He greeted her with a perfect kiss on the hand and his deep voice attracted her more than it should, “Fräulein Kupfer. It’s my pleasure to meet such an attractive woman.”
It wasn’t her pleasure, though. “Herr Böhm, I was impressed by your speech today. Say, have the Soviets changed their official directives and suddenly support academic freedom?”
Georg gasped at the affront, but Böhm broke out in a chuckle. “I see you haven’t forgiven me for my unfortunate role during our last encounter. I was only the messenger and I’m still heartbroken,” he put a hand across his chest and looked at her with the most intense eyes, “at your calling me a vicious monster.”
Now she felt like the worst person in the room. How did he do that?
But his ensuing smile betrayed his true feelings and despite herself, her heart warmed when he asked, “Please, how can I prove to you that I’m not the vicious monster you think I am?”
Marlene swallowed, hoping he hadn’t noticed her inner turmoil, when Georg raised his voice. “Actually, I have tried to persuade Marlene to enroll for a degree, maybe you could convince her to do so, Werner?”
“I would gladly do so, the university lacks severely in intelligent and quick-witted young women, such as you. As you know, the Soviets foster the equality of all people, and strive for giving women the same rights as men.” Werner cast her the most charming smile and for a moment she swayed in her opinion. The handsome Herr Böhm behaved in such a considerate, charming and authentic way, could she have misjudged his character that badly? “Please, will you put in an application, and I promise I’ll examine it myself.”
“I… I’m really not sure…” she stammered, shrinking under his intense gaze. Considered attractive with her long brown hair and vivid blue eyes, men had always looked at her with leering eyes, but Herr Böhm’s gaze was different. He seemed to actually be interested in her, and not only in her appearance. Nonsense, she scolded herself. He simply wants you to enroll to reach his women’s quote.
“What subjects are you interested in Fräulein Kupfer?” He persisted, his eyes holding her captive and reaching deep inside of her, into a part that she’d closed off after the Russian soldiers had taken what they considered their rightful reward for the hardships of war.
“Law,” she replied, shrugging off the discomforting emotions attacking her, “I worked as a legal assistant for the past three years.”
“As it happens, we are opening four more faculties, one of them law,” Böhm smiled. “It would be a shame if you turned down such an opportunity to be on the front seat of history rebuilding your country. We need the likes of you, caring, unerring women who only answer to the law and honestly want to help their fellow compatriots. Your friend Georg and I will support you all throughout the journey. What do you say Georg?”
“Absolutely,” Georg replied, eagerly. “I’ll get the forms for you to fill out, Marlene.”
“Will I have to take a test?” Marlene asked, nervously. Herr Böhm might consider her straightforward and courageous, but in truth she was shy and had always taken a back seat to her more assertive friends or brothers. An obedient daughter, she was at her best caring for others. Being cast into the spotlight frightened her and she longed to return to the familiarity and anonymity of Dr. Ebert’s makeshift hospital.
“There is a screening process, but I’m sure any friend of Georg’s won’t have a problem,” Böhm said, encouragingly. “We look for Nazi affiliations and criminal backgrounds. We also check for political attitudes and activities. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
Seeing her hesitation, he turned to Georg and said, “Help the lady out and see that she makes an appointment with my secretary for the screening as soon as possible, the classes are filling up faster than we anticipated.”
A man in a Soviet military uniform beckoned to Herr Böhm and he gave a quick nod, before taking Marlene’s hand into his to put a kiss on the back of it. “Duty calls, but I hope to see you soon, schönes Fräulein.”
Marlene reeled from the compliment. Beautiful, he’d called her. He truly was a well-educated and charming gentleman, so unlike the other Russian brutes. But then, he was a born German, although his parents had emigrated to Moscow when he was but ten years old.
“This man is smitten with you,” Georg said. “He could barely take his eyes off you.”
“What an imagination you have,” she tried to make light of what had transpired.
“Do I, really? Because the way I saw it, he wasn’t alone in his infatuation. On the contrary, you did your bit to encourage him.”
She gave a nervous giggle. “That’s completely ridiculous. I was just being polite. Besides, I’d never fall for a communist.”
Chapter 15
A few days later Marlene was surprised to get a call from Werner Böhm’s office, informing her of the date and time for an appointment regarding her enrolment as a law student.
She rushed to the hospital, impatiently waiting for Georg to show up in between classes so she could give him the news. Elated and anxious at the same time, she went through the tasks that had become second nature to her during the past months. Dressing wounds, changing bandages, washing patients or helping them to get out of bed. She did it out of a sense of duty, but unlike Georg and Dr. Ebert, the field of medicine wasn’t her calling. She longed to return to the legal field, to an office filled with healthy people instead of the sick.
“Georg, can you imagine?” She all but barreled into her dearest friend in her hurry to tell him the good news.
“What is it, that demands you to attack me like a wild animal?” Georg smiled at her and she immediately felt a rush of guilt running up her spine. Her behavior wasn’t exactly appropriate for a young lady.
“Herr Böhm has invited me for an admission interview two days from now.”
“Now, that’s good news. I’m so happy for you,” he said, giving her a quick hug, before he let go of her and frowned. He’d been the one to push and encourage her, so she wondered, what caused his discomfort.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing… it’s just… I don’t want you to get hurt. Böhm is my mentor and he has been nothing but good to me, but… he is such a sophisticated man and clearly has set an eye on you.”
Marlene felt herself blush and adamantly denied that she felt any attraction toward Werner Böhm. “Your fear is completely unfounded, or have you forgotten how he behaved when he closed down our hospital? I could never feel anything for a cold-hearted man like him.”
“I remember that too,” Georg admitted. “Werner was just doing his duty, since he was under strict orders to requisition the building that very day. After getting to know him I have nothing but compliments for him, he’s far from the cold career politician everyone believes him to be. He’s in fact an honest, intelligent and compassionate man.”
Marlene shrugged, not understanding Georg’s motives. First, he tried to warn her away from Böhm and now he kept singing his praises?
Georg must have seen her confusion and added, “I’m just worried about you. You’re a wonderful, sweet girl, and he’s a man of power. He does have to obey the party line and might hurt you without intention.”
“You’re probably right,” she murmured. Georg’s opinion didn’t help, he was a man and didn’t understand her inner turmoil. She urgently needed female advice. And who better to give advice in romantic affairs than her friend Bruni?
In the evening she intercepted Bruni on her way to the Café de Paris.
“Can I talk to you?” Marlene asked.
“Sure, is it about a man?” Bruni linked arms with her and together they walked through the frosty evening.