Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus

radiance. She had worked hard for each wrinkle and gray hair, she once said. Her husband had been taken from her too soon, struck down by a heart attack, leaving her with an ailing coffee-roasting business in Hamburg, a family castle in Schleswig-Holstein that needed a lot of work, and several properties mortgaged to the hilt in Hamburg’s best neighborhoods. Promoted to administrator of the company after her husband’s death, and despite raising three children and facing a dim outlook for the future, she had energetically taken the reins and fearlessly dived into the fray against creditors and the banks. Now, after ten years of hard work and shrewd dealings, both the firm and private property had been saved and restored. Not one employee’s position had been lost, and Theresa enjoyed the utmost respect from her staff and business partners.
    “Apropos men,” Quentin put in. “How’s it going with you, Esa? Any news?”
    She smiled. “A lady takes her pleasure and keeps her mouth shut.”
    “Why didn’t you bring him along?”
    “Because I knew that you would pounce on the poor guy and dissect him mercilessly.” She then nodded in the direction of her parents and the rest of the relatives, who were spellbound as they watched the action in the arena. “And the whole clan too.”
    “So there is somebody,” Quentin persisted. “At least tell us something about him.”
    “No.” She held out her empty glass to her younger brother. “Why don’t you see about getting us a refill?”
    “Why is it always me?” Quentin complained, but obeyed out of long habit and left.
    “Are you and Cosima having problems?” Theresa asked, turning to Oliver. He gave his sister a startled look.
    “No. Why would you think that?”
    She shrugged but didn’t take her eyes off her sister-in-law. “Something is different between the two of you.”
    Oliver knew his sister’s infallible intuition. There was no point in lying that he and Cosima were not getting along.
    “Well, last summer after our silver anniversary we had a small crisis,” he admitted. “Cosima had rented a finca on Mallorca and wanted to spend three weeks there with the whole family. After a week I had to leave, because a difficult case came up. She took offense at that.”
    “Aha.”
    “She accused me of leaving her all alone with Sophia, even though that wasn’t the original plan. But what could I do? I can’t just switch gears to be a full-time parent and play the househusband!”
    “But you should be able to manage three weeks of vacation,” Theresa replied. “I don’t want to meddle, but you are an official. In your absence wouldn’t there be someone to cover for you?”
    “Do I hear a hint of contempt for my profession in your voice?”
    “Don’t be so touchy, dear,” his sister tried to mollify him. “But I can understand why Cosima was angry. She has a job too, and doesn’t really fit the traditional kids-kitchen-church role, in which you, the old macho man, would prefer to cast her. Maybe you’re even happy that she doesn’t go off on expeditions anymore and you have her completely under your thumb.”
    “That’s not true at all,” Oliver countered, looking upset. “I have always supported her in her work. I think what she’s doing is very admirable.”
    Theresa looked at him, and a mocking smile spread across her face. “Nonsense. You can say that to everyone else, but not to me. I’ve known you too long.”
    Feeling caught, Oliver said nothing. His eyes wandered over to Cosima. As usual, his big sister had effortlessly succeeded in putting her finger on the sore point. She was right this time too. He was actually relieved that since Sophia was born, Cosima was no longer going off for weeks at a time to travel all over the world . But he didn’t like hearing it from his sister.
    Quentin returned with three glasses of champagne, and their conversation drifted to other, less charged topics. After the riding demonstrations were