us,” said Egmont, smiling pleasantly. “None of us have had our coffee, and I’m sure these officers would enjoy a cup. Anneliese, darling, would you make some? We can all drink and talk this over.”
Anneliese nodded and darted off.
“You have ten minutes if you wish to pack,” the officer told Arvid and Mildred.
Two other officers accompanied them to their bedroom, so they could not speak freely. Blinking back tears, Mildred slowly removed her clothes from the wardrobe, folded them, and placed them into her suitcase. Arvid finished packing first, but he lingered, giving her steady, reassuring looks whenever she glanced his way.
She smelled coffee brewing as she and Arvid returned to the living room, followed closely by the officers. They were Gestapo; they had to be.
“This is all a misunderstanding,” Egmont said, looking from Arvid to Mildred and back, forcing a reassuring smile. “I’ll meet with the director of the Foreign Studies Department at the university and he’ll get this matter sorted out.”
Arvid thanked him with a nod.
“Oberregierungsrat Harnack,” the officer in charge said sharply, “you are expected at the ministry at once.”
Suitcase in hand, Mildred followed Arvid to the door. She threw a glance over her shoulder to Anneliese, who stood in the kitchen doorway watching her helplessly, tears in her eyes.
“Wait,” said Egmont, bolting forward. “My wife and I cannot possibly enjoy our holiday knowing our friends’ has been spoiled. We’ll come with you.”
“Professor Zechlin,” the officer in charge retorted, “you are too intelligent not to know what is going on here. I am under orders to handle this matter as quietly as possible. You have already interfered too much. I hereby inform you that you are to remain silent about everything you have seen and heard. Otherwise we will arrest you as well.’’ He turned to Anneliese. “Frau Zechlin, the same applies to you.”
“The Harnacks are distinguished scholars,” Egmont protested. “You cannot prevent me from notifying the university of this outrage.’’
“This is my final warning, Professor. You are strictly forbidden to tell anyone what has happened here. Any calls you attempt to make will be intercepted.”
Egmont looked as if he would say more, but Arvid made a subtle gesture, and he fell silent. As the officers led Mildred and Arvid from the cottage, Egmont took Mildred’s hand and kissed it. He gave Arvid a long, wordless look conveying his intention to do everything in his power to help them despite the officer’s threats.
“Dear Egmont,” said Arvid quietly. “I thank you for everything, for ten years of friendship, and for today.” He scarcely had the words out before one of the officers shoved him in the back and forced him stumbling through the doorway, his suitcase banging on the frame. Another officer barked a command close to Mildred’s ear, and she hurried after her husband.
They were closely watched all the way back to Berlin, never given a moment alone together, forbidden to speak or to touch. Heart aching, lightheaded with fear, Mildred tried to convey her love through long, wordless looks. Arvid replied with faint smiles and reassuring nods, as if to tell her that all would be well. She longed to believe him, but with every passing hour, her apprehensions rose.
They were taken to Gestapo headquarters at Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse 8, where they were promptly separated. Mildred followed a guard’s commands to turn over her valuables, her shoelaces, her belt. Her final destination was the Hausgefängnis, one of about three dozen narrow, dank solitary cells in the basement. As the cell door slammed shut with an ominous clang, cutting her off from the world of light and warmth, terror compelled her to disobey orders for silence. “Where is my husband?” she called out, frantic. “Where have you taken him?”
No one answered.
Greta walked home from the Romanisches Café, bemused. It was not like Libertas to miss a date, especially one that had been on their calendar for a fortnight. Greta had waited alone at their favorite table for thirty minutes before hunger compelled her to order lunch. When her Schweineschnitzel and Spätzle were served, she ate slowly, glancing often to the door, expecting Libertas to appear at any moment, breathless and full of apologies and a good story about whatever Kulturfilm crisis had delayed her. But Greta finished her meal and lingered over her drink for another hour and still Libertas did not appear. Eventually she gave up, paid the bill, and left.
Perhaps Libertas had phoned to cancel at the last minute. Greta had left early to drop off Ule