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turning, to where only God knew they would lead.

    During the following rushed days, most common things went unnoticed by Eden. The marriage of her aunt to Dr. Bolton was soon put back in the closet of her mind. During this time the society sections of the newspapers, and societal gossip journals buzzed over the announcement of “Miss Candace D. Derrington’s engagement to Mr. Keno P. Hunnewell, a cousin of Miss Claudia and her brother Oliver P. Hunnewell, the gentleman polite society was once mistakenly informed would be the fiancé of Miss Derrington. Meanwhile, the young and sought-after Oliver was said to have recently left the Islands for San Francisco.”
    Eden overheard Claudia Hunnewell telling Candace, “Life just isn’t fair. My engagement to Zachary was on the brink of disclosure, when he ran off to the mainland.” Candace had murmured a sympathetic response, but Claudia was not consoled. “I have this horrid feeling he’s gone to see that dreadful niece of Mr. Judson.”
    As Eden prepared to leave, the insistent questions from Candace about the wisdom of Eden’s decision darted past her like bees.
    “Now that Lana is married and going with Dr. Bolton to Molokai, maybe you’ll be offered her position at the hospital. Think of the authority you’d have in the research department, not to mention the better wages.”
    “I don’t think I’d be offered the position. A new physician is coming to take Dr. Bolton’s place and he’ll choose his own assistant.”
    “And you’re not even going to try?”
    “You forget Rebecca. She is my
mother.
I want to meet her before she dies.
    “There’s an opportunity to come back to Kalihi in the future,” she explained. “Dr. Bolton—I guess I can call him Clifford now since he’s an uncle by marriage—has requested that I be given a few months to make that decision. By then, I should know what I want to do with the rest of my life. It’s either Molokai and one day taking over my father’s clinic, or coming back to Kalihi. Time will make clear what the Lord has in store for me.”
    “Oh, Eden!” Candace dropped into a white wicker chair. “I simply hate the way things have turned out.”
    Eden smiled and laid an affectionate hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Candace, for caring.”
    Candace straightened her shoulders and turned her auburn head away, as if she feared a display of emotion and a gush of tears she so disliked.
    “I’ll be all right,” Eden said, and continued packing. “What of you? You’re letting Keno go and serve so gallantly with his cousins.”
    Candace sighed. “Yes, I know … it wasn’t an easy decision. Then I saw Great-grandfather Jedaiah’s painting on the wall eyeing me with disappointment. ‘You have so much,’ he seemed to say, ‘can you not give back a little?’ So I gave in. Keno promised he’d stay far afield of any danger zones.”
    She got up from the chair. “All right. If you’re certain about this, I’ll not bother you with my wailings and laments.”
    Eden kept her frayed emotions from coming apart. She felt safer hiding behind the suitable demeanor of a professional nurse on a venture of self-sacrifice. One thought alone threatened to break through the facade: Rafe was gone.

Part Two

The Black Cliffs of Molokai

Chapter Seven
A Serpent’s Smile

    F ifty-eight miles east of Honolulu, Rafe Easton’s ship, the
Minoa
, anchored off the island of Molokai, the isle of exiles. It was less than a mile from the jagged black cliffs rising from the sea.
    Eden was trying to sleep in a corner of the hold behind a curtain she had hung for privacy. She hardly slept a solid hour without waking from the creaks and groans as the ship rolled and pitched on the voyage from Honolulu.
    The noise of the crew on deck announced that the morning’s activities were under way. Eden emerged and dressed, wanting to join her father and Ambrose on deck.
    Steadying herself against the hull, she arranged her dark hair into a