‘And your Nazi Party membership?’ Her breath was coming in short gasps as with his free hand he unbuttoned his trousers. ‘Will you be able to relinquish it before we marry?’

‘No,’ he said, having no intention of lying to her.

Her eyes, which had been half closed with desire, flew wide open. With an anguished cry she twisted away from him, drawing her knees up to her chin and hugging them tight.

He slammed a clenched fist hard down on the bed and then moved equally quickly, fastening his trousers and springing to his feet. ‘If withdrawing from the party is going to be a condition of our getting married, then we’re never likely to get married,’ he said frustratedly, tucking his shirt in his trousers.

He crossed to the dressing table, taking a cigarette from his cigarette case, lighting it and inhaling deeply. ‘It just shows how hopelessly naive you are, Nancy.’ He blew a stream of smoke out through his nose. ‘Hitler is doing wonderful things for Germany. The communists are no longer a threat to our industries, and as for the anti-Semitism, that’s merely a political tactic to please all those who believe Jews are responsible for everything that’s wrong with German society. Once Hitler’s securely in power, once he’s not just Chancellor but Head of State, all that nonsense will come to an end.’

‘I don’t believe you.’ Beneath her straight emphatic eyebrows her eyes were fierce. ‘I don’t believe Hitler would have sanctioned laws allowing public meetings to be banned, phones tapped and private homes searched, if he intended backtracking. And he can’t become Head of State, Claus. Hindenburg is Head of State.’

He took another deep draw on his cigarette, then said, ‘The people I associate with in the party are not thugs, Nancy. If they were, no matter what the advantages to the House of Remer, I wouldn’t be allying myself with them. It’s the Brownshirts that are the thugs and even though Hitler is technically their supreme commander, in practice it isn’t working that way. Ernst Röhm trained and organized them and it is Röhm who is really in control of them.’

He remembered her profession and hesitated. ‘This information isn’t public knowledge, Nancy—and hasn’t to become public knowledge. Do you understand me?’

She nodded, aware that her journalistic impulses were going to have to be suppressed.

‘Word is that control will soon be taken from Röhm, and when it is there will be a big difference on the streets of Berlin. The lawlessness generated by his thugs will be at an end. The emergency decrees will be repealed. Do you believe me?’

‘I believe that you believe it,’ she said cautiously.

‘And do you believe that I love you?’

She nodded. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘And I love you.’

He crushed out his cigarette, she slid off the bed and they met in a passionate embrace in the middle of the room.

‘Give it time, Liebchen,’ he said hoarsely. ‘I promise that within a few months you’ll see a difference in Germany. A change for the better. A change you’ll be able to live with without demanding actions from me that would jeopardize everything my father and grandfather worked so hard to build.’