Wanda clapped her hands and laughed. “Dear Serge! He loves a good dupka, though not usually female ones. He just can’t help himself. I must get a photograph of you. He’ll be so happy.”
“But it’s not like me….”
“Of course not. You used to be a nun, but now…now it’s perfect. If I looked like that I could be Queen of Vienna. Stop complaining and see if you can do your hair and makeup the way I showed you.”
The room was dark when they entered, lit only by the lights behind the bar and a single bulb of the many in the chandelier. Mefist sat at a table at the edge of the dance floor, and he stood to receive them. The table had glasses, a candle and a bottle of champagne. Wanda led her to him and twirled her around.
“Doesn’t she look beautiful? Serge deserves a medal, and he’s never even seen her.”
“My dear, you look wonderful,” said Mefist, bowing to kiss her hand, “and you too, Wanda. If you were in Vienna together, your beauty would set the world on fire. Sit down and we’ll toast the future.”
While Mefist filled their glasses, Wanda put a record on the gramophone. American music, Cole Porter. The curtain over the entrance to the girls’ rooms rattled aside, and they danced into the room.
Therese was stunned. After seeing the girls dance naked for so long, seeing them in their new clothes came as a shock. Not that any of them had dresses. They all wore stockings and heeled shoes, but none of them wore knickers. Above their stockings they wore a colourful mix of underwear. Short slips, lacy brassieres, bustiers or transparent night dresses, all different. As they danced in the semi-darkness, they hinted at sex and wickedness. Therese had seen none of this worldliness in them before.
“Dance with them,” whispered Mefist. “They’re your girls….”
Moving carefully in her high shoes, Therese was passed from arm to arm as she danced. Suddenly she no longer knew these girls, these beautiful women with their erotic clothes and their naked, siren sexes. They were elegant and smooth in her arms. Their hair swayed as they moved, and their red lips smiled at her. They frightened her.
After a second playing, Wanda lifted the needle from the record. Mefist was applauding at his table. “Wonderful, wonderful! I can’t remember that I have ever seen so many beautiful girls at one time. Pull up more chairs and tables, and come and sit where I can get a good look at you.”
“And bring the kanapki,” called Wanda, “and more champagne. Three bottles. Put it on Franz’s bill.”
The girls pushed round tables together and brought glasses, bottles and large trays of small open sandwiches from behind the bar. Mefist steered Therese to the head of the table but squeezed himself between the girls on one side. Wanda settled on the other. She looked excited.
Mefist raised his glass. “To the most beautiful girls in the world! Drink up, or I will challenge you to a duel at dawn!”
“That’s hardly fair, Franz,” said Wanda. “I don’t suppose any of them know how to use a sabre.”
“No matter! They would only have to appear dressed like that, and they would win before anyone could draw a sword.” He looked around at the girls drinking cautiously. “Are you enjoying your champagne? They say it’s like drinking bottled stars, but it can make young girls forget themselves very quickly. Be careful! You never know what might happen to you.
“Oh, I love these!” He had settled on the caviar and smoked trout canapés. “Champagne and caviar, the second and third best things in the world.”
“What is the first best, Mefist?” asked Helena. Her eyes were shining, and she must have felt safe sitting two chairs away from him.
Mefist reached across his neighbours and pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear. Her hand covered her mouth, and she blushed. Her friends were clapping and laughing as the red flush spread down to her chest, under the thin black gauze that shadowed her breasts.
She looked beautiful in her confusion, and Therese raised her glass. “Let’s drink to Helena—she deserves it!”
Then Mefist took control again. “I think Therese should make a speech, don’t you?”
Forced by the clapping and calls, Therese rose reluctantly to her feet, but Mefist would not let her speak. “She’s not properly dressed. Maria, off you go!”
They all turned to watch Maria trot off on her high heels, her heavy bottom wobbling as she went. If Timko could see her now, thought Therese. Maria returned with a black jewel case.
Mefist opened it and took out two gold and diamond earrings. He gave them to two of the girls. Therese sat still while the girls held her hair back and clipped the heavy rings to her ears. Then Mefist drew a matching necklace from the case and handed it to Maria.
“You look lovely, Mistress!” said Maria, standing behind her to clip the necklace. “Just like a real lady.”
“A mirror!” called Mefist. “Who’s got a mirror?”
Her face looked pale in the mirror, her sharp features framed by the darkness of her hair. The earrings twinkled in the shadows, and the necklace gleamed richly as it dipped towards her half-naked breasts. A different, sophisticated and beautiful woman looked back at her. She stood to give her speech.
“My friends—” she started weakly, and then took hold of herself. “My friends, how beautiful you all look! When we started out last week, I knew you would do your very best, but I had no inkling of the success you would make of it. I became a nun without knowing a thing about feminine life, and I suppose we are all learning together, but look at you now! I’m sure Mefist has never sat at a table with twelve such beautiful ladies. Isn’t that right, Mefist? You tell them.”
“Fourteen! Fourteen beautiful ladies, and you’re right, I have never sat down with so many at once. What about you, Wanda?”
“Well, I don’t know about me, but certainly the twelve of you and Therese, you are fit for a sultan. I don’t know what the General is going to say. He’s an old man, and just looking at you all will probably give him a seizure. Go on, Therese, tell us some more.”
“What can I say? Just that I’m proud of you all. We’ll start work in a day or two, and you will be famous! So, before we start dancing again and before the champagne does too much damage, I’m going to propose a toast. To the beautiful Sisters of Montebello!”
The room filled with music and chatter as they danced in the shadows. Therese danced with them, holding the girls close and letting their hands range across her back and bottom. Their slim bodies rubbed up against her, and they rested their heads on her shoulder. She felt their breasts against her own, felt the smooth curves of their hips and bottoms, felt their hard mounds rubbing insistently against her thigh.
Their universe contracted to the dark bowl of the dance floor and its swaying, erotic female bodies with their high heels and long white legs. Therese was conscious of Wanda and Mefist leaving the room, but the dancing and champagne continued without them.
Wanda came to her bed some time in the small hours of the morning. Therese half awoke and welcomed her shivering back into the warmth. She returned to sleep with Wanda’s hair about her face, smelling of perfume, of Wanda and of Mefist.
Chapter 14
She felt tired and spent as she traveled with Wanda down to the train station. It was a still, grey day and the village lay quiet. The sentry at the town hall door was the only sign of the Army’s occupation. Sergeant Grossner held a signal saying that three staff officers were arriving so Therese would say goodbye to Wanda and welcome her first three customers at the same time.
They looked young and boisterous as they forced their way out of their compartment, all coats and cases. They looked around them, and Grossner stamped to attention and snapped a salute. They returned the salute automatically and stood looking at Therese and Wanda in confusion, and at Grossner, who stood mute behind them.
“Gentlemen, welcome to Krasna Dolina! I am Therese von Falberg and this is Wanda Barczewski, Prince Mefist’s cousin. Did you have a good journey?”
They saluted again and too
k her hand to kiss. “Mueller, Jadrovski and Nielsen, Mademoiselle,” said the tallest. “All lieutenants, I’m afraid. We’re not important enough to come in the road convoy, so we had to get up early and travel by train. Is Prince Mefist here? We have to report to him on arrival.”
“No,” said Wanda. “He’s too busy up at the castle, and I’m going back to Vienna on this train. You’ll just have to make do with Therese, and Sergeant Grossner, of course. Are these all your cases? The car is just outside.”
“No, we have more boxes in the guard’s van. Nielsen, would you mind showing the sergeant and we’ll put the cases in the car?”
“What about Drazevich?”
“Damn, I’d forgotten about him. Lieutenant Drazevich is from SekPol, and he chose not to travel with us. He should be here somewhere. Where is he?”
Further down the platform stood a slight, round-shouldered man with a black SekPol uniform and leather coat. The others called him over.
He returned Grossner’s salute and said, “There is no officer to meet us?” He spoke with a flat and uneducated Rhineland accent.
“Oh, Drazevich. Don’t be so sour. Two beautiful ladies waiting for you, and you want an Army officer! Where are your manners! Here is—excuse me, are you a princess, Fraulein?”
Wanda giggled and offered her hand to Drazevich. “No, only when I am being precious, as Franz calls it. Lieutenant, I am Wanda Barczewski, and this is Therese von Falberg. She is chatelaine of the castle and is in charge of making your stay in Montebello comfortable.”
“I will not be staying in the castle. I will stay with my men who are in the village. I want to be shown their quarters.”
Therese was prepared to dislike Drazevich on sight, and every time he spoke, he confirmed her opinion. Still, duty called her and she said, “I can show you. Perhaps you would like to leave your luggage here while I say goodbye to Wanda, and we can go together. It’s not far.”
“This is my luggage.” He lifted his small cardboard suitcase with a belt around it. “I want to go now.” The man’s rudeness was staggering, but Wanda would not permit any of it.
“Lieutenant, you will wait here!” she said sharply. “When she is ready, Fraulein von Falberg will escort you, and I suggest you use a different tone when you are speaking to a lady!”
She led Therese to one side. “What an unpleasant worm, and so rude! I should be very, very careful with that one. SekPol has some very nasty political connections at the top, and he could make a lot of trouble. I’m going to give Franz a call right now and make sure he stays up at the castle. Someone needs to keep an eye on him.” She gave Therese a hug. “I wish I could stay longer, to help you get started, but don’t worry. Those girls already know what to do, and their blood is beginning to show. They’ll take to it like ducks to water, you’ll see. You’d better go and take care of your secret policeman. I’ll telephone, and I’ll come back in a month or so. Enjoy yourself!”
Therese felt lost as she turned away. Wanda had only visited them for a short time, but she had been a foundation for them all. After all, she was the only one of them who had actually made love with a man. Now they would have to learn by themselves.
Then Wanda came to her elbow again and whispered into her ear. “Get Franz into bed with you as soon as possible. He needs a good woman like you, and he’d be just the man for you. And he’s such a delightful lover.” She left to use the stationmaster’s telephone.
Therese led Drazevich to the school. Looking very inappropriate in the playground, an immaculate sentry stood to attention at the school’s front door. The surprise arrival of their officer obviously came as no surprise to the men of SekPol. Therese left Drazevich at the gate and walked on into the village.
The long, low village houses with cracked plaster and unpainted wooden doors were squeezed to one side of narrow garden strips running back from the road. Vegetable patches and orchards ran down the open side of each house and behind to the flat village fields beyond. The verandas on the sides of the houses held neat stacks of split firewood for the winter, and heavy crops of maize heads hung drying under the eaves. Wood smoke and animal smells filled the air.
As she walked toward the three churches in the village centre, an old woman in traditional padded waistcoat and black petticoats came towards her. Therese prepared to smile and was shocked when the woman walked past as if Therese did not exist.
The houses became bigger as she approached the square. In the centre stood the squat town office, bright and cheerful with apricot stucco and white ornamentation. The arched walkways on each side were quiet and empty of their market stalls. The houses and shops facing into the square looked pretty, proudly painted in pastel colours and ornamented with false textures and religious figures. This was where most of the Jewish citizens had their shops. The butcher made an exception. Selling pork was naturally a Christian calling, and Krausov had one of the larger shops. Usually his windows were full of sausage and ham, but he had little on display today.
As she looked at the empty trays, two women came out. When they saw her, their faces hardened and they pointedly looked away. Again Therese cringed, and she was still feeling embarrassed when the door opened again and Jana Krausova came running down the stairs. “Sister, Sister! Come inside. Come and drink coffee with us.”
Therese allowed herself to be led inside, through the shop and into the best room. Jana sat her down and fussed over her. Krausov came in, heavy and red-faced. He looked as if he had just thrown off his apron and combed his hair. “Servus, Ma’am, servus. You honour us. Coffee, Jana, coffee, and biscuits.”
“Oh, Pappi! Don’t fuss. I’m putting the coffee on and Tanya’s buying some biscuits now. Sit down and tell Sister Therese the news.”
Krausov sat but seemed at a loss for conversation.
“News, Mr. Krausov? What news is Jana talking about?”
“Oh, nothing, Sister. Just the news. What the soldiers are doing and so on.”
“I don’t think you should call me ‘Sister’ any more, Mr. Krausov. I’m sure you know what’s happening at the castle, and it seems as if other people do. They were being rude to me.”
Krausov turned redder. “Stupid women! Jana told me. Yes, she did. And I’m grateful to you. I wouldn’t want my girl being used by those officers. Thank God for the nuns, I say. Her mother’s gone, you know, passed on; but it would have killed her I’m sure. If I could get my hands on that Prince…I’d butcher him, so I would! Butcher him!”
Therese found herself leaping to Mefist’s defence. “It’s not his fault, Mr. Krausov. You mustn’t think like that. It’s just the Army. That is what happens whenever armies settle down. I’m glad in a way that we were there to help. I’d hate to think of what would have happened in the village if we hadn’t been there. You know, if it hadn’t been Mefist, it would have been someone else. He’s not too bad. He’s very kind to us, apart from making us, well, take care of the officers. At least I can help the girls and make sure they can all go back to being nuns when this is all over.”
“I’d still go for him, if I met him.”
“Please don’t do anything foolish, Mr. Krausov. A new chief for SekPol arrived today, and he’s not a good man. He’s staying in the village, and I think he’s going to be very dangerous. I’ll be asking Prince Mefist to help control him, so the best thing the village can do is to keep quiet and not give SekPol an excuse to make trouble. The General and his staff are coming today, so the last thing we want is for some crazy village man to make trouble.”
“A general’s coming? How long will he be here?”
“Didn’t you know? General Falk-Sokol. He’s going to make Montebello his headquarters, so he’ll be here for a while. He’s a nice old man. I used to know him when I was a little girl. Apparently he likes hunting and good food. I expect you’ll be able to sell him as much good meat as you like.”
“As much as I’d like? Now, there’s the problem. It’ll be more a matter of how much I can get my hands on.
People here are killing most of their animals and putting the meat by. They think that if they don’t hide it, the Army will have it. What do you think, Sister?”
“Call me ma’am, Mr. Krausov. I don’t know what to think. The Army seems very efficient. They can drive supplies in or send them by train. I don’t think they’ll be stealing the people’s food. Mefist says the troops won’t stay at Tergov for long, so there shouldn’t be too many people here anyway.”
Jana came in with the coffee and biscuits. “Sister…” she started before Therese cut her off.
“No, Jana. Don’t call me ‘Sister.’ We’re friends; why don’t you call me Mistress, as my girls do?”
“Er, Mistress. Old Isaacs is in the shop. He saw you come in, and he wants to say thank you.”
“Thank you? What for?”
“For his daughter and her cousin. They were taken up to the castle with me. You remember them?”
“Oh, I don’t think he should worry, but I suppose I’d better see him. Would you mind, Mr. Krausov?”
Krausov opened his mouth to speak, but Jana got in first. “Pappi, you know he’s always been kind…”
“No, let him come in. We can’t afford not to have friends in these times. I’ll bring him in.”
Isaacs was a thin old man. His grey hair hung long and straggly, and he held his hat in front of him. He looked uncomfortable in Krausov’s best room. Krausov waved him down. “Sit down, sit down, Friend Isaacs. Have some coffee with us, and you can talk to Madam Therese.”
Isaacs discomfort was painful to see. He did not know how to start talking.
“Which girl was your daughter, Mr. Isaacs? I wasn’t able to talk to them at all.”
“Rebecca, Your Honour, she’s my youngest. God’s last gift to me and her mother. Thank God you saved her! The gentlemen can be very hard on our people sometimes. She’s a good girl, and very clever with books and writing. She’s sharp, and she’ll make someone a good wife when these times are over, if I can find someone who will catch her fancy. But she’s a worry to me with all these soldiers in the village. She has to stay inside all the time. If the soldiers catch her outside, they’ll have their way with her, God help her. We have friends in Switzerland—perhaps they could take her until this is all over. She’d be safe in Switzerland.”
The Prince and the Nun Page 9
