Spoils of Eden (35 page)

“Why, Candace, what is it?”

Candice swallowed hard and pulled a rumpled, folded sheet of paper out of her pocket. She handed it to Eden, found her handkerchief, and blew her nose. “Grandfather has won.”

Shocked at the implication of her words, Eden opened the paper, trying to hold it steady in the gusts. She skimmed the affectionate introduction by Grandfather Ainsworth, along with an excuse for the extreme measures he was taking to bring to pass her marriage to Oliver P. Hunnewell. Ainsworth insisted he needed to do this for the Derrington enterprise and for future Derrington generations.

Then the words that Candace had spoken of leapt off the page: “I will make Keno successful with a plantation of his own on one of the islands if you’ll make the sacrifice and marry Hunnewell. Candace, my dear, you must show yourself to be generous to Keno for his own sake, if you love him as you claim. This is a superb opportunity for Keno, and something he wants more than anything else. His own land. His own cane workers. Respect for his hardworking ways. His future will be full and fruitful. I promise to see this through. Isn’t this your desire for the man you claim to love? And now I am handing it to him on a silver platter. He will know nothing of our private bargain, or he would naturally refuse it. The land, the plantation, will be arranged through a third party so that he will never know either of us had anything to do with his future success.

“If you won’t go along with what is truly best for both of you and your family, I’ll have no choice except to make certain he will never know any success on the Islands, and your own inheritance will be placed under the control of either Silas or Zachary.”

The words wound on, leaving emotional rubble in their path. Eden was speechless for some time, then she looked at Candace.

“You’re not going to agree to this?”

Candace was her calm self once more. Her lips thinned, and her cheeks were pale even in the bracing wind. “Yes, I am going along with it.”

“Candace, you cant! It’s impossibly unfair. Why, I can’t believe Grandfather would be this dictatorial, this selfish. He’s dealing in bribery and extortion!”

Candace merely shrugged her thin shoulders and stared out to sea. The sunset was fading.“We’d better start back. There’s no moon tonight.”

“Candace—”

Candace turned and walked back toward the house, and Eden, clutching the letter, followed after her. She protested and argued all the way back to the house but, Candace remained resolute.

Ainsworth had known how to win, not by forcing Candace to give Keno up, but by playing on her devotion to him. It was dreadful.

When they reached the house where the lights now burned brightly in the windows, Candace paused and faced Eden. She smiled wanly and put a hand on Eden’s shoulder. “I knew you’d be outraged. I could count on your understanding for the injustice done me. I wanted to enjoy your sympathy for a short time, before I turn away from it once for all. That’s why I wanted you to know the truth. But you will promise me not to say a word of this to anyone. Not to Rafe, not to Grandfather, Zachary, Uncle Jerome, Nora, Ambrose, Noelani—and not to Keno. To no one.”

“I won’t promise!”

“You will, dear Eden. Because I love Keno more than I love myself. I want him to have what he can never have with me, though I’m a Derrington. I don’t want Keno to be forced off the islands he loves. I want him to have that grand plantation, a family of beautiful children to enjoy it after he’s gone, and yes,” her voice held firm in Candace’s brittle way, “a lovely girl to marry and eventually love. I
want him to forget me. I’ll be able to do that for him by turning away from him now.”

“Oh, Candace … ”

“My decision is made. You’ll do as I ask and say nothing. This secret is ours alone. Someday, when we’re old, maybe the truth can come out.”

Eden had no words. She felt weak, for she knew Candace better than anyone knew her—except perhaps Grandfather Ainsworth—and she knew that arguing with her would only strengthen her resolve.

E
den waited in the hall near Great-aunt Nora’s sitting room where she had expected to speak with her alone that evening, as Nora had asked, but the opportunity was delayed when Dr. Jerome insisted Nora retire early so he could ask about her illness and check her heart. Before dinner, when he came from her room, he was scowling, his stethoscope still hanging about his neck.

“Her heart is steady. She appears to be getting stronger. She should be doing even better in the morning.”

Eden sighed with relief. “What do you think made her ill? A stomach indigestion perhaps?”

Dr. Jerome remained pensive and noncommittal. “A number of possibilities,” he said, offering Eden no help at all. Then he soothed her concerns by saying the vomiting and dizziness had all passed. “The worst, according to her, was a week ago.”

“She should have seen a doctor.”

“Candace would have seen to that, but she hadn’t arrived yet. Nora loathes doctors and all the fussing that goes with them, as she puts it. By tomorrow, I imagine, she’ll be up and walking in the garden.”

“What about the heart tonic prescribed by Dr. Bolton?”

“I doubt it was the prescription. I’ll know more once I’ve spoken with Dr. Bolton. He can tell me what it was he prescribed and the dosage. From what Nora remembers, it sounds like one of the older medications. That’s rather curious, as to why he would go to an older medication. I believe those medicines used to contain a bit of arsenic.”

Eden stared at him. “Yes, I believe you’re right. Can you read the label?”

He wrinkled his brow with amused toleration. “Nora thought it had gone rancid. She claims she threw it away as soon as she became ill.”

The next morning Eden entered the dining room early, hoping to find her great-aunt up, for she was an early riser. The room greeted her with unhurried silence, as no one had yet come to breakfast. The massive fan-shaped window faced the sea that lulled peacefully in the distance, while clusters of puffy, pearl-gray clouds drifted by. Then she heard her father speaking to someone on the lanai. He hadn’t seen her yet and was standing beside Great-aunt Nora.

“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation, Nora.”

“No doubt, but I’ve every intention of delving into this.”

“Maybe you should wait to speak with Ainsworth.”

“I’d rather speak with Rafe Easton, since it concerns him.”

Jerome noticed his daughter. “Oh, hello, Eden.”

What was that all about?
Eden knew she was interrupting something important. Great-aunt Nora turned her head away and remained at the railing, looking across the rocks to the sea. Jerome came into the dining room. He gave no hint of what they’d been discussing. With a pat on her arm he pulled a chair out for her, then another for himself. Eden looked toward the lanai. “Great-aunt Nora? Are you joining us for breakfast? I do hope you’re feeling stronger.”

“Yes, I’m fine today, dear. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Go on without me, both of you.”

Eden turned her attention to her father. She knew him well enough now to recognize the thoughtful glimmer of concern in his eyes. Was it over Nora’s health or over the subject they had been discussing?

“I don’t suppose you’ve been able to talk to Nora yet about Liliuokalani’s support for the clinic?” she inquired.

He stirred his coffee. “We’ve mentioned it briefly, and she is enthused. We intend to map out her plans on how to proceed in the next few days.”

Eden was pleased to hear it. “Then I was right about Great-aunt Nora. I thought she might be on our side.”

“We’ll need to take the tortoise route, I’m afraid. There is no ignoring the Board of Health. Even so, Nora believes that if I’m able to explain my travels these years to Liliuokalani and interest her in the findings of Dr. Chen, the Board’s approval should follow sooner or later. I understand the new queen has an inquisitive mind. A few more friends on our side from the Legislature won’t slow matters down either.”

Eden thought of Rafe. If only a man of his drive were on her side. Parker Judson had two influential friends with seats in the Hawaiian Legislature whom she’d mentioned to her father, and though he’d met with them over luncheon on Punchbowl Street, neither had promised his support.

“Father, there’s something that interests me about Herald Hartley, something that seems rather strange.”

“About Herald?” he asked surprised.

“Yes, it was something he said at the camp near Rat Alley a few months ago. He said you had helped him in India. What did he do in India when you met him?”

Unlike Herald, her father showed no caution in discussing India. “Why, yes, he was in India. I thought I’d mentioned that he’d worked for Dr. Chen in Calcutta. Unfortunately, Herald got himself into a financial difficulty and began to drink too much. He was dismissed by Dr. Chen, and his reputation was ruined. When I noticed
him on the street one day, he appealed to me for help. I brought him to a Christian mission. With time he came to trust in Christ. I gave him a new start in research by taking him on as my assistant.”

Eden was quiet a moment. “So far he hasn’t disappointed you?”

“Disappointed me? No, why should he? I’m almost sure he’s sincere in his faith.”

She noted the hesitancy. “Almost? But not altogether?”

“Until a few weeks ago, Eden, I would have said altogether. Something occurred recently that has raised a doubt. I intend to look into the matter further, but for now I’d rather not discuss it. You’ll understand, I’m sure.”

She did of course, but would rather have discussed it.

“Is it wise, Father? To have Herald Hartley involved in what you’re doing with the clinic?”

“So you also have doubts about Herald. I don’t think we have anything to be concerned about,” he said. “Until I met him in India, he knew only the rejection of his colleagues and his family. We need every friend we can get, so let’s not forget to be a friend to others who are in need.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “We’ve got Rebecca to think of. There’s no time to worry about Herald’s past.”

She wondered if that was wise, but kept silent and accepted her father’s decision.

She quickly changed the subject to Ambrose and Rebecca’s hope for a printing press, and was relieved when he showed support and pleasure at the idea. She didn’t tell him she intended to bring it up to Rafe Easton when she saw him at Hanalei. She’d already made up her mind that she was going to the Big Island to see him before returning to Honolulu.

Eden was still in the grip of her emotions when the servant entered to see if they were ready for the first course of their breakfast.

“Where’s Zachary?” Candace asked, coming into the dining room. Dr. Jerome stood and pulled out his niece’s chair. “Good morning, my dear Candace.”

“Thank you, Uncle. Good morning.”

“I haven’t seen Zachary since dinner last night,” Jerome said.

Nor had Eden. She excused herself for a moment and went to find Nora on the lanai, but she wasn’t there. She peered over the rail and saw her great-aunt below. She had a pair of binoculars and was looking toward the trees on the nearby hill opposite the garden. Eden watched her until Nora lowered them, stood for a few moments without moving, then came back across the yard toward the lanai steps, then looked up and saw Eden watching her.

“Breakfast,” Eden called down with contrived cheerfulness.

“I’m coming.” Nora came up the steps, slowly and a little out of breath. She returned the binoculars to the wrought-iron shelf where she stored them for bird watching.

Eden smiled. “See anything interesting this morning?”

“Oh, just a bird.”

Eden watched her go inside the dining room. Candace watched Great-aunt Nora, too. There was a slight puzzlement between her brows this morning. Eden thought that if she hadn’t told her about Ainsworth’s letter last night, she would never guess the crushing decision Candace had made.

Nora was seated at the table as primly as a queen. “Zachary went for a hike this morning,” she said when Jerome inquired of his absence.

“Zachary?” Candace asked, surprise in her voice. “I’ve never known him to be much of a walker.”

“He took some brunch with him, and a canteen of coffee,” Nora went on, making no reference to the unusualness of Zachary’s decision to hike.

Was it Zachary whom Nora had seen a moment ago in the binoculars? If so, why wouldn’t she simply say so? What was there to conceal? Nora had said she’d been watching a bird, but—

Her thoughts were interrupted when Nora turned her head and looked pointedly into her eyes. “Eden, my dear, the reason I asked you to come see me is about Ling Li.”

At the mention of Ling, the clink of utensils around the table came to a sudden halt.

“Ling!” Eden said, surprised. “Is he here? Does he know everyone at Kea Lani is looking for him, including his family?”

“Yes, he most certainly knows. No need to concern yourself for his wife. Recently he had his own way of letting her know he was well. Li’s people are most mysterious, you know. Very intriguing.”

“Why didn’t he let
us
know he was well?” Candace asked bluntly. “The last time I saw Rafe at the camp near Rat Alley, even
he
was looking for Ling.”

Dr. Jerome frowned thoughtfully.

And Rafe evidently did not find Ling
, Eden thought. She glanced at her father again. Was he recalling that awful debate with Rafe in the tent?

“Where is Ling now?” Eden asked Nora. “I want to speak to him.”

“He’s not here. He showed up a few days ago, most upset, poor fellow, begging to find Rafe Easton. He fled here, he told me, not knowing where else to hide himself until Rafe could be contacted.”

Both Dr. Jerome and Candace joined Eden in staring at Nora. “Hide himself?” Dr. Jerome repeated. “He works for Kea Lani. Why would he need to hide himself from us? If he cannot fulfill his working contract, I’m sure Ainsworth would arrange for something more lenient. Is he sick?”

“Oh, no. Quite healthy, in fact. I’ve yet to see a fellow so lean and wiry, and quick on his feet.”