Opposite Sides (26 page)

“
Not if I can
help it, Caroline. Too many military people made too many big
mistakes. I don’t think people are ready to trust them
again.”

Gerald, who had been
lying on his back for a while dreamingly looking up into the sky,
suddenly sat up and spoke.

“
Those
Fascists in Italy seem to be trusting the military again. Mr
Mussolini made himself a dictator earlier this year. What do you
make of all that, Hans?”

“
Italy needed
a firm hand. At least everyone is now going in one
direction.”

“
Mmm. I
suppose so but all the same, I wonder where it’ll take them. In the
long run. A Fascist government could prove dangerous.”

“
Better than
the mess some of the surrounding countries are in,” said Hans. “One
direction is far better than anarchy.”

“
What would
you like to do, Hans?” Caroline asked again. She edged a little
closer towards him and he could smell the perfume she had applied
that morning. It had a soft lavender fragrance.

“
If I had the
choice, I like to work with engines or engineering. I liked it when
we looked at that section called ‘machines and men.’ I think that
the development of machines like the motorcar will become very
important.”

“
And
aeroplanes! Don’t forget them!”

“
We know,
Gerald!” chorused Anne and Hans together.

“
My brother
wants to be a driver. He loves the all the new auto-mobiles,”
Caroline added.

“
Anyone can
drive them.” Anne took a cherry out of the picnic basket and popped
it in her mouth. “Daddy said he’d buy me one if I’m good and work
diligently.”

“
You’re
always a good girl,” Gerald teased. He threw a cherry at her so
that it hit her chest and fell into her lap.

“
I won’t
offer you a ride in my car, Gerald, if you keep throwing bits of
food at me. You’re not behaving as a gentleman should.”

Anne threw the cherry
back to him. Gerald caught it , put it in his mouth and then spat
out the tiny stone on the grass.

“
Did You see
how far that went!” He beamed with pride at his
achievement.

Anne moved the basket
away further from his reach.

“
Behave
yourself, Gerald!”

“
I didn’t
know I had to today.” Gerald had found the bottle of bubbly at the
bottom of the hamper just before it had been moved. He held it up
in triumph.

“
Did you put
it in there?” Anne’s voice seemed genuinely amazed.

“
A good
picnic should always be rounded off with a good drink.”

“
Gerald!”

“
You never
know, it might add a bit of sparkle, too. You haven’t seen Hans
when he’s had a few, have you?”

Anne and Caroline shook
their heads.

“
Ooh, you
don’t drink, do you?” asked Caroline, her blue eyes having grown
larger than those of a pekinese. At this point Hans was thinking
she looked stunningly beautiful.

“
Only when
Gerald tempts me.”

“
And well
away from the Turner’s,” added Gerald.

“
You
bet.”

Gerald handed the bottle
around. They each filled their glasses; the girls once and the two
young men, twice, before the bottle was empty. They shared part of
each glass with each other, Anne with Gerald and Caroline with
Hans. It was turning out to be a wonderful day and from that moment
of sharing, Hans was finding that he was unable to take his eyes
from Caroline. He had never been moved like this by anyone before.
And he felt a pleasure in it that surged throughout his body and
made him feel warm and protective.

As they began to walk
back down the hill, Hans was beginning to think that Caroline was
the most fantastic girl he had ever met and by the time they
reached the flat pathway, he and Caroline were firmly holding
hands.

CHAPTER
10

Something
important

Summer was in full swing.
Erwin Hans Resmel was happy with life: his English was near
perfect, he had gained the certificate he had come to England for
and he had found Caroline. He was almost an Englishman. His
grandmother would have been proud of her grandson.

Hans had written to Uncle
Karl and told him how well his studies had gone and how hopeful he
was of finding a good position in England if his uncle was happy to
agree for him to stay where he was. When the reply letter arrived,
his uncle complained about how slow business had been. He wrote
that Axel was working in the knife-making business four mornings a
week and although business seemed to be slowly improving, the
economy of the country was still too depressed to allow for much
development. Uncle Karl also mentioned that no one appeared happy
and discontent was to be found everywhere.

We hope that
the Government will find an answer to our problems and that they
will be able to keep the trouble-makers under control. The
Bolsheviks are gaining supporters especially from the ranks of the
unemployed. There are demonstrations and marches in the city. Not a
good sign.

As it is
extremely difficult to find a good-paying job or any job at
present, I think your idea of remaining in England might be for the
best.
’

As Hans lay on his bed
and read his uncle’s letter, he was reminded of what Heidi had told
him. He had been under the impression that things were improving
for the German people but now he was not so sure.

Hans continued to board
in the Turner house for the rest of the summer but he knew he could
not remain with Miss Turner and her niece for ever. He saw little
of Jan as throughout the week and on weekends he went bicycling or
walking with his friends. He was enjoying their company and now
that they were older, they found themselves discussing everything
from the latest craze to come out of America and the virtues of
having a democratic government to the pros and cons of investing in
shares.

He had written to uncle
Karl and asked if he could advance a little more money so that he
could put down a rent deposit. There were a number of small houses
in a good area in town that had come up for rent and he was keen to
get one for himself. In the meantime, he managed to find a part
time job helping check the accounting figures for a small business.
Uncle Karl had encouraged Hans to help with his own accounts as
Hans had a good head for figures and could add up a column of
figures in his head quicker than putting them through the slow and
cumbersome adding machine. As soon as the money arrived in his
account, Hans began using his free time going round the rental
agencies and looking in many shop windows at the list of available
accommodation. Caroline was a godsend. She spent several weeks
finding out information and asking people she knew if they had any
information about the properties in town. Finally, between them,
they found the address of a place which Caroline said might
suit.

It was a small flat in
town where he could be independent and with money his uncle had
sent, he had enough to enable him to employ a daily maid to come in
to cook and clean for him. Wages for young girls were very low.
Many poor parents still preferred to see their daughters into
domestic service, knowing they would be safe from a wild life and
temptation to be found in the streets of the larger centres.
Parents hoped their daughters might find a position in one of the
upper middle-class homes where they could pick up some of the
graces that kind of household encouraged. However, Hans was young
and single. Such a young girl in his house would definitely be
frowned on.

How should he begin to
select a servant to look after him and keep house? It was Caroline
who suggested he ask Miss Turner and much to his surprise, she was
willing to interview the applicants for him. Now that he had joined
the adult world, he was beginning to discover that she was less of
an ‘old dragon’ than he had thought and at times like this, she
could be extremely helpful.

Occasionally,
when he visited the Turner house, he ran into Jan. She was more in
control of herself and Hans thought she appeared more grown up. She
was no longer the rude and silly teenage girl he had met when he
had first arrived. Jan did not say very much to him, other than a
very polite
good morning
or
good
afternoon and s
he always
seemed to be preoccupied one way or another so he really did not
know what to say to her. He could not make up his mind whether her
perceived coolness was from an uncertainty on her part, or a
genuine dislike of him. Whichever it could be, Hans was content to
leave her alone.

The first fall of snow
arrived late in November. It had been a good autumn until then with
fewer fogs than usual. Then, just as quickly, the snow melted and
temperatures slightly warmed up again. As soon as Hans had settled
in to his new house, Anne Sutherland and Bertie Williams had asked
if they could move in with him for a few weeks until a few days
into the New Year. It would be a squeeze. Hans would have to give
up his bedroom for Anne and join Bertie in the tiny sitting room
but he liked the idea of having company, especially it involved
good friends.

Even though Anne’s home
was ten miles away, she wanted to be closer to friends during the
time when her parents were away. Anne’s father had allowed his
servants to return to their own families for the festive season
and, with Anne also away, had decided to shut up the house. Anne
told Hans that it would be her last chance for town life before she
retreated into the countryside.

Bertie also wanted time
to see some of his old friends before he returned home. During the
winter months there was not much to do on the family farm in
Hampshire. He had told Hans that his father had made it clear that
Bertie was to take over running the farm as soon as possible. It
seemed that Bertie’s father was struggling since last July when
some sort of illness had struck him down. It was something the
doctors could neither explain or help him with and before he died,
he said he wanted to teach Bertie as much as possible about farm
management. Hans felt sorry for his friend for he knew what it was
like to be without a father and without someone so close to you you
could ask them anything and they would never think the worse of
you. He had never had that feeling of father and son, not even with
Uncle Karl. It was just not the same as having a father.

Miss Turner found Hans a
housekeeper. She knew of an elderly widow who had just lost her
long-held position when her employer had suddenly died. She was
happy to oblige and for a four hours a day Mrs Harrison would come
in to dust and tidy and prepare the main midday meal. The
housekeeper was not the young girl Hans imagined he was going to
get. He had dreamed of someone like Heidi or an English girl like
young Mary but he knew his new maid could never be as young as
them. Still, until the maid arrived, he could dream. That was until
Mrs Harrison arrived on his doorstep on her first morning and Hans
knew imediately all his wonderful dreams had ended. There would not
be the slightest provocation for gossip for when Mrs Henderson did
arrive, Hans saw that she was a homely widow of fifty years. At
least no-one would be left wondering what was going on at number
36, and besides, all of Hans’ friends now knew that Hans had eyes
only for Caroline Grace.

“
Post’s
arrived early this morning, Sir.”

Mrs Harrison always
brought him his letters on a plate and handed them to him
personally.

“
Thank you,
Mrs H.”

She preferred it that
way. Everyone adressed her as Mrs H and she was so proud of that
that she had embroidered it on the top of her pinafore.

Hans tore open the
envelope and began reading. He was engrossed in it when Bertie
entered the room.

“
What?
Another love letter, Hans?”

“
Get lost,
Bertie.”

“
Caroline,
Caroline give me your answer do; I’m half crazy, all for the love
of you.
”

Hans could hear Anne and
Bertie singing in the hallway. Most times, he pretended not to hear
them. This time, he could hear their subdued giggles on the other
side of the door but after reading all of the letter, he felt
cheerful and happy. How exhilarating it was to be in love. He
finished the ditty by singing loudly to make sure the others heard
him.

“
But
s
he’ll look sweet upon
the seat, of a bicycle made for two,
i
f I ever get one!” At the end Hans
shouted as loudly as he could. It was all in good humour for Hans
did not mind the ribbing he was given.

Bertie popped his head
round the door when Hans answered.

“
You sound
extremely happy today, Hans.”

“
I am.
Caroline’s going to take advantage of the better weather and come
over. She writes that she’s coming down for the weekend. She wants
to see me again. Isn’t that great. She does want to see me
again!”

“
Lucky you,
old boy. I’m off for a spot of fishing before the cold really sets
in. Loppy’s father’s had permission to fish in Lord Haselmere’s
stream so the pair of them have invited me along for the day and
Anne’s off with Gerald for the day but won’t say where. I think
we’re all going to have an exciting weekend, that’s for
sure.”