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"Fortunately for me, many people do Last year the ponds around us yielded over fifteen thousand tons per acre And that was after extraction of the shells"

Heidi tried to look fascinated as Essex went on about the spawning and cultivation of oysters while leading her up a gravel path to a colonial brick house nestled in a grove of apple trees After settling her comfortably on a leather couch in his study, he produced a pot of tea Heidi studied him carefully as he poured

John Essex had twinkling blue eyes and proh cheekbones on the part of his face that showed; the bottom half was hidden in a luxuriant white mustache and beard His body had no senior citizen fat

Even when he was dressed in old coveralls, ton boots, the courtly raced the American embassy in London was still apparent

"Well, Co her a cup and saucer

"No, sir, I'm here on a personal matter"

Essex's eyebrows raised "Young lady, thirty years ago INow, I'm sad to say, you've only excited an old derelict's inquisitive nature"

"I would hardly call one of the nation's most respected diplomats an old derelict"

"Tione by" Essex smiled "How may I be of service?"

"In doing research for my doctorate, I ran across a letter written by President Wilson to Herbert Asquith" She paused to pull a transcript from her purse and pass it to hiland and America"

Essex donned a pair of reading spectacles and read the letter twice Then he looked up "How can you be sure it's genuine?"

Without answering, Heidi handed hiements and waited for a reaction

Willia to enter a lily jovial conversation Richard Essex, dapper and refined, wore a broad smile, while Harvey Shields had his head tilted back in a belly laugh, displaying two large protruding upper teeth, or what dentists terold inlays The chauffeur who held open the car door stood stiffly unamused

Essex's face reements After several moments he looked up

"What is it you're fishing for, Commander?"