The maid came with a tray on which were two Black Russian cocktails, a bottle of vodka and a bottle of Kahlua so that more cocktails could be made, a jug of ice and a doily-covered plate of fancy biscuits.

‘Don’t worry about bringing a garden table over,’ Zelda said to her. ‘Just put the tray on the grass next to Herr Remer.’

When the maid had done so and departed, Max said, ‘What kind of concessions?’

Zelda took a sip of her drink and then said, ‘Some financial. Some moral.’ She held her glass towards him so that he could drop another ice cube into it. ‘The House of Remer has had to pledge united support for Hitler in his fight for military equality with every other nation. Part of that support is to contribute to what is known as the Hitler Spende whereby major businessmen contribute to Nazi Party funds. It buys immunity from the attentions of the Gestapo and the violence of the stormtroopers. That’s the financial side and the payment the House of Remer makes is huge. The moral side has been the dismissal of all the House of Remer’s Jewish workers.’

‘And does Nancy know about that?’

Zelda handed him her empty glass so that he could mix her another Black Russian.

‘No. Claus tells her as little as possible and, because I want things to eventually work out between the two of them, I tell her nothing.’

Well aware that Nancy, with her zealous passion for truth, would find out all she needed to know from other sources, he said, ‘And Lotti? How is the crackdown on licentious entertainment affecting her?’

A flicker of amusement touched Zelda’s ruby-red lips. ‘She’s turned to singing, which is quite remarkable, because she actually can’t sing. What she does, though, is look provocatively sexy and huskily growl her way through Billie Holiday-type numbers.’

He grinned and then said, sounding far more casual about it than he actually felt, ‘And Ilse? I understand she’s become a protégée of Gustav Gründgens?’

‘She’s attending a drama school run by him, a drama school on the same lines as the one Max Reinhardt ran for so long before the Nazis forced him from the country.’

‘And Gründgens is more amenable to Nazi control when it comes to his work?’

Zelda shrugged a narrow shoulder. ‘He must be. More to the point, he isn’t a Jew.’

‘And Josef?’ he asked finally. ‘Did you say he was down at Schloss Niedernhall?’

‘He has been,’ she said, the odd, taut note back in her voice again, ‘but he’s back in Berlin at the moment.’ She glanced down at the diamond-encrusted watch on her wrist. ‘In fact, at this very moment, he’s in a meeting with Hermann Göring. Among all his many other responsibilities, Göring is Minister of the Interior and has direct control of the police. I imagine he is updating Josef on new laws and regulations as they apply to House of Remer workers.’