The Jade Lioness

by Christina Courtenay

  ‘This wasn’t what I came for,’ she’d complained to Midori.

  For years she had dreamed of seeing the wonders of this faraway land after Midori, who was half Japanese and had grown up here, had told her endless stories about her homeland. Temperance had begged her cousin and Nico to be allowed to accompany them when Nico was offered the position of Chief Factor. Never had she imagined that she wouldn’t be able to go any further than this miserable little island, so near the mainland, yet so far.

  It was a sad let-down after coming all this way.

  In fact, it was almost as unbearable as having to marry Haag would be.

  She glanced once more towards the sea and an idea came to her, an idea so daring it almost made her gasp out loud. There may be no way she could cross the bridge and enter the town, but perhaps she could at least steal – no borrow – a rowing boat before dawn, when it was still dark? Then she could go in search of a small, secluded cove where she could bathe in peace, with no one the wiser. The coastline hereabouts was mostly wild, or so she’d heard. There wouldn’t be anyone to see her, no one to care, and she’d keep well away from any habitation.

  Surely that shouldn’t be too difficult?

  She closed her eyes and imagined diving into the welcoming waves, immersing herself in the soft brine, floating in carefree, blessedly cool abandon for hours on end. She could forget her dilemma for a while and put off making a decision.

  Why not?

  The sea was calling to her.

  Dejima had no less than four sets of guards dotted around the island, each in their own little house, to keep an eye on the foreigners. There were also numerous interpreters, other officials and servants, all constantly watching and listening.

  ‘Damned spies,’ cousin Midori muttered whenever she saw them, but they were just doing their job so couldn’t really be blamed for being conscientious. It was rather unsettling to know that every tiny detail of their lives was probably reported to some official or other on the mainland, but they were all used to it now. It wasn’t something they could change.

  The gates were manned at all hours and Temperance knew it wouldn’t be easy to escape the men’s vigilance. Her only chance would be to create a diversion of some sort, in order to distract the guards long enough for her to slip past them, but she had no idea how she was going to achieve this.

  Tiptoeing out of the house just before dawn, she looked about her for inspiration, determined to escape the island – and her worries about Haag – somehow, at least for a day. Her gaze fell on a goat standing nearby munching on a small bush with evident enthusiasm and she smiled to herself as an idea sprang into her mind.

  ‘The very thing,’ she muttered.

  There were many types of livestock roaming the island, but she decided this shaggy animal would be perfect for her purposes. Grabbing the goat by one horn and pulling off a branch of the tasty bush, she enticed the animal along between the houses. She headed for the guardhouse nearest the sea gate and approached it from the back where there were no windows. There was no one about and silence reigned as Temperance and her captive crept forward. She hoped the guards were half-asleep, lulled into complacency by the long, boring hours of the night watch. As she cautiously rounded a corner and peered in through a half-open window she saw that her luck was in. Out of the four guards in the room, only one had his eyes fully open, and he was staring at the wall.

  Tugging at the goat again, she propelled the animal towards the door of the guardhouse, keeping the branch just out of reach of its nose. The goat was becoming frustrated with this game and tried to snatch at the treat. When Temperance threw the branch in through the open door and pushed the goat in after it, the animal didn’t hesitate. It bleated loudly and disappeared inside, and pandemonium broke out in the tiny house. The guards erupted into shouts and curses, but Temperance didn’t stay to listen. She shot past the house and through the sea gate, and threw herself into a tiny rowing boat tethered to the little quay. Quickly she untied it and pushed off, rowing round the corner out of sight of the guardhouse while she waited for peace to descend on the island once more. As Dejima was surrounded by walls she was able to lurk in the narrow channel between the island and the mainland, without being seen from any of the four guardhouses. She stayed there, waiting for what seemed like an eternity.

  Finally silence returned. Not even the seagulls stirred and she set off along the harbour, rowing as fast as she could. Having grown up in Plymouth, Temperance was a competent rower and had no trouble steering her little craft. Once on her way, she simply followed the coastline until she rounded a headland and emerged from the bay. Still staying close to the coast, she rowed for what seemed like ages until she deemed it safe to go ashore, and then looked for a small, secluded cove or a beach. As the sun began to crest the horizon, she found the perfect spot and headed for land. The prow of the little boat hit sand and, as it wasn’t heavy, Temperance managed to pull it up the beach and hide it behind some bushes. That way no one would be able to spot her if they happened to sail past.

  Temperance waited until the sun was blazing down from a cloudless sky, then shed most of her clothes and ran into the sea. She sank beneath the waves and breathed a sigh of pure satisfaction, turning expertly underwater to watch as the bubbles she exhaled made their way to the surface. It was every bit as wonderful as she had imagined, and now that she’d finally achieved her ambition she revelled in the feel of the water as it caressed her near-naked body. Nothing but a man’s shirt covered her previously over-heated skin and although this felt very sinful, the relief was immeasurable.

  Coming up for air at last, she drew in several deep breaths, steeped with the tang of brine, and savoured the salty taste on her tongue. Revitalised, she swam with sure strokes back and forth across the little bay until her muscles quivered with the effort. Then she lay motionless on the surface, letting the waves carry her in any direction. It was sheer bliss to be cool at last and she simply couldn’t get enough of it.

  ‘By all the gods, a water sprite in broad daylight!’

  The voice, low pitched but strong, carried across the water and made Temperance flip to an upright position instantly while she searched for its source. She found it on a large, flat rock on one side of the bay, where a young man stood gazing at her with an astonished expression that swiftly changed to one of delight. He leaned forward for a better view and Temperance reacted instinctively by covering her chest with her hands and attempting to tread water at the same time. Her insides turned cold with fear and she cast an anxious glance towards the shore where her clothes lay discarded, so near yet impossible to retrieve. She’d been so careful before removing them, making sure she was alone, but now suddenly here was this intruder.

  ‘Hanarero! Go away,’ she ordered, too shocked to care whether she sounded rude or not.

  The young man’s eyebrows rose. ‘You can speak?’

  ‘Of course I can speak.’ Her Japanese was far from perfect, but she could make herself understood well enough even if the finer nuances of grammar still eluded her. ‘Now leave, please, this is a private bay.’ She had no idea whether it was or not, but the lie was worth a try.

  He looked around slowly. ‘I was under the impression that this stretch of the coast was wild, no matter which daimyo owns it. But perhaps it is reserved for water sprites?’

  ‘Yes, no, I mean … oh, please, just leave.’ Temperance tried to imbue her words with imperious command to hide the fact that she was panicking, but it didn’t have any effect. The young man smiled and shook his head. He seemed very much at ease and Temperance realised it would have been better if she’d kept quiet.

  ‘If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay for a while. It’s not every day I come across a water sprite, and one who talks to me no less.’

  Was it a trick of the sun or were his eyes twinkling? Temperance wasn’t sure, but she suspected the latter.

  ‘Please, won’t you tell me why you are here?’ he continued. ‘Are you the g
uardian of this bay? Is there something special, perhaps holy, about it, or are you one of the unfortunates who have drowned hereabouts?’

  ‘I am not a water sprite, as I’m sure you are fully aware. I am a perfectly normal human being and if you are an honourable man, you will turn around and walk away now. I shall dive under the water and when I come up again, I expect you to be gone.’ She turned and did just that, hoping against hope that the man would do as she asked without arguing further.

  Having spent her entire life living next to the sea, Temperance was an expert swimmer and could hold her breath for a long time, thus giving the man ample opportunity to leave. When she surfaced at last, she was much further out than before and resolutely stared out to sea for a while to give him even more time to depart. She heard nothing, so she finally turned around to make sure he’d gone. She had to put up a hand against the glare of the sunlight in order to scan the shore and a sigh of relief escaped her when there was no sign of him. The feeling of dread subsided.

  ‘Phew, that was close,’ she muttered, then gave a little shriek as the man’s head suddenly popped out of the water not three feet away from her. Her heart went into panic mode again.

  ‘I thought I would join you instead.’ He smiled. ‘That way you don’t have to feel embarrassed.’ He looked pointedly at her hands, which she had raised automatically to shield her near-nakedness from his view.

  Temperance stared at him, momentarily lost for words, then scowled fiercely while trying to put some distance between them. ‘How on earth did you reach that conclusion?’

  He followed. ‘Well, if we are both without clothes, you are not at a disadvantage.’

  ‘But you are a man and I’m a —’

  ‘Female, yes, I know.’ He grinned. ‘Surely you have bathed with other people before? Or do water sprites not mix with humans?’

  ‘For the last time, I’m not a spirit of any kind and no, I am not in the habit of bathing with others, especially not men. Why do you think I’m here in this bay by myself?’

  ‘I was hoping you would tell me that. If you’re not a magical creature, what pray are you? And why is your speech so strange?’

  The man was staring at her hair now, the silvery blonde strands that floated all around her shimmering in the sunlight even when wet. She noticed him studying her blue eyes with an expression of fascination too. Anger took hold of her, pushing the fear aside temporarily. He was teasing her again, he had to be.

  ‘I’m a foreigner, as you must know, still trying to master your language, and I am not allowed to mix with your people. We gai-jins have to remain on the island of Dejima and not set foot on Japanese soil. I was desperate for a swim, so I borrowed a rowing boat before first light and made my way here. There, are you satisfied now? I warn you, if you are thinking of reporting me to the authorities, I will not come willingly.’

  ‘Why would I want to do that?’ His grin broadened. ‘I’m a ronin.’

  ‘An outlaw? Dear God …’ She looked around frantically for some means of rescue, but found none.

  ‘Don’t worry, I’m not a threat to you and I should think the authorities would be much more interested in me than in a foreign woman. After all, you can always pretend you fell in the water and were swept over here. I have no such defence. I shouldn’t be here at all.’

  It was Temperance’s turn to be curious and she forgot about her more or less naked state and his proximity for a moment. ‘Then why are you?’

  ‘I’m on a secret mission, but I’m afraid you distracted me. Won’t you tell me your name? I am Kanno Kazuo.’ He tried to bow to her in the water, after the formal Japanese fashion, and a giggle almost escaped her at this ludicrous sight. She hesitated for a moment, then decided it couldn’t do any harm to give him her name.

  ‘I am Marston Temperance.’ A year of living in such close proximity to Japan had taught her some of their customs, and she knew that to introduce herself she had to give him her surname first, as he had done.

  He frowned. ‘I don’t think I can say that.’ He tried and managed the Marston part fairly well, but had great difficulty with Temperance. ‘Ten-pe-renu-su? Temmu-pu-renni-su?’ It sounded so comical she took pity on him.

  ‘Most people call me Temi, it’s easier.’ She didn’t add that in order to keep up her disguise as a boy on Dejima, Nico and Midori called her Tom, while everyone else just referred to her by her surname.

  ‘I see. Well, if you ask me, you ought to be named Gin, or perhaps Shinju.’

  ‘Silver or pearl?’

  ‘Yes, like your hair.’ He swam closer and reached out a hand to touch it, as if unsure whether it was real. ‘What happened to make it fade thus?’

  Temperance shivered as his fingers touched some of the lighter strands and brushed against her shoulder in the process, but laughed at his ridiculous question. ‘It didn’t fade. I was born with it that colour. Lots of foreigners are.’

  ‘Oh. I have never met one before. I know nothing of such things. Is that why your eyes are not dark either?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He fell silent, just gazing at her in wonder, and Temperance became aware of the awkwardness of her situation once more. He was so close, she could see his upper body clearly – a smooth, tanned chest, as well muscled as the arms that floated near the surface, and further down, his stomach and … Oh dear Lord! Temperance averted her eyes and let herself sink beneath the waves to cool her flaming cheeks. This would not do, really it wouldn’t.

  She had been raised as a Puritan, closely guarded from sights such as the one now before her. Morality was instilled into her very soul, and although she had often secretly wished to rebel against all the rules that governed her life, she’d never done so openly.

  Until now.

  She came up for air, her cheeks no less heated. ‘You must leave, please,’ she begged him. ‘If anyone saw me with you like this, I would have to marry you.’

  Kazuo chuckled. ‘I doubt it. I have no prospects, no one would want me for a son-in-law. I told you, I’m a ronin.’ He looked her in the eyes. ‘But if it is your wish, then I will leave. Will you not swim with me first? I saw you earlier, your prowess should more than equal mine.’

  His nearness still disturbed her and her conscience screamed at her to refuse, but the prospect of having someone to swim with, if only for a while, was too tempting to turn down. Besides, what did it matter if she spent a little while longer with this man? The damage was already done, a treacherous voice whispered inside her head. Temperance had been wishing for a companion, so eventually she said playfully, ‘Very well, catch me if you can,’ and shot off. She knew she was fast, and the thrill of the chase added extra strength to her limbs, making her blood sing as it pumped through her veins.

  She vaguely heard a whoop of delight behind her, but paid him no heed, concentrating on her strokes. The water swirled by and she was almost on the other side of the little bay before he caught her feet, effectively stopping her so that she had to turn around to try and free herself. A mock fight ensued, at the end of which she found herself held captive, her back against his chest, while he trod water for both of them. Her Puritan conscience ordered her to break free and put some distance between them immediately, but her body seemed to have a will of its own and refused to obey. Temperance felt herself go limp, his arms supporting her, while her breath came in small, sharp bursts. The oversized shirt billowed slowly around her, but was as see-through as if she’d been without a stitch. Somehow she didn’t care. She suddenly realised that she felt truly alive for the first time in weeks, perhaps in her entire life.

  He nuzzled her neck, just below her right ear, and she tried half-heartedly to pull away. ‘You mustn’t do that,’ she murmured, but she wanted him to all the same.

  ‘I know, but I just had to breathe in your fragrance so that I can remember this day.’

  Temperance shivered and his arms closed around her more tightly. ‘If anyone should see us …’

  ‘They won’t.
This is a desolate spot, which is no doubt why you chose to come here. There is no one else about.’

  His words both thrilled and alarmed her and she wondered if she had taken leave of her senses. She knew she ought to be afraid – held fast by a stranger in such an isolated place – there was nothing to stop him doing whatever he wanted to with her, but it wasn’t fear that coursed through her.

  Perhaps the heat had fried her brain, to the extent that she was now permitting a man to hold her close, touch her, and with her the only one wearing any clothing. Every part of her body was aware of his, the skin so soft and warm where it touched hers, despite the chill of the water. Although she had never been this close to a man before, she knew that he desired her, the proof of this was difficult to ignore. It didn’t frighten her. She felt lost to all propriety and strangely uncaring, suspended in the soft cradle of the ocean like a cloud floating in the sky.

  ‘I won’t hurt you,’ he whispered, as if he had read her thoughts. His voice sent another shiver through her. ‘I just want to hold you a while longer to convince myself that you are real. Will you turn around?’

  Temperance knew she definitely shouldn’t do that, it might just be her undoing, but it was as if some force compelled her to do as he wished. His hold on her loosened slightly and he spun her around. His gaze held hers and she was spellbound, scarcely able to breathe. He was beautiful, there was no other way to describe him. Smooth skin stretched tight over high cheekbones and a rather blunt nose that was small for a man, but suited him admirably. Eyes as dark as the deepest well, shaded by slanted lids and short but dense lashes. A mouth so perfectly sculpted it seemed made for smiling, kissing. She wondered how it would feel pressed to hers, kissing her softly, caressing … Temperance blinked, totally dazed, then tried to put some distance between them.

  ‘This is wrong, completely wrong,’ she muttered. ‘My soul will be damned for all eternity.’