Paradise Wild (25 page)

“In 1794, when he was only fifteen, he sailed for the mainland on a whaler. Five years later he returned with an infant son, born to him by an American prostitute
who wanted nothing to do with the child and would have sold it if Makualilo had not claimed the boy.”

“That’s terrible!”

Jared glanced at her, then continued. “Makualilo brought the baby, Keaka, to his mother. She raised him on the island of Oahu.

“But he didn’t stay in the islands. In 1818 he sailed to England, and then on to Ireland. There he married, and in 1820 Colleen Naihe was born. Keaka settled in Ireland. Colleen was raised there, and in 1839 she married a French trader, Pierre Gourdin. A year later my mother was born.”

Jared’s voice softened as he began to talk about his mother. “Ranelle spent her youth in France. In 1850 she sailed with her parents to San Francisco.”

“Wasn’t that when gold was first discovered there?” Corinne asked.

“Yes. But they had no luck there, and Pierre was a trader at heart. They took to the road and travelled across America for three years, finally settling in Boston, where they opened a small store.”

“That’s where Ranelle met my father?” Corinne ventured tentatively.

“Yes. She felt she couldn’t stay in Boston after your father broke their engagement. Her parents were no longer living, and, since the Civil War was imminent, she felt she was better off leaving the States altogether. She knew she had relatives here, though distant ones, and she came here to find them. She found Akela and Kuliano, who also knew the story of Leimomi and her first son, Makualilo. Akela and Kuliano are descendants of Leimomi’s other children.

“Ranelle taught school until she met my father and they married. And you know the rest.”

“So you’re mostly English and French, with just a little Irish and even less Hawaiian.”

“Does the Hawaiian blood bother you?”

“Why should it? And I think it’s nice that such a complicated story has been passed down from generation to generation.” She paused, then asked, “Do you still hate my father, Jared?”

“The feelings I have for Samuel Barrows have been with me for a long time, Corinne.”

“In other words, you do still hate him,” she stated with a frown. “And me?”

“For quite a while you and your father were one and the same to me. That’s why I felt no compunction about using you to get at him.”

“And now?”

“I don’t hate you, Corinne.” He hesitated, and she could feel his tension. “But I hate what you did when you came here.”

“But—”

She started to profess her innocence again, but stopped. It would only lead to an argument, and the day had been too nice to end it that way.

“Shouldn’t we be getting back?”

Jared shook his head. “It’s too dark now. We’ll wait until morning.”

“You mean spend the night here?” Michael had already missed his afternoon feeding. “But we’ll be missed, Jared. Florence will be frantic with worry.”

“They won’t miss us for one night. Akela will know what happened. When I come up here, I usually spend the night.”

“I want to go back now, Jared. It’s not that late,” she protested.

“Go ahead, then,” Jared shrugged. “But when you miss your footing and tumble down the side of the mountain, don’t expect me to come to your aid.”

“That was uncalled for,” she said tartly.

“Then be reasonable, and stop fussing. There’s nothing back at the house that can’t wait until morning.” He grinned then, and pulled her up against his chest. “Unless you’re thinking about that walk on the beach I promised you.”

“I was not!”

“No?” he crooked a brow, his teeth flashing in the firelight. “Just the same, you’ll still have that walk, if not tonight, then tomorrow night. But right now, I know a nice little spot a little farther up the mountain where we can—”

“Jared, stop it,” she said, giggling even as she pushed to get out of his warm embrace. “We’ve already frolicked today.”

“As I recall, you took an active part in that frolic. And that was only the appetizer. I’m ready for the main course.”

“You can be crude sometimes.”

He laughed and began to fondle her breasts.

“Now stop it.” She tried to sound angry but failed. “Besides, what would your cousin think if we just disappeared?”

“Kuliano will laugh and remember his younger days.” He looked down at her devilishly. “He might even join us there.”

“Jared, you are incorrigible!”

He rose, pulling her up with him. “Come on.” One arm wrapped around her waist, he lifted her face with his free hand and brushed her lips lightly. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.”

Corinne put Michael from her mind, knowing that Florence would take good care of him. At the moment, only Jared mattered.

The sun was high overhead as Corinne walked along the beach, kicking at the hot sand with her sandaled feet. She smiled, thinking of that morning. She and Jared had walked into the house to find that no one had missed them. Michael was happy with his diet of solid food.

It had been such an enjoyable time away. Jared was not the charmer she had known in Boston, nor the enraged husband she had known recently. He was himself—relaxed, easygoing, a pleasure to be with. And what pleasure she had had last night, when he made love to her, slowly, sensually, prolonging the ultimate until neither of them could bear it anymore. He was a magnificent lover, this husband of hers.

“Hello, ma’am.”

Corinne looked up to see a tall, barrel-chested man waving a white straw hat at her from about ten yards away. He started to approach her. She watched him warily, realizing she had walked a good distance away from Jared’s property.

“The name’s John Pierce,” he said, stopping a few feet from her and flashing a smile. “You must be the new Mrs. Burkett.”

“Yes, but how did you know that?”

“Heard tell that Jared found him a beautiful little woman in Boston, a real society girl. That must be you, cause I ain’t seen anyone as pretty in a long time.”

“Well—thank you, Mr. Pierce,” Corinne said hesitantly, wondering what else he had heard about her. Probably everything. Would she ever live down the sordid reputation she had built for herself?

“Call me John, my dear. I’m your nearest neighbor of any consequence. Been meaning to pay Jared a visit, but just can’t seem to find the time.” He paused, wiping his brow with a checkered handkerchief. “I expect he’s in the city?”

“No. He came home just the other day. He’s over checking out his vegetable fields right now.”

“You don’t say,” he returned thoughtfully. “It’s not like the boy to get out this way in the winter season.”

Corinne smiled. The “boy,” indeed! John Pierce looked to be in his late forties, with brown hair and long brown side-whiskers that were graying. He seemed a nice enough man, and certainly friendly.

“Perhaps you would like to come back to the house with me?” Corinne offered. “Jared should be back for lunch by now.”

He looked thoughtful, almost wary. “No—no, but perhaps another time.”

“Well, I had better be getting back before Jared misses me.”

“He keeps a close eye on you, does he? Well, who can blame him, with such a pretty wife.”

“Good day to you.”

Corinne turned and started back. She felt his eyes on her as she trudged through the warm sand. Her face flushed as she realized the double meaning in his last remark. Of course he knew about her. Everyone did.

“Hold up a minute, Mrs. Burkett.”

Corinne started, for he had come up behind her silently. “Yes.”

“You wouldn’t happen to know anyone might like a little spaniel pup, would you? One of my dogs whelped four a couple weeks ago and they’re ready to be given away. I got me five dogs running about the place already.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You’re the first one I asked. You could have the pick of the litter.”

She hesitated, picturing Michael playing with a little long-eared spaniel. He was a bit young right now, but he could grow up with the dog.

“As a matter of fact, I do know someone who would adore a little puppy.”

“Good! My house is just right over there, behind those palms. The pups are in a shed out back. It would just take you a minute to come and pick one out.”

Corinne nodded and followed behind him. Through the trees she was soon able to make out an old, peeling, ramshackle house. The yard leading down to the beach was hardly a yard at all, with very little grass, but an abundance of sand and dirt. It wasn’t exactly a homey place, and Corinne wondered if there was a Mrs. Pierce.

“Right in here.” He held open the door to a storage shed and waited for Corinne to step inside.

Sunlight filtered in through cracks in the ceiling and walls and dust motes swirled riotously, as if the shed had not been entered for months. There was the rank smell of mold and mildew and Corinne held her breath.

“Where are the puppies?” She turned around, but the door slammed shut in her face. She stared at it stupidly for a moment. “Mr. Pierce?”

No one answered. It took another few seconds for the confusion to wear off and uneasiness to set in. Co
rinne stepped over to the door, but there was no handle on the inside. She pushed gently, and when it didn’t budge, she used more force. At last she threw her shoulder into it, but it still remained firmly shut.

Fear was beginning to take hold now. “Mr. Pierce! Where are you?”

There was no answer, and she started pounding on the door with her fists. “Let me out of here! Do you hear me?”

John Pierce must be crazy, she thought wildly. She turned back to look around the shack for something to use to get the door open. All she could see were old crates, two wheelbarrows, and a pile of wet dirt. She searched in and around the empty crates, but could find no tools. She did discover one thing though. There were no puppies in this shed. What the devil had she gotten herself into?

Malia turned back from following Corinne after she left the beach with John Pierce. Her lips curled smugly as she hurried home. She had been prepared to provoke another scene with Jared’s wife, and now she had something to tell him. Corinne and John Pierce—ha! Jared would be livid. He would not be so quick to forgive his erring wife this time.

She found Jared in the back yard, rinsing off under the pump their father had made so that the sand would not be tracked into the house. It was hooked up to a huge rain barrel on the other side of the trees.

“Did you go swimming?” Malia called, wondering whether he had seen Corinne.

“Just a quick dip to wash off. The storm gave the fields a good soaking. It’s quite muddy over there.”

Malia waited until he released the water pump and grabbed a towel hanging over a branch on the lichee
tree. He was wearing only a pair of shorts and she saw that he had lost a good deal of his bronze tan. Too long away from the beach, away from home, ever since their father died. Malia resented that. She missed the swims and rides they used to take together, and the attention her brother had given her.

“Did you want something, Malia?”

“I was wondering if you knew where your wife is,” she said in a tone that made Jared go tense.

“Isn’t she in the house?”

“No, she’s with John Pierce.”

“Oh?”

Jared’s calm response infuriated her. “She met him on the beach and went with him to his house. Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Why should it? I may not like John very much, considering his obnoxious determination to get our land, but he is our closest neighbor.” Jared looked at his sister. “It’s time Corinne met our neighbors.”

Malia’s eyes flashed angrily. “You talk as if she will live here permanently.”

“Maybe she will. Who knows?”

“I don’t understand you, Jared. How could you forgive her after she made a cuckold of you?”

His eyes narrowed. “Where the devil did you learn such a word?”

“I read a lot,” she said defensively. “With no one my age out here, there is nothing else to do. Naneki was the only friend I had, but your wife drove her away!”

“Naneki chose to go back to Kahuku,” Jared said, unperturbed. “It was her decision. And as for my forgiving my wife, that is none of your business, Malia. I will thank you to not mention it again.”

“You don’t care, then, if she still consorts with other men?” she demanded. He was treating her like a child.

“John Pierce?” Jared laughed at the absurdity of it. “Don’t be ridiculous, Malia.”

She chafed. “I saw them together! I saw her flirt with him and entice him. If you think they’re sipping tea right now, then you are a bigger fool than she made of you in Honolulu!”

Jared’s eyes turned a stormy gray as he watched Malia run into the house. He looked down the beach, but there was no sign of Corinne. Damn Malia for planting suspicions in his mind.

Jared waited only an hour before he couldn’t stand it anymore. He saddled a horse, preparing to ride up the beach road to Pierce’s. He had worked up a fine head of steam during that hour, imagining the very worst, yet furious with himself for doing so. He was not prepared to find John Pierce trotting up to the stable just as he was mounting his horse. Jared eyed the older man suspiciously.

“What are you doing here, John?”

“I’ve come about your wife.”

“Has something happened to Corinne?” Jared asked in alarm.

“No, no, nothing like that,” John Pierce assured him, looking ill at ease.

“Where is she, then?” he demanded. “I understand she paid you a visit today.”

“You know, it’s not a very nice thing you’ve done to that poor girl.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“It’s well-known why you brought her here, Jared. The rumor is that you keep her under lock and key. I was surprised when I met her out walking earlier, but not so surprised when she asked my help.”

“Your help?”

John hesitated a moment. “She wants me to take her to Honolulu.”

“What?”

“Your wife seemed terribly upset,” John said quickly. “She—she said she couldn’t stand the restrictions you placed on her. For that matter, she said she could not bear living with you.”

Jared’s eyes narrowed. “What else did she say?” he asked, with deadly control.

John looked at Jared nervously. The idea of holding Mrs. Burkett had come to him on the beach. He had acted impulsively. Now it was too late to do anything but see it all through.

John cleared his throat. “Your wife promised me a good deal of money if I would take her to the city.”

“And did you agree?”

“Not yet,” John replied. “I told her I would have to think about it first.”

“What is there to think about? The woman is my wife. She married me of her own free will.” Jared took a step closer. “I’ll tell you now that if you interfere, you will regret it.”

John moved his horse back. He was sweating profusely, but not from the heat.

“Now see here, Jared.” John tried to sound indignant. “There’s no need for threats. I see your side of this.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Well now, I also see your wife’s side. I mean, the little lady seemed quite desperate, desperate enough to pay whatever I asked. It would be downright ungentlemanly of me to ignore such a plea.”

“You mean it wouldn’t be to your advantage,” Jared said sarcastically. “Just what are you getting at?”

The time was at hand. “I thought you and I might
make a deal. Although I would like to help the little lady, she
is
your wife.”

“And you would like to help yourself as well, is that it?” Jared asked coldly.

“I didn’t create this situation, it was dumped in my lap,” John said defensively.

“What do you want, Pierce?” Jared demanded, his patience growing thin.

“Well, you know I’ve always wanted this little piece of land you have here, my boy. And I’m still willing to pay you double what it’s worth if you will consider parting with it now.”

“Let me get this straight,” Jared said softly. “You will return my wife to me if I sell you my land?”

“That’s right.”

“And if I don’t sell the land, then you’ll take Corinne away where I can’t find her?”

“Right again,” John beamed.

It was such a good plan! Why hadn’t he thought of it sooner? Of course, once the wife was returned, she would explain that he had locked her up, that she hadn’t asked his help at all. But it would be her word against his, and he would own the land by then, so what did it matter?

“Where is my wife?”

“Come now, you don’t think I would be fool enough to divulge that information, do you?” Then John added quickly, “She’s not at my place, if that’s what you’re thinking. We’re wasting time. What’s your answer?”

“You amaze me, Pierce. Did you think I would agree to this blackmail?”

“Don’t you want your wife back?” John asked, his confidence ebbing.

“Not particularly,” Jared replied in a deceptively ca
sual tone. “Not if she is so desperate to get away from me.”

“But—but—” John stammered, unprepared for this turn.

Jared laughed, though the humor didn’t reach his cold gray eyes. “You seem confused, Pierce. Didn’t my wife tell you she was only here on a temporary basis?”

“No, she didn’t,” John said sourly.

“Well, she’s welcome to leave, since that’s what she wants to do. And if she will pay you to take her to Honolulu, that’s fine too. You might as well get something for your trouble. And that way, I won’t have to take her.”

“You really don’t care, do you?” John asked incredulously, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no, I don’t give a damn anymore what she does. I wash my hands of her.”

“But she’s your wife! Tell you what, I’ll give you a day or two to think it over.”

“Suit yourself, but I won’t change my mind. And by the way, my wife has a servant here. You’re welcome to come get her before you leave for the city.”

Jared turned to ride his horse back into the stable. Only when he heard John Pierce riding away did he let his true feelings surface. In the quiet of the stable he let out a bellow of rage that shook the rafters and frightened the horses into bucking against their stalls.