NOTHING ELSE MATTERS - by JoolsFan
PG, last chapter PG-13 for one bad word.
Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story aren't mine.. unfortunately. Just playing around with them, no money is being made!
Summary: In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Maria is confronted with the gossip about her and Georg. I touched this subject shortly in chapter 2 of my story 'The Wedding Day' and I thought it was interesting enough to write a separate story about it.
PLEASE send feedback! I live off it! JoolsFan
Chapter 1 - A little Accident
"Fraulein Maria! Father! Come quickly!" Kurt stormed out onto the terrace where Maria, Georg and Max were sitting drinking tea, while Marta and Gretl sat together playing with their dolls. All heads turned immediately to Kurt. "What, what is it?" Georg demanded of his youngest son, standing up from his chair. "It's Frau Schmidt," Kurt said, panting slightly from running. "She slipped and fell down the stairs!" Startled, they all ran into the house and stumbled into the hall. Surrounded by Liesl, Friedrich and Louisa, Frau Schmidt was sitting on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. She was holding her right leg and was obviously in pain. Maria walked over to her quickly. "Frau Schmidt? What happened?" she asked. "I'm not sure," answered the housekeeper. "I was just coming down the stairs and before I knew it, I slipped, and there I was flat on my face before I knew what had happened." She tried to lift her leg and winced. "It's my ankle, I think it's sprained," she explained. Now the captain also bent over his housekeeper and took a short look at the ankle, which was indeed visibly swelling up. "Yes, that must hurt," he confirmed, and, looking at Friedrich, he mentioned him with his head to come over. "Friedrich, give Frau Schmidt a hand," he instructed, nodding toward her left side. He himself stood by her right and supported her arm. "Do you think you can stand up?" He looked at Frau Schmidt kindly. "We need to get you into a chair and put that foot up." Frau Schmidt nodded uncertainly. With the help of Friedrich and the Captain, she managed to get up. She was a little wobbly, but carefully, the helped her down the last steps to the hall and sat her down in one of the chairs. Georg looked up to see only Kurt, Liesl and Louisa standing around. "Where are Maria and uncle Max," he asked his eldest daughter. "Oh, I think they.." Liesl began, motioning her hand toward the door, only to be interrupted by Max, who came from the salon and announced that a doctor was on his way. Almost at the same time, Maria returned with wet, cold towels from the kitchen and started taking care of the sprained ankle of Frau Schmidt. "I'll just go outside and see what Marta and Gretl are up to," said Louisa, who'd noticed that her little sisters had not followed the little group into the house. The girls had probably missed out on all the commotion, so wrapped up were they in their game of dolls. Georg watched her back as she walked to the terrace, and then looked around at the rest of his family with a sense of wonder, but also pride at how smoothly they seemed to be working together to cope with this small disaster. The only one he missed was Brigitta, he thought. It seemed that Maria read his mind. Looking up from her administrations to Frau Schmidt, she said: "Brigitta is in the children's classroom, dear. She is reading Les Miserables in French.. She said she wanted some peace and quiet, she is probably reading so intensely that she hasn't heard a thing." And then, turning to the housekeeper, asked, "Are you better yet, Frau Schmidt?" She nodded in agreement. "Yes, a little bit better. Thank you so much for your help. I'm so sorry to cause all this excitement!" Maria just shook her head, and Georg added that it was no trouble. "Let's just hope it is not too bad." He looked at the remaining children. "Come, let's give Frau Schmidt some peace," he said, and motioned for them to come outside with him. Max also walked out with them, while Maria remained in the hall with Frau Schmidt, waiting for the doctor to arrive.
When Maria emerged outside about half an hour later, she only found Max and Georg on the terrace, sharing the newspapers. She sat down with a relieved sigh. "Well, the doctor just arrived," she announced at the questioning faces of both men. "He says it's not broken, just severely bruised. Frau Schmidt should keep her foot up for a few days, and then take it easy for a while longer, but there is nothing serious to worry about." "Good, good," nodded Georg. "She should take whatever rest she needs."
"Right," agreed Maria. "Which is why I promised her that I would take care of dinner tonight!" She flashed him a bright smile across the table. And when she noticed the surprised look on his face, she added: "Well I do know how to cook you know...And I thought the children could help me."
Georg mumbled something incomprehensible. Maria couldn't understand a word of it, but somehow, she didn't think he was too convinced of either her or the children's cooking skills. She pointed a finger at him and tried giving him a stern look. "Just you wait," she said. Georg pretended not to notice, but the corners of his mouth curled up in an involuntary smile. Max, who'd followed their little exchange, couldn't help but grin. Maria had an airy, playful way with Georg that amused him greatly.
Maria looked around. "Speaking of the children, where are they," she wondered. Georg lowered his paper to look at her over the edge. "Oh, they are out in the garden somewhere. Probably in the rose patch, they said something about wanting to pick Frau Schmidt a flower bouquet." "Oh how sweet," smiled Maria. "Well, I was going to take them into town with me to do some shopping for dinner, but in this case maybe I should leave them to their business.... I'll be a lot quicker on my own, too," she mused. "Oh they won't be happy if you don't take them," grinned Georg, but Maria waved away his comment. "I have to go into town again on Friday, to, eh, arrange a certain something about my wedding gown, I can take them with me then." She smiled mischievously at Georg's raised eyebrows. "And no, I'm not telling you what certain something... You'll just have to wait and be patient."
With that, she got up from her chair and walked over to Georg, wanting to plant a quick kiss on his forehead. Just as her lips neared his face, Georg quickly tilted his head upwards and pressed his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss. Maria replied in eager surprise, but quickly retrieved when she heard Max explicitly clearing his throat. She felt her cheeks flush. "I won't be long then," she whispered at Georg, and disappeared. As Georg tried to return to his paper, he felt Max's stare lingering on him. "What," he asked innocently, his face blank. "Oh.. nothing," returned Max, but the grin remained on his face for quite a little longer.
PG, last chapter PG-13 for one bad word.
Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story aren't mine.. unfortunately. Just playing around with them, no money is being made!
Summary: In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Maria is confronted with the gossip about her and Georg. I touched this subject shortly in chapter 2 of my story 'The Wedding Day' and I thought it was interesting enough to write a separate story about it.
PLEASE send feedback! I live off it! JoolsFan
Chapter 1 - A little Accident
"Fraulein Maria! Father! Come quickly!" Kurt stormed out onto the terrace where Maria, Georg and Max were sitting drinking tea, while Marta and Gretl sat together playing with their dolls. All heads turned immediately to Kurt. "What, what is it?" Georg demanded of his youngest son, standing up from his chair. "It's Frau Schmidt," Kurt said, panting slightly from running. "She slipped and fell down the stairs!" Startled, they all ran into the house and stumbled into the hall. Surrounded by Liesl, Friedrich and Louisa, Frau Schmidt was sitting on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. She was holding her right leg and was obviously in pain. Maria walked over to her quickly. "Frau Schmidt? What happened?" she asked. "I'm not sure," answered the housekeeper. "I was just coming down the stairs and before I knew it, I slipped, and there I was flat on my face before I knew what had happened." She tried to lift her leg and winced. "It's my ankle, I think it's sprained," she explained. Now the captain also bent over his housekeeper and took a short look at the ankle, which was indeed visibly swelling up. "Yes, that must hurt," he confirmed, and, looking at Friedrich, he mentioned him with his head to come over. "Friedrich, give Frau Schmidt a hand," he instructed, nodding toward her left side. He himself stood by her right and supported her arm. "Do you think you can stand up?" He looked at Frau Schmidt kindly. "We need to get you into a chair and put that foot up." Frau Schmidt nodded uncertainly. With the help of Friedrich and the Captain, she managed to get up. She was a little wobbly, but carefully, the helped her down the last steps to the hall and sat her down in one of the chairs. Georg looked up to see only Kurt, Liesl and Louisa standing around. "Where are Maria and uncle Max," he asked his eldest daughter. "Oh, I think they.." Liesl began, motioning her hand toward the door, only to be interrupted by Max, who came from the salon and announced that a doctor was on his way. Almost at the same time, Maria returned with wet, cold towels from the kitchen and started taking care of the sprained ankle of Frau Schmidt. "I'll just go outside and see what Marta and Gretl are up to," said Louisa, who'd noticed that her little sisters had not followed the little group into the house. The girls had probably missed out on all the commotion, so wrapped up were they in their game of dolls. Georg watched her back as she walked to the terrace, and then looked around at the rest of his family with a sense of wonder, but also pride at how smoothly they seemed to be working together to cope with this small disaster. The only one he missed was Brigitta, he thought. It seemed that Maria read his mind. Looking up from her administrations to Frau Schmidt, she said: "Brigitta is in the children's classroom, dear. She is reading Les Miserables in French.. She said she wanted some peace and quiet, she is probably reading so intensely that she hasn't heard a thing." And then, turning to the housekeeper, asked, "Are you better yet, Frau Schmidt?" She nodded in agreement. "Yes, a little bit better. Thank you so much for your help. I'm so sorry to cause all this excitement!" Maria just shook her head, and Georg added that it was no trouble. "Let's just hope it is not too bad." He looked at the remaining children. "Come, let's give Frau Schmidt some peace," he said, and motioned for them to come outside with him. Max also walked out with them, while Maria remained in the hall with Frau Schmidt, waiting for the doctor to arrive.
When Maria emerged outside about half an hour later, she only found Max and Georg on the terrace, sharing the newspapers. She sat down with a relieved sigh. "Well, the doctor just arrived," she announced at the questioning faces of both men. "He says it's not broken, just severely bruised. Frau Schmidt should keep her foot up for a few days, and then take it easy for a while longer, but there is nothing serious to worry about." "Good, good," nodded Georg. "She should take whatever rest she needs."
"Right," agreed Maria. "Which is why I promised her that I would take care of dinner tonight!" She flashed him a bright smile across the table. And when she noticed the surprised look on his face, she added: "Well I do know how to cook you know...And I thought the children could help me."
Georg mumbled something incomprehensible. Maria couldn't understand a word of it, but somehow, she didn't think he was too convinced of either her or the children's cooking skills. She pointed a finger at him and tried giving him a stern look. "Just you wait," she said. Georg pretended not to notice, but the corners of his mouth curled up in an involuntary smile. Max, who'd followed their little exchange, couldn't help but grin. Maria had an airy, playful way with Georg that amused him greatly.
Maria looked around. "Speaking of the children, where are they," she wondered. Georg lowered his paper to look at her over the edge. "Oh, they are out in the garden somewhere. Probably in the rose patch, they said something about wanting to pick Frau Schmidt a flower bouquet." "Oh how sweet," smiled Maria. "Well, I was going to take them into town with me to do some shopping for dinner, but in this case maybe I should leave them to their business.... I'll be a lot quicker on my own, too," she mused. "Oh they won't be happy if you don't take them," grinned Georg, but Maria waved away his comment. "I have to go into town again on Friday, to, eh, arrange a certain something about my wedding gown, I can take them with me then." She smiled mischievously at Georg's raised eyebrows. "And no, I'm not telling you what certain something... You'll just have to wait and be patient."
With that, she got up from her chair and walked over to Georg, wanting to plant a quick kiss on his forehead. Just as her lips neared his face, Georg quickly tilted his head upwards and pressed his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss. Maria replied in eager surprise, but quickly retrieved when she heard Max explicitly clearing his throat. She felt her cheeks flush. "I won't be long then," she whispered at Georg, and disappeared. As Georg tried to return to his paper, he felt Max's stare lingering on him. "What," he asked innocently, his face blank. "Oh.. nothing," returned Max, but the grin remained on his face for quite a little longer.