‘It was not a difficult birth. The baby weighed almost four kilos and was very healthy. I wasn’t sure about calling her Klara, because I thought it was provoking trouble. You know that was the name of Hitler’s mother? But Geli was amused by the idea and insisted on it. “Anyway,” she said, “I like the name and it will annoy my own mother!” Of course Geli’s mother is a half-sister to Hitler and they have different mothers. Geli’s grandmother was actually called Franziska Hitler.’

Romy was chain-smoking as the story unfolded.

‘There was a priest in the village, Father Huber, a kind but foolish man. He was the only one included in our secret, sworn to secrecy in the confessional. But like all priests and nuns, he thought he knew better than the rest of us about all questions of life and morality. He didn’t know the whole truth, but he knew enough to be scared. Reluctantly, he agreed to baptise the child and, again, Geli was indiscreet and insisted the baby be named Klara Wolf and the father be marked down as “soldier, absent”.

‘The thing about Father Huber was that he had great influence with Maria Rieger, our host, who was extremely religious. It was he who persuaded the Riegers that they should adopt Klara. He also told Geli she could not possibly bring up a child as a single unwed mother, hiding away in some city or village. She would be cast out and scorned wherever she went. Huber said the child would be tainted as illegitimate. Damned Catholic Church! How I loathe it. But Geli listened to him – the Riegers were good, respectable people, he said. They would give Klara a much better start in life. And perhaps he was right. After weeks of constant pressure, Geli agreed.

‘I can’t tell you how heartbreaking it was for Geli to give up her baby. She handed Klara to me and we were both crying. She turned her face away and I walked out of the room and put the baby into the arms of Maria Rieger. And that was the last Geli ever saw of Klara.’

Wilde and Lydia were listening in silence. He already knew some of the story from Vanderberg, but this intimate account of such a remarkable personal drama was something else. He felt he should say something.

‘Did Geli think she was in danger?’

‘Not then. This was March of 1931. She felt she had to go back to Uncle Alf – that’s what she called Hitler.’

‘Why? Why would she go back to him?’

Romy laughed without any trace of humour. ‘Have you not noticed the hypnotic power he wields, Mr Wilde? Geli was in thrall to him.’

‘Did she talk to you about their relationship?’