The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit) (12 page)

Hannah heard Jacob’s voice joining in and paused in her tasks to listen to his angry rant. He seemed to blame Rydon for all their misfortunes, which she thought was unfair of him. Of late, he’d had himself rowed over to the
Sea Sprite
whenever the sea was calm enough. Each time she’d been careful to stay hidden below deck even though she knew that after nearly two years at sea and the many hardships they’d faced, she was probably unrecognisable to most people. The lack of food had made her scrawny and Hoji assured her no one would think she was a girl unless they saw her undressed. Jacob, however, wouldn’t be so easy to fool. He’d know her face anywhere.

‘Walker had better be right, for all our sakes,’ was his parting shot.

Hannah sighed and agreed silently. The months at sea had seemed endless and the crew decreased steadily in numbers. Various illnesses claimed many lives, as well as sudden storms which swept the poor unfortunates overboard as easily as if they were insignificant specks of dust. Then there was the scurvy, giving the sufferers sore gums and loose teeth as the rations of fresh fruit and vegetables disappeared. Everyone was now desperate to reach land, but it was starting to seem as if they would never arrive.

She glanced over at Hoji. ‘Do you think we’ll reach Japan soon, Hoji-
san
?’ The daily lessons had paid off and her command of his language was now good enough for them to speak nothing else to each other.

He shrugged. ‘I never sailed this way, so I don’t know.’ He patted her shoulder awkwardly. ‘It’s fate,
unmei
. You must learn to accept fate.’

‘I know, I know. It’s just that we have been travelling for such a long time. It would be a terrible shame if, after all this, we should –’

‘Stop. You mustn’t think that. Be strong. Maybe it would help if you pray to your god and I will pray to some of mine?’

That drew a reluctant smile from her. His beliefs in all manner of deities never ceased to amaze her and they’d had many arguments on that subject. In the end they’d agreed to differ. She couldn’t help but wonder if any god would answer them now though. She suppressed the blasphemous thought that it was probably worth praying to as many as possible.

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 that 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.