‘And I will. I have to return to my duties at Dachau in the morning, but I’ll call on her soon.’
‘So, I won’t see you again before I join my unit?’
‘No.’
‘Then this is our farewell drink.’ Johann filled both of their glasses and they clinked them together.
‘Stay safe, Johann,’ Volker said. ‘It’s a great honour for you to be serving with the Leibstandarte. I only wish I were joining the fight with you. Perhaps I will before the end, but my father—’
‘I know. Your father has given you camp duties because he wants to protect you.’
Volker nodded. He still appeared somewhat sombre, but Johann was pleased to see his old friend sitting opposite him again, and in part he felt sorry for him. He thought they would have made a formidable pair on the battlefield.
‘I’ll pass on your apology when I see Ava tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Perhaps it will help smooth things over before you go to see her.’
Volker smiled. ‘You see. You already have another date lined up. Ava has already chosen you, but you’re too much of a Bl?dmann to do anything about it.’ He laughed and it was refreshing to see. ‘You might as well ask her to marry you and be done with it.’
Johann laughed with him. ‘And you think she would say yes?’
Volker looked suddenly incredulous. ‘Are you blind, Johann? Isn’t it obvious? Why do you think I’ve been so moody since the restaurant?’
‘I’ve been wondering what’s come over you.’
‘It’s because I’ve lost, Johann, and I don’t like it when things don’t go my way—you know that. But if you don’t do something about it soon, I shall call on Ava every chance I get. It won’t be so easy for you to see her. While you’re off fighting, I’ll woo her into submission.’
Johann laughed again and they both downed their drinks. ‘One more Schnaps for my courage then,’ he said, refilling their glasses.
‘And one for friendship. I’ll miss you, Johann.’
Volker sat up and reached a hand into his pocket. When he brought it out again he was holding a small, blue velvet box. He slid it across the table.
‘I want you to have this. For Ava.’
Johann picked up the box and opened it. A sapphire and diamond ring began to sparkle in the candlelight, like sunlight over a shimmering sea.
‘It’s beautiful,’ Johann said as he took in the imposing central stone and the numerous diamonds that were clustered around it.
‘It belonged to my grandmother. I was going to give it to Ava this evening, if I thought she would accept it.’
The revelation surprised Johann. ‘You weren’t wasting any time, were you?’
‘I wanted to beat you to it, but it’s you she wants. I’m over her.’
‘Just like that?’
‘It doesn’t happen often, Johann, but I know when I’m beaten.’
Johann shook his head. ‘Must everything be a contest between us?’ He slid the ring back to Volker. ‘I can’t accept it. If not to Ava, you should give it to someone else when the time comes.’
‘Please take it, Johann. I want Ava to have it. I’m sure she’ll accept it from you. Consider it my parting gift.’
Johann didn’t know what to say. He could plainly see how much the gesture meant to Volker, and he didn’t want to offend him. He supposed it would make Volker happy to know it would still be his ring on Ava’s finger, even if he did not have Ava’s hand—a consolation prize perhaps, but it had belonged to his grandmother, or so he had said. It seemed odd to Johann that his friend would give something so precious away so easily. But then Volker Strobel had always been an odd boy, and it seemed that manhood had done little to change that.
‘Thank you,’ Johann said, drawing the ring back across the table. He took another look at it before he closed the box with a snap and slid it into his pocket, considering that a ring was just what he needed if he was going to propose to Ava at the Park Café the following afternoon.
Chapter Ten
Present day.
Although Tayte liked getting around by taxi, for convenience, and to help keep the expenses down, he’d hired a car for the week. It was a small black BMW, which he and Jean collected from the rental company early on the morning of their second day in Munich. Tayte had contacted the German Heart Centre before they set out, to enquire how Johann Langner was and whether he was able to receive visitors again. He had been given little information, other than to say that a visit was not possible at this time, so instead, he thought to contact Langner’s son. He’d arranged to meet him at the Langner art gallery and auction house that afternoon.