“All agents, male or female, have to undertake activities they may find distasteful. And yes, that often includes sex. For sex is the most powerful weapon in the female agent’s armory, and it can achieve far more than long and expensive surveillance. You will become some of the most valuable tools in the protection of the Reich, for many of you will be posted to establishments frequented by senior Wehrmacht and SS officers. It is important that the SD knows what men at this level are thinking, and it is essential to the war effort that we weed out those who are starting to, shall we say, question their allegiances.”

Schwarz paused, taking in the mood of the table. It was silent and a little stunned. The girls had suspected that sex would be part of the task, but not to the extent that Schwarz was outlining. Leni caught Schwarz’s eye.

“Yes, Leni?” Schwarz asked wearily. She might be a pain, he thought, but she would be brilliant. What man wouldn’t be captivated by her long brown hair and defiant, pouting mouth? And as for her figure, well, that had been the talk of his fellow officers here at the Ordensburg for the past eight weeks.

“So you do want us to work as prostitutes?”

“Yes, Leni, we do, and that is final. I don’t need to tell you what will happen if you don’t help. You’re all too far in just to turn around and go back to your mothers and fathers.”

Nobody, not even Leni, finished their soup.

She looked up from the swirls on the Persian rug. There was a knocking on the bedroom door, accompanied by Waltraut the maid’s insistent exhortations for her to open up. She looked over at the clock on top of the chest of drawers. It was quarter past one. Surely not another client at this time? It wasn’t as if it was Friday or Saturday night. She got up, yawned, and put on her silk robe.

“Yes, Waltraut?” she asked, as she opened the door.

“It’s Hauptsturmführer Strasser here to see you, Fräulein Leni. He says he hopes it’s not too late.”

Leni broke out into a big smile. Carl. Her lovely Carl. If it had been anybody else she would have had him shooed away, but not Carl.

“Tell him to come up in ten minutes. And then sort out the room while I have a wash.”