‘You must tell Walter I’m married too. It would be better for his new wife to know that. She might find it easier with the baby if she knows there is no threat. Tell him I’m happy. Please.’

After a pause, Erna nods and squeezes my hand. ‘Good. My father is pretty certain, given there is a sponsor for the children in England, that he can get them a place on the Kindertransport. The problem is the timing, with your baby not yet born, and the other children ready to go anytime. But, with all the demand there is a backlog, so it could just work out.’

‘But, how are we going to arrange it? I’m to leave for Berlin soon and I’ll be a prisoner in a maternity home.’

‘Ah, we thought about that too and my mother and father have said you must come and stay here, with us. We know a Jewish doctor who will help with the birth. We’d keep it all quiet of, course. All you have to do is convince your mother.’

‘You would do that? For me? Surely this could put you all in danger?’

She laughs at my expression. ‘I hope you finally understand how much you mean to me, Hett,’ she says. ‘Besides, we want to do something. It feels good to be helping. There is nothing worse than sitting back and being helpless when faced with something so huge you can’t fight it. What’s happening is against everything we hold dear. Even if we only do something small, help just one person… Well that’s defiance, isn’t it? And that’s worth it. Just in itself.’

I look at my dear friend in awe. She has been so kind, so brave and so forgiving. She could easily have turned her back. ‘Oh, Erna, how can I ever thank you?’

‘There’s no need.’

I bite my fingernails. ‘I don’t know how to get out of going to Berlin.’

Erna fixes me with her bright green eyes.

‘You have to get your mother on your side. You’ll work it out. But, right now, we need to send a telegram to Walter and let him know your decision.’

31 May 1939

In the quiet of the early morning, I pull out the letter Erna handed over to me yesterday. I reread the words, over and over.

My dearest Hetty,

It is once again in a turmoil of emotion that I find myself writing. I’m relieved, terrified, devastated and filled with overwhelming love at your decision to send our baby to England. I dare to hope that one day you will be able to follow and that this will somehow turn out to be for the best, and we will all be reunited.