Her Hidden Life: A captivating story of history, danger and risking it all for love. V.S. Alexander

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      I looked at her, not knowing what to say. I had proclaimed my innocence, yet I could tell no one about the powder I saw upon Ursula’s apron. To do so would implicate me.

      ‘Captain Weber has called for a new taster, but she won’t be here until tomorrow,’ Cook said. ‘Tonight you must taste all the food. Be in the kitchen by seven.’

      She left and I changed out of my Bavarian costume into my work clothes. In a fury, I threw the Bavarian dress on the bed, disgusted by the event it represented. I wanted to tear it to bits and toss it into the hall as a reminder to Eva of her ridiculous idea.

      Soon another knock, loud and firm, interrupted me. I opened the door and was shocked to see the Colonel. He pushed past me, sat on the desk chair and eyed me suspiciously. I took Cook’s advice and looked into his eyes as he questioned me.

      At one point, he asked, ‘Have you stopped smuggling poison into the Berghof?’ I caught his trick. Either answer, negative or affirmative, would have incriminated me.

      ‘I never brought poison into the Berghof for her or anyone else. I had no idea Ursula was carrying out such a plan.’

      He stared me down and asked where Ursula might have gotten it. I told him I didn’t know; it was absurd to ask me.

      He seemed satisfied by my answers, but asked me more questions about my habits. He wanted to know who I knew at the Berghof, what I felt about the Reich.

      My stomach turned when I answered questions about the Reich. For the first time in my life, I was lying to save myself. Only anger and pain about Ursula’s death, Hitler and the war filled me. The Colonel told me, from now on, to report any suspicious behaviors directly to him. The kitchen and staff would be under special watch. He said good-bye, stood and saluted the Führer. I had no choice but to do the same.

      That night, in the kitchen, two SS guards watched the staff’s every move. I didn’t know them because my contact with the Leibstandarte had primarily been limited to Karl and Franz. One of the guards, a rat-like man with greasy blond hair, observed my tasting. My nerves were on edge. I wondered if Ursula had spread cyanide in the food as well as the tea. The kitchen door slammed and I dropped a spoonful of an asparagus dish destined for Hitler. The SS man was quick to act. He pointed menacingly and commanded me to take another bite. Cook glowered at him, but it did no good. Tensions were running high. I managed to make it through the tastings, but I trembled with every bite as dread shook me.

      The next morning, Cook gave me a list of vegetables and asked me to record the number of those plants in the greenhouses. I gathered the inventory books and walked up the grassy slope to the glass and metal structures that glinted in the silvery morning haze. The air felt fresh and dewy against my skin; the sunlight had that magical, ethereal effect, painting the surrounding mountains in muted pastels. It was like walking in a watercolor.

      The greenhouses were two tiered, both about 150 meters long. Most of the fresh food for Hitler was grown here. There was also a ‘mushroom house.’ Cook had told me that the Führer rarely ate them, but apparently others did in enough quantity to warrant a special growing area.

      I opened the door to the lower greenhouse and stepped inside. Even though the morning was cool, the greenhouse was warm. I took off my jacket and draped it over a metal stand. A patchwork quilt of plants lay on the floor as far as I could see. I grabbed my book and pen and walked past the square plots until I got to a plant I recognized on my list – cucumbers. I bent down and began counting the staked plants festooned with their starry yellow flowers. The door opened behind me.

      Karl stood at the entrance. He put his right hand over his eyes to shade them from the light and stared at me. I waved. He called my name and walked quickly toward me. We were the only two people in the greenhouse.

      When he got to me, he stopped and looked the greenhouse over from top to bottom. He whispered in my ear, ‘Be careful what you say.’

      ‘I can only talk a few minutes,’ I said. ‘I have a job to do for Cook.’

      I picked up my jacket and left the inventory books on the stand. We walked down the paved road in front of the greenhouses. Karl breathed easier when we got to a safe spot. Below us, the Berghof glowed in the sun.

      ‘How did it go with the Colonel?’ Karl asked.

      I looked at him, trying to gauge the intent of his question, wondering whether I should trust him. There was something about him – a kindness, a willingness to listen – that made me want to trust him, to feel comfortable enough to talk honestly. ‘I answered his questions,’ I said, trying to be non-committal.

      He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold cigarette lighter. He fidgeted with it and turned it over in his palm a few times. ‘I’m still trying to give them up.’ He pointed to the lighter. ‘At least it gives me something to do.’ He chuckled and then asked, ‘Did you notice anything unusual about Ursula before you went to the Teahouse?’

      I shook my head.

      Karl’s face tensed and his gaze narrowed. He put his arm around my shoulder; his face was close to mine. ‘I told the Colonel you knew nothing about the incident yesterday, despite what you may have seen.’

      My heart raced.

      ‘I protected you in every way I could,’ he continued.

      ‘Why?’

      ‘Because – ’ He drew away and looked at the lighter in his hand. ‘This is hard for me to admit, but since you’ve come to the Berghof, I’ve been unable to think of much else besides you.’ He turned away, as if he was afraid of what I might tell him.

      I put my hand on his shoulder. ‘I’ve thought about you as well.’

      He turned, his face flushed. ‘Really? I’m very happy to hear that.’

      I laughed. ‘You don’t have to be so formal, Karl. This is as new for me as I suspect it is for you.’ I pulled him to me and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

      ‘Thank you.’ He looked around. Far up the hill a group of SS officers were walking down from the barracks. Karl took my hands in his. ‘We don’t have much time. I want to share something with you, Magda. It’s important to me. That’s only part of it – there’s much more. It concerns the war. Do you want to know why it’s important to me?’

      I nodded.

      ‘Then I’ll come by your room tonight when it’s safe. You must trust me as I trust you.’ He kissed me. ‘Go back to work. I have to go.’

      He walked quickly toward the Berghof as I headed back to the greenhouse. The SS officers smiled and nodded as they passed by.

      I knelt next to the cucumber plants and started to count again, but couldn’t help but wonder what Karl had to tell me that was so important. However, more exciting for me was the thrill that lingered from his kiss.

      A soft knock on my door woke me at two in the morning.

      I pulled on my robe and opened the door a few centimeters. Karl stood in the dim hall, his face ashen in the gray light. His eyes were puffy with dark circles underneath them. He pushed the door open and slipped in through the narrow opening. My room plunged back СКАЧАТЬ