The Ring (22 page)

When they drove up to the Royal Palace, Manfred immediately spotted Hitler's black 500 K Mercedes. There were dozens of special guards surrounding the palace, and once inside in the splendorous, mirrored gilt and inlay of the old Throne Room, Manfred felt Ariana tighten her grip on his arm. He patted her small hand gently and looked down at her with a warm smile. One by one he made the necessary introductions, wandering slowly through the lines of uniforms, introducing her to the generals and their wives or their mistresses. Watching her incline her head very slightly and hold out the graceful little hand, he felt his heart swell. Until at last they reached a face that was familiar, and General Hitter clutched the delicate young hand.

Ah, Fr+nulein von Gotthard ' what a pleasant surprise. He cast a look of jubilation at her, and then a glance of brief disapproval at Manfred at her side. Lieutenant. Manfred clicked his heels and bowed Would you care to join us later, fr+nulein? There will be a small supper at my house. His, house. Manfred saw her eyes begin to dance with anger, and he only tightened his pressure on her left hand and then smoothly tucked it into his arm so that the general could easily see the diamond ring.

I regret, Generals Manfred's voice was all sugar and cream "my fianc+!e and I have an earlier commitment for this evening, but perhaps he spoke reverently with a hopeful smile "another time?

Of course, Lieutenant. And ' your fianc+!e, did you say? He asked the question of Manfred, but his eyes never left Ariana's as he spoke. She could feel the man's eyes almost undressing her; it made her skin crawl as she pretended not to notice.

But this time Ariana spoke before Manfred, her eyes cast deep into the genera?'s, her tone polite but cold. Yes, we are engaged now, General.

How nice. His lip curled. Your father would be very pleased. Not nearly as pleased he would be to have you in his house, dear General ' filthy bastard. ' She wanted to hit him as she stood smiling into the repulsive face. May I offer my congratulations? Manfred bowed again, and Ariana nodded demurely before they wandered off.

I thought we handled that rather nicely. Ariana looked up at Manfred with a small smile.

We did, did we? He was amused and, at the same time, madly in love with her. It was lovely taking her out. Are you enjoying yourself at all, Ariana? He looked down at her with concern, his own pride at being with her showing in his eyes.

She returned the look of pleasure and nodded. Yes, I am.

Good. Then on Monday we're going shopping.

Good God, for what? You gave me three dresses and a coat this morning ' and a necklace ' and shoes and an engagement ring. She ticked it all off on her fingers like a child.

Never you mind, fr+nulein. I think it's time that you and I started getting out. But no sooner had he said it than an odd hush fell over the room, and in the distance they could hear the bombs. Even on Christmas night the war was with them, and he found himself wondering which lovely monument, which home, whose children, had just been destroyed. But they stopped quickly, and no one had to flee to the shelter beneath the building, and the music played on. And they all went on pretending that this was like any other Christmas night. But die Grosses Schauspielhaus had recently been destroyed, and there were other buildings and churches that disappeared now almost every day. For almost a year now many Berliners had gone to bed fully dressed, with suitcases standing next to their beds, ready for a quick trip to the shelters where many of them spent almost every night. The Allies weren't going to let up now, and it frightened Manfred terribly. What if Berlin were another Dresden? What if something should happen to Ariana, too, before the end of the war? But at his side she instantly sensed his feelings, and she reached quickly for his hand, holding it tightly in her own, her deep, lovely blue eyes reaching up toward his to reassure him, her mouth so sensual and gentle Looking down at her, he could only smile.

Don't worry, Manfred. Everything will be all right.

He smiled slowly, looking at her. On Monday we go shopping.

All right, if that will make you feel better. And then she stood up on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. Now can we go home?

Already? , At first he looked surprised and then he grinned, whispering back to his little princess. Have you no shame, fr+nulein?

None at all. I'd much rather be home with you than waiting here to see the F++hrer. But he put a finger on his lips.

As it turned out, they saw him anyway. He swept into the room surrounded by his henchmen just before they left, a small man with his dark hair and mustache and unprepossessing looks, yet a current of electricity shot through the entire room. Ariana could feel bodies tighten, voices rise, and suddenly there was a wild chanting of Hail to the F++hrer, and she watched in astonishment as the crowd of men in uniform and women in evening clothes went wild. She and Manfred stayed until the frenzy ended and the crowd had settled down to their entertainment once again, and then slowly they wended their way through the crowd. It was near the doorway that someone touched her, just a quick touch on her arm, and as she turned, she saw Manfred suddenly and ferociously at attention, his right arm held aloft. And she saw then it was Hitler who had touched her, and now he smiled benignly and moved on, as though he had bestowed a blessing. Then, quickly, she and Manfred left. For a long moment they said nothing, and then at last in his car again, she spoke. Manfred, they almost went crazy.

He nodded quietly. I know. They always do. And then he turned to her. Have you never seen him before in person?

She shook her head. No, Papa didn't want me involved in all that. , And then she regretted saying it perhaps Manfred would take it as a reproach of him. But he nodded quickly. He understood.

He was right And your brother?

He kept him out of it as much as he could. But I think he was afraid in a different way for me.

And very rightly. He drove on for a minute and then turned back to Ariana again. Do you know what they're doing at that party at General Ritter's tonight? They're having beauty dancers and transvestites to entertain the guests. Hildebrand tells me that's a regular feature with him. A look of disgust crossed his face.

What are beauty dancers and transvestites? She sat back with the wide, curious eyes of a child and Manfred grinned.

Oh, my darling innocent, I love you. At moments like that he remembered that she was only five years older than his oldest child would have been. A beauty dancer is a naked woman who dances in suggestive ways to entertain, and a transvestite is a man masquerading as a woman, usually in evening clothes. They dance and sing, and can also be quite suggestive.

But Ariana was laughing as she watched his face., Aren't they terribly funny?

He shrugged. Sometimes, but generally not. Ritter doesn't have the funny' ones, he has the good ones. And when they're all finished performing, everyone ' . Suddenly he remembered that it was she he was talking to. Never mind, Ariana. It's all rather disgusting entertainment I don't want you involved in that And there was more and more of it lately. Not just at Ritter's house in Grunewald; the others were all indulging the same whims. As though, with each day, with the war around them worsening, they had to indulge their most outrageous fantasies and go to more and more indecent lengths. This was not what he wanted to introduce her to now. But having taken her out that night, he had been reminded of die pleasure of going out into the world with a pretty woman on one's arm, strolling in the midst of admiring glances, seeing her shine in a special kind of way. It made their seclusion in the house in Wannsee still more precious, yet he suddenly liked the idea of going out with her as well.

You're not disappointed to miss the other parties tonight, Manfred? Happily, he shook his head.

There was one at die Summer Palace in Charlottenburg that might have been nice. But actually, there's a much nicer party I know about in Wannsee. He looked at her lovingly and they both smiled.

They made their way upstairs quickly and fell happily into each other's arms in the large comfortable bed.

The next morning at breakfast Ariana was pensive and Manfred gazed at her quietly. It was Sunday and he didn't have to go to work. This was Hildebrand's Sunday on.

They went for a long walk in the Tiergarten. He induced her to try ice skates on the Neuer See, and together they glided around the ice like smiling children among the pretty women and the men in uniforms. It was difficult to believe that they were still at war.

Afterward he drove her to a caf+!s on the Kurf++rstendamm, which always looked to Ariana almost exactly like the Champs-+elys+!es in Paris, where she had gone before the war with Gerhard and her father on a brief trip. On the Kurf++rstendamm they sat down amidst the few artists and writers who were still in Berlin. There were many men in uniform, but the atmosphere was genial and Ariana stifled a happy yawn as they sat in the cozy caf+!s.

Tired, darling? He smiled at her, when suddenly in the distance they could hear the screech and wail of bombs. They left and walked quickly back to the car.

As they drove back along the Kurf++rstendamm on their way to Wannsee, Ariana moved closer to him and tucked a hand into his arm.

Do you see that church, Manfred? She pointed and for an instant he took his eyes from the road. It was the familiar Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on the Kurf++rstendamm.

Yes? Are you feeling religious at this time of night? He was teasing and they both smiled.

I just wanted to let you know that is the church where I want to marry you one day.

At the Kaiser Wilhelm?

Yes. She glanced again at the pretty little diamond ring.

And he gently put an arm around her shoulders. I'll remember that, my love. Happy? He looked over at her in the dark. The bombs had stopped, at least for a while.

Never happier in my life.

And when they got the photographs of the Christmas Eve balls, it was easy to see that she was telling Manfred the truth when she said she was happy. Her face beamed out at the camera, her head held high, her eyes bright with love, as just behind her Manfred, in full dress uniform, gazed into the camera with undisguisable pride.

At the end of Christmas week, at Manfred's insistence they went shopping in downtown Berlin at Grunfeld's. He had to buy her more clothes. Captain von Rheinhardt was pressing him to come out of hiding to rejoin his comrades of the Reich.

Was he angry, Manfred? She looked concerned as they drove downtown, but Manfred only patted her hand and smiled.

No, but I suppose I've gotten away with being a hermit for as long as I'm going to. We don't have to go out every night, but we should start accepting a few invitations to dinner. Think you can stand it?

Sure. Can we go and see General Ritter's transvestites? She looked mischievous and he couldn't suppress a laugh.

Ariana, really!

They staggered out of the store three hours later, so burdened by a stack of boxes, they could hardly get to Manfred's car. Another coat, a little jacket, half a dozen lovely wool dresses, three cocktail dresses and a ballgown, and a divine little dinner suit that looked like a man's tuxedo, except that instead of trousers there was a long narrow skirt with a slit up one side.

And in honor of her mother's memory there was also a long, slinky dress in gold lam+!.

My God, Manfred, where am I going to wear it all? He had spoiled her rotten. He felt as though he had a wife again, a woman to spoil and cherish, to dress and protect and amuse. They were in no way strangers to each other, and she was more at ease with. Manfred than she had ever been with anyone in her whole life.

She had many places to wear the clothes. They went to several concerts at Philharmonic Hall, an official reception at the Reichstag for the Parliament and favored officers stationed in Berlin; there was a party at Bellevue Castle and several small dinners near them in Wannsee, where other officers had sought quieter quarters than they would have found in the heart of town. Little by little, Manfred and Ariana became an accepted couple, and it was understood by everyone that they would marry after the war.

Why wait, for God's sake, Manfred? Why not do it now? A fellow lieutenant took Manfred aside at a dinner party one night.

But Manfred only sighed and stared down at the simple gold signet ring that he wore on his left hand. Because she's so young, Johann; she's only a child, He sighed again. And these are special times. She should have the opportunity to make that decision in normal times. And then, shaking his head slowly, If we ever see normal times again.

You're right, Manfred. Times are not good. For that reason I think you'd be all the wiser to marry Ariana now. He lowered his voice conspiratorially. We can't hold out forever, Manfred.

The Americans?

Johann shook his head., I'm a lot more worried about the Russians. If they get here first, we're dead. God knows what they'll do to us, and if we even survive it, they may ship us all off to camps. But you may have some slim chance of staying together if you're married. Also, practically, the Americans may be nicer to her if she's the legitimate wife of a German army lieutenant instead of a concubine.

You think it's that close?

There was a moment's silence as Johann averted his eyes. I think it might be, Manfred, I think even those closest to the F++hrer think so, too.

How much longer do you think we can hold out?

The other man shrugged. Two months ' three ' if a miracle happens, maybe four. But it's almost over. Germany will never again be what you and I have known her to be. Manfred nodded slowly in his eyes she had not been for a long time the country he had once loved. Perhaps now, if the Allies didn't totally destroy her, she would have the opportunity to be reborn.

Over the next few days Manfred made discreet inquiries. Johann's information was borne out by everyone of influence whom Manfred knew. It was no longer a matter of if Berlin would fall, but when. Manfred realized he had to make plans.