cap 28: "I shouldn't be saying this to you..."

I agree that she might have been fond of gossip. The way she spoke seemed to present as gossipy, and she had known Maria all of an afternoon before she began speaking of the Captain's alleged intended marriage. I also agree that through gossip, it might have been revealed that Elsa perhaps wasn't overly maternal.

But I also think that she had worked for the family before the tragic death of the Baroness von Trapp, and that had a role to play in her skepticism at a marriage between Elsa and Georg. She knew Georg before he had lost his wife. She knew that he had been happy, and he behaved in a much different manner. Perhaps it was in the way he acted that Frau Schmidt had her doubts. He hadn't brought Elsa back to the Villa to meet his family before, and he was seemingly keeping his courtship with Elsa separate from his home life. To me (and I'm just grasping at straws here) it seemed that he didn't talk much about his children to Elsa, nor did he talk about Elsa much to the children. Maybe Frau Schmidt picked up on the fact that he kept those aspects of his life separate, as well as the fact that he tended to go to Vienna for extended periods of time, leaving the children in the hands of a governess so he didn't have to deal with his grief or the memories. Maybe because she had know Georg before the death of his wife, she saw that, although Elsa might have brought some light back into his life, it wasn't the same and Elsa was more of an escape, which may have led Frau Schmidt to believe that the marriage wouldn't have made him or the children very happy. He cared for Elsa, but I think that even Frau Schmidt could tell it wasn't love, and for a man who had truly been in love before, perhaps she doubted that he would settle for anything else in the end. I could be horribly wrong.

I too would like to know what was in the telegram Elsa sent. Maybe he had sent a telegram prior? Or maybe they had discussed his going back to Vienna once he filled the governess position?

that look on her face could also easily be "we'll have to see. these children have made the heartiest women trained to care for children run screaming from the house. A childless socialite could easily be eaten alive."

Oh, that thread is just hilarious - it just did me whole lot of good having a a great guffaw at it!

Thanks Lemacd, and welcome back

It's very well possible that she was responding to a telegram sent by him earlier. It would suggest that maybe he had asked her to come to the villa and maybe he was waiting for her response and a confirmation that Max would chaperone. Given his current state of avoidance with the children I don't think it unlikely that he would just take off on a moments notice, but I have a feeling that it was probably planned that as soon as the new governess was met and given her marching orders that he would take off again.

As far as Frau Schmidt goes I would say that she definitely liked a good piece of juicy gossip and maybe just felt compelled to give Maria a little background info since she kept asking about those play clothes and maybe even to hint that Maria might not be staying for long. I always thought of her as a long time family housekeeper who had seen Georg at his best and worst and the look she gives Maria suggests that she doesn't believe Elsa is the right person for him and won't make that great of a mother to the children.

Personally I don't think that she was in on it with Franz turning them in at least I don't like to think so.

Could be either. Actually, I used to imagine her previous marriage was an arrangement and in name only. She might not be able to get along with her late husband so that they lived separately and had their own social life, that explained why she's childless and seemed fine with Max joking about her husband's death.

Do we definitely know she has no children?!

I have a hard time picturing Elsa has being a mother. She just seems like the type to pass on motherhood all together. Little things here and there indicate that she does not have children.

It may not have been her:  Herr Elsa could have been shooting blanks.

How long do you think Georg went to Vienna for after the telegram? Presumably it was the same time as the Piano-play of My Fav Things as they parade out of the gates in drapes plus the length of Do Re Mi, but how long is that?!

Yeah, and also after "do-re-mi", the children would need sometime to practice "Sound of Music" to sing for the baroness, especially Lisel needed to learn (or at least pick up) her guitar skill, that would be another week. So the Captain definitely has stayed in Vienna for quite a while. However I doubt that he would actually believe Maria was "someone that has the discipline to keep his kids in line" after the thunderstorm.

I was actually wondering the same thing...then let's come back to our subject. I guess maybe Frau Schmidt has more or less played a tricky part in this, like covering for Maria and the children when the Captain called back. Since Franz had "something" much more important to care, he probably would not inform on the undisciplined governess over the phone, and Frau Schmidt might be happy about the change and might secretly hoped the Captain to find out this "surprise" himself. That's why the Captain didn't hear anything when he's in Vienna.

That seems like a super long summer. When Maria first came to the villa, the children were already on their summer holiday. Then when she returned from the abbey, it was still too early for blueberries and the school didn't begin yet, which made me think it should be no later than August. But it feels like it has been at least five six months since her first arrival.

I always thought Maria came and stayed two months, one with him gone and then about a month after... that's just my thought. Most of the summer but not the whole of it.

Nowadays, Austria has about 9 weeks summer vacation until the beginning of September. I don't think they've changed it very much since 1930.

in my head, he stayed only about 2 weeks in Vienna.
When he does come back, it is still summer and they have to spend some time together as well, before they dance (in summery clothing at night, so it would still be summer?) and Maria runs off.
Stays away for a week, comes back just before school starts (clothing becomes slightly warmer?), they get married in fall.

I'd give it 2 months all in all.