Page 58 of The Berlin Sisters
‘There was an attack on the Führer’s life,’ he told her, as she began to walk with him, through the building and down the stairs, still holding on to his arm.
‘There is always someone trying to take down our mighty Führer, is there not?’ she asked. ‘It’s a wonder they haven’t all realised they can’t succeed by now.’
‘I didn’t tell you it was unsuccessful,’ Heinrich said, stopping once they’d stepped out on to the footpath.
She looked up at him, at the strange way he was staring down at her, at the way his eyebrows were drawn tightly together as he studied her face.
‘You didn’t have to,’ she said, tugging him along while her heart began to race. ‘Heinrich, if it had been successful, our country would already be in mourning! That’s not something that would have been kept secret all day. I might be naive at times, but I’m no fool.’
He began to walk again, and she leaned into him, as much as it made her feel sick to be so close to him, her head on his shoulder, doing everything she could think of in order to appear as an adoring fiancée. Her heart raced at how easily she’d almost been caught out.
‘Heinrich?’ she asked, blinking up at him when she realised he still hadn’t said anything.
‘Of course, you’re right, I just—’
‘He’s not hurt, is he? I wasn’t too bold in believing no one could hurt him, was I?’
‘He’s fine, barely a few scratches as far as I heard. The bomb was in a briefcase, and it blew out the windows nearby, but it was blocked from killing him thanks to a thick wooden table leg.’
‘A bomb?’ she asked. ‘They tried to kill him with a bomb? How awful.’
‘Hitler was in East Prussia, for a secret meeting, and they were supposed to be in an underground bunker, the place they call the Wolf’s Lair,’ he said, seeming to enjoy the way she was hanging on to his every word. ‘But it was so hot that they decided to change location and use an above-ground bunker instead. It sounds as if the change saved his life, although two of the men closest to the bomb weren’t so fortunate. If they’d been in the original location, there would have been no windows, and likely everyone at the meeting would be dead.’
Ava smiled, nodding along as if she were as relieved as he was, but inside, her heart had never been heavier. She had known precisely where he was going to be, for she’d been the one to relay theinformation to Noah. And to think that it was weather that had caused its failure – that had cost Noah his life.
‘Did they say who might be responsible?’ she asked. ‘Do they have any leads or anyone in custody?’
‘Some of his closest advisors were responsible, from what I understand. They even thought they’d killed him, would you believe? They started having SS officers arrested right here in Berlin, thinking they were about to overthrow anyone loyal to Hitler! That’s why it was so chaotic in the office for you today, although I am surprised you all weren’t advised what was happening.’
Ava fought back a fresh wave of tears. They’d been so close, so close to putting an end to Hitler’s reign of terror. She might have loved and admired the Führer once, but she wouldn’t have spent a moment mourning him if the plan had been a success.
When they reached her apartment block, Heinrich took her hand and lifted it, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
‘I know your father wanted us to wait, but I cannot wait so much as another month, Ava,’ he said. ‘I’ve informed him that we are to be married at once, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to having more influence than him right now. I dare say he won’t fight me on this one, not any more.’
She smiled through her pain, struggling not to slap his face away when he brazenly kissed her on the mouth, right there on the street. Where Noah’s lips had made her giddy, the feel of Heinrich’s made her want to be physically sick, and to hear him speak that way about her papa... Her stomach turned.
Ava forced herself to lift her hand and placed it gently to his chest, pushing him back as softly as she could.
‘I would very much like that, although I do not want to show my father any disrespect,’ she whispered, trying to encourage him at the same time as turning him down. ‘Why don’t you and I decide on a date, and you can leave telling Papa to me.’
She didn’t invite him in, kissing his cheek to make sure he didn’t feel rebuffed, before saying goodbye and letting herself in. It wasn’t until she was safely inside with the door of their apartment locked that she slumped to the floor, crying harder than she’d ever cried before.
Noah was gone.
Hitler was still alive.
And tomorrow more questions would be asked, and she had a feeling her name would be at the top of the list.
The door opened then, banging into her where she lay sprawled on the floor.
‘Ava?’
Hanna dropped her keys as she pushed the door shut behind her, gathering Ava up in her arms and drawing her close. She couldn’t hold her tears back then, couldn’t stop the pain that echoed through every bit of her body.
‘I risked everything for nothing,’ she cried. ‘He’s still alive. Their plan was a failure.’
Hanna rocked her back and forth, her lips whispering against Ava’s hair as she held her.
