Let's Start At The Very Beginning

Chapter 11

Maria continued winning over the children, teaching them to sing songs together, learning about their history. Maria had even told them a story about their mother, some little anecdote she remembered vaguely.

But on the 10th day she woke up with a sigh of relief and a pit in her stomach. She found that for once none of the children were next to her. It seemed every night almost since the storm one of them had ended up in her bed. Marta or Jane would have a nightmare, it rained, and Michael would come running back, or Gretl would toddle in half asleep and make herself comfortable. She was surprised Brigitta hadn't had a turn yet.

But she got up, ready to face the day. She knew Georg would bring two guests back, Frau Schmidt had mentioned it the other day. One she assumed was Max, who she got on with quite well, but it had been too many years to count since she'd seen him. The other guest is what she worried about. She was all but sure it would be a woman, but what if it wasn't? But what if it was?

The children ate breakfast in anticipation. She guessed that the children really did miss their father, and the glimpse he had shown of his real self, had made an impression. The oldest three still had their reservations, and even Brigitta did too, but were still happy, nonetheless.

Maria was brainstorming ways to burn their energy. The children were in the backyard playing. Louisa, all three boys and Brigitta were in the midst of a soccer game, Liesl was on the phone with her friend Mari while the three little girls were playing some pretend game of their own. Maria sat on the patio, overlooking all of them. She desperately wanted to get a boat out of the boathouse and take the children on the lake, but she felt odd asking Franz for a key.

Besides that, hadn't exactly gone well the last time she tried it.

Maria had been invited by Georg specifically that day. It was early in the summer; Maria had these final months before she started University in the fall and was determined to soak them up for all they were worth. Oma had passed on and while more than anything she wanted to move back into her house, she kept it up for rent, taking over the apartment instead. It had been a little over a month and she felt quite at home. There was something oddly comforting about not being under the care of anyone she didn't want to be. She could make choices, she didn't have to care for anyone but herself, she could enjoy college, make friends without being burdened. Even better, she could enjoy the ones she had.

She had arrived early, per Georg and Here's request. However, when she arrived Georg was nowhere to be seen. Hedwig was tiptoeing anxiously around and preparing dinner and Fritz wasn't due home until dinner. It was merely 2 in the afternoon. Hede bumped into Maria quite literally on her way to the telephone. Maria assumed she had a call with another one of her many suitors. Hede was a catch, and she knew it.

So, Maria ventured outside, like so many other times, to enjoy the view of the mountains. But then her attention turned to the lake. It sparkled in the afternoon sun and the lilt of the slight waves was melodic beyond measure. She was itching to go to the boathouse, but that blasted key. She never knew where it was. She traipsed back inside in search of Franz. Surely, he would know, but he was such a crow.

She found him dusting a vase in the ballroom when she approached him. "Franz?"

He rolled his eyes, he wasn't necessarily new anymore, but he found Maria to be tiresome. "Yes?"

"Do you happen to know where the key to the boathouse is?" Maria asked as politely as she could muster.

"Why do you need it? I've been instructed to do only as Georg says, seeing as this is his gathering-"

"Well Franz, you see Georg usually allows me access to such places as the boathouse upon request, and since I was invited by him-" she was rambling in hopes he would get annoyed. He usually did. This time was no different as he huffed indignantly and grabbed some keys out his pocket.