Black Roses Read Online Free PDF Page A

Townsend?’
    The man consulted a list. ‘Which film?’
    ‘Schwarze Rosen.’
    His shrug expressed infinitesimal regret. ‘He’s not here.’
    ‘Do you know when he might be back?’
    He turned his mouth down and gestured at his list as though it was Holy Writ. ‘All I know is, his name’s not here. Perhaps he’s one of those gentlemen who’s smelt which way the wind’s blowing. Like a lot of them who used to be here. Perhaps he’s taken a vacation with a single ticket.’
    ‘He’s English.’
    The man stroked a moustache which was as broad and waxed at the Kaiser’s. ‘English? I suppose someone has to be. I can’t place him. But everything’s changing here. Come back tomorrow and he may be my new best friend.’
    A woman walking past in a tight pink sweater, her dark hair swept off her face, turned backwards with a smile.
    ‘Did you say Max Townsend?’
    ‘Yes. Do you know him?’
    The woman gave a light laugh. ‘All the girls here know Max. I haven’t seen him lately but I can take you to his office. Leave her to me, Herr Becker, I’ll take good care of her.’
    Herr Becker grimaced, replaced his cigarette and returned to the newspaper reports of how Herr Hitler’s aeroplane visit to Munich had been a triumph.
    ‘Take no notice of him, he’s a professional Berliner, which means his bark’s worse than his bite. He sits there pretending to read his Nazi newspaper, but really he knows everything that’s going on. So why are you seeing Max?’
    ‘He might have a part for me in this film he’s producing.
Black Roses.
The one with Lilian Harvey.’
    ‘That sounds like Max. He loves Lilian Harvey. She has special appeal for him.’
    ‘Why’s that?’
    ‘Because she’s English born. It means Max can actually talk to her. He’s never bothered to learn German. He says he can communicate at a deeper level. By which he means the language of love.’ She pursed her lips in an exaggerated kiss and giggled. ‘Oh, I hope I’m not being indiscreet. I mean Max is a dear, of course. It’s just what he tells all the girls.’
    ‘It’s all right. I’ve never met him, actually.’
    ‘And you say he has Lilian Harvey in his film?’
    ‘Yes, she’s playing the heroine.’
    ‘Only,’ a tiny frown formed on her face, ‘Lilian Harvey’s just gone to Hollywood. Didn’t you know? Some of the top brass here are a little unhappy, actually. She is one of Babelberg’s biggest stars.’
    ‘I don’t know much about her at all.’
    ‘You must know her! She’s just done
The Congress Dance
with Conrad Veidt. She makes about sixty thousand marks a film. Everyone expected her to marry Willy Fritsch someday soon, only now they’re saying she’s turned her back on Berlin. Germany isn’t good enough for her. She wants to make a name in America.’
    Clara felt her heart sink within her.
    ‘But let’s go and find Max anyway!’ The girl thrust out her hand. ‘Before we go any further, I should introduce myself I’m Helga Schmidt.’
    She had a sweet-natured face with pencil-thin eyebrows that arched above lively brown eyes, and lips outlined in cherry red. Her face was as brown and freckled as an egg. The combination of her tight skirt and sweater suggested wholesome curves, but her eyes had a knowing twinkle and her voice had a whole packet of cigarettes in it.
    ‘Clara Vine.’
    ‘Delighted. Oh, mind out.’
    A man carrying a lighting rig nearly collided with Clara as she pressed herself against the corridor wall. He disappeared through a double door ahead of them and they found themselves staring into an enormous studio.
    It was probably the biggest single hall Clara had ever seen. It was the size of a cathedral, and contained both a medieval village, with cobbled street and cosy little houses, and an Italian piazza complete with a marble fountain. A series of façades encompassed a whole host of architectural styles – Gothic windows, Renaissance palazzi, Spanish roofs. There were stained-glass