Now it had been snuffed out, and the despair in her heart expanded as she watched the telegram make its way around the table, everyone dissecting each line of text for additional insight. The baron’s delay was caused because the kaiser had left Berlin to hunt for wild boar in the Mecklenburg forests.
“Surely the hunting trip is what slowed the baron down,” Benedict said. “Being away from Berlin might account for the kaiser’s conciliatory mood.”
Benedict and the others continued discussing their next steps, including how they would inform Mathilde’s lawyer of her stay of execution, but Delia could not share in their excitement.
Inga placed a hand on her knee. “I’m sorry nothing could be done for Finn,” she said softly. “Hold on to your faith. God has a plan for both of you, even though we can’t see it yet.”
How could imprisoning a man like Finn serve God’s purpose? He was trapped in solitary confinement, wasting away. When she saw him during their single visit, he looked so gaunt and thin, even though he’d been imprisoned for just a month at that point.
“If you could have seen how awful he looks, you would understand,” Delia said. “I would give everything I own if I could somehow get him on the same train that will take Mathilde to Switzerland.”
Inga gave her a warning look. “Any attempt you make regarding Finn will only risk Mathilde’s freedom.”
“It’s only wishful thinking,” Delia admitted. She wasn’t the kind of person who could break people out of jail or distribute revolutionary newspapers. She was a clerk with an eye for detail and the heart of a coward.
At least she’d succeeded in saving Mathilde. “I imagine Mathilde hasn’t been treated kindly in prison,” she said to Inga. “She will need clean clothing and some basic supplies before going to Switzerland. Let’s go shopping for her. It will help me shake off the doldrums and can be our way of thanking her for saving Finn.”
“Absolutely!” Inga said.
When she informed Bertie of their plan to go shopping, he frowned. “I need help,” he said. “I sail for New York at the end of the week and need to hire someone to get the CRB back up and running before I leave.”
“So soon?” Delia asked. “I thought we were going to spend another month here.”
Bertie shook his head. “President Wilson has summoned me home. He has appointed me to head up the U.S. Food Administration.”
Benedict whistled. “A cabinet position?”
Bertie flushed, making his baby face look even younger. “I confess, it’s a big step, but one I’m looking forward to.”
“Who will run the CRB after you leave?” Delia asked.
“Once I’ve got the Belgian office staffed, I think it will run itself. I asked President Wilson if the U.S. government could kick in the funding for additional CRB staff, and he agreed to it. I told him it was a condition for my acceptance of the new assignment.”
That meant Delia was no longer needed for fundraising back in the United States. What would she do now? Working for the CRB had been the most rewarding experience of her life. New York had lost its allure. She had no desire to return to Wesley, and everyone at the Martha Washington hated her.
If Delia were a braver person, she’d volunteer to stay in Belgium to work for the CRB. That would be impossible, though. She didn’tspeak French, Dutch, or German, so how could she tackle such a job? She’d be alone in a foreign land. She glanced at the table beside them, which was filled with hard-faced German soldiers, an intimidating reminder that Brussels was an occupied city.
And yet Delia possessed the most important qualification. She understood the CRB and had the willpower to carry out Bertie’s vision.
“I want to stay in Brussels,” she blurted, surprising even herself with the sudden decision.
“Pardon me?” Bertie said.
“You need to hire competent and trustworthy staff in a hurry. I’ll stay and help you with this.”
Even Inga looked skeptical. “Delia, you don’t speak French.”
It was a problem, but Delia had spent her entire life enumerating problems on the horizon. She could spot a risk, a pitfall, or a weak link from a mile away. What if she turned that talent into solving problems rather than coming up with excuses to stay within the safety of her routine, predictable life? Perhaps the first step in becoming a courageous person was to simply start doing brave things whether she was afraid or not.
She met Bertie’s gaze. “I know the rules and regulations of the CRB inside and out. I have the key contacts of everyone in New York at my fingertips, and I can hire translators when necessary.”
Bertie lifted his glass in a toast. “It will be a relief to have someone I trust staffing the base in Brussels.”
Delia was determined to do her utmost for the CRB. She would also help Finn while she was at it.
34
Bertie gave Delia the job, which meant she was still in Brussels on the day Mathilde was due to be released.
