The streets were relatively empty of traffic, not only because it was now turned one o’clock in the morning, but also due to petrol rationing which kept motorists at home. In consequence, there were few vehicles on the road, and in a very short time they were pulling up outside her aunt’s house and alighting together.
Mark took Teddy’s arm and led her up the flight of steps. After she had inserted the key in the front door, he turned her to face him.
‘Thanks, Teddy, for coming out with me. I had a grand time, and it’s really meant a lot. More than I can ever say actually, darling.’
‘It’s I who should be thanking you, Mark, and I do.’ She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. ‘And this evening’s meant a great deal to me, too.’
‘I’m so glad.’ He looked serious, almost concerned, when he added, ‘There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for the last couple of hours.’
‘What is it?’
‘I want you to be my girl, Teddy. You will, won’t you? I haven’t misread your reaction to me, have I?’
‘No, you haven’t, and of course I’ll be your girl.’ For always, she thought. For the rest of my life. But she did not voice these thoughts, just stood and smiled at him instead.
‘Thank God I’ve found you!’ he cried and swept her into his arms, kissed her on the lips and hugged her hard. When he let her go, he said, ‘I told you I have to have lunch with my parents tomorrow. But I’ll ring you up before I go back to Biggin Hill.’
‘I’ll be in all day, Mark, I’ll wait for your call. Goodnight now.’
‘Goodnight, darling.’
He ran lightly down the steps. Before he stepped into the waiting cab he turned to wave, and she waved back, and then she went into the house and closed the door behind her.
Teddy stood for a moment in the darkness of the hall, trying to catch her breath, to quieten her rapidly beating heart. She was reeling from the impact of him, still felt startled by the power of their physical attraction for each other. She had not realised she was capable of such intense passion, or that such strong and overwhelming feelings could even exist between a man and a woman.
TWENTY-NINE
After hanging up the sheared beaver coat in the hall cupboard, Teddy crept gingerly up the stairs, having no wish to disturb her aunt.
But when she reached the landing at the top she smiled to herself. She might have known that Aunt Ketti would not go to sleep before she arrived home. Her aunt’s bedroom door stood ajar and lamplight was streaming out onto the darkened landing. Teddy crossed the floor in several swift strides, popped her head around the door, and exclaimed, ‘I’m home, Aunt Ketti! And you certainly didn’t have to wait up for me!’
Ketti was propped against the snowy, antique linen pillows in her large comfortable bed, holding a library book in her hands. She put this down and smiled at her niece. ‘Hello, Teddy dear, and I know I didn’t, but I wasn’t at all tired. In any case, I wanted to hear all about your evening. I also thought it would be nice if we had our usual cup of tea before going to sleep. We’ve never missed our little ritual yet, except when I’ve been in Brighton visiting Rachel.’
‘I’ll run downstairs and make a pot immediately.’
‘Everything’s ready for you in the kitchen, dear. All you have to do is boil the water.’
‘I’ll be back in a jiffy,’ Teddy said, and hurried off.
True to her word, she returned after only a few minutes, carrying the silver tea tray, which she placed carefully on the window seat. After pouring two cups, she carried these over to the bed, passed one to her aunt and then sat down with her own cup in an easy chair nearby.
Ketti took a sip of the tea, put the cup and saucer on the bedside table, and gave Teddy a long and careful look. ‘Did you have a lovely time?’ she asked at last. ‘Where did Mark take you?’
‘To the Savoy Hotel, for dinner and dancing, and yes, I had a marvellous time.’
Ketti studied her thoughtfully for a moment. ‘Mmmmm. Stars in your eyes, I see.’
Teddy nodded, and all at once her face became serious, grave almost. ‘Yes, that’s true, very much so, Aunt Ketti. Mark is absolutely wonderful—’ She broke off, looking as thoughtful as her aunt, then confided, ‘I think I’m falling in love with him.’
Ketti clucked sharply under her breath. Her expression altered slightly; worry settled in her eyes. She said in a voice that had become rather fretful, ‘Teddy, Teddy, all this is going too fast, most assuredly it is. Yes, far too fast, in my opinion.’
‘No, it isn’t! I know how I feel, so does Mark!’
‘I don’t want you to get hurt.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You hardly know him! Why, Teddy dear, you only met him three days ago—’
‘Mark will never hurt me, I’m sure of that!’ Teddy exclaimed heatedly, cutting her aunt off. She rose, crossed to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. Clearing her throat, she went on more softly, in a gentler tone, ‘Well, there’s one thing that should please you, at least.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘He’s Jewish.’
It was immediately obvious from Ketti’s face that she was indeed delighted to hear this news; her expression instantly changed for the better, and her eyes brightened. ‘That’s a blessing! When people are of the same religion it saves a lot of heartache in the end. Is he Orthodox or Reform?’
‘Reform. However, I got the impression Mark isn’t especially religious himself, although he did say his father was constantly worried that he might marry out of the faith.’
‘Don’t tell me he’s proposed to you already!’ Ketti cried, sitting up straighter in the bed, her eyes flying open in surprise and alarm.
‘No, of course not! Don’t be so silly!’ Teddy retorted, and shook her head, amazed that her aunt would even think such a thing. ‘We were simply telling each other about our lives,’ she continued, and then suddenly she began to laugh. ‘But just now, on the doorstep, he did ask me to be his girl. And I accepted.’
‘Naturally.’ Ketti drank some of her tea, replaced the cup in its saucer with a clatter, and probed, ‘What else did Mark tell you about himself and his family?’
‘He has a brother, Lionel, who’s at Harrow, and he went there himself. He was just starting at Oxford when he joined the RAF at the beginning of the war. Oh, by the way, Mark is fourth-generation English, his great-great-grandfather came here from Odessa in the early 1880s.’
‘Russian, eh? And Ashkenazi! Good, very good.’ Ketti nodded to herself, looking pleased as she mulled this information over. ‘More than likely their original name was Lewenstein, before it got shortened and anglicised to Lewis. I have a friend, Riba Lewis, whose family also came from Odessa years ago. Goodness me, could it be that she’s a relative of theirs? What does his father do? Did Mark mention that?’
‘Yes, he did. They have a company called Lewis and Sons, which his father runs. They’re diamond merchants in Hatton Gardens. And they have several other related businesses, including a jewellery shop in Regent Street—’
‘Not Tannen and Graf!’ Ketti interjected, giving her niece a swift glance. ‘Now don’t tell me that Mark comes from that family.’
‘Why yes, he does, Aunt Ketti. You’ve got a peculiar look on your face. Is something the matter?’
‘Is something the matter, she asks me,’ Ketti muttered and sighed to herself. ‘Oh dear no, nothing’s the matter. At least, I don’t believe it is. Tannen and Graf, eh? So, Mark is a grandson of old Isadore Tannen.’
‘Do you know his grandfather, Aunt Ketti? Tell me about him, tell me more about the family,’ Teddy cajoled eagerly.
‘Ach, such a long megillah that is! But, since you ask, I’ll try, and I’ll make it as brief as possible. Isadore Tannen used to own Tannen and Graf, and he inherited it from his father, who in turn got it from his father. Mark’s mother, Isabelle, is Isadore’s only child, and the store is hers now, given to her by her father, of course, some yea
rs ago. Isadore is a very old man. Very old, yes, in his nineties, and the store has been run for a long time by Isabelle’s husband, Charles Lewis, who is Mark’s father. The Tannens were German Jews originally, Tannenbaum was their actual name, shortened years ago to Tannen—easier for the English to pronounce, and much more English-sounding. But Isadore Tannen is what I term a fancy Jew, extraordinarily rich, living in grand houses, full of pretensions, and one who likes to call the English aristocracy his landsleit,’ she finished, a hint of sarcasm echoing in her voice.
‘And the Lewises? Do you know anything about them?’
‘Now there’s a different kettle of fish. Intellectuals, thinkers, musicians, painters, although I must add that they’ve always been rich, too, and a trifle fancy, like the Tannens. But they’ve also been great philanthropists. As Mark told you, they came from Russia a century ago, and some of them seemingly set themselves up as diamond merchants, which they had been in Russia. And other members became money-lenders and bankers, still others went into the arts. They’re a big family, with many branches, if I remember correctly.’
‘I see… have you ever met Mark’s parents?’
‘Very briefly, at a charity event once. I will say this for Isabelle Lewis, she is a doer of good works, and has given millions to deserving causes, mostly to do with children and the sick. Her husband is equally philanthropic, like his father before him.’
‘And how do you know so much about the Tannens and the Lewises, Aunt Ketti?’
‘We Jews in London do know a lot about each other,’ she answered. ‘In a certain sense, it’s a small community, and anyway, I suspect we all make it our business to know about each other. But actually, if you want the real truth, my friend Riba is related to Mark’s family, and most of my knowledge about them comes from her. She’s a second cousin of Mark’s father. Riba is married to one of the Levines, and, in fact, I think you might have met her with me.’
‘I believe I have, Aunt Ketti. Isn’t it a small world?’
Ketti nodded.
There was a little pause, and then Teddy asked, ‘Why were you looking so strange a moment ago? Don’t you like Mark’s family?’
‘What’s to like or dislike, since I don’t know them personally? I only know of them. Good heavens, my dear, they don’t socialise with the likes of me.’
‘I’m not following you.’
‘They’re very snobbish, have their own little clique.’
‘I see.’
‘And they’re very anglicised,’ Ketti added.
‘But so are you, Aunt Ketti! You’ve been here for thirty-odd years or more, and I can’t think of anyone who’s more English than you. You’re a real Londoner.’
‘That’s true, yes, but I wasnt born here, nor do I have English-born ancestors. Also, I come from a different echelon than they do. I’m sort of… well, middle-class, wouldn’t you say? They’re the upper crust. Why, one might say they’re more English than the English.’
‘I’ve heard that before!’
Ketti lifted a brow. ‘Now it’s my turn to say what do you mean?’
‘The German Jews were more German than the Germans.’
‘Sadly, yes.’
A sudden thought occurred to Teddy and she exclaimed, ‘Do you think Mark’s family might not consider me good enough for him? Is that what you’re implying?’
‘Certainly not! You come from a fine, highly-educated family, with doctors and professors as your antecedents. You’re good enough for anybody, as far as I’m concerned. Seemingly, Mark thinks the same thing.’
Teddy smiled. ‘Yes, Aunt Ketti, I believe he does.’
Ketti returned Teddy’s smile. ‘And what have you told Mark about your life?’
‘Everything.’
‘Have you now! And does he know about Maxim?’
‘Of course he does!’ Teddy looked at Ketti aghast. ‘Why wouldn’t I tell him about Maxim?’
Ketti merely shrugged and did not answer.
Teddy continued, ‘Mark thinks I’m sending Maxim to exactly the right school, and he wants to meet him at Christmas, or before, if that’s possible. And I know they’re going to like each other very much. In fact, they’re going to get on like a house on fire.’
‘I’m sure they will,’ Ketti soothed, fully aware that Teddy’s voice had risen an octave. She now stifled a yawn, glanced at the carriage clock on the mantelpiece. ‘Good heavens, we have been talking a stream, haven’t we? It’s turned two o’clock, already. Come, Teddy dear, give me a good-night kiss and let’s go to sleep.’
Dutifully, Teddy bent forward and embraced her aunt affectionately, and then she got up off the bed and gathered the tea cups together. ‘I’ll take these downstairs and rinse them before I go to bed.’
Ketti nodded and leaned back against the pillows, and once Teddy had left and closed the door she turned off the lamp and settled down for the night.
However, Ketti soon discovered she could not fall asleep. Her mind was suddenly alive with thoughts of the Tannens and the Lewises. She could not help wondering what their attitude would be if Mark became seriously involved with Teddy and wanted to marry her. She knew enough about them to understand that the two clans were ambitious and class-conscious, and had always set their sights high when it came to marrying off their young. They were the elite of English Jewry and prominent in society, and they were not likely to let anyone forget that.
A nice English Jewish boy she had wanted for her Theodora. One so high-born she had not quite bargained for. As he had promised, Mark telephoned Teddy on Sunday, before he returned to Number 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill. And he did so almost every day thereafter.
On the days he did not ring her, she knew he was on a flying mission somewhere over Germany, and her heart was in her mouth until she heard his voice again. A responsible and devoted person by nature, Teddy was always concerned about the welfare of those she loved. She now had another person’s well-being to occupy her; along with Maxim, the Westheims and Aunt Ketti, Mark Lewis was added to her list. But quite aside from their telephone calls, Teddy and Mark wrote to each other on a regular basis, quickly got to know each other better, and drew closer and closer as the weeks sped by.
Unexpectedly, in late October, Mark managed to get a twenty-four-hour weekend pass, and rushed up to London. Since he wanted to see his parents and Teddy, and did not really have the time to do both, he decided on the most practical solution. He took the three of them to dinner at Claridge’s on Saturday night.
As it turned out, Isabelle and Charles Lewis were just as enchanted by Teddy as was their smitten son. His mother appreciated her natural beauty and air of refinement, her obvious innocence and lack of sophistication, and saw her possibilities at once. Isabelle Lewis decided that this young woman looked as if she would bear children well, and made up her mind about Theodora on the spot. It seemed to her that she would make her son an excellent wife—if it went that far.
As for Mark’s father, he too was full of enthusiasm for Teddy. Like his wife, he thought she was quite lovely. This was a major consideration in his son’s case, since he knew how necessary physical beauty was to Mark who had always fallen for a pretty face. Charles was well aware, just from looking at her across the dinner table, that Teddy would satisfy Mark on every physical level. But what delighted him most was Teddy’s wholesome-ness. The other young women Mark had brought home in the past had always struck him as being racy, and had dripped with ‘war paint’, as he termed cosmetics. Good in bed, no doubt, but unqualified disasters in the drawing room, he had always thought privately to himself. And, of course, Theodora Stein was Jewish, a fact that was of vital consideration to Charles Lewis. If his son was as serious about this girl as he appeared to be, then marriage would be the inevitable outcome of the relationship. And he could not have borne it if Mark had married out of the faith. So he gave Teddy his stamp of approval, albeit silently at this moment.
The minute she met Isabelle and Charles Lewis, Teddy knew that Ma
rk’s parents were not quite the way Aunt Ketti had painted them to be, when she had heard about the dinner earlier in the day. They did not seem to have any pretensions of grandeur, nor did they strike her as being snobs. Teddy thought they were a pleasant, charming couple who appeared to be fair-minded and not a bit judgemental, and they showed a warm interest in her. Furthermore, they put her at ease immediately. She liked them a lot.
And so the evening at Claridge’s was an enormous success, and the future looked bright for the young lovers.
***
Having jumped the hurdle of meeting Mark’s parents, Teddy could not wait for Maxim and Mark to be introduced. And luckily it just so happened that Mark’s next weekend leave fell at the same time as half term at Colet Court, when Maxim was home from prep school.
From the moment Mark walked into the back parlour at number forty-three, looking so dashing and heroic in his RAF uniform, and shook Maxim’s hand, the two were fast friends. Within only a few minutes Mark asked the boy if he would like to go for a spin in the MG, and perhaps to sail his boat on Whitestone Pond in Hampstead, and Maxim accepted with alacrity and enthusiasm.
All through that weekend, as Teddy watched them enjoying so many different things together—talking animatedly about football, cricket, flying, aeroplanes and sports cars—she came to understand how much Maxim must have missed a masculine influence in his life at home, with only she and Aunt Ketti for company. And momentarily she was sad, thinking once again about Sigmund Westheim. He and Ursula were rarely far from her thoughts, and she prayed every day for their safety and longed for the war to be over so that they could come at last to England.
On Sunday night, after Mark had gone back to his squadron, Teddy and Maxim had their supper together in the dining room. They were alone, since Aunt Ketti had gone to play cards with Sarah Levine, and he suddenly looked across at her and said, ‘Is Mark your sweetheart, Teddy?’
Coming out of the blue as it did, the question startled her, and for a second she was silent. And then she said, with a small smile, ‘I suppose you could call him that.’