Anna wasn't happy to see Ernst.

Well, she never had been. Not once. But now seemed particularly taxing as not even Mathias was even remotely thrilled to see him.

After the piano playing, Mathias had tried locking the front door so they might sequester themselves inside. And it was frightfully tempting, given that they could have opened the maid's outfit she'd bought as part of his birthday haul, but Anna was never one to cancel plans unless absolutely necessary.

Mathias helped Anna out of the car, handing the keys to the valet before he gave a wave of acknowledgement to Ernst. 'That girl with him is Freda,' he murmured to Anna as they began to make their way over to the entrance of the hotel. 'She's his eldest.'

Anna peered at the 'girl' standing beside Ernst with her arm linked through his elbow. Young woman was more like it. She was meticulously dressed, her shoes, handbag and hat all matching the key navy notes in the flowers on her cream dress, just visible beneath her long maroon coat. Her hair was a perfect gold in colour, her cheeks rosy without being accentuated by make up and her lips spread to a lovely smile. She looked nothing like Ernst at all, but stepping closer showed Anna that their eyes were identical; that strange, pale brown. Much to Anna's surprise, the two of them seemed to be laughing about something, genuinely enjoying a moment together. She hadn't really expected that.

'Anna, Mathias, you're finally here!' said Ernst, reaching out to shake Mathias' hand.

Reluctantly, Mathias shook it, his other arm never dropping from Anna's waist. 'Not actually late, you know.'

'I know,' laughed Ernst, his voice so weirdly jovial. 'But this one was rather excited to meet-'

'Anna,' cut in Freda, springing forth to stand in front of them. 'I mean, Doctor Lehman. I've been so looking forward to meeting you since that article in the paper.' She stuck her hand out to her, her voice breathy and giddy. What a sweetheart she was.

'Pleasure is all mine,' said Anna, taking her hand. 'And please, do call me Anna. I think we're practically family already, are we not?'

'I do hope so,' said Freda, not letting go of Anna's hand. 'Mathias has never had a girlfriend, much less brought one to meet all of us.' She shot him an accusatory look.

'Surely you can understand why I was waiting, Freda,' said Mathias with a sigh. 'Everyone pales in comparison to my cuckoo bird.'

Freda looked infinitely shocked. 'That was romantic Mathias. Are you feeling all right?'

'He does that a lot now,' said Ernst, the smile on his face cracking just a little. 'Anna has brought out a whole new side to him.'

'Good!' said Freda. 'You've always been such a grump, Mathias.'

Mathias didn't respond, his fingers simply tracing Anna's back. It was odd. For how close he was to Ernst, and how close Ernst seemed to be with his daughter, Mathias didn't seem to hold Freda in any regard at all. Though, Anna should have expected that. He only really seemed to have any regard for her, and her alone. Even Ernst had been knocked off his pedestal.

'Come on Anna,' said Freda, tugging her out of Mathias' grasp. 'We should leave these old men to it.'

'I thought we were waiting for your mother?' Anna said, looking around for someone that might fit that profile.

'She's waiting at the restaurant,' said Freda. 'She's invited one of her hoity toity friends to join us.'

'Freda,' chastised Ernst, though not particularly seriously.

'Sorry Daddy,' she said sweetly, planting a kiss on his cheek. 'But you know I don't like her Berlin friends all that much.'

'Who does,' said Erst, before he turned his attention to Anna. He swallowed as their eyes met, his jaw tightening just enough for Anna to notice. 'Good to see you again, Anna.'

Anna didn't get a word out before Mathias had pulled her back into his embrace, immediately coveting her as he always did. His nose rubbed the length of hers, his hands a little too searching for present company.

'Mathias,' she said in a soft warning, but he'd already captured her mouth in a kiss. She cupped his cheek, he thumb smoothing over his cool skin. 'Try not to miss me too much,' she said teasingly, her lips moving against his own.

'Impossible,' he murmured in response, kissing her once more for good measure before he finally let her go. He watched her all the way down the road, both Anna and Freda turning every so often to check and wave.

'So,' said Freda, lining her arm through Anna's, 'You and Mathias.'

'Me and Mathias,' Anna repeated with a slight chuckle.

'I think it's amazing,' said Freda, practically skipping along. She seemed both terribly grown up and terribly childish all in one fell swoop. 'Frau Keller raves about you, you know.'

'She does?' Anna said, quite astonished.

'Uh-huh,' said Freda, her smile still wide and genuine. 'We were talking about it when we were planning Christmas. Daddy always leaves me to deal with those sorts of things now, you see, so we were talking about seating arrangements and so on. And you can imagine how surprised I was when Frau Keller said he'd be bringing someone. She was the one that sent me the article to look at.' Beaming at Anna, Freda's babbling paused for only a moment. 'You're quite brilliant, aren't you?'

Chuckling, Anna tried to catch her breath from the barrage of information just thrown at her. 'I don't know. I just suppose that until I met Mathias, my career was all I ever really cared about.'

'So, you love him then?' Freda asked, shimmying closer to her.

'Of course,' Anna returned, the same pang in her heart as when he'd said it to her at the piano. Why couldn't she just say the words out loud? What was stopping her?

'Well I for one am glad he's met you,' sighed Freda. 'Then I'll have someone to talk to at these parties other than my younger brother. And he's 12.'

'That's only just younger than my own sister, I understand the problem,' reassured Anna. 'Aren't you looking forward to this lunch with your mother and her friend?'

Freda crinkled her nose. 'No. Never do. Like I said, so hoity toity. And Mummy only ever wants to impress people when we go out. So I can't really say or do anything.'

'Well, it won't be like that today,' Anna said firmly, squeezing Ferda's arm a little.

Conspiratorially, they carried on towards the restaurant, chatting and giggling the entire way.

Anna had seen this place before. It was a Parisian style bistro not far from the Brandenburg Gate. The window was always filled with beautiful pâtisserie, the people inside always beautifully dressed, with the marble tables filled with all sorts of delights. It seemed ostensibly girly and regal, somewhere Anna and Karl had always promised one another they'd go and never found the time.

'Daddy booked it,' explained Freda as they stepped inside and handed the hostess their coats. 'He thought 'us ladies' would really enjoy it.'

'I'm sure we will,' said Anna, her eyes wondering over the multitude of gold and crystal features.

Freda pulled Anna close to her with a gentle tug of the hand. 'That's them there,' she whispered, pointing to two blonde women right in the middle. One of them looked like an older version of Freda, though infinitely less smiley. The other, a little older still, was particularly imbued in glamourous clothes and jewellery, her fox fur still around her neck. It seemed far too much for this time of day.

With a small breath out for courage, Anna squeezed Freda's hand. She got the distinct feeling that they were both as apprehensive as each other. 'Come on, let's go over.'

As they approached, the woman who looked most like Freda got to her feet, slapping the shoulder of the other to encourage her. Lazily, the more glamourous one also stood up.

'Freda, darling, I was beginning to wonder where you were,' said the older Freda, who was clearly her mother.

'We walked here from the hotel-' began Freda but her mother cut across.

'Freda, what did I say about excuses?'

Freda's head dipped. 'Sorry Mummy.'

Anna's heart twisted in her chest. The bright, bubbly girl who had been so eager the entire way here was gone in an instant. Well, that wouldn't do. 'I'm afraid it was my fault,' said Anna, stretching her hadn't out across the table. 'Frau Werner, is it?'

Lips pursed, she reached across the table and took Anna's hand. 'Well deduced.'

'Easy to do, your lovely daughter is your mirror image,' said Anna. 'Both so beautiful.' Their eyes weren't the same though. Frau Werner had deep blue eyes, big and angelic. Well, they would be if they weren't swimming with spite.

'Such a lovely thing to say,' she managed. 'And you must be Frauline Lehman.'

'Doctor Lehman,' Anna corrected. 'but yes, that's me.'

'Really?' scoffed the other one with a shrill laugh. 'I'd mistake you both for schoolgirls the way you walked in together!'

'Ursula,' Frau Werner managed under her breath.

'Oh it's all right Ilse,' laughed Ursula, taking hold of Anna's shoulders quite sharply. 'It's a compliment! I'd never have imagined any doctor to look so youthful. You glow, my dear,' she said , her eyes taking Anna's countenance before she sucked in a breath and added 'even with such dark hair.'

Was that a compliment? Didn't seem like one. 'Well, thank you.'

'Sit, sit,' ushered Ursula. 'I'm already tired of standing.'

The four women took their seats, Anna happy to be sat beside Freda. Out of the three of them, she seemed the most amenable by a long way.

Ilse and Ursula fell into conversation, so Anna was glad to with Freda. Just as well, because the poor girl looked a little out of her depth.

'Everything all right, Freda?' Anna asked, leaning towards her.

'Mhmm,' said Freda quickly, though her eyes were scanning the menu rather hurriedly.

Anna did the same to see if she might discern the problem. 'Is it the French?' she asked.

Freda nodded discretely, probably so her mother wouldn't see.

Leaning in closer, Anna nudged her. 'I don't speak it either. I have no idea what any of it is.'

Her face brightening, Freda looked at Anna properly. 'Really? You don't think me dumb?'

'Of course not!' insisted Anna. 'But I'm hoping the mystery of it all makes ordering a little more interesting. Restaurants have become so passe nowadays.'

Giggling, Freda his behind her menu. 'I can see why Mathias likes you so much.'

'Because I can't speak French?'

'Because you're not boring and stuffy like everyone else in this world,' said Freda, looking her dead in the eye. 'I hope you know what you're letting yourself in for.'

'I think it's more the rest of them that need to be prepared for me,' said Anna, shooting her a sly wink.

'Freda,' cut in Ilse. 'Why are you slouched so?'

Huffing, Freda sat up straight, the young woman disappearing in favour of the sullen teenager.

Unsurprising though, given what a vile witch her mother was.

This lunch was going to really drag by.

When coffees were ordered and delivered, Ursula turned her attention away from her friend.

'So, Anna,' said Ursula, sparking her cigarette and leaning back in her chair. 'Ilse tells me you're some kind of academic?'

'I'm a Doctor of Archaeology,' confirmed Anna.

Ursula laughed, the sound both beautiful and taunting. 'Oh for heavens sake, you can't be some stuffy old archaeologist. Surely you do history of art or something like that.'

Brow furrowed, Anna scrutinised her. 'What a strange thing to say. I'm very much an archaeologist.'

'She was in the paper,' chimed in Freda. ''Doctor Lehman is the lead archaeologist on the bust of Nefertiti at the Nues museum. That's how she and Mathias met.'

'Honestly Freda, don't interrupt,' snapped Isle.

Now it was Anna that sat up straighter, her fingers lightly touching Freda's arm. 'No, thank you Freda, that's exactly how it was.'  Then she looked straight at Ursula. 'And what is it that you do that has you so sure of the world, Frau... Forgive me, I don't know your last name.'

'Lange,' said Ursula, taking a long drag on her cigarette. 'And I'm a home maker. Not that my husband...'

Anna's heart skipped a beat. No, no, this couldn't be right. It had to be a coincidence. 'Lange?' she repeated. 'As in Colonel Hans Lange?'

'Sadly yes,' said Ursula, rolling her eyes. 'I take it you've had the misfortune of meeting him?'

'Misfortune?' Anna spluttered, seemingly only able to repeat words through her disbelief.

'Mmmm,' sighed Ursula, as if Anna was agreeing with her. Then she saw Anna's face. 'Oh dear lord, he's not bored you to death at some event has he? I'm afraid that's his attempt at flirting though you wouldn't know it.'

Anna' mouth was dry, her wits dumb.

This was Hans' wife?

For so long Anna had built up a picture in her mind of what this woman was like. And the veritable troll that sat before her wasn't it. She'd imagined someone refined, erudite, soothing, graced with the same allure as Hans himself.

What on earth possessed a man like him to marry someone like her?

'Are you even listening to me?' Ursula snapped, breaking Anna's thoughts.

Anna tried desperately to swallow the acid on her tongue. This wasn't the place to let it out. 'Do excuse me, Frau Lange, I was lost in a thought.'

'I was saying,' she continued, extending the word into a sing song, 'tell us more about you and Mathias. You met at the museum?'

'Yes,' said Anna, trying to regain some modicum of composure. 'The Keller family very kindly paid for the new wing of the museum that houses the bust of Nefertiti. That's my speciality, so I gave them the tour.'

'And he just, snapped you up right then and there, did he?' asked Ursula, her chin rested on her hand as smoke wafted over her. Even that sounded like an insult.

'No, we went on a few dates before we committed to anything serious,' said Anna, trying not to recall the turbulent dating history they'd had.

'Good to keep him on tender hooks,' said Ursula with a slight nod. 'No sense giving in too easily.'

'I-'

'Hang on,' Ursula cut across. 'I'm sure I read something in the paper about the President going to visit the bust.'

'Yes, he did,' said Anna, still suffering whiplash from this woman's forthright nature.

'It was a triumph, so I hear.'

'Yes,' Anna said again. 'He personally invited me to the President's ball in February.'

'How charming,' said Ilse, though it didn't seem like she believed that at all.

'Was my husband there,' laughed Ursula. 'Is that how you met him? Sounds like the sort of frightfully boring event he'd enjoy.' She chuckled as she took a sip of her coffee. 'Meaning no offence of course.'

Yeah, sure, of course not.

Should Anna say how well she knew Hans? Oh gods, if she even so much as mentioned him, how would she even begin to explain their relationship? Anna had tried so hard not to think about him since her mother alluded to their blossoming friendship perhaps being no mere friendship at all. How could she sit here and look at his wife and talk about how truly wonderful he was without her catching on. Especially when she herself seemed to loathe him for some odd reason.

'Actually, Colonel Lange and I first met when he came to the museum ahead of the visit. To do a security detail,' Anna said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. 'We talked extensively about the Egyptian exhibit. He was very knowledgeable.'

Anna could see him now, his grey eyes smiling at her across the exhibits, his large hand enclosed around hers as she trembled with left over adrenaline, his voice low and filled with threat towards Krause. He really had been a hero that day.

'Sounds like he was trying to show off,' sighed Ursula.

'I wouldn't say that,' said Anna, but Ursula shook her head.

'Please don't be polite towards him on my account. The man is a frightful bore. Should have realised that all the money in the world couldn't make up for that, but I was young and stupid.' She stubbed out her cigarette. 'You seem to have that all worked out well.'

'I'm sorry?'

'Well, Mathias certainly isn't dull, is he?' Ursula laughed. 'I've heard, he has quite the reputation-'

'Not in front of my highly impressionable daughter, please Ursula,' cautioned Ilse.

Ursula simply waved her hand. 'Relax, Ilse. She's 17 now. She needs to know this sort of thing. And by the sounds of it, Anna could give much better advice than either of us on how to bag a millionaire.'

Anna's fists clenched in her lap. 'I see. You think it was my intention to entrap Mathias for his money?'

'Ursula,' hissed Ilse.

'Oh for goodness sake, don't look so outraged,' continued Ursula, ignoring her friend completely. 'If anything, it's a compliment. Shows true determination. Mathias has always been known to be difficult, no matter how devilishly handsome, so I'm thoroughly impressed.'

'A byproduct I'm not at all proud of, I can assure you,' said Anna, her thorned tongue excited to lash out.

'I beg your pardon?' said Ursula, the air around them suddenly thick with tension.

'As well you should,' said Anna, her nerve seeping back into her, the adrenaline of her insults coursing through her veins. 'Frau Lange, Mathias and I are not together for something as trivial as money. Both of us are multifaceted human beings with far more about us than greed. Though, I can understand why you assume we are both the same as you. Small-minded people never tend to look beyond themselves.'

'Frauline Lehman-' began Ilse.

'Doctor Lehman,' Anna corrected, tersely. 'And I hadn't finished speaking, please don't interrupt me.'

Silence hung over them as Anna turned her fury back to the woman she had so instantly despised. 'Frau Lange, I honestly don't think I have ever met someone as contemptable as you.'

'You little...'

Anna held her finger up. 'I am still speaking, learn some manners. You'd think someone of your age would know better.'

Freda spluttered out a laugh, her hand immediately covering her mouth.

Continuing, Anna lowered her finger, content that she held her target captive. 'The problem with your silly plan of ensnaring men for their money, is that men like that won't want you when something of more value comes along. And let's face it, Frau Lange, as beautiful as you are, your glory days are clearly long since passed, if they can even be called that. A pretty face with little to no substance behind it is nothing more than a belly warmer at best.'

Ursula was seething, her cheeks flushed red as she stared at Anna across the table.

'I also have had the great fortune of getting to know your husband. He is an infinitely kind and patient man, which does rather explain why he might be married to you.'

'Does it now?' spat Ursula.

'Yes. He seems the charitable type.' Anna cocked her head to the side as if in thought. 'How does the saying go? Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.' Tucking her hand under her chin, Anna leant forward onto the table. 'Your house has a fair few cracks in it already, wouldn't you say, dear?' Anna tapped her finger to the side of her mouth, and then her eyes, Ursula immediately copying the movement.

Now Anna was just being mean. The woman had no wrinkles at all. But she seemed the type to care about something so superficial, and she'd pissed Anna off one too many times today.

Ursula pushed to her feet. 'I did not come here to be insulted!'

'No, I'm sure you didn't,' cooed Anna. 'I get the sense that you're usually the one that does the insulting. Is that because you're scared that people will look too closely at you and realise how shallow and empty you truly are? Or is it more that the only time you feel important is when you're pushing everyone else down? Either way, it's honestly pathetic-'

'I shall relish the day when Mathias casts you aside,' screeched Ursula, the entire restaurant falling still.

'You'll die waiting, Ursula,' said Anna, undeterred. 'Unlike you, I'm not forgettable.'

Ursula made to lunge at Anna but Ilse stepped between them. 'Let's just leave,' she implored her friend.

Composing herself enough to storm out, Ursula did so, her heels clacking on the marble floor as every pair of eyes watched her.

Ilse wouldn't even look at Anna. 'Come on Freda,' she barked, clicking her fingers as though to bring her daughter to heel.

'No,' said Freda as firmly as she could muster. 'I want to stay. Daddy said I could come and I want to enjoy my meal.'

Ilse doe eyes were filled with fury. 'Now, Freda,' she hissed.

Freda was staunchly unmoved, even if she trembled.

'I'll make sure she get's back to the hotel safely,' promised Anna. 'You go and have a day unburdened by us, what did Ursula call us earlier? School girls?'

Sensing the losing battle, Ilse trotted out after her friend. The restaurant watched them all, but one stare from Anna was enough for the hubbub to return. It wasn't like Anna to be so brazen, but that was certainly something Mathias had nurtured in her.

Anna smiled at Freda. 'Bravo.'

'I think I should be saying that to you,' said Freda, her voice a little shaky. 'I've never seen either of them so angry before.'

'They needed to hear it,' said Anna, pulling her cigarettes out.

'Can I,' began Freda, then stopped.

Without a word, Anna handed her one and leant forward to light it for her.

'Thanks,' said Freda, inhaling deeply.

'Not so much, you'll cough,' said Anna.

Freda simply blew it out in one long stream. 'This isn't my first time. Don't worry.'

Grinning, Anna sat back and lit her own. A girl after her own heart. 'Right, how many of these ridiculous French things should we order then, given that Mathias is paying.'

Giggling, they perused the menu together, so happy to have found a worthy companion for the day.