Jewel of the Pacific

by Linda Lee Chaikin

  © 2013 by

  LINDA LEE CHAIKIN

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Scripture taken from The Holy Bible: New King James Version. Copyright © 1982, 1992 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by Jeanette Littleton

  Interior design: Ragont Design

  Cover design: Studio Gearbox

  Cover image: Woman on front / Bigstockphoto

  Man on front / Getty images

  Background imagery / Thinkstock

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Chaikin, L. L., 1943—

  Jewel of the Pacific / Linda Lee Chaikin.

  pages cm – (The dawn of Hawaii series; book 3)

  ISBN 978-0-8024-3751-8

  1. Life change events—Fiction. 2. Blindness—Fiction. 3. Hawaii—History—19th century—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3553.H2427J49 2013

  813’.54—dc23

  2012046387

  We hope you enjoy this book from River North Fiction by Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought-provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:

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  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  Printed in the United States of America

  Contents

  Historical Characters and Terms

  Eden’s Family Tree

  Part 1: The Gathering Storm

  1. The Devil-Lion Prowls

  2. Ashes to Ashes

  3. His Grace Overshadows

  4. Reap the Whirlwind

  5. Joy and Tears Mingled

  6. Days of Preparation

  Part 2: The Black Cliffs of Molokai

  7. A Serpent’s Smile

  8. Ride the Waves

  9. The Leper Colony

  10. Isle of Exiles

  11. Speak, Lord, in the Stillness

  12. The Case of the Devious Woman

  13. Let Your Heart Take Courage

  14. Yesterday’s Secrets

  15. Return to Honolulu

  16. Serpentine Smile

  17. Invitation to Iolani Palace

  18. A Spy Among Us

  19. Dinner at Iolani Palace

  20. The Soothsayer

  21. A Land Fairer by Far

  22. The Dawning

  23. The Long Way Back

  24. Heart to Heart

  25. At Long Last …

  Part 3: Stars and Stripes Forever

  26. The Decision

  27. Seeds of Deceit

  28. The Announcement

  29. Stars and Stripes Forever

  HISTORICAL CHARACTERS AND TERMS

  Many of the characters who appear in Jewel of the Pacific are not fictional. Woven into the story of the Derrington and Easton families are real people who played an important role in the history of nineteenth-century Hawaii. The following lists include several of the more important characters and terms from Hawaii’s colorful past. (Not listed are historical locations, buildings, and objects.)

  CHARACTERS

  Claus Spreckels—the sugar king from California.

  Hiram Bingham—one of the first missionaries to Hawaii who helped create the Hawaiian alphabet, which was used to translate the Bible into Hawaiian.

  John L. Stevens—American Foreign Minister (political) to Hawaii.

  Kamehameha I Monarchy—Kamehameha the Great conquered the other independent island kingdoms around him to form one kingdom, which he named after his island, Hawaii.

  King David Kalakaua—who ruled over Hawaii for seventeen years until his death in 1891; the second elected monarch and the first to visit the United States.

  Lorrin Thurston—member of the Hawaiian league and a grandson of pioneer missionary Asa Thurston.

  Priest Damian—a Belgian priest who was ordained in Honolulu and assigned at his own request to the leper colony on Molokai in 1873, where he died in 1889 after contracting the disease.

  Queen Emma Kaleleonalani—who in the 1870s had a cousin who was a leper at Molokai.

  Queen Liliuokalani—the last reigning monarch of the kingdom of Hawaii, who was deposed in 1893; a musician and songwriter, she wrote Hawaii’s most famous song, “Aloha Oe.”

  Walter Murray Gibson—King Kalakaua’s controversial prime minister, who was eventually run out of Hawaii and died on his way to San Francisco.

  TERMS:

  alii—chief, princely

  aloha—love, hello, goodbye

  auwe—an expression of lament; alas!

  haole—foreigner, especially white person; Caucasian

  hapa-haole—person of mixed race; Hawaiian-Caucasian

  hoolaulei—festive celebration

  kahu—caregiver or nurse

  kahuna—sorcerer or priest of the ancient native religion

  kokua—helper; a person who would live with and assist a leper

  lanai—porch, terrace, veranda

  luna—overseer

  makua—parent or any relative of one’s parents

  muumuu—gown, Mother Hubbard gown

  Pake—Chinese

  wahine—woman

  Part One

  The Gathering Storm

  Chapter One

  The Devil-Lion Prowls

  The flames sputtered and fumed as lashing rain struck the front of the Great House of Hanalei Kona coffee plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii.

  Rafe Easton held his fiancée, Eden Derrington, one arm around her shoulders and the other about her waist. Rafe had just pulled Eden from the burning inferno and now they stood on the soggy lawn, drenched to the skin in warm rain. But now a safe distance from the flames.

  Eden shivered. It had all happened so fast. First her own uncle, Townsend Derrington, had abducted Eden from Honolulu, where she lived in her grandfather’s house.

  Next Townsend Derrington had commanded his son, Zachary, to take him and his hostage on a journey aboard Zachary’s boat, Lilly of the Stars. When Zach had refused, Townsend had struck his son, and left him tied in the hold. Then, at gunpoint, he had commandeered a boat, the Princess Kaiulani, from the cousin of an extended family member, and had brought Eden to the Big Island, here to Hanalei.

  If that hadn’t been dastardly enough, he’d left her incapacitated in the home built by his own stepson, Rafe, the home she would soon oversee as Rafe’s wife. Then he had set the house on fire … to destroy his stepson’s future, fortune … and life.

  Fortunately, Rafe, in pursuit, had found Zachary aboard the Lilly of the Stars. He had untied Zachary and left him to rest in the boat while Rafe rushed to Eden’s rescue, barely reaching her before the room where she was tied completely blazed into an inferno.

  The downpour continued its heavenly blessing, keeping the blaze from spreading from the front of the house to the rest of the lanai. The acrid smell of smoke clung in the night air, filled with hissing and sizzling of burning wood.

  Rafe glanced at Eden and her gaze answered him with the same steady love he possessed for her.

  As he held Eden a little tigh
ter, trying to steady her shaking body, Rafe’s thoughts about Townsend kindled a fury that burned as intensely as the fire. His heart yearned for revenge. If I could get my hands on him—

  But did not God spare Eden for you? Was not His rain quenching the flames? Then be still!

  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.
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  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.