Kona Winds Page 4

"Actually Ruel is Deborah's half brother," Emily offered the information as the housekeeper left the room. Her voice was very matter-of-fact. "Deborah is the daughter of Ruel's father's second wife."

  "Oh," Julie digested that for an instant. "Then you aren't really related to Debbie."

  "Not by blood, but I consider that an unimportant detail."

  And Julie believed her. Emily Harmon seemed genuinely devoted to the young girl Julie had not yet met. "What does Ruel do?" she asked.

  "He manages this place and he has business interests in Honolulu and Waikiki." The last was admitted very grudgingly.

  The statement Emily had made yesterday at the airport about Ruel came back to Julie. She had been talking about the tall string of hotels and skyscrapers and said that Ruel called it progress. Julie knew that was a touchy subject with her employer, so she avoided it.

  "It was too dark last night for me to see much and with the rain this morning, I really don't know all of what you have here," she commented.

  "Sugar fields mostly and Ruel runs cattle in the hills," came the information. "Of course, he spends most of his time in Honolulu with his other . . . projects. Al oversees most of the work around here." The tone of her voice left little doubt that it was a situation Emily Harmon didn't like.

  When Malia returned with the toast, Julie let the conversation lag. Ruel and his activities seemed to be a sore issue with Emily. She thought it was best to let the subject fade out of the woman's mind before attempting to discuss anything else.

  After breakfast was finished, Emily suggested, "Let me take you to meet Deborah so the two of you can become acquainted."

  Julie agreed readily to the proposal and the two of them left the dining room. Rain continued to come down outside, but it wasn't the deluge it had been. The air in the house was muggy and warm.

  "Deborah's room is here on the ground floor. It used to be Ruel's bedroom, so his comings and goings at odd hours wouldn't disturb the rest of us. After Deborah's accident, it was much easier to move his things to a guest room on the second floor than to try to get a hospital bed upstairs. Plus—" a smile briefly touched the woman's mouth "—when Deborah does begin perambulating, we won't have to worry about her falling down the stairs!"

  They were crossing the entryway and Julie glanced at the U-shaped stairwell and understood Emily's concern. Not only would it have been difficult to cart a bulky hospital bed up and around those steps, but also dangerous for anyone on crutches to negotiate the polished wooden treads of the stairs.

  Entering the smaller, second wing of the house, they passed a room that was a combination study and library. The door stood open to reveal an unoccupied room. A second door was also open. It was this one Emily entered.

  The room was dominated by the stark serviceability of a large hospital bed. A dark-haired, dark-eyed girl lay framed by the white sheet. Julie felt the warmth in the girl's smile and was reassured that Malia hadn't overexaggerated her praises last night.

  "Hi, Auntie Em," Debbie Chandler greeted her aunt first, but the interest of her gaze was centered on Julie.

  "I brought Miss Lancaster in to meet you," her aunt explained unnecessarily, and turned to Julie. "This is my niece, Deborah Chandler."

  "How do you do, Miss Lancaster. I hope you had a good flight over here."

  Julie approached the bed. "I did, thank you, although it was a long one." One side of the girl's face was faintly discolored, but the bruises had practically faded. "And please, call me Julie."

  Keeping up the formality of "Miss" on a one-to-one basis would be difficult under any circumstances, but the natural openness of this girl would have made it doubly so. Julie decided to dispense with it from the beginning.

  "This is Sue Ling, my nurse," Debbie made the introduction of the slim Oriental woman, uniformed in a white pant suit, as she lifted a tray from a service cart.

  "Glad to have you with us, Julie," the nurse smiled.

  Again Julie felt thoroughly welcomed. "I'm glad to be here." Of all the people she had met since she arrived, only Ruel Chandler had held himself aloof. But it was foolish to think about him. He wasn't the reason she was here. The girl in the hospital bed was.

  "I'm glad to have you here, too, Julie," Debbie offered. "My right arm and my head are the only two things that aren't plastered, in traction or otherwise immobilized. I need to put them to use."

  "I'm going to do that all right," Julie laughed. How many people could joke about their condition, especially sixteen-year-olds? Perhaps it was the resiliency of youth. "I'll probably turn out to be such a slave driver that you'll be glad to get back to school."

  "She's nice, Auntie Em," Debbie declared. "Thank you for bringing her over."

  "I'm glad, Deborah." Emily Harmon's face softened with unbelievable tenderness. "I'll leave you two alone now. I have some other work to do."

  "I'll take the breakfast tray back to the kitchen. I won't be long." Sue Ling made her exit from the room with the older woman.

  "Ruel told me he met you this morning," said Debbie.

  "Yes, I was lost. I had to ask him for directions," Julie admitted, making light of the matter.

  "I know. He told me," was the smiling response. Julie could just imagine what he had told her—your new teacher didn't know what a lanai was. "What did you think of him?" Debbie asked eagerly, and Julie was at a loss as to how to answer the question. But evidently an answer wasn't required. "All my girl friends think he's quite a hunk of man. They practically melt whenever he's around."

  "He is handsome." The edges of Julie's wide mouth twitched with a smile. She couldn't help wondering what Ruel Chandler's reaction was to this teenage adulation his sister implied.

  "He isn't really handsome. He's just so . . . virile," the girl settled on the adjective after a searching pause. Then she smiled at herself. "As you can tell, I think he's pretty great, too."

  "I know what you mean. I have an older brother, too. He's pretty special to me," Julie chose a safe response.

  "You do?"

  "Yes. He's married now, and he and his wife have two little girls. I haven't seen him in quite a while. They live in Michigan," Julie elaborated.

  "We have something in common."

  "I guess we do, Deborah," Julie smiled.

  Laughter sparkled in the dark eyes. "Call me Debbie—Deborah sounds so sophisticated. Aunt Em indulges in wishful thinking when she calls me that!"

  "Debbie it is, then."

  "What's your favorite subject?" The girl seemed determined to find something else in common with her new teacher.

  "American history."

  "Mine's English. What about math?"

  "It's my weak spot," Julie admitted.

  "Mine, too."

  "We both might be in trouble, then!"

  They talked for a while longer. Julie kept the conversation centered on Debbie's schoolwork, finding out what she had learned and what interested her. All the information she would obtain later that day from Debbie's teacher, but she wanted to get a feel of her pupil's reaction to learning. The vibrations were very positive.

  When Sue Ling came back, Julie used it as an excuse to leave. "I haven't unpacked my suitcases yet, so I guess I'd better get started. I'll talk to you later, Debbie."

  It was still raining when it came time to keep the appointment with Debbie's schoolteacher. Emily Harmon accompanied Julie, although she didn't take part in her discussion with the teacher. Julie couldn't make up her mind whether her employer was merely being polite or wanted to observe how knowledgeable Julie was with a fellow professional. Either way, Julie felt she had acquitted herself admirably and returned to the house with an armload of books, school records, and subject study schedules.

  "We have dinner promptly at seven," Emily told her on their arrival at the house. "I generally change but it isn't required for you to do so. And I have no objections at all if you choose to wear slacks to the table."

  Julie decided that since it was her first dinner, she should
wear at least a nice skirt and blouse. Besides, the clothes she had on were damp from dashing in and out of the rain. Wearing an ocher gold skirt and a matching print blouse of silk, she came downstairs shortly before seven, and joined her employer in the living room. There was no sign of Ruel Chandler.

  Promptly at seven, Emily rose from her chair. "Shall we go in to dinner?"

  "But," Julie hesitated, "aren't you going to wait for your . . . nephew?"

  "He knows what time we have dinner. If he isn't here, we start without him," was the uncompromising answer.

  "With the rain and all, he might be delayed by the weather." Julie didn't understand why she felt she had to make excuses for him.

  "I've learned to expect Ruel when he arrives," Emily explained. "At thirty-five, he's much too old to be answering to me about his comings and goings."

  "Does he drive to and from Honolulu every day?" Julie was curious.

  "Practically," Emily Harmon led the way into the dining room.

  "That must be tiring."

  "He keeps an apartment in the city. If it's too late, he simply stays there."

  Somehow Julie doubted that he always spent the night alone. She glanced around the dining room, so comfortable and elegant with its rich woods and glassed doorway, to the courtyard and swimming pool outside. Ruel Chandler not only had all the comforts of home, but a bachelor pad as well. He had his cake and was eating it, too.

  Emily Harmon had noticed Julie's gaze stray outdoors. "I quite often have my evening meal on the lanai, especially if both Ruel and Deborah are away." Her lips thinned. "I hope this Kona weather doesn't last long."

  "It has something to do with the winds, doesn't it?" asked Julie.

  "The tradewinds come from the northeast. They're our predominant winds," her employer explained, "coming along with fair skies and sunshine. When the winds are from the south, it means rain and high humidity. No one likes to see the Kona winds come."

  "Why are they called Kona winds?" That was the part Julie didn't understand.

  "They take their name from the big island of Hawaii and its Kona coast. Since the big island lies south of Oahu, the winds coming from that direction are also coming from Kona, hence Kona winds."

  Malia came in with the soup course and the discussion of the weather was put aside. Fresh fruit and cheese were served for dessert. Ruel Chandler still had not made an appearance. They had tea in the living room while Malia cleared the dining table.

  "I think I'll go see Debbie," said Julie when she had finished her tea. "Do you mind?"

  Emily Harmon glanced up from the magazine she was reading. "No, go right ahead."

  The portable television set in the bedroom was on when Julie walked in. Debbie seemed surprised to see her, but the surprise quickly gave way to pleasure.

  "Are you ready to hit the books tomorrow?" Julie asked half-teasingly.

  "As ready as I'll ever be."

  "What are you watching?" She glanced at the screen as a commercial flashed on.

  "Nothing. At least, nothing that's interesting." There was boredom in the faint sigh the girl expelled.

  "I noticed this morning that you had quite a record collection." Julie wandered over to the turntable and the rack of albums in the stand beneath it.

  "They're mostly rock," Debbie offered in warning.

  Sending a smiling look over her shoulder, Julie asked, "Is there any other kind?"

  The smile was broadly returned. "According to Auntie Em, there is. Sue Ling isn't crazy about it, either. Why don't you pick out a couple of albums and put them on?"

  Julie did, then sat cross-legged in a chair by Debbie's bed. They talked for a while, about music and anything and everything. Julie found more to like in the girl. At times she seemed oddly mature; other moments she was innocent and vulnerable, totally without guile. In all respects, she was a typical teenager, interested in music, boys, school, and the future.

  The second album was half through when the telephone rang. It was on the stand by Debbie's bed, within reach of her uninjured right arm. Julie could tell that it was one of Debbie's girl friends and guessed the conversation would sooner or later get to a personal and private level of teenage confidences.

  "I'll see you in the morning," she whispered as she uncoiled her legs from the chair.

  "You don't have to go, Julie," Debbie protested. "It's only Cathy, one of my girl friends."

  "You don't really want your teacher listening in on your conversation," Julie insisted with a knowing smile. Debbie started to argue, before nodding an admission with a rueful grin. "Good night, Debbie."

  "Good night."

  When Julie didn't find Emily Harmon in the living room, she went on upstairs to her bedroom. She went over the work sheet she had drawn up for the next day's subjects and went to bed shortly after ten. To her knowledge, Ruel Chandler hadn't arrived home.

  Chapter Four

  DURING HER FIRST WEEK, Ruel Chandler only had dinner with them twice. He was pleasant and courteous to Julie, but he didn't go out of his way to make her feel a part of the family. His attitude was such a contrast to everyone else's that she sometimes let it bother her. Wanting everybody to like her had always been one of her faults. So she tried to ignore the frustration she felt.

  Her first free weekend she decided against doing any sight-seeing. She would have time enough to tour the whole island in the next few months. Wearing a swimming suit beneath her slacks and blouse, she thought she would get a bit of sun and do some souvenir shopping for her friends and family. Emily suggested that she could accomplish both in the small town of Haleiwa and offered to loan her one of the economy cars. But Julie decided to go by bus, even though it meant a long walk down the switchback road to the highway.

  Haleiwa was a quaint village with its old storefronts and roadside fruit and shell stands. A small shopping center, recently erected, maintained the rustic motif of the older stores, complete with board sidewalks. It was a peaceful seaside community.

  After exploring a general store and a neighborhood art gallery, she lunched outdoors at a sandwich shop. Then she wandered down to the small harbor. With the protection of a sunscreen, she lay out for a couple of hours in the sun and watched the sailing boats and cruisers going in and out. Later she returned to the town proper, purchased some souvenirs and caught the bus back.

  Having been walking almost all day, she found the road leading to the house seemed much longer, plus she had the added burden of the purchases she'd made. She began to wish she had accepted Emily's loan of a car as she eyed the steep switchback road to the upper plateau.

  A car roared toward her from behind and Julie moved to the grassy shoulder. Instead of swerving past her, it slowed to a stop beside her. At first glance she saw only the sleek, black sports car with the passenger door opening before she finally recognized Ruel Chandler behind the wheel.

  "Hop in," he ordered smoothly.

  With the daunting prospect of climbing that hill, Julie didn't need a second invitation. "Thanks." She slid into the bucket seat, juggled her packages, and closed the door.

  Immediately the car was shifted into gear and it shot forward. "Been shopping, I see." His blue gaze flicked to the assortment of bags on her lap.

  "I've been into Haleiwa," she offered in explanation.

  "Nothing more ambitious than that?" He sounded as if he were mocking her, but Julie couldn't be sure. She was determined not to let his condescending attitude get under her skin.

  "Nothing more ambitious than that," she returned the phrase as a statement. "Not this weekend." The low-slung car seemed to snake around the tight curves up the hill. "I thought I'd go to the beach tomorrow, swim, just take it easy."

  "If it's swimming and sun you want, you're better off making use of the pool at the house," he told her. "We have some very strong currents here on the north shore and powerful undertows, not to mention coral reefs that are as sharp as razors. The beach at Haleiwa or Waimea Bay is about the only place for what you have
in mind. If there aren't any breakers, you can feel safe swimming at Waimea."

  "I'll remember that, thank you." She accepted his advice. Within seconds he was braking the car to a stop in the circular drive of the house. "Thanks for the lift, too. It would have been a long hard walk." She was determined to be pleasant and properly but not overly appreciative.

  "It was no trouble."

  Leaving the car parked in the drive, Ruel walked up to the house with her and opened the door, since her hands were full of packages.

  "Thanks again." Julie smiled. The acknowledging nod of his head was courteous and nothing more as he returned to the car.

  "Ruel?" Debbie called from her bedroom.

  "It's me—Julie."

  "You're back already!" came the loud reply.

  It was silly to keep shouting back and forth. Julie walked to the girl's bedroom and appeared in the doorway before answering. "I'm back already."

  "You certainly have an armload of souvenirs there," Debbie observed. "Did you find anything for your landlady?"

  "I think so." Julie set her packages on a chair and opened one. She had mentioned to Debbie about Mrs. Kelly, her penchant for old movies and her Hollywood idea of Hawaii. "Do you suppose she'll like this?"

  From the bag, she shook out a muu-muu. The flowered material was predominantly scarlet with a splash of orange and yellow. She held it up in front of her for Debbie to see.

  "The color is all wrong. Much too bright," Ruel commented from the doorway.

  Julie pivoted correcting quickly, "It isn't for me."

  "It's for her landlady, Mrs. Kelly," Debbie added.

  "Do you hate her that much?" A brow lifted in mocking inquiry.

  "No," Julie denied that and glanced at the audaciously bold material. "I think this is what she would expect."

  "Yes," Debbie agreed. "It's exactly the kind of thing Dorothy Lamour would wear," she said and giggled.

  Ruel glanced from one to the other. "This must be a private joke."

  It was, and Julie didn't feel like explaining it to him. She folded the long dress and returned it to its bag. Immediately she began gathering the rest of her packages as Debbie responded to his comment.