Page 63 of The Berlin Sisters
‘Ava!’
Zelda dropped the folded stack of bed sheets she was carrying, her shriek making Ava almost jump from her skin.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, bending to help Zelda collect the fallen load. ‘I’ve come home because I’m feeling unwell, and I had to pause there a moment to catch my breath. I didn’t mean to take you by surprise.’
Zelda put her hand over her heart for a moment, before shaking her head and laughing at Ava. ‘Well, now that I’ve recoveredmy fright, let me make you some soup to help you feel better. You go on up to bed.’
‘Oh no, please,’ Ava said, handing her the sheets. ‘I don’t want you to go to any trouble. In fact, you should go home for the rest of the afternoon.’
‘Home?’ Zelda looked as if Ava had suggested something most absurd. ‘I have beds to make and—’
‘Please,’ Ava said. ‘I wouldn’t want you catching this, it would devastate my mother if you became unwell and couldn’t help her with her dinner party this weekend. My father told me today that she will be hosting some senior party members this weekend. Has she told you?’
Zelda’s eyes widened. ‘This weekend? You’re certain it’s this weekend?’
‘I believe the date has just been set. I overheard talk today at the office.’
Ava touched Zelda’s arm, trying her best to stay calm even though her heart was racing. The SS could arrive at any minute, and she needed to find her mother and get Zelda out of the house as quickly as possible so she wasn’t drawn into whatever was about to happen. She wanted to believe that they wouldn’t suspect her mother of being involved, but she had no way of being certain.
‘Now, where is my mother? If she doesn’t yet know, then I’ll have to tell her all about it.’ Ava hoped her lie was convincing Zelda.
‘Your mother isn’t here, Ava. She left in a hurry late this morning.’
Ava balled her fists, digging her fingernails tightly into her palms. ‘Did she mention where she was going?’
Zelda shook her head and turned as if to go up the stairs. ‘She didn’t tell me.’
‘Zelda, please!’ Ava said, taking the sheets forcibly from her. ‘I shall take these up. Take the rest of the afternoon off, and perhaps you can plan what you will serve for dinner this weekend? Mama will be most impressed if you have a menu for her to look over when you arrive in the morning.’
Zelda threw her hands up in the air, muttering something beneath her breath.
‘I promise I’ll tell her that I sent you home, that it was all my idea. See you tomorrow.’
Ava stood at the foot of the stairs, watching as Zelda moved almost painfully slowly, gathering her bag and then eventually letting herself out. The moment she was gone Ava dropped the sheets and ran to the door, locking it and then running to the front door and locking that too. She glanced around, making sure there were no windows open, before sprinting up the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her.
She stopped beneath the attic door, fumbling around for the catch to pull the stairs down.
‘David! Herr Goldman!’ she called. ‘We have to go! Quickly!’
She hurried up the stairs, her eyes adjusting to the dim light, and the first thing she saw was the fear written all over the faces staring back at her. They’d been playing a game of cards from the looks of it, and they were all frozen, cards still in hand.
‘What do you mean we have to go?’ David asked, dropping his cards to the makeshift table.
‘I’ll explain as we move, but quickly. Gather up warm clothes and follow me.’ She paused. ‘We might not be coming back, so we need to prepare for colder weather, too.’
She rushed back down the narrow stairs, waiting impatiently at the bottom as Frau Goldman came down first, followed by the men. Ava took her arm, realising how frail she’d become in the time she’d been up in the attic.
‘Ava, tell us what’s happened. Where are you taking us?’ David asked.
‘Where is Eliana?’ Frau Goldman asked, her face almost contorted as she fretted about her daughter.
‘I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t know what they know or what they’re going to do, but—’
‘What who is going to do?’ David asked, moving to block her way.
‘David, we have to hurry!’ she said, pushing her way past him. ‘We have a bunker in the field, just out from the garden, and we have to hide there. Papa told me that if anything happened I was to hide you there. That we were all to hide there until he came for us.’
‘Ava, what danger? Please, what has happened?’
