‘Leave it, Sunny. All being well, there should be time enough to talk about such things with her later.’

The girl had backed away, her nose in the air.

‘She is a little bitch,’ Sunny said quietly. ‘A Narzisse.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It’s what we call the fanatical female Nazis. A Narzisse in English is a narcissus or daffodil – a pretty spring flower. But in German slang it has a double-edged meaning. Magda Goebbels – she is a Narzisse.’

‘Well, don’t say it to Klara’s face. The poor girl has suffered enough as it is – and it’s not her fault if she’s been fed the ghastly Nazi poison.’ He looked around him; they were following a stream through woodland. ‘How far now? We’ve been walking for hours.’

‘We’re almost there – between the two lakes up ahead. Another kilometre, that’s all.’

‘You go on ahead. I’ll wait with the girl until we get the all-clear from you that your friends are OK about us.’

‘Tom, I haven’t been quite honest with you. This estate – it’s called Carinhall. Have you heard of it, perhaps?’

‘No, I don’t believe I have – why?’

‘It’s the hunting lodge of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring.’

The blood drained from Wilde’s face. For a moment, he simply stared at her, unable to quite take in what she had just said. Then he exploded.

‘Good God! Why have you brought us here?’

‘Because they are my friends, particularly his wife, Emmy. Göring was a great admirer of my husband and gave him rapid promotion in the Luftwaffe. We have spent many happy weekends here.’

Wilde was aghast. ‘You’re crazy, Sunny, we can’t possibly go there. It would be putting our heads on the block.’

‘Please, listen to me. Emmy may be a little grand, but she would do anything to help a friend. She helps many people – including her old Jewish friends. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. All we need is a car to the coast, nothing more. I am sure she will provide us with one.’

‘This place must be guarded. SS probably. Dozens of them.’

‘I’ll go on ahead, as you suggested. They know me – the guys in the gatehouse, the domestic staff, they all know me. It will be fine. When I come back and get you, you will act dumb, and I will talk for you.’ She went over to Klara and told her much the same. ‘In the house, you will be quieter than you have ever been before. The people here are friends of our beloved Führer, but we must not involve them any more than necessary in our troubles. Do you understand?’

‘I’m not stupid, you know.’ The girl looked sullen, still angry at being contradicted.