Chapter 9: All Change At The Top

One morning Jane was awakened at six o’clock by much tramping abut on the floor below. She went down the stairs very worried, and yet slightly hopeful, thinking Perhaps it is news that Jochim’s wife has died. She was half asleep as she had not left Bernhardt’s bed until almost four.

When she was told that it was much more serious than that she worried for the moments until Bernhardt said that it was Hitler who had died. Restraining herself from saying, Good riddance, she managed to ask, “What will that mean?”

“That means a power vacuum until someone else takes over,” suggested Wolfgang.

“If I may, Sturmbannführer?” asked Bernhardt, and seeing the more senior of the group in the house nod, continued, “I have heard that the aim is for the committee which advises the Führer to take over the actual control of the Reich. Nominally with a Führer, but in practice with no one man in control. Brigadeführer Pfalzgraf Joachim von und zu Döring-Esser is a member of this committee and will become effectively the head of the army, probably with the rank of Obergruppenführer or even Oberstgruppenführer. Those I understand are the plans.”

As the day wore on with the radio broadcasting mournful music between news bulletins and eulogies for the Führer it became clear that there was a power struggle in Berlin. By the next morning it was clear that the committee had won and changes were being announced with increasing frequency.

Over the next few days there were many changes, including two halves of England, Scotland, and Wales becoming four of the German Bundesländer, like France, which had been spit into three some time earlier. Belgium and Holland were Bundesländer. Northern Ireland had for some time been reunited with Eire into one Bundesländ.

There was a declared policy of rapprochement with closer ties between Germany and the new Bundesländer being encouraged in order to create a Europe-wide Federal Germany as a rival to the power of the USSR. The official language was German, as it was felt that a common language was essential to a united federation, as was the use of the Reichsmark as currency.

Joachim’s promotion to a seat on the ruling committee was also announced. Jane was still confused as to what all this would mean for her and her future position.

It was Bernhardt who explained to her that one thing it would mean was that her absent husband, Sir Henry, would probably divorce her and marry again, as he would need a trophy wife on his arm to keep up appearances at international meetings.

“Oh, didn’t you know? He’s already done that, divorced me I mean. I don’t know if he’s remarried,” she explained.

“I can find out for you, if you want?” he offered.

“Actually I don’t care unless he wants me back. I really wouldn’t want that,” she said, remembering his ineffectual sexual approaches, and contrasting then with her secret enjoyment of the Pfalzgraf’s wonderfully satisfying forcefulness, even to the extent of being sent off to other officers on loan on odd occasions.

Without telling her of his intentions Bernhardt made discreet inquiries and discovered that Sir Henry had set up house with, but wisely not married, a woman who had been abandoned by her husband after a time in the hands of the authorities. She was apparently full of airs and graces in public, but rumour had it that she was frigid with Sir Henry at home. However if you were at, or above, the rank of Gruppenführer her legs would open enthusiastically, with her husband’s whole-hearted approval.

When he broke this news to Jane she asked whether he knew the woman’s name, and on being told it was Lady Margery Jennings she broke into uncontrollable peals of laughter.

“Did you know her?”

When she had calmed down Jane confided, “Yes, I met her once. She is only Mrs. Margery Jennings, whatever she calls herself. She came to Camp Vorzügliches Vergnügen and so incensed her assigned officer companion in the first hour or so that she was taken away to be shot. I wonder how she talked her way out of the insults she offered Hitler, the Nazi party and Germany in general?”

More discreet enquiries ensued, leading to the discovery that instead of being shot she had been given by Brigadeführer Pfalzgraf Joachim von und zu Döring-Esser to the Gestapo as a thank you for some earlier favours. Bernhardt was unable to find out the reason for this, and how Margery had escaped from the Gestapo, and how she had met Sir Henry. He also decided that Jane did not need to know any of these details, especially that the Count had illegally prevented the woman’s execution.