Chapter 1

The Children were in shock, they couldn't believe that their father had just announced he was going to marry the baroness. They didn't want a new mother, they just wanted their governess back and that now seemed impossible. Their biggest fear was that he would suddenly stop paying attention to them and the baroness would occupy all of his time. They had made such huge strides in reconnecting with him over the summer and now all of that was being threatened again.

She was all right they supposed, but she was no Fraulein Maria and hadn't really made an effort to get to know them on any level. They couldn't imagine her taking on the role of being a mother to even one child let alone seven of them.

They wandered around the garden aimlessly, none of them wanting to be the first to speak, but they could sense what the others were thinking. Along with the shock came an unspeakable amount of grief from what amounted to them as a loss of a family member and they were not so young and naive that they didn't notice the affect her departure had on their father as well. He was acting almost the way he had when their mother had die, distant and not wanting to talk about Fraulein Maria at all. The only difference being that he was trying not to slip back into his hardened stance with his children.

Kurt suddenly stopped pacing in circles and was the first to voice what his siblings were thinking, "I don't want a new mother, at least not Baroness Shraeder." They all froze in their spots looking up at him and began to shake their heads in agreement.

"Well of course not silly, none of us do," replied Louisa, "We've got to figure out a way to change all of this." All seven of them began pacing again.

Friedrich's eyes lit up with mischief, "Perhaps we need to pull out a few of our old tricks. I'm sure we could think of a good prank to pull on the baroness. Maybe it will get her mad enough to leave."

Liesl looked down at the ground shaking her head, "No, I don't think that would be a good idea this time. It would only make father madder and we could lose him again. Besides I think I'm getting too old for such childish games."

With tears filling up in her eyes Marta asked, "I don't understand why she had to leave us. She didn't even say good bye."

Catching Liesl's eye, Brigitta glanced up with a look of sudden understanding and revelation on her face, "I know why she left." Now they all stopped their pacing and just stared at her awkwardly, "Father scared her away."

"Scared her away," Louisa asked, surprised by Brigitta's words, "What do you mean? They were just starting to get along really well with one another."

"Yes, that was the problem," Brigitta answered, "they were getting along a little too well."

"You're not making any sense Brigitta," piped up Kurt.

"Don't you all understand? They are in love with one another and Fraulein Maria probably ran away because she was scared and didn't want to interfere with Father and Baroness Shraeder. No one can make Fraulein Maria blush the way father can and he always gets this gleam in his eye like he's enjoying making her do it. When he sang Edelwiess the night of the puppet show his eyes kept drifting back to her."

"I don't understand. If they love each other why don't they just tell each other," asked Gretl.

"Because love is sometimes very complicated," added Liesl.

"Well I don't understand why it has to be so complicated. If you love someone you should just tell them," reasoned Marta.

"Well," Liesl sighed, "It isn't always that easy and you'll understand that better when you are older."

"Well what are we going to do," asked Friedrich exasperatedly, "If we can't play any tricks on her then how are we going to solve our problem?"

"I know," declared Brigitta, "Let's go see Fraulein Maria and talk to her. We can try to convince her to comeback. Maybe if she comes back with us Father will see her and realize that he can't marry Baroness Shraeder."

"Are you Mad," asked Friedrich, practically shouting at her, "Do you realize how angry father will be with us if he finds out we went to see Fraulein Maria?"

"Well do you have any better solutions Friedrich," asked Brigitta.

"I'm with Brigitta," said Louisa, "It might be our only chance and you know she won't turn us away. She'll see us, I just know she will. You're the oldest, what do you think Liesl?"

Liesl stared off in the distance contemplating what was being said and then finally answered, "I think we should go. If we go now we might just make it back before dinner. At any rate I think it is well worth the risk if it brings Fraulein back to us and maybe it will draw father out of his study. He's spending an awful lot of time in there by himself."

"What are we going to tell father if we get caught," asked Gretl.

"We were berry picking," smiled Kurt.

They all rolled their eyes and chuckled at him. "Is food the only thing you ever think about Kurt," asked Brigitta.

"Only when I'm hungry," he laughed back.

"and he's hungry all the time," added Marta. With a final laugh they all headed for the gate of the villa and began their walk to Nonnberg Abbey.