Chapter 47
White Cliffs Island
Serafina returned to White Cliffs with a boat full of flowers the day of the wedding. Rose and Tristan met her as she sailed the small craft into the shallows. The two guards pulled her ashore and began unloading the flowers.
"You have brought flowers from my garden," Rose said, her voice full of excitement.
"I have," Serafina said, "and I have brought you a proper wedding dress as well." She placed a folded garment into Rose's hands.
"Satin. It feels lovely." Rose pressed the smooth material to her cheek. "You must come and help me to put it on."
Tristan put his hand on Serafina's arm. "How can I ever repay you for bringing Rose into my life?"
"I have done nothing. I am sure your marriage was written in the stars. And I must thank you for allowing my friend Sloan to mine the fertilizer on the island. He will continue to send me shipments from time to time after I return north if that is acceptable to you."
"As I said before—take all you want. A friend of yours is a friend of mine."
Serafina smiled at Tristan. "I had best see to your bride. She is anxious to wear her wedding dress." She leaned heavily on her cane as she headed for the plantation house.
The wedding was a simple affair with only Henry, Serafina and the two guards as guests. Tristan and Rose said their vows to one another on the veranda of the plantation house. Rose, dressed in blue satin with her blonde hair pulled up inside a crown of purple orchids, made a beautiful bride. Bouquets of yellow roses and red ginger decorated the columns of the veranda. Bird song filled the air.
Henry prepared a lunch of quail, fruits, vegetable soup and frosted sweets to celebrate the occasion. Tristan read passages from his books and Rose presented her husband with a garland of plumeria and palm leaves from her garden.
After lunch Serafina stood up. "Never have I seen two people so well suited to one another. I thank you for making me a part of this happy occasion. I must cut my visit short this time. I have been called back home."
Tears filled Rose's eyes. "But we have plenty of room here. Why must you go?"
Serafina hugged Rose as she formed her lie. "I have a new nephew and I have offered to help with his care until his mother's health improves."
"But what of your own health?" Rose argued stubbornly. "The warmth here is good for you." Rose sniffed back a sob. "I have no friend but you here on the island."
"There, there," Serafina soothed. "Before long you will likely have a little family to care for. You will not be lonely. In the meantime you should go with Henry occasionally to visit the marketplace. And I will certainly come to visit from time to time."
"You promise?" Rose managed a small smile. "How could we have known when we set out for a day of fishing that it would end in my marriage to Tristan?"
Serafina patted Rose's hand. "How indeed?"
Serafina found Sloan waiting when she sailed up to the dock at Manoa.
"I am glad you are here," she said. "I have a process to show you which will leave my fertilizer in a more purified state."
Sloan looked at Serafina with narrowed eyes. He seemed to be wondering how an old woman had engineered this coup—obtaining the rights to mine White Cliffs' guano for resale.
Serafina continued. "I will of course pay you more for your extra work. It will save me money in shipping charges. But if you are not interested, we will continue with our original arrangement. You will shovel the guano into burlap bags and ship it in that unpurified state. It is your decision."
"How much more money?" Sloan asked in a voice full of suspicion.
"Five times the amount per bag," Serafina replied.
"Show me this process," he agreed in a more pleasant tone.
Serafina took him to Rose's cottage, which was no longer in use. There she scooped up a small amount of guano, added a little water and set it to boil in a large kettle over an open fire. She added a scoop of wood ash to precipitate out the unwanted components. The solution that remained, she poured out into a bowl where it would be allowed to dry into a white powder.
"Do you wish to perform this process for the higher rate?" she asked.
Sloan pressed his fingers to his lips, considering. "For five times the rate?" he confirmed.
"Yes. Five times the rate."
"I can do this." He smiled.
"You may wish to expand the process so you can do larger and larger amounts at one time. That is fine. I will continue to buy as much as you are able to process. But you must do the work yourself. Strangers on the island will still not be tolerated." Serafina looked deep into Sloan's eyes. "Any questions?"
Sloan shook himself back to reality. Something about her eyes had sent a chill down his spine. The color, he realized. Her eyes had changed from green to a dark grey-blue color. He tried to look again to see if he had been mistaken but she had already turned away.
Sloan answered quickly. He stood to make a great deal of money with this arrangement. "No, no questions. The first shipment will go out in four days' time. That is when the ship, Pride of Manoa, will take to the seas."
Serafina knew this was true as she had already booked her passage back to Henge on the Pride of Manoa.
"I will expect shipments monthly, then. You will send word with the shipments if you come upon any difficulty."
"Yes" he said, "but I foresee no difficulties." He paused, then asked in a nonchalant voice, "You said you might visit from time to time?"
"I might. I have enjoyed my vacation here. The warmth is beneficial to my old bones."
Sloan relaxed a bit and forgot momentarily about the change of eye color. This was only an old woman, after all. One with an apothecary garden, and friends who grew flowers. But, evidently, one who could afford to satisfy her whims.
Four days later, Serafina stood beside the railing of the Pride of Manoa as the burlap bags containing her precious white powder were loaded on board. She did not think she would have any trouble with Sloan or with Tristan but she would keep a close eye on her new factory for a time.
As the ship left the dock she allowed her thoughts to return to her children in Helsop. It would be good to see Esme, Shalin, and of course, Electra, once again.
Princess Electra Book 4 School of Medicine Page 49