Jewel of the Pacific (21 page)

“The baby is a beautiful healthy boy who deserves to live regardless of the brutal way he was brought into this sin-cursed world. Leah and I have prayed together of what to do. We could turn him over to the boys’ orphanage run by the priest, Damien, but Leah is reluctant. So I have a plan to save him.”

Eden went on reading how Rebecca planned to have Leah bring the baby to Rafe Easton, who was on Kalaupapa at the time serving as a journalist for Great-aunt Nora’s
Gazette.
Rafe was to take the baby to Dr. Jerome.

As Eden already knew, Rafe had not been able to meet with her father, who had left the area. Rafe had ended up taking the baby whom he’d temporarily named “Kip.”

But who was responsible for Leah becoming pregnant? Did anyone at Bishop House know? Priest Damien? Brother Dutton? Would Lotus know? No, probably not Lotus, but possibly Mother Marianne—

Then Eden saw the man’s name and her heart jumped.
Townsend Derrington
, powerful member of the Hawaiian Legislature visited Kalaupapa in 1889 with Charles Billings, sent by King Kalakaua and the Board of Health to report on the condition of the hospital.

“Leah had known him in Honolulu,” her mother had written.

Eden went on to read that Townsend had recommended that Grandfather Ainsworth send a woman named Leah to become Rebecca’s
kokua.

Eden sat in silence, allowing the shocking information to settle in her mind. What would Townsend have done had he known the baby boy, Kip, that meant so much to Rafe, was a child he’d fathered? Would he have tried to gain jurisdiction over him to hurt Rafe? Of course he would have! And worse, Townsend was probably the one who’d anonymously informed the Board of Health that Kip was taken from Molokai. Oh, she put nothing past Townsend!

She stared at the journal. She was probably the only person alive who knew Kip’s parentage.

How would Rafe respond if he knew? Would it change his feelings toward the boy? Had he adopted him yet? But Townsend had blond hair and cold blue eyes; Kip had dark hair and light greenish eyes—which must come from his mother, Leah.

Oh may Townsend never come back to the Islands!

Eden wondered what she should do with the information. Tear it out of the journal and burn it? Safeguard Kip’s future and keep Rafe from looking at his adopted son and thinking of Townsend?

Could she keep the diary under lock and key for the next fifty years? If she did, there would always be the chance that someone, someday, would discover the diary.

This must be a matter of much prayer. Whatever I do, I must act in wisdom
.

During her days in the little hospital Eden aided the sick by distributing medicine to ease their suffering: protiodide of mercury, half-grains of opium and potassium arsenite, and small amounts of watered laudanum.

Dr. Jerome had improved but was confined to bed rest.

“And if I see you trying to get up again, I’ll keep you sedated,” Bolton told him gruffly.

Jerome smiled wanly. “As you say, Doctor.”

As the days turned into weeks, Jerome manifested severe depression and would hardly eat.

“I wish Pastor Ambrose would arrive,” Bolton told Eden.

Ambrose did arrive—not on the steamer as they’d expected, but on the
Minoa
with Captain Keno and two of his cousins who offered their services, including getting Dr. Jerome aboard.

“We’ll need to carry him,” they explained. “He’ll need to be held steady on the whaleboat, and that won’t be easy in the rough sea.”

“We’ll manage,” Keno said.

Ambrose, in his old worn frock coat and black hat, had walked into Jerome’s bungalow and up to the side of the bed.

“The attack was severe this time,” Jerome told him, his voice weak. “Thank you for coming, friend.”

He reached a frail hand toward Ambrose who took it between his own tanned hands, and shook his head.

“It’s time you went home to Kea Lani.” He gestured to Keno and the two young Hawaiian men standing with arms folded across their chests.

“I brought my army,” Ambrose taunted. “You have no say in the matter. It’s home to Honolulu for a long rest.”

“And when you get better you can return,” Dr. Bolton said with forced cheerfulness. “Meantime Lana and I will manage your clinic and keep the research going.”

“I’ve every confidence in you, Clifford. Lana, too … I don’t want to depart, but if I must, I can leave this work to two of the finest researchers in all the Islands.”

“We’ll try not to let you down.”

“I’m the one who’s let everyone down—especially Rebecca.”

“No, Jerome,” Ambrose said firmly. “Rebecca is far better off with the Lord than suffering here in this camp. God called her home. He never makes timing mistakes. ‘My times are in thy hand,’ wrote the psalmist.”

They left the bungalow to give Jerome some quiet. Eden hadn’t yet told Ambrose or Keno that she was also returning to Honolulu. Keno walked with her toward her bungalow. Something appeared to be on his mind. She broke the silence, and asked, “When will the
Minoa
lift anchor?”

“We intend to start for shore in the morning. We have a litter all ready for your father.” He reached inside his shirt. “Candace wanted me to bring you her letter.” He handed her a sealed envelope addressed in the recognizable flowing hand of her cousin.

“Oh, delightful. I hope she fills me in on all the social news going on in Honolulu.”

“Oh, she will, all right.”

Something in his response alerted her. She looked at him. He brushed his hair from his forehead and looked up at the sky. “Getting windy. I—I better get you in the bungalow and get back to Ambrose. He’ll be over to see you in a little while.” He smiled. “See you later on.”

Eden watched him with her curiosity afire. He was behaving unusually. What was he uncomfortable about? She looked at the envelope in her hand. “Yes, and thank you—oh, Keno, by the way, I’m returning to Honolulu with my father. For the present, I have accomplished what I wanted here on Molokai.”

He turned back and looked at her, and she could not tell if his reaction was surprise or concern.

“Oh,” he said quietly. “You are, are you?”

An odd response. Almost as if he were seeing a bunch of new troubles.

“Okay,” he said quickly. “I’ll have your things brought out first thing in the morning then.”

“Thank you.”

He walked away toward Ambrose who stood by Jerome’s bungalow talking with Dr. Bolton.

Eden entered her bungalow to read Candace’s letter:

Eden, angry, hurt to tears, and feeling hopeless, grabbed the nearest thing she could get her hands on and hurled it at the cottage door just as Ambrose called out and tapped at the door.

Eden flung her hand to her mouth and stared.
Oh no!

“Eden? Are you all right?”

“Yes, come in. The door’s not bolted.”

She placed Candace’s letter on her table and pushed it out of sight.

Ambrose entered, picked up the book on the founding of the Hawaiian alphabet by Hiram Bingham, and raised a bushy brow.

“Was this meant for my poor head or for Rafe Easton’s?”

So he knew. Of course he would.

“That scoundrel.” She turned her back and held in her tears.

Ambrose closed the door. “Yes, he can be one when he wishes. Right now he’s enjoying the role.”

“Is he,” she said bitterly, “how nice for him—and ‘Bunny.’”

“Now, now. I hear you’re coming back with us in the morning. I am pleased, lass. You’ve made the right decision.”

“Yes, and I’d already decided on going back before getting Candace’s letter.” She faced him, taking back the prized volume and setting it down gently with her other books. “So no one should think I’m rushing to Honolulu because of Rafe and Bernice.”

“It may be a wise idea, Eden, to let Rafe know you do care what happens between him and Miss Judson.”

“He already knows how I feel,” she said. “Anyway, I don’t know why I should be surprised.” She looked at him. “About Rafe, I mean. I discussed with you on the ship that Rafe has cared about Parker Judson’s niece for a long time, even before he became serious with me.” She thought of the picture and birthday card she had discovered in his cabin aboard the
Minoa.

“Rafe may, or he may not be serious about seeing Miss Judson. I know he has become angry with you. I believe that’s the cause for most of his recent actions.”

Angry with me
, she thought.
I’m the one wronged, not Mr. Easton
.

“Well, lass, he does have his vision again. God has treated him with loving-kindness in that important regard.”

She had to admit she was glad to hear this news.

“I have hope that all these difficult issues can be worked out in due season,” Ambrose said. “They can be, if misunderstandings are addressed before even larger ones bring their harvest. And mark my words: they will bring much unhappiness if stubbornness and pride reign in both of you. Regret will come calling in the future. The harvest will be a bitter one.”

When Ambrose departed, Eden just stared at the closed door.