The food industry stood on a cusp, and it was anyone’s guess where it would go in the next decade. Either the shortcuts pioneered by the Magruders would take center stage, or the Delacroixs would figure out a way to remain competitive with pure and genuine products.
He couldn’t predict the outcome, but with luck, he could use this weekend conference to turn the tide in his favor.
Annabelle had been reading the newspaper for Elaine ever since the blindness struck. That once-enjoyable task had now become a daily torture as she scanned the newspaper, desperately searching for news about Gray. Had they arrested him yet? Would that sort of story even make the newspapers? The government might handle it in a secret manner, and she’d never learn anything.
Elaine was reading one of her braille books when Annabelle arrived at their apartment with the evening edition of the paper.
“Keep reading while I find some stories of interest,” she said, hoping anxiety hadn’t leaked into her voice. She’d never told Elaine about spying for the government. She was ashamed of Gray and ashamed of herself. To the bottom of her soul, she wished she’d never been painted into a corner and asked to spy.
Her fingers trembled as she paged through the newspaper, praying she’d finally learn something but equally hopeful she’d see nothing.
Nothing. She drew a steadying breath. She had another day of reprieve. She flipped back to the front page and landed on an interesting story.
“All right, I’ve found something,” she said, and Elaine put her book aside. “It says here that David Fairchild has returned from abroad with over a hundred new specimens of fruit and edible cereal grasses collected for the Department of Agriculture.”
She’d heard of Mr. Fairchild, for he was the botanist who had created the plant exploration program for the Department of Agriculture. Annabelle continued reading the article, but it seemed Elaine wasn’t interested, as her fingers began surreptitiously scanning the pages of her braille book.
“Is this boring for you?” Annabelle asked.
Elaine jerked her fingers off the book as though she’d been burned. “Not at all! I’m sorry. Please continue.”
Annabelle lifted the newspaper again. “‘Mr. Fairchild is especially proud of his efforts to identify more productive strainsof hops while visiting Bavaria,’” she read. The story was quite exciting. It went on to recount the young botanist’s efforts to select Bavarian hops that could flourish in the American heartland. Some of the farmers were so possessive of their crop, they hired young men to stand guard over the fields to prevent theft.
Elaine’s fingers were creeping across her book again. She wasn’t paying a bit of attention!
“What are you reading?” Annabelle asked. If Elaine had something more interesting, perhaps she could read aloud.
“I don’t think you’d be interested,” Elaine quickly said.
“Try me.”
Elaine looked a little embarrassed but finally flipped the book closed so Annabelle could see the title, which was written both in braille and print.The Culinary History of Delicatessen Meats.
“What made you pick that out?” Annabelle asked, genuinely curious.
Elaine shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seems interesting to me.”
They decided to each read quietly to themselves, although nothing Annabelle read held her attention. Her worries continually strayed back to Gray Delacroix and what he was doing at that very moment. If he hadn’t been arrested yet, he was probably enjoying his last hours of freedom on this earth. It was impossible to enjoy a simple summer evening knowing that Gray’s world was about to be destroyed.
Seventeen
Gray was the lunchtime speaker for the final day of the conference. The past two days had been spent with invited speakers who presented innovations in commercial drying ovens, automated packaging facilities, and new bottling techniques. Most of yesterday had been consumed with discussion about how to fight pending tariffs that would make international trade more difficult. Last night Jedidiah Magruder had shared his thoughts on the potential for chemical flavorings, and he’d held the audience of almost two hundred people in the food and spice industry spellbound.
But it was fool’s gold, and it was Gray’s job to outmaneuver his family’s chief rival.
Lunch was coming to an end, and most of the conference attendees at the banquet set down their silverware and turned their chairs toward the podium to listen. Gray gauged the audience carefully. He was a newcomer and was at a disadvantage. While everyone was intrigued by the innovative techniques pioneered by the Magruders, plenty were still skeptical, and Gray needed to learn who his allies were.
He began his speech by recounting his visit to the kitchen prior to their meal today. “I watched the chef as he prepared the mustard-cream sauce for the braised chicken we all just enjoyed,” he said. “Every ingredient that went into that panwas natural. Ground mustard seeds, minced garlic, and fresh cream. He chopped dill and basil that had been snipped from the garden earlier this morning. He finished the sauce with a splash of white wine.”
And given the state of the plates, it looked as if the men had enjoyed their meal. Dickie Shuster fromThe Washington Posthad liked it so much, he’d ordered a second plate.
Gray continued in the same confident, clear voice. “You will be glad to know that the chef didn’t add any wood-tar to the recipe. No petroleum was used to thicken the sauce. There were no attempts to use sulfur to imitate the depth and heat of natural mustard.”
While he still couldn’t tell who his allies were in the crowd, he could spot the ones who were hostile. Men began to shift in their seats and look away from the podium. He continued without faltering.
“As advances in science allow us to find cheaper and easier alternatives, we must begin policing ourselves. If we don’t clean up our act, the government will step in and do it for us. Do you want government men in your factories, rummaging through your files and purchase orders, regulating your products? Yes, it’s hard to keep agricultural goods fresh while being shipped from around the world.Thatis where we should be investing our scientific research: in how to preserve our fruits, herbs, and vegetables rather than in adulterating them with chemicals.”
Now he could spot his allies. They were nodding and smiling. A few were leaning over to whisper to each other.
