‘Very good, Hannah-san. You will be replacing me soon if I’m not careful.’
‘You’re much too kind, Sensei. I’m sure you would rather be painting by yourself than trying to teach a foreigner and a woman at that.’
‘Not at all. Lots of ladies paint. It’s a very good way for them to pass the time, and I have nothing against foreigners.’
‘Really? You don’t find me strange?’
He gave her a small smile. ‘Strange, no. Unusual, yes. Besides, you’re the only gai-jin I have ever met, and you seem very well-mannered to me.’
Hannah smiled. ‘You didn’t think I would be?’
‘Well, I had heard about the foreigners in Hirado being somewhat uncouth, but they were all men. A woman is naturally more graceful and less, shall we say, demanding? I’m very glad to have met you and I must say that, purely as a painter, the colour of your hair appeals to me greatly.’
‘Thank you. I’m honoured to be taught by you.’
Hannah missed Taro more than she had ever thought she could miss another human being. She wanted to see him, touch him, talk to him or just be near him. Thinking of him was agony and ecstasy at the same time, and she could only reach one conclusion – she had fallen in love.
It was a disaster and the worst possible thing that could have happened, she knew. They had no hope of ever being man and wife, and she couldn’t go on being his concubine indefinitely. Even the word depressed her. Concubine sounded degrading and dirty, as if what they were doing was disgusting, when in fact it was so wonderful. How could that be? Why had God allowed it to be so?
But it wasn’t God’s fault, it was her own, she had to admit. She was weak and had yielded to temptation too easily. She hadn’t followed the Lord’s words and no doubt she would be punished for it. If not now, then definitely in the afterlife. In the meantime, perhaps this terrible longing for Taro was part of it? It certainly felt like purgatory.
When Hannah suddenly became very ill one evening, she wondered vaguely if this was yet another form of punishment. Her stomach rebelled in no uncertain terms and she retched helplessly, writhing in agony while Sakura held her over a bucket.
‘What did I eat? I’m sure I didn’t have anything out of the ordinary.’
‘Not that I know, but it’s possible the fish was off.’
Hannah continued to heave, the spasms going on long after there was anything left inside her. She couldn’t even keep a sip of water down. Her insides felt as if they were twisted together in a knot that was pulling in every direction. She lay on the futon doubled up with pain.
‘Isn’t there anyone here who can help me?’ she panted.
’I’ll find out,’ Sakura said, but before she had even left the room, there was a knock on the door and Yanagihara-san stepped in. He went straight to Hannah’s side.
‘Lady Hannah, don’t fret. You must do as I say and all will be well.’
Hannah was by now in the grip of a fever and saw him as if from a distance. The bronzed face, as wrinkled as an old prune, floated in and out of her vision and she only managed to whisper, ‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t speak. Just trust me. Lord Kumashiro does.’
She remembered Taro mentioning that Yanagihara was the wisest man he knew and nodded her acceptance. He filled a small cup with liquid from a tiny, stoppered bottle and held it up to her lips. Sakura pushed her head from behind so it was raised enough. When Yanagihara poured the concoction into her mouth, Hannah obeyed his instruction to swallow. Immediately, she retched, but managed to keep the liquid down by sheer willpower. Whatever it was, it tasted vile. Sakura laid her down gently against the pillow.
‘Are you giving me poison?’ Hannah’s voice was rasping from the effort of all that retching and she found it painful to speak.
‘No, lady, but it’s my guess that someone else did. You must be careful what you eat.’
Hannah stared at him in dawning horror. ‘Someone … what? No! Why would anyone want to do that?’ She closed her mouth as she realised the enormity of what he was saying. Somebody had tried to kill her. Somebody wanted her dead. There was only one person here that she knew of who would have any reason for that, although it seemed a bit extreme.
‘I shouldn’t be here,’ she whispered. ‘This is a sign, it must be.’ She looked up at the old man. ‘Please, will you help me to leave when I’m better?’ If anyone could find a way, she was sure it must be Yanagihara-san. And after all, it was his fault she was here in the first place.
Yanagihara shook his head. ‘Not yet. It’s too soon. Trust me on this.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’ll explain another time. Now sleep. The draught I have given you will ease your stomach muscles and rid you of the cramps. You must try to rest.’
He put a hand on her forehead and pushed her down. A strange heat emanated from his fingers and flowed through her. It soothed her until she closed her eyes and relaxed. Within minutes the pain receded and she fell asleep.
Taro had only been travelling for a few days, but already he was missing Hannah and wishing himself back at Shiroi Castle. Despite spending practically every night with her, his desire hadn’t abated as he’d thought it would. It was still all-consuming, almost frightening in its intensity, and he didn’t know what to make of that.
Whenever he was with her, he felt like a different person. One who didn’t have to hide his true self because she had no guile. It was incredibly liberating. Although he knew it was much safer to leave her behind, even though he didn’t really want to be parted from her, it made him feel lonelier than he’d ever been before. The days and weeks ahead stretched out in a seemingly endless line.
He wasn’t one of those men who had to have his every wish pandered to, despite his wealth and status. However, it did make him irritable that he couldn’t have what he wanted in this instance. He was therefore definitely not in the mood to listen to his sister-in-law complaining about the swaying of her palanquin, which made her feel ill, and he found it difficult to hide this fact.
‘Why? The other women seem fine to me,’ he said curtly, not really listening to her.
Reiko threw him a black look. ‘I always feel this way whenever I’m in a palanquin, the constant motion is unbearable.’ She pursed her mouth and added, ‘No doubt the gai-jin lady is never ill when travelling. It’s a shame she wasn’t able to come with us, neh?’
Taro stared at her, narrowing his eyes. It was as if she’d known he had been thinking of Hannah, but how could she? He had tried to be very discreet when meeting Hannah, but Reiko obviously had eyes and ears reporting back to her. ‘What do you know of the foreign lady?’ he asked, unaccountably annoyed that she had been spying on him. After all, gossip travelled quickly in a place like Shiroi Castle in any case.
‘Nothing, other than that she apparently saved your son’s life.’
‘What do you mean apparently?’
‘Well, no one actually saw him fall into the water. Perhaps she threw him in herself and then pretended to rescue him so she would earn your gratitude?’
Taro scowled at her. ‘What a ridiculous idea. Why would she do that? She doesn’t need my gratitude. She’s my prisoner.’
‘Is she?’ Reiko’s tone, implying that this was not the case, angered him even more. Possibly because she was right to question it. Apart from her initial capture, Hannah hadn’t really been held against her will. She simply never thought to ask him to release her, and he hadn’t pointed this out to her because he wanted her to stay
‘Of course she is,’ he snapped.
‘Then perhaps she would like it to be the other way around?’ Reiko was beginning to look smug, obviously happier now she had managed to rile him. She was a most contrary woman, Taro thought. Reiko added airily, ‘Although I doubt her sway over you will last for very long.’
A tendril of unease stirred inside Taro. ‘What do you mean? You think she’ll try to escape while we are in Edo?’
Reiko shrugged. ‘It
would make sense to try at such a time, but I’m sure you left her amply guarded. No, I was thinking of something else.’
‘What?’
‘It was just the fact that a concubine’s reign never lasts very long. Unlike that of a wife.’
‘That’s for me to decide.’ Taro’s apprehension was building steadily, but he did his best not to show it. He strove for his normally impassive expression. Reiko was up to something, he sensed it, but he didn’t know what it could be. She’d made it clear she wanted him for herself and she thought it only a matter of time before he agreed to a marriage between them. Like everyone else, she knew it was the most sensible option.
On the other hand, she’d colluded with Hasuko in trying to make him accept a concubine. Why then would it matter to her if he found one for himself? Was it only because Hannah was a foreigner? It didn’t make sense unless … He suddenly remembered the conversation long ago with Yanagihara-san, when the old man told him to make sure he never slighted his wife or her sister in any way. Had he done that, by taking Hannah as his concubine? He didn’t think so.
‘Naturally it’s up to you,’ Reiko replied, but he received the impression that he had no say in this whatsoever. Reiko was going to take matters into her own hands and he suddenly felt real fear. Not for himself, but for Hannah.
‘Have you meddled in my affairs?’ he asked, his tone deceptively gentle but with a core of steel. He saw Reiko draw in a hasty breath, but she was expert at hiding her emotions when she wanted to. She managed a good impression of someone who was entirely innocent of any wrong-doing. Good, but not perfect, and this scared him even more.
‘Of course not. Now if you will excuse me, I must attend to your son.’
How unusual, he wanted to say, but instead he merely nodded permission for her to leave. As soon as she had gone, however, he sprang into action. Five minutes later his startled retainers were told to saddle his horse and to join him in going back the way they had come. ‘Just four of you will do,’ Taro said. ‘We need to ride fast.’
‘But, my lord, what about the rest of the procession?’ His chief advisor had come running to see what was happening.
‘It can continue without us, I leave you in charge. I trust you to see to it that all goes smoothly. Don’t worry, we’ll catch up with you in a few days.’
‘If you say so, my lord, although I …’
Taro never heard what was worrying the advisor, because he had already left.
Hannah woke the next morning, feeling weak and exhausted, but glad to be alive. When she turned her head to one side, she found Yanagihara-san sitting beside her futon motionless, as if he had been waiting for her to emerge from her deep sleep.
‘Hannah-san, how do you feel?’
‘Like someone has wrung me out.’ She managed a small smile. ‘But better. The nausea is gone. Thank you for coming to help me. I’ve never felt so ill in my life.’
‘It was my pleasure. I’m glad I came in time. Do you remember what I said?’ He was frowning slightly, and she recalled his words of the night before.
‘About the poison? Yes, but are you sure it wasn’t the fish?’ Hannah shivered. She didn’t want to believe that someone wanted to kill her.
‘The poison could have been in the fish, but it was still poison. You must take care. Let it be known that all your ladies eat the same food as you, share your dishes even. Then perhaps whoever tried to kill you will think twice before making another attempt.’
Hannah nodded. ‘It would be best if I simply left,’ she said, sounding as miserable as she felt. It was the last thing she wanted, she knew that now, but it was the right thing to do.
‘Please, do nothing hasty. At least wait until Kumashiro-sama comes back and consult with him. I know he wouldn’t want you to disappear before his return. And, if you believe in such things, my visions tell me you haven’t yet fulfilled your purpose in coming here. Will you promise not to do anything rash?’
‘Very well, if you think it’s best.’
To her great joy, she didn’t have to wait very long. Taro came striding into her room late that afternoon, his face like thunder, his eyes clouded with concern. He was covered with dust from the road, but he was still a very welcome sight.
‘Akai, are you all right?’
‘Taro, you’ve returned already?’ Hannah struggled to her feet and impulsively threw her arms around him as soon as he reached her. It really did feel as if he imbued her with his bear strength when she was in his embrace. After a moment, however, he pushed her away slightly so he could look at her.
‘How are you feeling? Yanagihara-san told me what happened. I met him outside.’ He was frowning mightily and Hannah was glad his scowl wasn’t directed at her.
‘I’m fine now and Sakura is going to feed me on a nourishing stew which she says will soon have me back to normal. Yanagihara-san said I would recover, and I did. He’s a wonderful man, isn’t he?’
‘That he is.’ He pulled her close again and she could feel his heart hammering inside his chest. A glow of happiness spread through her at the thought that he’d been so worried about her. ‘He tells me you were poisoned. I will find the culprit and have him executed immediately.’
‘No! No, you mustn’t. I … what if I only ate something bad? We can’t be sure.’ Hannah thought of the Lady Reiko. It had to have been her doing, but Hannah couldn’t condemn the woman to death for something she herself was partly to blame for. It wouldn’t be right.
‘You’re too forgiving, but just this once I will be lenient since it’s your wish. However, I will let it be known that any further attempts on your life will be severely punished. Not just the culprit, but their entire families will pay if anything happens to you.’
‘Oh, Taro.’ Hannah leaned against him. ‘Don’t you think it would be better if you sent me back to Hirado? The English ships must surely be ready to sail soon, and how else will I get back home?’
‘You want to leave?’ He searched her eyes with his own.
‘No, but I really think it would be best. That is, unless I’m really your prisoner?’
‘No, I won’t keep you against your will, but please don’t leave yet.’ His arms tightened around her. ‘I’ve been told the foreigners can’t sail until the spring because of the winds. We have plenty of time left. Stay until then?’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Yes. Now, come and bathe with me. I’ll carry you if it’s too far for you to walk. Then as soon as you are well enough, you’re coming to Edo with me. I want you close by so I can keep an eye on you.’
‘To Edo? But you said it was better if I stayed here.’
‘It seems you’re in more danger out of my sight. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe. You’ll just have to stay hidden, but no doubt we can manage it somehow. I’ll ask your ladies to devise a disguise for you. How does that sound?’
‘Wonderful.’ She beamed at him. If he was nearby, she wasn’t afraid of anything.
Chapter Thirty-Two
They left the castle two days later, with Hannah riding next to Taro wearing men’s clothing and a wide-brimmed, cone shaped hat. Underneath, her hair had been hidden away, tied up in a piece of material that had been wound round her head and fastened securely. It felt strange, but even Yanagihara had said she passed muster, as long as she didn’t look anyone in the eye.
‘I still can’t get used to the strange blue colour,’ the old man said with a smile. ‘Although it doesn’t scare me any more because I see no threat in their depths.’
‘So you definitely don’t think Hannah has come to wreak havoc on our nation?’ Taro teased gently.
‘I still can’t believe you thought that,’ Hannah said.
Yanagihara chuckled. ‘Well, I didn’t know you at the time, and seeing you in a vision was rather disturbing. Now I know you have come for another purpose entirely.’
‘Which is?’ Taro prompted.
‘Ah, it’s not for me to say. It is something that will be revea
led in time. Now you’d best be off if you wish to catch up with the others. May the gods go with you.’
The gods seemed to have been listening, as it took them only six days to reach the slow procession. Taro rode straight up to his chief advisor, who looked extremely relieved to see him.
‘My lord, you’re back. Is all well?’
‘Yes, it is. I’ll speak to you later regarding a certain matter, but for now, tell me how things progress here.’
‘Very slowly, my lord, as the Lady Reiko has insisted on stopping frequently to recover from the, er … rigours of the journey.’ The man shrugged. ‘In your absence, I had to accommodate her wishes.’
Taro nodded. ‘Of course, but from now on, no more unscheduled stops. I’ll deal with her if she complains.’ Hannah could see the determined set of his jaw, and hoped for Reiko’s sake she didn’t antagonise him further. It wouldn’t be wise.
The procession had almost reached the beginning of the Oshu Kaido, the large highway which ran from halfway down the northern part of the island to the capital. Once on that, they made swift progress, arriving in Edo some ten days later. Hannah glanced around from under the brim of her hat, but didn’t dare look too much. She was therefore only aware of the hustle and bustle of a large town, and the noise of a thousand voices which mingled with other city sounds.
The cavalcade made its way to a yashiki, or large mansion, near the Shogun’s castle.
‘This is my residence within my overlord’s domain,’ Taro explained.
From what Hannah could see, it was an imposing complex of buildings. They were every bit as luxurious as Castle Shiroi, although of different construction. Here the houses were made of timber with some sort of white painted render in between, and the buildings were mostly on one level. They seemed vast, however, and spread out in every direction. She followed hard on Taro’s heels so she wouldn’t get lost.
‘These are my quarters,’ he said, after traversing what seemed like miles of winding corridors, and ushering her inside. ‘Please stay in here at all times, and I will post guards both outside the door and on the garden side. I hope you won’t feel too confined?’
The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit) Page 24