Maria sighed as she slipped back into her governess' room and leaned against the cool, solid wood of the door. She tightly shut her eyes as she recalled the events of the evening. Everything had been going just fine. As requested by the Baroness, she had been successfully keeping out of the way and minding to the children, while the Captain and Baroness entertained their many guests. The entire villa had been transformed into scene of glitz and glamour, that seemed to better fit the glittering Viennese society more than the Von Trapp family home. Maria had thought that somehow all the grandeur seemed out of place in the home of Georg Von Trapp and seven wonderful children. The family who, she had come to realize, much preferred a quiet evening in each other's company to the artificial posturing often required at such public parties. Even the Captain himself, who was everything she had thought an aristocrat to be, wealthy, elegant, respected, 'handsome' she whispered herself, seemed to favour intimate family evenings.

Flashes of evenings in the parlour playing music, singing songs, telling stories, and just enjoying time together appeared at the forefront of her mind. Images of the Captain holding his children, encouraging her to sing for them, laughing at his own jokes, caused her heart to swell. Above all, she was grateful that the Captain and his children had found their way back to each other, and she felt grateful to be able to witness the great love amongst the family, to be a part of their previous moment, her, a part of the family. Maria quickly shook away her train of thought, it wasn't her place to be having such thoughts in the first place. She was only the governess, after all.

Yes, the evening had been going according to plan, but then, she had danced with the Captain, her Captain, as she had privately begun to think of him over the summer. Not the aristocratic Baron or the national naval hero, but the devoted father, the passionate and, kind-hearted man she had come to know. Like a scene from a fairy tale, he had swept her off her feet, twirled her around the terrace and held her close in his arms, but the dream-like sequence was broken when she had realized where they were and rather, who they were being watched by.

They were both brought out of their trance when the Baroness, the woman he was all-but engaged to, had appeared on the terrace, subtly putting Maria in her place and rightfully claiming the arm of the Captain as Maria has quickly excused herself and children from the terrace in an effort to avoid further embarrassment, lest her cheeks burst from the heat that had rapidly risen and flushed her face with bright red color.

Slowly, Maria opened her eyes to the darkness of her governess' room. Her heart was racing with her newfound feelings that she didn't quite understand yet. It had become obvious to her that she had begun to harbour feelings for her Captain that extended beyond what was appropriate for a governess to feel for her employer, but was it at all possible he could be feeling the same way? As she recalled the heat in his eyes when he had held her in his arms, the tenderness of his touch when he had held out his hand to her, she felt a glimmer of hope rise in her chest.

One thing she knew for sure, was that she would not be getting any sleep tonight, not until she talked to her Captain. But would she be brave enough to discuss her confusing feelings with the Captain? Perhaps just seeing him would calm her, perhaps he could help her define her feelings. Making up her mind, she stood a little taller and decided to make her way downstairs in search of the Captain.

Downstairs in his study, Georg Von Trapp was pacing frantically across the room, thoughts of duty, and lust, and love racing through his mind. After Maria had fled his arms, and Elsa had guided him back into the ballroom, back into her possessive hold, one thing had become terribly clear to him. He would not be able to propose to Elsa, not while he blatantly wanted another woman. A man about to be engaged should feel those things for just one woman, his intended, and if one thing had become abundantly apparent to him tonight, it was not Elsa that made his pulse race, his blood boil, his heart swell. While he was fond of Elsa and somewhat grateful to her for her companionship and distraction she offered, he would not be able to commit to Elsa the way a woman entering into a marriage deserved, not while he felt such strong feelings for her. And yet, he knew that he was all but promised to Elsa, he had after all brought her all the way from Vienna with the intention of sharing the rest of their lives together. And then there was her, Maria. Even in his mind, her name sounded like a song, 'no, like a prayer', he thought. When he had danced with her and held her lithe body tight against his, it had become obvious to him. It was obvious he desperately wanted her, but as he thought about the way she made his heart swell with a simple look, the way she had saved his family from further misery, deep down he knew it had to be more than just lust. The fact was that he could possibly be in lo-

A heavy knock on the door caused him to jump, "Yes, come in" he mumbled, praying that it wasn't Elsa once again trying to advance their romantic relationship, and yet also not ready to confront Maria with his newfound revelations.

To both his relief and disappointment, it was neither Elsa nor Maria on the other side of the door. Instead, a rather amused looking impresario strolled into his office and swung the door closed, both men failing to notice that it did not shut all the way. As Max, ever the charming sponge, took it upon himself to pour a generous amount of amber liquid into a glass and sit down on the small sofa across from the masculine looking desk that Georg was leaning on. After taking a long sip, he decided to break the uncomfortable silence, "What were you thinking Georg? Dancing with the girl, and in front of Elsa too?" he asked warily

Wincing, Georg pushed himself off of his desk and continued to pace in small circles in front of his desk, 'of course Elsa would've confided in Max' he thought to himself before addressing the impresario, "it was just a dance Max, the children wanted to see the Laendler, there's no need to go reading into anything" he said in a voice even he did not quite believe.

As he swirled around the remaining whisky in his glass, Max looked Georg pointedly in the eye, "oh yes, and I'm sure the dozens of couples dancing the Laendler just steps away inside your ballroom would not have satisfied the children's interest" he replied sarcastically.

"Enough!" Georg spat at his friend. "What business is it of yours anyways?"

To this Max scoffed, finally getting to his feet, "it's my business when it involves Elsa, you remember her, right? The woman you're going to marry?" he asked snidely. "If you ask me it's been long enough Georg, you can't have your cake and eat it too, as they say. Well, maybe you can, but both women deserve a hell of a lot better".

Not missing a beat, Georg hotly fired back, "It's a good thing I don't remember anyone actually asking your opinion then". However not a moment later, he let out a long sigh and once again sought the study wood of his desk to ground him. Sitting on the edge of desk he finally acquiesced , "if you must know Max, I don't think it's going to work between Elsa and I. We, er… want different things"

With just an air of humour in his voice. "Well, I'd imagine so, when she wants to marry you, and you want your lovely governess" Max replied softly.

Georg shot his friend an incredulous look and opened his mouth to rebuke the ridiculous of the statement but couldn't seem to find the words to deny such blatant statement. If both of the men had not been so taken back by the truth in Max's offhanded statement, maybe they might have heard a soft gasp and a slight squeak of the floor boards outside of the study.

Finally settling on, "I don't know what you mean", Georg moved to the small bar across his study to poor himself his own glass of bourbon. After taking a generous sip, he turned back around to face Max, "and even if what you say is true, so what of it? Maria is lovely, I'm sure any hotblooded man that sets eyes on her wants her.

Taking a step closer to his friend, Max narrowed his eyes, "Yes, but it's more than that with you isn't it Georg? I've seen the way you look at her, the way you light up when she walks in the room, and the way you get a far-off look on your face when she leaves" when he was met with a blank stare from the formidable sea captain, he decided to continue, "come now Georg, you must realize that you love the girl!" Max exclaimed throwing his hands in the air.

Whether it was the fact that someone else had said it first, or hearing it out loud for the first time, or maybe it was the fact that he hadn't been as discreet with his growing feelings for Maria as he had thought, something inside him took oer and he shouted hotly at his friend, denying what he knew in his heart to be true. "Don't be ridiculous Max! Of course, I don't! She is my children's governess, and I am her employer" hearing himself out loud, his voice trailed off, "I don't… I don't... I can't…." suddenly overcome with the realization that in fact, he could… he did.

I didn't mean it when I said I didn't love you so.

I should have held on tight, I never should have let you go.

I didn't know nothing, I was stupid, I was foolish

I was lying to myself