The Prince and the Nun

by Jacqueline George

  “Well, Mrs. Orlova is coming after breakfast to finish off, and to teach about manicures.”

  “I still have lots of things to do,” said Wanda. “We have to learn about waxing hairy legs. We have to practice making up again, and I want at least a serious hour to teach about not getting pregnant. That’s really important. Then we have to give out all the clothes. Can we have a dance and a dress rehearsal tomorrow evening? Just for us girls? And you, of course.”

  Chapter 10

  Wanda refused to take Therese’s room from her. “It’s a big enough bed,” she said. “We’ll share it. You don’t snore, do you? We’ll be nice and warm, and we can talk.”

  Wanda was sitting at the desk writing when Therese came out of the bathroom.

  “My God!” she shrieked when she saw Therese. “Does Franz know you sleep like that? Even my Grandmother doesn’t have a nightie like that.”

  Therese was taken aback. She looked down at her flannel nightdress. Simple enough; long sleeves, buttoned at the neck. It covered her from top to toe, and it kept her warm.

  “I don’t know if I’m safe sleeping with you dressed like that. You could be a man underneath, and I’d never know.” Then, seeing Therese felt embarrassed, she kissed her cheek and said, “Make the bed warm for me. I won’t be long. Can I use your dressing gown?”

  Therese lay in the centre of the bed, feeling uncomfortable. Wanda was like a whirlwind with her energy and new ideas—impossible to contain. Now she had even disturbed Therese in her own bed. She listened to the splashing in the bathroom and waited.

  She came with a rush. “It’s cold! Castles! They’re always cold!” She threw the dressing gown off and rushed naked for the bed. Therese caught a flash of her golden figure as she dashed around the bed and jumped under the covers. “Warm me up!” she demanded and, turning her back to Therese, she wriggled and pushed up against her. She drew Therese’s arm around her and shivered.

  Her body felt hard and vibrant and inexplicably smaller than Therese had expected. She cuddled up closer and pulled Wanda into her lap. Wanda’s hair lay under her cheek, and her perfume filled Therese’s breathing.

  Wanda shivered again. “That’s better. You’re nice and warm. It must be the nightie.” She wriggled again. “Mmh, this is nice. What did you think of this evening?”

  “I’m not sure. It all seemed so easy. Is it, I mean, did it…do you like to do that?”

  “Oh yes! It’s fun! I like pushing men around and making them do what I command.”

  Therese thought about that idea for a moment. “It didn’t look that way. I mean, you were kneeling at his feet and he was taking his pleasure. You looked like, I don’t know, like a servant.”

  “You wait until you’ve tried it. It’s not like that at all. To start with, no girl has to do it. Not even in a bordello. You only do it if you want to, and that means men only get it if they treat me correctly. When I’m doing it to them, I’m the one in charge. I can go faster, slower, harder, however I choose. There’s nothing much he can do to change things. I can make it an experience he’ll never forget, or I can stop halfway and leave him begging. No, you’ll see. You’ll be the engine driver, with your hand on the lever. And your lips, of course,” she added with a chuckle.

  “Don’t you mind doing it with Mefist? I mean, he’s your cousin.”

  Wanda laughed. “I’d forgotten that! What must you be thinking of us? We’re not really cousins, second cousins, actually. My parents died at the end of the Great War, and Mummy and Daddy took me in – that’s Franz’s parents. He doesn’t have any real brothers and sisters, and they brought us up together. I call him ‘little brother’ sometimes, and he likes it.

  “Franz and I have been making love for ages. We’ve been doing naughty things together since we were little. He’s like my brother and I love him, so it seems natural to do something now and again. God knows what will happen when I marry. I don’t think it will be easy to find an understanding husband. Maybe I’ll get a wife instead.”

  “Tell me about Mefist. What’s he like at home? Where do you live?”

  “Where do we live? All over the place at the moment. Home is Lingau, up north on the Prussian border. Near Allerstein. We have a castle up there, smaller than this one of course, and my father spends most of his time there. Mother prefers the house in Gneisnau, so she is always moving backwards and forwards. I live mostly in Vienna just now. I have an interest in the Kunsthistorisches Museum there. Franz I don’t know about. At the moment he’s wrapped up in his army work, but I don’t think he feels too seriously about it. I can’t imagine he’ll ever grow into a general or anything like that. He’s too independent, and he can’t stand stupidity. I expect he’ll end up like my father. Living at Lingau. He loves the country life.”

  “What’s he like at home? What does he wear?”

  “What does he wear? He has a tailor in London who makes his riding clothes, and that’s what he wears mostly. Makes him look very severe and stylish. He spends half the day on horseback when he’s in Lingau. It’s a big estate, and there’s always a lot to be done. I’m sure he doesn’t need to personally look at everything that goes on, but that’s what he does. We hardly see him in daylight at all.”

  “Does he hunt?”

  “Sometimes. When we have a shooting party, he’ll usually join in. He takes a lot of care of the animals, but he’s not one of the men who sit up a tree all night just to shoot a pig. He lets the foresters do that. He says they enjoy it more.

  “He took photographs for a while. He used to get up in the dark and he and one of the young foresters would carry a great big camera out to the edge of the forest. You should have seen them coming back for breakfast, all cold and hungry, with bags and boxes and the wooden tripod. He developed the plates himself and made some wonderful photographs. We kept telling him to put them in a book. I’m sure people would buy it, but he hasn’t done any photography since he went to the Academy. Maybe he’ll start again when all this fighting is over. He’d be able to take some wonderful pictures here.”

  She wriggled around to face Therese. She pushed her onto her back and arranged her head on Therese’s shoulder. Her head felt hard, and Therese could sense her breathing. The hand resting on her stomach filled her consciousness.

  “What about you, Therese? You seem to be quite taken with Franz. Has he made a conquest?”

  Therese was shocked. “Oh no! Nothing like that. He’s just, I don’t know, interesting, I suppose. I suppose I ought to hate him, but he’s nice. I mean he came in here–when?–a week ago?–and just turned everything upside down. I was a Mother Superior then, and look at me now!”

  “You mean, in bed with a loose woman?”

  “What? No, you’re not…” She didn’t know how to continue.

  “Not what?”

  “Wanda! You know what I mean. You’re not a loose woman.”

  Wanda laughed at her embarrassment and kissed her cheek. “You’re sweet, but I am a loose woman when I choose to be. Look at you, you’re the madam of a high-class bordello now. It’s fun, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t know what my mother would think.”

  “She wouldn’t mind. I’ve met her, don’t forget, and I’m sure she would think it’s just a necessity of war. I wouldn’t tell her, if you’re worried. No one else will. Gentlemen are notorious for not talking about such things to women.”

  “I’m frightened, Wanda. The officers will be here the day after tomorrow, and none of us know what we’re doing! Me especially. I don’t know anything about sex. I came here straight from school. I’ve never even had a boyfriend.”

  “Don’t worry so much. You’re doing very well. The girls are wonderful; they’re pretty, intelligent, and they’ll do what you tell them. Just make sure you write down who has all the drinks at the bar, and how many times they take the girls to bed. And that’s all. Franz and Timko will take care of all the paperwork and the requisitions you’ll need.”

  “I’m still wor
ried about the girls. They don’t know what to do.”

  “As Franz says, nuns are not meant to know, so it won’t be a problem. Believe me, if you take care of them as you’re doing now, they’ll be loving sex in no time at all. That’s nature. We’re born to it. It’s being a nun that’s difficult.

  “What about you personally? Will you be taking part in the first night?”

  Therese thought for a moment. “I don’t know. Do you think I should?”

  “I wouldn’t. Not in the club, anyway. I mean, if the General wants you or someone like that, bring him up here but make sure you write it down in the book. That way the girls will know you’re doing your bit. Of course, you don’t have to say yes to any more junior officers. That’s what the girls are for. I’m sure you’ll have a couple of the younger ones up here when you feel like it. I know I would. I think you’re going to enjoy the next few months.”

  The hand on Therese’s stomach slid up to her breast. Without thinking, she grabbed for it, but then stopped. She loosened her grip but left her hand on top of Wanda’s. It was only Wanda, after all, and she did not want to seem unfriendly.

  Once she had permission, Wanda started to caress her and run a fingernail around her nipple. A rush of electricity shot through her body and down to her stomach. The nipple stiffened, and Wanda started to pinch and twist the hard button.

  “Mmh, you have beautiful breasts. Beautiful. I can’t wait to see them. Franz said you were very beautiful when he measured you.”

  “He didn’t!”

  “Of course he did. He told me all about it. How you got all excited and trembling, and these were standing up hard.” She reached over to pinch the other nipple. “You definitely got his attention. Tell me, do nuns ever do this to each other?”

  “Oh no! It wouldn’t be right. Although, I wonder if I’d ever know? You’d have to ask a priest. If they did it, I’m sure they’d confess.”

  “I’m not so sure. If it were me, I certainly wouldn’t share the experience with a dirty-minded priest. It would only upset him anyway. Here, take this nightie off. I’m nude, so you should be as well. Stroking you through this flannel is awful. Think of it as practice.”

  “I couldn’t—” she said, but did not stop Wanda pulling the nightdress up.

  “Come on, take this dreadful thing off!”

  Therese sat up and pulled the nightdress over her head. The cold air washed around her, and she hurried back under the covers. “That’s better,” said Wanda, her hand returning to torment Therese’s nipple. “Doesn’t it feel good?”

  It felt very good. The unaccustomed touch of the sheet on her bare skin and the warmth of Wanda at her side. The hand on her breasts grew more insistent, and she started to tremble. Wanda’s hand slid down across her stomach and into her hair.

  “I—” protested Therese, but she tipped her hips upwards to meet the hand. A finger slipped down towards her centre. Then it happened to her. She had crushed Wanda to her with the arm around her shoulders, and she was pressing the questing hand down into her and squeezing it between her thighs. Waves of ecstasy swept through her rigid body, and she heard herself saying, “Stop, stop, stop!”

  “My God, Therese!” said Wanda when the crisis had passed. “What happened? I hardly touched you!”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never… Oh, Wanda, that was wonderful!”

  Wanda reached for her and kissed her urgently, full, open-mouthed kisses that took Therese by storm. She reached around Wanda and pulled her closer. It felt exciting to be this close to her. She opened her legs when Wanda’s knee pressed between them. Then Wanda’s smooth, wet sex gently kissed her thigh. She lifted her knee to push back, and Wanda’s hips started to rock against her. Again Wanda’s fingers came to her centre, rubbing hard and insistently at her sensitive spot. For a moment she was conscious of Wanda’s wetness sliding up and down her thigh, and then she slipped into ecstasy again.

  She returned to find Wanda lying half on top of her, crushing her leg between her thighs and trembling periodically. Her face was buried in Therese’s hair, and her breathing sounded harsh.

  Wanda relaxed and rolled onto her back. “Ooh! I was as fast as you, I think.”

  “Was it—was it enough?”

  Wanda laughed weakly. “You want more? So quickly?”

  “No, but you? Was it right?”

  “Therese, you are a very promising student. It was very right, and quite enough for the moment. What about you? Did you enjoy it? You came faster than I could have imagined.”

  “It was good, very good. I had no idea it was going to be like that.”

  “My dear, you have only just started. It will be ten times better than that when you’ve done it a bit more. When you are with a man that you love…well, just wait and see.

  “Oh, you’ve finished me. Here, hold me and we’ll sleep. It’s been a long, long day.”

  Chapter 11

  Therese woke with a rush, aware of someone sleeping beside her. Wanda had turned her back, and her hair spread over her pillow. Her breathing came quietly. Therese reached out to touch her.

  “Go away,” she mumbled. “I’ll see you later.”

  Feeling naked and uncomfortable, Therese grabbed some clothes and hurried into the bathroom to dress. Wanda remained curled up in the bedclothes as she left for breakfast.

  The club was in turmoil when she got there. Mrs. Orlova was busy, and Maria had got everyone else hard at work cleaning. She put up her mop when she saw Therese and smiled. “Good morning, Mistress. Come and have a look at your office. We’ve been getting it ready for you.”

  They had worked hard indeed. She now had a proper writing desk and her filing cabinet from the old office. A hunting print graced the wall. As a concession to her new position, Maria had given her the cheval mirror and an elegant chaise longue. “Where did you find that?”

  Maria blushed. “I took it from the Countess’s dressing room. I’m sure she won’t mind. You’ll take more care of it than some soldier, I’m sure. The mirror’s from there as well. I know Miss Wanda has bought you some nice clothes, so you’ll need it. I tried to get our old typewriter, but Sister Brigitta has taken it. Timko says that if you have any typing, he’ll do it for us.

  “It’s strange, not being a nun any more. I don’t think I liked the way Timko looked at me. I could see just what was going through his mind.”

  “I hope you don’t think I’ll be using the chaise longue, Maria?”

  “You never know, Mistress. You never know.”

  “Go on with you! Miss Wanda has missed breakfast. Do you think you could find something for her?”

  When she came, Wanda looked impeccable. Maria brought her coffee and a croissant to Therese’s office. Wanda spoke between bites. “I’m going to get them to wax their legs first. I cannot stand women who have hairy legs under their stockings. Or hair under their arms. Mrs. Orlova should be finished by then, so we’ll have a lesson on contraception. You’d better attend, because you’re the one who will have to make sure they’re careful. We don’t want the club to turn into a baby factory. Then before lunch it’s your turn. Mrs. Orlova first, then I’ll wax your legs, and perhaps a little bit more. Let me start on the girls first. Why don’t you come back at about eleven-thirty?” Therese fled.

  Mrs. Orlova was in a talkative mood. As she worked on Therese’s hair, she described the excitements that the Imperial Army had brought to the village. The tavern was busier than it had ever been; they could have sold far more spirits than could be found from the wholesalers. Already the worst wine in the farmers’ cellars had sold out, and soon the meaner ones would have to choose between crowns in their hands now and a proper celebration of Christmas. The more enterprising households were brewing beer as fast as they could and hoped to make their fortunes.

  The village now had three police stations. Sergeant Marian and his two constables of the State Police now had to wear blue armbands and report daily to the District Administration Office that had taken
the place of the mayor. The Army had its own Military Police who kept the roads clear and pushed truck convoys through without stopping at the tavern. Much more sinister were the black-uniformed contingent of SekPol security police that had taken two classrooms in the school, and they gave the most fertile field for the gossips to plough. SekPol worried the village most, and already some of the young men were talking of disappearing into the forests to avoid an invitation to become Imperial soldiers.

  Apart from that, life went on normally, and women were preserving and pickling food for the winter. The men had not finished harvesting the maize and still had the last of the winter wheat to sow. All in all, people trusted to their own irrelevance to protect them from the storms now sweeping Europe. Instinctively they knew that appearing simpler and slower than reality was the only way to survive. SekPol would find no loose talk in the village because they kept their own counsel.

  Mrs. Orlova did not appear to do much to her hair, but Therese liked the result. She did not dare, she said, to do more than put a discrete curl in her bangs because Prince Mefist would not like it, and she was not half brave enough to risk his displeasure. Anyway, Therese liked it and did not feel guilty about admiring herself.

  Maria and the girls liked it too, and Therese realized with a start that Mefist and Mrs. Orlova had created a “house style” for the Sisters of Montebello. How arrogant he is, she thought. A normal man might force his wife to dress her hair the way he liked, but Mefist had managed to impose his wishes on a whole harem. Fortunately he had good taste.

  Wanda took her straight from Mrs. Orlova’s care to the office. “Now, my dear. Let’s start turning you into a modern lady. Makeup first.”

  Wanda sat her in front of the mirror and opened a brown cardboard box. “Look what Meissner has sent for you. I chose the ones I buy myself because you may as well copy me. We’re much the same colour, and now we’ll look like sisters! Watch what I’m doing and then you can have a try yourself. Sit still and don’t talk while I’m working.” Her firm and confident fingers started to rub her cheeks.