The Cuckoo Bird: Say The War Had Never Happened...

Chapter Two

Slumping into him, Anna smiled. 'Like you, you mean?'

'Oi!' He nudged her. 'Don't bring my personal life into this. I'm doomed to only have casual flings. At least I take them up on it.'

'The last one was the Russian right?' Anna asked, looking up at him.

'Alexei,' sighed Karl wistfully. 'If only he'd been here longer than a week.'

'You'd have had severe friction burn if he had,' mumbled Anna.

Karl burst into fits of laughter. 'I love your wicked side. You should set her loose more often.'

'It's better she stays hidden,' Anna mumbled as a flurry of footsteps heralded a new arrival.

Elli burst in through the door, her face immediately lighting up. 'Karl! You're back!' She flung herself into his arms, Karl squeezing her tight.

'I only moved twenty minutes away,' he smiled, setting her down. He measured her height against his. 'Why do you have to be so tall? You're making me look bad.'

Elli laughed, twirling for him. 'You still have to take me out for my sixteenth birthday though, like you promised!'

'Well maybe by then I will be accustomed to you towering over me,' he said with a grin. 'Still got a few years yet, though.'

'Only three!' Elli pointed out as they sat together on the bed. 'How come you're here anyway?'

Karl bent close to her but kept his whispers loud enough for Anna to clearly her him. 'Anna has an admirer and she's all coy about it.'

Elli gasped.

Anna spun to glare at her friend. 'Traitor.'

'Who is he?' Elli asked. 'When can I meet him?'

'You're not going to meet him!' said Anna haughtily. 'It's nothing. Just drop it.'

Elli grumbled and got to her feet. 'You're no fun anymore!'

Anna cocked an eyebrow. 'If that's the case, then why are you in my room?'

'Mama wants you.'

'All right. We'll be down in a moment.'

'Will you stay for supper?' Elli asked Karl.

'Don't I always?'

Elli kissed his cheek, then turned to Anna. 'I didn't really mean it.'

'I know,' Anna smiled, pulling her in for a huge cuddle. It didn't matter how old Elli got, she was still Anna's baby.

'Get off!' Elli whined, attempting to wriggle free.

'Never,' Anna said, gripping her tight so that Elli kept squirming.

'I'll lick you!' Elli threatened, stumbling as Anna let her go. She stuck her tongue out, then ran down the stairs.

'We'd better go,' Anna sighed. 'Line our stomachs before we head out for the night.'

'It's only the cinema. How drunk do you suppose we'll get?'

Anna looked him up and down. 'Do you, or do you not, have a hip flask in your jacket pocket?'

'How dare you accuse me of such recklessness!' Karl spluttered with feigned upset. 'Anyways, I have two. One for each of us.'

Giggling, Anna grabbed his hand and hauled him after her.

Rachel was stood by the kitchen counter, Elli perched beside her, swinging her legs. The two looked so alike, and it always made Anna's heart pang in jealousy. Looking through their post, Rachel glanced up as the two old friends charged into the kitchen. She peered at them over her glasses, her smile lines around her eyes creasing further upon sight of Karl.

'Karl Von Hart, you rascal. It's been too long since you came to see us!' She opened her arms to pull him into a hug, Karl acquiescing immediately.

'That's what my mother says too,' said Karl. 'And she's just as big a liar as you are.'

'So rude!' said Rachel, slapping him playfully with an envelope. Then she looked at Anna, cupping her face in her hands to pull her close and kiss her nose. 'So, my girl, what's this I hear about a secret admirer?'

Elli giggled as Anna scowled at her.

'Come along!' said Rachel, shaking Anna a little before she released her. 'Tell me about him.'

'He's the new patron for the museum,' Karl cut in before Anna had the chance to protest.

'Felix Keller?' Rachel spluttered. 'That letch! He's nearly as old as I am...'

'No, his son,' Anna assured her, leaning onto the counter and resting her head against Elli's shoulder. 'Mathias Keller. He's thirty-two.'

'That's far more appropriate,' agreed Rachel. 'So, where is he taking you?'

'She turned him down!' said Karl.

'Will you let me speak for myself!' snapped Anna.

'No, because you keep saying the wrong things,' replied Karl. 'Please Rachel, help me out. Tell her she should go!'

'I've already turned him down. I can't exactly change my mind now.'

'He promised you'd see him again,' retorted Karl.

'Oooh! Then you should ask him!' said Elli.

'Elli!' chastised Rachel. 'It's not proper for a young lady to ask out a gentleman.'

'Why not?' asked Elli. 'This is 1947!'

'You need to stop listening to your father quite so much,' sighed Rachel, hurrying her off the countertop. 'Now off with you. I'm sure you have homework to do.'

'But...'

'And I'm not weak like your father. You won't get around me like that.' Rachel pointed to the kitchen table where Elli had piled her books.

Grumbling, Elli did as she was told.

'So, why did you say no?' Rachel asked, turning her attention back to her eldest daughter.

Anna shrugged as nonchalantly as she could muster. 'He seemed chauvinistic.'

Rachel eyed Karl. 'There's your answer then.'

'Oh Rachel, you spoil sport.' he sighed.

'I trust my daughter's judgment,' retorted Rachel, then cleared her throat. 'In other news, Professor Krause came to see me today.'

Anna's ears perked up. 'He did?'

'He wondered whether you would pay him a visit one afternoon this week? He says he has a job offer for you.'

Squealing, Anna jumped up and down. 'He did? He really said that?'

Rachel grinned. 'I think you might get to go on that dig after all.'

'Oh Little One I'm so pleased for you!' cried Karl, throwing his arms around her. Anna's heart fluttered wildly.

When Professor Krause had mentioned the Luxor dig, she'd never dared to dream he might actually off her a place. After all, he could have taken any one of the 5 doctoral graduates with him, and she was hardly the most prestigious. Even if she was top of the class.

'I'll come by tomorrow afternoon,' said Anna.

'I'll let him now,' said Rachel. 'So best not get too tipsy this evening you two. You'll want to be as fresh as possible, so he doesn't have second thoughts.'

'We won't,' Anna assured her before Karl could cut in.

Rachel checked her watch. 'Has anybody seen Maria? I thought she'd still be here?'

'She said dinner's in the fridge,' piped Elli, pointing over to it. 'She didn't want to leave Charles to close up the shop on his own.'

Rachel rolled her eyes. 'Thank you, my sweet. But back to work.'

'Karl, come and help me choose what to wear for tomorrow,' Anna said, grabbing his hand to pull him back upstairs.

'Be down in an hour for supper,' called Rachel.

Anna charged away, her mind now totally consumed with her dreams of Egypt. Even if there was a pair of icy eyes burrowing their way in every now and then.