“The first lady is having one of her fits. She won’t leave her bedroom. In three hours she is supposed to christen the German emperor’s new yacht, and she is refusing to go.”
“Why is the German emperor christening a yacht in Washington, DC?” It was a reasonable question, but it seemed to get under Caroline’s skin.
“Because Kaiser Wilhelm is currying favor,” she said in exasperation. “As England’s navy gets stronger, Germany has been cozying up to the United States in search of an ally. An American shipyard gets a pricey commission, the kaiser gets a new yacht, and both sides were supposed to enjoy fine publicity by having the first lady smash a bottle of champagne on its hull.”
He quirked a brow. So much for Caroline not having a political bone in her body. She had just articulated a crystal-clear assessment of international diplomacy.
“What’s the problem?”
“The president went to Philadelphia on business and neglected to take the first lady with him. Her anxiety goes haywire when he isn’t here, and she won’t cooperate. The kaiser sent his cousin Prince Gustav to be his representative, and if the first lady snubs the christening, it will be a huge embarrassment. I need something to divert attention from her absence.”
“I have no idea how I can help you.”
“Didn’t you tell me you know a blind woman who works at the Library of Congress?”
He frowned, baffled by how this could possibly relate to the kaiser’s yacht. “Elaine Larkin,” he confirmed. “I don’t personally know her. I only know her sister.”
“Perfect,” Caroline said. “Prince Gustav has a sister who is blind. She is here, and the yacht is being named in her honor. Countess Frederica will christen the yacht in place of the first lady, but this is still awkward for me. I can honor her by arranging a special tour of the blind reading room at the Library of Congress. With music and canapés, and the chance to seethe special collections of maps and globes for the blind. Can you fetch Miss Larkin to join in the ceremony? I’ll figure out a way to parlay our government’s commitment to supporting the blind to flatter the prince and his family. The christening is at two o’clock at the Washington Navy Yard.”
The breath left him in a rush. “I don’t know Elaine Larkin. I can’t promise you anything.”
“Please? You were always my hero, Gray,” Caroline said in a voice both flattering and sincere, and he hated how susceptible he was to it. She kissed his cheek and scurried from his study in a swirl of blue satin and expensive perfume.
It was annoying that his sister assumed he would drop everything to do her bidding, but he wouldn’t mind seeing Annabelle again. Annabelle was hopelessly patriotic and would probably be dazzled by this sort of thing.
It didn’t take long to hop a streetcar and arrive at the Smithsonian. He hurried through the grand entrance of the castle-like building, then vaulted up two flights of stairs and down the hallway to the workroom where Annabelle sat behind a table weighed down with plant specimens.
She looked delighted to see him, and he smiled down at her like a lovestruck idiot. He could stand there and smile all day, but the mound of odd grass before her was too distracting to pass without comment.
“Purple grass?” he asked as he closed the distance between them.
“Pennisetum setaceum,” she said primly. “All the way from East Africa. You should have seen it when it first arrived. The seed heads were magenta. I’m afraid they’re already starting to fade.”
“There’s no way to save the color?” he asked.
“No, but we had an artist make a watercolor when it first arrived. See? I’ll attach it to the back of the specimen page along with the envelope of seeds.”
It would have been fascinating to spend the afternoon rambling about the quirks of wild grasses, but he was on a mission.
“I come bearing an invitation for you and your sister,” he said. “You’ve both been invited to the christening of Kaiser Wilhelm’s new racing yacht this afternoon.”
After he explained Caroline’s dilemma, Annabelle was intrigued. “This might be good for Elaine,” she said. “She’s terrified of water, but so long as she doesn’t have to actually get on the boat, she might enjoy it. Especially meeting the countess.”
Soon Gray was striding toward the Library of Congress with Annabelle on his arm.
“I’d better ask her alone,” she said as they neared the library. “Elaine still gets nervous whenever she ventures out of known territory, so this might take a little persuasion. It’s best done without an audience.”
“I understand.”
She disappeared through the heavy doors, and he once again thanked God to have found Annabelle and that he hadn’t frightened her off with his initial boorish behavior. While cooling his heels, he strode toward the balustrade to watch tourists wander the neatly manicured grounds, especially the young couple leading a pair of children by the hand. Maybe someday soon he’d have a family of his own to escort around the city.
He glanced at his watch. Even if they left now, it would still be a tight squeeze to make it to the Navy Yard in time. He shouldn’t be asking this of Annabelle or her sister, for they had no obligation to make Caroline’s life easy.
As if his thoughts had summoned her, Annabelle pushed through the heavy brass door, a radiant smile on her face. One man held the door open while Annabelle left the building, and directly behind her came a willowy woman with her hand on Annabelle’s shoulder as she stared sightlessly ahead of her. Elaine was beautiful. She looked a little like Annabelle, but her hair was chestnut instead of dark—
His eyes widened in surprise, for behind Elaine walked another man with his hand braced on her shoulder. And behind him was a young boy not even old enough to shave, also holding on to the shoulder of the person before him. And another. And another. A single-file line of a dozen blind people walked out of the building as they followed Annabelle straight toward him.
“They all wanted to come,” Annabelle said, excitement brimming in her voice. “Will it be possible?”
