Page 15 of Ghosts and Ginger Tea

He smiled, and my heart did the same ridiculous pattering thing it did earlier when he kissed me. It didn’t help that he smiled and said, “Thank you, my dearest Oliana.”

My dearest Oliana? This man had to be the biggest flirt I’d ever met!

People began entering the room as music echoed throughout. Keanu led me to the table at the head of the room, and, before I knew it, the night flew by like fine sand in the trade winds.

Every guest congratulated us, some of them with smiles on their faces, and others with hidden looks of disgust. An owl flew into the room and sat on one of the window sills, overlooking the festivities. I couldn’t help looking at it often, a welcome distraction from the overwhelming company around me.

My mother cried as she met Keanu, and Kiki looked completely unearthed. Alohi stood close by, and Keanu’s cousin, Malakai, watched over him like a hawk. At one point, our eyes met and Malakai raised an eyebrow, as if displeased, yet curious, with Keanu’s choice of a wife.

Peter stood in the shadows, his arms folded as he looked from me to Keanu.

After a while, I grew tired. There were so many people, my face hurt from faking a smile, and the corset made it impossible to breathe. Keanu led me in a dance, one that was simple enough for me to follow his lead, and then, much to my relief, he bid the party good night and led me away.

I said goodbye to my mother and Kiki.

Peter, who had gotten to know Kiki on the voyage, made all the arrangements for my family while we prepared for the wedding. Since Kiki was interested in sewing and quilting, she would be the royal quilter. She and mother would live in the guest home, though it was not for guests and would permanently belong to Kiki, mother, and my family.

This thrilled me: my goal had been accomplished. Kiki had secure, high-paying work, and mother had access to doctors and all the help she needed, or so she told me. Mother’s excitement about the work she and Kiki had been offered, as well as their beautiful new home, prevented her from noticing my nerves on display.

“It’s a gorgeous home,” mother had said earlier. Complete with pillars, two floors, and a grand yard, it was the perfect place for Kiki–and her future family–to grow.

After parting with my family, Keanu took my hand in his and bid the rest of the wedding party a good night.

It was then that my fatigue faded away, and my anxiety grew. I forgot that with marriage came marital duties, and, with Keanu’s unpredictable and unreadable disposition, I did not know what would happen between us that night. The man’s spirit was so fierce, it could make the strongest storm tremble in his presence.

But if only I had been more prepared for the way Keanu would treat me, because the way he made me feel was something I should have never allowed to happen…

CHAPTER FIVE

When we entered the bedroom, Keanu locked the doors behind us. The clicking lock, though quiet, seemed to ring in my ears. I stood rooted to the spot, staring at the gold foil on the black-painted doors.

“Come, my bride,” Keanu said, but didn’t wait for me to move. He swept me into his arms and, within a few paces, placed me in front of a large mirror. “We have much to do, but so little time.” At that, he began unlacing my corset.

My cheeks burned as I whipped around, holding out my hands to stop him. “We don’t have to do this.”

“Do what?” He seemed completely at ease.

“The wedding night…” My voice pinched in my throat.

A smile crossed Keanu’s face, as if he found this whole thing amusing again. “Ah. I see. You thought I was…” His voice trailed off, and he looked me up and down.

At that, I placed my hand on his chest, as if to push him away, but he caught it. “Don’t worry, my bride. I wasn’t planning on a romantic wedding night. Quite the opposite.” His gaze went to the bed, where he pointed to a table off to the side of it. On the table sat a tray of… tea? Steam rose from the teapot, and I now noticed the distinct smell of ginger.

“You and I will have tea tonight, discuss our plan of action, and then rest.” At that, he turned me around again, unlacing the corset. His fingers felt warm anytime they brushed against my back. “And time is slipping away from us.”

At least he acknowledged the fact of our ticking countdown.

The pitter-patter of rain sounded outside, and I noticed a set of open glass doors that led to a spacious balcony. But I didn’t have time to enjoy the refreshing sound or smell of the rain.

"You mean my time is almost up," I muttered, but sighed when the corset loosened. He removed the lei po‘o and any pins from my hair that had kept it in place, and then ran his fingers through it. I watched him in the mirror, my stomach filling with butterflies at the way he seemed to enjoy my long hair. “Here.” Keanu handed me a nightgown, then motioned to a pair of accordion walls that I could change behind.

A mixture of relief and anxiety filled me. “Thank you.”

He grinned as he removed his suit coat and began to undress. I ran behind the walls in haste, not wanting to watch him do… whatever it was he was doing. I didn’t care that we were married. None of this felt real, and I wasn’t sure why he was so comfortable with me. He didn’t even know me. Unless…

That’s how he is. I’d never been around a man so confident in his own skin, and the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable it made me. Perhaps it was because I was not completely comfortable in my skin. Beyond my lack of physical beauty, I felt I had no personality. I wasn’t cute and somewhat clumsy like Kiki. I was not even gentle like my mother.

Before I spiraled down into thoughts of self-deprecation, Keanu spoke from the other side of the wall.