The Prince and the Nun

by Jacqueline George

  “Honourary or not, a colonel is a colonel, as Captain Stumpfl is about to discover. We don’t want to start our partnership with our new allies by abusing senior officers. While we are waiting for him, introduce me to your young ladies. Mefist has told me all about them.”

  As they stood together, exchanging pleasantries in a dirty boiler room, lately their dungeon, Therese realized that this was a very different General to old Falk-Sokol. Strelnikov was elegant and polite. He would be at home in any of the courts of Europe, but he was a man who had been shaped, literally, by hard fighting. She guessed his age at about fifty, but fifty difficult years. His politeness was a mask for–for whatever lay underneath. His confidence and authority were almost strong enough to touch, but they too concealed the man inside. He would be a bad enemy, Therese decided. Polite but ruthless, and terribly, terribly effective.

  Stumpfl came in and stood to attention by the door, but the General ignored him.

  “Therese, my dear, do you think it would be possible to find some food so early in the morning? My driver and I have been driving since yesterday morning. We had planned to stop en route, until I started getting radio calls about your predicament.”

  “Of course, General, if you don’t mind eating with a bunch of dirty girls. We’re going to knock up the kitchen staff because we seem to have missed lunch as well. Perhaps in the refectory in fifteen minutes? Come on, girls, let’s go!”

  They filed up the steps, passing the guard at the top. As she passed, Portia patted the front of his trousers. “Nice, Ivan! Thanks for the company.” Poor man, thought Therese, he’ll be dreaming about that for weeks.

  The girls refused to meet the new General in dirty clothes so while Therese was looking for a cook, they dashed upstairs to change and wash the bits that showed.

  Therese was helping by carrying plates and bread out to the table when the General came into the room followed by Rado. He had a slim cigar wedged between the fingers of his gloved false hand. She could see now that he had trouble walking and that he needed the stick he leant on. Poor man, she thought, only one hand and he has to use that for his walking stick.

  “Welcome, General. I’ve ordered coffee, sausage and eggs as the fastest things we can prepare. Will that suit you?”

  “Soldiers eat what they can, my dear. Isn’t that right, Lieutenant? I’m sure you had trouble with rations in the forest.”

  “Yes, Your Honour. It was bread and wild pig most days up there.”

  “Well, well, it could have been worse. Let’s sit down and see if Krasna Dolina can make decent sausage.” Reaching for an ashtray, he carefully stubbed out his cigar and returned it to his cigar case. It must have been difficult to buy cigars in the Coalition Army areas. He left his coat and stick on the table behind and climbed over the bench to sit down.

  Therese sat opposite. She wanted to ask for news of Mefist, but the General had other things on his mind.

  “Therese, explain to me. You are steward of the castle for the owner—is that right?—and Krausov here is the senior military officer in the whole valley as far as I can understand. Does he work for you, or do you work for him?”

  Therese looked at Rado; neither of them had ever considered the matter. “I’m afraid I just run the castle, General. Keep the staff busy and the wheels turning. The Army gave us the rations they needed and we cooked them here. They supplied coal, but I believe we are paying for the electricity. Apart from that, I ran the officers’ club. What about you, Rado?”

  “Your Honour, until just recently, my men were in the forest. We were just a tripwire force really. The General needed to know as early as possible if anyone was moving into the forest. We weren’t meant to fight them; there aren’t enough of us.”

  “Well, some things are going to change here,” stated Strelnikov. “For a start, we don’t need to maintain a significant force on this side of the Carpathians any more. Now the Imperial Army is protecting our flank, we can get on with the real fighting. I think we can promise a large part of the Imperial Army a spring campaign in the Pripet Marshes, which is the worst place for modern warfare that I can think of. We shall want every man we can find up there, not sitting in Montebello getting fat and lazy.

  “Lieutenant, can we expand your force to say thirty men?”

  “Your Honour, if I could tell them it’s for local duties only, I don’t think I’ll have any trouble at all. There are plenty of men who wouldn’t mind serving in Krasna Dolina but would run away if the Army wanted them as proper soldiers.”

  “Good. Start on that tomorrow–this morning, I mean. Tell them their duties will be to guard the castle and patrol the forests. I don’t think we’ll be getting any real trouble from that direction, but there’s always the chance of stragglers and deserters turning to banditry or worse. I’ll see if I can’t find you a couple of young sergeants, damaged goods like me, to get your men in line and properly trained. They might be hunters and think they can shoot, but believe me, they don’t know what it’s like. If the deer and pigs had guns and could shoot back, then they might learn something.”

  The girls arrived at last, and the General and Rado stood to greet them. They might have been frightened of Strelnikov when he had just rescued them from their dungeon, but now they were their normal confident selves again. They crowded around him to hear what he had to say. Therese sent some of them to the kitchen to help with bringing the coffee and food. She was pleased to see the General’s sausage arrived neatly chopped into pieces he could manage with one hand.

  “Therese, Falk-Sokol and Mefist spent most of their time with me talking about these young ladies. I was trying to understand their troop dispositions and the resources available, and all they wanted to do was talk about you and your girls. You must be famous.”

  “Not too famous, I hope. We have normal lives to lead after the war!”

  “The way I understood it, our biggest danger here is the possibility of an Imperial Army raid so that the young officers can carry you all off.”

  “What are your plans for us, General? I’d like to start sending the girls home as soon as the trains are safe again.”

  “Oh, I don’t think you should hurry to do that, Therese,” said the General calmly. “We’re going to need you here for at least another couple of months. I’m afraid I shall have to make you the same offer that Mefist did. It’s either you or some village women, and we’d much prefer it if you would stay.”

  Therese looked around the table. The girls did not seem concerned; perhaps they had never really believed they would be going soon. Therese swallowed and nodded her agreement.

  “Good! I’m very pleased. My men will be coming tomorrow, so shall we have an introductory party the following night? Will that suit you? Now, I’m going to turn in. It’s been a long day. Lieutenant, come and see me a four o’clock this afternoon with a list of the men you’re going to recruit. Pick the ones you want and I’ll make sure you get them. Don’t be too nice about it; soldiering is a duty in wartime.

  “Therese, perhaps you could send someone to show me my room? We’ll meet at eight thirty and you can show me around.”

  “This morning?” she said in surprise.

  “Of course. You’d better get to bed quickly if you’re to have any sleep at all. Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached into his tunic and produced an envelope. “Prince Mefist sends this.”

  Chapter 43

  Therese did not feel well as she waited at Strelnikov’s door a little before eight thirty. She had not had enough sleep and she was lightheaded. Stumpfl’s blows had bruised her, and she knew from the mirror that below one eye her cheek had swollen and turned dark grey.

  “Come!” he called, and she found him sitting behind Falk-Sokol’s old desk. He looked as fresh as a flower and was already reading through a tower of files.

  “Therese, come and sit down. What do I have to do to get coffee here?”

  “You do have a secretary, Your Honour, if you want her. She’s a capable girl
and I’m sure she’d be helpful. I told her to wait for a call, so if you’d like to meet her, I could show your driver where she lives.”

  “Yes. Let’s do that to start with. Could you pass the word for my driver? Could you please beg some coffee from somewhere? I didn’t feel like breakfasting again.”

  Mikhail went with the driver. She gave him a note asking Rebecca to bring cigars for Strelnikov; it could not hurt to spoil him a little. She returned with coffee and two cups but just before she knocked on his door, she left her cup outside. He sent her back to get it.

  He had come from behind his desk and sat with her at the famous oak coffee table. “Therese, old Falk-Sokol said that you know most of what goes on in the valley. Tell me what I need to do to keep everything quiet and happy for the next two months.”

  “Nothing, Your Honor—” But he interrupted her.

  “Please, call me Benedikt when we’re alone, and I shall call you Therese. Outside you’d better call me General. So—what has to be done?”

  “Nothing, er – Benedikt. I don’t believe the villagers are interested in your army, any more than they were interested in their own. Provided you pay for anything you take from them, I should think you won’t even need to bring in any extra policemen.”

  “And partisans? We won’t find ourselves being shot at from behind each tree?”

  “Why should you? They’re peaceable people, as long as they’re allowed to keep tending their animals and gardens. Falk-Sokol didn’t have any trouble, even though there was a crazy SekPol officer who tried to upset everyone.”

  “The name of this officer?”

  “Drazevich. Lieutenant Drazevich. He was a vicious little worm. He finally went too far and raped the General’s secretary. He was being sent to Army HQ under guard when he escaped to the forest.”

  “We know Lieutenant Drazevich. Stumpfl’s been interrogating him, but he didn’t tell us he’d been arrested for rape. He said it was for political reasons.”

  “No–not at all. Your secretary’s Jewish, so he thought he could do what he liked with her. He raided her house and had her there, and later again back at his office. The old General wouldn’t have stood for that sort of thing anyway, but Drazevich didn’t realize the girl had just been taken on as the General’s secretary. That made everything much easier and we got rid of him next day. I hope you don’t have too many officers like him or Stumpfl.”

  “Yes–Stumpfl. What are we going to do about him? You have priests and we have Political Officers. Not all bad, but you can’t get rid of them easily. What do you want me to do with him?”

  “Nothing really, but I suppose it will be a bit awkward for both of us for a while. Are you going to have any troops at Tergov? Perhaps he could go there.”

  The General thought for a moment. “That might well be possible. The Imperial Army was told to leave all supplies and heavy equipment behind and retire with personal weapons only. Our main task, the reason I’m here, is to clear Tergov and transport everything north. That’s what I’ll do; I’ll tell him he’s in charge of ensuring our new allies don’t rob us. He likes being suspicious of everyone. Just try and be polite to him for a day or two, and he’ll be out of your hair.”

  “Benedikt, would I be rude if I asked what has happened to Drazevich?”

  “We still have him. We caught him trying to cross into our lines in Vojvodina and thought he might be a spy. After what you’ve just told me, I think I might hand him back to the Imperial Army as a gesture of solidarity. We’ll see.

  “Now, what do you think of young Krausov?”

  “He’s a good man. He lived in the forest for a while by himself before the General recruited him into the Militia. I heard he did a good job of patrolling the forest. He’s very resourceful.”

  “So I heard. I hope he enjoyed his stay with you?”

  Therese was embarrassed and did not answer him. Mefist, she was thinking, just wait until I see you again...

  “Never mind, but don’t play games like that with me. If you want something, see me first. I expect we can come to some sort of arrangement. Now tell me, what do you do all day?”

  “Running the castle keeps me pretty busy. Mefist had an orderly who helped me, and between us the Army didn’t have to worry about accommodation or such things. It was as if they were staying in a big hotel. I suppose I’ll have to get someone else to help with the paperwork, but I still think we’ll manage. My people are used to soldiers by now. Of course, I run the club as well. It’s quite a job keeping the girls healthy and happy, but it’s enjoyable. Wait until you meet them in their own setting. I think you’ll like them.”

  “Tell them to concentrate on amusing my officers. If they can do that, I’ll be delighted. Now, if you’ve finished your coffee, can you show me around the castle?”

  The girls were on their best behaviour the following evening. Mrs. Orlova had visited, and the girls would have looked like young brides if they had not been so nearly naked. Therese waited behind the bar with Othello and Portia, living with the other girls now but still banned from taking men to her room. They were waiting for noises on the stairs.

  The officers came in a group. The gramophone was wound up and in moments the club became as it had always been, cheerful men at the tables calling for drinks and the girls running back and forth keeping them happy. There was little that differed in the Coalition forces, only their baggy uniforms and the pungent black tobacco they all smoked. The General did not take a table but instead sat at the bar chatting with Therese. She was pleased to see that Stumpfl had not come.

  “I can’t imagine these girls were nuns, Therese. There’s no connection at all. Mind you, they’re fine women. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a place like this that was full of real ladies. Mostly the girls are pretty coarse and simple, and the occasional exiled lady you do find is drinking herself to an early grave. Do they like the work?”

  “I think they don’t mind. They’ve been ordered to do it, and perhaps that gave them the excuse to try something new and exciting. I don’t think they would do it without the orders. As soon as they’re free, they’ll all run off to their families. None of them want to be nuns anymore.”

  “What about you, Therese? What happens to you when all us soldiers leave?”

  “I don’t know. I ought to go back to being a nun. The Bishop has said we can, but I don’t know. It doesn’t seem very attractive anymore, but if I’m not a nun, what will I do with myself? I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as the Count’s housekeeper here in Montebello. Going back home won’t help. I’m sure my mother will demand that I get married and give her as many grandchildren as possible. I’m definitely not going to follow in her footsteps. I don’t know what she does with herself all day; it certainly doesn’t seem to be anything useful.”

  “Travel. See the world.”

  “Yes, that’s a possibility. I wouldn’t mind a holiday, perhaps a trip to America, but I don’t want to just travel for no reason. I’ll still need something to do.”

  “Mmh, you’re a difficult lady, Therese. If you were a man you could find all sorts of directorships to fill. Or get involved in organizations like the Red Cross. You’ll have to fight hard to get people to take a woman seriously. It’s unfair, but men rule the world for the moment. Perhaps I’ll take you along as my Quartermaster General.”

  “Well, thank you, General, I might just come and take you up on your promise.”

  “Therese, I’m going to leave the men to ravish the maidens. They’ll be happier when I’m not watching. Don’t forget to book all their drinks, and please don’t let any of them get too drunk.”

  “I’m writing their drinks down already, and also for the girls of course. You’ll need to decide how much I should charge. Mefist had a sliding scale so the officers paid what they could afford. Poor lieutenants had their fun for less.”

  “Really? That’s all very democratic. Never mind, I’ll think about it. Oh Therese, would you mind coming to my b
edroom tomorrow afternoon? Say one thirty? Good, I’ll look forward to it. Good night!”

  Chapter 44

  She had been furious and despairing the night before. Strelnikov did not understand. She was not meant to be like the girls, available for anyone to use. She was meant to be different, and most importantly, she had an arrangement with Mefist. Why did Strelnikov not understand? Or perhaps he did understand and just wanted to put her in her place. Conscience kept telling her that the girls were taken every day, like it or not, and it was surely time that she showed them she could do her duty when necessary. The thought did not comfort her.

  In the end she had swallowed her pride and she stood at Strelnikov’s door, waiting for his pleasure. He opened the door in dressing gown and slippers. He waved her in with a smile.

  His room looked tidy but male. The only concessions to homeliness were two campaign book chests stacked against the wall displaying Strelnikov’s personal library. The books were severe reference works. Half-buried in the wardrobe, Othello was folding and storing the General’s shirts.

  “That will do for now, Othello. Come back after dinner and you can finish up.”

  Othello smiled shyly at Therese and left. Strelnikov patted his shoulder as he squeezed past, a surprising gesture from such an austere man.

  “Well, Therese, welcome! Take a seat–on the bed will do. What would you like to drink? Cointreau? I’m living in luxury here. I even have ice, can you believe that? I’ve seen plenty of ice recently, but none of it was for drinking. That’s life in the army for you. Months of soldiering and putting up with discomfort, danger and bad cooking, and suddenly I’m king of the castle, I eat well, and the most beautiful woman in Krasna Dolina is visiting me after lunch. It’s hard to believe.”

  Strelnikov sounded almost jovial as he busied himself with the drinks. Therese sat on the end of the high old-fashioned bed with her feet dangling, clutching her glass with both hands and trying to relax. At some point, some point very soon, she would have to get up and make the first move. She supposed that when men paid for their pleasure they did not expect to court the woman. He would probably just lie back and let her minister to him. Strelnikov reclined comfortably in the single armchair. She prepared herself to go to him and took a big gulp of her drink.