He loved the way she gaped at the stainless-steel spice mills, for they were twelve feet tall with automated grinders for pulverizing material fed in through the hopper. He stopped at each mill, letting the operator explain the unique features of the various machines they used. Some were customized for lumpy plants, while others were designed for seed. The hammer mills used rotating weights to pulverize dry spices like cinnamon, coriander, cloves, and allspice. Calibrated machines produced the exact particle size for each spice in a reliable, consistent fashion, while high-oil spices like mace and nutmeg needed to be processed by a roller mill.

Annabelle asked all the right questions, but the noise from the hammer mill was ratcheting Gray’s headache up to unbearable levels. A trickle of sweat rolled down his back, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the drying ovens or if his fever was on the rise. He should have doubled his dose of iodine that morning.

“Let me show you the vanilla,” he said over the din. “It’s done in a separate building out back.” Anything to get away from the heat and noise.

“You have a whole building just for vanilla?” she asked.

He nodded. “Vanilla is very delicate. It can’t be exposed to heat once the processing begins. We just added the pods this morning, so you can catch a glimpse of this early stage.”

He breathed a sigh of relief as they left the main factory and headed to the brick building behind it. This facility was the last project he and his father had completed together. It was their finest accomplishment, both a scientific and a commercial marvel. It looked like a plain brick building on the outside, but as they stepped inside, the pair of five-hundred-gallon gleaming steel vats dominated the view. There was no one inside, for once the process had begun, vanilla distillation required little attention.

He glanced at Annabelle to gauge her reaction, but her eyes were closed and she looked in ecstasy. Her hand was over her heart as she breathed deeply.

“I think I can die happy now,” she said. He was used to the aroma but loved watching Annabelle experience it for the first time. The smooth, luscious scent was flowery, sweet, and a little milky. It was possibly the most universally beloved scent in the world.

“We developed a cold extraction process,” he explained. “Most vanilla extract is made by heating the pods, which means it only takes four or five days. Vanilla has a complex bouquet of flavors, and heat will kill off most of them, leaving a one-dimensional taste. My cold process takes almost a month, but you can smell and taste the difference.”