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
- In 2020, look forCaroline Delacroix’sstory in
- About the Author
- Back Ads
- Back Cover
“You can’t,” Mr. Bittles said from across the room. “I want those seed pods cataloged by the end of the day. I’m allergic to eucalyptus oil, so I’m not touching them.”
But all Annabelle could see was the edge of the second letter peeking out from the boy’s coat pocket, and it was irresistible. “Let me see that other letter,” she said, and the boy handed it over.
Annabelle,
Quit being such a rule follower. The Smithsonian will survive if you play hooky for an afternoon. What I have to show you will not.
Gray
Now she was dying of curiosity, and Dr. Norwood had granted her all the time she needed where Gray Delacroix was concerned. She stood and tipped the remainder of the seeds into an envelope, then returned them to the box of eucalyptus samples.
“I’m going on an errand for Dr. Norwood,” she told Mr. Bittles. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
Her nerves were stretched tight the entire journey to the factory. Everything about this felt wrong. She wasn’t a woman of tremendous valor or daring heroism, but she’d always tried to lead her life in a way that would honor Jesus through small acts of goodness every day. Hour by hour, brick by brick, these small choices had slowly built a life of integrity. How could she reconcile that view of her world while betraying Gray’s trust?
At the end of her life, she wanted to know she had made a difference for the better, and that meant she couldn’t avert her eyes while treason or sabotage found a foothold. She couldn’t overlook it because of her affection for a single man. All she could do was use her best judgment and pray.
The sooner she began this awful task, the sooner she could exonerate Gray and move forward with her life.
Gray sat at his factory office desk, forehead in his hands as he tried to will the pain away. He should have known he was in trouble as soon as he awoke this morning, but he’d assumed it was a simple headache as he set off for the ten-minute carriage ride to the spice factory.
This wasn’t a simple headache. This was a malaria relapse, but with luck it wouldn’t be too bad for at least another day. He’d already taken a dose of quinine and a swig of iodine for good measure, so he ought to be able to get through the day.