Jewel of the Pacific (34 page)

Abruptly now, he came to the decision he’d mulled over for weeks. It was important to speak to Nora and make a deal with her about the
Gazette
before Eden told her she’d seen Parker Judson. If he knew P.J., he’d offer the loan. Tonight was good timing since his lawyer would be at the hotel.

Within minutes Rafe’s horses were trotting along the road toward the Royal Hotel on King Street. He pulled out his watch. It wasn’t yet six o’clock. There was time enough to accomplish his purpose. If all went as he anticipated, when Eden showed up at the
Gazette
tomorrow to work on the installment from Rebecca’s journal, he would pay a surprise visit, and he would hold the key to the
Gazette.

Early the next morning Eden arrived at the
Gazette
before Zachary or Great-aunt Nora did, anxious to continue editing the first installment of “Rebecca’s Story,” as Eden named the series. She left her buggy under the shade of some palms and came to the door with her key, only to find the door unlocked. Odd, she hadn’t seen Nora’s carriage, and she usually did not arrive until noon. Zachary came in at nine o’clock. She pushed the door open.

She heard someone in Nora’s office, went there, and opened the door wide. She stopped.

Rafe Easton was behind the desk, his feet up on a chair, and his hands behind his dark head. There was the suggestion of a smile, but hardly a pleasant one.

He surveyed her. “The perfect employee. Arriving with the early rays of sunlight and going steadfastly to her work. When you came to Hawaiiana about Kip, what did you really want? More money? This time to bail the
Gazette
out of bankruptcy?”

She tightened her mouth at his provocative mood.

Perhaps if I try to be pleasant …

“We never did thank you adequately for your help, Rafe. The printing press is working wonderfully well. We were able to train a boy named David to use it, and he’s very ambitious to get Scriptures to the children there. Ambrose is looking into the possibility of printing Scriptures into Hawaiian.”

“So Ambrose told me,” he said. “Did you come about more money?”

Her temper snapped.
All right! I tried!

“No, Mr. Easton, I am obviously not seeking a loan for the
Gazette.
Nora’s loan will come from a man known to be a gentleman.” She lifted her chin triumphantly.

“You used Kip as an excuse, but you did come to Hawaiiana for a loan,” he persisted.

She was about to hotly deny it when something in his eyes alerted her. She didn’t think he believed that at all. He was urging her on to insist that she had gone to see him about Kip so he would then ask why she did not want to tell him
now.

So she kept silent.

He put his feet down and stood. He smiled. “So here we are. There’s no one to interrupt us. There’s no Bunny muddying the waters. It’s a nice day outside; the breezes are soothing, the birds are trilling … so now, in a calm and reasonable way tell me about Kip. What did your mother write in her journal? How much did you tell P.J. last night?”

She surveyed him in his handsome white linen shirt and dark trousers. She smiled too, but controlled her notebook and the journal. “How did you know I went to the Judson house last evening? I haven’t mentioned it to anyone.”

His gaze dropped to the journal. “I was there at P.J.’s when you called. We’d just signed a contract about Keno and Hawaiiana. I listened.”

“Of all the nerve!”

“Quite easy, actually. The occasion fell into my hand like ripe fruit. I then knew I’d better act quickly on behalf of the
Gazette
.”

His gaze tested her. “Speaking of the
Gazette
, we may need to delay printing the first installment of Rebecca’s story. The content will first need to meet my approval as chief editor.”

She had nothing to say for a moment. More than three years ago when Rafe had first planned to enter journalism, he’d written well-researched articles for the
Gazette
, all of them fully supporting the Hawaiian monarchy. But what could he mean now?

“You mean you’ve become chief editor?” she demanded.

He smiled. “Nora hasn’t told you yet? No, she wouldn’t have had time.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Our little business transaction only took place last night in my hotel room under the direction of my lawyer.”

Business transaction! She searched his eyes and saw a gleam of triumph. Despite her bewilderment, his rousing gaze drew her. How dreadful if those warm eyes should have remained sightless.

She flushed, realizing he’d noticed her wayward thought. Still holding the journal and her notebook in her arms she marched to the window and said over her shoulder, “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh I think you do. After your meeting with Parker, I decided it was past time for Nora and me to have that little talk she’s wanted. So we made a deal.”

She turned. “You gave Nora a loan?”

“I didn’t exactly say I’d given her a loan.”

“You just implied—”

“I said we settled on a business transaction with my lawyer.”

“You can’t do that.”

He smiled tolerantly. “No? Why can’t I?”

She hurried back to the desk where he sat on the edge, arms folded, apparently enjoying himself.

“Because Parker Judson told me he’d grant Nora and me the loan to save the
Gazette!”

“So he did. However, dear old P.J. is a few hours too late. Nora
sold
me sixty percent of the controlling interest in the
Gazette.
I now control this nostalgic little newspaper.”

Eden sank into the hard-backed chair. “Oh no!”

“So you would prefer Nora to be indebted to Parker Judson. When Nora dies then the paper would be neatly swallowed into all the other Judson assets. Then what would happen to Zach? This paper means a great deal to him. We’re all surprised just how talented he is as a journalist. He’s not a planter like Ainsworth, but he does have an inquisitive mind. That works to his advantage. I aim to keep Zach secure despite your grandfather’s cantankerous mood.”

His answer surprised her. It sounded as if he had acted to protect Great-aunt Nora and defend Zachary’s inheritance. This action sounded like the old Rafe Easton she’d known and loved most of her life. If what he suggested was true, she would have no qualms with his preempting Parker Judson.

“Nora would never
sell
the
Gazette
.”

“She did. It brings me great satisfaction. I remember three years ago when your dear Grandfather Ainsworth marched over here with Townsend and fired me for an article supporting Liliuokalani. That wasn’t enough; he wanted to run me out of Honolulu, and Townsend helped him by backing him.”

“Please I don’t want to talk about Townsend. Anyway, you’ve nothing to complain about.” She turned toward him. “If Ainsworth hadn’t fired you, you wouldn’t have sailed to French Guiana where you located the new variety of pineapple slips.”

“Wrong, again. I had planned a voyage. Forget that, however. I carry no old grudge against Ainsworth. I have a strong affection for him, actually. About my new journalistic venture, I intend to oversee what’s published in the
Gazette.
Nora, dear heart that she is, has agreed.”

“I don’t believe it!”

“Ah but she has. And she’s turned your project over to me. First read-through, editing … all of it.” He looked at her evenly. “With that much clear, I’ll need to read Rebecca’s journal for myself before I agree to publish your installments.” He smiled, but a flicker of anger came to his eyes. “Since, as you say, I’m not man enough to handle the truth about Kip, I’ll cling to Bunny’s hand while I read it.”

“So that’s it. You did
all
this just to get control of the journal!”

“I wouldn’t agree I did it
all
for that purpose. I considered Nora and Zach. You may not believe this since you prefer to think the worst of me, but I had a loan in mind for Nora even before the fire at Hanalei. Naturally all that happened afterward interfered. I told her this and she’s convinced of my purposes, even if you are not.”

Her mind was running. She had already signed a contract with the
Gazette
giving the paper the right to publish the journal on their schedule. The decision may have been hasty, but she’d been dealing with her beloved great-aunt at the time when Nora owned the paper. She’d never imagined that Rafe Easton would end up in control.

“Are you telling me you paid off all Nora’s debts for the
Gazette?”
she asked.

He took out his watch. “Her debts are, or will be, by this afternoon at three o’clock, paid in full. She is a very happy lady. If you don’t think so, ask her. She will sleep well tonight. So will Zach. The last thing he needs is to agonize over Ainsworth cutting him out of Derrington assets. Ainsworth has held money over the heads of his family members too long. I think his refusal to give his sister a loan for the
Gazette
was uncalled for. True, the
Gazette
supports the queen, but we needn’t destroy one another over politics.”

She couldn’t argue against his reasoning.

“So,” he said, putting his watch away, “everything is securely in the hands of my very smart lawyer. I’m sure you’re extremely pleased.”

Their eyes met but the gaze held none of the old romantic spark—just a test of wills.

If she felt anything, it was caution. And yet … the spark was not yet cold, dead ash. As their eyes held, some warmth grew. As though he felt it, and the experience frustrated him, he stood abruptly and walked to the window, looking out for a moment. He turned his head toward her again. He looked pointedly at the leather notebook she continued to grasp.

“You can leave that on my desk, and be on your way, Miss Derrington. Also, leave the first installment. I will need to see that as well.”

“I’ll do no such thing. This journal is mine.”

“If you want her story printed, as I wholeheartedly agree it should be, you will leave the material on my desk and trust me to do what is right.”

“The journal was entrusted to me, and I’m to have control over its contents and what’s revealed to the public.”

“Then Rebecca did write about Kip.”

“Yes, but do you actually think I’d include anything about him in the
Gazette
for every stranger to read? If that’s what you’re worried about—”

“That isn’t my concern, Eden. I’d never expect anything that low of you where Kip’s concerned. But I can’t take risks with the boy’s future. I need to know all the truth to safeguard his future. When you threw that bait at me at Hawaiiana saying you had information on Kip, you knew it would prompt me to take action.”

She turned her back because he was right.

“So why did you even mention Kip since you refuse to share the information?”

She walked to the open window.

“Because,” she said defensively, “I did intend to discuss certain matters with you at Hawaiiana. It was you who—”

“Never mind all that. Let’s get serious. For Kip’s sake. We’ll discuss these ‘certain matters’ now,” he insisted.

“No, because afterwards I saw I was wrong. I won’t do it now.”

“Eden I’m not in the mood for one of your tantrums,” he snapped. “The debate over revealing to me the truth, is over. You signed away the rights to Rebecca’s journal to the
Gazette.
Those rights now belong to me. I intend to have the truth, as I told you at Iolani, and it won’t do you any good to run away this time.”

She sucked in her breath, consumed in withstanding his argument.

“I’ll destroy the journal first,” she challenged.

“Is the truth that bad? You merely turn up the heat telling me that!”

She started to head for the door, clutching the materials. He calmly moved to the door and leaned there.

She stopped.

“Be reasonable, Eden, will you?”

She saw her hopeless quandary. There was no getting around him. He was deliberately out to make matters difficult for her. Frustrated by her defeat she dropped the notebook and journal on the desk.

“There! You win! You always have to win don’t you? Then go right ahead, read it.” She pointed at the journal. “Learn about Kip’s father, and be sorry you didn’t
trust me
.”

It was as if something inside him exploded. The next thing she knew he stood, blocking her, grasping her forearm.

“Trust
you?
You’re the last woman I’d trust again with anything precious to me.”

He released her. Stunned, she drew back and found herself against a chair. She dropped into it, staring at him.

His rousing eyes refused to let hers go. Leaning over her, a hand on each of the chair arms so she could not escape, he said, “You expect me to trust a woman who claimed to love a man and then abandoned him upon believing he was going blind? I’d sooner play Russian roulette with the rest of my life as to risk my heart with you again.”

“That’s a lie, Rafe Easton!
You
were the one who thrust
me
away.
You
wouldn’t trust
me.
Oh I know all about how you loved Bernice all these years you said you cared for me. Even when you were willing to marry me it was Bernice your heart truly wanted.”