you’re looking well. And you, Mr. Wilkes?” Patrick addressed the older one. “All is going well at the factories, I trust?”
Mr. Wilkes nodded and turned his eyes on Sean, looking him up and down. “I didn’t know you had a son.”
“To be sure, I don’t, although I sometimes wish I did.” Patrick put his hand on Sean’s shoulder. “This boy be my own sister’s child come to live with me to keep these old bones company.”
“Teruko,” Wilkes called out. The Japanese woman hastened forward. “Take this boy upstairs to the playroom to meet the children. Mr. O’Malley, Mr. Ritchie, and I have business to discuss.”
“Yes, yes.” Teruko bowed. She walked over to Sean and shook his arm gently. “We go dis way.”
Sean looked up at Patrick who nodded encouragingly.
Patrick watched Sean trudge out the door with Teruko.
After the meeting ended, Teruko led Patrick to a large and gloomy room facing the magnificent monkey pod grove. Unfortunately, the grounds could scarcely be seen from the small screened windows close to the ceiling. There were numerous shelves which held more toys than a toy store. Tables and chairs of various sizes sat in the middle of the room. Off to the side, a girl about three years old rocked furiously on a magnificently carved and painted wooden rocking horse. Catching sight of Patrick, she abruptly stopped and stared at him, her bright auburn curls still bouncing.
Nearby two boys around Sean’s age played together. The older was a pale, thin boy with white blonde hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. The younger was almost a miniature of Patrick’s boss downstairs. They both turned and stared at Patrick.
On the other side of the room Sean played a board game with a beautiful girl who looked to be about fourteen. Patrick could easily see Sean was bewitched.
The tall, willowy girl had a frothy, platinum halo crowning a face of exquisite perfection. Her eyes were clear blue, outlined in thick, dark lashes. She had a straight little nose above a sweetly curving mouth, and a faint blush stained her cheeks. Seeing Patrick approach, she stood and smiled at him, holding out her hand in greeting. Patrick was charmed.
“I’m Meg Ritchie,” she said. “You’re Mr. O’Malley.”
Patrick took her hand and kissed it. “And a pleasure it is to see the most famous beauty in Honolulu.”
Meg covered her mouth with her hands and giggled.
Behind him the Ritchie boys snickered.
“Don’t mind my uncouth brothers,” Meg linked her hands and tapped her foot. Her brothers pretended to go back to playing.
Patrick turned to his nephew. “It’s time to leave, Sean. Say your goodbyes and thank-yous.”
As they left, Sean cast a lingering look at Meg.
“Did you have a good time in the playroom?” Patrick asked Sean.
Sean shrugged. “It was okay, I guess.”
“The Ritchies be a pretty high and mighty lot,” Patrick stroked his chin.
“Except Meg,” Sean added quickly.
“Ah, Meg,” Patrick nudged Sean. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’ve seen grown men act silly around the pretty lass. But you must put all the Megs of the world out of your mind. She’s too high stepping for the likes of you. Meg will marry some boring kamaaina , like herself. Be content with Kohala.”
When Sean didn’t answer, Patrick wondered if he had made a mistake bringing his nephew with him to Honolulu.
PART TWO
THE SAMURAI WOMAN
1924-1934
Chapter Seven
Kohala, August, 1924
Kazuko Matsubara decided if the child struggling to leave her womb was a girl, it would be better if she died at birth. Although the very idea she was thinking such a horrible thing frightened her, it scared her even more to have another daughter born into poverty.
As she walked through the cane field to the midwife Shizue's house, a sharp contraction forced her to stop for a moment. She grimaced. Sweat poured from her wide brow. Like all her other babies, this one was early and eager to leave the womb.
Mr. Wilkes nodded and turned his eyes on Sean, looking him up and down. “I didn’t know you had a son.”
“To be sure, I don’t, although I sometimes wish I did.” Patrick put his hand on Sean’s shoulder. “This boy be my own sister’s child come to live with me to keep these old bones company.”
“Teruko,” Wilkes called out. The Japanese woman hastened forward. “Take this boy upstairs to the playroom to meet the children. Mr. O’Malley, Mr. Ritchie, and I have business to discuss.”
“Yes, yes.” Teruko bowed. She walked over to Sean and shook his arm gently. “We go dis way.”
Sean looked up at Patrick who nodded encouragingly.
Patrick watched Sean trudge out the door with Teruko.
After the meeting ended, Teruko led Patrick to a large and gloomy room facing the magnificent monkey pod grove. Unfortunately, the grounds could scarcely be seen from the small screened windows close to the ceiling. There were numerous shelves which held more toys than a toy store. Tables and chairs of various sizes sat in the middle of the room. Off to the side, a girl about three years old rocked furiously on a magnificently carved and painted wooden rocking horse. Catching sight of Patrick, she abruptly stopped and stared at him, her bright auburn curls still bouncing.
Nearby two boys around Sean’s age played together. The older was a pale, thin boy with white blonde hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. The younger was almost a miniature of Patrick’s boss downstairs. They both turned and stared at Patrick.
On the other side of the room Sean played a board game with a beautiful girl who looked to be about fourteen. Patrick could easily see Sean was bewitched.
The tall, willowy girl had a frothy, platinum halo crowning a face of exquisite perfection. Her eyes were clear blue, outlined in thick, dark lashes. She had a straight little nose above a sweetly curving mouth, and a faint blush stained her cheeks. Seeing Patrick approach, she stood and smiled at him, holding out her hand in greeting. Patrick was charmed.
“I’m Meg Ritchie,” she said. “You’re Mr. O’Malley.”
Patrick took her hand and kissed it. “And a pleasure it is to see the most famous beauty in Honolulu.”
Meg covered her mouth with her hands and giggled.
Behind him the Ritchie boys snickered.
“Don’t mind my uncouth brothers,” Meg linked her hands and tapped her foot. Her brothers pretended to go back to playing.
Patrick turned to his nephew. “It’s time to leave, Sean. Say your goodbyes and thank-yous.”
As they left, Sean cast a lingering look at Meg.
“Did you have a good time in the playroom?” Patrick asked Sean.
Sean shrugged. “It was okay, I guess.”
“The Ritchies be a pretty high and mighty lot,” Patrick stroked his chin.
“Except Meg,” Sean added quickly.
“Ah, Meg,” Patrick nudged Sean. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’ve seen grown men act silly around the pretty lass. But you must put all the Megs of the world out of your mind. She’s too high stepping for the likes of you. Meg will marry some boring kamaaina , like herself. Be content with Kohala.”
When Sean didn’t answer, Patrick wondered if he had made a mistake bringing his nephew with him to Honolulu.
PART TWO
THE SAMURAI WOMAN
1924-1934
Chapter Seven
Kohala, August, 1924
Kazuko Matsubara decided if the child struggling to leave her womb was a girl, it would be better if she died at birth. Although the very idea she was thinking such a horrible thing frightened her, it scared her even more to have another daughter born into poverty.
As she walked through the cane field to the midwife Shizue's house, a sharp contraction forced her to stop for a moment. She grimaced. Sweat poured from her wide brow. Like all her other babies, this one was early and eager to leave the womb.
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