‘Ursula?’ His voice carried down the hallway filled with concern and excitement.
‘Your timing is perfect,’ Clara murmured to Ursula with a smile. ‘Contractions every five minutes now. I think we’ll be meeting your baby before midnight.’
Hans appeared in the doorway, still wearing his coat, his face anxious but eager. ‘How is she? Is everything all right? Shouldn’t she be upstairs in bed by now?’
Ursula shifted on the chaise, giving her husband a look that was both loving and stubborn. ‘I’m not ready to go upstairs yet, Hans. I don’t want to be shut away in the bedroom like an invalid.’
Hans sighed. ‘Your mother always said you were a bit of a rebel.’
‘And she was right,’ said Ursula. ‘Let me stay here in our beautiful living room for a while longer.’ She put the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically and then smiling at her husband said, ‘I promise I’ll go up when Clara says I should.’
Hans looked at Clara for her opinion. ‘About another hour at the most,’ said Clara.
This seemed to appease Hans. ‘I’ll take Kaiser out for a quick walk now but when I get back, it’s upstairs to bed. I’m not taking any chances.’
‘That’s a good idea,’ agreed Clara, casually watching Hans as he placed his briefcase in the study.
Ursula made a groaning noise, her hand going to her back as another contraction gripped her.
Clara went to her side. ‘That’s it, take a deep breath. Breathe through it.’ She looked up at Hans’s concerned face. ‘The contractions are getting stronger and more regular. Take Kaiser out for his walk. We’ll need to get Ursula upstairs soon.’
Hans hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave. ‘Are you sure? Maybe I should stay.’
‘Take him for a walk,’ Ursula said firmly, managing a smile despite the obvious discomfort. ‘We might be busy for hours, and he won’t get another chance.’
Reluctantly, Hans agreed and by the time he got to the door, the contraction had passed. ‘I won’t be long.’
Clara helped Ursula back to the living room and settled her in the chair. ‘I’ll make hot drinks while we wait. You rest there.’
She went into the kitchen where she had already boiled water for Hans’s coffee. Her mind raced. This could be her last opportunity to get the information before the baby arrived. She clattered the cup deliberately, creating cover noise, before slipping out of the kitchen and into the study. Every instinct was telling her not to do this. That it wasn’t just her own safety at stake anymore, but the life inside her. She countered this with the thought that all the other women carrying unborn babies deserved to be safe too.
Her hands trembled as she opened Hans’s briefcase. The familiar folder was in its usual place. She took out the list, dismayed to see it was much longer than the previous one. More names. More women and babies at risk. She worked quickly, copying the names onto a piece of paper, her handwriting shakier than usual. Each name represented a life, a family that could be saved if she could get this information to Max in time.
‘Clara!’ Ursula’s voice called out, tight with pain. ‘This one’s really strong!’
Clara’s pulse quickened. She couldn’t call back from the study otherwise Ursula would realise where she was. She heard the front door open and Kaiser’s claws clicking on the wooden flooring. Two more names to go. She couldn’t afford mistakes. A misspelled name could cost someone their freedom, or worse.
One more name.
Footsteps in the hallway. Getting closer.
Clara shoved the document back into the briefcase, her hands shaking as she clicked the locks shut. Her stomach churned over with nerves. She quickly folded the list and pushed it deep into her pocket just as Hans appeared in the doorway. His gaze immediately went to her, then to the briefcase, suspicion flickering across his face.
‘What are you doing in my study?’ His voice was controlled, but Clara caught the edge beneath it.
Her mind went blank. The folded piece of paper felt like it was burning in her pocket. ‘I was looking for a pen.’
‘A pen?’ He stepped further into the room, his gaze sharp.
‘Yes. I seem to have lost mine and I need to make a note of the contractions.’ How quickly the lie rolled off her tongue. She just hoped she was convincing enough.
‘I asked Clara to get me a pen from your desk.’ Ursula’s voice came from behind Hans, slightly breathless. Clara looked over at her. Ursula’s gaze met her own, and for a brief moment flicked towards Clara’s stomach before returning to look at her husband. She placed her hand on his arm, her other hand cradled her belly. ‘I wanted to time the contractions properly. I’m sorry, darling, I should have asked you first.’
Hans’s posture relaxed slightly, though his eyes remained watchful. ‘You could have asked me to get it.’
‘You were taking Kaiser out,’ Ursula said, wincing as she spoke. ‘And Clara was right here. It seemed easier .?.?.’ She trailed off as another contraction began to build.
Hans’s attention immediately shifted to his wife. ‘You shouldn’t be worrying about timing anything right now.’ He turned to Clara. ‘I think we can forget about pens for now, Frau Bergmann. My wife needs your full attention.’
