Paradise Wild (22 page)

Jared stood at the window in his uncle’s office, looking down at the busy street below but not really seeing it. He was listening with embarrassment while Edmond reprimanded his young assistant Marvin Colby for some real or imagined mistake. Edmond Burkett was forever finding fault. It was a wonder anyone worked for him. The young Miss Dearing had quit long ago, a prim Mrs. Long taking her place.

“I won’t tolerate your ineptitude any longer, Colby,” Edmond was saying. “You know that the final approval of all loans is made by me!”

“But you weren’t here, sir, and the man desperately needed the money yesterday. It was a small loan, and he had ample collateral.”

“That is no excuse for ignoring the policy of this company,
my
policy! And this is the last blunder you will make here, Colby. You’re fired.”

“You’re being unreasonable, Mr. Burkett.” Marvin Colby dared to let his temper show.

“Get out!”

After the door had closed, Jared turned to face his uncle. “Don’t you think you were a bit hard on him?”

“You don’t know the facts, Jared, so don’t presume to interfere.”

Jared sighed. He had enough problems of his own. And he had learned long ago that it was pointless to argue with his uncle over anything concerning the Savings and Loan.

“Just why did you send for me, Uncle?” Jared asked impatiently.

“Don’t be so defensive, my boy,” Edmond smiled, congenial now. “I thought we might have lunch together. There’s a new restaurant on King Street that serves excellent shrimp Canton.”

“You called me here to invite me to have lunch with you?” Jared asked incredulously. “I don’t have time for leisurely lunches, Uncle.”

“Nonsense,” Edmond scoffed. “I happen to know that your hotel job is running smoothly. And you’ve told me enough times that you couldn’t find a better
luna
than your friend Leonaka Naihe. Let him do the job you pay him for. He must get better results from your local laborers than you do since he’s a local boy himself.”

“I happen to like the work,” Jared said stiffly. “I thrive on work.”

“You mean you lose yourself in it,” Edmond replied knowingly. “That won’t make your problems go away. In fact, you shouldn’t have any problems left to deal with. You handled the situation with your wife admirably. I told you the talk would die down if you just put a stop to her outlandish affairs. She has been forgotten because of the coming revolution.”

“Uncle!”

“The fact won’t go away by ignoring it, Jared. There will be another revolution, and soon. Only this one will have more results than the revolution of 1887, which won our constitution. This time, the queen will be overthrown. No one is pleased with Liliuokalani’s reign. She’s too hot-headed and wants too much power.”

“She
is
the queen,” Jared reminded him. “The old monarchs had absolute power. Queen Liliuokalani just wants a return to the old ways.”

“It’s too late for that. Too many foreign interests are involved here in Hawaii.”

“Too many greedy interests, you mean.”

“Can you deny that annexation to the United States would benefit these islands? And better America than some other foreign power like China or Great Britain.”

“The Hawaiians should rule their own islands, Uncle,” Jared said in exasperation. “I’ve always felt that way, and nothing has made me change my mind. These islands belonged to the Hawaiians, but bit by bit
haoles
have taken them away.”

“The fact that you have a touch of Hawaiian in you influences you, Jared,” Edmond said harshly.

“I just can’t condone a race being destroyed for the greed and benefit of another.”

“Good heavens, man. I’m not talking about war! It certainly won’t come to that. It will be a quick revolution.”

“I’m talking about a culture dying. More than half of the Hawaiian peoples have lost their lives to foreign disease, the rest are intermarrying and forgetting the old ways. The number of pure Hawaiians left is few. Their beliefs have been stripped from them, and their land, and now you would take away their last bit of pride.”

“Can you approve what the queen is doing? Nothing gets accomplished anymore at the palace. She does nothing but fight with her ministerial advisers. The legislature is completely blocked because of opposing parties. Resignations have been forced. The queen no longer hides the fact that she wants to do away with the present constitution we all fought so hard for. She wants to proclaim a new one that would give her unlim
ited power and give only Hawaiians and foreigners married to Hawaiians the right to vote. Can you really condone such tyrannical behavior?”

“Perhaps she is overdoing it a bit, but I certainly can’t blame her for trying. Her reign has been a mockery. She bears the title of queen, but she has been robbed of her power by the foreign interests you side with. They have made the decisions for years. Can you blame her for wanting her people to rule their own islands?”

“The islands have prospered because of foreigners!” Edmond said defensively.

“At the expense of the Hawaiians, who have nothing left!” Jared replied furiously. “Now
pau!
I don’t want to hear any more talk of revolution.”

“Jared, wait!”

But Jared was already halfway through the outer office. If Edmond wanted to talk politics, he would have to find someone else to do it with.

On the ride back to his own office on Merchant Street, Jared finally took notice of the storm that was brewing overhead. He grew uneasy. Judging by the strong winds, he knew that this would be one of the destructive storms. And the windward side of the island always suffered worst. On the north shore, devastating waves would wash right through houses and flood roads. Trees toppling and roofs blowing away were common occurrences during this kind of storm.

Malia had always feared such storms. And Corinne? She wouldn’t know that she was safe where she was. The waves might reach the yard, even flood the patio, as had happened many times, but she would be safe. Only she wouldn’t know that. Akela would reassure her, but would Corinne believe that the winter storm wouldn’t last long and the sun would shine again tomor
row? Or would she be frightened by a natural occurrence that came often in the winter rainy season?

Jared turned his carriage toward Beretania and whipped the horses on. He suddenly felt an irrational desire to protect and comfort his wife. He knew it was absurd, but nevertheless he rode home recklessly. He quickly saddled a horse and then set out again with a growing urgency that bordered on panic.

Jared made excellent time until he reached Wahiawa. He changed horses there, but before he set out again he could see the rain approaching in solid sheets. It swept over him in a matter of seconds. The rest of the ride went much slower, for many parts of the road were washed out, leaving gaping holes that could easily cause his horse to stumble.

He rode down to the sea, but the view of the ocean was lost in the blinding storm. Once he passed Haleiwa he saw evidence that this storm had been building for days, with frequent showers. Fields and roads were already flooded. Wagons and carriages were abandoned. Twenty-foot waves came up to meet the road in many places, slowing his progress even more.

It was night when Jared finally reached the beach house. He had made no better time on horseback than he would have with a carriage on a clear day. He was drenched to the bone, and it was still pouring steadily. The front yard was swamped and Jared knew that if the ocean waves rose another five feet the yard would be drenched with more than just rain water.

The front of the house was dark, but there was a light in the kitchen. Jared could see that the patio had been closed off with heavy shutters to keep the wind out. All of the patio furniture had been moved into the living room. Akela had everything in hand, as usual, but Jared was still anxious about Corinne.

He went directly to his bedroom, but found it dark
and empty. He stopped only long enough to grab a couple of towels from the bathroom before he went to the kitchen. But Corinne wasn’t there either. Akela and his sister sat at the table sipping hot chocolate.

Malia saw him first and jumped up to run into his arms. She began crying immediately, moaning his name over and over as she had done as a child.

Jared tried to hold her back from him. “You’re getting soaked, Malia.” But she clung to him that much harder and he quickly relented and held her soothingly. “It’s only a storm, dearest. You’ve been through enough of them to know that we are safe here. It has never gotten so bad that we had to desert the house.”

“It’s not the storm, Jared!” Malia sobbed. “It’s your wife!”

Malia only called him Jared when she was angry or upset with him, so he knew that she and Corinne had fought.

“What about her?”

“That—that
woman
is horrible! She told me terrible things about you. But she lied! I know she lied about everything. And she tried to tell me she wasn’t a whore!”

Jared grabbed his sister’s shoulders and held her away from him. His whole body had grown rigid.

“What did she tell you?”

Malia repeated the story she had sobbed to Akela earlier, but in greater detail. A murderous gleam grew in Jared’s eyes. Akela saw it, but Malia went on, unaware.

“She was so spiteful,” Malia finished. “And she shouted at me, when I did nothing to cause her anger. I hate her!”

“Where is she?” Jared asked in a deadly whisper.

Akela stood up apprehensively. “Ialeka, no. No see her now.”

But Malia answered, “She is with her maid and that brat who keeps me awake at night with his squalling.”

Jared left the room. Akela felt like boxing Malia’s ears. “You
lolo!
” she said angrily. “Why you make so much out of nothing, Malia?”

“It wasn’t nothing!” Malia cried.

“Kolina no hurt you, girl. But because of what you tell your brother, he hurt her. And you to blame!”

“I am not! She is—for all the mean things she said to me!”

“
Pu
no ka uahi, he ahi ko lalo!
” Akela spat, and turned away in disgust.

Malia grimaced and said no more. Akela was right. “When smoke rises, there is fire below,” she had said. When angry words are used, there is a cause. Yes, she had instigated the whole scene with Jared’s wife. She had sought Corinne out and said spiteful things herself. But that didn’t change anything. Corinne was still a horrible woman, and if Jared beat her, it would only be what she deserved.

Even with the rain pounding on the roof, they still heard a door crashing in against a wall, and Malia said quickly, “I think I will have some more hot chocolate. I never sleep when it storms, anyway.”

Akela grunted. “What wrong, Malia? You no like go your room where you can hear the trouble you cause?”

“Quiet. I only told the truth. Can I help it if Jared got so angry?”

“You as quick with your tongue as Kolina. You should both learn when to keep silent.”

Corinne stared incredulously at Jared when he barged into Florence’s room without knocking, startling all of them. She had been holding Michael, walking him about the room because the storm and the thundering roar of
the ocean frightened him. But as Jared came at her with purposeful strides, she quickly handed Michael to Florence.

“What is the matter with you, Jared?” Corinne asked fearfully, backing away from him.

He didn’t answer her, but grabbed her wrist and started to pull her from the room. Corinne held back, terror gripping her now, but Jared gave her a yank that almost sent her crashing into him.

“See here—” Florence started to protest.

Jared glared at her and the words that had sprung to her lips died there. “Don’t interfere,” he warned her harshly. “She’s my wife. Remember that.”

“Interfere with what?” Florence questioned, but Jared was already out of the door.

Florence held her breath. But there was really nothing she could do. Cori
was
his wife and furthermore, he wouldn’t hurt her. No, he wouldn’t, she told herself.

When she heard their bedroom door slam shut, she quickly left her room with Michael and went to the kitchen on the other side of the house. She couldn’t stay where she might overhear what was going to happen.

As soon as Jared shoved Corinne into the room and released her long enough to close the door, she raced across to the bathroom and locked herself in. Her heart beat frantically as she pressed her ear to the door. She had never seen Jared like that before, not even on the night he had raped her. He had been determined then, but not violent.

She could see a light from beneath the door and held her breath. What was he doing? Why had he come back here in the middle of a storm and in such a rage?

Corinne could hear Jared just outside the bathroom door now. He turned the handle, but found it locked.
And then he slammed a fist against the hard wood, making her jump with the explosive sound.

“Open the door, Corinne.”

He didn’t shout. In fact, his voice was deadly calm.

“Not until you tell me what you want, Jared.”

“Open it!” his tone raised menacingly.