Chapter One

THE MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA ENLIGHTENMENT

BERLIN, GERMANY

23 DECEMBER 1943

Ava's fingers moved quickly over the keys of her typewriter, her back straight as she sat at her desk. When she finished, she took the paper and set it beside her, carefully reviewing it to ensure she hadn't made any mistakes. Although she was one of five women in the room, no one spoke; the only sounds were the constant clack of fingers touching keys and the shuffle of papers, and it would be that way until lunchtime when they all took a short break.

Satisfied with her work, she moved on to her next assignment, although a noise made her pause. It was the sound of a child giggling, which could only mean one thing.

‘They're here again,' said Lina, the secretary seated closest to her. ‘Don't you just love it when they come to visit?'

Soon all five of them had stopped typing, their eyes glued to the door as first a beautifully groomed Airedale dog trotted in, followed immediately by six immaculately dressed children, their faces beaming with smiles. Their mother was only a few steps behind, wearing a tailored, emerald-green dress, her hair swept elegantly from her face; as meticulously presented as her husband always was, in perfectly cut cloth with never a wrinkle to be seen.

There was nothing quite like a visit from the Goebbels family, and it was almost certain to put her boss Joseph in a good mood. He loved when his children came to see him for lunch – every visit boosted the morale of the entire office – and this time Magda had brought all of them, instead of just the youngest two.

‘Frau Goebbels, it's such a pleasure to see you,' Lina said, standing. ‘I shall go and tell Dr Goebbels you are here.' As his personal secretary, she was permitted to knock on his door.

‘No need, Helga will surprise him. She's been looking forward to seeing her papa all morning.'

Ava smiled at Heidrun, who was standing tucked against her mother's leg, the youngest of the brood. She gave the little girl a wave as the child smiled and fiddled with the large bow in her hair, her smile melting Ava's heart. They were the most gorgeous children, and Goebbels' wife was always as friendly and kind to the secretaries as he was himself. Magda was the epitome of the perfect German wife and mother, and they were always rather star-struck when she came to visit.

‘How is your workload today, ladies?' Frau Goebbels asked. ‘I trust my husband is treating you well?'

A chorus of pleasantries erupted, and as Ava was nodding the dog made his way over to her, tugging along one of the children, who was holding his leash. Tell, as he was called, had once been nervous of being approached in the office, but he'd soon become used to the secretaries who worked in close proximity to his master. But just as Ava extended her hand to pat him, Joseph Goebbels walked out from his office, his limp noticeable, commanding everyone's attention despite his small stature, smiling broadly as his children lined up in front of him. His son shook his hand, and his five daughters all curtseyed, as Ava and the other secretaries sighed and smiled at how well behaved they all were, watching as he bent down to speak to the two smallest girls first.

It was at that moment that Ava's father appeared, his smile wide as he nodded to his daughter and entered the office, tall and handsome in his uniform. He was everything to look at that Goebbels was not, with thick blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, his shoulders and chest broad, his stride effortless. She watched as he called out hello to Joseph and exchanged pleasantries with Magda, before moving slowly towards Ava. She stood with the other secretaries, laughing as the children showered their father with affection, telling him most animatedly all about their exciting day, but even with such a distraction Ava didn't miss the way her father leaned against one of the desks as he passed, appearing to look for something. She turned her head slightly, careful not to make it obvious that she was watching him, as he reached for a piece of paper.

She stared in disbelief as he casually took the paper from the top of the pile Lina had been working on only moments earlier, folding it before sliding it inside his jacket pocket. Ava quickly looked away, glancing back at the other secretaries, but she could see that they were all focused on the children, enraptured by the little performance taking place before them. No one else had seen what he'd done, only her, and he was such a regular visitor to the office – not to mention a personal friend to Joseph Goebbels – that no one would have thought twice about him being there in the first place. And they certainly wouldn't have dared to accuse him of any wrongdoing. Besides, it wasn't unusual for him to collect documents, but to conceal it in his jacket like that? She swallowed, nervously, knowing instinctively that he'd done something wrong.

‘Ava,' her father said as he came to stand beside her, kissing her cheek, and certainly not giving away whether or not he'd noticed her watching. ‘Lovely to see you, as always.'

‘Father,' she whispered, her pulse racing as she brushed a kiss to his smooth cheek in return. Does he know that I saw him? What did he take?Why would he do something like that?

Her papa was one of Goebbels' closest lieutenants, which was why she'd recently been able to secure such a high-paying job at the ministry. She may have been one of the most proficient typists at her previous job, but she was no fool; there was only one reason a nineteen-year-old girl would be appointed one of Goebbels' five secretaries, a position that was not only highly coveted but highly paid, and that was due to her family connections. There were women all over Berlin with years of experience behind them who would have done anything to fill her position, and yet she was certain she'd been the only one interviewed for the job when it had become available.

‘Mama said you've been feeling unwell,' she said, keeping her voice low as she stood close to her father. ‘How are you today?'

‘Nothing more than a cold,' he murmured. ‘I actually wanted to see if you'd like to travel home with me tomorrow? It's been too long since I spent some time with my family.'

‘For Christmas?' she asked, her voice a whisper. It was no secret that Adolf Hitler was not a fan of traditional Christmas celebrations, not the type her family had once openly celebrated, and certainly not if they were to celebrate it as a Christian holiday. But nothing could stop her from looking forward to her favourite time of year.

‘Yes,' he said, with a wink that she hoped no one else noticed. ‘I've organised two days' leave. We will travel when you finish work tomorrow evening.'

Ava nodded as Magda gathered up the children across the room, like little lambs being herded, their visit already over. She watched two of the girls stand hand in hand, and it reminded her of her sister, Hanna, and what they'd been like as children. It seemed that Dr Goebbels wasn't joining his family for lunch, after all, nor going home with them as he often did. The children lined up, their little shoulders straight like miniature soldiers as they all lifted one hand.

‘Heil Hitler!' they said in unison.

‘Heil Hitler!' Goebbels replied, not even glancing in their direction as the five secretaries all immediately responded in kind, as did Ava's father, saluting their Führer and looking at his portrait on the wall as they did so.

Ava called out goodbye and waved back to the children as they turned at the door, before returning to her desk with the other secretaries, her father smiling to her and then crossing the room to speak briefly to Goebbels. She imagined he was headed straight back to his office in the same building as she watched him go.

‘Aren't they just so precious,' said Greta, one of the other secretaries. ‘What I wouldn't give for a large family like that. Eight would be the perfect number, if you ask me.'

‘Eight?' Lina repeated. ‘You only want eight so you can show off your gold Mother's Cross award and have tea with the Führer as your reward!'

‘That's precisely the reason,' Greta said with a grin, looking as if she might swoon as she began to fan at her face, her colour rising. ‘Imagine that – tea and cakes with the Führer himself!'

Their conversation ended prematurely when Goebbels walked out of his office, going directly to Lina's desk. Ava kept her head down and returned to her typing, but it was impossible not to hear the conversation, given her proximity. Within minutes, everyone seated in the room could hear what was being said to poor Lina. They'd only met when Ava had begun work at the ministry, but she'd fast become a close friend, and Ava hated hearing her being questioned for something she hadn't done.

‘You cannot simply lose a piece of paper that I gave to you only this morning! Where is it?'

Ava kept her gaze averted, but her stomach was beginning to do cartwheels as Lina made noises beside her that sounded very much as if she were crying. She'd always been very softly spoken and kind, certainly not someone who could handle being interrogated.

‘I am going to ask you one final time,' Goebbels said, in a rare show of anger. Usually he was most affable to his secretaries, and he certainly never raised his voice to them. In fact, most of them were very fond of him, including Ava. ‘Where is it!' His hand slammed against the desk and made Ava jump, at the same time as Lina sobbed loudly. Ava's heart wrenched for her.

‘It was here when your family arrived,' she cried. ‘I haven't left your office, I haven't, I can't—'

‘Enough,' he snapped, turning on his heel. ‘Find it before the end of the day, or I shall have you questioned for treason.'

Ava felt as if she might be sick, listening to her friend crying beside her. She shook her head when Lina asked if she'd seen the piece of paper, not about to mention what she'd seen her father do, even as she watched Lina drop to her knees and search the floor, asking the other women around them as she looked for it. Ava knew full well that her duty was to her country, that she was obliged to report what she'd seen; she'd been trained to do so since she was a girl. But if she said something, what would happen to her father? What if he'd taken something that he shouldn't have? It didn't matter what she was supposed to do, she kept her mouth shut, even though it meant putting poor Lina in a terrible position.

‘Fr?ulein Müller,' Goebbels called, his voice still sharp.

Ava immediately stood, brushing her hands down her skirt to banish any creases, before walking quickly to the office door. She smiled at Goebbels, hoping he couldn't see how nervous she was or detect that she was keeping something important from him.

‘Please take these,' he said, not bothering to look up as he extended paperwork to her.

Ava hurried forward and took the papers, but as her fingers closed around them, his didn't let go.

‘You are to seal these court documents, and I'm relying on you to place them in the safe without looking at them,' he said, his eyes meetings hers. ‘Do you understand? It is of great importance that they're secured without anyone seeing the contents.'

‘Yes, Dr Goebbels,' she said, as he slowly released the papers. ‘I understand.'

‘And then you are to type this, and return it directly to me,' he said, turning his attention away from her. ‘No one else is to see the contents of this letter.'

‘Of course.'

‘Fr?ulein Müller, I want you to think very carefully about how you answer this next question,' he said, sitting back slightly in his chair, his eyes narrowing. ‘You have sat beside Fr?ulein Becker since you began work in my office. Have you found her to set a good example for you when it comes to her typing and commitment to her job? Is she a dedicated party supporter?'

Ava's uniform immediately seemed to cling to her as she began to sweat. She could even feel perspiration across her upper lip, and she had to hold the papers tightly to stop her hands from trembling.

‘Yes. Lina, I mean Fr?ulein Becker, has always been most conscientious and dedicated to her work,' Ava said, keeping her voice even. ‘I haven't seen anything that would lead me to believe she's anything other than a committed party supporter, as we all are. All of your secretaries are dedicated to our country and to our Führer.'

‘Thank you, Ava,' he said with a small smile, taking her by surprise when he used her first name, as if he were trying to reinforce that they were family friends, not just colleagues. ‘If you notice anything to the contrary though, you will come to me, yes? I know I can trust you.'

Ava nodded again, dropping her gaze before turning to leave with the papers clasped to her chest. She had no intention of looking at them, had always followed orders without a second thought, but when she placed them down on her desk, she couldn't help but notice the name on the front. Sophie Scholl. They were the court documents for the Scholl case, and Ava remembered her well from what she'd read in the papers – the university student who'd been found guilty of high treason for producing propaganda, encouraging others to revolt against Hitler and the party.

She stared at them, knowing that she'd been trusted not to look, and having never disobeyed instructions at work before. But something about seeing her father take something earlier, a feeling beginning to bubble up in her stomach, made her want to look, made her want to disobey an order for the very first time in her life. Lina was still on her hands and knees, going through a pile of discarded papers from earlier in the day, and when Ava glanced around the office, she could see that the other secretaries were all busy with their heads down.

She battled with her curiosity for a few more moments before quickly brushing the front page aside, intending only to glance at the contents. It was when she saw the photo pinned to the pages inside that she realised what type of file she was in possession of, what a court file on such a matter would contain. And why she had been ordered not to look inside.

Her eyes skimmed the first few lines and her stomach lurched for the second time that day.

Guillotine.

Beheaded.

Traitor.

Murder.

The words seemed to leap off the page at her.

Ava knew she shouldn't sympathise, not with a young woman with such radical ideology, but she'd have been lying if she said it didn't affect her, that she didn't question why such an intelligent young woman would risk her life to distribute a leaflet about resistance. And had such brutality been truly necessary? Ava swallowed. Perhaps she simply didn't have a strong enough stomach.

Her heart suddenly began to pound. Is this what Father was looking for? Maybe she would never know why her father had taken the paper she'd seen him steal, but as she bundled the documents into a file and took them to the safe, she knew that she would never breathe a word of what she'd seen to anyone. She couldn't.

She also knew that she'd never, ever forget the image she'd just seen either, of a pretty university student with her head in a guillotine, awaiting death simply for telling others what she thought, for disobeying the Nazi regime.

If that was the punishment for thinking the wrong thing, what could happen to her father if his theft was discovered? A high-ranking officer who was trusted by Hitler himself? From the time she'd joined the Jungm?delbund as a twelve-year-old, she had known her duty; the summer camps, ice creams and camaraderie might have been fun, but even as a girl she'd understood that the Young Girls' League served a purpose. They were all to obey and follow the lessons of the Nazi Party, even if that meant turning on one's own parents, even if it meant turning in a sister or a close friend for suspected treason. Even if it meant renouncing someone because they were a Jew.

Ava locked the safe and walked quickly from the room, her hands trembling properly now, not stopping until she was doubled over the toilet in the restroom down the hall, purging her stomach of everything she'd consumed that day as her entire body shook.

And when she returned to the office, her nausea only increased. Because Lina was standing beside her desk, her eyes red and puffy from crying as two SS men searched her handbag and pulled out her desk drawers, emptying the contents on to the floor. Ava put her head down and walked quickly back to her seat, not certain what to do but deciding that the best thing was to resume her work and pretend as if nothing was out of the ordinary. But she couldn't help the tears that pricked her eyes as Lina was escorted from the office, as the rest of them continued to type, all too scared to look up or say goodbye. As if their friend and colleague hadn't just been taken right in front of them. For something that she hadn't done.

When Ava looked around the room, no one met her gaze, and with shaky hands she began to work on the document Goebbels had given her. She'd been worried about her father, but what would they do to Lina? Surely they would realise that she'd had nothing to do with the missing paper, that she was nothing like the Sophie Scholl girl?

‘She deserved it,' Greta muttered.

‘What a traitor,' said one of the others.

Tears pricked Ava's eyes. She'd thought these women were her friends, that they'd been Lina's friends too, but instead of believing in her, they seemed to have no qualms about what had happened right before their eyes. Lina was no traitor, but to prove her innocence Ava would have to renounce her father, which meant that there was nothing she could do to save her colleague from whatever punishment she now faced.

Which perhaps made her no better than the righteous women seated on either side of her.

A man cleared his throat in front of her then, and Ava looked up, surprised to see someone standing there. She'd been so lost in thought, she hadn't even noticed.

Ava blinked at Herr Frowein, one of Goebbels' personal advisors, who was watching her. ‘Dr Goebbels has requested that you commence transcribing his diary each afternoon, now that Fr?ulein Becker is no longer employed by the ministry. You are to be his private secretary until further notice.'

She gulped. ‘Of course, it would be my honour.' It was an honour, of course it was an honour. Two hours earlier, she would have been delighted with the promotion. She was being silly fretting about Lina; surely she would simply be questioned before resuming her work at the ministry.

A shiver ran down Ava's spine.

If it's such an honour, why do I suddenly feel sick to my stomach at the thought?