Jewel of the Pacific by Linda Lee Chaikin

Author:Linda Lee Chaikin [Chaikin, Linda Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-57567-555-8
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2013-08-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Serpentine Smile

At Kea Lani, Eden hurried downstairs and onto the front lanai facing the carriageway. Yes, her horse and buggy were still there under the shade of the clustered coconut palms. She wanted to get the meeting with Rafe over as quickly as possible. She left the lanai and dashed down the stone steps.

The trip to Hawaiiana was not long, maybe five minutes inland after she reached the turnoff to the mission church near the old Easton pearl lagoon, which had been so long in the greedy hands of Uncle Townsend. Recently the pearl lagoon, along with the Kona coffee plantation, Hanalei, were returned to the rightful heir, Rafe, whose father had developed both.

Eden scanned the distant hills of green foliage among dark boulders.

It was nearing four o’clock when she arrived at the pearl fishery, less than a half mile from the mission church. A new road had been cut and cleared to reach inland toward the mountains. Sitting on the edge of her seat and holding the reins in gloved hands as the buggy bumped along the ungraded road, Eden scanned the land. The mission church stood alone in the field, and the thatched roof bungalow Ambrose and Noelani lived in sat nearby among tropical shrubbery and palm trees.

If Rafe hadn’t intervened, Parker Judson would have torn down the bungalow and mission church when the two partners first began laying out the land for Hawaiiana.

On either side of the road the land had already been cleared for planting—land that stretched to an invisible bright blue horizon. The earth was a rich brownish-red, perfect for growing. The direct sunlight was hot, the trade wind refreshing, and she felt a certain pang of loss. Rafe had once meant for her to be a part of this, and even the big plantation house had been constructed with her in mind.

How could she have let it slip through her fingers? And yet she had, a little at a time through her delays in her love relationship with Rafe Easton. For the last two years it was wait, wait until finally, she supposed, he had wearied of it all and turned to Bernice Judson.

Now Rafe’s half of Hawaiiana was divided between him and Keno, and she would never live in the great house. It would go to Candace. Bernice would have Rafe and Hanalei—plus all of Parker Judson’s holdings—to bring to her marriage.

It seemed to Eden that her long-laid plans of going to Molokai to meet her mother and to work with her father had ended with little of blessing in return for her service. She had a fistful of wind, as the saying went.

Since she’d lost Rafe Easton, perhaps another man would be in her future. But if so, where was he? As she looked down the long narrow road, it was empty, just the way her heart felt. She did not think any more love was left in her life to give to another man. It had always been Rafe. Without him there was no one.

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