Jewel of the Pacific (33 page)

It was a last-ditch try, but she was in the mood to try. What had she to lose? As Martin Luther had once said, “One with God is a majority.”

If she failed, if this deed perhaps was not God’s purpose, then she could at least go to sleep with a clear conscience, knowing she had done all in her power to help her beloved Aunt Nora. Just sitting and doing nothing while Nora withered away seemed an awful expenditure of time. What was that verse?
“Redeeming the time because the days are evil.”

They were indeed.

T
he sound of the sea and the breakers washing ashore filled the night. A billowy cloud of silvery-white briefly effaced the full moon.

Eden turned her horse and buggy aside from the path to park in an area surrounded with wild lantana. A gush of warm, damp wind from the surf greeted her. She climbed down from the buggy and secured her sweet mare, Kona—that Rafe had given to her the previous year—to a wooden rail beneath a
hau
tree, where a profusion of yellow blossoms sprinkled down like drops of rain.

“You be good and stay here,” she murmured. The horse shook its mane and rolled a big eye.

Eden felt the wind stirring the lantana about her. She looked toward the Judson beach house. The house was near Sans Souci and the Kapiolani park grounds on Waikiki Road. Some of the wealthier beach homes and bungalows, like Hunnewell’s house, were also nearby.

Eden recalled a night when she had trailed her father from the Kalihi hospital to Hunnewell’s, and discovered a secret meeting of the Annexation Club with Grandfather Ainsworth, Silas, and Rafe in attendance. There’d been much trouble that night—including insulting words and fists exchanged over Candace between Hunnewell’s son, Oliver, and Keno.

Now Candace and Keno would be officially engaged in a week. Eden was pleased that Grandfather Ainsworth had cheerfully accepted Candace’s love for Keno. The news that Keno’s biological father had been a “Hunnewell” had greatly benefited Keno’s status among the elite, such as her grandfather. The idea that Keno was an actual cousin of Oliver Hunnewell was a thorn to Keno, but as he’d said, “Something good came of it. I got Candace.”

Eden agreed. They were getting married soon and that was a victory. That was more than she could say for herself.

Eden looked from the road and saw the moonlit grounds of the Judson house. She would not have come except that Candace had assured her that Bernice Judson would not be with her uncle Parker. Bernice was attending another fine ball, this one at the Walsh home. Candace was also dragging Keno there, much to his exaggerated howls of misery, “Oh for the deck of the
Minoa
and the shoreline of the Caribbean!”

Eden imagined that Rafe—handsomely dressed and catching the appreciative eye of other young women there—would be Bernice’s escort.

The Judson house was one of several such abodes Parker Judson kept around the Islands. It was pleasantly situated with Diamond Head in view, and its many windows faced west toward Waikiki.

A curving drive began at the wrought-iron gate, and wound up to the steps for the large front lanai.
Kiawe
trees sheltered the house from the road, and some
ti, bougainvillea
, and
kolomona
veiled the tall fences that cordoned off the property. The windows were aglow with yellowing light from the lamps, and she saw another coach parked on the drive—the horses flipping their tails.

Don’t tell me Parker Judson is entertaining, too! I should have checked first. How disappointing! I must get in to see him
.

Nora and the
Gazette
were worth the effort, despite the possibility of being turned away, though she did not think this would happen. She was a Derrington, after all, and her father was a highly regarded doctor. His return from Kalawao, ill, had merely served to elevate his reputation among those who knew him. Some were saying that if he recovered his strength sufficiently, he should enter the Legislature to win Townsend’s seat and overcome the whispers about Townsend Derrington’s odious reputation.

Yes, she was almost certain that Parker Judson would talk with her, if only out of surprise that she had called. Eden knew if Noelani realized she’d come here without an escort, she would be frowning for the next month.

At the front door she was received by the butler and shown into the parlor. He told her Mr. Judson was busy in his study, but that he would inform the master of the house that Miss Derrington waited in the library to speak with him. The butler asked if Miss Derrington cared for some refreshment while she waited, but she politely declined.

In the next room, the private study of Parker Judson, Rafe Easton was gathering the legal papers he and Parker had just signed. The document allowed Keno to buy into a substantial portion of Judson’s remaining rights to the Hawaiiana pineapple plantation. The financial loan to Keno to be able to pay Parker had come from Ainsworth Derrington who’d kept his promise of some months earlier to help Keno buy good land. It had been Rafe’s idea to allow Keno to buy a fair portion of Hawaiiana. Now that Keno was soon to marry Ainsworth’s granddaughter, the loan had been even more generous and appropriate.

Rafe was putting the documents into his satchel to bring to his lawyer, whom he’d seen that evening at the hotel, when the butler announced, “A Miss Derrington to see you, sir. She’s waiting in the next room.”

Rafe paid little heed. He assumed that “Miss Derrington” was Candace, who’d come by the Judson house on some business detail concerning Keno and Hawaiiana. Rafe had known Candace for some years now, and she was a coolheaded, self-reliant woman inclined to take the lead, despite her staid upbringing. He smiled as he thought about Keno. He was in for it, all right. Then he thought of Eden and his smile vanished. He’d never met a more frustrating woman. Not even Candace topped her!

“Oh, sure. I’ll be in to see her in a few minutes,” Parker told his butler, a man better suited to England than Honolulu, and who’d impressed Ling so much that to Rafe’s amusement, Ling tried to copy his professionalism, even down to the wardrobe.

Parker turned again to Rafe. “Well Rafe, that about settles things. I’m pleased it all worked out as it did. Keno is a fine young fellow. I think he’ll make a big success of his share of Hawaiiana.”

“I’m certain he will, sir. He’s not only dependable but of excellent character.”

“I’m also sure of that. Ambrose did a fine job with both of you. Too bad I wasn’t smart enough to turn Bernice over to him, too.”

Rafe extended a hand. Parker Judson firmly shook it.

“Settled,” Rafe said.” I’ll go out the back way if you don’t mind. I’m rather in a hurry to get back to the hotel.”

“Don’t forget the dinner tomorrow evening. Bernice is expecting you.”

Parker walked across the room and opened the study door. It entered into the library. Rafe stepped back so Candace couldn’t see him. The last thing he wanted was to spend another hour outlining the partnership he would soon have with Keno. Let her “sweet, handsome Keno Boy,” as she called him, explain. But first the lawyer would need to explain everything to Keno at the hotel.

Rafe gathered the final document and placed it in his satchel. He was about to leave, when he heard Parker say, “Why Miss
Eden
Derrington, isn’t it? This is a pleasant surprise. Won’t you be seated? Can I offer you something? Fruit juice, tea?”

“Thank you, no, Mr. Judson. I do hope I’m not interrupting your evening.”

“Oh, nothing of the sort. A bit of business concerning your cousin, Miss Candace, and the young fellow she’s going to marry.”

Taken off guard, Rafe wondered that he felt such vexation.
Eden! What can she be doing here?

“I’d have thought you’d be attending the Walshes’ ball tonight, Miss Derrington … their daughter, Miss Margaret, is a close friend of yours, is she not?”

“I believe you may have confused me with my cousin, Miss Candace Derrington. I’ve not been involved in Honolulu’s festivities for some time. I only got back from Molokai with my father two weeks ago.”

Rafe stood with hand on hip debating his response to her unexpected entrance.

The study door to the next room was a few inches ajar so he could hear Eden’s voice. He knew her so well that he could read how tense she was, even if her words were socially correct. He narrowed his gaze. She wouldn’t have come to talk to P.J. about Bernice? Not a chance. She had more pride than that. Could she have known he was here? No. If she’d known he was meeting with Parker, she would have stayed far away.

“Oh yes, I’ve heard about Dr. Jerome’s work on Molokai,” Parker was saying. “How is your father doing?”

“He’s recovering—although not well enough to return to his research clinic in Kalawao. I doubt he’ll ever be able to return.”

“And his clinic?”

“It’s been turned over to Dr. Clifford Bolton and his wife. She is my aunt. They make an excellent team. She’s a loyal and good woman. She yielded her own life to marry him and become his
kokua.
You know Dr. Bolton is a leper?”

“Yes, a tragedy. Mrs. Bolton sounds like a wonderful person.”

Rafe’s anger pounded in his temples. Lana had stood fast with Clifford—but Eden had deserted him in his darkness.

He folded his arms and leaned against the wall near the door. His decided to eavesdrop on what his ex-fiancé wanted from old P.J.

“You’re in medical research, also?” Parker was saying. “Your mother succumbed to it recently. A pity. You were able to see her, I understand? Well, that accounts for something meaningful.”

“Yes … I’m still working in research at Kalihi. But I’m very involved in a task that means a great deal to me. I’m bringing my mother’s story on Kalawao into print. I have her journal to draw from.”

Rafe straightened. Rebecca’s journal! He drew his eyebrows together.

Eden told Parker about the journal and of her plans to have it printed in the
Gazette.

“The first installment will come out next month. That’s why I’m taking such an interest in my great-aunt Nora Derrington’s journalistic enterprise, the
Gazette
”

So that’s her motivation. The
Gazette.

As he realized that Eden had come to Parker Judson hoping to get a loan, Rafe grew more concerned. More was at stake than just saving Great-aunt Nora’s newspaper. What was revealed in Rebecca’s journal and diary? The consequences of certain revelations could damage the innocent.

“Unfortunately, my great-aunt is deeply in debt and unable to get a loan. The
Gazette
is about to go bankrupt. It’s why I’ve been bold enough to come to see you, Mr. Judson. I’ve learned from Mr. Easton that you are a resourceful man, interested in branching into new businesses.”

Mr. Easton!
Rafe folded his arms again.

“I’m speaking for Miss Nora, and myself, when I request your consideration in the hopes of getting a loan—”

Well, there it was out in the open—a loan for Nora.

Rafe tapped his chin considering what he’d heard. For one thing, Nora had retaken a room at the Royal Hotel. He knew of her debt dilemma on the
Gazette
long before this evening, and he’d expected the same kind of visit from her about a loan as Eden was making to Parker.

So whose idea had it been to come here to Parker?

Undoubtedly Eden’s. Rafe believed Nora knew next to nothing of Eden’s boldness to come here tonight. If Nora had realized Eden’s plan, she wouldn’t have allowed her to come here alone, even if Parker was trustworthy and old enough to be her grandfather.

Rafe wasn’t surprised that Eden came up with a plan different than Nora’s to borrow the money. Eden would find the task of coming to him humbling. She had reason enough to avoid him, after walking away when she believed he would remain blind.

Absorbed in what he’d heard about a journal, he wondered how much her mother had revealed about her life at Kalawao. It must unveil a great deal of misery that had occurred in the early days of the detention colony. More importantly what did it reveal about Kip? If it revealed what he thought it did—