Jewel of the Pacific (44 page)

“I can tell her what’s best for Hawaii,” Ambrose stated to Rafe one evening soon afterward when he and Eden had gone to visit with him and Noelani.

Eden was developing a closer relationship with three-year-old Kip, now that she knew they would adopt him, and she would become his mother. At present, Kip was attached to Celestine since she’d cared for him for most of his young life. Celestine was also attached to Kip, and because she was a fine woman with strong Christian principles, Eden thought Kip should stay as near to her as he wished.

The next big event for the Derringtons and Hunnewells was the marriage of Candace and Keno Hunnewell. Candace had a grand wedding with Eden and Claudia among her bridesmaids.

“Be sure now to toss the bouquet to Claudia,” Eden whispered to Candace.

Looking beautiful, as all brides do, Candace came forth down the mission-church aisle on the arm of Grandfather Ainsworth, beaming with pride.

Keno was handsome but nervous, and Rafe stood as his best man.

Silas was there, in the background, silent and unobtrusive, waiting for the meeting to be set up with Ainsworth. So far, Ainsworth refused to see Zachary, but after the festive schedule centering on Candace’s marriage was over, Rafe believed Ainsworth would relent.

“I’m the one who decided we needed to delay the meeting with Ainsworth,” Rafe told Eden.

She was surprised. “But you were the one who planned it. Why a delay? Zachary has been terribly depressed. He wasn’t even free to attend the wedding because Grandfather refused to see him sitting in the pew.”

Rafe explained that he was giving Silas more time. “He needs to establish a favorable record of activities for the Reformers. Ambrose and I will be his witnesses. When your grandfather learns Zach was correct, though unwise, in his newspaper column, Silas will be able to produce activities of true repentance, to show he’s switched sides. He’d better have something in his basket or your grandfather won’t show Silas any grace either. He’ll be ready to disown, disinherit, and otherwise boot them both out of Honolulu.”

Eden smiled. “Clever, are you not?” She kissed him.

When the meeting was at last held in the Kea Lani library, it was a quiet gathering of the five men: Ainsworth, Ambrose, Rafe, Silas, and Zachary.

Zach stood stiffly on one side of the room staring at the tips of his polished shoes, looking tall, slim, and golden in his stylish white suit.

Silas stood facing the window. Ainsworth paced over the carpet, hands behind his back, looking down. Ambrose stood by a section of leather-bound books.

“Well?” Ainsworth snapped. “You wanted this meeting. What have you to say for yourself?”

“I didn’t ask for this meeting,” Zachary grumbled. “I told the truth about the queen, the cartel, and those helping and deceiving her.” He looked at Silas as he added, “By bringing in a witch!”

“If that were all you did I’d commend you. You disgraced our name before the people of Honolulu. You brought shame to Silas!”

“He brought shame upon himself—”

Silas turned and gravely looked at his grandfather.

“Zachary is right this time, Grandfather. Everything he wrote in the
Gazette
had a foundation of truth.”

Silence enveloped the room.

“I first came to Hawaii as a spy for the gambling rackets in Louisiana.”

Ainsworth sucked in a breath. Zachary gaped at him.

“When I first saw that I was going to be accepted into the Derrington family I tried to worm out of the syndicate—not because I cared for the Derringtons, but because it looked as if I might inherit money. Money was all I wanted. I spied for Oliver Hunnewell as far back as the night at Hunnewell’s beach house when Oliver planned to steal the Annexation Club’s manifesto and send it to the queen. Oliver is with the gambling cartel because he plans to become rich through the passage of the lottery bill. His father, Mr. Thaddeus Hunnewell, knows nothing about his son’s deceit. The gambling hierarchy hired the ‘witch,’ who is a supposed tarot card reader. Her work is to influence the queen to stand firm and get those bills passed, signed, and into law.”

Silas looked at Rafe. “Ask Rafe and Pastor Ambrose. They know all of this. I’ve already confessed it to them. I’m afraid this is only news to you,” he said sympathetically to his grandfather. “You’re the one who believed in me. I’m sorry to say your confidence was misplaced.”

Ainsworth stared at Silas, transfixed. Zach was shocked, obviously wondering why Silas was vindicating him at his own expense. Rafe and Ambrose had been praying for this in order to break down the wall between the two brothers.

“One reason I’ve confessed tonight is because of Zachary. My conscience won’t let me uphold a lie that injures him. He shouldn’t be the one who leaves Kea Lani, or loses his place in the family. I’m the one who should pack my bags and get out. And I’ve decided to do just that.”

Rafe shot Silas a glance. Was he serious? Rafe saw that Ambrose was also taken by surprise.

“I’ll leave Honolulu for the mainland next week,” Silas told Zachary. “You were right. I’ve been a gambler all my life. But I’m through with the cartel, gambling, and deceit. And if you care to know why this change, Ambrose can explain that.”

“Silas accepted Christ as his Savior a month ago. For various reasons we kept it between us to divulge at the right time,” Ambrose explained.

“Ambrose has patiently put up with me and my insolent questions about Christianity until I became convinced Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Rafe is my witness, too. He and Ambrose have been protecting and advising me for months. Rafe asked me to take the first step of my new life tonight and declare myself. I’ve tried to do it. For Zachary’s sake, and for his reputation.”

Ainsworth remained speechless. He felt for the arms of his leather chair and eased himself into it, shaken.

“Silas took a big step tonight, Ainsworth,” Ambrose announced. “It took courage and faith in God to risk himself and salvage Zachary’s reputation.”

“That’s not the end of Silas’s story,” Rafe spoke up. “For the last month Silas has served our cause. Whatever he’s learned about their plans he’s told me. And I’ve told the Reform Party leaders. The information he’s given us is strengthening our cause to secure Hawaii’s future as a territory of the United States. Tonight, Silas discovered the queen has already drawn up a new Constitution. If she gets it passed, everything we’ve built for generations is likely to be taken away.”

“She’s what?” Ainsworth responded for the first time, leaning forward.

Rafe looked at Silas. “Why don’t you explain what you heard.”

Silas nodded. “The queen’s been working on a new Constitution for some time now. I even know the names of the men she’s been meeting with to write it.”

“Astounding!” Ainsworth mopped his brow and fumbled around the top of his desk. “I’ve got to get a message to Thurston—”

“No, sir, don’t act yet,” Rafe interrupted. “This must be handled on her time schedule, not ours. We must wait. Let the details come unraveled one at a time at her own pace. In this situation we can’t instigate a rebellion. We must react to her actions.”

Ainsworth gave a reluctant nod. “Maybe you’re right, Rafe. Go on, Silas. Who are these men you mentioned?”

Silas looked cautiously toward Rafe. Rafe nodded.

“She’s had meetings with her lawyer, Paul Neumann, and also Samuel Parker. And Samuel Nowlein, captain of the Royal Guard. Also, Charles Wilson. The Constitution they’ve drawn up was turned over to Arthur Peterson, I suppose to see if it will hold up in court. Tonight I heard that she will call for an important meeting in early January, and read the new Constitution.”

Ainsworth was on his feet. “By George if she does, Thurston and the Reformers will seek to have her step down from the throne. Mark my words.”

“She did swear an oath to uphold the 1887 Constitution when she came to power after her brother’s death in San Francisco,” Rafe agreed.

“We won’t go back to the ancient rule of the old arbitrary Hawaiian chief,” Ainsworth continued, pacing again. “We’ve built what we have; we didn’t steal it. In 1820 Hawaii was little more than some grass huts and unclothed people steeped in pagan worship practices. Why, the first missionaries nearly starved because there was no food. They tried farming and the land hardly produced! You can read these facts from the early missionaries themselves. Even Nora has written about it. We will not have Kea Lani or Hanalei or Hawaiiana or any of the plantations taxed into poverty or taken from us.

“We Derringtons and Eastons have been good Hawaiians since we arrived a few years after the first dedicated missionaries. We’re not going to be robbed of our birthright here in Honolulu just to please a queen who wants to reign by ancient customs.”

“You’re right,” Rafe said firmly. “We were born here. We’ve done our part to make the Islands prosper. We’re going to stay, and we’re going to be free.”

After their honeymoon, Mr. and Mrs. Keno Hunnewell invited Rafe and Eden to dinner at Hawaiiana. Celestine had quietly moved into the hotel taking Kip with her before Candace and Keno returned as the new master and mistress of the Great House. Celestine’s presence at the hotel worked out well because Eden could easily bring Kip to their suite each afternoon for supper and playtime, while Celestine visited with Great-aunt Nora.

Zachary was also invited to the Hawaiiana dinner—forgiven and back in Candace’s good graces. Much to his delight Claudia was there to comfort his woes, though most of Zach’s woes had taken flight recently, thanks to Rafe and Ambrose’s meeting with Grandfather Ainsworth.

Ainsworth had decided if not to forgive Zachary’s article in the
Gazette
against the Derrington name, to at least turn his back to the “abysmal blunder.”

“Truth doesn’t always give a man the right to blare it out for all to read,” he had lectured.

Silas, too, was mildly embraced back into favor. “Ainsworth’s exuberant that Silas is spending time at the mission church with Ambrose and Jerome. And Zach’s sudden devotion to Claudia Hunnewell has Ainsworth whistling as he walks, thinking no one notices the new energy in his step.”

Eden smiled. “Candace always did see through Grandfather’s vinegary ways, but I guess it took the rest of us a little longer. I’m still awed that he’s letting us adopt Kip.”

“He prefers that we adopt him.”

“That’s quite a compliment.”

Perhaps it was the crumbling divide between Zach and Silas that amazed Eden the most.

“They actually talk to each other,” she told Rafe one afternoon. “Candace says she saw them walking together down the road to Ambrose’s bungalow. She heard Silas say something, and Zachary laughed and put a hand on his shoulder.”

Relationships did appear to be on the mend, at least in the extended family.

“I wish Hawaii was that amenable to breaking down the barriers of conflict,” Eden said. “Instead, the bulwarks are going up. It’s been a year of repeated crises and clashes between the Legislature and the queen.”

“Wishes rarely come true, darling,” Rafe responded. “Some things in this life are worth fighting for and dying for. Compromise is often for those who have no genuine convictions, and find it easier to withdraw from legitimate controversy.

“I don’t want my life and property left to the fickle whims of a royal family. History bears out what happens when such people retain control of power for too long. The old sin nature is too corrupt to trust with so much power passing from one carnal monarch to the next. I want a republic with individual rights and personal freedoms protected by adequate checks and balances to limit power of any corrupt leader. Power in the hands of a king, a queen, or a president is only as secure as the ruler is both wise and trustworthy. When there is a dearth of wise leadership, that, according to Scripture, is a judgment from God upon a nation.

“Hawaii ultimately does not belong to the self-appointed royal family, but to the Sovereign of the universe who has the right to bless or to judge. How did Liliuokalani’s family get the Hawaiian throne? By conquering the smaller leaders of the other Islands. Royalty was seized by force. Absurd! There is one true royal family—the family of King David of Israel. Why? Because the Lord God chose David. Jesus came through that line. And one day the whole earth will bow the knee to the true King of kings.”

“I love you,” Eden said with a smile. “Maybe you should think about becoming a king.”

“Yes, and you’d make a beautiful queen.”

Rafe pulled her into his arms.