“You do more than that.” He practically beamed with pride. As if having a biddable wife was the greatest gift he could have been given. He was disgusting.
“At least you do not need to worry she’ll give you inferior children. Not with her beautiful blonde hair and striking blue eyes,” the man said. It occurred to her that Dierk had told him her name but hadn’t done the same in kind. She had no idea what to call him. She supposed she could refer to him as arse, at least in her own thoughts. It fit all of the men she met at the damned ball. She was nothing but a mute broodmare to them.
“Did you hear about the Allendorfs?” the arse asked.
“No,” Dierk replied. “What about them?” This was the first conversation they held entirely in English. That was odd. What purpose did they have for making her privy to any of what they had to say? The first part, about her, she supposed they thought was important for her to hear. Like it was praising her worthiness or something. This, though, sounded off, and they hadn’t really said anything other than a name.
“They’re harboring rats.” Anger reverberated through his voice and his cheeks were tinged with red. “We’re going to raid their home tomorrow morning before daybreak.”
Her heart raced inside of her chest. Those poor people. She had no idea who the Allendorfs were, but she wished she could help them—find some way to warn them. Unfortunately, she didn’t know anyone in German society. Even those she’d met tonight she’d never consider allies. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life.
“What a travesty. They had such potential to be one of the best German families.” Dierk sighed. “Ah, well, there’s nothing to do about it. An example must be made of them. No one goes against our cause without due punishment.”
Anya swallowed hard. Was that warning meant for her? A reminder of who Anastasia was engaged to marry and what Dierk expected of her? He didn’t know Anastasia was no more and that Anya had taken her place. Had she done something in the past that had given Dierk pause, or was Anya the one who had made him worry over what she might do? She couldn’t be certain either way, and she’d have to tread cautiously. If she hoped to help anyone, she had to be careful. It wouldn’t do any good for her, or anyone, to get caught in the process.
“You are correct,” the arse said. She really should find out the man’s name. “Would you like to join us?”
“I enjoy a righteous raid,” Dierk replied, then shook his head. “But I must leave the glory to you. My fiancée needs my attention, and I must see her home. I’ll accompany you on your next assignment.”
She would like to tell them there was no need for Dierk to see her home, but neither one would listen to her. Anya might as well hold her breath for all the good it would do her. Though this could be the opportunity to escape she’d been hoping for all night. “I am feeling fatigued,” she said in a quiet voice. Hopefully he didn’t question her and think she might be giving him any falsehoods—even though she was lying through her teeth. She couldn’t stand him and would say almost anything to separate herself from him.
Dierk turned to meet her gaze. “You poor dear. It has been a long evening. I suppose we should say our goodbyes.”
Anya would have rolled her eyes if she didn’t fear he’d make her pay for the impertinence. “All right,” she agreed, and kept her gaze lowered. Perhaps she was a better actress than she’d given herself credit for.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening, Oberst Bauer, and good luck dealing with one of our rat problems.” So that was his name… Strange he said his full name. Anya wondered why but didn’t question it too closely. She’d have to be careful not to raise his suspicion. “I trust you’ll have them scurrying out of their hiding places without any difficulty.”
“You may count on it,” Oberst Bauer replied. “I’ll have a report for you immediately following our raid.”
“Good night,” Dierk said, then turned to Anya. “Come, dear. Let’s have our driver retrieve the car, and I’ll take you home.”