Papa smiled, but it wasn’t his usual big, boisterous smile that brings a whole room to life. It was more like a flickering candle in the dark. ‘We keep it because we need to cherish reminders of sweet days and lovely people,’ he said, slipping an arm around Mama’s waist as she leaned her head on his shoulder. ‘Especially in these times.’

For a moment, none of us said anything. I wondered whether to tell them about what Elsa had said, but I was worried that if I said the words out loud, that would be the thing to make them real. If I didn’t repeat what she’d said, if I didn’t think about it, maybe I could still tell myself it might turn out not to be true.

Before I had made my mind up whether to say anything or not, the moment passed.

Papa shook himself and pulled his watch out of his pocket. ‘Right, the Mullers will be here soon. How about I open a bottle of fine wine for Shabbat?’ He winked at Mama. ‘And maybe a brandy beforehand, to loosen us up?’

He put a record on the gramophone and, as he hummed along to the music and poured drinks and opened the wine and covered the challah with a cloth ready for dinner, and as Mama tapped her feet as she cooked, the normality of it all made my heart settle back to its usual rate.

There was nothing to worry about. There was no danger. Of course there was no danger. Finally, the knot that had been tied around my stomach since the afternoon started to loosen.

I couldn’t wait to tell Elsa she’d got it wrong. I smiled as I imagined her, Max and me meeting up at the weekend. How Max and I would tease Elsa about saying something so silly.

How we would all laugh at the idea that any of us might be in danger.

EARLY 1938

ELSA

I miss Leo and Max. I miss them terribly.

Missing them is the worst thing about living in Prague.

If I’m completely honest, it’s the only bad thing. Everything else is actually quite good. I feel disloyal to the boys even thinking that, but it’s true.

Since we moved, Mutti has started smiling again. Vati sings and whistles. He’s got work again. Nothing big – he’s doing odd jobs for people – but now that the word is getting around, he has quite a few clients. We can afford to eat without worrying. We even talk and joke while we’re having dinner together, just like we used to.