She nodded. “He’s the scary diplomat who married my best friend.” Delia still couldn’t believe sunny and cheerful Inga had married such a daunting person.
“A fair description,” Bertie acknowledged. “He may be a cold fish, but there is no denying Benedict’s uncanny ability to broker alliances. He was stationed in Berlin for eight years before the war and knows all the major players, both in Germany and on the Allied side. He’s coming with me to Rotterdam to help with negotiations. I’ll stay in Rotterdam while Benedict will travel on to Brussels to negotiate with the occupying German forces there. His wife will be accompanying him. I gather Inga is a skilled telegrapher and has agreed to facilitate communications between Rotterdam and Brussels.”
Delia caught her breath. “I didn’t realize women were allowed to go to the front lines like that.”
“Not many have gone over, but there’s a need for skilled clerks and secretaries,” Bertie said. “I’ve always been short-staffed whenever I’m in Europe, so Inga will be worth her weight in solid gold.”
“What about the U-boats?”
His smile was sad. “For every ship the Germans sink, around thirty make it through. In times like these, we must confront the danger, or inaction will harm our cause more than the enemy ever could.”
He was right, of course. Whenever Delia was threatened with danger, she instinctively recoiled and told herself it wasn’t fear but prudence that held her back. Yet itwasfear, and the courage of those around her was humbling.
Inga and Benedict had sailed to Europe several times in the past few years on important diplomatic missions. Bertie was continually sailing to Europe ever since the war began. Although she vehementlydisagreed with Finn’s mission, he was the personification of courage in the face of danger. So far, Delia’s efforts for peace had amounted to little other than shouting into the whirlwind. The cold shell of fear had blocked her from doing anything more meaningful.
“Can Benedict negotiate for Mathilde Verhaegen?” The question popped out before she had fully formulated a plan, but suddenly it made sense. “You said he was going to Brussels to negotiate with the Germans. That’s where Mathilde is being held. Could he help get her released?”
Bertie looked mildly appalled. “Benedict and I will be wholly absorbed with talks to reopen the Port of Rotterdam. We cannot dilute our mission on behalf of an individual woman.”
Delia didn’t know much about international law, but it took six days to cross the Atlantic Ocean. She would not allow inaction to define her any longer. Women like Mathilde were risking everything for a cause while Delia never ventured outside the safety of a courtroom.
She wanted to be a better, braver person. She wanted to have at least a fraction of the courage that had guided Mathilde’s life since the day Germany took control of Belgium. The time for action had come.
“If you need a secretary, I would be honored to accompany you to Rotterdam,” she said.
And during the voyage, she would figure out a way to free Mathilde Verhaegen.
26
Delia stood beside Inga on the main deck of the SSInfanta Isabellaas the ship left New York Harbor behind. She’d lived in New York her entire life but had never seen the skyline so clearly before. Every skyscraper, bridge, and church building was a landmark of her beloved city. Was it too early to feel homesick? Everything felt strange as the ship gently lifted and fell with the waves, and she prayed she wouldn’t succumb to seasickness once they reached open water.
They were accompanied by Bertie and Benedict Kincaid, the diplomat Inga had married. TheInfanta Isabellawas a Spanish ship, so they would be permitted to dock at Rotterdam without incident since Spain was considered a neutral nation.
Wind buffeted Delia’s face, and she had to shout to be heard. “Do you know how to swim?” she asked Inga.
“Nope,” she replied with a cheerful smile. “Do you?”
“No.” It was yet another reason to worry. U-boats had torpedoed plenty of neutral ships. A shiver raced through her, and she tugged the lapels of her coat tighter. Every major decision she’d made in her life had been influenced by fear. If she’d been more courageous, she would have gone to law school. She would havewalked away from Wesley years ago. She would have given the three hundred dollars to Finn, and they would have opened the kite store together, as partners.
Courage wasn’t the absence of fear; it was moving forward despite the fear.
Inga gave her a friendly nudge. “The crossing will be fun! We’ll have six days until we reach Rotterdam, and we can relax the whole way there. Tonight we’ll have dinner at the captain’s table, and in three days there will be a party to celebrate Halfway Night. It’s always such a fabulous party.”
The crossing wouldn’t be a party for Delia. She had six days to study and master the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, which Wesley believed contained the best legal strategies for freeing Mathilde. The book contained four hundred pages of legal analysis, commentaries, and appendices. It would be dry reading, but the real challenge would be convincing Inga’s husband to use his influence to help Mathilde.
“I still can’t believe you’re married,” Delia said.
Inga wiggled her left hand, showing off her wedding band. “Six months next week!”
How a woman as cheerful as Inga could be happy with a wet blanket like Benedict Kincaid was baffling. Delia had never seen Benedict crack a smile, and yet he was the man she needed to help save Mathilde.
“Are there any special tricks to getting on Benedict’s good side?”
Inga gave her a curious look. “Why do you need to get on his good side?”
“Because Bertie won’t lend his influence to help Mathilde. I thought Benedict might be more open to it.”
“Did Finn put you up to this?”
