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Chapter Forty-Three

After they had refreshed, Bethia remained quiet as she sat sipping tea with David, Rachel and Maria, who were also deep in thought as they nibbled from the tray. David was the first to speak. "This is delicious ham, Tante. I've not had any as fine. Such a variety. The sausages are all amazing. Are these all produced in this region?"

"They're all made rather close to here," Bethia replied with a big smile. "The smokehouse is out through the kitchen. Some of them I age up in the dry warmth of the attic, others down in the cool moistness of the cellar. I can show you later."

"You make these?" he asked with wide eyes.

"Not as much anymore. We once sold to many of the shops up and down the Wutach, but now I make only enough for the shop out front and for here." She looked down and patted her belly.

"Do you get many Swiss people coming across?"

"They slowed in September, not long after Aaron died. The war made it much more difficult to cross, then stopped when the border closed later in the year. People are just beginning again to visit. It must be hard for some of the shopkeepers who depend on Swiss business."

"So tell me about the slaughter house. I'd like to know more about it for Wednesday. Has it been affected by the war?"

"Yes, it certainly has been. In August we received a large standing order for beef and pork from the Deutsches Heer, the German Army, their Badisches Infanterie-Regiment."

"That sounds very good."

"That was a very difficult time. Aaron had negotiated the contract, brought in new workers, bought a new delivery lorry. He worked himself to death. Three weeks into the contract, his sixty-seven-year-old heart gave out. I had told him he was working too hard. It's been difficult for me running both that business and this... too much for me, that's why I'm trying to sell."

"Your slaughter business is worth more now you're supplying the Army. How long is the contract?"

"The first one was for three months. They renewed for another three in November, and in February we signed for another six months. They seem pleased."

"How much do they purchase?"

"We started with one tonne of beef and two tonnes of pork delivered to Donaueschingen every three days. Simple split carcasses, easy to prepare. Now we're also delivering similar quantities to their kasernen in Lahr and Freiburg. We have to process three tonnes a day just for the Army. It's now half our business, the easy half."

"How many sides are there in a tonne?"

"With beef, it varies between seven and eight, depending on the size of the animal. With pork, about twenty-five per tonne. We do nearly sixty sides a day just for the Army."

"You still have only one delivery truck?"

"No, two. The new one and the old one, but we use the new one only for the Army and keep the old one in case of a breakdown."

"I know Freiburg, and I saw the name Lahr north of there when the train stopped on my way south, but I'm not familiar with Donaueschingen. Sounds like it's in the Danube Valley, how far is it from here?"

"Forty kilometres by road, at the source of the Danube, up a narrow, winding road, thankfully not as crooked as the Sauschwänzlebahn. I've gone twice now to sign new contracts."

"Sauschwänzlebahn. That's the twisting railway with all the bridges and tunnels, isn't it?"

"Yes, an amazing line. Aaron and I travelled across it a few years ago on a trip to Munich. I came back with another gold medal for my Klettgauschinken — this one," she said as she prepared to pop a slice into her mouth. "Have you tried it?"