Page 31 of The Berlin Sisters
He nodded, a big smile spreading across his face. ‘Ravensbrück is where I shall be based for some time, although I’m not permitted to talk about my new role just yet.’ His smile widened even further. ‘It’s why we’re all here tonight though, to celebrate. We’ve all received new postings away from the front line, at the camps.’
The camps. She forced her chin up, to look straight back at him, hoping to see a flicker of something cross his face, to believe that he wasn’t involved with the atrocities taking place there. That the man she’d chosen to marry was who she’d believed he was. ‘Those camps sound like wretched places, Heinrich. I don’t particularly like the idea of you being there. Is there nowhere else you could be posted?’
Heinrich only laughed at her. ‘You’ll soon get used to the idea, and I’ve already been able to put my new role to good use. Your family are to be given labourers from Ravensbrück to work at your country estate. It was supposed to be a surprise when they arrived next month.’
‘Labourers?’ She exhaled the word, finding it almost impossible to expel.
‘They’re women, Jehovah’s Witnesses actually, but they’ve all been taught how to put in a good day’s work, and they’ll keep theplace looking immaculate. I don’t know why your father didn’t request them himself months ago.’
Heinrich didn’t seem to notice that she’d failed to reply, that she was struggling not to gape back at him; he was so busy regaling her with his importance, his chest puffed out.
‘I spent time with my uncle and aunt, Rudolf and Hedwig Höss, before making my way home, and she’s very happy in their cottage near Auschwitz,’ he continued, before leaning in and whispering to her, his words very much for her ears only. ‘Would you believe that Rudolf had a chair made for her from human bones? And they had collector’s copies ofMein Kampftucked away in the attic, bound with human skin. The experiments they are doing in the camps are truly extraordinary, Ava. Absolutely extraordinary.’
Ava failed to hide her disgust at his whispered comments, her recently consumed dinner rising dangerously high in her throat. She’d been wrong. She’d wanted so desperately to believe in him, but he was as much of a monster as the rest of them. What a fool she’d been, swept up in the idea of him, not seeing him for the man he was.
‘Heinrich, that is truly awful. How could you tell me such things!’
Everyone around them fell silent, and she looked up and into the eyes of her sister, who carefully shook her head, as if in warning. Ava gathered herself, trying to stop her face from showing her horror.
‘My beautiful fiancée, she is more delicate than I remembered,’ Heinrich said with a laugh, although she saw the way that his fingers tightened around his water glass as he spoke. ‘It appears I have forgotten myself, after so long in the company of men.’
When everyone resumed their conversations, she felt him turn away from her slightly and knew that she needed to do somethingto bring him back to her, to defuse his anger. She’d unintentionally belittled him, and she knew he would expect her to grovel.
‘Heinrich, I’m so sorry, I simply thought that such matters were to be kept from the wives. I don’t believe my father shares such things with my mother, that’s all.’ She paused. ‘You took me by surprise.’
He lifted his drink and took a slow sip, before turning back to her. ‘Maybe not, but Hedwig is privy to much of what her husband does, she is his confidante, and I want you to be mine, Ava. I need you to believe in the Final Solution, as I do. It is of the utmost importance that we purge this country of the filth that was allowed to exist here for so long.’
She blinked, taking little sips of air, drawing on all her strength as he spouted his words of hatred. ‘Of course, my love,’ she said, carefully. ‘I understand what you’re asking of me. It might just take time for me to become fully used to my new role, and your expectations of me. Perhaps you’re right and I am more delicate than I realised.’
His smile returned and he leaned forward to kiss her cheek, taking her by surprise. It was as if he’d had a complete personality change all over again. Clearly he liked her best when she was demure and apologetic.
‘Tomorrow, I’ve been invited to lunch at the Reich Chancellery with the Führer himself,’ he whispered. ‘When I said we were to be the new golden couple of the SS family, I meant it. Everyone is going to love us, Ava. Imagine the guests we’ll have at our wedding.’
Ava squeezed his hand and beamed at him, doing her best to appear excited, at the same time as her sister stood and announced that it was time to go home, which resulted in groans from the men at the table.
‘I shall see you soon, Ava,’ Heinrich said, rising and gently stroking her arm.
‘It’s so wonderful to have you home, Heinrich,’ she said, forcing herself to stand on tiptoe and whisper a kiss to his cheek, lingering just long enough to ensure that he felt wanted, her hand pressed to his shoulder. ‘Goodnight, my love.’
‘Please, let me walk you home,’ he began.
‘We shall be perfectly all right on our own,’ Hanna said for them both. ‘You enjoy your night off with your friends, Heinrich. I dare say you deserve it after all those months serving our country.’
As they left, arm in arm, Ava dropped her head to her sister’s shoulder, trying to hold back her tears and failing. They streamed down her cheeks as she gripped Hanna’s arm.
‘You were right,’ Ava whispered, walking as quickly as she could to put as much distance as possible between them and Heinrich. ‘He’s a monster. An evil, heartless monster.’
‘He is a monster who could become very dangerous to us, sister. You must be very careful with this one.’
Ava didn’t need to be told. She’d seen the danger reflected in his gaze, how quick he’d been to anger when she hadn’t behaved as he’d wanted, and she was starting to realise that she wasn’t in love with him any more; she wasterrifiedof him. Of him and all the other men like him, who were nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Ava washed her face, splashing water on her skin and then doing the same to her arms and neck – anywhere that Heinrich might have touched her. Once, she’d basked in his attention and craved his touch, but now it only made her feel dirty, as if she needed to erase any evidence of where he’d connected with her.
There had been no air raid sirens that night so far, and Ava prayed that they would have a peaceful night, because she wasexhausted. The last thing she felt able to do would be to drag herself out of bed to go down to the cellar.
Once she was ready for bed, she walked past her sister’s room, pausing at the open door and listening to see if she was asleep. But instead of heavy breathing, there was Hanna calling out to her.
‘Do you want to come in here for a bit?’
