The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit) (4 page)

Perhaps Kate wouldn’t find him as easy to manipulate as she imagined, Hannah thought. She prayed that she was right, for Henry’s sake if nothing else. He seemed much too nice for her sister.

‘Hannah?
Hannah!
’ Her mother’s annoyed hiss dragged her back to the present. ‘Why are you skulking back there? I thought I told you to go to the kitchen?’

‘Yes, Mother.’ With a sigh she turned to do as she was bid.

The meal dragged on, interminable to the restless Hannah, despite the various treats on offer.

After the main courses of mouth-watering roast meats, fish, pies and other savoury dishes, the desserts were brought out. Crystallised fruits, tarts, cakes and jellies vied with each other to tempt the guests. To Hannah’s delight, there was also her favourite sweet – marchpane. Like everyone else, she drank a glass or two of the fine wine provided for the occasion, but she was still bored and fidgeted in her seat. She had elderly aunts either side of her, both of whom were as deaf as a post, and she wished her mother had allowed her to sit with Edward instead. At least then she’d have had someone to talk to.

They were in the parlour, which was the biggest room in the house. Large oriel windows made up of small leaded panes of glass overlooked the street outside and allowed the sunshine to stream in. The beams of light fell on the finely carved oak panelling, making it gleam and seem less dark and austere. A few tapestries added a splash of colour.

Although the parlour was so vast, it was still a crush when everyone was seated at the trestle tables erected specially for this feast. Once the meal was over, however, the furniture was cleared away and a couple of musicians came in to start the dancing.

‘Come, dance with me, Hannah.’ Jacob pulled her out of her seat at last and dragged her into the circle that was forming for the
Branle
. Hannah had no trouble performing the sideways steps, but going round and round eventually made her dizzy. When it was over she retreated to a corner and held on to her head until it stopped spinning.
That wine must have been stronger than usual
, she thought
.
Ordinarily she would drink it slightly watered down. She decided to just watch the others from then onwards. It seemed safer.

‘So this is where you’re hiding yourself, young lady.’

The voice of Captain Rydon startled her out of her contemplation of the dancers and she looked up to find him taking a seat beside her. He was dressed in a green velvet doublet that went well with his fair hair. His beard had been trimmed into pointy perfection for the occasion and his moustache was equally neat. Hannah tore her gaze away as she remembered her sister’s words. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him why he wasn’t with Kate, but he spoke first.

‘Aren’t you dancing?’ His eyes sparkled even more than usual and he seemed very merry.

‘No, I … that is, I’m resting for a while.’ She felt her cheeks redden under his scrutiny.

‘Well, we can’t have that. Will you take a turn with me?’

Hannah gasped. ‘With you?’ she exclaimed, hardly daring to believe her luck.

He smiled. ‘Yes, who else? So what do you say?’ He stood up and held out his hand.

Hannah stared at it for a moment before rising as if in a trance. She put her hand in his, which was large and warm to the touch, and stammered, ‘I, I don’t know,’ but he didn’t wait for the rest of her reply and walked onto the floor, pulling her with him towards the lines forming for the next dance, which was
Strip the Willow
. They faced each other, men on one side, women on the other, and as they were the first couple they linked arms and began to spin. Hannah counted silently to sixteen in her head, then headed down the line, alternately swinging someone else’s partner and Rydon. At the bottom of the set she joined arms with him again and spun for a count of eight, before it was Rydon’s turn to ‘strip’ his way back to the top.

It was heaven to dance with him, to watch his face and his smiling eyes each time they linked up. They were grey, she decided, not blue as she had previously thought. Or perhaps silver shot through with blue sparks. Hannah gave herself up to the enjoyment of it all and ignored the sour look she caught from Kate at one point. Her sister whispered something to Eliza, who was seated next to her friend as usual, and Hannah saw Eliza frown and nod.
Well, let them talk
, she thought. Rydon had asked her, not Kate, and joy made her face split into a huge grin and gave her feet added impetus. She wished the dance would last forever.

When it was finished, he fetched them both a drink, and handed her the glass with a wink. ‘You’re old enough to drink sack, I take it?’ he teased.

Hannah stammered an incoherent response and was relieved when he began to speak of other matters. When she had recovered her composure, she begged him to tell her of his recent journey to foreign lands and he obliged with several hair-raising tales. He told of waves higher than houses, enormous sea creatures and hostile natives in strange lands. ‘I’m not frightening you, am I?’ he asked after a while, his eyes still sparkling.

‘No, not at all. It all sounds wonderfully exciting.’ She beamed at him and hung on his every word.

‘Perhaps after the event.’ He made a wry face.

‘I hear you are going to the Far East next.’ The strong wine gave Hannah the courage to flirt a little with her eyes, the way she’d seen Kate do, although it didn’t seem to have much effect on him unfortunately. He continued to smile blandly as before, his eyes a little glazed now.

‘You heard about that, did you?’

‘Father and Jacob were discussing it last night at supper.’

‘Yes, your brother and I are going on a long voyage to try and reach the Japans.’ He frowned a little, but continued. ‘Damned Portuguese discovered those islands some years ago and we want to trade with the natives too. Could be extremely profitable. Your father’s giving us his backing. We leave soon, it’s all been arranged.’

‘So I hear.’ Hannah had, in fact, spent quite a lot of time thinking about it during the past few days. It had been impossible not to.

‘Can you keep a secret?’ he whispered and leaned close to her ear. Hannah nodded enthusiastically. His nearness made a delicious shiver run through her, but she forced herself to concentrate on his words. ‘We’re going to try to arrive before some merchants from the English East India Company who’re also going there. If we can get there first, we can secure a trade agreement and then the Company won’t have a monopoly.’ He nodded, as if it was already a deal.

‘You mean, it will be a sort of contest? A race?’

‘Something like that, yes. Only this is serious.’

‘That sounds thrilling. Oh, how I wish I could go with you,’ Hannah sighed. To sail the ocean to faraway lands, to experience new things, see different peoples, it all sounded so much better than her own dreary life. What did she have to look forward to? Marriage to someone of her parents’ choosing and the role of wife and mother. It wasn’t an appealing thought at all, unless her husband should happen to be Captain Rydon, of course. Unlike her sister, Hannah would be quite happy to wait for him for as long as it took. But she would much rather spend her entire life with him, following him wherever he went.

He laughed and reached out a hand to ruffle her hair and almost sent her cap flying. She straightened it without thinking. ‘It’s far too dangerous,’ he said. ‘Shame you’re not a boy, you have spirit, I’ll grant you.’

Hannah’s heart sank. Kate had been right after all. Captain Rydon did see her as a child. An amusing one perhaps, but a child nonetheless. Of course she hadn’t expected him to say that she could come with him, but a tiny part of her had hoped he would promise something else. To come back to her, and only her, perhaps.

‘I tell you what though – would you like to meet a Chinaman?’

‘A Chinaman?’

‘Yes, a real live one. He’s not dangerous, I guarantee it.’ Rydon grinned.

‘Well, yes, but …’

‘Good, then I’ll go and fetch him for you. Come to think of it, I’m sure everyone else would love to see him too.’

‘But where will you find one here in Plymouth?’ Hannah was beginning to wonder if the wine had addled her wits. Or possibly his.

He winked and laughed once more. ‘Just wait and see.’

He said a swift goodbye and she watched him as he sauntered off. Had he been amusing himself at her expense? Was he still going to meet Kate later and would the two of them laugh at how gullible Hannah was? The thought was more than she could bear and she left the room abruptly. Just outside the door, however, she collided with her mother, who was on her way in with a late-comer.

‘Heavens, girl, where are you off to in such a hurry?’ Hannah opened her mouth to give some sort of explanation, but when she caught sight of the person behind her mother, the words died in her throat.

‘Mistress Hannah, how nice to see you again.’

Ezekiel Hesketh, looking neat and tidy in a sober, but well-cut, outfit of finest black silk, was regarding her with a small smile. He wasn’t physically repulsive in any way, Hannah had to admit. Of average height and build, with thick brown hair and deep-set pale green eyes, he was almost handsome. However, there was something about those eyes that struck a chill inside her and made her want to run for cover. She looked from her mother to Mr Hesketh and back again. They seemed to be on remarkably good terms, almost as if there was some kind of understanding between them. The thought made Hannah distinctly uneasy.

‘M-Mr Hesketh.’ She stammered out his name, but for the life of her she couldn’t make her hand reach out to touch his outstretched one. Instead she stood rooted to the spot, staring at him.

‘Where are your manners? Greet our guest properly, Hannah.’ Her mother gave her an angry little push from behind, almost propelling her daughter into the man’s arms. Hannah quickly put out her hand and he bent over it to place a kiss on her knuckles. She snatched it back and put it behind her, rubbing vigorously against her dress to remove any trace of him. He didn’t seem to notice the childish gesture, but continued to smile at her in a way which reminded Hannah strongly of a vulture, a vile creature she had seen a picture of in a book.

Her heart began to beat faster with fear. The look he gave her was calculating and … triumphant. There was no other word to describe it. A shiver hissed up Hannah’s spine. What was going on here?

‘Mr Hesketh is going to do you the honour of dancing with you, my dear. He was just saying how much he has been looking forward to this feast.’ Hannah barely heard her mother’s words through the hammering in her ears.

‘Oh, but I was just going to the kitchen.’

‘Not now. Take Mr Hesketh’s arm and lead the way.’ Her mother accompanied this request with another push, which left no room for misinterpretation. Hannah glanced around wildly, searching for some means of escape. Where was Jacob when she needed him? Edward? Anyone? ‘
Hannah.
’ Her mother’s tone was ruthless, brooking no argument.

Hannah swallowed hard and put out her hand once more. She closed her eyes as Mr Hesketh tucked it into the crook of his arm and squeezed her fingers with his free hand.

‘I have waited a long time for this, Mistress Hannah,’ he whispered. ‘A very long time …’

Chapter Four

Northern Japan, July 1611

‘I would like an explanation, Yanagihara-
san
.’

Taro knelt by the side of the old man’s
futon
, looking down into the tired, drawn face. Several weeks had passed since the marriage, but still Yanagihara lingered in his bed and no one knew quite what ailed him. Perhaps it was just age, Taro thought. The
Sensei
was, after all, older than anyone else in the castle.

‘Please,’ he felt compelled to add, even though he had a right to demand whatever he wanted. He had delayed his visit for fear of hearing what the old man had seen in his vision, but he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to find out.

‘It is not important now. It’s probably better if I don’t tell you, my lord.’ Yanagihara’s voice was frail, a mere thread in the stillness of the morning.

That had been Taro’s own opinion at first, but the question of what Yanagihara had seen had nagged at him and refused to leave his mind.

‘And if I command it? I have a right to know what you saw if it concerned me or my wife.’ Taro stared out into the garden through the half-open
shoji
sliding door, clenching his jaw in an effort to keep his patience.

‘Very well, I can see you won’t rest until you know.’ Yanagihara closed his eyes as if to gather his strength. ‘It wasn’t really a vision as such, not the way I normally have them, but when your lady wife and her family entered the room, I felt as if I had been hit by a cold wall.’

‘A cold wall? What do you mean?’

‘I sensed hostility, anger, confusion, perhaps even hatred, and I didn’t know whether it was directed at you or someone else. I think the lady was … much troubled.’

Taro rubbed his chin unconsciously and sighed. He had gathered that much for himself, although whenever he tried to raise the subject Hasuko denied that anything was wrong. She would just smile that incredible smile which made him want to forget everything else and the subject was abandoned until the next time.

He couldn’t really complain about her behaviour. She performed all her wifely duties to perfection and was outwardly obedient and solicitous, but he sensed there was something missing. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It was as if she was present in body only and going through the motions. Her mind was elsewhere and he couldn’t reach her. It was incredibly frustrating. He had hoped for much more from their union, even though he realised that was unusual.

Everyone Taro knew had married whoever their parents selected for them and were not expected to have a say in the matter. He supposed he’d been lucky in that respect – because his parents were both dead, he’d made the choice himself. Still, he hadn’t actually met Hasuko before the wedding, so he’d been unable to judge her character.

Most men didn’t care what their wives or anyone else thought about them, but Taro was different. He had genuinely wanted his new wife to feel welcome and to learn to respect him because he was worth it, not because she had to. When he’d seen how lovely she was, he also decided to show her how pleased he was with the match, in the hope that she was too. So far his demonstrations had fallen on stony ground and it all felt very one-sided.

‘Have you had any visions since?’ he asked.

‘Only once, when I heard her voice in the garden, together with that of her sister. Now there’s another one that bears watching.’

Taro had concluded that as well. The Lady Reiko was constantly at her sister’s side, making sure Hasuko had everything she needed. The two were practically inseparable and seemed to be the best of friends. And yet, whenever Taro looked at his sister-in-law, she sent him flirtatious glances which disconcerted him no end.

Although she was a widow whose husband had died soon after their marriage, he was uncomfortable with her forward behaviour. He couldn’t imagine what she hoped to gain by it, unless she wanted him to take her on as an official consort so that she would have a position in his household too. Legally, he could have a wife and as many consorts as he wished, but why would he want her when he had Hasuko? No other woman could possibly compare to his wife. Besides, her father would no doubt wish to marry Reiko off to cement an alliance with some other family.

‘And what was your second vision?’ he said now.

Yanagihara turned his head away. ‘It was the same.’

‘What could be the cause, do you think?’

Yanagihara didn’t comment on the fact that his master now seemed to believe him, where before he had dismissed the vision abruptly. He turned back to look into Taro’s eyes.

‘It is my guess that the Lady Hasuko thinks herself above you and perhaps resented her father choosing you for her husband. There was some talk of her marrying the
Shogun
’s nephew, I heard, but nothing came of it. She may have been disappointed. Some women are every bit as ambitious as men, if not more so. Although naturally they can’t act on their inclinations except by subtle means. Another possibility is that she was physically attracted to the
Shogun
’s nephew. I’ve heard he is a favourite with the ladies.’

‘Well, I know I’m not related to the
Shogun
, but there is nothing wrong with my lineage and although I say it myself, I’ve had my fair share of flirtatious glances from ladies I’ve met. And I have more than enough wealth and land. I can give her anything she wants, she only has to ask.’ Taro scowled. He didn’t want to believe the old man, but his words made sense. His wife certainly had a very high opinion of her own worth, and so did Reiko. That much he had understood from the way they treated his servants. And she most definitely hadn’t shown any signs of finding him attractive.

‘Her family is more ancient than yours and related to the
Shogun
themselves. She could have married anyone. Her father only chose you because you are neighbours and he is lazy. He can’t bestir himself to do anything strenuous.’ Yanagihara snorted to show his disdain for such sloth, and added, ‘I mean no disrespect, my lord. He chose well when he settled on you, but I doubt he gave the match much thought so it was pure luck. His daughter may think differently.’

‘Hmmph.’ Taro crossed his arms over his chest. That was indeed the impression he had received of his father-in-law, but even so … ‘Well, there’s no going back now, is there. And I don’t really want to. All I’m asking for is her respect, perhaps even a measure of admiration or appreciation of my good qualities. Is that too much, do you think? Or are you suggesting I should divorce her?’

‘No, no. She hasn’t done anything wrong, you have no cause to repudiate her.’ Yanagihara slowly shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, my lord, but you will have to make the best of this situation. As I said, it’s your fate. As long as you are aware of the pitfalls, that may be enough to protect you.’

‘From what? You think she’ll harm me?’

‘No. Not unless … no. I don’t think so. You must pretend that nothing is wrong and always treat her as is her due. Never slight her or her sister. Please remember that.’

‘Very well, I’ll do my best.’ Taro sighed again, feeling deeply disillusioned already after such a short time. ‘It’s not the way I had hoped it would be.’

‘Nothing in life ever is.’