This story is a sequel to "Impromptu", though you don't need to read it to understand this one.

Hede von Trapp was on her balcony in her apartment in Paris, enjoying the summer breeze and savoring the views of the beautiful buildings. She could never tire of looking down upon the rooftops of Paris and the leafy boulevards. It was one of the reasons she loved to paint.

She was drowsy after an eventful weekend and was tempted to sleep a little more in the afternoon sun when the telephone rang. She frowned, wondering who was calling her and went to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

There was a pause before a very familiar voice answered. "Hede, it's me."

She blinked several times, surprised to hear his voice after all this time that he had refused to speak to her. "Georg?" Despite everything, she was thrilled to hear from him.

"Yes." He sounded sheepish. Hede was sure he was remembering their last conversation and how badly it ended. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, a little bit tired but fine. Has something happened?" she asked, quite worried. After Agathe passed away, Georg never called her. Maybe something had happened to the children.

"No, no. The children are fine and quite excited. We've just returned from the Mirabell Gardens," he chuckled lightly.

Hede was puzzled. The last time she had heard her brother laughing was four years ago; had he just said he had gone with the children to Salzburg? She was astonished, considering the way he had been detaching himself from his children over the last few years. She was pleased to notice that even his voice had lost that edge of sorrow that she remembered.

"I'm hosting a party in my villa and I wanted to invite you."

"A party? I thought you despised parties. Why on earth are you organizing one ?" she asked, recalling how he always complained about aristocratic balls. Suddenly, she remembered the latest gossip about her brother and a distinguished woman he was courting. She suspected that was his main reason for hosting a party.

"I thought it was time to do it," Georg answered vaguely.

She decided to push him further. "Some weeks ago, I was in Vienna and I heard gossip about you being linked with a Baroness. Her name was..."

"Baroness Schraeder, Elsa," he interrupted her, irritation in his voice. "I hate gossip."

"Don't blame them, Georg. They have nothing to do but talk about other people. Is it true then?"

"Yes."

She could hear him clear his throat uncomfortably, and she wondered why he didn't say more about this Baroness. Still, she knew he tended to be reserved at the best of times.

"That's wonderful, Georg" Hede smiled, happy to know her brother was moving on. "Finally, you are letting people get close to you again. It must be serious if you are holding a party together." Overcome with curiosity and deciding to be daring she asked, "Are you thinking about proposing?"

Georg didn't reply immediately. He sighed, and then answered evasively. "It's complicated. I don't want to talk about it on the telephone."

"Very well then. Tell me when the party is and I'll try to clear my schedule."

Hede wrote the date she should arrive and checked that she didn't have important arrangements to do that week. She was about to say goodbye when he started to speak again in an apologetic tone.

"Hede...I appreciate very much that you're coming after the way things have been between us." His voice was full of remorse, and Hede knew he meant it.

"Forget it, Georg. Let's leave the past behind us."

Even if she couldn't see him, she was sure he had a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Hede. You're very forgiving. Well...I have to go. I'll send Franz to pick up you at the train station."

"Goodbye Georg, take care."

She hung up the telephone and didn't move for a while, quite astonished that her headstrong and proud brother had approached her after their last argument. It was completely unexpected.

But it was reassuring to think that perhaps he was finally getting over his grief. She was filled with curiosity about the new lady in his life. She must be special if she had even managed to persuade him to hold a party.

She turned back to the balcony to enjoy the summer breeze again, thinking about what dress she should wear for the party, and feeling happy that she would see Georg again soon.

Several days after their conversation, Hede was on a train to Salzburg heading to her brother's villa. She was eagerly anticipating meeting the mysterious woman he was courting.

It was the first time since Agathe's death that Georg had shown interest in another woman. It must be a good sign; maybe her brother was finally healing and had realized he could love another woman without betraying Agathe's memory. If she made him happy, that was all that mattered. Hede would be exhilarated to have her brother back to the way he used to be.

She remembered how blissfully happy he had been with Agathe. When Georg met his future wife he had left his rakish side behind without any qualms. She smiled, recalling perfectly how Georg only had eyes for his Agathe, how her smile brightened his eyes. She had been everything to him. Even when he lost the Navy he still had her in his life. But when she died, Georg had been so devastated, it was if he had lost his reason for living.

Hede knew him well enough to notice the subtle physical changes. He still dressed impeccably in his tailored suits and his black polished shoes, his hair was always combed back perfectly, his jaw was without any trace of stubble. He was Baron von Trapp, a decorated Captain. The only hints that his exterior had changed were the dark circles around his eyes betraying his lack of sleep, and his pronounced cheekbones because he had little appetite.

Looking through the window and admiring the beautiful Austrian landscape, Hede tried to remember when was the last time she was at the villa. She had spoken with him several times after Agathe passed away, she also went to the villa some months after he had buried his wife and tried to help him with his children. However, she had found him full of anger; bitter with the world and raging against fate that had robbed him of his wife. Few people dared people to approach him. The children had suffered the most. Gone was the loving parent, and in his place was a resentful man who only lived to be busy, mastering the art of pushing aside his problems and closing his eyes when the children needed him.

Though Hede returned to the villa and tried to coax him into taking care of his children, she had never been successful, always coming up against an impenetrable wall. Whenever she questioned the discipline he had resorted to, to manage them, he had reacted angrily and defensively. She sighed, closing her eyes, while his harsh words from the last time she had tried, returned to her mind.

Hede had been at the villa for a day and was concerned about her brother. Georg was at the villa but was completely absent. He hadn't greeted her when she arrived, he didn't eat with the children or her, and he didn't leave his study. Eventually, she sought him out, determined to change his behavior by talking to him.

She had found him in his study, with a bottle of whiskey on his mahogany desk, nursing a glass of the dark liquid in his hand. She was shocked at his tousled hair, the rolled up sleeves showing his forearms and the loosened tie. When Georg was disheveled it showed he was at his most vulnerable, leaving the immaculately groomed Baron behind and revealing the real Georg. They had both had an aristocratic upbringing and because of that, her brother had always been a little obsessive about his appearance; it was his way of distancing himself from people and it had also helped him to serve in the Navy. She could only recall two times when she had seen Georg like that. Both times he had been too devastated to be bothered about his appearance.

Hede approached him quietly. He was brooding and seemed far away with his thoughts. In one hand he held his wedding picture.

"One day I'll fly next to you, my love..."He whispered in a broken voice to himself, unaware of Hede's presence.

Her heart broke into a million pieces when he said that. It hurt her terribly to see how much he was suffering. She decided to tentatively break his reverie.

Hede touched him lightly on his shoulder. He jerked back, and when he looked at her she saw a wave of anger she'd never seen in him before.

"Georg, how are you?" she asked softly, hoping to calm him down.

"Leave me alone, Hede!" he snapped, taking a large gulp of whiskey and putting down the glass with such force that part of the contents sloshed onto the desk.

If he thought he could scare her with his anger he was wrong. She knew him better than anyone else did, apart from Agathe. She ignored his outburst and frowned. "It's too early to drink whiskey, you didn't even have a proper breakfast."

"I really don't care, Hede" She could tell that he was slightly intoxicated from the way he drawled. Hede hated seeing him this way. She took the half-full bottle from the desk and left it on the cabinet. She tried to reason with him.

"Georg, you can't shut yourself off from the world. Your children need you."

"Leave. me. alone!" he hissed, clenching his teeth.

Hede lost her patience, feeling angrier with each answer he gave. "You're behaving badly. The children need you, even more now that they have lost their mother. Don't you see that you're losing them? They're growing up and you have barely noticed them. Have you realized Liesl is a teenager? She's being forced to be their mother and their father because you are neglecting them! Have you noticed Gretl is already three years old? You're not the only one who's grieving!"

Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say because he suddenly stood up from his chair, crossed the room in three strides, and opened the door forcefully, his face full of rage.

"You have no right to talk about my children in this way, and nor should you judge the way I am raising them," he snapped, leaving no room for any kind of argument. He finished stiffly, "Perhaps it would be best if you returned to Paris."

She was about to protest and try to reason with him, but the fire in his eyes stopped her. She sighed in despair, and left the room, deciding to spend some time with the children before leaving again for Paris.

After she left Aigen, Hede called once a week to speak to the children and make sure her brother didn't do something foolish. He never talked to her on the telephone, though Frau Schmidt was kind enough to tell her how he was doing. From what the housekeeper said though, there had been little improvement, and if anything he appeared to be withdrawing from them even more, spending a great deal of time away from home.

Hede was glad the children still had their mother's parents at least, and that they could spend Christmases peacefully with their grandparents, away from their father's grim moods.

She returned to Aigen several times to be with her nieces and nephews on special occasions. When she couldn't be there, it was because she was in the middle of a creative flow, but if it was someone's birthday, she always sent presents. Georg usually wasn't there, and if he was he never dared to come between her and the children. They never spoke again, and if he saw her, he only greeted her with a distant nod.

While she could understand his grief, he wasn't the only one who was suffering. As she had told him, the children had lost their mother. Liesl and Friedrich had had to mature faster to take care of their younger siblings. The little ones barely knew their mother and even the rest of the children had trouble remembering her. Furthermore, they were starting to accept they had lost their father too. Even when he was home they felt the distance in him. Their loving "Papa" had become their stern "Father" instead.

Although both Hede and Georg had been educated strictly not to show their emotions, she was hurt every time she saw him. After all, Georg was her little brother. They had relied on each other throughout their lives because their father had died when Hede was eight years old; then their brother passed away too soon while serving in the Navy, and their mother had died of a broken heart only one year after Werner was killed. Then Georg had lost the Navy, and the last blow had hit him so hard that it seemed impossible to believe he could ever recover.

Hede pushed away the negative thoughts and tried to focus on the positive ones, enjoying the familiar landscape and the beauty of the Austrian forests and mountains. Though she was happy to live in Paris, surrounded by artists like herself, there were times when she missed her homeland and the peace she felt when she was at home.

After several hours on the train, she arrived at the Salzburg station. Franz was already waiting for her, and just looking at his face it was quite easy to see that he wasn't happy to be there. He had been the butler ever since she could remember. In all that time his frowns and disapproving looks had never left his face. Franz had only ever respected her mother.

When she arrived at the villa she was surprised and touched to find Georg already waiting for her, with a lopsided smile on his face. She got out of the car and approached him but stopped when she was in front of him. Hede didn't know how what to do, so she decided it was best if she made the first move. She hugged him tentatively. Georg seemed doubtful, reserved as always, though in the end he relaxed and kissed her cheek tenderly.

"How was your journey?" he asked, giving her a full smile. Hede was heartened that he kept his arm around her shoulders.

"Exhausting...But I'm glad to be here. How are you?" she asked. She studied him. Although he seemed more at peace than when she last saw him, there was still something not quite right, she could tell.

He hesitated just for one second before replying in a firm tone. "I'm fine."

Hede wasn't so sure, but she didn't want to push him before talking to Georg about their last conversation. Though Hede had told Georg it was forgotten, she knew it was necessary to talk about it.

"I'm glad. You look good." Hede smiled, noticing how his cheeks were fuller. He had regained the weight he had lost several years before.

"Thank you. You look wonderful as always, though you must be tired."

There was an awkward pause before he continued. "The children are playing next to the lake, they will be very happy to see you." He shifted from one foot to another one, looking a bit uncomfortable. Hede realized that they definitely should talk before the party. She sensed he was ill at ease about something, but she wasn't sure it was his sorrow about Agathe this time.

Hede nodded and walked towards the villa, while he told her some details about the party. They went into the parlor and sat down. Georg drummed his fingers on his thigh.

"Max is here, I'm sure you remember him. Right now he's in Salzburg, but he will return tonight."

Hede smiled. "How can I forget him? He's been around you for twenty years, and I must say that of all your friends, he's the most loyal."

"Max is a charming sponge, though sometimes he can be a child."

"And you can be very obstinate," she teased him. "You two make an interesting pair." Hede raised an eyebrow, laughing.

"Good afternoon, my dear." An elegant, feminine voice interrupted their conversation.

Hede looked at the woman in the doorway. She was very beautiful, with blonde hair, big blue eyes, and red lipstick. She was tall and had a very fine figure, dressed in a spectacular skirt and a silk blouse.

Georg rose politely and went to her, introducing them. "Elsa, this is my sister, Hede von Trapp. Hede, this is Baroness Schraeder."

"How do you do? Call me Elsa, please," she said, giving Hede an enchanting smile.

"Nice to meet you, Elsa," Hede replied.

They made small talk while waiting for Hede's nieces and nephews to appear. Hede asked Elsa a few questions, wanting to get to know the woman who had helped heal Georg's heartache.

Suddenly, the foyer was filled with laughs and screams from the children. Little Gretl stuck her head into the parlor and ran to Hede.

"Aunt Hede, Aunt Hede!" she squealed, throwing herself into Hede's arms and hugging her.

She didn't have time to say anything to Gretl because the children were around her in the blink of an eye, the little ones encircling her waist and the older ones talking at the same time. Hede touched their cheeks, surprised and delighted to see them so happy. She remembered that the last time she had been here they couldn't hide their sadness.

"Oh my goodness, you all look so grown up!" she said affectionately.

"Aunt Hede, we were playing hide and seek, and I won! Poor Fraulein Maria, her dress is full of mud," Kurt said excitedly.

"Who is Fraulein Maria?" Hede asked curiously.

"Our governess! She's the best, she plays with us and she sings like you can't imagine!" Brigitta answered her, with her brothers and sisters nodding.

At the door, there was a girl who didn't look much older than Liesl. She had blond hair, cut in a strange style though it suited her somehow. Her blue eyes were shining from the exercise, and there was an energy about her that the other governesses seemed to have lacked. Her yellow dress was covered in mud and she seemed embarrassed to be in that situation in front of her employer.

"You rascals, what did you do to your poor governess?"

"It wasn't our fault, Aunt Hede! She was so engrossed in looking at the lake that when Friedrich startled her, she fell into the mud."

Their father cleared his throat and the children turned to him. Hede was astonished at the difference between how they looked at him now, compared to before. They weren't scared, not daring to look at his eyes. Instead, they looked at him with admiration and love. Hede was sure that some months ago he would have hushed his children and ordered them sternly to march into the garden quietly.

"Hede, this is Fraulein Maria, the children's governess," he said, without taking his eyes from Hede's. "Fraulein, maybe you should change your clothes before dinner."

The governess chewed her lip, glued to the spot next to the door and nodded, with her cheeks flushed. After politely greeting Hede she disappeared. Hede was intrigued by the subtle tensions in the room. Elsa had a strange expression on her face, and Georg was frowning.

"Children, why don't you tell Aunt Hede what you did in your puppet show?" Georg said with a sudden smile in his face, and immediately their eyes lit up and they started talking at the same time.

Hede enjoyed their stories and asked questions about what they did with the governess. Georg was busy pouring some drinks, and the Elsa was seated on the other sofa, looking out of place as she concentrated on her cigarette. After some minutes, the governess returned dressed in a lovely blue dress, but she was walking slowly like she was trying to be invisible.

The children were ecstatic to have their governess near them, asking her if they could have another picnic or play capture the flag. Hede smiled; Fraulein Maria really knew how to make the children happy. She looked at Georg to ask him a question but stopped when she saw his eyes transfixed on the governess. He seemed oblivious that he was staring at her, with his mouth slightly parted and wiggling his fingers. Suddenly, he blinked several times and turned abruptly back to the cabinet.

Elsa stood up gracefully and approached Georg, taking the glass he was offering her with one hand and resting her free hand on his arm. To Hede, it seemed a possessiveness gesture because of the way she gripped his sleeve with her fingers. Her brother was uncomfortable, his shoulders were entirely rigid and he had a forced smile, though she doubted anyone would notice it. Although he was an expert in hiding his emotions, he didn't fool her.

She decided not to jump to conclusions and returned her full attention to the childrem. Georg and Elsa left the parlor to be alone. Accompanied by Fraulein Maria, she spent part of the afternoon with the children, playing with the little ones, and she even had a private conversation with Liesl.

Frau Schmidt announced that dinner was ready, and Hede approached the housekeeper, greeting her warmly, inquiring about her wellbeing. Just like Franz, Frau Schmidt had been working at the villa since she was little, and Hede had always been fond of the woman.

"I've seen some things have improved since I was here last. Georg is...different somehow," Hede said, wanting to know the housekeeper's opinion.

"Yes, Fraulein von Trapp. The Captain is rebuilding his relationship with his children thanks to Fraulein Maria. Only last week he was sick and they were so worried about him. When he got better he took the children to Salzburg and spent an entire day with them, alone. You should have seen their faces. They were so happy," she said, smiling. Hede could see how devoted she was to them.

"My stubborn brother is very lucky to have you, Frau Schmidt."

Frau Schmidt chuckled quietly and shook her head. "It's good to see that he is so much more at peace with his loss."

Hede went to the dining room, where the children were already waiting for her. Frau Schmidt had to rearrange the chairs for twelve people because, as Marta told her, Fraulein Maria had to have dinner with them and they also wanted to be with their papa. Hede noticed Elsa wasn't happy with the situation, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she sat next to Georg and dragged him into an endless conversation about the party while they waited for dinner to begin.

Max arrived just in time before the meal was served. He greeted Hede fondly, not having seen her in some time.

Hede was about to start eating but was surprised when a gesture from her brother made her stop. The children, Georg and Fraulein Maria clasped their hands, and the governess thanked the Lord. She was amazed at that gesture, finding it very interesting that her brother had let God back into his life.

During dinner, she spoke with the children, exchanged bad jokes with Max and talked a little with the governess, curious about her. She was surprised to learn she was a postulant, and the governess seemed devoted to accomplishing her dream. Hede admired her determination to pursue her desire; not everyone was ready to give their life to God.

Afterwards, they went to the parlor. Max had a cigar in his hand and Georg was drinking scotch. He had a smile on his face but it didn't reach his eyes. He seemed thoughtful and distracted, though he replied to Elsa when she spoke to him or chuckled if Max made a joke.

Hede had assumed that with Elsa next to him he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her; even more so because of the spectacular red dress that she had put on for dinner. In truth, the dress was far more suited for an opera than for a simple dinner. However, Hede was completely wrong, and she guessed that something wasn't quite right because Georg hardly ever looked at Elsa in the eyes.

Suddenly he looked sideways and only after he did it again could Hede follow his eyes, curiously. She was shocked to find he was stealing glances at the governess. She had thought Georg disliked the woman because he had completely ignored her. At first, when he had made the introductions he didn't even look at her, and then, when they were having dinner he was the only one who didn't share any words with her, far too engrossed with Elsa's conversation. He only addressed her once, very politely but coolly. Hede remembered Georg being more talkative with the other governess before Fraulein Maria.

The governess sat in the corner of the room, surrounded by the children and playing cards with them, completely unaware of her employer's glances. It was easy to see that she loved the children by the way she spoke to them, smiled at them, and even embraced them now and then. Gretl's head was resting on her arm, and when Fraulein Maria leaned down to kiss her forehead, Hede's heart stirred. Hede had only ever seen one other person behave with such tenderness with the children, apart from Georg, and that was Agathe.

"Gretl, it's time for bed," Fraulein Maria said softly, caressing her hair. "And for you too, children."

The children complained about it, but just a look from Fraulein Maria was enough to stop them. Liesl, who was allowed to go to bed one hour after her brothers and sisters, was also tired and decided to retire with them. Hede said goodnight to each child. When they were leaving, Marta ran towards her father, climbing onto his lap to get his full attention.

"Papa, would you read us a story?"

Georg kissed his forehead, grinning. "Of course, Liebling."

Marta clutched his fingers with her little hand and Georg followed her, giving Elsa and Max an apologetic smile before leaving the parlor with his children and the governess. Max chuckled, dragging on his cigar.

"Those little dears. They certainly know how to get what they want!"

"They remind me of Georg when he was little. When he wanted something he persisted until he got it," Hede replied, smiling wistfully.

"I can be determined too! Hede, now that you're here. Did you know the children can sing beautifully?"

She thought about it, though she was sure she had never listened to them singing. "I didn't know that, but I'm not surprised. Georg and Agathe were very musical."

"Oh, they have such lovely voices. Thanks to Fraulein Maria they have sung a few songs perfectly. Don't you think so, Elsa?" Max inquired.

Elsa smiled casually, nodding slightly. "Yes, they have."

Max continued, "And Fraulein Maria has perfect pitch. She even yodels and makes it seem as easy as speaking. Thanks to the puppet show I've discovered how talented she is."

While Max was enthusiastically talking about Fraulein Maria's gift, Elsa seemed uncomfortable with his praise, however, she tried to hide it with smiles.

Hede felt sympathy for the woman; it couldn't be easy courting a man with seven children from his first wife. But, if she wanted to succeed with Georg, Elsa would have to win the children over. That was clear from what Hede had witnessed today.

"Hede, do you think you could coax Georg into letting me take the children to the Salzburg Festival? It's too irresistible!" he suggested cunningly, trying to enlist her help.

"Max, since when has my brother listened to me? When he says no, he means no." Hede knew how stubborn her brother was about such things.

"Hmmm..." He stroked his mustache thoughtfully, muttering. "Perhaps I'll try with Fraulein Maria instead."

Hede rolled her eyes, knowing how persistent Max could be. "I think I'll retire. I'm exhausted after my journey, and I want to talk to Georg before going to sleep. Good night."

Hede left the parlour and went upstairs, thinking that maybe Georg was still telling the little ones a story. She was going to the nursery when her brother's voice reached her ears. She stopped near his private study, wondering if perhaps Georg was talking with a child. Even with the door closed, Hede could hear their voices.

"...we've decided that they should be in the courtyard; in that way, they can enjoy the party before their surprise," he finished, in a flat tone.

"Yes, Captain."

Hede recognized the governess's voice; she was surprised that the governess sounded so tense. It was in complete contrast to the tender, loving way she had been with the children.

There was a pause before her brother spoke again. "Is everything all right, Fraulein?"

"Yes, Captain," she replied again stiffly.

"Are you sure? You're very quiet and normally you are outspoken with me."

"I'm fine, sir," the governess stressed, though even Hede could tell from her tone that she wasn't. She could imagine that Georg was giving a frustrated sigh.

"Very well, Fraulein. You are dismissed," he said, with an edge of hurt in his voice.

Suddenly the door was opened and Fraulein Maria left the study, turning to the opposite side in which she was. Hede was glad that it was dark and the governess hadn't noticed her presence.

The door closed and Hede was alone again, trying to understand what she had just witnessed. It was completely baffling. In fact, everything she had seen since she arrived had been different to what she had expected. While she was delighted that Georg seemed to be gradually healing from his grief, at the same time there were tensions and undercurrents here that Hede could not make sense of.

Her head was starting to throb after a full day on the train and she knew she should sleep. Sighing tiredly, she entered her assigned bedroom, changed her clothes and lay on the bed, closing her eyes.

Her last thought before she drifted off was that something was going on at the villa and she was determined to find out what it was.

Special thanks to bloomandgrow for checking my grammar and encouraging me!

I don't own TSOM.