A Rose in Winter
an excerpt

Hans came into Anna’s life in 1929. Unlike her sister, Maria, Anna had insisted on finding work, eventually becoming secretary to Michael Spitz, Hans’ father, who ran an extensive fabric production factory in the centre of Berlin. Hans was already being groomed to take over the business from his aging father. Hans’ frequent visits to the factory meant that he quickly noticed the pretty brown-haired woman at the desk outside his father’s office.
“Wie heissen Sie?” What’s your name?
He leaned against the heavy desk, his arms crossed over his chest and the lock of dark hair that would never lie neatly hanging in his eyes. Anna looked up at him and gave a teasing smile.
“Have you forgotten from yesterday, mein Herr? And the day before? And the day before that?”
Hans grinned, slipping his hands into the neatly tailored trousers that spoke of the wealth his family enjoyed and giving a slight shrug. “How else ought one begin a conversation with a pretty girl? Shall we talk about the weather, or is that an occupation reserved solely for the British?”
Anna laughed and her bright blue eyes sparkled. “We can certainly discuss the weather if you wish it.” She folded her hands demurely in her lap. “It is indeed a fine day, Herr Spitz, although I fear we may have more snow before the sun sets.”
The man threw his hands in the air. “So much effort on compliments and all wasted by such meaningless small-talk! Oi vey!”
Before Anna could respond, the elder Herr Spitz came out of the office, a stern look in his brown eyes. “Mein Sohn,” he began sharply, “there is much for you to do. If you have no other work yourself, I have much that you could be doing. Perhaps it were better for me to have sent you to our office in Hamburg than Herr Romanovski.”
“Coming, Father.” Hans rose from the desk and followed his father into the office with what Anna could almost have believed was a rueful sigh. She watched him go with an inward sigh of her own before turning back to her work. His visits brought a flash of life to her day, which was otherwise strictly routine. Michael Spitz was very particular about his activities, something that Anna sometimes found confining.