Flame on the Sun

by Maura Seger

  Survivors of the shogun's fleet were under guard in the village. Satsuma loyalists held what had been the enemy ships, as well as their own. The Japanese dead were laid out in readiness for the cremation ceremony the following day. The bodies of Americans and Europeans who had perished in the battle were wrapped in canvas shrouds in preparation for transport back to Yokohama and burial. Messengers from Takamori were on their way to the capital at Edo to inform both the emperor and the rebel leaders of the great victory.

  It was a time of immense rejoicing. The shogun's power was finally crushed, civil war was averted at the cost of relatively few lives. But none of that touched Erin. She thought only of Storm, and her absolute conviction that he was alive somewhere out there, calling to her.

  In her anxiousness to find him, she slipped several times on the steep path. By the time she reached the beach, her hands were cut and bloodied. The wind whipped her cloak around her legs. Her ebony hair blew out in a stream behind her as sea foam lashed her face.

  She began to walk, drawn by a power she could not deny. Heedless of her direction, she scrambled over boulders and squeezed through narrow defiles in the cliffs that often ran straight down to the water's edge. The tide was coming in, soaking through her shoes and turning the bottom of her skirt and petticoats to a sodden mass.

  Chilled to the bone, she trembled uncontrollably. Several times her knees buckled, sending her sprawling onto the cold, wet sand. But she kept going, driven by sheer instinct and desperate need.

  The moon drifted behind a cloud, momentarily blinding her. Erin leaned against the face of the cliff, trying to get her breath. Straining for any sound, she could hear only the pounding surf and the murmurings of the wind whipping around the ancient stone.

  The cloud slid by. Silvered moonlight spilled across the sea. Fingers of light illuminated the beach. Almost overcome by weariness and despair, Erin nonetheless moved on.

  Doggedly putting one foot in front of the other, she gave up trying to keep track of how far she had come or how she might get back. Instead she concentrated utterly on answering the primeval cry echoing within her.

  A black shape swam within her vision. Tossed up on the beach, it looked at first like a large chunk of driftwood. Not until she got closer could she make out the shape of a man, lying facedown in the sand.

  She began to run. Her feet caught in her hem and she stumbled, but kept going. Almost there. He wore a white shirt and trousers. Tall black boots still hugged his legs to the knees. An unruly mass of glistening hair clung to his head. Though his features were turned away from her, she had no doubt of who he was.

  "Storm!"

  No answer. He might have been dead for all his awareness of her presence. But Erin never even considered that possibility. When she slipped to her knees beside him, her hand feeling for the pulse at his wrist, it was only to confirm what she already knew. The beat was slow and weak, but still unmistakable. He was alive, though badly injured.

  The chunk of a mast lying beside him gave mute testament to how he had managed to survive. Destruction of the huge oak timber had cost several men their lives, but saved Storm's. By holding on to it, he had managed to stay afloat in the sea long enough to be washed onto shore.

  Erin could never remember afterward how she got back to the fisherman's hut to awaken Takamori and Odetsu. Once they understood her incredible discovery, men were rapidly dispatched to bring Storm to the village. Erin tried to go along with them, but Takamori forcibly stopped her.

  As Odetsu hurried to get water boiling and stoke up the charcoal braziers, he carried Erin to a quiet corner of the house and spoke to her firmly. "It is a miracle that you found him and that he is alive. But you will do him no good if you exhaust yourself. Save what strength you have left to help care for him."

  She nodded mutely, knowing he was right. Her endurance had been pressed as far as it could go. For her own sake and the baby's, she had to rest, if only for a few minutes. Obediently she sat back on the mat and sipped the tea Odetsu brought her.

  By the time Storm was carried into the hut, some color had returned to her face. Far from being weakened by her exertions, she felt stronger and more vigorous than she ever had in her life.

  As Odetsu stood by with heavy blankets, Takamori and Erin stripped Storm's salt-encrusted clothes from him. His body was blue with cold and he did not stir. Wrapping him in quilts, Erin checked quickly for injuries.

  He had suffered several minor slashes during the fighting, but none of them was still bleeding. There was a bruise on his forehead just beneath the hairline that did not seem serious enough to be contributing to his un- consciousness. His breathing was shallow but regular.

  "We can't do much for him," she said softly, "except to keep him warm and watch him carefully. There's no way of telling right now how much water he swallowed or whether his air was choked off for any length of time. Until he comes to, I won't be able to assess the damage."

  "I will sit with him," Odetsu offered.

  Erin thanked her but shook her head. "I can rest later, when I'm sure he will be all right." Now that Storm was found, she had lost her confidence that he would not die. Every breath he drew was precious to her.

  She gave in to Odetsu's pleading only long enough to slip away and change into dry clothes. Back within minutes, she sat down beside him and reached beneath the covers, her hand grasping his.

  For hours she remained like that, not taking her eyes from him. Toward daybreak, he was seized by a fever that made him toss and turn restlessly. Takamori's help was needed to keep him from rolling off the bed.

  Over and over, Erin bathed his heat-infested body. Holding his head, she urged him to drink. Her low, urgent voice whispered to him of her love and her determination that he would not die.

  In midafternoon Takamori found her curled up asleep at Storm's side, her hand still holding his. He covered Erin with a blanket but did not disturb them. Storm was sleeping more peacefully, as though calmed by her nearness.

  Erin woke in early morning and swallowed the bowl of food Odetsu brought her, without tasting a morsel of it. The moment it was done, she resumed the task of bathing Storm in melted snow.

  There was no end of people willing to do that for her, but Erin persisted. She sensed, and they all agreed, that her touch strengthened him in some indefinable way no one else could match.

  That night, when he began suddenly to shake with chills, she hesitated barely an instant before slipping beneath the blanket. Wrapping her arms around him, she cradled his head to her breast, her hands running over his lean, hard body as she strove to impart her warmth to him.

  Storm muttered something she could not make out and grasped her closer. His beard-roughened chin rubbed against the softness of her neck. Even through the heavy wool of her skirt, she could feel the muscular power of his limbs.

  Impatient with the barriers between them, she lifted her head and glanced around. They were sheltered from the other people in the hut by a bamboo screen taller than her own head. Disentangling herself from him briefly, she stripped down to her thin chemise and pantaloons, then crawled in again beside him.

  The icy touch of his skin against hers made her gasp. She resumed stroking his body until slowly but steadily it lost its chill and grew warm. As the coldness fled from him, Storm seemed to grow more relaxed. His limbs lost their rigidity and wrapped naturally around hers. His breathing grew deep and steady.

  As Erin listened to it, she allowed herself the first tentative stirrings of hope. He would be all right; he had to be. Fate could not be allowed to separate them like this, not when they had endured so much to find each other again. The vitality she felt radiating through him reassured her. A tentative smile curved her lips as she drifted into sleep.

  Takamori found them like that in the morning when he peered behind the screen to see how Storm was doing. Blinking in surprise, he grinned down at the pair. They both looked considerably better than they had the night before.

  He
was about to leave them to their privacy when a movement caught his attention. Storm had opened his eyes. His friend glanced first at him, then at Erin. As Takamori struggled to restrain an understanding laugh, Storm slowly but unmistakably winked.

  Chapter Seventeen

  "I don't think i want this book after all," Storm said. "Would you mind bringing me the ship's log instead?"

  Erin rose at once to fetch it. She was greatly relieved by his willingness to follow her instructions and not try to rush back to work before completely recovering. Never mind that he was a rather demanding patient who became restless if she strayed out of his sight. She was far too happy to begrudge him anything.

  "Here it is," she said, handing him the journal. "How are you feeling this afternoon?"

  "Better," Storm allowed. "But I still think it would be a mistake to overexert myself."

  "Oh, I agree. After what you went through, you need a great deal of rest." Cozily ensconced in their cabin on board the Rising Sun, she was more than content to look after him. But she realized their quiet interlude could not last forever. The weather was fair and they were making good time back to Yokohama.

  "When does Takamori think we will make port?" Storm asked.

  "Tomorrow, if the wind holds. He said to tell you not to worry; everything is under control."

  She didn't mention that their friend had grinned when he said that. Takamori smiled frequently of late. Odetsu had agreed to marry him as soon as they were received by the emperor in Edo.

  The formal announcement of the new government was due within a matter of weeks, after which they would be wed. Erin hoped to be at the ceremony, but she didn't want to go without Storm and she wasn't certain he would admit to being up to it.

  He was taking longer than she'd expected to recover from his ordeal. His appetite was fickle, he didn't like being left alone, and if she so much as stirred from their bed at night, he woke instantly. Still, he seemed cheerful enough and except for wanting her constantly at his side, showed none of the impatience she had encountered before in sick or injured men.

  "Do you think you might feel well enough to take a turn on deck?" she asked, glancing outside at the clear blue sky. Except for those days when it was extremely cold or snowing, she had managed to coax him outside regularly.

  "Perhaps, if you will come with me."

  "Of course, but you must promise to tell me the moment you begin feeling tired."

  "I will," Storm assured her solemnly. Erin missed the devilish gleam in his eye as she went to fetch both their cloaks. Wrapped up snugly against the wind, she tucked her arm around Storm's as they left the cabin.

  At that hour of the day, the ship was very quiet. Only a few seamen kept watch while the first mate manned the helm. They all nodded cordially as Storm and Erin passed, restraining their humorous comments about the captain's talent for handling women until they were safely out of earshot.

  Odetsu and Saido joined them briefly. The little boy, who with the innocence of children had managed to sleep through the battle that changed the course of his country's history, overflowed with enthusiasm for everything around him. He had already announced his intention to become an admiral when he grew up.

  Erin helped him assemble the pieces of a wooden ship one of the seamen had carved for him. Having never spent much time with children before, she found Saido a delight. He was an intelligent, happy little boy secure in the love of his mother and his father-to-be. Seeing what pleasure a child like him could give made her all the more eager for the arrival of her own baby.

  While she was too occupied to notice, Odetsu glanced at Storm and smiled wryly. An unrepentant gleam lit his eyes, only to be quickly masked as Erin turned back to him.

  After a sedate stroll around the deck, she was feeling just a bit sleepy. The steadily increasing demands of pregnancy sapped her strength more than she cared to admit. When Storm announced he was fatigued and wished to return to the cabin, she offered no demur.

  The steward arrived with dinner shortly thereafter. Though Erin had no great inclination for food, she had learned that unless she made a sincere effort to eat, Storm would not do so.

  His tastes had changed since his accident, causing him to prefer plain broiled fish and chicken, a few lightly seasoned vegetables and quantities of milk obtained from the cows brought on board before they left Hyuga. The menu suited Erin well enough. It did not upset her uncertain stomach and it seemed to meet the changing needs of her body.

  When the remnants of the meal were cleared away, she accepted Storm's help in unfastening her dress. He insisted that since she did so much for him, he had to be allowed to assist her.

  "You're becoming a passable ladies' maid," She teased as he undid the last button and slid the dress from her shoulders. Beneath it she wore only a chemise, pantaloons and warm petticoats. Pregnancy gave her the perfect excuse to abandon her stays entirely. She was convinced they could not be good for the baby and therefore refused to wear them.

  "I think I'll stick to seafaring," he growled as the rest of her clothes drifted in a lacy heap at her feet. "It's much easier on the nerves."

  Erin laughed softly. The fire of his gaze wandering over her warmed her most effectively. He made no secret of the fact that he found her ripening body beautiful. Yet he also made no attempt to renew their intimacy. Their nights were spent sleeping chastely in each other's arms.

  Wrapped in her robe, she sat down to brush her hair. Storm watched her silently. The grace of her movements coupled with the loveliness of her face and form stirred him to a desire so intense as to be painful. He longed to feel her slender length beneath him, to hear her cries of rapture, and find within her sweetness fulfillment beyond anything he had ever known with another woman.

  Yet he was absolutely resolved not to take her again until they were married. Shrewdly he realized that her desire equaled his, and she could not long remain content with any arrangement that denied her the most fundamental expression of their love.

  Besides, he worried that a resumption of their intimacy might endanger the baby, especially after all Erin had been through. Until he could get her safely back to Yokohama, he was determined to exercise the greatest self-control, whatever the cost.

  Gritting his teeth, he managed to return her smile as she stood up, removed her robe and with a delicate shiver pulled on her nightgown. Her arm tangled in the sleeve, much delaying the process. By the time she was once again covered, a sheen of perspiration had broken out on his forehead.

  Erin eyed him with concern. "I think you may have done too much today. You look quite pale."

  "I'm fine. Just come to bed."

  She obliged as willingly as any man could ask, cuddling into his arms. Within minutes she was fast asleep, a contented smile curving her delectable mouth.

  Storm sighed softly. Gathering her closer, he reconciled himself to yet another uneasy night.

  They reached Yokohama the following morning, to great rejoicing by the populace. In honor of the occasion the gates of the Black Star Trading Company were thrown open and celebrants allowed to stream onto the docks to welcome the proud clipper ship home.

  In a city founded on the sanctity of trade, there was immense relief that a protracted war had been averted. Businessmen who had previously professed loyalty to the shogun had no problem switching their allegiance, such as it was, to the new regime.

  A few were presumptuous enough to believe the reform leaders could be convinced to take a smaller share of the profits than the shogun had demanded. But most realized that was not likely to be the case. They understood that men such as Takamori would not tolerate the expropriation of their nation's wealth by anyone, Westerner or Japanese.

  Instead of being content with quick gains for a few, the reformers would insist on a much longer-term view of what was best for the nation as a whole. To all but the most exploitive hucksters, that was a welcome change.

  Leaning over the railing, Erin waved eagerly to Meg and the Carmodys,
whom she had spotted on the dock. She tugged on Storm's sleeve, calling his attention to them.

  "You're in luck. Meg doesn't have her umbrella with her."

  He laughed confidently. "It's not me who needs to be concerned about the formidable Mrs. Gilhoully. Unless I'm very much mistaken, you're in for an earful about all the worry you've caused her."

  "She should talk, after believing your blarney about having no disrespectful designs on my person."

  "I wonder if she really did believe me," Storm mused. "After all, hasn't she been trying to get you married off for some time now?"

  Erin made a face at him. Provoked by his suggestion that she was hard up for a husband, she said, "Are you starting that marriage business again?"

  Storm scowled. "I wasn't aware I had ever dropped it."

  "Just don't expect me to do anything about it soon. After all, we still have to finish buying cargoes for the Emerald Isle and the Nantucket Moon, find crews for them and see them safely on their way home. There'll be plenty of time after that to think about getting married."

  "Your priorities leave much to be desired, madam. Before you finish dreaming up reasons to delay our wedding, our child will have arrived."

  "Would that be so terrible?"

  "Erin . . ."

  The warning note in his voice alerted her to the fact that she was treading perilously close to the edge of his temper. But before she could attempt to make amends, Storm sighed dramatically. "You have me at a great disability. Being still so weakened from my ordeal, I can hardly compel you to obey me."

  Erin managed to look immediately contrite. "I am sorry, dearest. That was thoughtless of me. Just put the whole issue of marriage out of your mind. We'll discuss it when you're completely recovered."

  That was not what Storm had wanted to hear. He was still scowling as they made their way down the ramp and were engulfed by the joyful crowd.

  "Praise God you're back safe and sound," Meg declared, hugging Erin to her ample bosom. "Many the night I've lain awake praying to the Blessed Virgin to return you to us."