Chapters (51)
- Cover
- Books by Elizabeth Camden
- Title Page
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Historical Note
- Questions for Discussion
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“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 really is that 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 that might 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
