Spoils of Eden (15 page)

Celestine’s public excuse for being private was illness. She needed the quiet, she told her friends. Eden was aware that she had also been assisting Great-aunt Nora with a book Nora was writing on Derrington family history.

Now, facing Townsend’s son Silas, Eden remained silent. Would Rafe confront Townsend? When Eden had witnessed Townsend using his fists on Rafe at the beach, Rafe had refused to strike Townsend back. But, of course, back then it was Rafe being struck, not his mother, whom Rafe ardently respected as a true and gentle lady. Eden shivered to contemplate what might happen if Rafe had been here now, or if he should find out what happened. With a sick heart she folded her arms and looked back toward the plantation house. By now Celestine would have taken refuge in her bedroom.

What a mongrel Townsend turned out to be! Why was he such a selfish and ill-tempered man, when he’d been raised the son of Ainsworth? Although Eden’s grandfather was dedicated to the sugar industry and to Hawaiian politics, he was not an unbeliever, nor was he a man who turned a blind eye to his son’s immorality. Ainsworth had often rebuked Townsend for his disgraceful ways. How was it that his son had slipped through his fingers and grown up as he had?

Eden prayed for her uncle to change, but she was the first to admit that to pray for Uncle Townsend was one of the hardest prayer assignments she had, and all because she lacked the sincere fervor of Ambrose, who regularly prayed for the lost.

Dear Ambrose. She knew that Ambrose had Townsend’s name on a special list of people he prayed for from deep within his soul. Ambrose would arise early enough in the morning to be single-minded, and three mornings a week he would take his special list of people with him while he walked along the beach “to talk with God, while our Great Intercessor Jesus Christ presents my feeble requests and pleas to the one and only Holy Father.”

Eden was pondering all this when Silas’s words pulled her back to the moment. “Looks as if I’m not the only eavesdropper in the family.”

Eden sucked in a breath. Immediately she was tempted to lash out at Silas for insulting her. She flushed, furious with the irony that danced in his eyes.

Just like his father, Townsend
. But was he?

Silas was in his late twenties, with chestnut brown hair and a well-trimmed goatee. He had the same light blue eyes as Zachary, but more grave. He wasn’t as tall as his father or Zachary, and while of a husky build, appeared to have no particular liking for the outdoors. Even now, he wore crisp white linen, well-polished shoes of the highest fashion, and she noted his long fingers that often tapped and moved restlessly. Out of place on the Islands, but typical of Silas, he also wore a fine Italian silken vest embroidered with four-leaf clovers. His sideburns curved into his jawline and joined the goatee, all meticulously trimmed and, she imagined, perfumed. Silas was that sort of man.

“I wasn’t—I mean—it was an accident,” she protested. “It all took place so quickly I couldn’t help but overhear their argument.”

“A handy little excuse. No matter. I’ll keep your secret.”

“My secret! What were
you
doing here, sneaking around and coming up behind me like that?”

“Eavesdropping,” he said, unabashed. He offered a rueful smile of apology. “Actually, I was out enjoying the scenery when I heard a horse riding on the road. When I saw it was my
father,”
he said, speaking the word with light mockery, his southern accent as smooth as cream, “I followed him. I was planning to talk to him about something or other, but I guess it can wait till another day.”

Oh, really?

“Then I saw Rafe’s mother, Celestine, coming to meet him, or so it looked. I knew there was a whole lot of trouble between them over my arrival in Honolulu, so I was thinking I might apologize to her for the way I arrived on the lanai that day two months ago. I’ve
been thinking about my behavior, and I’m sorry I chose to announce myself that way.”

Was he speaking the truth? Zachary would scoff at this unexpected humbleness in Silas. Eden didn’t know him well enough to judge his character. Until she did, she would be cautious. She had a tendency to feel sympathy for him. He could not have had a happy life while growing up, bandied about from relative to relative after his mother died. It was not until he was about fifteen or so that she’d heard how Townsend took a financial hand in his life and put him into a boys’ private school somewhere in San Francisco, or so she assumed. The southern accent, however, cast doubt on where he’d been reared, at least for most of his life.

“Shall we call a truce?” Silas was saying. “I meant to eavesdrop, but I’ve heard you’re quite a lady, so I shouldn’t have teased you like that. After all, we are blood cousins and all that, even though I’m not much for the Derringtons to boast of.”

She relaxed her guard a little, taken in by his boyish smile. Was it genuine?

“I’d say Rafe’s mother made herself one big mistake in marrying my father,” he said, and now there was no mockery in his voice. His face was sober, and a look of genuine pity was reflected in his eyes.

Indeed, who was the real Silas Derrington? Who was the man who had unpredictably decided to confront his father and family and, after demanding a place at the table by his mere arrival, had then refused to sit there, and had withdrawn. Although he’d been given a room at Kea Lani, he spent most of his time in Honolulu.

“What do you think of our Grandfather Ainsworth?” she asked, using the word “our” without undue emphasis. “I believe you met him, along with my father, Dr. Jerome, at Kea Lani this morning?”

“Actually, I haven’t met them yet. Great-aunt Nora will have the honor of making introductions before dinner. I’m on my way to her room now. She’s a fine lady and suggested I write some articles for the
Gazette
.”

That would not make Zachary happy. He’d been running the newspaper for her since last year.

“I was told you’d worked as a journalist for the
Sacramento Times
.”

“Oh, for a few years. Before that it was the
New Orleans Globe
.”

“Then you come from Louisiana.”

He smiled. “My accent can’t deny that good news.”

She tried to make sense of the details of his past. Some of them contradicted what shed first been told by the family.

“If you’re on your way to the house to see Nora, I’ll join you. Before I forget yet again, I’ve an important package to bring her.” She tried to keep the conversation on a lighter tone after that horrid scene between Celestine and Townsend, but it was difficult. “If Dr. Bolton knew I hadn’t yet given Nora the prescription he’d sent with me, he’d berate me for slackness in duty. As you can imagine, the arrival of my father has eclipsed most everything for me. I haven’t seen him in years, and his arrival was completely unexpected,” she said, avoiding mention of how many
long
years it had been.

As Eden walked back toward the plantation house with Silas, she continued her questions, subtly, she hoped. “Then, if you didn’t meet with Grandfather Ainsworth and Dr. Jerome at Kea Lani, was the meeting with Townsend and Zachary delayed as well?”

“So you knew of the peace conference. No, I haven’t met with either of them yet. I arrived late, and the others were already on their way here to Rafe’s.”

Then Zachary’s dour mood on the lanai that afternoon was not due to anything from the meeting.

Flowers and ferns grew in lush abundance, giving a thick fragrance and beauty to the coming dusk and soothing her revulsion over what had happened a short time ago. Yet there remained a dullness in Eden’s heart that grieved over the way sin was damaging everyone and everything. A late-returning crimson butterfly with a six-inch wingspan lighted upon some wild white orchids and took cover among the blossoms.

“So this is paradise,” Silas said. “There’s a warning in that, I suppose.”

“A warning?”

Malicious amusement shone in his eyes. “As Adams children we might do well to remember that paradise isn’t always as safe as people think.”

She paused as they neared the steps of the plantation house. Twilight was upon them.

The wind rippling through the ferns brought a small chill. That harmless little garden snake shed removed from the front hall came vividly to mind. Silas had a point. The fall of mankind had taken place in a paradise, the garden of Eden, and was soon followed by the murder of brother against brother, all because of jealousy.

A brief silence hung between them. Then Eden turned and rushed up the steps. A voice spoke from the shadows, where some rattan chairs and tables were cloistered.

“There you are. Great-aunt Nora is asking for you.”

Zachary stood from where he’d been lounging, then noticed his half-brother, Silas. Even in the dim light Eden could see his muscular frame stiffen, the white shirt he wore tightening over his chest as he sucked in a breath of displeasure.

“So. You decided to show up after all,” Zachary said to Silas. “Where’s my father? Is he with you?”

“I don’t know where he is. Am I allowed to step over this threshold, or no?” A note of maliciousness hung on his brief chuckle. “If not, I’ll keep the snakes and insects company.”

“Hawaii doesn’t have snakes.” Zachary hurled back the verbal dart. “Except those brought in from the mainland.”

Silas chuckled, and Zachary turned and walked through the door into the brightly lit room.

Eden glanced over her shoulder at Silas, who remained below the lanai with one foot on the step, looking up.

“Come this way,” she said briskly. “I’ll take you to Great-aunt Nora.”

To herself she thought,
Honolulu does have at least one snake. A green one. I carried it into the garden less than an hour ago
.

W
hen Eden entered the plantation house, Great-aunt Nora was not in her guest room but was waiting in the living room. Eden had always loved this room. She recalled the time when Rafe had shown her the house plans, saying he wanted her approval because it was being designed with her in mind—the bride who would reign here, as well as in his heart …

The room was walled on three sides, while the fourth had an archway with intricate wrought-iron scrollwork screen doors. The screened side accessed the lanai that faced an enclosed garden of tropical foliage, delicate ferns, and flowers. Her favorite tree was the poinciana, with blossoms in lush crimson, and there was an aged hau tree with a plethora of sunny yellow blossoms.

Through the background of thriving foliage Eden caught glimpses of an early moon rising in the tropical dusk, a gem from the Creator’s hand, appearing nearly within her grasp. As she glanced about she felt the romantic loss of Rafe, but refused to yield to the painful longing.

Great-aunt Nora, according to Silas, was to introduce him for
the first time to Ainsworth as his “unexpected” nephew from California,
the firstborn son of Townsend
. Just how Grandfather Ainsworth would respond to the occasion of a new nephew, Eden would not hazard to guess. It was widely known that Ainsworth frowned upon Townsend’s immoral behavior. But the question remained; would he accept Silas on an equal basis with Zachary?

Townsend too, was supposed to be here with Silas as they faced the momentous introduction with Ainsworth, but Eden wondered if Townsend would show after that horrible episode between Townsend and Celestine that left Eden sickened. The introduction offered an opportunity for Townsend to position Silas as a Derrington with all rights and privileges, with Great-aunt Nora standing beside them, adding weight to the appeal.

Townsend was now absent, and only she and Silas knew why. His absence could not be explained easily without unmasking the tragedy that had occurred with Celestine.

Townsend’s absence would give Ainsworth and Great-aunt Nora the impression of irresponsibility, which in Eden’s mind was true, but emphasizing this would not help Silas. Sin, Eden thought, ruined whatever it came in contact with. It corrupted what God intended to be good and noble.

But in John’s gospel Christ had taught, “
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

She wondered about Silas, unsure how to feel about his character and motives. Was he a cousin who should have her loyalty, sympathy, and support? Or was he shrewd and calculating? After the confrontation with Townsend and Celestine, Eden thought he might be misunderstood. At times, he seemed to have humility and a heart that could be reached, that would respond. But then, his remark at the doorstep about the serpent in the garden had come with a mischievous, even sinister amusement.

Now, Eden left Silas in the outer hall looking at the paintings of the Eastons on the wall above the stairway and, in particular, the painting of Rafe’s father, Matt Easton. She entered through the
archway into the living room, where Nora was seated in a rather royal-looking chair in front of the lanai. There was a magnificent vista of ferns, orchids, fragrant gardenias, and a quiet pond with white
kea
fish with diagonal designs in bright red, blue, black, and gold. Behind all this stretched the sandy beach, palm trees, and the oceans waves softened by an offshore reef.

Great-aunt Nora had never accepted the notion that older women should dress primarily in dark blue or black. For the dinner tonight she wore a smartly tailored burgundy gown of silky texture, the color flattering to her fragile skin and platinum hair worn elegantly in the style of Queen Victoria. She smiled warmly at Eden, closed the leather-bound journal shed been writing in, and placed it in a knitting bag. Nora could neither sew well nor knit. “Even as a girl of fifteen, I was all thumbs,” she had said, “so as soon as I was old enough to do as I pleased, I gave up on handwork and turned to writing during my free hours.”

Eden entered the living room and forced a smile, unwilling to worry Nora over Celestine at the present. “How’s the book coming, Auntie?” she said cheerfully, looking pointedly at the knitting bag with the journal. Eden had a genuine interest in Nora’s work. In the past, Eden had assisted her in gathering historical data. Sometimes she had even helped edit the manuscript before mailing it to the publisher. Nora’s first book, written on the early Hawaiian history of the Kamehameha I monarchy, was completed during the time Eden attended Chadwick Medical School. On one occasion Nora had come to San Francisco and lectured at the historic Palace Hotel, where Eden, Zachary, and Grandfather Ainsworth had been in attendance. Rafe was there, while the pineapple slips were aboard his ship, and his first meeting with Parker Judson occurred there to bring about their partnership in the pineapple plantation. From that moment onward Ainsworth had groaned over the fact that he had failed to believe in Rafe and partner with him.