‘I hope not because I had an idea which might help and I have already put it in motion. There is an undamaged church nearby and I happen to have met the priest, who is a decent old fellow. He told me the Nazis had closed it down and now it is open for worship again. First thing this morning I went and had a chat with him and he agreed to perform a little funeral for the baby. No time to get a coffin, I’m afraid, but we can swaddle the child in a shroud. I’ll ask a couple of nurses to come along and I’d like you there to comfort her.’

‘Will that help?’

‘I really think it might. It should make the death seem real to her, however hard that might be. A funeral proves to the living that their loved ones meant something. And only in accepting loss can we begin to live our lives again. And there’s more – the priest has said he will take her in and look after her. He hasn’t got much in the way of food or other essentials, so if there is any way of getting funds or rations to him, all to the good. That’s it, I’m afraid. I can offer nothing else.’

‘Thank you, Doctor. That’s more than I could have hoped for.’

‘Well, she’s lucky she met you. Can you afford to stay with her for a few hours, Lieutenant? It would do her a lot of good to get a meal inside her. The small Naafi here isn’t too bad. Sausages and mash with a cuppa, that kind of thing. They’re a good bunch so I’m sure they’ll let her in. Just mention my name if need be.’

*

Heck took her out into the gardens and sat with her under a broad sycamore tree. They had left the pram in Dr Marsh’s office and Heck assumed they wouldn’t see it again. ‘Did you understand any of what the doctor told me?’ he asked in German.

She shook her head.

He told her everything, all the while holding her hand in his – that they would have a little service in the church for Jürgen, with a priest. And if she liked the priest, he would look after her for a while. ‘Would that suit you, Frau Dienstag?’

She said nothing.

‘Well, let’s see.’