Anyone following this story knows how much I love loooonnng chapters, but I think this one takes the cake! I tried to cut it in a few places, but I like the way it flows despite the length. There's a lot going on in this chapter, but the details are designed to fill in some of the things I often wondered about, along with some 'research' about the real Whiteheads. Also, just a good helping of 'fluff' before we head off to Innsbruck in Chapter 28. It has taken a while to get it in reasonable shape - too many summer courses for my liking!
ooooo
We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
-Walt Disney
ooOoo
With all the luggage safely stowed in the boot of his Horch, Georg now only needed his two passengers before he could set off into town. Elsa and Max would be returning to Vienna this morning on the 10:45 train. Elsa had plans to meet friends and do some shopping, and Max was off to meet the Concert Master of the Philharmonic. Georg had sent Franz upstairs to collect the last of Elsa's things and then summon Max from the telephone call he had been on for much, much too long.
Checking his watch, he realized that he had a few minutes to go upstairs and check on the children. And Maria.
As he climbed the stairs, he noted how terribly quiet it was this morning. He could tell that something was missing. Normally during school mornings, he could hear the happy din of the children as they worked with Maria upstairs in the school room. Some days he could hear her singing to herself while the children worked. There were many mornings when Georg would loiter down the hall in the shadows just so he could listen to them chatting and hear the crystalline sound of her beautiful voice. Yes, he did have it bad.
Georg silently made his way to the school room and found his brood quietly working away on various activities. Just months ago, the mere idea of the tranquility of this scene was quite impossible. The children had fought with every governess they had, and school activities were more like war games. Of course, he could only speak of those clashes he had seen for himself when he could stomach an extended stay at the villa.
Gretl was sitting at the table, her tongue wrapped around her upper lip as she focused on her printing; Marta was busy colouring in a picture with her crayons. The boys appeared to be working on mathematics, while the girls were reading or working on their printing. He scanned the rest of the room looking for her. For Maria. Erhm…Fraulein Maria.
Liesl was the first to acknowledge his presence and gave him a half smile as she looked up at him through her lashes, lifting her eyes from the book she was reading.
"Good morning, again, Father..."
His eyes searched Liesl's before surveying the room again. Surely, she must be here somewhere?
"Liesl, where has Fraulein Maria wandered off to this morning? Has she left you all unsupervised? What are we going to do with her?" Georg said with a chuckle.
"Father, today is Fraulein Maria's day off, remember?" Liesl replied.
"Oh yes, it is Wednesday, isn't it." He felt the blush rise slightly up his throat while his daughter gave him a knowing look.
Georg could not hold his daughter's gaze, and he found himself inspecting his shoes, giving his ear a tug. He swallowed hard before continuing.
"Uh, do we know if she is still on the grounds somewhere, or did she go into town?"
Kurt looked up briefly from his math questions.
"Oh she's in town, Father. She is going to bring us krapfen from the bakery after she's done visiting the sisters at the Abbey. She promised she would get to the bakery by noon before Frau Lucille runs out".
"Yes, Father," Brigitta piped up. "She told me that it was such a lovely day she might go for a stroll in the Gardens after getting Kurt's krapfen".
"She said she would get some for all of us, Brigitta, not just me!" Kurt snapped.
Georg pulled on his left ear trying to seem disinterested with the details of Maria's schedule, but he could not help to inquire further.
"And, uh, what time did she say she'd be home?"
Liesl again gave him a half smile which quickly morphed into a giggle that she tried to hide behind the pages of her book. Georg gave her his best captain's glare.
"Oh, probably not until later in the afternoon." Gretl piped up. "She told me around 3 o'clock, Father!"
Georg decided that this was yet another benefit of having seven children - between all their conversations, he could piece together a complete picture of anything of interest.
He was a hopeless case. Just friends, Captain...remember? Georg scolded himself.
"Well, ok then, thank you all for your intelligence gathering, the Emperor would be most pleased to have you all on his team," he said with a chuckle as he tried to straighten his posture and recover his composure.
Clearing his throat, he continued.
"As you know. Baroness Schraeder will be returning to Vienna this morning..."
All the children's eyes looked up at him immediately, brightening as they smiled; they all seemed quite pleased that they would be free of her dramatics for a few days.
Rolling his eyes and slouching, he continued with an exasperated sigh: "…it's only for a few days; and of course, Uncle Max is going with her. How ever will we survive without him? Anyway, they will both be returning after we get back from Innsbruck."
"Oh, Father!" Gretl squealed, "I can't wait to see Gromi again! And it will be so fun that you will be coming with us this time, and Fraulein Maria, too!"
"Yes, yes, Gretl. It will be a great little get-away. But, no trips to Gromi's unless you get your schoolwork done. Keep up the good work on your assignments. I trust Fraulein Maria will be checking when she returns later this afternoon. After dropping the Baroness and Uncle Max off at the train station, I must run some errands in town, so I will be away for a couple of hours."
He looked down at his watch: 9:45. He better get a move on and make sure everyone was ready to go. He had more to catch than just the train.
"Frau Schmidt will be nearby if you need her. She will be calling you all around 11:30 so you can get ready for lunch. Please continue with your work as Fraulein Maria has instructed. After lunch you may head outside to play and enjoy the sun...responsibly. Just stay away from the lake when you are unsupervised." Georg cleared his throat, and the children all lifted their smiling faces at their father. Oh, how times had changed!
"I should be home well in time for dinner."
The younger children all scrambled around him to give him a hug and he smiled at the older children who tried to look like they were much too mature for hugs. At that moment he felt a tug in his heart as he saw them all crowd around him; he recalled with fondness that day several weeks ago when he had caught them singing for Max and Elsa. That day when his heart began to thaw. It was so effortless now; one could hardly remember that he had pushed the children away for so long. Now, he gazed on their faces and saw Agathe in each one. She had never really left him, for it was clear that she still touched his life every day. He sent out a silent prayer to whomever was listening to thank them for sending Maria to his family. Without her, he would most likely be 200 miles away working on preparations for an early fall wedding to Elsa instead of embracing his children.
ooOoo
After tracking down a bell boy to wrangle Elsa's luggage to the train, Georg took a moment to take in the sights of the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. People were bustling about as trains arrived and others prepared to leave. The train station was one of his favourite buildings in the city – quaint and historical. Built in 1860, Emperor Franz Joseph had presided over its official ribbon cutting. It reminded him greatly of old Austria: proud and strong. Unlike his submarine, the trains were somehow tethered to each place they had been previously, their tracks heading out in all directions.
An idea he had frequently pushed from his mind suddenly came back to him: the train possessed a romanticism that reminded him of Agathe. No matter where he travelled, he was always connected to her via the tracks they had laid down in their years together, and of course, in the years since they had parted. The children were his most precious ties to her now. Georg still could not believe he had been so stupid for so many years.
"Ah, Agathe…."
He sighed deeply and gave into the pleasure of a warm smile just for her; it tugged at his heartstrings, but it did not strangle him like it used to.
A stiff, warm breeze snaked across the platform, and he automatically turned his head in the direction from whence it came. He was conditioned to seek it out; at sea he knew that a change in the wind could signal a change in the weather. Today, however, there was no weather change, it was just the warm sun beating down. Yet, overall, things in his life continued to change for the better. As he squinted into the sun, he caught a glimpse of the Untersberg and from there, his eyes automatically searched out the Festungsberg and the tower of the Abbey. He shook his head, again trying to banish all thoughts of Maria returning there in the fall. It just did not feel right no matter how hard he tried to imagine that the Abbey would be Maria's ultimate destination.
An image of her wearing a blue dress - just like the one that the woman at the Boheimkirchen Banhoff was wearing - infiltrated his consciousness. A very similar fabric that he had tucked away in his trunk that day in Vienna. He recalled the afternoon that he had awkwardly presented it to Maria as a thank-you for her bravery. That is how he preferred to think about her - blue and gauzy. Georg could not imagine her in a wool habit, her golden hair hidden under her wimple. She had too much life in her to lock herself away, too many gifts to share. He was so thankful for the fact that it had been God's plan that she end up in Aigen. Hopefully, God had other things in mind for her and this summer at the villa could show her what those things were.
Georg's mind wandered as he imagined what Maria would have been like as a girl. Throwing rocks in a stream, weaving in and out of the trees, spinning in an open meadow. Small but mighty, much like The River Inn, he thought as he scratched his chin, his mind catapulting back to that day a few weeks ago in Vienna when he had sought the guidance of Athena. He should have received strength from the Danube, his link to Elsa, but instead it was the damn Inn, and at the time he was powerless to understand why. He recalled the cold dread that overcame him when he realized she was the Inn, whose headwaters originated in the Swiss Alps before travelling through Innsbruck and Tyrol before joining the Danube at Passau.
In the weeks that followed, Maria continued to drown him in feelings he had long thought dead, and rendered the habitually stalwart Captain a fool when it came to making good decisions, particularly where she was concerned.
He certainly needed to make a stop by the riverbank of the Inn while he was in Innsbruck to visit Bertie and John. Perhaps there would be a message in the water.
Georg was knocked out of his musings as Elsa came alongside, the bell boy helping the conductor to hoist her luggage onto the train. She had packed more in her little bags for a 6-day stay than he used to pack into his submarine for over a month! Max trailed along as he errantly flipped through the latest edition of the newspaper, his glasses sitting on the end of his nose. As the final boarding call was made, he took them off his face, folded in the arms and tucked them into the breast pocket of his jacket. Simultaneously, Elsa grasped tightly to Georg's forearm while he ushered her towards the train. She chatted about her socializing and shopping plans and threw in a last-ditch effort to try and convince Georg to join her for a rendezvous in Vienna rather than heading to Innsbruck to visit his in-laws.
Georg managed to peel her fingers off his arm, and each shared a chaste kiss on the cheek before Elsa and Max climbed the stairs into their private compartment. Elsa blew kisses to Georg out the window as the train groaned to a start. Georg stood on the platform and watched as the train pulled out of the station, huge puffs of steam rising into the air and momentarily blocking out the sun.
As Georg watched the train get smaller and smaller as it sped towards Vienna, the caboose soon a mere speck on the horizon, he could not help but feel lighter. No drama, no entertaining for the next day-and-a-half; it would just be him and the children. And Maria, of course. On Friday morning they would all pile into the car and head to Innsbruck to see his in-laws.
For the first time in almost four years, he had consciously traded Vienna for Innsbruck, and his heart was light because of it. Or perhaps, it was because of her.
As Georg made his way to the car, he checked his watch: it was just after 11. He mentally reviewed the list of things that needed to be done before they left to visit the Whiteheads. He would have to pack, of course, and Guido, his transplanted Italian gunner from the Navy was going to stop by this evening to give the car a tune-up. However, in the short term he had places to go and things to do, and the timing should work out just about perfectly, as he predicted.
It was too nice of a day to drive to where he needed to go, so Georg decided to walk into the Alstadt. Besides, trying to park there was often as complicated as an elaborate military exercise; in the 1200s, they were certainly not designing roads with cars in mind. Squaring his shoulders, he rearranged his hat on his head, putting it on with a slight angle before heading off in the direction of the Von Trapp's favourite bakery. Based on what Kurt had told him, he knew that he would not need to buy krapfen; Maria would have that under control if she had promised to get him some. His only hope was that he would find something appropriate to reinstate a long-forgotten tradition at the villa, one that only his three eldest would remember – for today was the anniversary of July 11, 1924.
As he wove himself in and out of the midday shoppers, Georg stopped by the newsstand and picked up a paper. Nearby, a young girl was selling flowers at a stall near the top of the stairs, so he decided to pick up a small bundle of edelweiss dotted with blue violets and daisies. As he fingered the blossoms, thoughts of Maria managed to push their way to the front of his mind again. Of course, he picked the bouquet with her in mind. Small and white…clean and bright…
The violets reminded him of her eyes: they said so much without uttering a sound. There were times when he would give up his left leg to know what she was thinking when she looked at him that way, although the more time they spent together, he was beginning to wonder if he was slowly figuring it out. There were times when he was quite certain that they were very unholy thoughts.
The flower girl wrapped the posies up in brown paper to keep them out of the sun. He tucked them in the crook of his elbow to carry them, hoping that he would find Maria and be able to offer her a ride home and perhaps some flowers as an expression of his appreciation. He still felt bad for ignoring her for so many days.
Georg found that he was able to just be himself in the presence of Maria; since the day of their argument, not once had she judged him. Oh, there were days when she made very strong suggestions, and Georg could tell she was biting her tongue. However, she always found constructive ways to help and support him as he regained the trust of the children. Being with Maria was just easy and now he realized that life seemed so much simpler without the additional pressure of Elsa looming over his shoulder and grasping his arm at every opportunity. Elsa was prone to jealous fits, and it was somewhat obvious that she felt threatened by Maria, particularly with her ability to interact with the children. Georg supposed he also felt guilty about spending time with Maria and the children instead of with Elsa alone. In reality, it was probably much more complicated than any of that.
With Elsa away, Georg would not have to worry about doing or saying the wrong thing. He really did need to take some time and reflect on their relationship. Were he and Elsa truly suited to spend a lifetime together? Especially a life in the countryside with seven children and one moochy Uncle? Elsa seemed to crave activity and the flashiness of the big city. Elsa was certainly out of her element in the countryside, and it was obvious she was struggling with the simplicity of life in Salzburg. Georg chuckled while he recalled how he used to enjoy moving in those same circles. Well, enjoy was the wrong word, but it was the preferred activity compared to staying at home with his children where the memories threatened to crush him at every turn. Furthermore, Elsa had made very little effort to engage with the children; even Max had enjoyed many activities on the grounds with his brood. But of course, Max had acted like one of the children for many years now.
There's nothing wrong with the children, only the governesses...he had told Maria, and at least he was correct in that assessment. Maria had adapted quickly to life with his children, acting as the only mother figure that the youngest two would have remembered. Perhaps he could convince Maria to stay beyond the end of summer. The children would be devastated if she ever left and there was little chance of Elsa filling her shoes at this point.
Wandering along the streets of Salzburg, Georg finally arrived at his destination. Stopping just outside the bakery, Georg was stirred from his thoughts as a middle-aged lady left the store carrying several boxes. He held the door open for her and she gave him a knowing smile, no doubt recognizing his face. Becoming a Knight was one of the most amazing moments of his life, however, the down-side was that everyone in Salzburg knew who he was.
Fortunately, this woman seemed to be in a hurry and wasn't about to engage him in conversations about submarines or the colour of the dress the Empress was wearing when he had received his honours. He held the door open for her and tipped his hat with a smile and made his way inside.
Georg knew that Maria and the children were regulars at this bakery despite the fact that the governess' manual stated that sweets were not permitted. He was certain that the baker, Frau Lucille, or one of her staff would be able to tell him if Maria had been by yet. It was ridiculous, really, this infatuation he had with her, despite the fact he was trying to teach himself to see her differently...as a friend and a partner in raising the children.
Even when Maria was out of sight in the villa, Georg was constantly straining his ears to catch the sound of her voice, his soul lighting up when she came into a room. On so many occasions he would be sitting at his desk, sketching lines between components and he would find himself thinking about her, even when she and the children were not around. Quite often Georg realized that he just plain missed her. Today was no exception. It was Maria's day off and here he was on a mission to find her and talk to her, especially now that Elsa was gone.
Perhaps if he finally was able to decide exactly what he wanted to say to Maria, he could use this time to say it, particularly since Elsa was out of sight. He wondered if Maria was still planning to return to the abbey. Could he convince her to stay into the fall and be here for the children? Elsa certainly was not the motherly type. He had to make her see that she had so much to give to the world. He cringed at the thought of her light being snuffed out in that stone tower. Last night he had gone to bed having Max's words echo in his head: "it's not long until fall and she returns to the abbey". It wasn't long, and it scared him to death. How could he continue to do this if she left them?
Pushing away those negative thoughts, Georg focused again on the task at hand. Dessert. Oh, and he also hoped beyond hope that Maria had completed her visit to the Abbey this morning and had set foot in this very bakeshop already. He had some intelligence to gather.
Clearing his thoughts, Georg found himself just inside the bakery and the bell tinkled overhead as he closed the door behind him. The shop was empty at that moment, but the delicious aroma of freshly baked croissants tickled his nose. The bakery was painted a lovely shade of robin's egg blue. Origami paper cranes of various sizes and colours were suspended from the ceiling and the breeze from the street tossed them about in the air. There were glass cabinets on three sides of the store that were decorated with pastel-coloured pennants. Most of the cabinets were already thoroughly picked over with odd combinations of krapften, strudel, and pastry strewn about. Thankfully, the larger items still remained: pies, cakes, and sachertortes.
While the shop appeared still at first glance, he could hear the tell-tale scratching sound of the gramophone in the back corner, and drifting over that sound he could hear the dainty voice of Frau Lucille in the back room:
Les oiseaux dans la charmille,
Dans les cieux l'astre du jour,
Tout parle à la jeune fille,
Tout parle à la jeune fille d'amour,
Tout parle d'amour...
Georg laughed to himself. "Les Contes d'Hoffman, as always."
Lucille was a hopeless romantic: a French pastry chef who had moved to Salzburg from Lyon a baker's dozen years ago for love. After the war, his old Navy friend, Martin Strauss had headed west to France to work on a vineyard, and he met her in the lobby of the grand hotel in which she worked. After a whirlwind romance, Martin had proposed marriage and brought her back to Salzburg where they opened the bakery. She was much younger than Martin, which of course turned some heads, but it was obvious how perfect they were for each other.
Georg also knew that Lucille and Maria were somewhat close, even friends perhaps? Maria had been a regular customer at the bakery well before she came to live at the villa for the summer. He knew that there were days when Maria would share a coffee with Lucille on one of her Wednesdays off if their schedules permitted.
Frau Lucille had apparently heard the door bell over her aria, and she soon emerged from the kitchen, dusting the flour off her hands on her apron. Her hair was tied back with a kerchief, and a trace of flour, or perhaps icing sugar, graced her fine features.
"Oh Bonjour, Captain Von Trapp! Quelle belle journée! How are you today?".
Georg smiled at her and replied, "Very well, thank you. How is business?"
"It's très busy, Captain. The festival preparations have begun already. Herr Reinhardt has so many people scheduled to stay at his villa. His order list is changeable and it is keeping me busy!"
She let out an exasperated huff and wiped the flour off her nose.
"Oh mon Captaine, your Maria was just in for Kurt's favourite pastry, it's nice to see you still let her have a day off every once in a while," she replied with a wink. "She picked up an éclair for herself and headed off to les jardins pour un répit."
Georg smiled to himself at her comment: "his Maria"?
"Ma Maria! toi-dit?" Georg arched a brow towards Lucille. "I'm afraid Fraulein Maria is her own woman, as you know. Not many women would ever take on an old sailor the way that she has. Except you, of course," he replied with a chuckle.
"Oh oui, mon Capitaine, ah that is so true! Même Dieu ne peut pas la garder immobile! She is always on the go! However, there is one young man who stops her in her tracks every time – il est très beau avec ses cheveux brun-sables. I don't know how he will go on when she finally returns to the Abbey. They are in here together so often!".
Lucille chuckled as she watched Georg whip himself into a frenzy. She noted with interest as the normally reserved Captain became slightly agitated. His brow furrowed, and his posture immediately straightened.
Peut-etre l'amour, Lucille! Il est un peu jalous, she laughed to herself. Lucille was a hopeless romantic and saw relationships everywhere she looked, and someone had to save Maria from wasting away inside those stone walls. So, why not the Captain? There are so many benefits to marrying an older, more experienced man, she thought.
She didn't leave Georg to suffer long. Once Lucille knew she had hit the mark, she decided to save him from himself. She laughed heartily and winked again in Georg's direction…
"She would do anything for your Kurt, you know! Gave up her last schillings last week so she could give the boy a krapfen for excelling on his arithmetic practice. After she gave it to him, he looked at her like she was the Queen of Sheba!"
Georg was relieved to hear that Lucille was only referring to his youngest boy. The last thing he needed to hear was that some man was competing for Fraulein Maria's affections.
Wait? Competing? Where the hell did that come from?
"Mon Capitaine, we must do something! We can't possibly let Maria return to the Abbey. It would be such a waste!" Lucille continued. "She loves everything about the outside world. The Untersberg, your children, café au lait, beignette, baguette, even you, peut-être?!"
Georg smiled, blushing all the way to his toes. He had no choice but to shake his head in agreement and join in her with her hearty laughter. He was not the only one who thought that Maria was not meant to live in an Abbey.
Wait? Loves me? Where the hell did that come from?
"So, Lucille, what did ma Maria say she would be up to for the remainder of the afternoon?" Georg inquired.
Lucille laughed heartily. Oui, oui, c'est l'amour! she thought to herself.
"Maria a dit qu'elle a visité les soeurs et puis, elle vera dans la soleil, by the fountain, mon Capitaine. She tells me that the best part of being at your home is the wide sky and the belle vue of the Untersberg. But she told me how much she loves the view from les jardins, aussi. I wonder sometimes if she stays at the abbey so she can have a good view of Salzburg. Why else would someone like her want to stay there?"
"Oh is that so, Lucille? I know she often heads to the Monschberg after visiting the sisters to see the sites. If her head isn't in the clouds, she just climbs those steps and places it there..."
He was rambling again, and Lucille gave him a knowing smile.
Looking down into the glass display case, his eye caught what he was looking for. Best to get his dessert before he totally embarrassed himself.
"Frau Lucille, would you be able to please box me up one of your famous sachertortes?"
"Dessert for you, mon Capitaine? Sans blague! Normally you work on a croissant or two, do you have cravings you would like to discuss? Perhaps you are with child?"
Georg laughed out loud. His acquaintances took every opportunity they could to poke him about the number of children he had.
"No more babies, Mon Dieu!" he said with a hearty laugh.
He smiled to himself. Today was the anniversary of the day he was decorated by The Emperor. Agathe had always insisted on a traditional Austrian dessert every year to mark the occasion. Today was the first time in over four years that he chose to acknowledge that tradition. Until Maria had blown into their lives, he had absolutely no desire to celebrate anything.
Lucille lifted a box frame from the counter behind her and she deftly folded the cardboard into place, tucking in the edges. She carefully placed the dessert into the box and fastened it with a red string. As she worked, a family entered the bake shop and the excited voices of the children wound their way to his ears. The cranes danced in the breeze as Georg exchanged his schillings for dessert, and he left Lucille with a generous tip.
"Oh Captain, merci beaucoup. Have a lovely day! As always, it was très bien to see you again!" Lucille called as she made her way to assist the new arrivals.
Georg called back to her. "Ah, merci beaucoup pour ta reconnaissance! Do pass along my regards to Martin. Tell him we need to catch up soon".
Georg turned on his heels with his sachertorte and flowers in hand. He made his way out into the bright sunshine, and he paused outside the bakery while he waited for his eyes to adjust. Both Brigitta and Kurt had provided him with Maria's likely coordinates, and Lucille had provided the confirmation he needed. He headed in the direction of the park with a spring in his step.
ooOoo
In short order, Georg spotted Maria sitting beside the fountain just as Lucille had suggested, hunched over a chocolate éclair. Beside her was a paper bag that likely held the spoils of her shopping. For a moment he paused just to watch her. Her lively expression was magical even in those moments when she was alone. He enjoyed watching her in these unguarded moments without worrying about who would see him back at the villa. She had removed her shoes and was extending her toes and twirling them in small circles. He watched on and swallowed hard as his gaze followed her profile from the tips of her toes, across her ankles and then up her calves until they disappeared into the hem of her dress. Georg was the king of stray thoughts today. He shook out any of these inappropriate thoughts and instead focused on her smile.
His heart did a silly somersault when he thought about approaching her. He could not bear to let this moment pass. After all, he had hoped the day would work out this way, and thankfully the children's collective conversations effectively helped him to determine her coordinates. His feet began moving of their own accord, and before he realized, he had left his spot at the entrance to the park and found himself closing the distance between himself and Maria.
Maria was dusting off the remnants of her pastry when she became vaguely aware of a shadow beginning to approach from over her shoulder. However, people came and went all day in the park, so she thought nothing of it. She enjoyed sitting by the fountain watching the people coming and going.
Maria had been lost in thought, wondering why the Baroness had refused to travel to Innsbruck. Surely, she should be meeting the Captain's in-laws if they were to be married? When she had first heard the news that the Captain would be traveling with the children, she had guiltily looked forward to a few days when she could work on her dress, have a break from the children's activities, and she would not need to worry about the icy glares that the Baroness often threw in her direction.
However, once it became clear that she had misunderstood the Captain's intentions, Maria was now worried about heading out on this trip with him and the children. Innsbruck was much too close to home; literally.
Many years ago – it seemed like several lifetimes ago - Maria had lived in the tiny village of Aldrans. A quaint alpine village nestled on the Nordkette, a stone's throw from Innsbruck. Before being dragged off to live with her uncle, she was forced to leave her parents behind. They now rested in the little cemetery on the Prockenhofweg, just down the road from the mill pond in Aldrans. Maria's feelings were so contradictory: while she supposed she should be grateful for the opportunity to see her parents one more time before taking her vows, the idea of doing so in the company of the Von Trapps disturbed her greatly. Perhaps she could still convince the Captain to leave her behind at the villa? It would be much better if she did this alone.
Maria decided that she would think about that one later. The day was too beautiful to waste on negative thoughts. If she put her faith in God, he would make it work out the way it was supposed to. He would carry her through this last test.
All at once the shadow that she had sensed earlier stopped moving and spoke to her, snapping her out of her reverie.
"Good afternoon, Fraulein. So wonderful to run into you!" Georg called out cheerily, as he smiled that half smile that made Maria's heart flip and chuckled inwardly at the 'coincidence' of finding her here.
"Accidentally, of course, Fraulein!" Georg chuckled to himself.
"Oh Captain! You do have a way of finding me when I'm at my worst," Maria cried as she looked down at her shoeless feet and dusting of crumbs on her lap.
With her words, Georg's traitorous eyes were drawn to her feet once more. "What I'd give to..."
"Er...I realize you get very little solace in our home, but I hope it will not trouble you if I sit with you for a moment. If I am interrupting something, do let me know and I will be on my way."
"Oh, Heavens, Captain! Of course not. It's always a pleasure to see you," she called.
Maria scooted over to her left to make room for the Captain, even though there was plenty of space along the fountain for him to sit down. It just seemed like the polite thing to do at the time. Soon she realized, however, that it hardly mattered that she had moved at all, for the Captain had sat so close to her that he was sitting on the hem of her dress, and she was quite thoroughly trapped [1]. It was like being pressed by a thousand feathers.
Before she let her thoughts go too far, she finally found her voice.
"So, Captain, what brings you into town today?"
Maria looked into his eyes and Georg saw it again, whatever it was. They looked at each other silently for a few moments before Maria had to turn away.
The look in the Captain's eyes was so intense Maria was quite sure he could incinerate her on the spot. Searching her mind for something...anything to say, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Oh silly me, you brought the Baroness and Herr Dettweiler to the train this morning, didn't you? I do hope they forgive me for not wishing them well, for I didn't see either of them in the villa before I left this morning. I hope that they managed to get on their way without any trouble…"
Maria was suddenly distracted by the box bearing Frau Lucille's patisserie stamp, and that was a much more comfortable topic than the Baroness's whereabouts.
"Well, well, well, Captain, it seems you have a sweet tooth today," she chortled with a flick of her head. "And what do you have in that box, there?"
"Well, Fraulein. It's kind of a long story…" he said with a wistful look.
"Oh Captain, I have all afternoon" she laughed. "And you know, I do love a good story".
Georg smiled inwardly. Today was working out better than he had hoped. No Elsa, no Max, no children. Out here in the sun, most people had places to be or were simply too taken with the beautiful day to worry about what Captain Von Trapp was doing with a vibrant young woman.
"Well, since you asked so nicely …" Georg suddenly remembered the flowers he had picked up for Maria and he reached over beside him on the fountain's edge to pick up the brown paper wrapped blooms.
"Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you. A thank you from the children. And of course, from me as well. I had imagined I would be carrying them back to the villa, but there's no reason to save them for later!"
Georg could tell that Maria was touched by this surprise gift. He had tried not to make too big of a deal about the flowers, but inside he was pleased as punch with her reaction. He clasped his hands together in his lap while she undid the ribbon. She pulled away the paper just enough to look inside as the scent of the flowers reached her nose. She could not help but bury her nose in the bouquet.
"Oh my goodness! Thank you so much, Captain. This iscompletely unexpected; what a beautiful bunch of flowers!"
She fixed him with a look of pure fire. He could see something in her eyes that he stumbled upon more and more lately in moments when they were alone. She was as transparent as a bay window, but he doubted she realized this was the case.
"Well Fraulein, the children would have me walk the plank of I didn't thank you for everything on a regular basis. You have worked magic in this family, you know!"
Maria wasn't sure what the Captain was saying at that point. She had stopped breathing and her heart was hammering in her chest. He looked so handsome – the way the sun glinted off his hair and he squinted slightly as he looked at her. When he smiled a genuine smile, he had the most beautiful dimples she had ever seen.
"Sorry, you were saying Captain? I was distracted by the fact that you brought me flowers!" she said with a laugh.
Georg knew better of course. He fixed her a wink and continued with his story.
"Well, on this day in 1924, I just happened to be in Vienna. Habsburg Palace..."
It was incredible, really, how time flew when he was with Maria. Georg recounted the days leading up to Decoration Day, the details of the ceremony, and how upon their return to Salzburg, Agathe had thrown a big party at the villa for him. A night full of Austria's finest food and music.
Georg and Maria had sat at the fountain for well over an hour before the sun's rays became relentless and Maria pointed out that the sachertorte would like melt into a pile of goo if they sat out much longer. Maria tidied up what was left of her éclair and gathered up the krapfen and her flowers. Georg quickly offered to drive them both home, however, before moving on, Georg shrugged out of his jacket and threw it over his arm before picking up his dessert. He steered Maria in the direction of the car by placing his free hand at her elbow.
Maria had rarely seen the Captain so under-dressed. It was slightly unnerving. To make matters worse, every nerve ending in her body was on fire, heat radiating out from the place where he was touching her. With her focus on the Captain's hands on her arm, she soon forgot who and where she was. She stumbled over a cobblestone, but he quickly pulled her against him to prevent her from hitting the ground. She was thankful for his quick reflexes, but at the same time, him pulling her closer only made things worse.
They soon reached the car and the Captain opened the passenger door for Maria; once she had seated herself, he closed it for her. As she watched him making his way around the front of the car, Maria was trying to decide if she was relieved or disappointed that they were no longer so close. What was it about this man that had the ability to make her forget herself?
Fortunately for the two of them, they quickly restarted the conversations they had been having at the fountain. They had a lovely drive home although Maria was certain the Captain took the longest way possible. She didn't travel by car often, but she knew the route he had taken was not one she used to travel to and from the villa into town. Regardless, they had a lovely chat, and on the way home, Maria convinced Georg that he just had to get out some of his navy memorabilia to show the children. Photographs? A uniform? A flag, perhaps? Maria was almost as big a patriot as Georg, and he promised to oblige her and the children when they returned home.
ooOoo
The children were hard to settle after their exciting 'Decoration Day' dinner and celebration. Kurt in particular enjoyed the sachertorte. At bedtime, the children talked animatedly about the Captain's medals, photos, and his naval flag. For the littlest ones, it was the first time they had ever experienced such an event, and for the older ones, it was just like old times. Maria smiled as she recalled with pride how all of the children had sat on the floor and listened to the Captain's tales of the sea. She had uncharitable thoughts about the Baroness: surely what they had witnessed tonight with the Captain would have been impossible had she been here. She seemed hesitant to support the Captain's views of Austria and her future.
The Captain loved his country, that much was for certain. And of course he would. Maria greatly admired his passion for all things Austrian. One story he had told about his Navy days in particular made her heart full, and she found herself appreciating the Captain's personality even further. As she closed the door to Gretl and Marta's room, leaning against the wall, she recalled sitting on the edge of the loveseat by the window; the Captain had just unfurled his flag over the chair, and looked down at it wistfully before he began his story...
"Well, children. It was November 1, 1918 – almost six years before Decoration Day. The surrender order came from the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal War Navy that morning, although it took some time before news reached our submarine. That day the sun was shining through the fog and the men on my sub had mixed feelings about the end of the war. Some were annoyed it was over, while others were thankful, for they had lived to see the end, even if it wasn't the result we had worked so hard for.
I had the honor of raising and lowering this very naval flag in Cattaro for the very last time. With a 21-cannon salute, the 140-year-old Austrian Imperial Navy ceased to exist. We sailed into the harbour at Bocche on the SMU-14, all men on top of the vessel, flag waving, one last time. It was time to go home.[2]"
The boys sat wide-eyed in wonder as they imagined all the scenes their father was describing. The littlest girls were in awe that their Papa had been such an important sea Captain. Georg looked at all their faces and then locked eyes with Liesl. She was trying her hardest to keep the tears back. She had heard these stories before, but never believed she would hear them again after her mama had died. They shared a warm smile, and a trail of tears ran down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut. Maria got up from her spot on the chair and squatted down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder so the Captain could continue his story. He had nodded his thanks in her direction.
The Captain had told the children that every torpedo he had fired in the war were Whitehead torpedoes – invented by their great-grandfather Whitehead. She recalled how proud he was when he spoke of his Maria Theresia honours, but he soon admitted it was not the sinking of Leon Gambetta nor the Nereide that made him most proud, but the fact that not one officer in his multi-ethnic crew had died under his command. The Captain was a brave and fine man, just as the Reverend Mother had described him.
The very Austro-Hungarian Naval flag that he showed the children had been given to him in honour of that final submarine ride into the harbour at Cattaro. The Captain had been to so many places and seen so many things. Maria had always wanted to travel, but there was just no way to afford such luxuries. Paris was high on her list of places to visit, but she also longed to see all the other corners of Europe. However, once she entered the Abbey, all of these things would be outside of her grasp. Days like today challenged Maria's faith and she found herself wondering if she was doing the right thing.
Maria straightened from her position leaning against the wall in the hallway and tried to regain her composure. Daydreaming and brooding. Again. Now was not the time to dwell on these feelings that the Captain aroused and overwhelmed her with on a regular basis.
She tip-toed down the stairs, hoping to steal a moment with the Captain to tell her how deeply touched she was by his stories after dinner. She went up to his study door, which was slightly ajar; through the small space between the door and the frame, she could see the Captain's profile in the light of his desk lamp. He was chatting animatedly on the phone. Maria's heart sank at that moment. Surely, he was talking to the Baroness, ensuring that she had arrived safely in Vienna earlier that day.
Maria immediately felt disappointed and desperately needed a distraction. The villa was certainly more subdued without Max in the house. There had been many evenings when the Captain was otherwise occupied that she would find herself in his company. Well, tonight there was no Max, and with light showers falling outside, she would have to entertain herself indoors. After all of this talk of the great war and the Navy, Maria decided to go to the library and do some reading.
ooOoo
Georg hung up the phone on his desk and took a deep breath. He could not help but smile. Bertie was quite beside herself with the news that he would be arriving with the children and their governess for a visit in less than 2 days. She still could not believe that he had finally been able to put aside the pain of losing Agathe and come to their home-away-from-home in which they had made so many happy memories.
The villa in Innsbruck was a lovely place. Nestled at the base of the mountain, it was white with red shutters and red trim around the windows. It had a view that was second-to-none. He was certain that Maria would absolutely find herself bewitched with the landscape. Lord knows, he could admit that he was entirely bewitched by her, despite his feeble attempts to stop his wayward thoughts. Thankfully, she didn't realize the power she had over him.
Hold yourself together, man...you need to get this out of your mind!
He had seen Maria in the foyer out of the corner of his eye while he was on the phone and wanted to wave her in, but he needed to focus on what Bertie was saying. When Bertie was on a mission, she talked like lightning. Hopefully Maria had not retired for the evening; she often went out to walk along the lakeshore and towards the gazebo, but he knew it was raining tonight. Many nights over the past few weeks he had found her out there when Max and Elsa captured his attention far longer than he had wished.
He closed the door to his study and made his way towards the back terrace door when the light from the library caught his eye. Smiling, he made his way towards the door.
He pushed the door open and peered inside. The table lamps were emitting a warm glow and he could see Maria on the plush velour love seat, her shoes on the floor and her legs tucked under her. She had a large volume on her lap and was quite engrossed with what she was reading. So much so, he was able to push open the door and close it behind him before she looked up upon hearing the latch of the door. She smiled widely and it made his heart melt. She had no idea of the effect that smile had on him. It was a great gift – once given it, he felt like he could do just about anything.
"Oh Captain, you startled me", Maria called. "I was expecting you'd be on the phone for a while. I hope the Baroness and Herr Detweiller had a pleasant trip".
"My apologies, Fraulein. I didn't mean to scare you," he said sheepishly. "Um, I must be honest – I have not spoken with Elsa or Max since I dropped them off this morning. Elsa left a message with Franz while we were eating dinner to say they arrived safely. And well, as you know, dinner-time turned into story time!"
Georg watched Maria nod, a slight look of confusion on her face. Anyway, he didn't want to talk about Elsa, so he quickly steered the topic of conversation away from her.
"It was my mother-in-law. She's quite beside herself that I'm coming to visit. I tried to explain to her that the governess had managed to convince me, but she wasn't buying it, because apparently absolutely no one tells Captain Von Trapp what to do!" he said with a wink.
"Anyway, I must admit that it is odd to see you sitting still so many times in one day, Fraulein. These days off are rather becoming. I am sorry to, uh, interrupt your reading,' he said as he gestured towards the volume on Maria's lap.
Maria closed the book and rolled her eyes.
"Don't be silly, Captain, based on some of the stories you told after dinner, I would hazard to guess that you are far more entertaining than what I am reading!"
"Um," Georg mumbled with a tug on his left ear, "what are you reading tonight, Fraulein? Some stories about the mad wife in the tower? A ball at Netherfield?" Interestingly, he had seen Maria carrying around their well-worn copy of Jane Eyre in recent days.
Georg wandered over to the empty cushion on the love seat next to Maria and sat down on the edge, angling his head and peering over so he could read the spine of the book.
Maria felt herself blush as realization appeared on the Captain's face.
"Submarine Engineering by Robert Whitehead? Now, I am impressed."
"Well, full disclosure, sir, your stories made me curious. I had never really thought about how important design was to making ships more efficient. Especially underwater. And to think you carried torpedoes and could launch them from below the sea! And that your father-in-law's father invented the torpedo? It is just so far removed from the mountains where I grew up, I just had to be a part of it".
Georg again thought of the submarine plans in his desk drawer. He had a sudden urge to roll them out on the surface of his desk and show her how design worked, how inches here and there could be the difference between life and death under the sea. How it could help win a war against those German bastards. However, he decided against it; Georg could tell her about design without having to divulge the fact that he was working on secret plans for his father-in-law - and that those same plans would be hand-delivered the day after tomorrow. But yet, he felt he could tell her anything and she would never betray his confidence.
"Well, you know, Fraulein, you'll learn much more from someone who lived that life versus Robert's account of how to build a hull so that you can launch torpedoes, but I am quite aware that I have done a lot of talking today and you're probably sick of hearing me. You have been uncharacteristically quiet through it all," he said with a hearty laugh.
"Not at all, Captain, I could never be sick of you!"
Georg noted that roll of the eyes again, her lips curling up into an impish smile.
"Like I said, it's just fascinating business!" Maria continued. "I read about the war in school, and although I was around for the latter part of the war, I never actually lived through things I can remember. After the war, my uncle was too focused on his life as a blaggard to care about its aftermath and the people who gave their lives during it. I just never had the opportunity to learn more".
Georg grimaced. She was a mere toddler while he was hunting ships under the sea...
Maria assumed that the Captain was about to embark on another series of tales of the sea, but was sad to see him rise from his spot. Surely their evening together wasn't over already?
Georg got up from the couch and made his way over to the bookshelf. He ran his fingers along the colourful spines until he gripped the one he was looking for. Gently, he pulled it out and tipped it in his hand to pull the sleeve out. He wandered back to the couch beside Maria and placed it on his lap.
Maria felt all the blood drain from her face, but she tried her best to look unaffected. Unfortunately, the Captain was definitely a captain and spotted her unease right away.
"I trust you've seen this one, then …"
Maria looked up into his eyes not entirely certain what she'd find there, but what she saw was not what she expected. He was smiling at her, and the dimples in his cheeks made him look like a slightly older version of his two boys. Maria often saw the Captain in the faces of Liesl and Brigitta. However, at this moment, everything she loved about her two boys was on display in the man that made her feel so many unexpected things.
Her two boys? Where on Earth had that come from?
"Fraulein. It's not like it was in a safe. It was on a bookshelf in plain sight." he cooed. "If you're reading Whitehead, it would only be a matter of time before you came across this".
"Well, perhaps, Captain..." Maria replied bashfully.
Thank goodness the Captain didn't know how much time she had spent pouring over those photographs, especially the one of the Captain on his wedding day. She recalled fondly the night she had set it on her windowsill in the moonlight, trying to understand what it was about him that drew him to her.
"I might have stumbled upon it while you were in Vienna. I had come down to find something to read and I could not help but notice it. I was entranced by the beauty of your words on those pages, and it brought me such joy to see your children when they were small."
"I left it out for the children" he said with a sigh, running his hands through his hair. "They think it is their little secret and I let them have that. As you know, there are pictures of them when they were small. Pictures of me. Pictures of Agathe. There's even one of Max!" Georg got a faraway look in his eyes as he shook the images onto his lap. The wedding photo, the baroness in the gazebo, Uncle Max posing with him, all of the Von Trapp children in matching uniforms.
Maria reached out and placed her hand on the Captain's arm the moment she sensed he was starting to brood over his poor past decisions.
"They are beautiful memories, Captain. You must know the children never said a word to me. Perhaps they figured I would find them, too. Maybe they didn't want to risk losing this link to their past."
Georg momentarily looked down at where her hand rested on his arm, sensing the blood coursing below that single touch point.
"Fraulein. I was such a fool," Georg replied as he looked up to find her eyes again. "You helped me to see that. Only one other woman would speak to me the way you did. Well, maybe two; Bertie would talk that way, but since she's my mother-in-law, it's my job to ignore her! Agathe would let me have it just as you did from time-to-time. She knew exactly when I needed a reset; that is what she used to call it, a reset!" he said with a laugh.
Without even thinking, Maria blurted out the question that had been plaguing her all day.
"The older children have told me a lot about their mother, but what are the Whiteheads like?"
"They are truly wonderful people, I have only avoided them for selfish reasons!" Georg replied, clasping his hands together. "Given the times we are living in, one could not have asked for a better set of in-laws. They treated me coldly at first, thinking I wasn't good enough for their daughter, but with time they warmed up to me," Georg said with a smile.
"As you might infer, Agathe and her mother both have the same given name. That's why Bertie is Bertie, and well, Agathe was Agathe. Actually, to those outside of her friend group and immediate family circle, Bertie goes by Gobertina. She's very much the lady; she is a countess by birth, so along with that upbringing comes a wide variety of talents. She has dabbled in architectural design, painting and music. She plays piano and sings beautifully. Granted, she can't sing nearly as lovely as you do, Fraulein."
There he goes again, Maria thought. He was again giving her that look that made her forget who she was. Maria found herself drowning in his deep blue eyes more and more recently.
"My father-in-law John is a Knight: Cavaliere Whitehead [3]. He was knighted by the Emperor in 1887. With a name like "Whitehead" I'm sure you can tell that he's English – but he was born in Trieste, so he is a citizen of Austria."
Nodding in the direction of the large volume on Maria's lap, Georg continued.
"He's super talented at engineering, having learned from an early age. He has a degree in engineering from the University of Leipzig. His father, Robert, made him a partner in the Whitehead torpedo factory when he was practically still a boy. I learned a lot from him over the years, and he will admit that he has learned from me. After all, I have years of experience working in those damn tin cans under the sea and blasting Whitehead torpedos from them!"
Thinking back to the plans in his desk, Georg paused for a moment, and cleared his throat before continuing.
"Anyway. Bertie comes from a good place, but I know she hasn't been happy with me of late. Initially, she was understanding of my extended grief, but when it started to impact the children negatively - you know, with me never being at home - it really began to grate on her. She suggested therapy quite often. I, of course, resisted."
Despite her best efforts to control herself, Maria began to giggle uncontrollably.
"What?", Georg said with all seriousness. Cocking an eyebrow in her direction. "You're not suggesting that I'm difficult and a bad listener, are you Fraulein?"
Maria could only laugh. Georg's resolve soon cracked and he was laughing along with her.
"She is not at all fond of Baroness Schraeder, you know, she's made that quite clear to me."
Maria could not help but look surprised. The Whiteheads didn't approve of Baroness Schraeder? Perhaps Maria's assessment of people in the upper class was not as poor as she thought. So many times she had so many uncharitable thoughts about the Baroness. Was it relief that she felt knowing that the children's grandparents felt the same? Maria's curious side was dying to learn more, but quickly decided that it was not her place to pry.
"As you can imagine, I have been very negligent in visiting my in-laws since Agathe passed. Usually, it was because I was galavanting about Vienna with Elsa. It's been at least two-and-half years since I took the children to visit myself. It's not like the Whiteheads are inaccessible. They have a small place outside of Vienna in the Wienerwald, then there's the chalet in Innsbruck, they have a summer home in Trieste, and their ancestral home is in Darbyshire. I was the one who chose not to be available. I always sent the children to visit wherever possible. There were just too many painful memories associated with life with the Whiteheads. They love the children dearly, and they love me too, despite the ass I've been. Bertie is beside herself with joy that we are all coming together, especially once she learned that Elsa would not be in attendance. She's really looking forward to meeting you," he said with a gentle smile.
"Me?" Maria squeaked.
"Indeed! After all, I have told them that you're the reason for all of these changes in me." Georg replied.
Maria looked at him with a confused expression.
"Oh, come on Fraulein. We've been over this a thousand times. Without you, things would not have changed."
"Captain. You need to give yourself some credit. You know as well as I do that you can be as stubborn headed as a mule and you will not do anything that you don't want to! You've said it yourself!"
Maria replied with a hearty laugh and a wink.
Georg found himself drawn to her eyes again. There was that look once more. Oh what he's give to know what she was really thinking when she looked at him that way.
With a tug of his ear, Georg cleared his throat, and hopefully his mind, before continuing.
"Anyways, the Whiteheads. Lovely people, highly connected. If you were ever interested in a vocation outside of the Abbey, Bertie could help you with that. But I digress...Bertie's niece, and my Agathe's cousin, well go figure, her name is also Agathe. She is the Princess Agathe of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst [4]. Say that three times fast, Fraulein" he said with a chuckle.
"Princess Agathe, you must meet her before you lock yourself up. She's very accessible to regular people. She loves to socialize more than any other person I know. She lives in a castle in Germany - perhaps you have heard of it? It's called Hohenzollern Castle and it's 885 metres up in the Swabian Alps. I'm sure once she hears from Bertie that I'm back among the living, she will want to catch up and most likely will insist on seeing the person who brought Georg Von Trapp back from the brink!" Georg laughed as he winked at Maria.
"Well, I digress. Princess Agathe was married to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia – he passed on about 15 years ago. He was brilliant man with a PhD, but very down-to-Earth in many ways. As a young man, I used to go riding and hunting with him in Hungary every summer, as long as I wasn't out at sea, of course!"
Georg seemed to catch on a memory for a moment, and Maria could not help but smile to see the Captain enjoying his memories again.
"Friedrich is named after him, you know. First boy in our family and Agathe just begged me to agree. There's a lot of emotion and pomp tied up with given names in the Whitehead clan. For instance, Bertie begrudgingly agreed to name Agathe Agathe – as you can see, there were already so many Agathes on her side of the family, she couldn't bear it. But John was insistent that there be an Agathe Whitehead in his bloodline, and so that was the end of that."
Georg sat back on the loveseat and heeled off his boots and kicked them into a pile on the floor before he continued his story about the Whiteheads. Maria, on her part, was mostly distracted by the Captain's sock feet, but prayed silently for strength to just focus on his words.
Words, Maria. Words!
"As you can tell by the book on your lap, Agathe's grandfather was Robert Whitehead, and you already know that he invented the torpedo. I had followed his work long before I met Agathe since I entered the Navy when I was still practically a boy. I never had a chance to meet him, for he passed on before I had the opportunity. But I did meet his son, John – Agathe's father – in the months leading up to the launch of my first submarine - the SMU 5. Launch day was the day I met Agathe. She smashed a bottle of champagne on the hull [5] - and that day I lost my fear of women being anywhere near a submarine. Well, at least on the dry docks! It was quite literally love at first sight. I can't explain it, but there was just something about her that drew me in. She claims she noticed me right away, but I am quite sure she thought very little of me that day. I had to work hard to win her over."
Georg was amazed at how effortlessly stories of Agathe rolled off his tongue. He had not spoken of his memories like this for so long.
"Captain, you mentioned that…um…sir, may I call your wife Agathe?" She asked carefully, her curiosity finally killing the cat.
Georg nodded.
"You said Agathe's mother doesn't like the Baroness? Why is that? She seems like such a lovely woman, perhaps a little out of her element when it comes to dealing with seven children, but with some practice they could become less overwhelming. What I mean...what I'm trying to say is, if they don't like the Baroness, then your mother-in-law can't possibly be impressed with someone like me. I'm just a mountain girl. Perhaps I should stay behind? You should go ahead to Innsbruck with the children."
"Nonsense, Fraulein!" Georg exclaimed. He tried to process her reluctance to travel with him over the past day, but now it made a bit of sense. She was obviously feeling quite out of her element.
"Do not worry, I'm absolutely certain she will love you. She will see how much you have done for the children, and you can talk about your shared love of music, the mountains, and everything you have learned about the children. And John, well, he's a Knight of Austria, but he does love to weave tales about Queen Victoria! He has a lot of good stories. You can ask him about his title. He likes to tell that story."
Maria sighed. She wasn't getting out of this trip unless she came down with the flu and was bed-ridden. Perhaps she should try to focus on the children and supporting the Captain rather than worrying about herself. If she prayed hard tonight and tomorrow, God would give her the strength to get through this. If the Captain was able to make such progress in so little time, surely it could be possible for her as well? She would have to think about that one...
"Captain. I remember reading your written notes while you were away. I loved your story about the beautiful scenery, the music of those far-away places. They touched my heart. But there was one thing in there that I must ask you about. Well, there are many, but I know we still need to sleep if we have puppets arriving tomorrow and a big trip the day after. What of the fortune teller…?"
"You mean this one" he said as he pulled out some papers.
Maria nodded, a huge smile gracing her features.
"Well," Georg said with a sigh, "the short version of the story is that we had made a stop in Egypt on our way to the Cape of Good Hope, on a sailing vessel in those days...while in port, an old fortune teller grabbed my hand, studied it intently, and declared, 'You will have two wives, you will have ten children, you will see two world wars, and you will live to be one hundred years old.'" [6]
Maria began to giggle and it was infectious. Georg was soon roaring.
"Well, Captain. One wife so far, and I suppose another isn't out of the question, although it's hardly my place to speculate. And with more wives, sir, comes more children. Alas, I fear the worst of the three could be the most certain the way the Germans have been posturing."
"You're right, Fraulein," Georg said with a heavy heart. "I'd rather have an army of children rather than having to fight a war again. Well, let's just hope that the woman was a fraud. What can one really learn from your palm lines, anyway?"
"Can you read more, Captain? Tell me the part about the water. I've never been to the sea," Maria asked quietly as she tried to stifle a yawn.
Georg flipped through the pages until he found the story that Maria had asked about. In his mind he could see her there, in the place he was about to describe. Her youthful enthusiasm and joie de vivre making it all the more poignant for him. He took a deep breath and began to read.
"It is a poor land - rock, rock, nothing but rock. A land without colors. For people from the north who are used to the maidengreen of the spring forest, the silvery shiny olives and the cypresses dark as night do not appear very green. This is a completely new color harmony: blue-blue in all shades, like swimming in blue-blue in all shades, like swimming in blue. The sky above, the vast blue sea all around, the only contrast coming from brilliant white summer clouds above and equally white rocky islands below, the white of the islands being modified only slightly by the gray-green or black-green of the woods. It is as if Nature were abundantly replacing the bleakness seen by the naked eye. The whole land is fragrant; you can smell it from many miles out: juniper, thyme, myrtle, rosemary! It is a heavenly trip there between the islands with the many large and small inlets swarming with fish. But it is most beautiful in the wind still nights, which are uniquely animated." [7]
Georg finished reading and he looked up to find Maria fast asleep. Her head tilted to the side and leaned against the back of the love seat.
"I guess my salty tales of the sea were a bit too much for you, eh Fraulein?" He said with a quiet laugh.
In that moment, Georg took the opportunity to just drink her in. No one was watching, and no one could criticize his transgression. Her long eyelashes were sitting on her freckled cheeks, which had coloured from spending so much time in the Salzburgerland summer sun. He could see her pulse twitching at the base of her neck below her ear, and in that moment he wondered what her soft skin would taste like. Would her pulse thunder for him if he nuzzled her close, breathing her in? What he would give to be able to run his lips along that space between her ear and where her neck entered the neckline of her dress.
Georg swallowed hard. "I can't explain it, but there is just something about you that draws me in," he whispered.
He needed to shut down these stray thoughts before he did something stupid. Should he rouse her send her off to bed? He probably should wake her, but for some reason he could not bring himself to do it. He could check his thoughts and just enjoy the pleasure of her proximity, lulled into relaxation by the regular rhythm of her deep breaths while she slept.
With no chaperone in the house and Elsa across the country, what harm could there be to just be together? He set the memory box onto the side table and then sat back comfortably in the love seat. He stretched out and placed his arms along the back of the seat, his wrist just sitting behind Maria's head. He could not help but trace his fingers along the tips of her hair for a brief, mad moment. Stilling his fingers, he took a deep breath, crossed his legs and put his head back, rolling it to the side to just look at her.
Eventually sleep took him as well; his head full of dreams of the navy, the blue expanse of water he missed so much, wonderful times spent with Agathe, and an afternoon with a lively young woman and an éclair on the rim of the Mirabel fountain.
ooooo
[1] You probably know the photo I am thinking about in this scene. One of my favourite pictures of Julie and Chris where they are both sitting on a little rock garden: he's wearing his blue suit, she is wearing the Laendler dress, and he's sitting on its hem!
[2] This section comes from the real Georg Von Trapp's Book, To the Last Salute.
[3] the real John Whitehead died quite young at 47 after a two-year battle with cancer.
[4] I learned about Princess Agathe in a Wikipedia rabbit hole incident. She was indeed, related to "Bertie". (From the entry on Prince Friedrich of Prussia in Wikipedia)
[5] More true stories about John Whitehead from the Georg and Agathe Foundation website!
[6] and [7] This section comes from the real Georg Von Trapp's Book, To the Last Salute.