any star you’ll find in the sky.” She emphasized that with a slight bob of her head. “Texas certainly has more than one star in the night sky,” she said proudly.
He shrugged as if he didn’t care. “Most people say there are more stars here than anywhere in the world. And that comes from good sources since Hawaii is made up of peoples from all over the world.”
“I’m not sure what a native Hawaiian is,” she said. “But you’re not, are you?”
“Well, yes and no,” he said. “I was born here and raised here for most of my life. But my parents and grandparents on both sides are Scottish. I traveled with my dad to America when I was fourteen, then was sent to Scotland for my university years.”
“I’m surprised there are so many nationalities here,” she said.
“Many are like the Scots,” he said. “If you know our history, we’ve been without a country and traveled to other places, such as America. My ancestors came here. In fact, a young Scot became friends with the king, married a Hawaiian woman, and their granddaughter became the wife of a king.”
“I had no idea,” Jane said.
He nodded. “In past years, all the overseers of the sugar plantations were hired from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland’s college of agriculture.”
Well, he seemed about as proud of Hawaii as she was of Texas. She could see he would be a good teacher, one who liked to explain things.
“And our current princess, Victoria Kaiulani, named after Queen Victoria,” he continued, “is the daughter of Archibald Cleghorn, a Scotsman. She is half Scot and half Hawaiian.”
Surprised, Jane said, “I’ve never been taught anything about Hawaii. All I know are a few stories from Pansy’s letters to Matilda.”
He nodded. “Hawaiian history wasn’t written down until long after the missionaries came in the early 1800s and taught the people to read and write. Their history was handed down by them telling their stories throughout the generations.”
She would like to learn more but wasn’t even sure what to ask him. She started to ask if he missed Scotland, but instead commented, “Apparently you prefer Hawaii.”
“It’s my home,” he said. “The best parts of my life have been spent here.”
Looking at his face, she saw the misery appear. As if to shake it off, he seemed to paste a smile on his face, then looked at her hand. “That looks like an engagement ring.”
“Yes.” She held up her hand.
“Your fiancé must be very understanding to allow you to come on such a lengthy journey without him.”
Allow her? Those words took a little thinking. She would need to clear that up. “It was really my dad who I had to ask. He’s the one who pays the bills.”
“Oh, no,” he said, flustered. “I wasn’t implying—”
“Oh, I know that. I was just trying to say in a nice way that I did not ask my fiancé if I could come. I simply informed him.” He was looking at her strangely. “I think it’s after people are married that those conventions are followed.”
“Well, yes, of course. But I was thinking about the long trip. Do you plan to be here very long? I mean,” he said when she gave him a quick glance, “if I’m not being too personal.”
“It’s not too personal. But I really don’t know. We’ll be here as long as Pansy is alive. And as long as Uncle Russell needs us.”
“Mmm.” He was now nodding at the ground.
“But,” she said, lifting her chin, “it wouldn’t surprise me if Austin and my dad popped up at any time. They’ve never let me out of their sight for very long.”
“I should think not,” he said, and she saw a little color come into his tanned cheeks.
She wondered why he’d stopped. Just to talk to her? In that case. . . “I don’t suppose I could take a wee little ride on that horse?” She stood and patted its neck. “I miss mine so much.”
The good mood between them vanished. Mak looked like she’d asked him to pull down a star from the
He shrugged as if he didn’t care. “Most people say there are more stars here than anywhere in the world. And that comes from good sources since Hawaii is made up of peoples from all over the world.”
“I’m not sure what a native Hawaiian is,” she said. “But you’re not, are you?”
“Well, yes and no,” he said. “I was born here and raised here for most of my life. But my parents and grandparents on both sides are Scottish. I traveled with my dad to America when I was fourteen, then was sent to Scotland for my university years.”
“I’m surprised there are so many nationalities here,” she said.
“Many are like the Scots,” he said. “If you know our history, we’ve been without a country and traveled to other places, such as America. My ancestors came here. In fact, a young Scot became friends with the king, married a Hawaiian woman, and their granddaughter became the wife of a king.”
“I had no idea,” Jane said.
He nodded. “In past years, all the overseers of the sugar plantations were hired from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland’s college of agriculture.”
Well, he seemed about as proud of Hawaii as she was of Texas. She could see he would be a good teacher, one who liked to explain things.
“And our current princess, Victoria Kaiulani, named after Queen Victoria,” he continued, “is the daughter of Archibald Cleghorn, a Scotsman. She is half Scot and half Hawaiian.”
Surprised, Jane said, “I’ve never been taught anything about Hawaii. All I know are a few stories from Pansy’s letters to Matilda.”
He nodded. “Hawaiian history wasn’t written down until long after the missionaries came in the early 1800s and taught the people to read and write. Their history was handed down by them telling their stories throughout the generations.”
She would like to learn more but wasn’t even sure what to ask him. She started to ask if he missed Scotland, but instead commented, “Apparently you prefer Hawaii.”
“It’s my home,” he said. “The best parts of my life have been spent here.”
Looking at his face, she saw the misery appear. As if to shake it off, he seemed to paste a smile on his face, then looked at her hand. “That looks like an engagement ring.”
“Yes.” She held up her hand.
“Your fiancé must be very understanding to allow you to come on such a lengthy journey without him.”
Allow her? Those words took a little thinking. She would need to clear that up. “It was really my dad who I had to ask. He’s the one who pays the bills.”
“Oh, no,” he said, flustered. “I wasn’t implying—”
“Oh, I know that. I was just trying to say in a nice way that I did not ask my fiancé if I could come. I simply informed him.” He was looking at her strangely. “I think it’s after people are married that those conventions are followed.”
“Well, yes, of course. But I was thinking about the long trip. Do you plan to be here very long? I mean,” he said when she gave him a quick glance, “if I’m not being too personal.”
“It’s not too personal. But I really don’t know. We’ll be here as long as Pansy is alive. And as long as Uncle Russell needs us.”
“Mmm.” He was now nodding at the ground.
“But,” she said, lifting her chin, “it wouldn’t surprise me if Austin and my dad popped up at any time. They’ve never let me out of their sight for very long.”
“I should think not,” he said, and she saw a little color come into his tanned cheeks.
She wondered why he’d stopped. Just to talk to her? In that case. . . “I don’t suppose I could take a wee little ride on that horse?” She stood and patted its neck. “I miss mine so much.”
The good mood between them vanished. Mak looked like she’d asked him to pull down a star from the
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