Chapter Three
October 1933
Anya stared out the window of the car as it took her from the train station to the location of the temporary American Embassy. She had no concept of time. At least not in the sense she definitely was not where she belonged. Everyone believed her to be Anastasia Wegner, daughter to a staff member of Ambassador William Dodd.
As far as she could tell, she had nothing in common with Anastasia. She had no ambition and was a dutiful daughter. Had even agreed to an engagement to a German officer. Bile rose in her throat at the idea of marrying a Nazi. She couldn’t do it. There was one thing similar to her time, and just one: the opal ring on her ring finger. It was identical to the one her grandmother had gifted her…down to the floral leaf design in the silver metal and round opal.
She hadn’t noticed it at first. With everything she’d awoken to and how much her head hurt, she’d overlooked the one piece of jewelry
she…Ana had been wearing. It could be a coincidence, but she didn’t think it was. It was Ana’s engagement ring. Anya wanted to take it off her finger and fling it somewhere it wouldn’t ever be located. She couldn’t do that though. Dutiful Ana wouldn’t, and therefore Anya had to restrain her urges.
She blew out a breath and closed her eyes. They would be at the embassy soon, and she’d have to meet Ana’s father. The little she’d learned about him hadn’t left her with a good feeling. He might have done the Duke and Duchess of Weston a good turn, but he seemed to rule his house in a less than kind manner. She would have to hold back from speaking her mind. Saying the wrong thing could very well earn her a slap in the face.
Traveling with Ida had taught her that.
After they had left the Duke and Duchess’s home Ida had turned into a different woman. Well, that wasn’t true exactly. What had changed is how she believed she could treat Anya. She reminded her who was really in charge and to never treat her as she had that morning. Her orders must always be obeyed or she’d report Anya’s actions to her father—and she’d regret that. She glanced over at Ida—her prison guard. She would have to find a way to avoid her as much as possible. Somehow, she would find her way back home and out of Ana’s body, but she wasn’t sure how to go about accomplishing that.
“You are being a good girl,” Ida said. “This is what you need to do. Your father has expectations for you.” She patted her arm. “The trip to London was needed, but you belong here. Your wedding will be in a few months, and you need to accustom yourself to what your husband will wish from you.”
She gagged. “Yes, Ida.” Anya couldn’t handle any of her platitudes anymore. “I’ll make father proud.” That seemed like something she should say, but it was the last thing she wanted to actually do. The more she learned about Edward Wegner, the more she hated him.
The car pulled into a long drive and came to a stop in front of a large building with high gates around it. They waited for the gates to open, and then they traveled inside. The car stopped again at the entrance. Time for her to face the things she wanted to avoid.
She stepped out of the car and paused for Ida. Once she was by Anya’s side, they walked into the embassy together. In this one instance she was glad for Ida. The maid was a buffer of sorts. After they were inside, a servant welcomed them. “Miss Anastasia,” the man greeted them. He was dressed in all black. His ebony hair was the nearly the same shade as his suit, and his silvery blue eyes were striking. They were an odd shade she found familiar. She couldn’t look away, mesmerized by their beauty. “I’ve been assigned to be your guard. You’re not to leave the embassy without me, your fiancé, or your father.” She had no desire to leave in either her men’s company. If she wanted to leave, she’d try to ensure it was in the company of her new guard.
She frowned. Great. Now she had another person that would be following her every move. She swallowed hard and nodded. “I understand…Mister…” Had he introduced himself? She couldn’t recall in that moment.
“Arthur Jones,” he said evenly in a no-nonsense tone. He kept his head held high and didn’t move a muscle. “Ma’am.”
He was a soldier. That made sense in a bodyguard. She didn’t hold it against him. He was only doing his job, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. “Mr. Jones,” she said and smiled at him. “I have no intention of putting myself in danger. It’s a perilous time in Germany, and I do not want to be a casualty to it. Thank you for doing your part to keep me safe.”
He was quiet a moment before speaking. “Yes, ma’am.” Had he expected her to put up a fuss? Anastasia was a proper lady in every sense of the word without actually having the title. Ana knew what was expected of her. Ida had ensured she understood her place on their trip to Germany. That was when Ida’s strictness became evident and Anya learned quick to keep her thoughts to herself. “Now,” she began. “If you’ll excuse us.” She gestured toward Ida. “It’s been a long trip, and I’d like to rest.” What she didn’t say was she needed some time to herself. If she went to her chambers then Ida would leave her alone. She wouldn’t feel as if her every move was being observed.
“Of course,” he said and nodded. He moved aside so Anya and Ida could pass him. He wasn’t handsome exactly, but definitely arresting. In another time, she might have taken an interest in him.
Ana wanted to glance back at him but kept her focus in front of her. If she showed any interest in Arthur Jones, Ida would run and tattle on her. Besides, nothing could come of it. Anya didn’t belong here, and Ana had a fiancé.
* * *
Anya staredout the window of her room. She’d been in Germany for a week now, and she’d made no progress in figuring out how to return home. She might have to resign herself to her current situation. Perhaps she should do something productive with her time in 1933. There was a great war coming and thousands would die. If she could, and was brave enough, it might be possible to save some of the people the Nazi government would target.
What if that was the reason she’d been sent here?
She sighed. If she hoped to make a difference, she’d have to leave her bedroom. Hiding wouldn’t help anyone, especially herself. She could seek out Arthur Jones and have him accompany her out of the embassy since the only good thing about having a Nazi fiancé was it gave her a cover of sorts. No one should suspect her of helping Jews escape persecution. The problem was she had no idea how to go about finding and helping those in need. If she approached the wrong person it would get her killed or worse. There were worse things than dying…
With a sigh, she turned away from the window and went to the door and pulled it open. If she was going to start living, she had to take the first step. She walked down the hall and headed to Ana’s father’s office. Thinking of him in those terms kept it more formal and not real to her. She disliked the man intensely. He was far slimier in person than she had anticipated. Anya had yet to meet her fiancé, Dierk Eyrich. He was out of town doing an inspection on a concentration camp. They had not called it that, but Anya knew what it was. It was one of the worst camps to exist in history—Buchenwald. Not that any of the camps were good. They were all horrible, and so many had died.
She knocked on the door to Edward Wegner’s office. After a few moments, he called out, “Come in.”
Anya went inside and waited for him to address her. He sat behind a large mahogany desk, writing. After a few awkward moments of silence, he glanced up. “What can I do for you, Anastasia?”
“I’d like permission to attend the opera tonight.” A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed, trying to remove it, but it stubbornly stayed in place. “The Berlin State Theater is having an encore performance of Richard Wagner'sDie Meistersinger von Nürnbergtonight.” She had overheard the ambassador’s wife mention the opera performance. The ambassador and his wife had been sent an invitation, but they had declined it.
He didn’t even glance at her as he began talking, “Dierk isn’t here to escort you, and I don’t wish to see the opera. I’m far too busy.” He began to write frantically again. “This isn’t important. Find something else to occupy your time with. When Dierk returns, he can help entertain you.”
She had to convince him. Going to the opera was the first step she could take to further her goals. She had to ingratiate herself in German society. How else could she uncover plans regarding the capture of Jews? She didn’t have any other means of gaining information. “I’d still like to attend. Can’t Mr. Jones accompany me? He is my guard, isn’t he? He’ll see I’m kept safe and treated properly.” Anya hoped Arthur wouldn’t mind seeing some German propaganda. It would definitely be quite nauseating. She assumed he wasn’t a Nazi sympathizer like Edward Wegner.
Edward glanced up and met her gaze. “You must really wish to see this opera. What do you hope to gain from it?”
