Live for Tomorrow

By Nancy Hann Skroko

Karina Winkler loves her job at a mens haberdashery in Aachen, Germany. When she assists a handsome WWI German soldier with a purchase, she never dreams that her brief encounter would lead to a date and spellbinding romance. When they fall head over heels in love, Karina discovers that Derek von Kampler is a baron and heir to Castle Royale. On leave, recovering from an injury, Derek invites Karina to the castle to meet his father, Baron von Kampler, and his aristocratic family. Despite feeling intimidated by the obvious disapproval of the Baroness and Fredericka, Dereks tempestuous sister, Karina accepts Dereks marriage proposal.

Sadly, their time together is brief due to Dereks orders to report back to his regiment. Karina suddenly finds herself a newlywed and left alone to face the hatred of her husbands family. When tragedy strikes, Karina finds an ally in Nana, Dereks long-ago governess. Grief-stricken, Karina agonizes over revealing a shocking secret, but she never realizes how this revelation will put her life and those she loves in mortal danger. When threats are made on her life, Karina desperately prays for Gods protection as she searches for an answer to her dilemma. Trapped in postwar occupied Germany, Karina prays for a miracle that will allow her to survive and protect those entrusted to her loving care.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inspiring Voices
• Release date: Apr 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781462405367

Nancy Hann Skroko

Nancy Hann Skroko, born in Joliet, Illinois, grew up listening to the fascinating adventures of her German grandmother, Ella Conterweitis Winkler Klauka. Her vivid recollections gave Nancy inspiration to realize her lifelong dream of writing this novel. Nancy lives in Shorewood, Illinois, with her husband, David, and son, Mark. Cover Art by Howard David Johnson

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Copyright © 1996, 2013 Nancy Hann Skroko.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Inspiring Voices books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

Inspiring Voices

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.inspiringvoices.com

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Cover Art © 2013 Howard David Johnson

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0535-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0536-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control: 2013902803

Inspiring Voices rev. date: 04/22/2013

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Bibliography

This novel is dedicated to God, our Heavenly Father, who makes all things possible and from whom all blessings flow, and to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

I am so thankful for my grandmother, Nana, (Ella Conterweitis Winkler Klauka), whose fascinating recollections of her life gave me the inspiration to write this book.

I am so blessed that my wonderful husband, David, and son, Mark, gave me their love and encouragement. Their faith kept me going.

I give thanks for the devotion of my beloved golden retrievers, Brandy,Sarah, and Holly; and our kitty, Miss Libby. They faithfully kept me company whenever I sat down to write.

I also thank Ruth Harley, my instructor at the Institute of Children’s Literature, who in 1986-88 guided me through the completion of the first draft of this novel.

Finally, many thanks to Andrew Laverghetta and Lifetouch Photography for my portrait on the back cover of this book; to Jim Seeman for his invaluable knowledge of trains and transportation; and to Howard David Johnson, the gifted cover artist who designed the stunningly beautiful cover of my book. The cover is perfect!

Inspiring Voices Publishers, thank you for your expertise in putting this book together. You did a wonderful job!

Blessings to you all!

Chapter 1

I t was two days before Weihnachten , 1917, and the ancient, narrow brick alleys of the imperial medieval city where the emperor Charlemagne had once ruled in Aachen, Germany, were crowded with last-minute shoppers, horse-drawn carriages, and an occasional auto. The stalwart citizens of Aachen seemed determined to enjoy the Christmas festivities despite the war, twenty-one-year-old Karina Winkler decided as she returned yet another cheerful holiday greeting from a warmly dressed passerby. She glanced at the bronze-cast figure of Charlemagne that dominated a large fountain in the middle of the cobblestone-paved market square, around which were clustered the beautifully decorated shops. Goods were displayed invitingly in the festively decorated shop windows. Karina paused momentarily in front of a tempting konditorei window where delectable pastries and bars of marzipan beckoned invitingly. Delicacies such as these were rare indeed due to food shortages, but the shopkeepers had saved their best for this holiest of holidays. She stared longingly at the chocolate-covered pieces of marzipan, which would taste exquisite and help ease the sting of the bitter cold, but the cost was equal to almost one week’s wages. Fighting temptation, Karina reached into her satchel for some pennies, but then, reminding herself of her sacrifice to the soldiers, she turned resolutely away. She could not in good conscience enjoy such a sinfully delicious piece of confectionery while young men were starving and living in frigid foxholes while fighting to protect her country. Hunching her slender shoulders against the biting cold, she looked up in trepidation at the heavy, lead-colored clouds. She could smell the promise of snow in the air and thought that if she did not enjoy walking so much, she would be sorely tempted to take the streetcar to escape the subzero temperatures. But Karina had dressed warmly in her stylish black wool, ankle-length coat with matching fox fur hat and mitt so she could enjoy watching the crowds of shoppers, especially the young and handsome soldiers who smiled and winked as she walked by. She loved the attention and realized without the slightest bit of conceit that she was attractive enough to turn heads with her thick, long, golden-blonde waves and delicately pink cheeks contrasting strikingly with her large dark-brown eyes and long, sooty lashes.

Karina, wait for me! She turned to see Maria, her dearest friend and coworker at Braun’s Haberdashery, running to catch up to her. Puffing from the exertion and sweating profusely despite the cold, Maria paused briefly to catch her breath. Looking somewhat disheveled from her run, Maria reached up to adjust her hat, which had slid to one side of her head despite the long hat pins that were entwined carefully through her long, dark mane. Pulling a daintily embroidered handkerchief from her satchel, she wiped her sweating brow with a plump, slightly shaking hand and, nodding at the contents within her purse, said, Did you bring your gifts today?

Karina smiled warmly and nodded as she opened her own satchel, her dark eyes sparkling impishly. Yes, Maria, I did, and look, I have even wrapped them in festive paper! Both girls admired their handiwork for a few moments until they heard a clock chime in the distance. It was time to leave, or they would be late for work. They made their way to an ancient stone overpass that looked down onto a street where soldiers had to pass on their way to the battlefields. Reaching quickly into their satchels, Karina and Maria dropped their gifts to the soldiers marching on the street below. Several of the men looked up and waved their thanks.

Nodding with satisfaction to Maria, Karina said, Now we have made someone happy. Both girls had been saving up their salaries for months to purchase the supplies needed to make their gifts, and they had been working feverishly to complete their gifts in time for Weihnachten. Their gifts were hand-knit crosses, which hung from a narrow braided rope to be worn around a soldier’s neck. Karina knew that Jesus was definitely needed in the trenches, and their gifts were a reminder of His constant presence. They had managed to knit over two hundred crosses, which was a small amount considering the total number of soldiers. It was a small gesture but from the heart, and Karina and Maria knew their gifts would help ease the loneliness the soldiers were feeling during this normally festive time of year. Separated from their loved ones and forced to exist in horrid conditions, the crosses would comfort and provide protection to their brave soldiers. The historical city of Aachen was the last German town before the converging borders of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, so their beloved city was the final glimpse of home for the departing troops.

Sometimes Karina wondered if the war would ever end, along with the endless rationing and unrelenting thud of artillery. The front line running through Belgium was about 240 kilometers away, but the tremendous noise caused by the artillery and mines exploding was so intense that the faint but unmistakable thuds could be heard in Aachen. The sound was forever etched into Karina’s subconscious mind even though she shut her eyes and tried to pretend that the forceful thuds were rumblings of thunder signaling a refreshing summer storm, and the war was a bad dream. But the illusion faded as soon as she opened her eyes. There was also no respite from the war at Braun’s Haberdashery. Her employer, Herr Braun, had requested that his employees sew hospital gowns for the wounded whenever business was slow in the store. Herr Braun would deliver their gowns to the hospital weekly, and he always returned with the somber request to bring as many more gowns as they could possibly provide. Despite the fact that the haberdashery store’s clientele consisted primarily of wealthy upper-class gentlemen and the nobility who still had operas to attend and social obligations to fulfill, where proper attire was mandatory, the sad truth was that the majority of the men were away at war. A soldier would occasionally venture into the haberdashery, but this was a rare occurrence. Herr Braun always insisted that the soldier accompany him upstairs to his flat to enjoy a glass of wine with a pastry. Karina dreaded these visits, for she could see the look of pain and anguish on her employer’s kind face, and she knew that he was grieving for his only son, who had been killed in the war just months before. But today, despite numerous holiday shoppers, Karina found her mind wandering back to yesterday and a somewhat disturbing conversation she had with her mother regarding love and marriage.

If you continue to work at Herr Braun’s Haberdashery, Karina, someday you will find a wealthy husband, her lovely mother had said with conviction.

Oh, Mother, he need not be wealthy, Karina had protested heatedly. When I marry it will be for love, not wealth!

You are a beautiful girl, Karina, and any man would be lucky to have you for his wife, Frau Winkler had admonished gently, but I understand why you feel as you do.

Karina had nodded miserably, acutely aware of the awkward situation in which she and her siblings found themselves. Their father, Rolf Winkler, was a handsome, wealthy man who appeared years younger than his actual age. He was the owner of a prosperous stove company, and his job required him to travel extensively. Sometimes he was away from home for months at a time. His travels took him to all parts of the world, and he always returned from his journeys with expensive and unique gifts for his wife and children. His most recent journey had been to Africa, and he had returned with an exquisitely carved ivory necklace for his wife and dainty ivory fans for Karina and her two sisters. For Karina’s only brother, Adolph, Rolf Winkler had given him a Zulu warrior’s spear. He also had shipped a Bengal tiger rug, made from a tiger that he himself had killed while on a hunting expedition. Karina adored her parents, but she knew that her father’s long absences were the cause of enormous tension between her parents. Perhaps that was why they slept in separate bedrooms when Rolf Winkler was at home. But despite this, Karina found herself unable to accept what her mother had long suspected and recently confirmed just two months ago with the help of a private detective: her father had a geliebte.

A mistress! Mother, are you sure? Karina felt sick inside. She had recoiled in horror at the nauseating word and had nightmares imagining her handsome father lying in the sinful woman’s arms while her poor mother cried herself to sleep every night.

Frau Winkler, however, had been adamant of her suspicions. After all, she had proof.

Our marriage was arranged by our parents, as are most upper-class marriages, her mother had said. Your father and I grew up together, and we saw each other often since our parents were close friends. I think they decided when we were both still babies that we would someday marry. A marriage contract was drawn up between our families when I was thirteen years old and your father was sixteen years of age. Even though I had no choice in the matter, I was so proud knowing that someday I would be Frau Rolf Winkler. After all, your father is an extremely attractive man and wealthy also. He was always courteous and attentive to me, but he never lacked for female companionship. He enjoyed being surrounded by attractive women, and because of his good looks, wealth, and charm, he was never disappointed.

But Mother, Karina had protested heatedly, you are so beautiful … how could Father do such a thing! And it was true. Elizabeth Winkler was lovely both inside and out. Karina could not understand how her father could prefer the charms of a geliebte over the obvious beauty and devotion of her beloved mother.

Yes, well, that never seemed to be enough for your father, Frau Winkler commented sadly. Younger, more beautiful women are not hard to find, especially if one is looking. I knew that your father did not go on his business trips alone. I have known that for a long time.

Karina stood still for a long moment, feeling guilty over something she had no control over as she realized that her mother had never been able to accompany her father on his business trips because of having to care for her and her siblings. If her mother had insisted, Karina knew that they could have well afforded a nanny to care for them in her parents’ absence, but her mother would have none of it. Her deep love for her children had ruined her marriage. Karina hopelessly tried to sort out her confusion as her daydream ended. She loved her parents dearly, but the friction between them was heartbreaking and sometimes more than she could bear.

Fraulein Winkler, this gentleman would like to purchase a top hat.

Startled by a gentle tap on her shoulder, Karina glanced from the kindly face of Herr Braun into one of the most handsome faces she had ever seen. His raw virility, most noticeably evident, caused her heart to triple its beat and made her acutely aware of the gentleman’s tantalizing nearness. He was young, perhaps twenty-six or twenty-seven, and very tall, well over six feet. His face was lean with a long, finely chiseled nose and a strong, masculine jawline. His firmly molded mouth suggested strength but also tenderness. He obviously enjoyed the outdoors, for he still had a tan that complemented his brown, wavy hair and dark, expressive eyes. Karina found herself gazing into their alluring depths, where she noted a hint of amusement. Smoothing her apron primly, she finally managed to utter a polite, May I help you? as her gaze lingered on his sensuous and masculine face.

Yes, Fraulein. His voice was deep and confident and spoke of breeding and education. Holding up a once elegant but now crumpled top hat, he said, I wish to purchase another one of these since my chauffeur ran over this one with the auto.

Barely able to suppress a giggle but not daring to offend her handsome customer, Karina managed to compose herself and say, Oh, sir, I am so sorry that happened. Did you reprimand your chauffeur?

The hint of amusement that Karina had noted earlier in the man’s dark eyes now burst into warm flickers of genuine humor as he smiled broadly and laughingly shook his head. No, Fraulein, he confirmed with mock dismay, Hans has been with our family for as long as I can remember, and actually it was no one’s fault. I came outside just as Hans was bringing the auto around to the front door. It was a blustery day, and the wind blew my top hat off directly into the auto’s path. It was unavoidable.

Karina smiled inwardly. She could just imagine this obviously wealthy and extremely attractive gentleman running to retrieve his top hat. Judging from his words and actions, he seemed to be quite attached to his chauffeur and most likely dismissed the matter as a minor inconvenience. She found herself even more attracted to him because of this. She looked at the crumpled hat once more and said, Well, you most certainly are in need of a new hat. This one is definitely beyond repair. Looking inside at the leather band, she found the size and hurried to one of the floor-to-ceiling cupboards to look for his size. Finally locating one, she hurried back and handed the new top hat to the handsome gentleman for him to try on.

"This one will be fine, Fraulein," he said as he adjusted it on his head and studied his reflection in the mirror.

Yes, it appears to be your size, Karina agreed as she critically surveyed the fit. She looked at him again and noticed for the first time that he was in uniform. Are you home on leave? she inquired curiously.

Medical leave. Running his hand restlessly through his thick, wavy hair he said, Early in November, we were involved in heavy fighting near the front, and I was shot in the chest. Luckily the bullet ricocheted off my ribs, but it broke a few in the process. I was sent to the hospital here in Aachen, but since I live here I was allowed to recuperate at home.

How long is your leave, that is, if you do not mind my asking? Karina said, wondering if she would ever see him again.

I must report back to my unit before the end of January.

You must make the most of your time and try to rest as much as possible, Karina remonstrated, unable to disguise her obvious concern. You have suffered a serious injury which will take quite some time to heal. Has your doctor given you permission to be out like this? Karina bit her lip in confusion and embarrassment. She had spoken far too bluntly to this handsome man. Silently she waited for his sure-to-come reprimand.

Instead she heard an amused chuckle and felt a gentle hand lift her chin so that she had no choice but to look him in the eye. My physician is a very wise man, for he knows that a person will not regain his strength without exercise. So you see, I am merely following his orders by being out and about. In fact, he continued, "I stopped in here because I plan to attend the opera this weekend. As you know, all festivities are frowned upon due to the war, but since it is Weihnachten, the opera will be allowed to