Editing Donovan's Reef (section)

==Plot==

Nearly two decades after [[World War II]], Thomas Gilhooley, an [[expatriate]] [[United States Navy]] (USN) veteran, works on a freighter.  Upon realizing that it will not stop at his destination, Haleakaloha, [[French Polynesia]], he jumps ship to swim ashore.

Michael Donovan, another expatriate USN veteran and a former shipmate of Gilhooley's, remains a close friend of William "Doc" Dedham, also a USN veteran, and the only medical doctor in the archipelago.  Dedham asks Donovan to care for his three children while he is away on a two-week circuit of the islands, providing medical care.

Gilhooley shares Donovan's birthday, and the two have a 21-year tradition of a fistfight every birthday, to the delight of the local observers.  On this occasion, the two vets trash "Donovan's Reef," the saloon Donovan owns.

In [[Boston]], Miss Amelia Dedham, a "proper" young lady "of means," becomes the chairman of the board of the Dedham Shipping Company.  Her father, Doc Dedham (whom she has never met), has inherited the majority of stock in the family company.  Amelia travels to Haleakaloha to find proof that Doc has violated an outdated (but still in effect) [[morality clause]] in the will, preventing him from inheriting the stock and enabling her to retain control.

While Doc is away, word is received that Miss Dedham will soon arrive.  Fearing that Miss Dedham’s Boston sensibilities will be shocked by her father’s half-polynesian (''[[Hapa]]'') children, Donovan, Gilhooley and the Marquis de Lage concoct a scheme.  Donovan will pretend to be the father of Doc's three children (Leilani, Sarah, and Luke), until Doc returns and can deal with the situation.  Lelani, the eldest, reluctantly accepts the plan.

Amelia learns that during the war her father, Donovan, and Gilhooley were marooned on the Japanese-occupied island after their [[destroyer]] was sunk.  With the help of the locals, they conducted guerrilla war against the Japanese.  Besides a hospital, her father built a large house, where a portrait of a beautiful Polynesian woman in royal attire is displayed prominently.  The woman is Doc's late wife, the mother of his children, though Amelia is not told this.  She learns that the woman was Manulani, who died in childbirth.

Life in the islands is not as expected.  Amelia and Donovan initially clash over each being offended by the other’s preconceptions.  Amelia is not as prim and narrow-minded as Donovan expects. Donovan, who proves to be educated and intelligent, owns a substantial local shipping operation.  When Donovan takes her boating, Amelia demonstrates skill in water skiing and beats Donovan in a swimming race to shore.  Amelia takes warmly to “Donovan’s” children, unwittingly inviting them to a cozy Christmas at their own home.  Donovan and Amelia gradually overcome their initial animosity.  Meanwhile, Lage tries to court Amelia (or rather, her $18,000,000) and encourages her prejudice toward Donovan, telling her that Donovan has always been a bachelor despite “his” three children.

When Dr. Dedham returns, Donovan reveals the deception to him. Father and daughter meet, and Doc explains to Amelia that he was serving in the war when his wife (Amelia's mother) died. When the war ended, he was unneeded in Boston, but was desperately needed in the islands, so he stayed. He signs over his stock to Amelia. Just as he is about to explain about Manulani and their children, a hospital emergency interrupts.

Manulani was the granddaughter of the last hereditary prince of the islands, and Amelia finally solves the mystery: Leilani — Manulani's daughter — is not only the island's princess, but Amelia's half-sister, as they both joyfully acknowledge.

When Amelia confronts Donovan about his deception, she is insulted by his explanation that the deception was needed until she shook off her Boston rigidity. They quarrel and she plans to leave for Boston. At the Doc’s urging, Amelia goes to see Donovan to take leave.  Amelia and Donovan’s farewells devolve into an argument and then morph into marriage plans. They decide to name their first son William, after her father. Gilhooley also finally marries his longtime girlfriend, Miss Lafleur. Donovan gives the bar to his old shipmate as a wedding present. Donovan moves his possessions into the big house as one of the newly extended family.