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her husband, Hermann, was now a widow and childless, and the sisters had decided to keep each other company in their old age. America was a much better place to be than Germany.
    Relating to Bertha her adventures on the Queen Maia would keep them occupied for days and Gertrude was very much looking forward to it.
     
    There was a knock on the cabin door. ‘Come in,’ Olive called. She was lying on the bunk, itching like mad, and practising how she would speak when she became Rosalind Raines - quite soon, she hoped, if everything went to plan. The Queen Maia was due to berth in New York at midday. ‘How do you do, darling? So pleased to meet you,’ she said aloud in a dead posh voice.
    Ashley entered, looking harassed, his left eye dancing all over the place. ‘We’ll be docking in a couple of hours and a barge will take your lot to Ellis Island. You’d better get down there quick.’
    ‘A barge?’ She hadn’t the faintest idea what he was talking about. ‘And what do you mean by “your lot”?’
    ‘A barge is a boat, a flat bloody ship,’ he said impatiently, ‘and by your lot, I mean the immigrants. Before you ask, Ellis Island is where you’re processed before you’re allowed into America. I’ve already told you, if someone’s missing, they’ll search the ship. You know which way to go, don’t you? Through the kitchen and down the stairs at the back, the way I brought you in the first place.’
    ‘I know,’ she said, just as impatiently. ‘Just give us a minute to say tata to Annemarie and Miss Strauss.’
    ‘Who were you talking to when I came in?’ He glanced around the cabin, obviously empty apart from the two of them.
    ‘No one. I’m rehearsing a play.’ She tossed her head importantly. ‘I told you I was in show business, didn’t I?’
    ‘Yeah, and I’m the King of England.’ He smiled at her with unexpected warmth. ‘Tata, Olive. It’s been nice knowing you. I’ll miss you on the voyage home.’
    ‘Tata, Ashley.’ She wouldn’t miss him.
    The second the door closed, she leapt to her feet, opened the suitcase, flung everything that belonged to Annemarie on to a sheet on the bunk and knotted the corners to make a bundle. Next, she took the leather handbag out of the locker, put in the thirty-six pounds and Mollie’s passport, then went to look for Annemarie, praying she wouldn’t be with Gertie, who’d gone to see if her sister was among the crowd waiting for the ship to dock.
    The deck was already full of people, many with luggage at their feet. The ship felt as if it were merely drifting towards its final destination: New York! Olive paused and looked in wonder at the huge buildings soaring into the sky, all bunched together like candles on a plate. It was an impressive sight: frightening almost. Her heart lifted. Very soon, she would be part of this weird and wonderful place. With Mollie’s money and Mollie’s clothes, she could start a new life. But she wasn’t there yet. There were still things to be done before she landed and became Rosalind Raines.
    Most eyes were fixed on the approaching land, apart from a solitary figure in a green coat leaning over the side of the boat, apparently studying the murky brown water.
    ‘Annemarie!’ The girl turned slowly at the sound of Olive’s voice, her lovely eyes devoid of all recognition. You’d never think they’d shared the same cabin for all of ten days. ‘Come with me, darlin’.’ She held out her hand. The girl took it without a word and meekly allowed Olive to lead her back to the cabin.
    Once there, Olive chewed her lip. She hadn’t thought about it before, but she didn’t want Annemarie coming to any harm. Even so, she had to put herself first. She untied the bundle, and put the girl’s passport, birth certificate, and the letters from New York at the very bottom underneath the clothes, keeping back just one of the letters in case she needed it herself. It would be a while before the things were found, but at