Roots of Evil(56)

Vienna in the twenties and thirties might have been created solely as a frame for a beautiful baroness with an intriguingly mysterious past. Alice sometimes thought that Lucretia could not have existed in any other time or in any other city. It was the time of la belle époque, the beautiful era, and life had been filled with excitement and beckoning promise, and with gaiety and music.

Music. Until now it had been something for other people. In London you might occasionally have an outing to a music-hall, and in the servants’ hall some of the other maids might sing the songs of the day while polishing the silver. The war songs were still much enjoyed – ‘Tipperary’ and ‘The Only Girl in the World’, but American jazz and what was called blues were starting to be popular. ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ and ‘Tea for Two’, which everyone agreed was wonderful for learning the cha-cha, although the housekeeper had been very shocked to catch Alice and one of the parlourmaids trying out the steps in the scullery one night.

Now, under Conrad’s aegis, Alice listened to, and learned to appreciate the music of, Stravinsky and Hindemith and Sch?nberg, and danced to the melodies of Ivor Novello and Irving Berlin and Franz Lehár. On New Year’s Eve she and Conrad attended the famous Vienna Opera House Ball, and danced together beneath the glittering chandeliers. Whirling around the ballroom in Conrad’s arms, Alice thought: if only I could take hold of this moment and keep it – lay it away in lavender and tissue paper, so that in years to come I can unwrap it and relive it, and think: yes, of course! That was the night when I was happier than at any other time in my life.

The exotic baroness was invited everywhere – often with Conrad, but frequently on her own. The damson gown alternated with the jade green, but after wearing the jade one a couple of times Alice managed to sell it back to the second-hand shop and bought in its place a very plain, much cheaper, black two-piece. To this she added several velvet and beaded scarves and stoles: rich reds and glowing ambers and one in sapphire blue silk, shot with kingfisher green. It was remarkable how a different scarf changed a plain black outfit.

Conrad wanted to take her to the great fashion houses, so that she could be robed in silks and velvets and furs. She must always wear black or dark red gowns, he said: the colours of wine and heliotrope and wood-violets. Perhaps jade green was also acceptable at a pinch. As to the cost, oh, that was of no matter; no one ever paid a dressmaker’s bill, in fact most people considered it slightly vulgar even to consider doing so. Alice was starting to feel extremely close to Lucretia as a person and she was starting to know her very well indeed, but she did not think she could be close to someone who did not pay bills, purely because some people considered it vulgar.

As well as that, she was starting to be aware of a strong vein of independence. I’ve survived by my own wits and without help this far, and I’d like to keep it that way! So she said, coolly, that she could buy her own gowns, thank you, although she might at times ask Conrad’s opinion of a colour or a style.

At this he called her stubborn, and said she was a cold, too-proud English spinster and a sexless feminist, but Alice saw at once that he had expected her to accept his offer and display suitable gratitude – despite his unconventional ways he was rather old-fashioned in many things. She also saw that her refusal had intrigued him, and that so far from finding it sexless, he found it very sexually alluring indeed. Very well then, if this kind of feminism intrigued him, he should go on being intrigued and he should certainly go on being sexually allured.

The hair dye lasted for about six weeks and then it was necessary to shut herself away and go through the complicated procedure all over again. The powder and lipstick lasted a lot longer because she only wore them in public.

At first she only wore Lucretia’s identity in public as well, but gradually Lucretia became stronger and more clearly defined. It was not precisely that she began to gain the upper hand; it was more that Alice, like the polite obedient girl she was, gave way to the more dominant personality. Oh, do you want the limelight? she seemed to be saying to Lucretia with a touch of ladylike surprise that anyone should actually want such a thing. Then of course you may have it: it would not become either of us to quarrel over such a thing.

But once or twice she had the uneasy suspicion that there might be things Lucretia would want to do that Alice would flinch from. It was already clear that the baroness could be very self-willed.



It had probably been inevitable that at that time, in that city, mingling with Conrad’s musician friends, Lucretia would attract the attention of people within the rapidly evolving world of film-making. It was still the era of the silent film but the technicalities of sound were starting to be enthusiastically explored. One day – and that day might be soon – the movies would be known as the talkies and people would not only be able to watch an unfolding story, but would also be able to listen to it. One day it might even be possible to make films in colour – now there was a dream to aim for!

But in the meantime it was the dark-haired, pale-complexioned females who best suited the monochrome images; they were striking and vivid and memorable.

Dark-haired, pale-complexioned females…Just as the Vienna of the day might have been created as a frame for Lucretia von Wolff, so, too, might Lucretia von Wolff have been created specifically for the film-makers.

It happened because of Conrad – Alice thought that everything in her life of any real importance happened because of Conrad – who was approached by a well-known German studio to write background music for two films. Music was important for setting a mood, for creating an atmosphere, they explained, as seriously as if Conrad would not know this. Someone at the studios had attended Conrad’s last concert, and had said why should they not secure the gifts of this rising young composer. Why not indeed?