Page 90 of The Pianist's Wife
‘How is your workload today, ladies?’ Frau Goebbels asked. ‘I trust my husband is treating you well?’
A chorus of pleasantries erupted, and as Ava was nodding the dog made his way over to her, tugging along one of the children, who was holding his leash. Tell, as he was called, had once been nervous of being approached in the office, but he’d soon become used to the secretaries who worked in close proximity to his master. But just as Ava extended her hand to pat him, Joseph Goebbels walked out from his office, his limp noticeable, commanding everyone’s attention despite his small stature, smiling broadly as his childrenlined up in front of him. His son shook his hand, and his five daughters all curtseyed, as Ava and the other secretaries sighed and smiled at how well behaved they all were, watching as he bent down to speak to the two smallest girls first.
It was at that moment that Ava’s father appeared, his smile wide as he nodded to his daughter and entered the office, tall and handsome in his uniform. He was everything to look at that Goebbels was not, with thick blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, his shoulders and chest broad, his stride effortless. She watched as he called out hello to Joseph and exchanged pleasantries with Magda, before moving slowly towards Ava. She stood with the other secretaries, laughing as the children showered their father with affection, telling him most animatedly all about their exciting day, but even with such a distraction Ava didn’t miss the way her father leaned against one of the desks as he passed, appearing to look for something. She turned her head slightly, careful not to make it obvious that she was watching him, as he reached for a piece of paper.
She stared in disbelief as he casually took the paper from the top of the pile Lina had been working on only moments earlier, folding it before sliding it inside his jacket pocket. Ava quickly looked away, glancing back at the other secretaries, but she could see that they were all focused on the children, enraptured by the little performance taking place before them. No one else had seen what he’d done, only her, and he was such a regular visitor to the office – not to mention a personal friend to Joseph Goebbels – that no one would have thought twice about him being there in the first place. And they certainly wouldn’t have dared to accuse him of any wrongdoing. Besides, it wasn’t unusual for him to collect documents, but to conceal it in his jacket like that? She swallowed, nervously, knowing instinctively that he’d done something wrong.
‘Ava,’ her father said as he came to stand beside her, kissing her cheek, and certainly not giving away whether or not he’d noticed her watching. ‘Lovely to see you, as always.’
‘Father,’ she whispered, her pulse racing as she brushed a kiss to his smooth cheek in return.Does he know that I saw him? What did he take? Why would he do something like that?
Her papa was one of Goebbels’ closest lieutenants, which was why she’d recently been able to secure such a high-paying job at the ministry. She may have been one of the most proficient typists at her previous job, but she was no fool; there was only one reason a nineteen-year-old girl would be appointed one of Goebbels’ five secretaries, a position that was not only highly coveted but highly paid, and that was due to her family connections. There were women all over Berlin with years of experience behind them who would have done anything to fill her position, and yet she was certain she’d been the only one interviewed for the job when it had become available.
‘Mama said you’ve been feeling unwell,’ she said, keeping her voice low as she stood close to her father. ‘How are you today?’
‘Nothing more than a cold,’ he murmured. ‘I actually wanted to see if you’d like to travel home with me tomorrow? It’s been too long since I spent some time with my family.’
‘For Christmas?’ she asked, her voice a whisper. It was no secret that Adolf Hitler was not a fan of traditional Christmas celebrations, not the type her family had once openly celebrated, and certainly not if they were to celebrate it as a Christian holiday. But nothing could stop her from looking forward to her favourite time of year.
‘Yes,’ he said, with a wink that she hoped no one else noticed. ‘I’ve organised two days’ leave. We will travel when you finish work tomorrow evening.’
Ava nodded as Magda gathered up the children across the room, like little lambs being herded, their visit already over. She watched two of the girls stand hand in hand, and it reminded her of her sister, Hanna, and what they’d been like as children. It seemed that Dr Goebbels wasn’t joining his family for lunch, after all, nor going home with them as he often did. The children lined up, their little shoulders straight like miniature soldiers as they all lifted one hand.
‘Heil Hitler!’ they said in unison.
‘Heil Hitler!’ Goebbels replied, not even glancing in their direction as the five secretaries all immediately responded in kind, as did Ava’s father, saluting their Führer and looking at his portrait on the wall as they did so.
Ava called out goodbye and waved back to the children as they turned at the door, before returning to her desk with the other secretaries, her father smiling to her and then crossing the room to speak briefly to Goebbels. She imagined he was headed straight back to his office in the same building as she watched him go.
‘Aren’t they just so precious,’ said Greta, one of the other secretaries. ‘What I wouldn’t give for a large family like that. Eight would be the perfect number, if you ask me.’
‘Eight?’ Lina repeated. ‘You only want eight so you can show off your gold Mother’s Cross award and have tea with the Führer as your reward!’
‘That’s precisely the reason,’ Greta said with a grin, looking as if she might swoon as she began to fan at her face, her colour rising. ‘Imagine that – tea and cakes with the Führer himself!’
Their conversation ended prematurely when Goebbels walked out of his office, going directly to Lina’s desk. Ava kept her head down and returned to her typing, but it was impossible not to hear the conversation, given her proximity. Within minutes, everyone seated in the room could hear what was being said to poor Lina.They’d only met when Ava had begun work at the ministry, but she’d fast become a close friend, and Ava hated hearing her being questioned for something she hadn’t done.
‘You cannot simply lose a piece of paper that I gave to you only this morning! Where is it?’
Ava kept her gaze averted, but her stomach was beginning to do cartwheels as Lina made noises beside her that sounded very much as if she were crying. She’d always been very softly spoken and kind, certainly not someone who could handle being interrogated.
‘I am going to ask you one final time,’ Goebbels said, in a rare show of anger. Usually he was most affable to his secretaries, and he certainly never raised his voice to them. In fact, most of them were very fond of him, including Ava. ‘Where is it!’ His hand slammed against the desk and made Ava jump, at the same time as Lina sobbed loudly. Ava’s heart wrenched for her.
‘It was here when your family arrived,’ she cried. ‘I haven’t left your office, I haven’t, I can’t—’
‘Enough,’ he snapped, turning on his heel. ‘Find it before the end of the day, or I shall have you questioned for treason.’
Ava felt as if she might be sick, listening to her friend crying beside her. She shook her head when Lina asked if she’d seen the piece of paper, not about to mention what she’d seen her father do, even as she watched Lina drop to her knees and search the floor, asking the other women around them as she looked for it. Ava knew full well that her duty was to her country, that she was obliged to report what she’d seen; she’d been trained to do so since she was a girl. But if she said something, what would happen to her father? What if he’d taken something that he shouldn’t have? It didn’t matter what she was supposed to do, she kept her mouth shut, even though it meant putting poor Lina in a terrible position.
‘Fräulein Müller,’ Goebbels called, his voice still sharp.
Ava immediately stood, brushing her hands down her skirt to banish any creases, before walking quickly to the office door. She smiled at Goebbels, hoping he couldn’t see how nervous she was or detect that she was keeping something important from him.
‘Please take these,’ he said, not bothering to look up as he extended paperwork to her.
Ava hurried forward and took the papers, but as her fingers closed around them, his didn’t let go.
‘You are to seal these court documents, and I’m relying on you to place them in the safe without looking at them,’ he said, his eyes meeting hers. ‘Do you understand? It is of great importance that they’re secured without anyone seeing the contents.’
