly onto his shoulder, and he woke himself with a startle. "Damn! I fell asleep! That damn governess, keeping me awake until all hours".

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he tried to focus on the time on his bedside clock. He originally had planned to leave by 8am, but now that he had indulged in a cat nap, that might be a bit tight - only 30 minutes from now! Georg was never late, and he was entirely frustrated with himself and that governess!

As he sat up in his chair and stretched out his muscles, he cursed the little Fraulein for his night of restless sleep. He hastily made his bed – old navy habits die hard – and went to open the curtains. He was about to open the window and let in the fresh air when his gaze wandered out to the paddock. There, on the edge of the fence line stood the little Fraulein, watching wide-eyed at his horses.

"No ponies in the nunnery! She's probably never seen a horse up close before. God help her if she angers Adelaide, she's so protective of that baby". But before he could finish his thoughts, he watched Fraulein Maria approach silently, the mare giving her the once over. She stepped carefully onto the bottom rail of the fence, hanging on to the top rail with her hands.

All at once, Adelaide headed right towards her. He watched on in awe as the Fraulein cuddled her muzzle and immediately made friends with the most stubborn horse he owned. She hopped down off the fence and offered Adelaide some fresh picked grasses and a loving rub between the ears. He was about to turn away and head downstairs when he saw the little Fraulein plant a soft kiss on the horse's face. He stood transfixed. What was it about this woman that could confuse, anger, and entice him all at the same time? She was a mass of contradictions. In one moment, she was flighty as a feather, but the next she was quiet and refined, thoughtful and contemplative.

He had only known her for about 18 hours, and he had not even come close to figuring her out. Her eyes were so expressive, and they told him stories – however, in a language he didn't yet understand. Shaking his head, he turned on his heel, picked up his trunk and headed out the door and down the stairs. On his way into the foyer, he came across Frau Schmidt who was shuffling across the foyer on the way to the kitchen, preparing for breakfast.

"Oh Captain! You seem to be running later than usual."

Georg rubbed his jaw and rolled his eyes. "Indeed, I am, I woke up before the sun and picked up a book. I guess you can imagine the rest!".

"No worries, Captain, I have already asked Josephine to pack you a breakfast that will be easy to manage in the car, and Franz will have left it on the seat for you. He also has taken a cup of coffee outside to the garage for you. While he stows your luggage away, you can indulge in a nice warm cup!"

Georg was always so amazed at how well she anticipated his needs. After being the glue that held the household together for so many years, it was no wonder!

He gave her a warm smile. "Thank you, Frau Schmidt, for everything. Just a reminder, it will take me a bit longer to get to Vienna as I am picking up Herr Detweiller in Boheimkirchen at the train station. If you need anything, I know you know where to reach me. I will be staying at the Sacher again, so Max and I should be settled by late afternoon."

He shrugged his shoulders and then reached out his hand to place gently on her forearm. "Here's hoping this governess doesn't run away the minute I arrive in Vienna". He finished with a wink and Frau Schmidt laughed.

"Captain, I think she has done well so far, surviving the children's pranks, indeed! Fingers crossed – she has outlasted #11, after all".

After issuing a few parting requests to his housekeeper, he headed outside to the car which was waiting at the door. Franz immediately wandered over and took his luggage from him. He swiftly opened the boot and tossed his luggage into it, closing the lid and turning the latch. Georg picked up the mug of coffee, two creams and two sugars, and sipped it while he stood in the garage doorway, anticipating the long journey to Vienna. Dismissing Franz, he said he'd leave the cup on the shelf in the garage when he was done.

Franz trudged back into the villa and closed the door behind him. At last, Georg was alone with his thoughts and nothing but the morning sun and the sounds of the birds. Agathe used to love early mornings, she would often wander the grounds before the children woke. It was one of the reasons why he and Max and some of his Navy pals had built the gazebo for her as an anniversary gift. She would often end up out there on a sunny morning like this one with her teacup and a book, enjoying the solitude before the children woke up. He looked up towards the heavens and sighed. He placed a lingering kiss on his right palm and blew it skyward.

This morning, instead of seeing Agathe out in the grounds, he saw the little Fraulein instead, swooning over the horses! She had an uncanny ability to show up in the places he would normally expect to find Agathe. Like the whole ballroom incident yesterday, he would have thought this recent appearance should bother him. However, it didn't hurt as much today, probably because the outdoors were not the same as her ballroom. It seemed that in some aspects of his life, there was some degree of reconciliation with his past and not everything wounded him as it once did. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he turned on his heel, placed the empty cup on the shelf, and made his way to the car.

As he proceeded to walk around to the driver side door, out of the corner of his eye he could see Fräulein Maria wandering the grounds between the garage and the stables. He paused for a moment, thinking he should have something to say to her, some last-minute orders or something of the sort. All at once the dreams he had last night intruded his thoughts and he found he had no words. The image of the small, elfin baby girl with the blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair came to the fore. The lingering kiss with the Fraulein still burned his lips. His mouth was dry. Instead of speaking with her, he simply tipped his hat in her direction, got into the car, and drove out the circular drive and off towards Vienna.

As he drove down the Allee, he tried to shake off the visions of the little Fraulein and instead focus on his destination. It would be wonderful to lose himself in Elsa's company again, away from all the memories that seemed to haunt him here. The new governess somehow managed to dredge up so many memories, many of which he had successfully buried for so long. So much had changed in so little time. Yesterday at this time, it was relatively simple being Georg Von Trapp. Today, after the whistle, the pinecones, and the singing, it was quite a trying experience.