Georg von Trapp knew it was rude to read at the table during meal times. After all, isn't that what he was always telling his daughter Brigitta? He knew he should put the morning's newspaper down and wait until after breakfast. Then he could excuse himself and read it more thoroughly and with less distraction in his study. But judging by the headlines, the current political situation seemed to be escalating rapidly. He despaired at the direction the region's leaders were taking his beloved Austria. He despised their politics of hate and division.
He knew he needed to stay several steps ahead of the situation for the sake of his family. After all, up to now he'd made no secret of his views. And there was the fact that he was a national war hero. Normally, he would cringe at such a label. But he knew that it made him a valuable asset for politicians who seemed hell bent on pushing the region towards yet another conflict. As far as he was concerned, those days were well and truly behind him. Given the headlines and a quick scan of the main article, he needed to accelerate his plans to secure the family's future.
Folding the paper, he let out an audible sigh as he finally relented, putting the paper aside and displaying the same manners he expected from his children. Elsa was sitting to his right and looked at him with a raised brow. He gave her a smile, but the reassurance he tried to convey was shallow at best. He knew that Elsa gave little thought to politics, unless, of course, it involved a social scandal. He quickly chastised himself for his uncharitable thought. Still, he struggled to understand how people could not be moved to take a stand. To at least have an opinion. Sitting on the fence was as unforgivable as siding with the fascists.
Without the distraction of the day's news, he looked around the table at his children as they chatted noisily to each other. They all seemed to be talking at once. He wondered how they were able to hear each other above themselves. Were they actually having conversations with each other, he wondered? But he didn't care. Despite the day's headlines, he could barely contain his happiness as he looked around the table at his children. It was a newfound happiness. One that he had quickly got used to.
He'd only been back from Vienna for several weeks, but how things had changed. Once, a single word from the children at the table would bring his anger to the surface. But now he revelled in the din. Revelled in how surprisingly quickly his family had fallen into an easy rhythm after the years of his enforced discipline and extended absences following the passing of their mother. He felt a pang of guilt at the thought. Would the guilt ever lessen? Could he ever let go of it completely? He doubted he could.
His eyes drifted to the opposite end of the table. Fraulein Maria, the children's governess and the reason for them reconnecting as a family, seemed unusually subdued. During mealtimes, her voice would often rise above the noise of the children as she tried to contain their enthusiasm. But not today. He found he missed hearing her in the background.
Even with all the noise the children were making, her silence was noticeable. He had to admit that the initial fury she'd sparked had quickly given way to intrigue. Although still very much intrigued, he felt such gratitude for what she had done for his family. As he watched her pushing her food around the plate, he wondered what was distracting her. Why did she seem so downcast?
Maria was only vaguely aware of the children's conversations bouncing across the table. Every now and then she would hear her name, looking up she'd offer a smile in the direction it came from. She tried not to be so distant and tied up in her own thoughts, but she knew that today was different to most other days. It was always going to be difficult.
Trying desperately to appear a little more engaged, Maria willed the meal to be over so she could finally escape. She felt a pang of guilt at the thought of wanting to escape, for wishing to be away from the children she had grown to care for so deeply over the past weeks. But it was that kind of day. One best spent alone.
"I'm afraid I need to go to town this morning," Georg quietly turned his attention back to Elsa. He could see the disappointment momentarily flash behind her eyes, before she quickly resumed her customary façade.
"Well then, I think I'll retire to my room and catch up on some correspondence I've been neglecting." Elsa smiled, hoping that Georg wouldn't see through her attempts to avoid his children. It was enough that she had to suffer through their raucous noise at mealtimes, but at least Georg was by her side to shield her from them. The thought of being alone with them was far too unsettling. She didn't have a maternal bone in her body and, truthfully, she was still wary of them and, judging by the sideways glances often thrown her way, she could sense that the children were just as suspicious of her. No, best to return to the safety of her room where she knew she could avoid them completely.
"I shouldn't be too long, I just need to sign some papers. When I return, you'll have my undivided attention." Georg gave Elsa's hand a reassuring squeeze.
He knew that Elsa had little experience with children, and since their return from Vienna she still felt uncomfortable around the children. He knew it would take time for the bonds to develop and that he couldn't expect too much after such a short time. For heaven's sake, there were eleven past governesses who could attest to how difficult his seven children could be! His mind drifted to governess number twelve seated at the end of the table, as he wondered what made her so different. So unusual. She had connected with the children by the end of their first meal together.
"Thank you, Georg. It would be lovely to spend some time together." It had been building slowly, but Elsa was becoming more resentful of the time Georg was spending with his children. In Vienna, she'd grown to know a man almost completely lacking of emotion who seemed to care little for his family, which suited her perfectly. She herself had always felt more comfortable skating across the surface of her own emotions, so had never felt the need to prise open the lid that Georg had placed firmly on his own.
However, soon after their arrival at the villa, that all seemed to change. Looking back, Georg seemed to become a different man once the children reappeared changed and dry after their fall from the boat into the lake. Before she even had a chance to put the few names she could remember to the faces, Georg was singing with his children and embracing them with such unexpected emotion and urgency. She would have been happy if that was all, but now she found that she was competing for Georg's time with his children. She knew that the competition was unfairly pitted against her. How could she possibly win against them, especially when he seemed to be seeing them for the first time in a long time? And it didn't help that the governess seemed to be encouraging him.
Georg smiled at her, hiding his disappointment. He knew it was early days, but he really had hoped that Elsa would have made more of an effort to spend time with the children. How else was she supposed to get to know them? Did she not realise that was main reason for her visit to Salzburg? He reprimanded himself for being such a hypocrite. After all, it was only in the past weeks that he'd started acknowledging and rediscovering his children since their mother had passed away four years ago. But surely Elsa realised that if they were to marry she would have to be a mother to his children. There was only so much that could be expected from a governess.
As his thoughts turned to the governess, he turned his attention back to the opposite end of the table. He doubted whether Fraulein Maria had managed even one mouthful since the last time he checked. She definitely wasn't her usual vibrant, lively self. In fact, he couldn't ever recall her not being vibrant and lively since her arrival at the villa. She was always such a joyful and energetic force. A presence that naturally demanded the attention of the rest of the room, while never seeking it out. But not today. She did seem rather pale and tired.
Georg could feel the initial concern starting to give rise to a building anxiety – surely she wasn't falling ill? He knew he was probably overreacting. It was probably nothing. He hoped it was nothing.
You'd think that for a man who had seen more than his fair share of atrocities during his years in the navy that he could control these irrational fears. And yet, more than anything, he'd come to dread even the smallest illness in the household. These days, he worried that a cold could quickly escalate to something much more serious. That influenza might lead to pneumonia. And what might start out as something as innocuous as a little tiredness and fatigue, could rapidly become a fever, which could…his breath caught as he quickly shut down where his thoughts were taking him. Surely it was nothing and he was overreacting! He wasn't even sure why his concern about his governess had taken such a sudden and dangerous detour. Surely she was just a little run down from chasing after the children.
Taking a deep breath and making sure his thoughts were safely locked down, Georg cleared his throat.
"Children!" His raised voice brought an abrupt end to the racket around the table, which had steadily increased in volume as breakfast had been drawing to an end. "Fraulein Maria is taking a well-earned day off today. Frau Schmidt will be in charge, but I've made sure that Fraulein Maria has left plenty of work to keep you all occupied with your studies this morning."
All the children's attention turned to the end of the table to their governess. Fraulein Maria never took a day off. Even on weekends, she always spent the entire day with them. In the beginning, it had just been the eight of them. But now since their father had returned from Vienna with the Baroness, he had been included in many of the activities planned after their morning studies. Strangely, the Baroness never joined them. In fact, she showed little interest in them. Not that they cared, they were just happy to spend time with their beloved governess and father.
"Father, what will we do this afternoon?" Marta asked quietly, voicing the concerns of her brothers and sisters.
"Well, Marta, I have some errands to take care of this morning, so we'll just have to see," Georg replied. He was still astonished at the change in his second youngest, who was by far the most sensitive and shy of all his children. While he'd been away in Vienna, Fraulein Maria had somehow coaxed Marta out of her shell. It was a miracle! So much so, that she was now addressing him at the dining table during a meal. His heart swelled with pride and gratitude.
"Can we go on a picnic?" Kurt quickly asked.
"Or a bike ride?" Louisa chimed in.
"Or take the boat out on the lake?" Friedrich had been filled with so much pride and joy sharing the rowing with his father when they took Fraulein Maria and the other children out to one of the many islands that dotted the lake last week.
"But what about Fraulein Maria? It won't be the same without her." Gretl was struggling to imagine one of their afternoon outings without her governess. They all were.
"Now children, I think it's a marvellous idea to go on an outing with your father!" Maria finally found her voice as she looked up at the Captain and forced a smile. "Why, I'm sure the Baroness would love to join you as well!"
Maria and the Captain both turned their attention to Elsa, who shot an unguarded look at Maria, before quickly remembering herself and replacing it with her usual poised façade. Elsa turned to Georg, hoping for a lifeline to escape an afternoon with his children. After all, she had hoped to spend the afternoon with him alone, not with his seven children in tow.
"What a wonderful idea!" Georg smiled at Elsa. If anyone knew anything about being thrown in the deep end with the children, it was him. Thanks to Fraulein Maria, that's all he'd been doing these past weeks. After the initial feelings of doubt and unease, he quickly realised how much he loved spending time with his children. Getting to know them again after avoiding them and shutting himself off for years. How much he missed them. He couldn't think of a better way for Elsa to overcome her fears and lack of enthusiasm.
"Children, how about we decide at lunch how we spend the afternoon? There does seem to be a chill in the air today, and I'm not so sure that this weather is going to hold out." The Captain cut through the awkward silence as everyone's attention was still on the Baroness waiting for a response. "Now, it's time you all made your way upstairs to start your studies. Frau Schmidt will be up shortly."
There were groans all around the table as the children pushed back their chairs and slowly started making their way out of the dining room. Georg smiled to himself as he watched them leave. Some things would never change.
"Children, I'll check in on you before I leave for town," Fraulein Maria called after the children. Georg quickly spun towards the other end of the table. It was only the second thing Fraulein Maria had said during the entire meal. Her voice was so flat, so subdued, that he hardly recognised it. She was spending her day off in Salzburg? Whatever took her there in the middle of the week?
The household had slipped into a steady routine where Franz would drive her and the children to Mass on Sunday mornings, but she never went to town otherwise. Perhaps there was some special feast day that meant she had to attend the Abbey. Since the children's mother passed away, Georg had quickly lost track of such things. Actually, he'd lost track of most things.
He was surprised to hear that Fraulein Maria intended to spend her day off in Salzburg. When she'd requested the day off, he'd naturally questioned her. The evasive answer led him to believe that she had nothing in particular planned.
But now that it seemed their plans were taking them in the same direction this morning, he saw his opportunity. He would give her a lift into town. Being the sensible thing to do in the current environment, it would give him a chance to find out if she was unwell or if there was something troubling her. It would also give him an opportunity to find out what took her into town. He had to admit to himself that despite his concerns, he was more than a little intrigued.
"Georg, I'll see you when you return," Rising from the table, Elsa pierced through his thoughts. "Don't be too long," she added suggestively, turning on her heels and making her way out of the dining room and back to the safety of her room. Elsa hoped that Georg would return from Salzburg well before lunch so she could convince him to spend the afternoon alone with her rather than forcing her to spend time with the children. She really couldn't have that conversation in front of the governess, and neither of them looked in any hurry to leave the dining room, so it would have to wait until his return.
Maria looked up, feeling a little uneasy being witness to a private moment between the Captain and the Baroness.
"Excuse me, Captain," she said as she rose to leave. "I'll go check on the children and then I'll be leaving for town."
"Fraulein, as luck would have it, I have some business in town myself this morning. Allow me to give you a lift."
Maria forced a smile, which didn't reach her eyes.
"That's very kind of you, but it's not necessary. I don't want to put you out." Maria really just wanted to be on her own today.
"Don't be ridiculous, Fraulein! You won't be putting me out at all, in fact, I insist. I'll see you in the foyer in thirty minutes." As well as being intrigued, Georg really didn't want any of his household walking unaccompanied outside the villa grounds, let alone waiting at the bus stop alone. And not when certain people knew they belonged to his staff. He didn't want to alarm anyone, but it paid to be over cautious during these troubling times.
Nodding her thanks, she made a hasty retreat from the dining room.
Making her way up the stairs, Maria finally made it back to her room after what had felt like an eternity. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it with her eyes shut. It had been exhausting just getting through breakfast, pretending that it was a normal day. Now though, it was about to get even worse. The Captain wanted to give her lift into town!
She really just needed to be alone. After all, isn't that what she'd been for most of her life? Strange that for years she'd craved a family, desperately wanting to find somewhere to belong, to feel needed. However, now that she was surrounded by so much love and kindness, she was only just realising how much harder it was to deal with the things that needed to be faced alone. To admit that the villa felt suffocating today made her feel so guilty, so ungrateful.
It was only since arriving at the villa that she'd started feeling like she truly belonged somewhere for the first time. In the beginning, she thought it had just been the children who needed her and that she was sent to help prepare them for a new mother. But she'd soon discovered that their father needed her help as well, perhaps even more than the children, not that he realised in the beginning.
Although she had to admit that standing on the landing soaking wet yelling at him probably wasn't the kind of help he'd expected! The thought brought the first real smile for the morning. That day, somewhere between their argument and hearing the children sing, the Captain had realised that he needed to begin healing and facing the misery that had overtaken him when his wife passed away.
When she'd first arrived, she'd been confronted by a man so overcome with anger and grief that he had become a tyrannical disciplinarian who was rarely at home. He was barely a father to his children. The children had lost so much the day their mother passed. Of course, the children had forgiven their father quickly and now craved his time and attention desperately, making up for the time lost over the past four years. She realised that the Captain still had many demons and emotions that needed to be faced. This could only be done gradually over time, so she often had to remind the children that they needed to take things slowly,
Taking in a deep breath, Maria walked across the room to her wardrobe and took out her coat, which she doubted would be of much use against today's chill. Oh well, it would have to do, she thought as she put it on. Gathering her things, she made her way out of her bedroom and across the hallway to the room the children used for their studies.
Frau Schmidt hadn't made her way upstairs yet, so Maria stood at the door quietly, not making her presence known. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on the children, but she realised with a sudden pang of sadness that she would miss them today.
"Why do we have to spend time with the Baroness? She's no fun," Kurt complained.
"I know, she's going to ruin our afternoon with father!" Brigitta chimed in.
"Look, we probably should give her a chance. After all, father does seem to like her." Maria smiled at Liesl's attempt to bring her brothers and sisters around, she really was growing into a young woman. Playing the role of mother to her younger brothers and sisters over the past four years had obviously given her a maturity that was often beyond her years.
"Let's work out what afternoon activity we can do, and maybe I can bring some spiders along!" Louisa's sinister plan was met with excitement from the other children. Oh no, Maria could see things were fast getting out of hand!
"Now come on children! That's enough of that talk!" Maria walked into the room clapping her hands and forcing a breeziness in her tone that she certainly didn't feel. "There will be no tricks being played on the Baroness today, or any day for that matter. Liesl's right. Your father would be so disappointed. The Baroness is his friend and you should be nice to her and make her feel welcome. She's not used to being surrounded by so many children, so you all need to give her a chance."
The children all groaned back. Reluctantly they promised to behave for their father, which was a promise Maria knew they would keep. After all, none of them wanted to see him return to the tyrannical disciplinarian he'd been only weeks ago.
"Now, I want you all to sit down and start working through the lessons I prepared. Frau Schmidt will be here any minute and I don't want her thinking that our study time is spent standing around talking." Maria watched the children as they pulled out their books and sat in their usual places.
"Good! I'm leaving for town now, but will be back this afternoon," she said as she turned to leave.
"Fraulein Maria, why do you need to go into town?" It was Brigitta, of course, who voiced what they were all wondering.
"Oh, I just have to run some errands," Maria replied vaguely. "I'll be back before you even realise I've gone!" Turning on her heels she quickly made her way back into the hallway. Realising that it was the first time she'd left the villa without the children, she felt strangely emotional bidding them farewell even though she would only be gone a few hours.
As she came across the landing to the stairs, she scanned the foyer below, thankful that it was empty. Making her way down the stairs and across the foyer, she walked towards the kitchen, where she knew she would find Franz. She sighed at the thought of the butler who never quite let her forget that she'd mistaken him for the Captain when she first arrived.
Taking care to lock the door behind him, Georg made his way from his study to the foyer. He'd grabbed the papers he needed, his hat and his winter coat. It really was ridiculously cold today, he thought. As he reached the foyer, it didn't surprise him that Fraulein Maria wasn't waiting for him. He smiled, she was always running late, why would now be any different?
He checked his watch. There was still plenty of time before the hastily arranged meeting with his solicitor. He'd intentionally made a late morning appointment so that he could spend some time with Fraulein Maria. He still found it strange that she hadn't said anything about needing to go to town today.
Since their confrontation by the lake when he'd returned from Vienna, they had quickly fallen into a routine. He'd barely offered his apology and withdrawn her dismissal before she was offering to help bridge the gulf that he'd allow to grow between himself and the children.
As a result, they would meet each night in his study after the children were in bed. Their discussions would always begin with the children. How they were progressing in their studies, how they were coping and growing individually as they became closer as a family.
To help him be a better father to his children he relied on Fraulein Maria's honest and frank feedback. Of course, he knew that his governess only knew honesty and frankness. He'd discovered that on the day she arrived and had been reminded constantly ever since. Actually, he'd never known a woman to be so transparent. So lacking of an agenda. He found it refreshing. Especially after the past four years. He'd missed that.
It didn't take long after the first few meetings for their conversations to drift to all range of topics. Fraulein Maria was an avid reader, as was he, so she would seek his opinion on suitable books for the children's studies. This would often lead to lengthy discussions about literature, poetry, politics, his experiences in the war, well, anything really. He particularly enjoyed their lively discussions. Not since the children's mother had anyone challenged his opinions and forced him to accept that he wasn't always right. He quite enjoyed being tested. And he'd discovered that Fraulein Maria could throw down the gauntlet better than most.
Despite nothing being said, each had a topic that they expertly skirted around from the very first meeting. They still did. He smiled, the rules of engagement were established up front, and certain areas were off limits to the other. Fraulein Maria avoided disclosing anything about her childhood. He sensed that it had been far from happy, though she'd never spoken about it. Whenever he tried to gently coax her towards that topic, she would deftly steer the conversation into a different direction. He knew it was unfair of him, but he had to admit that he was intrigued by the young woman who had brought his family back to life. He was keen to learn more.
Of course, he avoided any topic that brought him too close to the children's mother. Despite the passing of the years, it was still too raw, too personal. There were too many memories and emotions that couldn't be faced. Not yet. Maybe later. But hopefully never, if he had his way.
Sighing, he glanced at his watch again. Fraulein Maria was ten minutes late and he could feel his impatience growing. He wondered what was keeping her. Just as he decided to make his way up to the children's study room, assuming that she'd been caught up with them, he heard Franz approaching from behind.
"Sir, Fraulein Maria asked me to thank you for your kind offer, however, she has decided to make her own way into town."
"What? Where is she?" Georg asked, turning towards Franz.
"She left about ten minutes ago, Sir."
"What the…" Georg swallowed the rest of his curse as he strode across the foyer, up the stairs two at a time and out the front door.
I don't own TSOM (sadly), just having another lend!