‘A few months is a long time for a baby. He might forget you if you’re not there all the time.’
Lord Kumashiro stiffened and Hannah gathered that this was a deliberate jibe from Reiko. How dare she? Japanese women were meant to be respectful at all times, but it seemed his sister-in-law was not afraid to be different.
‘Nonsense. My son will always know me. Now go and start packing, please. We can always travel slowly and you’ll be in a palanquin anyway, which shouldn’t be too arduous.’
‘I’m sure you know best, my lord.’ Reiko bowed slightly as if yielding to a greater force, but Hannah saw a fleeting smile cross the woman’s lips. Had Lord Kumashiro seen it too, she wondered. If he had, he showed no sign of rising to the bait.
‘We’re leaving by the end of this month,’ was all he said.
‘But of course, my lord.’ Reiko bowed, slightly lower this time. ‘I shall begin preparations immediately, although …’
‘Nani?’
‘It may take a bit longer, there’s so much to do. A baby has many needs, especially during a long, hard journey.’
‘Well see to it. I don’t want any more excuses.’
He stalked off and Hannah watched as the Lady Reiko stared after him with clenched fists. Hannah could understand the woman’s reluctance to leave her home, but she suspected there was more to it than that.
The look she threw after Lord Kumashiro was a curious mixture of venom and longing. Hannah didn’t understand it at all.
Still puzzled by the strange exchange she had overheard, Hannah asked Yukiko to explain why the Shogun had ordered Lord Kumashiro and his family to attend him. ‘And why would his son have to stay in Edo?’
‘The sankin kotai demands it.’
‘Sankin kotai? What’s that?’
‘It’s a very clever way of making sure that none of the daimyo conspire behind his back,’ Yukiko said. ‘To all intents and purposes, he holds the families hostage, especially the son and heir of each powerful warlord. They have to stay in the city. The lords themselves must also spend time in the capital. In this way, no one will dare to start an uprising against the Shogun in any of the far flung regions of the country. They know he would punish their families instantly.’
‘Now I understand. I can see why the Lady Reiko would be reluctant to go then,’ Hannah said. ‘It must be difficult to live apart from your family for months on end. She’s probably worried about her nephew,’ she added.
‘And her own prospects,’ Yukiko muttered.
‘I beg your pardon? In what way?’ She was itching to ask Yukiko outright why Lord Kumashiro and his sister-in-law seemed to be at loggerheads, but didn’t dare be so impolite. Reiko had hinted at a bereavement, and perhaps she and her sister were both still suffering from grief, but that hadn’t seemed to be the only cause of friction.
Yukiko, however, was a very discreet lady, who refused to be drawn. ‘It was nothing,’ was all she replied.
Several days passed and Hannah saw no one except her serving women. She wondered whether Lord Kumashiro had forgotten her existence now that she had satisfied most of his curiosity about her country. The last time she’d seen him he had said he would send for her again soon, but so far she hadn’t been summoned.
Naturally the man must have things to do other than sit and talk with her every night, she reasoned. Spend time with his wife, for instance. No wonder Reiko had glared malevolently at her if he had neglected her sister for several weeks and she’d found out Hannah was the cause. She would have reacted in the same way, although she’d been told Japanese men also had formal mistresses called consorts who were tolerated by their wives.
Of the Lady Reiko and her sister there was no sign either.
‘Preparations for the journey to Edo have been set in motion,’ Yukiko reported, ‘but it’s slow going.’ Hannah wasn’t surprised, given what she’d seen of Reiko’s attitude. No one seemed keen to discuss these matters though and Hannah felt increasingly isolated. Despite her relative freedom, she felt like a prisoner, not a guest.
On the morning of the fourth day she couldn’t stand to be confined any longer. The weather was fine, with the sun shining brightly, and it was not a day for languishing indoors or moping. ‘Can we go outside for a walk, please?’ she asked Yukiko. ‘I need some fresh air.’
‘Yes, of course. Shall I ask the others?’
‘If they want to come, they’re welcome, but let them choose for themselves.’
It seemed the other ladies felt the same, because no one wanted to be left behind. It was a happy, chattering group that set off along the garden paths. Hannah was determined to banish her dark thoughts and even went so far as to sing a little, to the amazement of her companions.
‘What a very strange song,’ Sakura commented. ‘But nice, very nice of course.’
Hannah giggled at the polite lie. ‘Having heard your songs, I doubt if it sounds very good to you, but I’ve been told my voice is quite good. You’ll just have to take my word for it that I sang it well. Teach me a Japanese song, somebody. Please?’
With much laughter, the ladies succeeded in teaching Hannah a simple tune, but she found it very hard to sing it the way they did. It sounded more like complaining to her than singing, but naturally she couldn’t tell them so.
Eventually they found themselves near a large pond, almost a miniature lake, where they sat down on large boulders basking in the sun. The ladies continued to chatter among themselves, discussing Hannah’s efforts at singing, while Hannah wandered off towards the edge of the pond. The water was clear and she could see the dark shapes of some kind of brown fish moving slowly under the surface. She thought they must be carp, since they resembled a dish she had been served a few days previously. This pond obviously wasn’t just for ornamentation then, she thought.
She sank down onto a flat stone near the water’s edge, and trailed her hand in the soft waves. It was cold, but not bone-chillingly so, and she stayed there lost in thought for ages. All around her were trees that would no doubt turn into glorious autumn colours later in the year, reflected in the water. She leaned over the shining surface of the pond to look at her own image and smiled. Yukiko had told her that when that time came, her hair would match the trees perfectly, as they turned a deeper red here than in England.
‘Idiot,’ she muttered to herself. Lord Kumashiro must have addled her wits with all his comments about her red tresses. She’d never cared much about her appearance before, so why should it matter now?
After a while she became aware of noise coming from a clump of bushes further along the pond. She watched as another group of women emerged into the sunlight not far from a small ornamental jetty. Hannah had no trouble spotting the Lady Reiko in the centre. Dressed regally as before, she had a queenly presence that couldn’t be mistaken. Hannah shivered and hoped the woman wouldn’t catch sight of her. She studied the others, wondering which one was Lady Hasuko. Although several of them were pretty, no one was as lovely as Lady Reiko, nor wearing such costly clothing. Hannah concluded Taro’s wife must have chosen to stay behind.
Lady Reiko’s women had come better prepared than Hannah’s. They spread covers on the grass to sit on and unpacked baskets of provisions. All the while, they talked animatedly, but not with as much laughter as Hannah’s own group, who hadn’t noticed the newcomers.
Hannah was half hidden by a bush herself, and could therefore observe without being seen. She continued to peek from time to time since she was curious about Lord Kumashiro’s sister-in-law. What kind of a woman was she? High-born presumably. Beautiful and graceful, anyone could see that. And accomplished, that went without saying. But why did she have that air of superiority? She acted as if she was the mistress of the castle even though she obviously wasn’t. And why had Lord Kumashiro’s wife not come outside? Was she ill perhaps?
Hannah decided to go and ask Yukiko. Surely she couldn’t object to answering a few harmless questions? It wasn’t as if these were state secrets
. Hannah rose, dusted off her kimono – a pretty green silk one embroidered with autumn leaves that someone had loaned her – and prepared to go back to her ladies. Just then, a flash of colour on the small jetty next to Lady Reiko’s party caught her eye and she heard a little splash. She blinked and narrowed her eyes in order to see what it was. In the next instant, a tiny head and a flailing hand appeared over the surface of the water. Cold dread gripped Hannah’s insides. Without thought she sprinted towards the spot where the little head had now disappeared.
‘Tasukete!’ she shouted and waded into the water, which quickly became quite deep. ‘Somebody, help!’ Hannah thought she saw a glimpse of red material not far from where she was and dived in, heedless of her clothes. The heavy kimono dragged at her and made swimming unbelievably difficult, even though she was normally a strong swimmer. She pushed with all her might and opened her eyes, thanking God for the fact the water was so clear. Luck was with her and there, right in front of her, was a small child, sinking fast and no longer moving.
She grabbed it and kicked her legs as hard as she could, propelling the infant in front of her up towards the surface. ‘Help,’ she shouted again, as soon as her mouth had cleared the water. Pushing at the small head and shoulders to make sure they stayed above the water, she made for the side of the pond. Soon there were helping hands pulling the child from her tired arms. Hannah dragged herself towards the edge and leaned her head on the pebbles, gasping for breath. With anxious eyes she watched as the child was held upside down, its back slapped gently. A large quantity of water poured out of him or her, and then thankfully the little one vomited and began to scream.
‘Thank you, dear God. Thank you so much,’ Hannah whispered.
‘Hannah-san, you must come out. You’ll catch a chill. Here.’ As if from a distance, Hannah heard Sakura’s voice. It mingled with those of Yukiko and the other ladies, telling her to stand, to walk, to wrap a cover around herself. She obeyed automatically, and with a last look towards the child, she was hustled off in the direction of the o-furo.
The last thing she heard was the Lady Reiko saying in a deadly tone, ‘Who is responsible for this?’
Hannah shivered, and it wasn’t from the cold.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
‘Whose child was that?’ Hannah was sitting in the hot spring, her teeth chattering despite the extreme heat of the water. The shock of what had so nearly happened had set in and her body reacted to it predictably.
‘That was Lord Kumashiro’s son, Ichiro.’ Sakura’s voice echoed round the bath house, even though they were whispering.
‘Heavens! Surely he should have been better supervised then?’
‘Indeed.’ Sakura turned away. ‘I understand the matter has been dealt with.’
‘Dealt with? What do you mean?’
‘The lady in charge of him is to be beheaded. Lady Reiko even asked to do it herself because she was responsible for the entire group of women, but Lord Kumashiro refused to give her permission.’
‘Beheaded?’ Hannah swallowed hard as bile rose in her throat. ‘Oh, no, surely that is too harsh a punishment?’ And why would a woman want to carry out such a sentence, she wondered. She’d never heard of such a thing.
‘Would you think so if it was your son?’
‘I don’t know, I suppose not.’ Hannah had to admit that if she had a child she would no doubt protect it fiercely. But could she go so far as to order someone else’s death for negligence? Only if the child had actually died, she thought.
‘Are you still cold, Hannah-san?’
‘Yes, but I think I’m beginning to warm up. Thank you for helping me and bringing me here so quickly. I’m afraid I went a bit numb, and not just my body.’
‘That was understandable. Such a shame about the kimono though.’
‘Can nothing be done with it?’
‘No, I’m afraid not. It will never be the same again.’
‘Oh, dear, and I can’t repay anyone for its loss.’
‘Perhaps Lord Kumashiro will give you one in gratitude for saving his son?’
‘Maybe.’ Hannah acknowledged to herself that she didn’t want his gratitude, she wanted something else entirely. Something she could never have. She sank deeper into the hot spring and closed her eyes. She murmured in English. ‘I wish I’d never come here.’
That afternoon Hannah sat in her room with her ladies. She was becoming used to kneeling on the floor at all times. Her legs didn’t protest each time any more, and she didn’t really miss chairs or benches. Here there were always silk cushions available, and combined with the soft tatami mats, it was quite comfortable.
Yukiko brought in a flower arrangement and placed it in an alcove
‘Your ikebana is lovely,’ Hannah told her. ‘I wish I had your skill, but I’ll have to make do with sketching it instead.’ She took out paper and charcoal and set about trying to capture the beautiful image. The woman had used only what seemed like haphazard bits of twig and greenery, set asymmetrically into a bowl with a few added flowers. It was austere, but Hannah found it very peaceful to gaze at.
‘It’s not just skill,’ Yukiko replied modestly. ‘I follow certain rules and I’ve practised for years. I’ll teach you if you like?’
‘Yes, please.’
‘It aims to give the room harmony,’ Sakura added.
This made Hannah smile as it reminded her of Hoji who was forever extolling the virtues of wa.
Where are you now, my friend? He was probably still in Edo with Jacob and Rydon. Would anyone have sent them a message to say that Hannah was missing, she wondered. And if so, what could they do about it? She doubted Lord Kumashiro’s men had left any clues as to her whereabouts. The Europeans would have no way of finding out. Her only hope was persuading his lordship to take her back, which didn’t seem likely at the moment.
She sighed and tried not to think such gloomy thoughts any more.
There was a knock on the screen door and Yukiko rose to open it. She immediately bowed very low, her forehead to the floor. To Hannah’s amazement, Lady Reiko came gliding into the room, followed by a maid carrying a large, cloth-wrapped bundle. Hannah quickly bowed as well.
‘Hannah-san,’ Lady Reiko said and gave her a small bow. ‘I have come to thank you for saving the life of my nephew. Domo arigato gozaimashita. Thank you. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude.’ She signalled the maid to bring forward the bundle, which the girl laid on the floor in front of Hannah. Lady Reiko’s face was an expressionless mask, and Hannah couldn’t read anything in her eyes this time. She was fairly sure though that this was the last thing the haughty lady wanted to have to do.
Hannah bowed again, as low as she could. ‘Thank you, you honour me, but it’s not necessary. I was happy to be of help.’
‘Nevertheless, you will accept this gift from myself and my sister’s husband.’ As she said the last word, the lady’s eyes narrowed a fraction and Hannah swallowed hard. Lady Reiko obviously knew about all the time Hannah had spent talking to Lord Kumashiro. Time which he ought to have spent with his wife. That meant this must be doubly difficult for her. Hannah bowed once more.
‘You are very kind. I thank you.’
Lady Reiko didn’t say anything more, but turned and left, exiting as silently as she had come. Everyone in the room sat as if transfixed for a moment, before resuming their normal activities.
‘You must open it, Hannah-san,’ Sakura urged. ‘I wonder what it could be?’
Hannah stared at the bundle before bending down to untie the knot. Her fingers worked slowly, not quite co-ordinated, but at last she managed to undo it. The cloth fell open to reveal a stunning kimono in a violent shade of scarlet, richly embroidered with gold and silver thread. The other ladies in the room gasped and looked from the kimono to Hannah’s hair and back again. A few of them raised their hands to their mouths in horror.
Hannah smiled.
‘Oh, Hannah-san, this is very, very expensive material. Must have c
ost a fortune. So much gold thread, embroidery everywhere …’ Poor Sakura chattered on in this vein for a while, trying valiantly to convince herself and her mistress that Lady Reiko had done Hannah a great honour.
Hannah held up her hand. ‘Yes, yes I know. It’s all right, Sakura. I like it.’ Another gasp from the ladies. ‘I will wear it with pride.’
Although it was obvious Lady Reiko had given Hannah this particular kimono on purpose because she knew it wouldn’t suit her colouring, it was still a luxurious garment. She would wear it to show the woman she didn’t care whether she’d intended an insult or not, and also to acknowledge that perhaps Lady Reiko had a right to be angry if Lord Kumashiro was neglecting his husbandly duties because of Hannah. Besides, there was no need for any gratitude. She was just happy she had saved the life of his son.
‘Please, help me to put it on,’ she urged the others. ‘I want to wear it right now.’
‘Chikusho! In the name of all the gods, what are you wearing?’ were the first words Lord Kumashiro said to her when she entered the garden house that evening. Hannah had been very pleased to be summoned again at last, but was a little disconcerted by his reaction to her outfit.
Hannah smiled. ‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ she said, twirling slowly in front of him. ‘It was very kind of Lady Reiko to give it to me, don’t you think? And I understand I have you to thank for part of it.’
‘Me? No, no. I had nothing to do with this. Believe me, that’s the last kimono on earth I would have given you.’
‘Why?’ Hannah frowned. ‘I know the colour is shocking, but …’
He held up a hand to stop her. ‘It’s nothing to do with the colour. The last time I saw that particular garment, my wife was wearing it.’
Hannah gasped. She’d been given a cast-off? So the Lady Reiko had intended a double slight and perhaps another subtle reminder that Lord Kumashiro was married. ‘I see,’ she said uncertainly, then raised her chin a notch. ‘Well, I like it anyway. Would you mind very much if I keep it?’
The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit) Page 20