David excused himself from the table to check the oven temperature again. He added wood to the firebox and adjusted the dampers, then back in the dining room, he crooked a finger at Georg. "Come. Let's load the birds. The oven's above 180º now, and fifty pounds is too risky to handle on my own."

Once they were finished and reseated, Bethia asked David about his plans. "Are you going to do the gift exchange before or after dinner?"

"I've nothing planned." He screwed his face and laughed. "I guess we should organise it, shouldn't we? What about putting up a Christmas tree? We always had one at home."

"Aaron's family always placed a tannenbaum in their window. It's an old German tradition going back centuries. I set up one in the shop front every year and hung it with tinsel and ribbon bows. I have the decorations in a box somewhere."

They carried on discussing plans as they finished breakfast and cleaned up from it. By half past noon, they had stood a large spruce tree between windows in the drawing room, and they had decorated it with tinsel, ribbons and a few small trinkets. Logs were blazing in the fieldstone fireplace, and the aromas of the roasting geese had spread from the kitchen.

Georg had gone down to the mess to brief the men and to invite them to the schloss for one thirty. David continued to monitor the oven temperature, adjusting the dampers and adding wood to keep the needle where he wanted it. Maria and Rachel scoured the house for additional small things to hang on the tree. Bethia and the grandparents had done as they were told, and they sat chatting and enjoying the energy of the younger ones.

When everything appeared in order, David and Maria went up to their suite to refresh and to unpack and organise their gifts. "We'll need two or more trips to take it all down."

David shook his head. "No, I was thinking we can get most of it into my portmanteau. I can carry it, and you can bring the big bundle. Is that the duvet?"

"Yes, and it's already stuffed in its cover. It weighs almost nothing. I need to go to the cellar and get the wine for Grandma and Grandpa, then wrap it."

After they had carried their loads down and arranged the gifts under the tree, Maria descended to the cellar for the wine and then headed back up to their rooms. David returned to the kitchen to check the fire, and he saw Bethia busy at the counter. "Didn't we tell you to sit and relax?"

"Someone has to make the mince pies and the hard sauce. You can begin beating the butter while I roll out this pastry."

"How will we bake the pies? The oven is full of geese, and the stove in the men's mess is likely out. I should go down and light it."

"No need for that. They take only twenty or twenty-five minutes, so you can do them after the geese are cooked. But you need a hotter oven, and it can be heating as soon as we take the geese and potatoes out." She pointed to the bowl and the softened butter. "Have you ever made hard sauce?"

<><><>

At one twenty, David looked up at the knock on the door. "They're early" He did a quick survey and appraisal as he headed across the drawing room toward the front foyer. "We're ready, anyway."

His mind spun as he opened the door to see Herr Grünmann and a man in uniform. Oh, God! Remain calm, David. The cover is good as long we remain calm.

"Merry Christmas, Herr Grünmann, please come in. We were just about to begin a traditional gift exchange before dinner."

"This is Wachtmeister Schwarz. He's in charge of the Schaffhauser Polizei in this municipality."

David shook hands with the two, and he invited them in again. "May I offer you a glass of wine?"

They stepped in, and David closed the door behind them. "Thank you. It smells splendid in here, but we'll pass on the wine. We're just doing our annual Christmas rounds, and we've still many to call on."

Jacob came into the foyer and shook hands with the two men. "I haven't seen either of you in a long while. You're both looking healthy. I hope you didn't try to call on us at Meierhof."

"Aha! Now I see. I was wondering yesterday why the names were familiar. I wasn't aware you had a daughter."

"No, not a daughter, Karl. She's my daughter-in-law, Rachel. She had married Edom. You remember Edom?"

"Yes, certainly ..." He paused and shook his head. "And I was deeply saddened to hear he had been killed in the fighting."

Jacob called into the drawing room, "Bethia, come meet your neighbour, Karl Grünmann." Then he turned to the two guests. "Frau Eberhardt moved here this spring from Erzingen. She's Rachel's aunt."

"Yes, I remember signing and entering the new deed in the register, relieved to think the purchasers might stop the decline of ..."

He paused as Bethia arrived and offered her hand. "Pleased to finally meet you, Frau Eberhardt."

"Please call me Bethia. Yes, we've not had any time to be sociable. We've been too busy here settling in and restoring everything. It was increasingly uncomfortable to remain in Germany. Too unpredictable."

David took a step forward and lifted his arm toward the west wall, pointing. "And she bought the Schäfer pastures down the slopes over there. She's now having them prepared for vineyards."

"Yes, I saw the sale when I transferred the deed." Karl looked at David, then asked, "And your new wife? Such a beautiful woman. She's Jacob's granddaughter?"

"Yes, and also Bethia's grandniece. She's studying medicine at the university in Bern."

"A noble pursuit." He took a deep breath. "The roast smells divine. We won't keep you from your family festivities." He raised his voice a bit and called into the room. "Merry Christmas everyone."

Wachtmeister Schwarz did the same, and then they both turned toward the door. As he stepped outside, Herr Grünmann thanked David again for assisting him on the road.

"It's what any decent person would do." David wished them Merry Christmas again, then closed the door behind them, leaned against it and let out a big breath. He listened to the thuds of two doors closing, the rattle of their car engine starting, and then to its fading sound as it drove out of the courtyard.

When the sound had died, he turned to Jacob and Bethia. "That was both great timing and fast thinking. Thank you."

"Karl is no problem," Jacob said. "He strongly opposes what the Germans are doing. The problem is with Heinrich Schwarz. He still supports the Kaiser's actions."

David ran his fingers through his hair. "I sensed a suspicion. He was quietly observant the whole while. I'm relieved the men didn't come to the door in the middle of this. That would have taken some explaining."

Jacob chuckled. "Georg slipped out the kitchen door to go down to warn them."

David blew out another deep breath. "I need a glass of wine."