The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit)

by Christina Courtenay

  Hannah drew in a deep breath to calm her agitated mind. ‘Yes, you’re right. I will pray for a miracle, because that is what we’ll need soon. Please, do the same.’

  Chapter Seventeen

  Northern Japan, March 1613

  The garden was Taro’s favourite place and it was where he came whenever he wanted to mull things over. Lately, however, it hadn’t given him the solace he craved. Almost a year had passed since Hasuko’s death and he knew he would need to make a decision about the Lady Reiko soon. Her hints about a possible marriage between them were becoming broader every day and he wasn’t sure he could put up with it for much longer.

  As he stood by the pond, lost in thought, he was interrupted by the diffident voice of a servant.

  ‘My lord? Pardon me, my lord, but …’

  The man was standing next to him, trying to attract his attention and he hadn’t noticed. ‘Nani?’ he barked, harsher than he intended. The man bowed low, visibly trembling.

  ‘I … there is … that is to say, a messenger has come for you. He says he needs to speak with you urgently.’

  Taro drew in a deep breath and when he spoke again it was in his usual calm manner. ‘Very well, send him to me here.’

  The servant scurried off and within moments a man appeared at a trot. He was dusty from head to toe and his hair was dishevelled and falling down his back as if he had ridden hard. He prostrated himself before Taro.

  ‘Yes?’ the latter prompted. ‘You have a message for me?’

  ‘I come from Nagasaki, my lord. I’ve been told to inform you that some foreign ships have been sighted.’

  ‘What? Foreign ships?’

  The messenger cast a furtive glance over his shoulder as if making sure they were alone. ‘Yes, with flags unlike any that have come before and sent by the ruler of a country they called, uhm … Ingi-rand?’ The man looked uncertain of the pronunciation and hurriedly continued with his message. ‘I was given to understand that you had asked to be told immediately.’

  Taro’s brain finally caught on to what the man was talking about. ‘Of course, yes. Well, thank you for letting me know. How long have you been on the road?’

  ‘A week and a half. I had some trouble with the horse and …’

  ‘You’ve done well and will be rewarded for your trouble. Thank you. Now go and rest.’

  The man bowed again and took himself off, looking very relieved. Taro stared after him, then a small smile spread over his face.

  ‘Perhaps the gai-jin woman has finally arrived,’ he muttered, excitement and curiosity at this prospect rushing through him. The old man hadn’t told him she was coming closer, but maybe he couldn’t see her yet. Or he’d forgotten to mention it. He was old after all, and a bit absent-minded. Suddenly all other thoughts were forgotten and Taro set off towards the castle with purposeful strides. Decisions about his future and any possible marriage could wait. He had other matters to attend to.

  On board the Sea Sprite, April 1613

  Someone listened to their prayers and to tell the truth, Hannah didn’t mind which god it was. Towards the middle of April the first sea gulls were spotted, indicating that land wasn’t far off. There were cheers from what was left of the crew, although many were too weak to care. Hannah fell to her knees down in the cook room and gave thanks where they were due.

  Although thinner than ever, Hannah and Hoji hadn’t suffered as much as some during the journey thanks to their strange diet.

  ‘Ye’re going ter look like a fish yerself soon, Hodgson,’ some of the sailors had joked when they noticed he and Hannah ate raw fish. ‘An’ as fer eatin’ seaweed, that seems a mite heathenish, don’t it?’

  ‘Well, who has the last laugh now,’ Hannah muttered. At least she and Hoji were still able to stand.

  She crept up on deck with him to watch as they approached their destination, the harbour of Hirado. ‘What is this place?’ she asked.

  ‘It’s an island in the southern part of Japan, the only port where foreigners are allowed to trade,’ he replied.

  The pilot guided them safely through a narrow channel between the mainland and the rocky shore of a pine-forested island. On their left a small opening led into a deep bay and they dropped anchor a short distance from the quayside. Hannah saw a harbour ringed by hills and a scenic coastline with yet more pine trees on the craggy hillsides, similar to the ones she’d seen in the Canary Islands so long ago now. It was very different from Plymouth, but her spirits soared. They had made it at last.

  Hirado appeared to have a bustling little town with a long waterfront. Stone staircases led down to the shoreline, and there were people everywhere. They all had black hair, like Hoji’s, and similar features – at least it seemed that way from a distance. The townsfolk wore short belted jackets, some with just loin cloths underneath and bare legs, some with baggy breeches. A few had straw hats that were slightly cone shaped.

  Not long after their arrival, a local lord had himself and his entourage rowed out to greet the new arrivals with great ceremony. They headed for the largest ship, which was Rydon’s Sea Sprite, obviously assuming he was the leader of the expedition. These higher-ranking Japanese men were better dressed and in their lovely silk costumes they resembled a flock of exotic birds. Hannah watched them with interest, wondering why they had come, while Hoji was called upon to translate.

  ‘This is the lord Matsura, captain-sama,’ he told Rydon. ‘He own this island and much land over there.’ He pointed in the direction of the mainland. In an undertone he added, ‘You must make him welcome. Give presents, food, perhaps music.’

  ‘What? I have to entertain him? By God, we have barely enough food here to see to our own needs. Our men are half-dead as it is.’

  ‘If the man is important, we can’t afford to offend him,’ Jacob hissed behind his hand. ‘We want to trade with these people, remember?’

  Rydon sent him a look of annoyance, then sighed. ‘Oh, very well. Hoji, can you arrange for additional supplies from the town immediately please?’

  ‘Yes, captain. I arrange everything.’

  While they waited for the food to arrive, Hannah stood hidden by the main mast and surreptitiously studied the people in Lord Matsura’s group. Most seemed to be his inferiors and showed him great deference, but one man stood slightly apart from the others. His bearing was haughty, as if he was the lord’s equal or more. He was taller than his compatriots, with an aura of barely suppressed power, although his many layers of courtly robes might have added to that impression, as did the two swords hanging at his side. In contrast to everyone else, he wore only the finest black silks. This made him exude a slight air of menace as well, like a raven about to pounce. Hannah wondered if that was intentional.

  He was observing her fellow countrymen. Hannah noticed his intelligent gaze seemed to be taking in every detail, although his face remained expressionless. When he glanced in her direction, however, his eyebrows rose a notch and he muttered something under his breath. Self-consciously she looked away and pushed her thick braid of red hair over her shoulder before ducking behind the mast completely. She must look a dreadful sight, after all these months at sea, she thought. Her clothes were virtually in tatters and her feet bare. What must he have thought of her? Then she remembered he would only see a scrawny boy, so her looks didn’t matter one way or the other.

  ‘Akai, neh?’ a smooth voice said from behind her and she let out an involuntary gasp. The man had moved silently and with extraordinary speed and was now standing so close she could look straight into his amber eyes. They were studying her with much more interest than he had showed when watching the others.

  ‘Hai, akai desu,’ she replied without thinking. He had commented on the colour of her hair and she felt the need to confirm that yes, it really was bright red, akai. She almost added the word ‘unfortunately’, but resisted. She had often despaired when looking at herself in a mirror, but she knew it was something she had to live with. She’d accepted the fact tha
t she would never be beautiful like her silver-blonde sister.

  ‘You speak my language?’ he asked, showing his surprise only with faintly raised eyebrows.

  ‘Yes, although not very well,’ she replied.

  ‘Well enough. Who taught you, the translator?’ He glanced in Hoji’s direction and Hannah nodded.

  ‘Yes. Hoji-san has been my friend, my teacher throughout the voyage.’

  ‘Then why didn’t he teach the others as well? It would have been advisable for them to learn if they have come here to trade.’ His tone was gruff, with a hint of impatience. Hannah received the impression he didn’t tolerate fools.

  ‘They didn’t ask him to.’ Hannah hesitated, not wanting to disparage her brother and Rydon too much in front of this stranger, but honesty forced her to admit that she agreed with him. ‘You are right, though, they should have tried, at least a few phrases.’

  He was still staring at her, his head slightly to one side as if he was puzzled by something and trying to work it out. Hannah felt heat creeping into her cheeks and put up a hand to push a stray lock of hair behind her ear. No man had ever looked at her with such interest before, except for Mr Hesketh of course and he didn’t count. She knew this one was only doing it out of curiosity, not because he found her attractive. How could he, when he didn’t know she was a woman? It was still disconcerting. She took a deep breath and stared back. Well, two can play at that game, she thought, unconsciously raising her chin a notch.

  At this small act of bravado, he smiled suddenly and his cheeks creased into dimples on either side of his mouth. Hannah opened her eyes wider, intrigued by the transformation of his stern face into something quite different. She realised with a jolt that he was actually very handsome. He had beautiful olive skin stretched tight over high cheekbones. His nose was small for a man, but it turned up slightly at the tip, giving him an impish look when he smiled. His face was hairless and smooth. The shining black hair was worn in the same strange topknot all the Japanese men present seemed to have, some with the front shaved off, although not this one. Somehow, it suited him to perfection.

  ‘So, Red, you are telling me a mere servant gai-jin is more intelligent than the men in charge.’ It was a statement, not a question, but Hannah quickly shook her head.

  ‘No, no, that’s not what I said at all. It’s just that my brother and the captain can be a bit, well, stubborn at times. They probably felt it was unnecessary to learn your language when they have Hoji-san as an interpreter. After all, they’re not staying here for very long.’

  ‘But you are?’

  ‘No, of course not. I mean …’ What did she mean? His nearness was making her flustered now, and Hannah couldn’t think straight in order to refute the undoubtedly logical conclusion he had reached.

  ‘Then I was right in what I said – you are more intelligent.’ When she would have protested once more, he held up a hand. It was an imperious gesture which showed clearly that he was used to being obeyed. ‘Enough. I can see that you are also loyal to your fellow countrymen, which is admirable. I am pleased to have made your acquaintance, Akai.’

  Hannah knew she was blushing again. She wasn’t used to being praised and certainly not by handsome men, even Barbarian ones. A moment later he agitated her even further when he reached out a hand to touch her hair briefly, reluctantly, almost as if he was doing it against his will. She saw something like wonder and awe in the depth of his eyes, but then he snatched his hand back and the shuttered expression returned. Hannah thought her cheeks might catch fire, they turned so hot. ‘My name is Hannah, not Red,’ she blurted out to cover her embarrassment, but in the next instant she realised it was completely the wrong thing to say.

  He smiled again. ‘Is that so,’ he said. He began to chuckle and this turned into full-blown laughter. It was a rich sound which seemed to reverberate across the deck, although when she glanced around them, no one seemed to be within earshot. All eyes were still upon the exchange between Lord Matsura and the two captains.

  ‘Gai-jins are indeed strange if they call their sons flower,’ he commented, his eyes twinkling with amusement as if he was teasing her.

  Hannah could have kicked herself. She had forgotten that in Japanese the word ‘hana’ meant flower. Besides, she ought to have given him her boy’s name in any case. ‘N-no,’ she stuttered. ‘My name doesn’t mean that in our language, it – it just sounds the same.’

  ‘Hmm.’ He gave her one more appraising look and Hannah almost squirmed under his scrutiny. ‘Well, to me you shall forever be “Red”, because I have never seen anyone with hair like that before,’ he said. ‘Sayonara, goodbye. May our paths meet again.’

  He bowed slightly and wandered back to the rest of the group.

  Hannah watched him go and couldn’t take her eyes off his broad back. She wondered who he was, but doubted she would ever meet him again so the fact that he hadn’t introduced himself was clearly irrelevant.

  Still, it would have been nice to at least know his name.

  Besides practically forcing the foreigners to part with a lot more presents than they would have liked to, the Lord Matsura outstayed his welcome by several hours. He was royally entertained and Hannah was kept busy helping Hoji to prepare the food that arrived in a steady stream from the quayside. When the interminable meal was over at last, some of the crew members were ordered to play some music and sing for the guests. Hannah made her way up to stand by the railing at the back of the ship, enjoying the entertainment from afar and the slight breeze that cooled her hot cheeks.

  Darkness was descending and there were lights twinkling along the shore line. People walked around carrying lanterns and the sound of voices and laughter echoed across the water. The fragrance of pine trees was thick in the air, mixed with the usual tang of brine from the sea. Hannah drew in a deep breath. How wonderful to be so close to land and not in the middle of the unpredictable ocean, she thought.

  ‘Alone again, Akai? Have you no duties to attend to?’

  The question made her swivel round, her heart beating rapidly with fright. She stared up at the black-clad Japanese man who had spoken to her earlier.

  ‘Wh-what are you doing here?’ she stammered, looking behind him to see if he was accompanied by anyone, but there was no one there.

  He looked faintly surprised, as if he wasn’t used to anyone questioning him, but then replied evenly, ‘The same as you, I should think, taking a breath of fresh air. The captain’s cabin is stifling and, if you will forgive me for saying so, not entirely fresh smelling.’

  ‘Oh, of course.’ Hannah understood what he meant. During the journey Hoji’s habits of cleanliness had become the norm for her as well, while most of the other men on board never bothered with such niceties. She had stopped thinking about it and just followed Hoji’s example, although she’d been a bit lax during the last horrendous weeks when they were feeling weak with hunger. She knew everyone else stank to high heaven.

  ‘You didn’t answer my question,’ he reminded her now. ‘I am curious to know how servants are treated in your country. Or are you treated differently because one of the captains is your brother?’

  ‘No.’ Hannah bit her lip, not quite sure how to reply. Somehow her brain didn’t seem to function very well whenever this man was around. She shouldn’t have told him about her brother either, and was surprised he remembered this detail as she’d only mentioned it in passing. ‘I usually have plenty of chores to do, but today is special. We are all relieved to have reached land.’ She glanced towards the hatch down to the cook room. ‘I am not normally allowed to go anywhere alone. Hoji-san is nearby and in my case it’s complicated. You see, I shouldn’t be on this ship at all.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I, uhm … I’m afraid I came along without permission.’

  She thought she detected another twinkle of amusement in his eyes, but it was becoming too dark to see properly, so she couldn’t be sure. ‘I understand,’ he said. ‘And now you have to wor
k hard as a punishment?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then I had better not keep you from your duties.’ He bowed again and this time she bowed back, lower than him to show deference as Hoji had taught her. Before he left, however, she couldn’t resist voicing the question that had been occupying her mind since their first meeting.

  ‘What’s your name? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.’

  He stiffened slightly, as if she had been impertinent, then replied, ‘Kuma.’

  With a swish of silk he was gone as quickly as he had come, and Hannah turned the word over in her mind, savouring it. Kuma meant bear. Was that his real name or had he made it up? She had no way of knowing, but it definitely suited him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hoji was very quiet the following morning, but eventually he looked at Hannah and asked, ‘Now what will happen?’

  ‘I beg your pardon? Oh, you mean to me? I have no idea.’ Hannah had worried about this endlessly herself, but hadn’t been able to come up with an answer. ‘I hope to see something of your country and then I suppose I’ll have to go back to my own.’ She sighed. It wasn’t a thought that appealed to her, but she knew she couldn’t postpone the inevitable for ever. Sooner or later she had to face the consequences of her actions. ‘You’ll be returning too, won’t you?’

  Hoji nodded. ‘Yes, I still owe the captain my life. Until I save him, I’m staying.’

  ‘So I could work with you on the way home again and then …’ Hannah swallowed hard. ‘When we reach England, I’ll have to find work somewhere other than in Plymouth. I doubt my family will want me back.’

  ‘You will be a ronin too,’ Hoji tried to joke and Hannah smiled feebly.

  ‘Yes, in a way. But let’s not talk about that now. We should enjoy the moment. I suppose everyone will be given shore leave, although I guess we’ll have to take turns. Would you mind if I go with you? Or do you have other plans, now that you’re home?’