Cumner's Son and Other South Sea Folk — Volume 03

On a sun‑baked South Sea estate, the planter Houghton and his wife Alice live amid rice paddies, banana groves and sugar‑cane fields that stretch to the horizon. Their marriage, arranged out of hope rather than affection, has become a quiet battlefield of resentment and unspoken longing. Both recognize the widening gulf between them, yet each clings to a fragile sense of duty that keeps the household running despite the bitterness that simmers beneath the surface.

One oppressive afternoon they stare at a winding road that snakes up a sheer cliff, a place Alice has dreamed of reaching on horseback. The conversation drifts to daring acts and impossible wishes, exposing the raw edges of their despair while hinting at a possible escape or reckoning. As the heat settles over the plantation, the couple’s bottled grievances begin to surface, promising a tense confrontation that will test the limits of love, pride, and survival.