Clash by Night (A World War II Romantic Drama)

by Doreen Owens Malek

“So what was in the letter, anyway?” he said.

  “Brigitte says that she and Kurt and Terry are moving. Kurt got a mine supervisor’s job at Essen. It comes with a brand new house, three bedrooms, indoor plumbing and central heat, the latest. And a garden.” Her voice dropped, as if there were someone to overhear. “She thinks Becker got it for them though Kurt is keeping his mouth shut on the subject.”

  Harris sobered. “How does she feel about that?”

  Laura shrugged. “She can’t stop the man from helping her husband if that’s what he wants to do. Becker’s corporation has a lot of mine contracts. It wouldn’t take much more than a properly placed word from him to do it. And he was just elected to the Bundestag. He could apply political pressure too. Plus Kurt’s a hard worker. I don’t imagine there’d be any objection from the mine management.”

  Harris raised his brows. “Brigitte’s pretty stiff necked. It must be hard for her to take a favor from the man she holds responsible for her brother’s death.”

  Laura shrugged. “She wants Kurt to be happy and she wants a better life for little Terry, a nice home, a good school.” She sighed. “I don’t think she’s ready to have Becker over for dinner yet though.”

  “Speaking of dinner,” Harris said.

  “All right,” she replied. “Hold your son.”

  He took the baby, who promptly spit up on his shoulder. Laura grinned.

  “Didn’t you tell me this kid gained two pounds at his last doctor’s visit?” Harris said, grimacing at his stained jacket. “I don’t see how he keeps enough down to metabolize it.”

  Laura removed a stack of plates from the cupboard above her head. “Two pounds, two ounces,” she said. “He’s going to be a real Harris.”

  “When’s Christmas, Daddy?” Danielle said from the floor, where she was denuding a glassy eyed doll.

  “Next Monday,” he replied. “If she asks me that question one more time,” he murmured to Laura, rolling his eyes.

  “She’s just excited,” Laura whispered.

  “And when are Grandma and Grandpa Randall coming?” Danielle went on.

  “Sunday night. Now stop violating that doll and sit in your chair like a good girl.”

  “What’s ‘violating’?” the child asked as she climbed into her seat.

  “That’s what I’m going to do to your mother when we go to bed tonight,” he said wickedly, chuckling.

  “Fine,” Laura said to him. “I hope she repeats that for her teacher in kindergarten tomorrow.”

  Laura took the baby from Harris and set him in the bassinet in the corner. He gurgled a few times while she waited breathlessly and then began to chew his foot.

  “Good boy,” Laura said to him.

  “When are we decorating the tree?” Danielle asked.

  Harris turned to Laura.

  “Don’t look at me,” Laura said from the stove, scooping potatoes and vegetables into serving bowls. “I’m not the one who stood the thing up in the living room and said we would be dressing it ‘soon.’ You know better than to say ‘soon’ to that child.”

  “Later,” Harris amended.

  “When’s ‘later’, Daddy?” Danielle asked.

  Harris groaned. “Tonight, all right? Can we eat dinner first?”

  Danielle clapped her hands.

  Laura finished setting the table and sat down, with Danielle on one side of her and Harris on the other.

  “Can I say grace?” Danielle asked.

  “Go ahead,” her father said. His hand covered Laura’s on the table.

  “Bless us, Oh Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen,” she chirped, all in a rush. She didn’t understand a word but she was a great mimic.

  “Amen,” her parents echoed.

  Harris reached for the meat platter as outside the snow continued to fall.

  Bonn, West Germany

  “So it’s confirmed, then?” Becker said into the telephone. “Hesse will have the job?”

  He listened to something from the other end.

  “Good. And get his wife an interview at the company clinic too.”

  He listened again and sighed. “I don’t know if she wants to work. Her son is almost six and in school, I think. But find out if she does, and if so get her the interview. Is that clear?”

  There was another murmur through the line and Becker replied, “Fine. Goodbye.” He hung up and glanced at his watch. It was almost dinnertime. He had a last parliamentary session the following day and was staying in town overnight.

  The intercom on his desk buzzed.

  “Sir, your wife is here,” his secretary announced.

  “Send her in,” he said, and stood.

  The door opened and Lysette entered. Becker went to her and took her hands, kissing her lightly on the mouth.

  “Darling, I’ve told you that you don’t have to check with Gretchen before coming into my office.”

  “I didn’t want to interrupt anything,” Lysette replied.

  She was dressed in a gray-blue cashmere coat with blue fox collar and cuffs and a matching cloche. Her hair was subtly styled, her jewelry real and her perfume evocative, expensive. She would have been just as happy in a sweater and the newly fashionable slacks, but Becker delighted in spoiling her and she didn’t have the heart to disappoint him. Also he was a very prominent man in the post war business community and in the new democratic government. She felt it was her duty to make a good impression as his wife.

  “You couldn’t possibly interrupt anything more important than you,” he said. “Gretchen made dinner reservations for us. Would you like to stay in the apartment with me tonight?”

  “I’d love to but I should go back to the house. The boys are coming for the holidays tomorrow, remember?”

  “Oh, yes,” he nodded. His sons were due for a visit. After his divorce from Elise he had rekindled his relationship with them. His life had changed so much from the despair he’d often felt in Fains that sometimes he could hardly believe it. In the post war years the surviving Germans had distanced themselves from the Nazi horror as much as possible and sought leaders who were never involved in it. In this sunnier climate Becker had prospered, his natural gifts coming to the fore, the woman who had saved his sanity during his exile at his side.

  He picked up his jacket from the chair and led Lysette back into the reception area.

  “I’m leaving, Gretchen,” he said to his secretary. “Just put any messages on my desk.”

  “Yes, sir,” Gretchen said.

  “I’ll see you for the half day tomorrow,” Becker called in farewell as they passed. Lysette smiled at her and the girl watched them go through the outer door. Becker put his arm around his wife’s waist as it closed behind them.

  Gretchen’s face assumed an expression of resigned finality. She envied her employer’s wife, even though she couldn’t dislike Frau Becker because she was always so nice to her, never condescending, never a snob. But she was married to a handsome, rich and powerful man who obviously adored her, and Gretchen felt a twinge of resentment whenever she was around. She’d heard that the Frenchwoman was Becker’s second wife, a penniless refugee he’d picked up during the war. It was difficult to believe their backgrounds could be that different. The two of them were so close they hardly seemed to notice other people when they were together.

  Gretchen looked down at the sheet of paper in her typewriter and studied the silent keys, dismissing the story. It was obviously fiction, the product of some rumormonger’s overworked romantic imagination. Frau Becker was French, all right, but probably from some aristocratic family with bloodlines back to Charlemagne. Becker would not have fallen for, and especially married, anything less.

  Satisfied, Gretchen went back to her typing.

  – THE END –

  I am Doreen Owens Malek, author of over forty books and lifelong fan of romantic fiction. I live in PA with my husband and college student daughter, a mini dachs
hund and a sun conyer parrot. I would like to tell you a little about myself.

  I came to writing by a circuitous route, starting out as an avid reader of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights and Gone With the Wind and Rebecca, and any other similarly themed books I could find. I first worked as a teacher and then graduated from law school when I desired a more lucrative and independent career. I had always been discouraged from pursuing a writing career by the volatile nature of the business and the relatively poor chance for success. But the realization that I needed a focus for the future encouraged me to do what I had always wanted to do. I sold my fledgling novel to the first editor who read it, and I have been writing ever since. I have written all types of books for all types of people, but my favorite literary pursuit is and always has been romance. Nothing is as rewarding as hearing from my readers, so please use my website to communicate your thoughts and criticisms, as I am always eager to learn from you.

  A romance novel rarely disappoints me: in an uncertain world filled with tragedy and sadness, reading about an appealing woman finding a strong man to love her and share her life is the perfect escape. I like to read and write stories in which the main characters overcome obstacles to get together, and then stay together because their mutual devotion cannot be denied no matter what else is happening around them. They always HELP each other and reinforce the quaint but enduring notion that love conquers all—at least in the fictional universe of my imagination. So pull up a chair and take down a book—or pick up a Kindle—and join me in a world where the heroes are tough and headstrong but never boorish and the heroines are feminine and sympathetic but never helpless.

  Happy reading! — Doreen Owens Malek

  See all of

  Doreen Owens Malek’s

  Kindle eBooks on

  Amazon.com

  www.doreenowensmalek.com

  RECENT CONTEMPORARY

  ROMANCE RELEASES

  by Doreen Owens Malek

  www.doreenowensmalek.com

  Brand new, never before published

  Contemporary Romance

  AMANDA’S BLUE MARINE

  Available for digital download

  at Amazon.com, and in print at

  www.doreenowensmalek.com

  Amanda’s Blue Marine marks the return of Doreen Owens Malek to publishing after a 12 year absence. It is with great pleasure that Doreen presents her new, never before published contemporary romance Amanda’s Blue Marine.

  When Amanda Redfield, an assistant district attorney from a wealthy and prominent Philadelphia family, is being harassed by a mysterious stalker, she meets Brendan Kelly, the police detective assigned to her case. Smart and capable but deeply troubled, Kelly protects Amanda while he works to find her tormentor, but his disturbing presence and rogue behavior disrupt Amanda’s settled life. She is helplessly drawn to the sexy and charming but barely controlled cop, and as their passion grows she must choose between her prosperous and settled past and an uncertain future with a man whose own life is spiraling out of control. How she draws on her wits and resources to eventually rescue Kelly emotionally in the same way that he rescues her physically makes for a powerful and satisfying love story.

  Look for the reissue of the

  enormously popular

  A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE (1989),

  available for digital download at Amazon.com

  Taylor Braddock. His name brought back memories of a man so handsome that a young girl had fallen in love—and made a fool of herself. A man so unique he’d spoiled Sharon Philips for any other love.

  But now her father’s will had joined their lives once again. In a final attempt at matchmaking, Dad left half his California horse ranch to Sharon, the other half to Braddock—provided they were husband and wife.

  A quick wedding. A quick divorce. A quick sale of the ranch. It seemed simple. But time had only fueled their passion. Could Taylor erase ten years of pain and show Sharon that loving him was her destiny?

  Watch For:

  ANOTHER MARRIAGE

  OF CONVENIENCE

  (Coming Spring 2013)

  The sequel to the enormously popular A Marriage of Convenience. Visit the next generation of Braddocks as they find heartbreak and romance on the ranch in present day California. Watch Tay and Sharon survive a rocky patch in their enduring marriage to prove once again that love conquers all.

  MARRIAGE IN NAME ONLY

  (Contemporary Romance

  Best Seller from 1995)

  Revenge is bittersweet…

  when passion intervenes

  Years ago Ann Talbot had been forced to leave Heath Bodine without a goodbye. Now she was back, and though Heath still had the power to make her insides quiver with longing, he had changed. Yes, he was proposing marriage. But not out of love—out of revenge. And Ann knew she had no choice but to say yes.

  Heath intended to make Ann pay for running out on him. But no matter how much he tried to deny it, living under the same roof and sharing the same bed with her was going to prove his undoing. Because he didn’t just want her body, he wanted her heart as well…

  NEW DIGITAL RELEASES

  DECEMBER 2012

  BIG EASY HEAT

  (Contemporary Romance)

  Beau Landry was a real charmer, but Morgan Taylor was in Louisiana strictly for business. She was not about to become emotionally or physically involved with the key witness against her client. Just one dinner with the handsome, rugged Mr. Landry wouldn’t hurt—as long as Morgan could ignore her growing attraction to him...

  Beau was prepared to use any tactic to get to know Morgan better. If it was a crime to be falling in love with a beautiful lady lawyer, then Beau was guilty as charged. He only hoped that his sentence with her would be for life.

  NOVEMBER 2012

  NATIVE AFFAIRS

  (Four Contemporary

  American Indian Romances)

  700 pages of Romance

  Reading Pleasure!

  A Note from the Author: The common denominator in the four romances I selected for Native Affairs is the Native American hero in each story. I chose to write about this Northern hemisphere icon because for me he exemplifies the strength and purpose and stoic masculinity always found in male romantic leads. From the physical trials his ancestors endured to reach tribal manhood, to the indefatigable courage they displayed in fighting the overwhelming numbers of European settlers, American Indians are unique in history. The modern counterpart’s ability to survive in society while retaining the mysticism and respect for nature and its processes that characterize his culture makes him a compelling figure. In my books this tenacity and toughness is translated into a contemporary setting and a relationship with a woman who challenges his background and beliefs. This contrast and conflict is what makes a good story and I’ve exploited that basic difference to tell tales that bring out the best in both characters who come together as a couple.

  In Blackfoot Affair the main characters are on opposite sides of a legal battle, and in An Indian Affair the hero is a renegade bounty hunter who meets a teacher he simply can’t resist. In Medicine Man’s Affair the hero is an athlete who has to defy his own prejudices to pursue a woman he doesn’t want to desire, and in Marriage in Name Only a troubled teenager becomes a conflicted millionaire who can’t forget his first love. All four men are a bit difficult, a little dangerous, and a lot sexy. I hope you enjoy reading about this quartet of heartbreakers as much as I enjoyed writing about them. Some details are provided below.

  An Indian Affair is a conflict of cultures tale about two people who have nothing in common but can’t stay away from each other. Cindy is both frightened by and attracted to Drew Fox. Even though every instinct she has tells her to put distance between herself and the wild man she is drawn to so fiercely, she listens to her heart rather than her head. How these two achieve a balance between their conflicting natures is detailed in a compelling love story.

  Blackfoot Affair is a tale that begins with intense
antagonism between professional combatants, Marisa Hancock and Jackson Bluewolf. Their constant conflict produces a tension that flares into a desire that complicates their lives until they give in to it. Once they acknowledge their need for one another they make progress toward happiness. Then an accusation of betrayal drives the couple apart until it is resolved in dramatic fashion, bringing them together in a satisfying conclusion.

  Medicine Man’s Affair is a story that shows that prejudices can poison a relationship on either side, but love can bring down these barriers and unite people of diverse backgrounds. Jennifer Gardiner meets Lee Youngson, a professional athlete who wants to be a doctor but believes his dream is impossible. Jennifer helps him to realize his ambitions and see that he doesn’t have to compromise his principles in order to love the woman he truly wants.

  Marriage in Name Only is a reunion story disguised as a revenge tale. After rich girl meets poor boy and then they are separated, Heath Bodine tells himself he is determined to punish his childhood sweetheart. But he is really still in love with the girl he thinks abandoned him years earlier. It is an intense, highly emotional story of youthful passion which translates into an enduring attachment once issues of honestly and loyalty are addressed. When Heath finally learns to trust Jessica, a mature and enduring is created between the two lovers.

  OCTOBER 2012

  MURPHY’S AFFAIR

  (Contemporary Romance)

  Uptight lawyer Hope Jarvis took one look at the man she was investigating and knew she was headed for trouble. What Dennis Murphy made her feel was positively illegal! How would she ever be able to do her job if she couldn’t think straight every time he came near?