"You know sometimes I forget how much I enjoy the countryside, how much it can revitalise and re-energise," Max remarked as he settled back into his lawn chair, sipping at his drink and smacking his lips contentedly.

Georg cast a sideways glance at his friend, his gaze returning to the glistening lake in front of them before he replied, "Yes, you have had a hard year of charming the rich into spending their money on frivolous endeavours."

"In times such as these a little frivolity doesn't go amiss," he countered.

"On that point we hold differing views, it lulls some into a false sense of security, into believing that all will be well, that nothing is really changing."

Max sighed into his glass. "I have to say that you really have been in quite the sour mood the last few days, I had grown use to the lighter, more carefree Georg as well."

Georg's eyes narrowed and his lips thinned as he tried not to think of the reason for his short-tempered demeanour. Recent politics did often dampen his mood and stroke his ire, but it wasn't what had left him feeling quite so downtrodden recently. "Perhaps you will need to return to the city solely to re-charge your energy from attempting to manage me."

"Perhaps, but it can most certainly wait until after the Salzburg festival."

"That is two months away."

"Yes, and thanks to you I still don't have an act." Max threw him the most ridiculous pout. "So I have quite a lot of work to be getting on with."

"And yet here you sit, enjoying the sun with what I suspect is a spiked lemonade in hand."

"It is important to balance and prioritise."

An amused curve to his lips and his eyebrow quirked, Georg continued, "Which you will apparently be doing from my home for the foreseeable."

"Well of course." Max waved his hand carelessly. "All the hotels in town were booked out months ago and the cost to keep me in the manner I've become accustomed to would be astronomical."

Georg gave a rather caustic snort. "You are just lucky that my children adore you, even if you do bill everything to me."

"Where are they anyway? They're suspiciously quiet." Max threw a look over his shoulder as though he half expected seven children to drop from the trees.

"They were having a lesson this afternoon I think." George rubbed tiredly at his forehead as he admitted, "What in escapes me at this time."

"You didn't ask Fraulein Maria to clarify?"

Taking a gulp of his drink, Georg shook his head, he had rather been avoiding her since his apology, so he was less aware of the children's studies over the last few days, which simply served to intensify his guilt.

Max's eyes stayed fixed on his, although his tone remained light and affable as he remarked. "She has been rather subdued of late."

Georg took another drink, careful to appear unaffected, as he replied, "Well she is only just back properly on her feet again after her fall, and you surely can't expect her to be so energetic all the time, at some point the children have to tire her out."

"Hmmm, I just find it odd that her odd mood has coincided so perfectly with your decline back into malaise and that both seemed to start after you spoke to her alone in your study three days ago."

"Just what are you suggesting?"

"Oh, I'm not suggesting it Georg, I'm ever so subtly building up to asking you outright." His tone took on a warning edge to it as he asked, "So, what happened?"

Georg ran his tongue over his teeth, a grumbled sigh escaping him, his reply mulish to even his own ears. "You are becoming increasingly suspicious in your old age."

"I wouldn't call it suspicion, more instinct or perhaps even common sense. I know you have a tendre for the girl-"

"Max!" Georg hissed suddenly, looking agitatedly over his shoulder, relived to see the lawn was still empty apart from them. His blasted friend gave an amused chuckle at his reaction and giving a huff, Georg told him, "You need to be careful; I don't want anyone overhearing you."

"Two points." Max held up two fingers as if illuminating his point, the pointer finger of his opposite hand resting on one as he voiced his thoughts. "The first is that you have hardly been subtle in your dealings with the young fraulein and if the staff haven't noticed then that is merely through luck or a lack of attention on their part." His pointer pushed down one finger as he continued, "Secondly and back to what was my original point, I believe that something has happened, something has changed."

Georg shifts uncomfortable in his seat. "Nothing has happened."

"You were always the most terrible liar." He crossed one ankle over the other, his laconic position at odds to the sharp look in his gaze. "Now, are you going to tell me the truth? Or do have I to go and sniff it out for myself?"

"You could just leave it alone."

Max gave a dry chuckle. "Now that I simply can't do. Partially because I'm horrendously nosy and require constant entertainment, as you well know and secondly because believe it or not you are my friend and I do care about you." He frowned down at his glass. "And that isn't solely the vodka in my lemonade talking."

Shaking his head, Georg told him, "I knew you were adding something to that."

"It's after lunchtime and don't try and change the subject," Max warned him, waggling his finger from side to side at him. "Now, what transpired in your study?"

"Nothing scandalous if that's what you're thinking," George replied. "Fraulein Maria had previously expressed an interest in the piano and so I gave her a few pieces of sheet music for her to start with."

"That isn't the full story, and we both know it."

Georg tilted his head back against the top rim of his chair. "I do wish you'd just leave this alone and let me deal with it, Max."

"If I thought you could be trusted, I might be persuaded to do just that."

His blue eyes snapped sharply back to his friend. "Just what do you think I'm going to do?" He asked sharply.

"Well, I'm torn between two answers. You'll either do something entirely foolish and compromise the girl's reputation-"

"I would never!" Georg spluttered, the back of his neck reddening, the colour spreading up to his ears.

Max's tone remained even, and he carried on calmly as if addressing a child. "We are all capable of making catastrophically poor decisions at times Georg, we get caught up in the moment and forget that consequences wait but just round the corner for us. Despite what some in society may say, you are just as human and as fallible as the rest of us, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that you may let your…lust – for lack of a better word – get the better of you. Or in an attempt to disguise your less savoury thoughts about a young woman in your employ, you have been unfairly harsh and critical towards her and left her feeling upset and confused."

"You seem to have a very low opinion of me."

"Not at all." Max shook his head, his eyes trailing back to the glistening aquamarine waters of the lake that lapped softly against its banks. "I just think that you have held yourself in a state of grief and locked away your feelings for so long that it will be difficult for you to negotiate such a delicate situation."

"And you're going to school me in that?"

"Oh good Lord no!" Max exclaimed, a wry smile curving his lips. "I would be the worst person to help with anything of a romantic nature, I would simply put my big feet right into it and create quite the mess."

Georg rolled his eyes. "Helpful as ever Max." He drummed his fingers off the wooden armrest of his chair. "Come on then, you must have some words of wisdom to impart for you to have ventured into this topic in the first place."

"Merely re-iterating old advice," he replied, adding as a succinct afterthought, "Again."

"I did hear you the first two times."

"Well then perhaps the third time will be the charm, because you seem to have ignored my prior warnings." Max gave a tired sigh and drained his glass in one long glug before letting it dangle in his hand, the bottom of the glass grazing against the grass. "You told me that this was nothing more than a fleeting attraction. Absolute folly if I remember correctly."

Georg rubbed the back of his neck and gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. "That's what I said."

"And do you still stand by it? Is that all you feel for the girl?"

Max's gaze was intense, and Georg felt the scrutiny behind it, his chest tightened, and his stomach rolled as he attempted to gather his scattered thoughts into a brief statement that would dispel his friend's concern. Instead however he just glared off into the middle distance for longer than he would have liked before he finally replied in clipped tones, "Nothing will come of it."

"That is not what I asked, once again you are dodging my question Georg," Max countered impatiently. "If your feelings go beyond-"

"Max…" Georg interrupted him, letting out his name on a tired hiss. "It simply does not matter."

"Of course it does, if she returns your feelings-"

"Then what?" Georg once again interrupted, sending a sharp glare in his direction. "I run off to play happy families with a member of my staff, with a woman who is close to twenty years my junior-"

"I believe fifteen years is nearer the mark." Max waved his hand. "But if you want to catastrophise then by all means continue."

Georg let out what sounded almost like a growl. "The fact remains that she is younger than I. Not only that but she is from a completely different way of life, she would be expected to step into the role of Baroness and on top of it all society would mock and denigrate her at every turn simply because of who she was. Think of what they would say, both behind her back and to her face."

"What society thinks has never caused you concern before, and it may be that it doesn't bother her." Max rolled his eyes at Georg's snort of disbelief and continued, "You thought that Fraulein Maria would make the most awful governess and huffed after every phone call in Vienna, pinging between relief the children hadn't scared her off and irritation that she clearly wasn't following your instructions. And after all that worry, your children are the happiest they have been in years. She has turned them from a batch of wild hellions into children that society are lauding after that performance at the party." Max gestured wildly with his glass. "Is it so hard to believe that she could bring the same aplomb to the role of Baroness, that she could make it her own?"

Georg's agitated finger tapping increased. It was all to easy for him to picture her in the role, to imagine her by his side, charming his peers. Unfortunately, it was also all too easy to imagine the slurs she would face, the barbs and how at times she may be shunned by them, and he could not bear the thought of other's hurting her. "It's not…I don't…" He rubbed his temple and tried again, "I am sure that she can do anything she puts her mind to, but it would be akin to throwing her into a set of vipers."

"Who would move on the moment they got a sniff of the next scandal, which I could helpfully encourage for you." Max gave him another sidelong glance. "You have thought about it then? Which I'm not sure you would for just a mere attraction." A small smile flickered at the corners of his lips. "Do you love her?"

"She is a postulant," Georg countered, attempting to dodge the question. "Her life is planned, her decision made."

"Oh come now, that girl is just as likely to become a nun as I am." He grinned at Georg's sardonic eyebrow lift and amended, "Oh alright, she may not return your feelings but do not hide behind her supposed profession to be as an excuse not to at least declare yourself to her."

"Wonderful idea Max. I'll accost her, terrify her with how I feel and she can flee back to the Abbey leaving the children heartbroken," George grumbled with more than a hint of heavy sarcasm.

"There is a large difference between accosting and a conversation. Also has it never once occurred to you why she was sent here in the first place, when she met none of the criteria you requested?"

"Max, I very much doubt that it was a matchmaking ploy on the Reverend Mother's part."

"That is not what I meant, although an interesting premise." His grin widened for a moment before he continued, "Perhaps she sent Fraulein Maria out into the world because she isn't suited for the life she is planning for herself. Perhaps she sent her out to see the possibilities of what life could hold for her if she doesn't cloister herself away." He gave a sigh and shook his head at his friend. "All I am trying to say Georg is that for once maybe do not hold yourself to propriety. If she returns your feelings and you don't speak then surely that is worse than if she rejects you."

For once, Georg knew that his friend was speaking sense, but the thought of her turning him away, of her leaving the Villa because he had spoken out; he didn't think he could bear to lose her in that way. "I think perhaps I shall go for a walk," he announced suddenly, "clear my head."

"Very well, I may return to the house and raid your bar since my drink is sadly depleted but do think about what I've said. I very rarely feel the need to lecture but I failed in not calling out your mistakes with the children earlier, I should have been sterner with you." He squinted slightly in the sunlight and gave a heavy sigh. "I do not want to see you make yourself unhappy when something wonderful could be in your reach." Max gave another shake of his head. "I may need to switch to another liquor, I forgot how maudlin vodka can make me."


Maria sighed as her finger clunked down on the wrong piano key, shaking her head at her mistake. Liesl gave her an encouraging smile and told her, "It's difficult at first, you feel all fingers and thumbs." The younger girl waggled her fingers and added, "Even I would struggle after so long away from playing."

"I think I need to practice my finger movements more," Maria lamented. "I have to admit that I thought it would be easier because I played the guitar." She smiled at Liesl and gave her a nudge with her shoulder, "I may have been too prideful. I'm lucky Sister Berthe isn't here, or I'd be kissing the floor again."

Liesl gave a giggle, whilst Brigitta looked up over her book with a horrified expression, "You had to kiss the floor? Even Fraulein Josephine wouldn't have made us do that!"

Maria smiled at her. "Oh, it wasn't so bad really, although I have to admit that I don't miss it."

Brigitta lowered her book to her knees, her hand resting on the open page to save her place. "Do you have to go back to the Abbey?" she asked beseechingly.

Liesl's gaze skittered away at the question, her fingers tracing the piano keys in front of her. Maria felt her stomach drop and she tried to reassure her, telling her, "It's not until September, we still have a lot of time left together."

"Not long enough." Brigitta countered as she leaned forward in her chair. "You could stay on as our Governess, we sometimes had them even when we were still at school."

"I'm expected to go back," Maria told her gently.

"Do you want to?" At those words, the heads of Gretl and Marta, who were colouring in quietly in the corner, lifted, their small face alight with curiosity.

Maria paused; she didn't know what she wanted. The Abbey was safe it was a known quantity, she knew what was expected of her and even though she found it difficult at times it was the only place she had ever been able to call home; until now. "I don't want to leave you all," she admitted. "But I have to."

Brigitta opened her mouth to argue again but caught sight of Liesl's frown and the shake of her head. Her lips thinned together in an expression that Maria thought was entirely the Captain's. Brigitta sighed and picked up her book again, murmuring, "Well I'd like you to stay."

Marta got up from her spot on the carpet and wandered over to Maria, climbing up onto her knee and wrapping her arms around her neck. Maria kissed her cheek, pulling her close into her as she stroked at the crown of her head. "Is everything ok?"

Marta pressed the side of her head into Maria's chest, her head settling under the crook of her chin. "I don't like when we talk about you leaving," she whispered.

As Marta started to draw her thumb into her mouth, a habit that Maria had worked to stop but that the little girl would revert to it whenever she became upset, Maria gently brought it away, clasping her hand in hers as she told her gently, "We still have time together and we will just need to make sure that we have lots of fun, won't we?"

"I suppose," she sniffed. "But who will read me my bedtime story when you leave?"

"I'm sure your Father will take over that role, just as he did when I hurt my ankle." She squeezed Marta into a tighter hug, smiling encouragingly at her as she added, "And you told me that he did better voices than I did."

Marta gave a small nod as she confirmed solemnly, "He did."

"Well then, I think that when it comes to story time that you will be fine after I leave," Maria heard a small cough from the doorway and looked up to see the Captain leaning against the doorjamb, his expression almost inscrutable as he watched them. She didn't know what to say to him, her voice catching in her throat.

He stepped forward before dropping onto his heels in front of them, his gaze on his young daughter, who had wiggled her thumb out of Maria's hand and had jammed it firmly into her mouth. "Now what has put such a sad look on your face?"

The thumb was pulled out for a brief moment as Marta told him quietly, "I don't want Fraulein Maria to leave us, ever." She sucked her thumb back into her mouth, wriggling closer into Maria's warm hug.

Gretl put down her crayons and traipsed over, tugging on her Father's sleeve and when he turned his head to look at her she informed him, "I want Fraulein Maria to stay as well." She folded her arms across herself stubbornly and gave her foot a small stamp as if to emphasise her point.

The Captain smiled at his youngest's reaction and Maria wondered if he would tell them that he had already offered her the opportunity to stay, but he didn't, instead he calmly told them, "We have been very lucky that Fraulein Maria was able to come and stay with us at all."

"But you could tell her to stay," Gretl told him a sullen note creeping into her tone.

He gave a soft chuckle but again Maria could see the flash of something in his eyes and they flickered across to her for a second before they looked back at Gretl. "Fraulein Maria is not a sailor under my command, she has her own life, I can't order her around." A smile touched his eyes. "And I very much doubt she would let me if I tried."

"Absolutely not, especially if it involved a whistle," Maria told him with a soft laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

The Captain laughed and looked at his two youngest daughters. "See. Now what I think is we need to make the most of the time that Fraulein Maria is here, don't you agree."

"I suppose so," Marta finally muttered, whilst her sister looked mutinous.

Liesl got to her feet and chivvied her sisters, sliding Marta from Maria's lap. "Come on now, let's go and find a game that we can play together, we said that Fraulein Maria could have this time to practice." She looked over at the large armchair in the corner and added, "You too Brigitta."

Brigitta slid from her seat, tucking her book under her arm and shooting both her Father and Maria a curious look as she traipsed after her siblings.

As the children's footsteps began to fade, Maria offered the Captain a small smile of gratitude. "Thank you for not telling them that you have already asked me to stay on. I would hate to see them upset, or at least more than they already are."

"It's quite alright." He got to his feet. "Children tend to see things as very black and white; I sometimes envy them it, but it can make conversations frustrating." He beckoned to the piano stool she was perched on. "May I?"

"Of course." She shifted slightly to the end of the bench to give him some more room.

He beckoned at the keys. "How are your studies coming along?"

"They could be better. I seem to be very heavy handed on the keys at times." She frowned down at her hands as she rested them in position.

He slid his hand underneath her wrist, his fingertips brushing against her pulse point and she felt her heart rate sky-rocket. She bit down on her bottom lip as she watched his fingers press her wrist into an upward arch. His voice was slightly gruffer than she expected as he told her, "If you lift your wrists, it will make it easier to be lighter on the keys." His eyes met hers and for a second she felt as though she could hardly breath.

"Thank you." She experimentally tried a few notes and smiled at him when she heard the difference thanks to his advice. After a few seconds of silence between them, she finally admitted to him, "I will miss the children, desperately."

"Only the children?"

"No- Yes!" She hurriedly amended herself, adding slightly defensively, "Isn't it right that I should miss them?"

"Of course, I just…I only hoped." He shook his head and his lips thinned and he got jumped awkwardly to his feet again. "My apologies Fraulein, I believe the heat from my walk may have gone to my head. I shall leave you in peace."

Maria watched him leave, her mouth dry and a nest of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. He left her more and more confused with each encounter. He appeared to enjoy her company and yet there were moments like these where he all but ran from her, she simply didn't understand it. She didn't understand herself either for that matter, she dreamed of him, of that smile, of those eyes. She would dream of him kissing her, his lips against hers, trailing down her neck, of him asking her to stay but not for the children.

She blushed and, in her fluster, pressed down on two keys with one finger. This was madness, she had to stop or it would be all the harder to move on come September. He didn't want her, she reminded herself, a man like him, in his position would never want a girl like her.