Jewel of the Pacific (2 page)

What if Eden
had
met her death tonight? What if Hanalei
had
burned down, what then?

Even then, the desire for revenge should be stilled. That hour belonged to God’s wise timing.
Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

Rafe tightened his jaw, trying not to think of his stepfather.

A rider on horseback burst through the palm foliage, abruptly drew the reins, then saw Rafe on the lawn and rode toward him.

Townsend returning for more trouble?
Rafe wondered, not clearly seeing the rider through the smoke and rain. He thrust Eden behind him and then relaxed a bit as he recognized the rider. Liho, the owner of the
Princess Kaiulani
that Townsend had shanghaied. Liho was also the cousin of one of Rafe’s closest friends, Keno, who was also Rafe’s cousin by marriage.

Liho rode up to where Rafe and Eden stood drenched in rain. He was hatless with his dark hair clinging to his forehead. His broad face was split by a fresh cut across his cheekbone. His wrists were raw, an injury incurred as he escaped from the ropes Townsend had used to tie him to the steerage.

Frantically, Liho rattled off information to Rafe in a mixture of Hawaiian and English.

Keno, in his saddle a short distance away with Rafe’s uncle, Ambrose Easton, edged his horse forward, with Ambrose coming behind.

“I saw Townsend Derrington down at dock!” Liho explained.

“When?” Rafe demanded to know.

“Little time ago.”

“You saw him? You’re certain it was Townsend?”

“He didn’t come back to my boat this time. I hid, and see him move toward
Lilly of the Stars.”

Rafe gestured to one of his
kanakas
for his horse. The young Hawaiian hurried forward, leading the horse by the reins. Rafe reached for the bridle, placed a boot in the stirrup, and swiftly mounted. He exchanged an angry look with Keno.

“I’m going to stop him,” he said through gritted teeth.

Eden rushed to Rafe’s horse. “Don’t go, Rafe!”

Rafe gazed at her, but he did not answer. He swiftly turned his horse toward the road and Ambrose caught her shoulder, to keep her from grasping Rafe’s leg as he started to speed off.

“Too late I fear, lass,” he stated.

Eden looked at the older man. Ambrose was not only Rafe’s uncle, but he’d been like a father to Eden. He and his wife Noelani had done much to raise Eden since her parents were not around—her father, Jerome, was an acclaimed doctor who spent much time in the East, searching cures for leprosy, so Eden seldom had seen him while she was growing up. And she could barely remember her mother, Rebecca. For some time she’d thought that her father’s family, the Derringtons, had murdered her mother because they’d always refused to talk about her. Recently, though, she’d learned that her mother was indeed alive, but was a victim of leprosy and was living in a leper colony on a distant island.

Eden had lived with Ambrose and Noelani until her early teens, when her grandfather had taken her to live in his home.

As a pastor, Ambrose had also been her spiritual father throughout the years. And now she naturally turned to him. “He mustn’t be alone with Townsend.”

“Yes,” Ambrose agreed. “Keno!” he called to his wife’s nephew, “we best go with Rafe.”

Keno knew his childhood friend and ally, Rafe, only too well, and was already starting after him. The thudding hoofs sounded ominously on the wind.

“Let us hope the law will reach the harbor first.” Ambrose mounted his horse and motioned for Liho to follow him. They too, rode into the dark.

Eden stood in the rain, miserable and wet, fearing what might take place. She understood Rafe’s anger. She trembled, knowing her uncle had planned for her to die.

Thoughts of the past twenty-four hours hovered around her like grimacing ghosts fretting over denied prey—and she had been the prey.
But, no
, she had proven the pawn for Townsend to lure Rafe to the cliff’s edge. Rafe was the prey, the one Townsend wished to destroy. And why? Because of envy, pride, and resentment.

She was also angry. And there was just cause! Even so, anger too easily grew into a sin of its own making:
The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

She was suddenly more afraid than she had ever been—not for herself but for Rafe. A breath of wind slid through the wet, fringed palm fronds, causing a rustle.

Lord
, she pleaded,
protect Rafe from self-destruction through his own fury!

A dark lion seemed to crouch nearby—as though sensing a victory. Its mouth anticipating the taste of blood. She could almost hear a deep-throated grumble as it prepared to roar, as though it were beginning to move faster in the shadows along the road, toward the harbor, toward the
Lilly of the Stars.

She sank to the soggy lawn and lowered her head.

A moment later she felt a hand gently touch her shoulder. She raised her face to see a young Hawaiian boy, Koko, looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

“Ling comes,” he whispered. “He looks for you.”

Eden turned her head and saw the friendly figure of Ling Li. She had known Ling from his first early days in Honolulu as a sugar worker under contract to leave China and work at Kea Lani. She’d helped him get his wife and children out of China to join him on Kea Lani, just as she and her cousin Candace had done for many other workers serving the Derrington enterprise.

After fulfilling his work contract, Ling had started his own hackney business while his wife and children had stayed on at Kea Lani.

Nearly two months earlier, Rafe had brought Ling to the safety of Hanalei. And Ling needed a refuge, for he, too, was in Townsend Derrington’s sights. Ling had finally told authorities that he’d seen Townsend at one of his evil deeds. Ling had witnessed the struggle between Townsend and Rafe’s father, Matt Easton, on Hanalei. He told how the two men had fought and then how Matt had fallen—or perhaps been pushed—from a rocky ledge. When the severely injured Matt had called for help, Townsend had hurried away.

Ling had gone for help, but his English was so poor that he could not explain the problem. By the time he had convinced Eden’s Great-aunt Nora that Matt needed help, it was too late. When the marshal looked into Matt Easton’s death, Townsend had claimed he’d not even been on Hanalei that day.

Later, when Nora decided to write a book on the history of the Derringtons, including Matt Easton’s
accidental
death, Townsend began fearing Ling’s witness and set fire to Ling’s hut to frighten him. Ling had fled to Rafe for safety and had been working on Hanalei as Rafe’s cook ever since.

“You come with me, Miss Eden,” Ling urged. “Mr. Rafe be very upset you out here in rain and mud. I check rest of rooms already. Some very good. You come now. Many rooms all right. You close door, you not smell smoke. Wife bring you to good room. You rest; you eat. Mr. Rafe come back. You see.”

The fire, except for God’s mercy, would have reduced the Hanalei plantation house to a few surviving bricks. The rainstorm had quelled the flames. As it was, the front parlor with its roof, and a section of the breathtaking dark wood staircase were charred and ruined. The smell of smoke hung in the air.

Ling showed Eden to the rooms that Celestine, Rafe’s mother, used when she was at home in their lovely residence. Celestine had lived here on Hanalei from the time Rafe was born. This had been the home she’d shared with Rafe’s father, Matt. After Matt’s father had died, she had married Townsend Derrington. She’d been the Lady of the Estate until she had recently ignored Townsend’s protests and had arranged for the legal rights of Hanalei to be signed over to her son, Rafe—the act that had solidified Townsend’s hatred of his stepson.

The lovely area Celestine lived in was untouched by the fire and included a private sitting room, dressing room, and bedroom.

The closet even held a significant wardrobe Eden could use until she returned to Kea Lani. All she had were the garments she was wearing when Townsend had shanghaied her. Eden knew Rafe’s generous mother, Celestine, would be pleased to have helped her.

Eden quickly rid herself of her smoke-stained, grimy clothes. While she cleaned her appearance, however, the day’s grim events kept overtaking her mind.

After setting fire to the downstairs parlor, Townsend had fled toward the boat to head for Honolulu and Kea Lani. Rafe intended to stop him, but what if Townsend got away? Then Townsend would go directly to his father, Ainsworth Derrington, who was also Eden’s grandfather.

Ambrose had said that Grandfather Ainsworth was in Honolulu with Dr. Jerome, Eden’s father. The two men had departed Kea Lani at the same time as Rafe, in order to alert the marshal of her abduction. Ainsworth intended to pressure the marshal to authorize a civilian posse to hunt for Townsend. Whether this had occurred, she had no idea, but the authorities might even now be on their way to the Big Island in chartered boats.

Eden sat at the desk to write a message to her cousin Candace Derrington, who was also her dearest friend. As soon as Liho returned to Honolulu, she would ask him to deliver it to Candace. She wanted to warn Candace about the situation.

“If Townsend should elude capture he will go to Kea Lani before leaving the Islands, thinking Grandfather will give him money to flee to the Caribbean. He is also seeking jewels from you and Great-aunt Nora, so beware. He believes the Derringtons will do most anything to protect their name—so he’s expecting everyone to take care of him rather than letting information get out about his treachery.”

The
Lilly of the Stars
was still in harbor. Rafe tied his horse, and headed toward the dock, keeping in the shadows of the palms. Rafe passed several dark, still boats tied along the shore. He passed cabins with lamps flickering through reed window blinds. He moved on silently.

Rafe heard an oar creak at the stern. The
Lilly of the Stars.
He paused and then approached the side of the boat. Arguing voices cut through the night.

“No! You’re not taking my boat. What did you do with Eden?” Zachary’s voice was shrill with helpless indignation as he argued with his father, Townsend.

“You’ll do as I say, or I’ll break your disobedient neck!”

Rafe’s heart thudded like the cadence of a military drumbeat. Instantly Rafe was over the rail, his feet landing softly on the wet wooden deck.

As Rafe quietly opened the cabin door, Townsend swung round, shock carved on his sweating face.

“You,” he said, his eyes cold and hard. “You’ve ruined my life.”

“You’ve ruined your own. Eden is safe. Hanalei is safe. The rain put the fire out.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“I was hoping you’d try,” Rafe challenged.

Zach’s right arm was in a sling from his father’s earlier rage. But the brave young man still grabbed a bookend and hurled it at Townsend’s head—it missed.

Townsend barely noticed. His weathered face with its high cheekbones and steely silvery eyes leered at Refe. “I’ll do more than ‘try.’ I’ll beat you. Then I’ll tie you up and dump you at sea.”

“Think so? Not this time. I’m going to kick your face in. I’ll give you a licking you’ll long remember, while you sit in your prison cell awaiting execution for my father’s death.”

For a moment Townsend showed surprise, even uncertainty, but then charged Rafe.

Rafe smashed his fist into Townsend’s face.

Townsend gasped as he flew backward, thudding against the cabin wall. He grunted, and slipped down the wall, landing on his seat, legs stretched out before him. He shook his head as if something were out of place.

Zachary laughed hysterically as he held his injured arm.

“Too easy, Townsend.” Rafe shook his head sadly. “Where’s the bluster you tormented Eden with—and my mother? You’ve had this coming for a long time. Get up.”

Zachary sobered. He wiped his palm on his shirt, glancing from Rafe to Townsend. “Caution, Rafe. Take it easy, now.”

“That first blow was for my father and to begin to pay for your pushing him off that cliff and leaving him to die,” Rafe said coldly. “I have a few more to go to pay for the way you tricked my mother into marrying you and then abused her. And for the way you tried to kill the woman I love—your own niece. Say goodbye to your teeth, Townsend, because when I’m through, you’ll have to eat mush while you wait for a hangman to drop a rope around your neck.”