The Women in His Life. Barbara Taylor Bradford
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as ever and brutally honest, but then that’s why we love you, Belle darling.’
Ursula spoke the truth.
These three women did love each other; they had been devoted friends for the past eighteen years. They had met in 1920 when, at the age of sixteen, they were pupils at Roedean, the famous English girls’ school near Brighton. In the two years they had attended the school they had been considered a daunting trio – intelligent, confident, self-assured, independent and, at times, rebellious. The friendship had continued after their schooldays, and Renata and Ursula had gone frequently to stay with Arabella at Langley Castle in Yorkshire, which was the family seat; Arabella had journeyed to Berlin to visit both girls at different times. In 1923 she and Renata were bridesmaids at Ursula’s marriage with Sigmund. After the wedding, Arabella had gone with Renata to stay at the home of her fiancé, Graf Reinhard von Tiegal, at his Schloss on the edge of the forests of the Spree in the Mark Brandenburg, a country area outside Berlin. It was there that she had met Prince Rudolf Kurt von Wittingen, with whom she had fallen in love, and he with her. They had been married a year later, after which Arabella had come to live in Berlin permanently. The three women had drawn closer than ever, and from this day forward were as inseparable as they had been at school in England in their teens.
Their irrepressible laughter broke the tension Ursula and Renata had been experiencing a few moments ago, before Arabella’s arrival. Now Renata motioned to a waiter. ‘Let’s have another glass of champagne,’ she suggested to her closest friends, her expression brightening considerably.
‘That’s a good idea,’ Ursula said, and after helping herself to a flute of the wine, she went on, ‘It’s ages since we’ve had a quiet moment together without our children. Why don’t we go and sit over there and talk for a few minutes.’
‘Splendid thought,’ Arabella said, and Renata agreed with her. They strolled over to a group of chairs arranged in front of a window, where they made themselves comfortable and began to talk about inconsequential things. Each of them wanted desperately to create a sense of normalcy about their lives in these most abnormal times, and they drew comfort from each other, and a feeling of greater security from being together.
They did not move until their husbands came to escort them in to dinner. And later they agreed that for them this short interlude had been the best part of the evening at the British Embassy.
‘I’m glad you told Henrietta we had to leave,’ Theodora Stein said, looking across at her boyfriend Willy Herzog, who stood on the other side of the small foyer, putting on his overcoat. ‘I have to get up early tomorrow.’ She made a face at the thought.
Willy nodded as he reached for his hat. ‘We’ll only get a few hours’ sleep, that’s true, it’s an early start for me, too. It was a grand party and I enjoyed myself, but it’s going on a bit too long.’
‘Yes, I agree, Willy.’
Theodora glanced at the door which led into the living room and through which could be heard varied sounds – voices raised in revelry, and laughter, and gramophone music. She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. ‘But then, how often are you twenty-one, Willy?’ Since this was a rhetorical question she did not expect an answer, and she rushed on, ‘I suppose Henrietta wanted to make the most of this very special birthday. And I don’t blame her. I know I will when I’m twenty-one. I plan to have a fancy party too.’
Willy flashed her a wide grin. ‘Will I be invited?’
‘If you’re still around, Willy Herzog. If you haven’t sailed off to America as you keep threatening to do,’ she shot back, giving him a flirtatious look. ‘Are you still planning to go over there to join your Uncle Nathan in Brooklyn and study to be a dentist?’
‘Doctor,’ he corrected. He frowned. ‘It’s the getting of the American visas, Theodora. Very difficult it is. They’re extremely hard to come by, I think I told you that before. Anyway, my father has a friend in Frankfurt who has a friend who knows a consular official who might be able to help us. For the right price. That’s why my father went to Frankfurt yesterday, hoping to bribe this man and get the three visas we need. For himself, and for my sister Clara and me.’
Willy cleared his throat. ‘I’d like to go to America … want to go … but …’ He hesitated and cleared his throat again, looked down, studied his shoes. When he looked up he fixed his gentle, hazel eyes on Theodora. ‘I don’t want to leave you,’ he announced, surprising himself and startling her. There, it’s out at last, he thought. He had finally said it, had had the courage to tell her what had been on his mind for weeks. Relief surged through him as he stood gazing adoringly at Theodora.
Stupefied, and totally at a loss for words, she gaped back at him, amazement registering on her face.
Willy flung down his hat, leapt across the foyer, pulled her into his arms and held her close. ‘I love you, Teddy,’ he said against the top of her head, kissing her silky fair hair. ‘I do, I love you.’
‘Oh … Oh … Is this a proposal then?’
There was a small silence.
He said at last, ‘Do I want to marry you? Yes … yes … and yes, it’s a proposal.’
‘Oh Willy! I don’t know what to say, I’m only nineteen and you’re only nineteen. We’re so young and –’
‘Don’t you love me?’
Now it was Theodora’s turn to be silent.
She wondered if she did love him. She wasn’t sure. Perhaps she did. He was very nice looking and quiet and studious, and serious about studying medicine, and he had lovely manners. Mrs Mandelbaum, Henrietta’s mother, was always saying Willy was a real mensh. And it was true, he was a haimisher mensh, so easy to be around, very comfortable. Yes, Willy was a good man, and he went to shul regularly, and in the year she had known him he had never done a thing to upset her, had never put a foot wrong. But marriage? She hadn’t thought about that before. But she could do worse. Much worse. Besides, she didn’t mind it when he kissed her. In fact, she liked it. He had soft warm lips and sweet breath and he always smelled fresh and clean, of soap and Kölnisch Wasser. And he was gentle with her, never tried to force her, or make her do anything wrong. When he kissed her she always got a funny feeling inside, and her heart pounded, and she grew warm and flushed. Yes, Willy was special, now that she really thought about it. She didn’t want to lose him. Quite suddenly she knew she would never find anybody who was better than Willy.
She said slowly, ‘I think I love you, Willy.’ There was a little pause, and she said more firmly, ‘Yes, I do love you.’
‘Oh Teddy! That makes me so happy. And will you marry me?’
There was another fractional pause before she acquiesced. ‘Yes, Willy Herzog, I will.’
He put his hand under her chin and lifted her small heart-shaped face to his, kissed her pretty upturned nose, her eyelids and finally her sweet lips. They held the kiss, making it last, and they clung to each other tightly until they had to break away to catch their breaths.
Willy pressed her head against his shoulder and stroked her hair and in silent communion they lingered in their embrace. They knew that a commitment had been made, by the one to the other, and it was a serious moment, very meaningful and precious to them both, and they did not want to let it go.
Finally Theodora gently pushed Willy away, extracted herself from his arms. ‘Look at the clock, Willy, it’s almost midnight. We must leave. I’ll hardly get any sleep before I have to be up to take care of Maxim. The little one’s always awake early.’
‘Yes, we had better go. Come on.’
‘Let me put my hat on first. It’s a cold night, and even colder on the back of your motorbike.’
Turning to the coatstand, Theodora took down her green-and-blue