The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit)

by Christina Courtenay

  The day before their departure, Jacob came to the house and asked to speak to Hannah. She was sitting on the verandah in full view of the path to the house. When she caught sight of Jacob and heard his request she looked away out over the gardens.

  ‘Tell my brother I have nothing to say to him, Hoji-san,’ she instructed, knowing full well that Jacob could hear every word.

  When the message was relayed to him, Jacob persisted. ‘Kindly tell my sister she is acting like a child and I would prefer to have peace between us before I go travelling in this foreign place. If anything should happen to me … Well, it would be better if we could have a truce.’

  Hoji duly reported this answer to Hannah. ‘I’m sorry, but my brother should have thought of that before he forced me into a hateful marriage. Besides, I don’t think it’s very likely anything will happen to him. He’ll be perfectly safe with you.’

  She could almost hear Jacob gritting his teeth, but still she refused to look at him. He didn’t deserve her forgiveness, having tried to tie her for life to a man like Rydon against her wishes. Perhaps in time she would be able to put the entire episode behind her, but until then she wanted nothing to do with her brother.

  ‘Pray tell my sister I only had her best interests in mind and any other woman would be delighted with such a match. Captain Rydon will be a very rich man when this voyage is over. And any man is better than none when you have no reputation left,’ Jacob snapped at Hoji, who went back to repeat these words to Hannah.

  Hannah said loudly, ‘If he’d had my best interests in mind, he would have listened to my opinion in this matter. My brother is a man and doesn’t have to bed the captain against his will. Tell him to ask his friend Rydon about his not very successful wedding night.’ Her voice had risen on this last sentence. As she threw a quick glance over her shoulder at her brother, she saw him turn puce at the indelicacy of her words.

  Jacob glared at her and turned on his heel without so much as a goodbye. Hannah clenched her fists in her lap and blinked back the annoying tears which threatened. Perhaps she had been wrong not to take the olive branch Jacob offered, but at the moment the wound was still too raw.

  ‘My, but how you’ve grown!’

  Taro caught Ichiro as the little boy came toddling towards him, his face breaking into a huge smile. ‘You remember me then?’ He lifted him high into the air, making Ichiro squeal with joy.

  He had been worried his son would forget him when he stayed away for so long and was relieved to find he had nothing to worry about on that score. Several months must have seemed like an age to a small child, but there had been business matters to attend to and Taro hadn’t been able to cut his visit to Hirado short.

  After the cloying humidity of the south, it was wonderful to be back north where the weather was fresher. ‘Let’s go to the gardens,’ he suggested, and hoisted Ichiro onto his broad shoulders. ‘I’m taking my son for a walk,’ he informed the nursemaids, who flapped around and made as if to follow them. ‘Alone,’ he added.

  Naturally, his own guards followed, but he didn’t count them. They were merely shadows that followed him almost everywhere, so to all intents and purposes it was just him and his little boy.

  Ichiro exclaimed over various sights – a bird settling on a branch, a dragonfly hovering over the pond, a frog sunbathing – but his chatter was as yet unintelligible, even though his meaning was clear. Taro just laughed and enjoyed the feeling of pride that swelled inside him every time he looked at his son. He was immensely grateful to the gods for giving him this gift.

  When they returned to Ichiro’s quarters, however, some of the joy leeched out of him at the sight of Lady Reiko waiting for them. She was kneeling on a cushion in the middle of the floor, looking for all the world as if she was a queen. He noticed the nursemaids and other servants were eyeing her with something akin to fear. She reminded Taro of a spider sitting at the centre of a web and that made him frown. He gave her a curt nod.

  ‘Lady Reiko.’

  She bowed low. ‘Welcome back, my lord. I heard you had returned.’ These words were said with a look that was somehow accusing and Taro surmised she thought he ought to have gone to greet her first, before coming to see a mere child. But Ichiro was his son and the only one he’d missed during his absence. He realised he hadn’t given Reiko a single thought the entire time.

  ‘I trust you had a pleasant stay in the south?’ Reiko continued.

  ‘Yes, thank you.’ He didn’t elaborate. It wasn’t any of her business what he’d done there and besides, he couldn’t tell her about going to see the foreign woman. She’d think him mad. He had to admit he’d thought so himself, but Yanagihara had been proved right – the gai-jin lady really had arrived.

  His thoughts turned back to her – Akai – wilful, disobedient and naive, but oh so intriguing. He hoped she had heeded his words and not gone wandering in the night again. How could she have been so stupid? But she seemed to be a creature ruled entirely by her emotions and she’d clearly been upset, her eyes stormy and full of resentment. He suppressed a smile. He didn’t envy her brother the task of taming her. The foreigners obviously didn’t bring their women up properly if she didn’t know her place and at her age, it would be doubly hard to bring her to heel.

  He shook his head and tried to concentrate on his immediate surroundings instead.

  Hannah was not his concern. For the moment.

  After the departure of the men, Sakura took over Hoji’s position by the doorway to Hannah’s room at night. Even after they left the ship, he had continued to sleep like that in order to protect her from any harm. Hannah wasn’t sure if Sakura would be of much use in that respect, but at least if someone came she would be alerted. No one could enter the room without tripping over Sakura first, and the noise would be bound to wake her mistress, who slept with the loaded pistol next to her.

  She tried to tell herself there was nothing to worry about, but then she’d never heard of the ninja.

  The first Hannah knew of their presence was when a hand was placed over her mouth, cutting off all sound, and another pushed her chest down into the soft mattress. Panic streaked through her and she struggled instinctively, using every ounce of strength she could muster. She tried to reach her weapon while fighting to escape the restraining hands, but soon realised resistance was futile. The indistinct shape next to her was joined by another, and one ninja held her arms while his partner sat on her legs and gagged her with frightening efficiency. They were obviously well-trained and worked in tandem, blocking her every move as easily as if she had been a small child. Soon Hannah was trussed like a chicken ready for the spit.

  She only had time to register vague shapes silhouetted in the moonlight before a sack of some sort was pulled over her head. The attackers must be dressed in black from top to toe, she guessed, their faces smeared with soot or black paint, and they were obviously masters of stealth to have entered the house so soundlessly. In the short time she observed them, she also noticed they communicated only with hand-signs and operated without the slightest noise.

  Gagged and bound, and with her head covered, she was carried from the room out into the balmy night. The men moved swiftly and silently, taking turns to carry her. As she was flung over yet another person’s shoulders, the air was knocked out of her lungs and she struggled to breathe. Panic gripped her again, but she tried to push down the ripples of fear rising up inside her. She knew she had to stay calm and try to breathe normally if she wanted to survive.

  The only small glimmer of hope was the fact that they had captured her alive. Perhaps they would ask Rydon for a ransom. Although this thought led to the more depressing one that he probably wouldn’t want her back and would refuse to pay. She could only hope the kidnappers approached Jacob as well, otherwise she had no chance whatsoever. Her brother might be angry with her, but he would never let her die like this. Or would he?

  Hannah began to wish she had accepted her brother’s apology after all.


  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Sunlight glinting off water woke Hannah the morning after the abduction and she was surprised to find she was on a boat. One of the Japanese kind she had seen in the harbour at Hirado. Although they were quite far out to sea, she could still make out the vague shape of land to starboard. She guessed it meant they were travelling north, since the sun was rising on that side of the boat as well.

  She sat up and was relieved to see Sakura sleeping next to her. There was no doubt her captors were ruthless and Hannah had been afraid the little maid might have been killed. Neither of them was bound or fettered in any way either and Hannah stretched her cramped limbs. Before she had time to shake Sakura awake, a man approached her and bowed low.

  ‘O-hayo gozaimasu.’

  ‘Good morning.’ Hannah stood up warily, wondering if it was the custom in this country to be polite to your captives before killing them. A shiver of pure terror went through her, but she fought down the rising panic and tried to appear calm. It wouldn’t do to show him fear, so instead she returned the bow and the greeting. The man’s eyebrows rose in surprise at her response. She gathered that he, like everyone else she met, hadn’t expected her to speak his language.

  ‘You understand Japanese, lady?’

  ‘Certainly.’ Hannah tried to sound haughty. He had called her lady and bowed to her, as if he were a servant, so perhaps he’d been ordered to treat her well for the moment. She took it as a sign they were not to be killed immediately and decided to try and pry some information out of him. ‘What is the meaning of this outrage? Why have I been brought here and where are we going?’

  ‘Sorry, lady, but I can’t tell you. I have been instructed to look after you on the journey. I don’t know where we are going. Please excuse me.’ He bowed again.

  Hannah frowned. He might be telling the truth, but then again he could be lying. With a sigh she decided to accept his answer at face value. If he was only a servant, then he probably genuinely knew nothing. ‘May I speak to your master, please?’ She couldn’t bear not knowing what was in store for them, although finding out might be even worse.

  ‘He’s not here. Please, would you like anything? Some food?’

  Hannah wasn’t hungry in the least, but knew that to admit such a thing would be to show him how frightened she really was. ‘Yes, thank you, that would be most welcome. Is there no one here who can tell me where we are going?’

  ‘No, sorry. Everyone has orders. Only the captain knows our destination and he will only tell you if it is necessary.’

  ‘I see. Very well, fetch us some food then, if you please.’

  With another deep sigh Hannah set about waking up her maid.

  The journey seemed endless and Hannah’s temper was not improved by the fact that no one would tell her anything. The captain of the ship refused point blank even to speak to her, or so the servant claimed. When she tried to insist, the servant pretended deafness or incomprehension every time she asked. Hannah knew her command of the language was far from perfect, but she was sure he understood her well enough.

  They sailed for several days, continuing towards the north as far as she could make out. Then they disembarked in a tiny little fishing village where all the inhabitants prostrated themselves on the ground before her captors. Hannah gathered from this that there was absolutely no use in trying to appeal to the villagers for help. Even if she’d had something to offer them in return, which of course she didn’t, they wouldn’t do anything for her.

  Was this the place where they would be killed, she wondered. If so, why here? Her nerves were stretched to breaking point as she was made to walk up a narrow street through the village. She was closely guarded and followed by Sakura. The little maid had remained outwardly calm, but Hannah could tell the girl was frightened, especially since neither of them knew why they had been captured.

  ‘They must want a ransom,’ Hannah said, trying to convince herself as much as the maid. ‘We’ve been treated well so far. Surely there wouldn’t be any point in feeding us if we were going to be killed?’

  Sakura shook her head, but offered no opinion.

  ‘Is this a common occurrence in your country?’ Hannah persisted.

  ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know. There are many ronin, but …’ Sakura shrugged. ‘I just don’t know.’

  Hannah shivered as they continued up the hill. The weather had turned cooler the further north the ship sailed. She had been given a plain robe to wear over her night gown, but she still couldn’t seem to get warm, although she realised that might be due to anxiety rather than the weather.

  The houses they passed were not of the finest quality, but none were derelict. The few villagers she saw seemed well-fed and content. On the outskirts of the village they were met by a large group of warriors. Hannah stopped abruptly at this sight and shrank back behind some of her captors. There were at least a hundred fierce-looking men, if not more, and an icy knot formed in Hannah’s stomach.

  ‘Oh, dear Lord, help me,’ she whispered. ‘Please, don’t let me die here, not like this.’ The warriors looked formidable and were armed to the teeth with swords, bows and pikes. Was she to be handed over to them and butchered without mercy? But why so far away from Hirado? Hannah tried to calm herself. It wouldn’t make sense for them to bring her all this way just to kill her. There had to be another reason.

  Her captors greeted the warriors calmly and she soon gathered they were only there to act as their escort. Hannah breathed a sigh of relief when the men formed up in front of their little group and behind it. They were in neat orderly lines, some on horseback, others on foot. A palanquin was brought forward for the two women to travel in. Made of black lacquered wood and decorated in gold paint with garlands of leaves interspersed with a crest motif, it was an impressive conveyance fit for any highborn lady. Hannah had never travelled in one before. She was pleasantly surprised to find its bottom lined with tatami and several silk cushions provided for her comfort. Although the motion of this strange contraption made her feel queasy at first, she soon became used to it. Had she been given the choice, she would have preferred to ride, but on the whole it was better than walking. It was also much warmer since the shutters could be closed on all sides.

  ‘Let’s keep the shutters open a crack so we can look at our surroundings,’ she whispered to Sakura. ‘We might need to find our way back eventually,’ she added, although she didn’t hold out much hope of that. Even if by some miracle she could escape and find her way to the village again, she didn’t have the means to charter a boat to take her down south. It was a lowering thought.

  The countryside through which they travelled was beautiful, lush and incredibly green. There were thickets of bamboo and fast flowing rivers, which cut into narrow valleys. In these valleys nestled tiny farming villages, and into the steep mountainsides around them had been cut terraced fields, which looked like giant staircases. Hannah was entranced, despite the fear that churned constantly inside her.

  ‘Sakura, this is lovely. I never imagined your country would look like this. It’s very different from Hirado, isn’t it?’

  The maid smiled and nodded. ‘Yes, it is very pretty. We are a very lucky people, these islands are special.’

  ‘Islands?’

  ‘Yes, Japan is made up of many, many islands, small and large. Isn’t your country like that?’

  ‘No. Well, not quite. There is one large island and a few tiny ones around the coast.’

  ‘Ah, so neh? Much smaller, yes?’

  ‘To be honest, I have no idea. I never travelled around very much. My part of the country is very pretty though.’

  Hannah felt a pang of homesickness rise up inside her and found it difficult to continue. She thought about how far she had come and also how she had taken for granted all the things around her in Plymouth. It would never have occurred to her to go out and look at nature, whereas here she found herself appreciating the beauty of it.

  ‘Well, I suppose we never know wh
at we have until it might be too late,’ she mused out loud. Whether she would see her own country again or not was entirely in God’s hands. She had acted impulsively and without much thought, but she couldn’t undo her actions. She now had to suffer the consequences.

  They journeyed through the rough terrain, climbing steep mountains, then descending into the narrow valleys. Sometimes they followed small tracks through the thick forests. The vegetation gave off a moist, earthy smell which was a pleasant change from the odour of fish and seawater that Hannah had lived with for so long. She drew in deep breaths, savouring each one.

  She lost count of the number of days that passed. When she and Sakura had exhausted all possible topics of conversation, they dozed most of the time, lulled by the swaying of the palanquin. A few times a day they were allowed out to walk for a while in order to exercise their cramped limbs, but each time it seemed to have grown colder. Hannah was always grateful to return to her conveyance and shut out the weather.

  At last a shout was heard from the front of the cavalcade, and Sakura sat up straight, listening.

  ‘What is it? What’s he saying?’ Hannah struggled out of her torpor to lean on one elbow.

  ‘I think we have arrived. The man is shouting something about lord’s castle. They must be taking us to a castle.’

  ‘Why should they do that? We’re not so dangerous they need to lock us up in a dungeon, surely?’

  Sakura shrugged her delicate shoulders. ‘I don’t know.’

  Hannah opened the shutter and gazed onto a huge plain either side of a river. In the middle of this vast expanse lay an enormous white castle and they were descending a winding road towards it. Everyone appeared to be moving faster all of a sudden. It was as if both the horses and men had scented home and wanted to arrive as quickly as possible and the others had to follow willy-nilly. The palanquin swayed alarmingly, but Hannah barely noticed. She was busy staring at what she assumed was her destination.