‘You’re looking very serious, Paul,’ she said, deciding that now was as good a moment as any for them to have a heart-to-heart talk. ‘Is anything the matter?’

‘No,’ he said, not very convincingly. ‘I’m fine, Aunt Vicky.’

‘That’s good.’ She waited a minute or two and then said, gently probing, ‘It must be strange having a new German papa. Germans can be very stiff and formal sometimes, can’t they?’

He nodded in agreement and then said, ‘But Uncle Berthold isn’t stiff and formal. And though step-Papa Josef is stiff and formal it doesn’t really matter too much because he hardly ever spends any time with me. I can’t remember my proper papa, but I think he would have done, wouldn’t he?’

Vicky felt her throat tighten. ‘Yes, darling,’ she said, aware that her eyes were smarting. ‘I’m sure he would have spent time with you.’

Paul put down his chalks. ‘Berlin is a strange place to live, isn’t it, Aunt Vicky? It’s not at all like Yorkshire. And though it’s a city, like New York, it isn’t like New York either.’ He shifted position, sitting back on his heels. ‘I think it’s the language,’ he said after a little pause. ‘It’s such hard work trying to understand German—and apart from you and Uncle Berthold, everyone speaks to me in German. Even Mama.’

Vicky, who already knew this—and disapproved of it, remained silent.

‘And my tutor only ever wants to teach me about German history, not American history.’ A look of disgust came over his face. ‘I don’t think he knows about American history or British history. And he doesn’t ever find things funny. When I referred to the Kaiser as Kaiser Bill he told Mama and I was punished.’

He flinched at the memory and Vicky’s lips tightened.

‘And what I really don’t understand,’ he said, the floodgates opening, ‘is having to speak German to Mama. I shouldn’t have to, should I? I’m an American.’

‘You most certainly are,’ she said emphatically. ‘And I’m from Yorkshire. It’s something we must never forget.’

He grinned, the solemnity vanishing from his eyes. ‘It’s as if we are in a secret society, isn’t it, Aunt Vicky? Even though everyone thinks we are becoming more and more German, we know differently, don’t we?’

‘We do indeed,’ she said, taking out the bag of sweets again, resolving to speak to Zelda about Paul’s unhappiness at the first opportunity. ‘Have another mint humbug, pet lamb, and then we’ll walk over to the lake and you can sail your boat for a little while.’

*

‘It’s a chance we must seize with both hands, Zelda.’

As a heavily pregnant Zelda sat at her writing desk, Josef walked up and down their vast bedroom, his hands clasped behind his back. ‘For the last nine years, ever since Fritz Krupp bought the old Germania shipyards at Kiel, the building of ships has been the preserve of Krupps. To be offered a contract to build two battleships for the navy is a wonderful opportunity for the House of Remer. A great opportunity.’