Other passengers had begun to gather. Daniel recognized the manager from S. H. Kress & Company and his wife, a doctor he’d spoken with at the hospital, and other well-to-do haoles who lived in their big houses up in the hills east of downtown. He glanced down the platform and was surprised to see a missionary minister who’d come by the fish market trying to recruit locals. Daniel wondered how he could afford such a luxury on a minister’s salary. The murmur of excited voices and laughter surrounded them, the sweet-scented aftershaves and perfumes of the men and women finely dressed in suits and expensive dresses. He watched Maile watching them before looking down uncomfortably at her faded cotton dress and scuffed shoes. Had he made a mistake?

“Where are we going?” Maile asked, her voice rising just barely above the commotion.

“It’s a surprise.” Then he smiled reassuringly. “Trust me.”

He saw her flinch at his words.

It was only after the gleaming black-and-burgundy train pulled smoothly into the station that he saw her slight apprehension turn to surprise. They were suddenly standing next to the luxurious Scenic Express, the letters spelled out in bold, gold letters on the side of each car. It offered a special sightseeing excursion in beautifully renovated railcars, part of Hawaii Consolidated Railways’ remedy to help cut the costs of building the railroad along the Hamakua coast to service the sugar mills north of Hilo. Daniel couldn’t imagine the amount of work involved in building a railroad along the rugged coast, rearranging nature to suit their needs. They had blasted through mountains to create tunnels, and built trestles to support the railcars rising hundreds of feet over valleys and rivers.

“I read about the Scenic Express in an O‵ahu newspaper,” Maile said with awe.

They counted six cars. Each large window had thick, velvet burgundy drapes tied to each side. It was beautiful and extravagant. She glanced at Daniel, her face flushed. She looked at the train and remained quiet. A burst of steam was released as the train shuttered and settled.

“Is everything all right?” he asked.

Daniel watched her, suddenly nervous as they stood on the crowded platform among the other excited passengers. He should have waited, done something simple and quiet. Instead he had to show off. Maile shifted from side to side, her brow knitted as if she were worrying over a math problem. Was this all too much for her? He only wanted to take her away from Hilo and the eruption for a little while. He grew warm at the thought that she might refuse to board the train with him as she eyed the fancy railcars and the well-dressed passengers.

“We don’t have to—” he began.

“No,” she said. “I mean yes, everything’s fine, thank you.”

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief when she turned to him and smiled, her cloud of hesitation cleared away.

* * *