Negulesco moved over to the chair next to Mary. “Madam Ambassador—if I could arrange for this group to visit your country, do you think the Senate Finance Committee would approve the loan?”
Mary looked him in the eye and said, “Minister Negulesco—I can guarantee it. But I would have to know by this afternoon.”
Mary sat at her desk, waiting for the phone call, and at two-thirty Negulesco called.
“Madam Ambassador—I have wonderful news! The church group is free to leave at any time. Now, do you have some good news for me?”
Mary waited one hour and then called him back. “I just received a cable from our State Department. Your loan has been granted.”
23
Mary had been unable to get Dr. Louis Desforges out of her mind. He had saved her life, and then disappeared. She was glad she had found him again. On an impulse, Mary went to the American Dollar Shop and bought a beautiful silver bowl for the doctor and had it sent to the French embassy. It was a small enough gesture after what he had done.
That afternoon, Dorothy Stone said, “There’s a Dr. Desforges on the phone. Do you wish to speak to him?”
Mary smiled. “Yes.” She picked up the telephone. “Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon, Madam Ambassador.” The phrase sounded delightful in his French accent. “I called to thank you for your thoughtful gift. I assure you that it was unnecessary. I was delighted that I was able to be of some service.”
“It was more than just some service,” Mary told him. “I wish there were some way I could really show my appreciation.”
There was a pause. “Would you—” He stopped.
“Yes?” Mary prompted.
“Nothing, really.” He sounded suddenly shy.
“Please.”
“Very well.” There was a nervous laugh. “I was wondering if you might care to have dinner with me one evening—but I know how busy you must be and—”
“I would love to,” Mary said quickly.
“Really?”
She could hear the pleasure in his voice. “Really.”
“Do you know the Taru restaurant?”
Mary had been there twice. “No.”
“Ah, splendid. Then I shall have the pleasure of showing it to you. You probably won’t be free Saturday night—?”
“I have to go to a cocktail party at six o’clock, but we could have dinner after that.”
“Wonderful. I understand you have two small children. Would you care to bring them?”
“Thank you, but they’re busy Saturday night.”
She wondered why she had lied.
The cocktail party was at the Swiss embassy. It was obviously one of the “A” embassies, because President Alexandros Ionescu was there.
When he saw Mary, he walked over to her. “Good evening, Madam Ambassador.” He took her hand and held it longer than necessary. “I want to tell you how pleased I am that your country has agreed to make us the loan we asked for.”
“And we’re very pleased that you allowed the church group to visit the United States, Your Excellency.”
He waved a hand carelessly. “Romanians are not prisoners. Anyone is free to come and go as he pleases. My country is a symbol of social justice and democratic freedom.”
Mary thought of the long lines of people waiting to buy scarce food, and the mob at the airport, and the refugees desperate to leave.
“All power in Romania belongs to the people.”
There are gulags in Romania that we’re not allowed to see.
Mary said, “With all respect, Mr. President, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Jews who are trying to leave Romania. Your government will not give them visas.”
He scowled. “Dissidents. Troublemakers. We are doing the world a favor by keeping them here where we can watch them.”
“Mr. President—”
“We have a more lenient policy toward the Jews than any other iron curtain country. In 1967 during the Arab-Israeli war, the Soviet Union and every Eastern-Bloc country except Romania broke off diplomatic relations with Israel.”
“I’m aware of that, Mr. President, but the fact remains that there are still—”
“Have you tasted the caviar? It is fresh beluga.”
Dr. Louis Desforges had offered to pick Mary up, but she had arranged for Florian to drive her to the Taru restaurant. She telephoned ahead to inform Dr. Desforges that she would be a few minutes late. She had to return to the embassy to file a report on her conversation with President Ionescu.