‘We are not like them. They were all Hitlerites there and maybe they still are. We despise them. Two of our men were denounced as communists by them and were taken away to Dachau, where they died. But they weren’t communists. It was simply a stupid argument about a horse they sold at market. The man in Grünegg who bought it claimed they had lied about its age. As for Hitler, he is a stain on our land.’

‘And you all think like that here in Almrosen? What about Uncle August – does he hate Hitler?’

Her face creased up. This was clearly torture for her. ‘I don’t know, sir. I really don’t know. He seemed on good terms with Schellenberg and his men, and he was an old friend of Julius Boden, so perhaps he was helping them. Uncle August goes about things his own way. He is a strange man.’ Her voice lowered. ‘Some say he has fathered at least one child in every valley in Austria. And the war has been good for him, for the husbands were almost all away fighting. But the men in the villages know his ways and they don’t trust him near their wives – so he has enemies.’ She crossed herself hurriedly. ‘I’m sorry, I should not have said that, sir. It is a terrible sin to spread such gossip.’

Wilde was beginning to feel sorry for Paula Jaeger. Her bulky farmer’s wife strength concealed a sensitive soul – and her loyalties were torn. She was, perhaps, too honest for her own good. He hoped she would not pay a heavy price for talking to him like this.

He was growing tired. He had had no breakfast and badly wanted a coffee, even the acorn version. And why had August Jaeger not turned up? They were supposed to meet before dawn, and it was now daylight. Damn it, the elusive mountain guide wasn’t coming after all.

‘Let’s go to your house, Frau Jaeger. Perhaps you’d make me a cup of ersatz coffee again. I’d pay you for it, of course.’

‘People will see us.’

‘People will see me anyway when I go back to my car. Better to be open about it. Brazen it out. You’ve nothing to hide. Anyway, if everyone here is so anti-Hitler, they’ll be cheering you on.’

Reluctantly, she accepted his point of view, but he could tell she wasn’t convinced because she looked up and down the road with apprehension as she exited August Jaeger’s house. An old woman hobbled past and Paula said a hasty ‘Grüss Gott’ before ducking back inside, trying to shield Wilde from the old woman’s line of vision. Only when the road was clear did she allow Wilde to follow her out and hurry the few yards down the path to her own much smaller chalet.