‘Never mind, you nosey little miss,’ said Rosamund, tapping the girl’s nose lightly with her finger. ‘Just run along and play.’ Johannes had already escaped to the playroom, needing no excuse or encouragement, and his sister was now quick to join him.

Once the children were safely out of earshot, and the three of them had their coffees, Müller began to question the man, and her adoptive mother, about what their proposal entailed.

‘It’s just an idea I had after talking with Wolfgang,’ said Rosamund. ‘I was obviously happy to look after the twins for as long as I possibly could after Helga’s health problems. But I suppose I didn’t realise that, really, she wouldn’t be getting better. And you’re not in a position to give them the support they need because of your work, not to mention the fact that you’re away from Berlin so much.’

Müller found herself bristling at the implied criticism.

‘So we think we may have found a solution to help both you and me,’ continued her adoptive mother.

‘That’s right,’ added the man. ‘You were probably surprised how good they were on their skis just now.’

‘Well I was certainly impressed,’ said Müller. Then she smiled. ‘I’m not sure about surprised. It’s probably in the genes. But yes, considering their age, they seem to be very good.’

‘Not just very good,’ replied Mayer. ‘I believe they are exceptional talents. With the right nurturing, who knows what they could achieve when they’re teenagers and adults. Which is where I come in.’

‘How so?’ asked Müller.

‘I want to offer them special scholarship training places at the school.’

‘The school?’

‘Kinder and Jugendsportschule Rosa-Luxemburg – here in Oberhof.’

‘Aren’t they a little young?’ Müller was wary. They might love skiing now, but what if they came to hate it, as she had in the end with ski-jumping? As for mapping out their life at less than six years old, it seemed ludicrous.

‘They love their skiing, though, you’ve got to admit that,’ said Rosamund. ‘Since they’ve been living with me, it’s all they ever want to do. And this provides a solution.’

‘A solution?’

‘Your mother—’

‘Adoptive mother.’ Müller wasn’t sure why she corrected the man. Perhaps he’d just rubbed her up the wrong way. Rosamund and he seemed to have hatched some plan, and were only now inviting Müller – who was the twins’ mother, after all – to give her thoughts on the matter. She saw that Rosamund looked hurt, laid her hand on hers, and mouthed a ‘sorry’.

‘Well, yes . . .’ stumbled the man. ‘Anyway, I think Frau Müller – fit and active though she is, of course – has been finding things all too much.’

‘Is that true, Mutti? You’ve never mentioned it to me.’