“No.”
“Because I have a feeling you’ll be collecting some for your own research, so it shouldn’t be any bother to—”
“Come on, Annabelle!” he snapped, both hands on his hips as he moved in closer to glower down at her. “You didn’t really expect me to agree, did you?”
“No, but I had to try.”
He looked flabbergasted as he held his arms out wide. “Why?”
“Because I’m loyal!” she burst out. “I know you hate me for what I did, but there can never be any undoing it. So now I’m trying to help the government improve the lives of farmers all over this country, and that’s noble work.”
“A good little foot soldier,” he said bitterly.
“Yes, I am,” she retorted. “I’ve learned that a person has to fight for what they value in life. Being here isn’t easy for me, but I’m fighting for the farmers. I also felt compelled to fight for the security of this country, even though I wish I didn’t have to. I will forever regret that I was forced into that corner ... but I don’t regret the choice I made.”
“It’s not that simple, Annabelle.”
She’d had enough. “Yes, it reallyisthat simple. I had plenty of choices, but none of them were good.”
This was the wrong path to go down. She drew a calming breath and gazed at the massive ships preparing to transport American goods to all corners of the world. An American flag at the front of the port snapped and waved in the breeze. It stirred a bone-deep sense of allegiance in her, but not for Gray. That didn’t mean he was a bad man, or that he lacked a core of integrity. Gray had the ability to help farmers and people all over this country have more productive crops and better nutrition if only he could overcome his instinctive suspicion toward the government.
“Whenever I’ve been offered a chance to do something meaningful, I seize it with both hands,” she said in a calmer voice. “I can’t sail to the other side of the world, but you can. In collecting those samples, you could help farmers find a crop thatmight someday feed millions. You don’t know what it’s like to be surrounded on all sides by crops that are failing and dying, but I do, and it’s horrible. Rice might be the answer for some American farmers, but only if we find the right strain.”
She held out the box, mortified at how her hands trembled. This was so important. He had a right to be angry, but he could still choose to do something selfless and good despite his resentment of her.
Take it, please, she silently implored.Choose hope and forgiveness over anger.
“Go home, Annabelle.”
He spoke without heat, and somehow that made his rejection feel even more final. He turned away from her and strode toward the ship without a backward glance.
Twenty-Six
Annabelle took the case of empty rice vials back to the lab the next morning. It needed to be returned to David Fairchild so he could find someone else for the task. It was awful to have failed, but at least she’d tried. She’d given it her very best, and that was all God could ask of her.
But then ...hadshe truly given it her best? A stronger woman wouldn’t have lost her temper. A wiser one might never have betrayed Gray’s trust in the first place. But surely God didn’t judge her by counting her weaknesses and failures, but rather by her honest effort to live in a manner that would make Jesus proud. She had prayed, wept, and struggled over her choices, but she still wasn’t proud of her actions, so how could Jesus be?
The demoralizing thoughts hammered her as she climbed the steps toward the third-floor laboratory and almost bumped into her supervisor.
“You have a visitor,” Mr. Bryant said curtly. “I told her your workday begins in ten minutes, but she won’t leave. I trust you will conclude your business quickly.”
“Of course,” she replied.
Who could be visiting her? It couldn’t be Elaine, becauseshe’d just dropped her sister off at the Library. She turned into the lab, a curious smile on her face, ready to——
She froze. Caroline Delacroix sat in Annabelle’s chair, glaring at her with a coldness that practically leapt across the lab to slap her in the face. Every instinct urged Annabelle to turn and run, but Horace Greenfield was watching. Besides, she’d faced down far bigger challenges than Caroline Delacroix.
“Hello, Caroline,” she said, ignoring the hostility in the air as she set the box of collection vials on the lab table. “What can I do for you?”
Caroline’s hard eyes glittered as she stood and closed the distance between them. “You owe me something,” she said in a deadly calm voice.
No doubt, but this wasn’t a conversation to have in front of the biggest chatterbox in all of Washington. “Let’s go downstairs to discuss it,” Annabelle said.
Caroline gave a regal nod and followed her downstairs to the cafeteria, still empty at this time of morning. The lights weren’t even on, and only a little weak sunlight filtered in through the single window. Dozens of empty chairs and tables were available, but this didn’t seem like a social call.
Caroline got straight to the point. “My brother is rotting in prison because of you,” she spat. “Even though he’s trapped in a dank, miserable cell, he has asked for only one thing of his family, and I’m going to make it happen even if it kills me. Sadly, I need your help.”
Annabelle listened in baffled amazement as Caroline described Luke’s plan to distribute counterfeit applesauce to scientists and newspaper reporters. In so doing, they would shine a spotlight on Magruder Food’s penchant for adulterating their products. The editor ofGood Housekeeping, Mrs. Eleanor Sharpe, put a great deal of stock into the work being done by the Department of Agriculture, and Caroline wanted to capitalize on it.
