Baroness Elsa Schrader thought back to when she had first made Georg's acquaintance, when he'd been the guest of honor at some civic fundraiser. She was vaguely aware of him, as people in certain social circles tend to be. She knew of his military history, his wife's tragic passing, but she'd had no idea he was so attractive. He'd paid her no mind, save for cocktail party pleasantries. To her, he appeared to be dark and mysterious. From then on, she had made a point of getting invited to other society events that he was attending. After a while, when he continued to be indifferent to her charms, she had taken matters into her own hands and asked him to dinner. He was intrigued and accepted the invitation.

Getting to know him, she'd discovered that he was not so much dark and mysterious as simply sad and apathetic. Women love to believe that they can save a man, change him, be the catalyst that turns his life around. Shehadmade him happier, she supposed. When there's little purpose to one's existence, even a small spark is an improvement. Why, on the first day that she had arrived here at the villa, Georg had even told her that she had brought meaning back into his life.

But now she had to face an unpleasant reality: she had started out with the best of intentions, wanting to chase away Georg's demons; in the end, she became something of a monster herself, in her all-consuming desire to keep his focus on her.

Elsa snapped out of her self-reflection when she heard what sounded like Max's voice downstairs, speaking with one of the staff. After confirming that it was, in fact, Max and that none of the children was around, she quickly descended the stairs and called to him. She made an effort to sound casual and nonchalant. "Max, darling, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Max turned to face her with a welcoming smile. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he sensed something in her eyes that belied her breezy attitude. "Of course, I am at your beck and call." He gave a small bow.

"I know it's a terrible imposition, but would you be available to drive me home to Vienna?"

"Of course, darling, when did you want to go?"

She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a flirty laugh. "Now."

"Now? We wouldn't arrive before midnight!"

"Yes, well, bring your toothbrush. You can stay the night in my guest room and return in the morning. If it's not too much trouble."

Those eyes were telling more than she wanted again. He got the impression that he shouldn't ask a lot of questions, at least not now. "All right, just let me find Georg and ask him if I can borrow his car. Do you happen to know where I can find him?"

Max noticed how Elsa's smile fell from her face, though she tried to hide it. "No, I, um…not at the moment. But I'm quite sure that he wouldn't mind. We should just go."

Despite Elsa's assurances, and her unexplained desire to start the journey immediately, Max didn't feel comfortable taking a man's car without his knowledge, especially overnight. He told her that he really preferred to let Georg know what was happening and for her to wait right there. With a wave of his hand, he told her that he'd only be a few moments, not understanding the look of alarm on her face.

After a quick search of the house didn't reveal Georg's whereabouts, Max stepped out onto the terrace, where he noticed Georg and Fraulein Maria talking out by the gazebo. He'd just pop over there and have a quick word. He trotted down the stairs and out into the night. As he got closer to the gazebo, he saw that they had walked inside. Something told him to stop. At that moment, he watched Georg turn, take Maria's face in his hands and kiss her.

"Oh my…oh dear."