Page 326 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Her eyes lit up. She put it to her nose and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and smiling. “Thank you, Alex. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s nothing compared to you.”

“Don’t we get to say hello to the bride, Alex?” Kurt stepped next to him. “Hello, Engel. You look beautiful.” He kissed her cheek and hugged her.

Anna nervously glanced toward Gretchen before smiling warmly at Kurt. “Thank you, Kurt.”

Alex mentally scolded his brother. Gretchen was already hostile toward Anna. His brother didn’t need to give his wife any more reasons to dislike Anna. Behind him, Gretchen muttered something about one man being enough, and Liesl giggled. Alex bit his tongue. The rest of the family greeted Anna warmly, except Gretchen.

Seth handed Alex the white fur coat he’d bought for Anna. Alex held it open for her to step into. “This is for you. It should keep you warm.”

Once again, her eyes lit up. “It looks so soft.” She reached out and stroked the fur and grinned, stepping closer and let him help her into it. “Ooh!” She giggled. “Can I wear this all the time?”

Everyone laughed. Except Gretchen, who made another rude comment, and he whipped around and glared at her. She smirked back.

“Alex, let it go,” his father said softly in German. “Don’t upset Anna.”

Alex looked back and saw the fright in Anna’s eyes. Guilt scorched his veins, and he sighed. “I’m not angry at you, Schatzi.”

She offered a timid smile.

He glanced at his father, who nodded, then looked back at Anna. “Shall we go get married?”

Anna nodded, her eyes sparkling again.

He put on his long wool coat and then took her hand and led her out the front door. Tony and Greg got into an SUV parked behind the limo that the family, Seth, and Sebastian piled into. A few minutes later, the vehicles pulled away from the house and they were on their way to the city.

Chapter 150

As the limo moved through the streets of Frankfurt, Anna’s gaze flitted over the passing buildings, marveling at the architecture, so different from back home. The city artfully combined modern glass and metal skyscrapers with traditional German buildings with their gabled roofs and half-timbered walls.

Her stomach felt like a battlefield, with butterflies and killer bees waging war. She couldn’t quite decide which side was winning. The thought of marrying Alex felt like something out of a dream. A wonderfully enchanting dream. She thought back to movies she’d seen as a child; the bride walking down the aisle, the vows exchanged, the rings?—

She gasped. “Alex, don’t we need wedding rings?”

“I have them.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two gold rings etched with birds and leaves, and the words “Myn Genyst.” He handed her the larger of the two rings. “These were my grandparent’s wedding rings. Myn Genyst means ‘my heart.’ In Germany, we wear our wedding rings on the right hand, so I thought we could use these rings for the ceremony and wear them on our right hand, and then pick out rings together for our left hands after. How does that sound?”

Anna stared at the beautiful ring, her heart full. Not only had Ilsa given her family heirlooms to wear on her wedding day, Alex was giving her his grandmother’s wedding ring. She smiled up at him. “That sounds wonderful. But if you don’t want to wear two wedding rings, we don’t have to.”

Alex shook his head. “We live in America for now. I don’t want anyone to doubt that we are married. In America, if I didn’t have a ring on my left hand, I would feel like I was being disrespectful. I want everyone who sees me to know that I am very happily married.”

Anna grinned at the excitement and determination in Alex’s eyes. She leaned her head against his shoulder and fiddled with the ring he’d handed her. It was so big! Then again, so was he. Everywhere. She bit her lip.

“What are you thinking about that turns your cheeks so prettily pink?” he asked in a soft voice.

She glanced up. “I was noticing how big your ring was and I...” she whispered, then blushed. “... extrapolated from there.”

Alex threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, Anna. I love you!”

The limo slowed and stopped near Frankfurt’s city hall, known as the Römer. The building was built in the half-timbered architectural style typical of medieval Germany. It was painted in pale earth tones and the edge of the rooftop looked like decorative stairs. In the spacious courtyard, extending as far as Anna could see, was a large fountain. Anna watched the people wandering around, taking pictures and drinking coffee, and she couldn’t help but wonder how they managed to stay warm in their relatively thin attire.

As she climbed out of the limo, Anna smiled at Seth and Greg, who stood nearby with the rest of Alex’s men, dressed in dark suits and ties. Seth and Greg walked ahead of the family toward the Römer, while the others flanked the side and back.

Anna clung to Alex’s hand as they entered through a pair of heavy metal doors framed within a stone archway. Inside, they found themselves in a grand foyer. Alex, who seemed quite familiar with their surroundings, led the way toward the reception desk. The receptionist’s eyes widened as he approached. He spoke briefly in German, and then the receptionist nodded and picked up the phone.

“Alex, is everything okay?” Anna whispered.

Alex smiled. “Ja, Schatzi. We’re not on the official schedule today. Everything has been done off the record.” He gave her an almost embarrassed look. “My family is well known, and it’s quite shocking that I’m engaged without the public knowing about it.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Of course, it only happened yesterday.” He gazed into her eyes and stroked her cheek. “Soon you will be my wife.”

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