Irena couldn’t avoid the SS major for ever. Not unless she never put a foot outdoors. It was a week after the doctors’ visit when she almost bumped into him on the pavement.
‘Fräulein,’ he said, clicking his heels together and bowing. ‘I was hoping to see you again.’
As a shard of fear pierced her, she forced a smile.
‘Oberführer Bilsen! I thought you must have been posted elsewhere.’
‘I spend most of my time in Krakow these days, but I thought I should check up on what’s happening in the other areas under my jurisdiction.’ He smiled. ‘I must admit, if we hadn’t met today I would have come to seek you out.’
‘I’m not sure it’s safe for you to be here,’ she said. ‘As you know we have had so much illness in the district.’
He gave her a sharp look. ‘So I’m told,’ he said.
Her heart jerked again. ‘I should get back to the hospital,’ she murmured. She made to pass by him but he blocked her way.
‘Why always in such a hurry? It is lunchtime. I’d be honoured if you will join me for something to eat.’
‘I really do have work to do. Perhaps another time?’ She would rather eat from a rubbish bin than dine with him.
‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist, Fräulein. I don’t care to dine on my own.’
The steel in his eyes chilled her. She wouldn’t put it past him to arrest her – he wouldn’t even have to give a reason. She moistened her lips. ‘Very well. If you like.’
He hooked her arm into his and led her off in the direction of the German part of the village and into one of the cafes reserved for the soldiers of the Reich.
Almost every table was occupied with German army personnel, some with female companions – not every Polish woman stayed away from the Nazis – and the sound of their voices merged with their cigarette smoke. Apart from the language and the military uniforms, it could have been any cafe in Poland before the war.
He pulled out a chair for her. A waiter scuttled over to them with a menu, but the major didn’t even glance at it. ‘Bring me your best bottle of wine and the best meat dish on the menu.’ He smiled at Irena and her skin crawled. ‘I hope you’re hungry?’
Was he serious? He had to know that their rations were barely above starvation levels. She’d almost forgotten what fresh meat tasted like. Saliva flooded her mouth and her stomach clenched. However, she didn’t think she could swallow even a mouthful of food in the company of this man.
‘Not really,’ she lied. ‘I had some soup and bread a short while ago.’
He leaned back in his chair. ‘You must have something, if only to keep a lonely man from eating alone.’
‘You haven’t been back to Berlin to visit your wife?’ she said pointedly.
‘As a matter of fact, I was there two weeks ago.’
‘And she is well?’
‘Of course.’
‘And your children?’
‘They are well too. However, I didn’t invite you to lunch to talk about me. I would much sooner talk about you.’
His words sent waves of panic through her. Was it possible the German doctors hadn’t been deceived? Or that they’d found out that they were helping the Jews? At that moment the waiter appeared and set down a plate of stew and vegetables along with a carafe of wine in front of them.
‘Would you excuse me while I freshen up?’ Irena said. She needed time to collect herself. He mustn’t suspect she had anything to hide. He’d expect a little nervousness – he’d be stupid otherwise, and she knew he wasn’t – but she mustn’t show how terrified she felt.
‘Of course,’ he said, getting to his feet. ‘Don’t be too long. We don’t want our food to get cold.’
She rinsed her face and hands with cold water and, leaning against the rim of the basin, drew in a shuddering breath. She had to stay calm and answer his questions as best she could without giving anything, or anyone, away.
When she returned he leaped to his feet again and once more held out her chair for her.
‘What did you do before the war?’ she asked. If only she could keep him talking about himself.
‘I was a teacher,’ he replied. ‘Of physics.’
‘Really?’ She couldn’t help but show her surprise.
He studied her. ‘And you? Were you always a nurse?’
‘I’ve always wanted to care for people,’ she replied evasively.
‘Please, eat.’ He gestured to her plate. Reluctantly she picked up her fork.
‘Are you not frightened that you’ll get the disease, this typhus, from the people you look after?’
She couldn’t tell whether he was genuinely interested or sounding her out. ‘It is a chance I have to take. I’m safe as long as I follow the rules of good hygiene. Wash my hands after seeing to each patient, that sort of thing.’
‘You know you don’t have to stay here. You could come with me to Krakow. As my guest. You must miss your old home.’
She paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. She wasn’t sure which bit of what he’d said frightened her most. Why did he imagine she’d want to go anywhere with him? And if he knew she came from Krakow then he knew more about her than he’d let on. In which case he was toying with her. She forced herself to chew the lump of stew.
‘I am happy here.’
‘I should tell you that soon the Reich will be requiring more people to help the German effort – people in your age group. You are what? Twenty-one? Twenty-two?’
She nodded. ‘About that.’
‘Conditions aren’t always easy in the factories. If you came to Krakow you wouldn’t have to work. I could find you an apartment and come and visit you. We could go to concerts. You would like that, I am certain.’
And be his mistress? She would rather die.
‘If I went to Krakow I would stay with my father.’
He swirled the wine around his glass. ‘Ah, yes, your father. Professor Kraszewski. I believe he was a guest of the Reich for a while.’
It was as if someone had tipped ice water down her neck. So he did know who she was. ‘He was released.’
‘Which is not to say he couldn’t be a guest again.’
Despite her nausea, she forced a smile. ‘Could I have some time to think about it?’ she said.
He took a gulp of wine and dabbed his lips with his napkin. ‘Don’t keep me waiting too long. I’m not a patient man.’ There was no mistaking the threat in his words. ‘I’ll be back in a month and I’ll look forward to hearing your answer then.’
He insisted on accompanying her back to the hospital. As they walked Irena was uncomfortably aware of the glances of disapproval from her fellow countrymen and women.
‘Thank you for lunch,’ she said, when they reached the hospital gates.
He looked down at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. ‘I promise you, Fräulein, that you will be much happier – and healthier – if you come to Krakow.’ He studied her for a moment longer. ‘In fact, I am not certain that I shouldn’t take you away right now. Put you somewhere where you’ll be safe from disease. I don’t want to take any chances that you will bring it with you.’
Somehow she managed not to react to his words. ‘I promise you I’m perfectly healthy. At least as far as I’m aware, although as you know, given the right conditions, illness can strike suddenly.’ She decided to take a chance. ‘But if you’re concerned perhaps you could get me some typhus vaccine? That would make sure I don’t get it.’ She could give it to the residents of the ghetto.
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible.’ He clicked his heels. ‘Until next month, Fräulein.’
Irena was in her room, attempting to scrub the taint of the encounter with the major from her skin, when Stanislaw and Henryk marched in without knocking. She whirled around, pulling her robe closed to hide her nakedness.
Neither man was smiling.
‘I imagine you’ve heard about my meal with the major,’ she said. ‘I was planning to come and tell you.’
‘What are you up to, Irena?’ Stanislaw demanded. ‘Have you told him what’s going on here?’
Outraged, she lifted her chin. ‘How can you even think that? After everything I’ve done? Don’t you know by now how much I hate the Germans?’
‘Come now, Stanislaw, give her a chance to explain,’ Henryk interjected, laying a placating hand on his arm. ‘We’ve trusted her this far and she’s not let us down.’
‘Her neck hasn’t been truly on the line before.’ Stanislaw shook Henryk’s arm away and glared at Irena. ‘Are you planning to save it by dropping us in the shit?’
‘No,’ she said sadly, ‘of course not.’ How could these two men, who’d she’d come to think of as friends, think, even for a moment, that she would betray them? ‘He asked me to go to Krakow. As his mistress.’
Henryk and Stanislaw exchanged a look. ‘And what did you say?’
‘What do you think? Oh yes, Herr Oberführer, I would love to sleep with you? I would love to be held in the arms of a man responsible for murdering innocent men, women and children.’ She shook her head. ‘I told him I would think about it, but only to give me enough time to work out what to do. I’d rather be arrested and imprisoned for the rest of the war than share a bed with that beast.’ She shuddered and dropped her voice. ‘Do you think if I wanted to save my skin I would have become involved in helping the people in the ghetto? Don’t you think that as soon as I knew you were helping them I would have gone to the Gestapo? And what about the typhus scam? I risk my life every day too.’ For the first time Stanislaw looked uncertain. ‘You must believe me.’
Stanislaw sighed. Either her words or whatever he’d seen in her face appeared to have convinced him. He turned to Henryk. ‘There’s a chance we can turn this to our advantage.’
‘What do you mean?’ Irena said. Her skin crawled as she realised there was only one thing he could mean.
‘If you became his mistress, you could find out all kinds of information and pass it on to us. We could know their movements in advance – find out who is on their lists and when they are planning to do a round-up. Whatever he shares with you – whatever you overhear – could save lives.’ He took her hand. ‘You would be doing it for Poland, Irena.’
Appalled, she snatched her hand away. ‘Please don’t ask me to do this,’ she whispered. ‘I could never sleep with him. I couldn’t pretend for a second that his touch didn’t revolt me. Please don’t ask it of me.’
‘It’s too dangerous,’ Henryk said to Stanislaw. ‘Irena’s not a member of the resistance. She hasn’t the training to do what you want.’
‘We need more people to tell us what the Germans are planning, Henryk,’ Stanislaw said softly before turning back to Irena. ‘At least think about it. When does the major want his answer?’
‘He’s coming back to Rozwadow in a month. He expects my decision then.’
‘Then we have time.’ He took her by the shoulders. ‘You could help save thousands of lives. Maybe more. Think it over.’