Spoils of Eden (14 page)

“Oh, just that it might as well be in the museum.”

“Grandfather will never permit that.”

Candace had misunderstood her reflection. Even so, she allowed the subject to fade. Probably no one in the family loved Grandfather Ainsworth more than Candace did. She had been chosen to receive most of his attention as they’d grown up. Not even Zachary, male
inheritor until Silas arrived, had been so favored. Eden was sure Candace didn’t speak this way out of disrespect, but in frustration. Even in Eden’s own situation as a child and young girl, the silence in the family, which had cloaked her mother’s leprosy had been permitted by the Derringtons, not for her good, but to guard the cherished family name in Honolulu and the mainland, where people often stigmatized any family with the sickness.

“Well?” Candace persisted, like a sharp-eyed bird honing in on its prey. “How does Grandfather’s plan for my marriage harmonize with Jedaiah’s sacrificial faith in God, which he honors so much? Would it not be a tribute to Jedaiah’s memory for his great-niece to marry a
Hawaiian
who led
her
to the Lord? I believe Great-grandfather Jedaiah would smile with joy. What a great compliment to his missionary life.”

Eden walked out onto the lanai, troubled. “You’re right, Candace, but in fairness to Grandfather, he has allowed me to pursue studies in tropical diseases and work at Kalihi, though he wasn’t thrilled about it.”

“Maybe you were the fortunate one after all, to be born of a woman he thought so little about,” she retorted. “He would never permit me such freedom, as you well know.”

Eden ignored what could have taken as an unkind word about Rebecca. Candace was hurting deeply now, and she needed understanding. “Grandfather has his faults as we all do. Look at how my mother was chased off to Molokai and the truth kept from me all these years. I used to question whether I was even a Derrington.”

“Yes … so did Zachary,” Candace said wryly. “I’d be furious if I were you! About your mother, I mean. I’ve thought all along that you’ve borne that injustice very well, Eden. Like a saint, if you don’t mind my getting sentimental. If that were my mother they’d sent away and allowed me to believe she was dead—well, perhaps we’d best not traverse that path.”

“No,” Eden said wearily, sinking into a chair. “I haven’t behaved saintly at all. Many times I was furious, as you say, but I want to
move ahead. And I shall. I’m going to work alongside my father, and no one will stop me.”

Candace looked at her thoughtfully. “I won’t try telling you what your heart bids you do, except to say that men like Rafe don’t last forever. Parker Judson’s niece had her eye on him when she was here last. I’m sure you noticed.”

Eden wouldn’t permit herself to dwell on that. There was too much to do, and all of it important. “Ainsworth has his reasons for doing things his way, and while I don’t always agree,” Eden said, “I won’t believe callousness plays a part in his decisions.”

“Callous? No, that he is not. I know he loves us and wants the best for our future, but I still recognize that the Derrington enterprise is his first love. I would be perfectly satisfied if I could marry Keno and live in a modest house by the mission church while he took Ambrose’s place as lay-pastor.”

Eden sighed. “You’re noble, Candace, and knowing Grandfather, he’d think so, too. But as you say, the Derrington name and enterprise are more important to him than a humble mission church and a small congregation. And he’s leaving the enterprise to you.”

“And if he does leave the Derrington enterprise to me, it’s not really for me. He will choose the man that he wants to entrust it to, and I just happen to be the means to turn Kea Lani into a larger enterprise. The Derrington-Hunnewell enterprise.”

“So, then,” Eden said with a sigh. “We’re back again to Oliver P. Hunnewell.”

“Rather, we’re back to the huge Hunnewell lands.” Candace was looking out past the lanai. “I’m surprised Rafe’s been able to keep this pineapple plantation-in-the-making. Do you know how badly Grandfather and Uncle Townsend desire this new pineapple he’s brought to Honolulu?”

Eden knew very well, indeed.

“I think Grandfather would offer Rafe most anything to buy out his partnership with Parker Judson. Or, at least, to acquire it through Rafe’s marriage into the family.” She looked pointedly at
Eden’s left hand. “I’m not the only one destined to stand against the old lion on the marriage issue. What are you going to do when he learns the engagement with Rafe
and his pineapples
has been set aside?”

Eden recognized the wry note in her voice at the mention of Rafe’s pineapples. Yes, Ainsworth had welcomed, even promoted her marriage to Rafe before he’d left for Washington D.C. He’d praised Rafe’s strength and abilities,
and
his pineapples from French Guiana. Matters were not likely to go well when she let it be known that she was setting marriage aside for now to follow her vision of medical research with Dr. Jerome.

Candace scrutinized her. “From what you’ve told me it wasn’t Rafe’s decision to postpone, but yours.”

“We agreed in unison,” Eden said quickly.

“The only reason I’m mentioning it is that if Rafe decides to say anything tonight to Grandfather, you’d best be prepared. Grandfather’s asked to speak to him alone.”

Eden stood, alert. “Have you any idea what it’s about?”

“Not exactly. Great-aunt Nora thinks it has something to do with annexation, and the Reform Party that Thurston started. But, one never knows. And if either Grandfather or Rafe mentions the engagement, the frog will be out of the pond.”

Eden pondered uneasily. Maybe she was in for more trouble tonight than she’d thought. As Candace had observed, she herself could be held accountable to sacrifice for the Derrington cause: sugar and politics.

Or, maybe the meeting had nothing to do with her at all, and everything to do with Rafe’s partnership with Parker Judson and pineapples. “Whatever the reason for their meeting, Rafe isn’t likely to relinquish his part of the enterprise,” Eden said. “Once the pineapple business looks successful, Rafe will be rewarded by being in charge of his father’s Kona plantation, Hanalei.”

Eden knew she was vindicating the postponement of their engagement by putting Hanalei on the same scale as her work with
her father. She and Rafe
both
had separated to pursue their goals. Then how could Ainsworth hold her responsible?

Eden turned unexpectedly and fixed Candace with an inquisitive gaze. “Are you certain it was Zachary on the lanai you saw the other night?”

Candace’s auburn brows lifted. “Yes, I’m certain. Has he explained?”

“I’m not sure anyone’s asked him about it. Ambrose referred to it at the mission church earlier this morning. He mentioned that Rafe had come by and wanted to know if he’d seen Zachary around.”

“Had he?”

“Apparently not. Rather odd, though, of Zachary to be on the lanai at midnight.”

“That’s why I mentioned it to Rafe this morning.”

“And you’re certain it was Zachary?”

“Eden!”

Eden smiled. “Yes, you’re certain. Well, I shall leave you to finish dressing. I want to check on Great-aunt Nora before dinner.” As Eden left the room, she was aware that Candace’s eyes followed her out the door into the wide hallway.

E
den came noiselessly down the flight of stairs that fanned out at the bottom. She heard a woman’s voice dimly resonating from the garden through the wide-open doors. Before she reached the doors, the banana plant in a green and gold pineapple-shaped planter pot moved, and for a startling moment Eden thought she saw a reptile coiling. She stopped short and looked again, then smiled to herself when a harmless green garden snake slithered out. She picked up an extra cane belonging to Great-aunt Nora and, managing to loop its body, carried it gently down the steps and deposited it safely under some ferns. “Next time you try sneaking indoors, I’ll excommunicate you from the entire garden,” she murmured to herself. Turning to leave, she heard a woman crying. She looked toward the lava stone walkway that wound through tall hibiscus flowers to a pond.

The woman might have been any of those in the house. Eden hesitated, wondering if she should offer a shoulder to cry on. Her concern got the best of her, and she walked in that direction. She had gone past the hau tree when she came upon a black lava stone bench behind some ferns. “Excuse me, can I help?” she asked, but
when she came around the ferns no one was there. She was sure shed just heard a woman crying.

Eden turned, scanning the spacious garden and breathing in the intoxicatingly sweet fragrance from the white gardenias with their yellow centers. Her steps made a faint sound on fallen petals.

Across the lava stone patio a flight of steps led through ferns and orchids toward the sandy, covelike beach. She thought of going down, certain now that whoever it had been, had gone there, but thought better of it. Evidently, the person had heard her coming and didn’t wish to talk. Eden turned around and started back. She glanced toward the sea and saw clouds sitting there, waiting like an army for the signal to storm the island.

Except for the sound of her footsteps, silence pervaded the lovely tropical setting. The garden and mansion seemed to have withdrawn into secretive solitude. Then, unexpectedly, she heard Celestine’s voice. “I won’t stand by and see you take advantage of him again.”

“Take advantage
of him?
You must be joking. That young man’s one shrewd scoundrel! Look how he managed to come back to Honolulu with those pineapple slips.”

“And you wanted them.”

“Why not? He’s my stepson! He should have come to me for a loan for this property, not Parker.”

“You know very well you would have rejected his plans. You’ve never treated him like a son.”

“Nonsense. I’ve treated him the same as Zach. What am I supposed to do? Go around tucking them in bed at night? Read them stories and pray with them? I’m not Ambrose.”

“Oh, stop it. I’ll go straight to Parker Judson if you try to stop the turnover of Hanalei to Rafe.”

“The trouble with both of you Eastons is you can’t get past Matts death. Rafe’s convinced I was to blame for that accident on Hanalei.”

“Don’t even bring that up.”

“Rafe’s always resented me. Jealous, from the beginning. Always praising Matt. Anything his father did was put on a pedestal. Hands off for anybody else. Now, see here, Celestine, you signed Hanalei over to my supervision when we married.”

“An error on my part.”

“And I’ve legal right to the plantation should Parker decide to back out of the lease. It was part of the deal. He can’t transfer the lease unless I agree.”

“You’re known for scheming, Townsend. Ainsworth knows it, too. If you trouble Rafe again, either about Kip or Hanalei, I’ll disinherit you completely from my will. If Ainsworth does the same, you’ll be penniless. Then what? Do you think your foolish ways can sustain the lifestyle you’re accustomed to indulging in? Not without everyone else’s help, they can’t. You’ll be out cutting cane or harvesting coffee beans.”

“That’s extortion!”

“To protect what’s rightfully my son’s? To safeguard Kip? It’s you who’ve extorted from Rafe’s inheritance all these years. Not again, Townsend. Never again.”

There came a loud slap, a woman’s pained gasp, then silence.

Eden dug her nails into her palms. A sickening knot formed in her stomach.

Frozen to the spot, she stood unseen behind the palm fronds, her heart thudding in her ears. She’d been rudely awakened to an ugly side to her uncle Townsend. Fear jumped to her throat, and her heart thudded.
If Rafe ever learns that Townsend struck his mother
…

Celestine and Townsend mustn’t know she’d overheard. The incident was between them and God.

Eden began backing cautiously away from the emotional quicksand she’d nearly blundered into and inadvertently bumped into something that moved. Whirling about she looked straight into the eyes of her cousin Silas Derrington.

He wore an unpleasant twist to his mouth. He took hold of her arm and drew her swiftly away behind some leafy trees.

Just then, Celestine hurried past where they stood concealed, and went toward the house. Eden made a move to go to her, but Silas’s fingers tightened on her arm. He gestured with his head. A moment later more footsteps crunched over the sandy pebbles, and Townsend emerged from the shrubs, striding along the same path.

Silas looked after him, released Eden’s arm, and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“It’s not my affair, but if I were you, I wouldn’t let either of them know you overheard.”

“Eavesdropping isn’t one of my pastimes, I assure you,” Eden said shortly and might have wondered aloud whether it was one of his.
Where had he come from, among the tropical shrubs?

“I don’t know Rafe Easton well,” he said, “but if what happened between those two gets back to him, he seems the sort that might want to teach Townsend a lesson on gentlemanly ways.”

Eden remained judiciously silent when it came to commenting on Rafe’s mother and her failed marriage. Uncle Townsend had long intimidated Celestine, who was so opposite her son, Rafe, in temperament that most people would never suppose she was his mother. Celestine was taken advantage of by Townsend and bullied into doing what he wanted. Eden remembered from growing up with Rafe at Kea Lani how angry he would become when he saw Townsend show disrespect to his mother or take advantage of the estate left to her by Rafe’s father, Matt.

When Rafe had returned from his voyage to French Guiana and formed his partnership with Parker Judson, he’d suggested to Celestine that she could find a reprieve under his roof if she thought it necessary. So when Silas arrived in Honolulu two months ago, causing a great stir of gossip, Celestine quietly departed from Kea Lani late one evening with Eden’s help. Eden brought her here to Rafe’s new plantation house as she’d requested, and here she remained, keeping to herself.

So far, Townsend had left Celestine to her solitude. He carried on his life in Honolulu as usual, managing the Kea Lani’s sugar
business and occupying the Legislature seat he’d held since he’d been a young man in his twenties.