The Prince and the Nun

by Jacqueline George

  “It’s your handwriting, Maria,” said Therese.

  “I think that was my table. The little man with the pencil moustache. Like a small Valentino without the magic,” said Dorota.

  “That’s all very well, but what’s his name? Whisky is expensive. Did anyone take him to bed?”

  “I didn’t. I took Mikhail. He was nice.” Dorota looked happy.

  “Mikhail’s not enough. What was his rank and his family name?”

  “I know he’s a lieutenant. He’s got a Czech name, but I think he’s from Hungary. What was his name now…?”

  “Jadrovski,” said Therese. “I remember him.”

  “Mmh–me too,” said Dorota, and the girls laughed.

  “How much do they pay to sleep with us, Mistress?” asked Maria. “Drazevich asked me, and I didn’t know. So I took the boy instead.”

  “I don’t know,” said Therese, “and I don’t care. Mefist will sort out all that sort of thing. Apparently Timko just adds everything up at the end of the month and deducts it from their pay. Trust Drazevich to worry about that.”

  “I don’t think he has much money,” said Maria. “He says his father is a draper in Düsseldorf. He doesn’t like to mix with gentlemen, but now he doesn’t have a choice. I suppose we’d better take care of him or he’ll never be able to afford a drink, much less one of us.”

  “I’ll think about it. What about the rest of you? Did you have any problems? Anyone sore?” They blushed and giggled.

  Maria had a question. “Mistress, what do we do if they want it more than once? I mean, at the same time.”

  “Maria! What have you been doing with Franz Stoibel? The boy’s young enough to be your son!”

  Maria had the grace to blush. “It wasn’t my fault! He was so–enthusiastic. We must have done it, I don’t know, six times? One after the other. He’d no sooner stopped than it stood up and he was off again. He was on top, I was on top, he did it from the front, from behind, and even standing up against the door as we tried to leave.”

  “But did you enjoy it?”

  “Well, it wasn’t bad,” she admitted amid the laughter, “but how many times do I write him down in the book?”

  “Don’t be greedy, Maria. It sounds to me as if you should be paying him!”

  “Mistress, how could you say that? I only wanted to help.”

  “Calm down, Maria. You did very well. You all did very well. Our friends certainly had a night to remember. Now Maria and I are going to sort out the paperwork, and I’d like all of you to clean up your rooms and the club here. Nice and clean, mind. Let’s open the skylights and get a bit of fresh air in here. After lunch we’re going for a walk. I want to see some colour in your cheeks, because we’re back to work again tonight.”

  Mefist came to her office. “Congratulations, Therese. You and your girls are the talk of the officers’ mess. No one can believe their good fortune at being here, and the ones who got left out last night will be queuing on the steps at eight o’clock. How did you find it?”

  “It was all very easy, actually. As if everyone knew just what to do. We provided the club and the drinks, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Even the girls. Now I’m trying to sort out who drank what. Maria’s with Timko arranging to bring up more drinks for the bar and the girls are cleaning, as you see.

  “Where were you? I’m disappointed that you didn’t come to our opening night.”

  “Oh, I thought I’d leave it all up to you, and besides, I had to do something for the General down in the village. What did you do? Did you enjoy yourself? Did you pick yourself a strapping young lieutenant?”

  “Mefist! How could you? No, you won’t find my name in the book yet. Will you come tonight?”

  “Mmh, maybe. Or I might leave it for a day or two, when you’ve quietened down a little. I might have to go down to the village again. Drazevich is stirring things up already. He’s only been here twenty-four hours, and he’s got his men going around the village shops looking for black marketeers.

  “He’s brought a conscription order with him. The General has to find 150 recruits and 200 draught horses from Krasna Dolina by the end of the month, and no doubt there’ll be more later on. Drazevich wanted to do a dawn raid and grab young men from their beds. Idiot! The General had to order him to behave himself. The villagers don’t care about us at the moment, one way or the other, but rub them up the wrong way and we’ll be in a hornet’s nest. Imagine all the forest full of partisans! We wouldn’t be able to move in the open for fear of being shot down, and we certainly don’t have the men to control forests like these.

  “We’ll ask for volunteers first, and the magistrate’s promised to empty his cells. So don’t go poaching or stealing your neighbour’s chicken, or you might find yourself joining the Army. We’ll get the men without too much trouble I guess, but I don’t know where we’ll get the horses. At least we can pay for those—and a sad bunch of old nags we’ll get for our money, no doubt.”

  “Mefist, we need to spend some money in the village. Buy vegetables, meat or something from the people. That’s the way to help them and help the Army.”

  “Ah-ha! You’ve been talking to Krausov, haven’t you?”

  “What? How did you know?”

  “Calm down. Drazevich reported you, that’s why. I don’t know what he found so interesting about you meeting the local butcher, but something in his twisted little mind made him report your movements to the General. Not that he’ll try such a thing again after the old man shared his feelings with him.”

  “The little rat! You know we were sitting in the club this morning thinking that we’d have to do something to help him because he doesn’t have enough money to live like a gentleman. Apparently his father’s a draper in Düsseldorf.”

  “Not enough money? My dear, his father is a draper of a sort. He owns Landers in Breite Strasse! He’s as rich as Croesus.”

  “That man is going to be trouble, Mefist. Can’t you get rid of him?”

  “I’m sorry, but no. The secret policeman is always with us, and if it wasn’t a fool like Drazevich, it could be someone far worse. Don’t worry; we’ll keep him under control. Let him come to the club and make him welcome. If you can arrange a little friend for him, so much the better. Make sure you let me know if you hear of any mischief he’s up to. If he won’t pay, put his time on my bill. It’ll be worth it.”

  “He asked Maria how she charges. She was really upset and took Lieutenant Stoibel to bed instead. How much would he have to pay?”

  “Never you mind! I set the charges according to rank and what they can afford. They’re paying far less than they would for girls like ours anywhere else. I wonder how much I should charge for you?”

  “Mefist, if you ever dare to charge anyone for me, I’ll kill you! And I’ll tell Wanda. Now, getting back to Drazevich. I don’t think he’s going to have a little friend, because he’s the sort of person who hangs on to his money.”

  “That’s easy. Just explain to him that as a policeman, it’s on the house. I gather that’s quite a normal arrangement in most places. The police protect the bordello, and in return some chosen officers get free service. He’ll go for a deal like that, you’ll see. I’ll make sure he comes to the club tonight, and you can have a chat with him.”

  When Mefist had gone, Therese went down to Timko’s office and called Mrs. Orlova for an appointment at five. She had to pass on the news about the recruits to Jana, and Mrs. Orlova would make a useful channel of communication.

  That evening Mefist appeared with Drazevich. The club was busy again. Without the General, the young men could enjoy themselves. Lieutenant Nielsen turned out to be an accomplished pianist with a fund of the latest music, and he shared the piano stool with Helena, his latest student. He was teaching her jazz, or so he claimed. In fact his lesson looked more of an excuse to squeeze up to his half-naked companion. It did not take long for his muse to give way, and he led her off to her room.

  Maria was help
ing at the bar, but Therese took her off to sit with Mefist and Drazevich. Drazevich appeared less surly than he had been the day before, but it took all Mefist’s skill to get him into conversation. Therese returned to serving drinks.

  Mefist soon followed and sat at the bar to smoke a cigarette. Maria was having some success with Drazevich and as he drank, he began to talk freely. She came to the bar to fetch him another brandy and left again, whispering, “God, he’s boring!” It was not long before she took him to her room. Mefist looked amused, but Therese shook her head and thought, “Poor Maria.”

  They came back quickly, not more than ten minutes later. Drazevich gave them a minimal nod and disappeared down the stairs. Maria said nothing.

  “Poor Maria!” said Therese. “I hope he wasn’t too bad.”

  “He’s not very good at it. He just took off his trousers, pushed it in and finish! I hadn’t started and he was already getting off me. Franz Stoibel did it much better.”

  “Did he say anything?”

  “Before, while we were here. How he wanted to have a checkpoint at each end of the village, but the General wouldn’t let him have the men. Also, he doesn’t like Mefist here. I think he doesn’t like princes.”

  “Listen to him carefully, Maria,” said Mefist. “When he comes back, get him talking again, and try to remember everything. Then tell Therese and she’ll pass it on to me. I don’t want him to think you’re too friendly with me, or he won’t talk to you openly. Therese will make sure that no-one else takes him when he comes here.”

  “I don’t know if he’ll want me, Mefist.”

  “Don’t be silly! Everyone wants you, and they’d want you even more if they thought you came free of charge. You certainly made an impression on young Stoibel. What did you do to him?”

  “Do to him? He did it to me. All over the room and every way you could imagine. I was all of a tremble when he had finished, but it was much nicer than Drazevich.”

  “Never mind. Stoibel’s duty officer tonight, but I’m sure he’ll be back. Now, give me a bottle of champagne. I’m going to take Therese off to her room to drink it.”

  Therese was stunned. Of course she knew it might happen to her eventually, but she hadn’t expected it so soon—or that it would be Mefist who would betray her. She tried to hide her feelings, but Maria smiled as she gave her the champagne and glasses. “Oh, you’re so lucky, Mistress,” she whispered. “Enjoy yourself!” and she reached for the book to put their names down as evidence.

  Mefist locked the office door behind them. “Now stop looking at me as if I were something you’ve found stuck to your shoe. I’ve asked you here to drink champagne, nothing more.” He reached for the bottle and started to open it.

  “But you’ve made them think...”

  “Let them think! You don’t mind, do you?” He passed her a glass. “Just think of the advantages. The girls will all believe that you’re working just as they have to, and if they think you have an interest in me, they’ll leave me alone and I won’t have to be involved in any squabbles or disappointments. Here’s to you and the girls!”

  Therese sipped her champagne. “What will I say to them?”

  “Just smile and say it’s a secret. That’s not even a small lie. Unless you’d like to have something to talk about, of course. I’d be very honoured, you know.”

  Her mind and pulse were racing. “No, no, I couldn’t…I mean, if I had to–but–not like this.” She did not want him like this. She needed him to say he wanted her, and to take her without giving her the choice.

  “Oh well, please come to me if you change your mind. Why don’t you stretch out on the chaise longue, and I’ll take your chair. We’ll have to stay here for at least half an hour. I’ve got my reputation to think of!”

  Therese sat on the chaise longue and lifted up her feet. The champagne caressed her palate. She stretched herself and relaxed. She looked at the ceiling and said, “You know, this is not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s all so–I don’t know–civilized, I suppose, and the girls like it, which surprises me. I thought they would be doing it out of duty, but they actually seem to enjoy it.”

  “Well, it is very enjoyable, you know. Especially for someone as sensitive as you. I think you’re a natural lover, and Wanda thinks so too.”

  Therese ignored the compliment. “Remember what we spoke about the other afternoon up on the tower. I’m here to do a duty, not to enjoy myself. It’s good that the girls are not suffering because they don’t have a choice in what they’re doing. Only I did have a choice, and it’s a valid choice only if it’s no more than a duty. Like feeding the poor or nursing the sick. If I start doing this because I enjoy it, well, I’d be as bad as you or the rest of the officers.”

  “Oh we’re not so bad, really. There are many worse people in the world than the men outside. If you want to feed the poor and nurse the sick, why don’t you take your dress off? I’m sure the sight of you lying there would be very comforting to me in my hour of need.”

  “Mefist! You’re impossible.”

  “Won’t you take it off for me? I promise not to touch….”

  Therese raised her glass to him. “Not tonight, Mefist, not tonight. Perhaps another night, if you’re kind to me.”

  “Ah, Therese. You’re turning into a real lady and learning how to make a man suffer. I shall kneel at your feet nightly until you take pity on me.”

  Chapter 17

  As Therese climbed up along the forest edge, the cold air made her eyes smart and her nose run. The dry brown grass crunched beneath her feet with the remains of last night’s frost, and the dark mud of the path was still frozen hard and difficult to walk on. Any day now, she thought, the snow would come and the forest would take on a new life.

  It felt good to put the castle behind her for a while. If she looked back, it lay below with its white stone pale in the winter light. A short distance away, but a different world. The General had settled in now and become as much a part of her daily life as Mefist or the girls. He ran his headquarters strictly but comfortably, and everyone knew where they stood.

  Even the village tolerated his rule. The 150 recruits had been found, mostly by persuasion rather than coercion, and had been shipped off to training camp. The horses too had left by train, undoubtedly the sweepings of the valley stables. Therese hoped that both groups would not have too hard a life.

  Drazevich had been kept in check, more or less. Mefist had taken him up to the front at Tergov to discuss the possibility of setting up a SekPol base to guard the morals and thoughts of the frontline troops. Drazevich seemed to have taken the hint and become a little less abrasive. He visited the club two or three times a week, and Maria dutifully listened to his stories before being taken to her room for a brief and unsatisfactory session. Mrs. Orlova carried his thoughts and plans down to the village, and Jana worked quietly to upset them.

  After the first rush of hungry men, the girls now had more time to enjoy life. They were free to roam the castle and grounds all day. Apart from the few days a month when they could not work, and Sundays when the bedrooms were closed, they worked every evening from seven o’clock to eleven. They rarely had to accept more than one customer a night. The officers came to the club to drink, chat and read the newspaper in female company as much as to take them to bed.

  There were exceptions, of course. Drazevich never appeared except to take Maria. Franz Stoibel had established a fearsome reputation, and Mefist said that it was as well that he came from a wealthy family. His appetite for love would have bankrupted a normal man. He had made love to all the girls already but still preferred Maria, his first sweetheart.

  The General did not come to the club for the girls any more. He had arranged for the girls to take turns sharing his bed every day after lunch. They liked the old man and looked forward to it.

  Maria had become the surprise of the club. Right from the beginning she had been popular with the customers, and now she had become so busy that she polite
ly diverted young men to the other girls every night.

  She had also caught the eye of Major Lamoreaux, a short, blustery supply officer from Alsace. Therese had hardly noticed him until the afternoon he had come to her office, freshly scrubbed and embarrassed, and asked for permission to take Maria riding in the castle grounds. Maria went, and now he had won a special place in her affection. Not that she granted him a special place in her bed; he still had to pay for her favours and share them with her other admirers.

  Mefist had taken Therese off to her office for a private chat several times. He seemed to enjoy her company, but in spite of his pleading, she had not taken off her dress for him. Not yet, anyway, but she knew that her determination was weakening and she might grant his wish soon. Just for the kindness of it.

  As she walked, she scanned the forest shadows for wild pigs. They were always around and quite capable of chasing you up a tree if you disturbed them. Bears lived here too, but they mostly kept to themselves deep in the forest, and would soon settle in for their winter sleep anyway. Deer and elk, now they were another matter. The foresters put out hay for them, and salt licks. Plenty of deer meant venison for the castle tables.

  Voices and noise were coming towards her. Around a bend in the path appeared two soldiers with rifles at the ready. Behind them came Sergeant Grossner and the rest of the patrol. Grossner called a halt and stood the men to attention as she approached.

  “Good afternoon, Your Honor!” he said, saluting her.

  Therese always felt uncomfortable being saluted. She smiled in return. “Good afternoon, Sergeant. Have you come far today?”

  “Twenty kilometres, Your Honour. Uphill and downhill. The General wants to get some of the fat off us.”

  Therese looked at the men standing rigidly behind him. They were red-faced and steaming in the cold, damp air. “Well, they look a fine group of men to me,” she said, loudly enough for the men to hear. “Do carry on. I expect they’re keen to get back to the castle and rest.” Equipment clanking and creaking, the column moved briskly off down the hill and soon disappeared from sight.