Sliding quickly from the bed she threw her arms around Vicky, hugging her tight, laughing the carelessly spoken words away. ‘And I’m only joking about Berthold being homely. He’s quiet, though. Too quiet for me, but perfect for you. Does Josef know yet? Is everyone meeting downstairs to toast the two of you with champagne?’

‘Probably.’ Though Zelda’s remark had hurt, Vicky wasn’t going to brood on it. Zelda was so outspoken she couldn’t help but be unintentionally hurtful sometimes.

As Zelda released her hold of her and began cooing over the spectacular engagement ring, Vicky said happily, ‘It was Berthold’s mother’s ring. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’

‘It sure is, but shouldn’t—‘ Zelda was about to say ‘but shouldn’t it be Josef’s fiancée who will one day wear it?’ but common sense kicked in. The ring had obviously been one of his mother’s dress rings, not her engagement ring. ‘Shouldn’t we go downstairs?’ she finished instead. ‘I’m sure the champagne will be on ice by now.’

It was. Harald Remer, Josef Remer, Vicky’s father and Berthold were all gathered in the cathedral-like drawing room.

With shining eyes and blushing cheeks Vicky took her place by Berthold’s side. Champagne was poured. Harald Remer made a speech of congratulations and then, as champagne bubbles tickled Vicky’s nose and Berthold tenderly drew her free hand into the crook of his arm, he said, ‘The announcement will be sent to the Berlin newspapers. As for English newspapers, which is appropriate, Herr Hudson? The Daily Telegraph or The Times?’

‘Both, I think.’ Vicky’s father was visibly dazed at the speed of events. ‘In England it is customary for the bride’s mother to attend to the engagement and wedding announcements. As Vicky’s mother is sadly no longer with us, I will attend to it. It’s simply a case of “The engagement is announced between Herr Berthold Harald Remer, elder son of Herr Harald Erich Remer and the late Frau Lisl Remer of Schloss Niedernhall, Baden-Württemberg, and Victoria Hudson, only daughter of Mr Arthur Hudson and the late Mrs Georgiana Hudson of Shuttleworth Hall, Little Ridding, Yorkshire,” isn’t it? Or would the Berlin address be preferable?’

Before either Harald Remer or Berthold could make a response Zelda said with a laugh in her voice to cover up the embarrassment of his faux pas, ‘You’re in error, Uncle Arthur. Josef is the elder son, not Berthold.’

The Remers stared at her as if she had grown two heads.

‘Nein, Frau Gould,’ Harald Remer said stiffly. ‘It is you, I am afraid, who is in error. As to the address for the announcements, Herr Hudson, I think both the Baden-Württemberg and the Berlin address should be inserted.’

Vicky felt as if her chest was about to explode. If Berthold was the elder then nothing was going to be as she had imagined it would be. The day would come when Berthold would have huge responsibilities. Would she, when Berthold was head of the Remer steel dynasty, have to entertain German royalty at the monstrous-sounding Schloss Niedernhall in Baden-Württemberg? It didn’t bear thinking about.