The Gilded Fan (Choc Lit)

by Courtenay, Christina

  ‘Six hundred and not a piece less,’ he called over his shoulder before disappearing inside the house.

  Midori sat in the mud and stared after him. ‘What an extraordinary man,’ she muttered. He could obviously have heaved her off at any time, but he’d let her think she had the upper hand. And then he gave in to her demands? It didn’t make sense to her, but she was grateful all the same.

  She wondered if she would ever understand these foreigners.

  Nico stopped just inside the door and leaned his back on it for a moment. His heart was racing as if he’d been running, and he clenched his fists. ‘Damnation, but you’re a fool, man, a complete lackwit!’ he berated himself. Of all the stupid things to do, he’d let a pretty face sway him and cloud his judgement. Well, not just pretty, dazzlingly beautiful! But I’m still an idiot …

  And yet, how could he leave a woman like that here to die? She was half-English, after all, as much a foreigner to the Japanese as he was. A lady, alone and defenceless, who’d asked for his help. It put him in an impossible position.

  He’d been determined to refuse her request. As he’d told her, it was sheer madness to allow her on board the Zwarte Zwaan and he doubted she understood what she was asking of him. But one smile, one incredible smile, and all his good intentions had flown out of the window.

  Nico slammed his fist into the nearest wall, then regretted it when he made a huge dent in the flimsy wood. ‘Damn it all to hell!’

  But he’d given his word now and he couldn’t take it back.

  Chapter Four

  ‘Off so soon?’ The guard by the gate looked taken aback when Midori appeared behind him and demanded to be let out.

  ‘Yes, the captain is a busy man, but he asked me to return tomorrow, so you had better warn your colleagues to expect me. Oh, and some of my servants might be bringing a few of my possessions, so kindly let them on to the island as well. I shall be sailing with the captain.’ She swept past the slack-jawed man and disappeared into the night.

  As soon as she was out of sight of the guard, Ichiro and his men came out of their hiding places to join her on the walk back to the inn.

  ‘You are well?’ Ichiro fell into step beside her and looked her up and down to check for any signs of violence.

  ‘Yes, thank you. I have successfully negotiated a passage on board the Zwarte Zwaan to er … the captain’s country.’ She didn’t want to tell him the ship was bound for Amsterdam. It would only complicate matters and she was sure she could find a way to reach England from there.

  ‘Your negotiations took place on the ground?’

  ‘What?’ Midori looked around to find Ichiro staring at her dirty clothing in the light from one of the lanterns his servants carried. ‘Oh, no, but you wouldn’t believe how disgusting their island is. They have livestock walking around the place. I sat on a bench to wait and it must have been filthy.’

  ‘I see.’ He gave her a penetrating look, but let the subject drop.

  Midori hesitated slightly before voicing her main worry. ‘Ichiro, how much silver did you bring?’

  ‘Quite a lot. Why?’

  ‘Well, the captain is asking for an incredible amount as payment and although I haggled, I wasn’t sure whether I should have tried to make him lower the price further.’

  ‘How much does he want?’

  ‘Six hundred pieces.’ She saw her brother’s eyebrows go up and hurried to add, ‘Although I said I would only pay half now and the rest on safe arrival in England.’

  ‘Hmm. It’s a lot, to be sure, but if that’s what it takes to see you safe … No, we can’t argue with the man. You need him to be on your side.’

  Midori thought she’d better not tell Ichiro it was much too late for that. The captain would no doubt honour his word and try his best to protect her, but he was most definitely not ‘on her side’.

  ‘When do you leave?’

  ‘The ship sails with the tide the day after tomorrow. We have one more day together.’

  The thought that this was probably the last day she would ever spend with her brother suddenly hit her. An acute feeling of loss slammed into her gut and made her gasp for breath, but when Ichiro gave her a worried glance, she turned it into a cough and pretended she had choked on some dust. One more day, and then what?

  She would have to make the best of it. It would never do to leave him with the memory of a sister who looked desolate. She wanted him to remember her in a happy mood. If it was their fate, they would meet again. Midori comforted herself with that thought.

  He was the best of brothers and he’d tried to give her the bad news gently, but it had still come as a shock …

  Just over a week earlier, she’d been in her suite of rooms at Castle Shiroi arranging flowers when her maid came to give her a message.

  ‘Lady Midori, the lord Ichiro wishes to speak to you. He is by the pond.’

  Midori looked up from the ikebana she was creating to find the maid bowed low and on her knees next to her. ‘Thank you, Kumi, then I will go at once. You may accompany me.’

  She wondered if the summons had anything to do with the arrival that morning of a messenger from Edo. Midori had seen him come galloping into the main courtyard. There had been an urgency to the man’s mission which boded ill and she hated not knowing what was going on. If anything bad was to happen, she wanted to be told so she could prepare herself and meet the danger head on. It was what her father had taught her to do.

  It was a clear autumn day, perfect for contemplating the beauty of nature, and there was no better place in all the world to do this than by the castle pond. Midori made her way along the garden paths, the maid following at a respectful distance behind her, and looked around at the glorious riot of colour. The acer trees were clad in their most brilliant hues, from palest orange to deep burgundy red, and Midori couldn’t resist a brief smile at this display. It was as if nature was trying to make up for the barren, dull months that were to follow, leaving something spectacular to remember when all the colours had faded.

  The pond was really a small lake, used for the breeding of carp as much as for decoration. She found Ichiro sitting on a jetty which was reflected in the calm water. Cross-legged, he was as still as the stones all around the shore, his eyes far away and his mind obviously in harmony with his surroundings. Midori hesitated, not wanting to disturb his tranquillity. When she took a step on to the jetty, however, this made it shake and alerted him to her presence. He turned and smiled, stretching out a hand in invitation.

  ‘Ah, there you are. Come, sit by me.’

  She saw that he was on a silk cushion and there was another waiting for her. She sank down on to her knees and folded her hands in her lap, waiting for him to speak. Although she was longing to question him about the messenger, she knew it wasn’t her place. Such impertinence wouldn’t be tolerated, even by a beloved sister. Ichiro would reveal all, if and when he felt so inclined and not a moment before.

  He took his time, as if he had to weigh his words carefully before speaking. Finally he said, ‘Midori, you know I have your welfare at heart and I want you to be happy?’ She nodded. Despite an age difference of ten years and the fact that they had had different mothers, they’d always liked each other and dealt well together. ‘Then if I tell you the time has come for you to leave, you’ll understand it’s not because I, personally, want you to go.’ It was a statement, not a question, but Midori heard the slight hesitation in his voice, as if he wasn’t sure how she would react.

  ‘Leave? You mean you’ve found a husband for me at last?’

  Ichiro sighed. ‘No, I wish I had, but I’m afraid that’s not what I meant.’

  For several years now, her brother had tried his best to find her a husband noble enough to befit her station as the daughter of a daimyo and poor enough to overlook her mother’s provenance. It h
ad proved an impossible task.

  Midori didn’t think of herself as ugly, but she knew she was different from all the other girls in the castle. Although her hair was as straight and shiny as theirs, it was a dark auburn in colour and much softer besides. She supposed she could have dyed it black, but since she couldn’t change her green eyes to brown there was no point. She’d noticed that whenever her prospective suitors looked into their depths they either gasped or blinked in horror, and soon after made their excuses. The plain truth was she frightened or repulsed them.

  ‘You have to return to your mother’s country,’ Ichiro said, cutting into her thoughts, and Midori looked up at him quickly. It sounded like an order, the words uncompromising, which was most unlike the gentle brother she knew and loved.

  ‘To England? Why can’t I stay here with you? I can make myself useful in one way or another. I don’t need a husband, really.’

  ‘That’s not the problem.’ He was silent for a while, then continued. ‘I had news from Edo this morning. My closest friend and ally sent me a warning I can’t ignore. Have you heard about the persecution of Christians by the Shogun?’

  ‘Well, yes, I know they’re not much liked, but—’

  ‘That is a huge understatement. They’re simply not tolerated any longer. In fact, they are being hunted down like prey and soon they’ll all be exterminated.’

  ‘But what does it have to do with me? I’m not a Christian, you know that. Mother did try to teach me, but to be honest, I didn’t really pay much attention to what she was telling me about her god and his son.’

  ‘I know. Nevertheless you’re half-foreign and as such, more likely to be a Christian in the eyes of the authorities. These people risk a lot for their beliefs, their very lives in fact, and none worship openly, as far as I know. Therefore suspicion can fall on anyone and you’d be a prime candidate. Had Hannah still been alive …’ He shook his head. ‘We must be grateful she’s not. Men, women and even children by their thousands have been executed already. I’ve heard many gruesome tales of torture and people being burned alive – alive, do you hear? – simply because they follow this foreign god and his teachings.’

  He paused and took a deep breath before continuing. ‘The present Shogun is even more determined than his predecessor to be rid of all foreigners, and now he has apparently ordered the expulsion of all children of mixed parentage as well. Those who don’t leave will be put to death. I’m afraid that includes you.’

  ‘But surely he doesn’t know I’m here? Your castle is so far north, he never comes this way. When you next go to Edo, I can stay here.’

  ‘Don’t underestimate the Shogun. He has spies everywhere and, believe me, he knows of your existence. Someone made sure he knew.’

  ‘What? You mean, someone deliberately informed him?’

  ‘Precisely. I don’t know who yet, but I will find out. Meanwhile, your life is in danger. You must leave while there is still time, Midori.’

  She struggled to take in the news. Someone had informed the authorities of her existence. ‘I don’t understand, Ichiro. Why? Who wants me gone from here? I may not be universally liked, but as far as I know there’s no one here who hates me.’

  This wasn’t strictly true. Lately there had been many instances where she’d come across groups of people whispering in corners, and whenever she appeared, they stopped abruptly. She was left in no doubt as to whom they were talking about, and she had caught several malicious glances coming her way as well. It had puzzled her at the time, but now she understood.

  ‘It’s a mystery, and I’ll get to the bottom of it, never fear, but it doesn’t make any difference who the culprit is. The fact is you have to leave, and soon, and although I am reluctant to let you go, we have no choice. Hannah was the only mother I ever knew and I held her in high esteem. I swore to her I would keep you safe and I intend to keep my promise. Did you know she saved my life once, here in this very pond when I fell off the jetty and nearly drowned? Now I have to do the same for you.’

  He turned back to stare across the mirror surface of the water and when he spoke again, it was with the voice of one who is accustomed to being obeyed. ‘I will escort you to the coast and together we’ll sail south to Nagasaki, where I believe the foreign ships come to trade. I’ll give you enough silver to buy yourself passage to your mother’s country, and wait until I know you’re safe on board a foreign ship. I will also provide you with a dowry. It’s the best I can do in the circumstances. Do you know where to find Hannah’s family?’

  ‘Of course, she talked of her home often. It was in a place called Plymouth, but I had never thought to go there myself.’ There was a hollow feeling inside Midori. She suddenly felt as if she were talking to a stranger, one who wanted to be rid of her. How could she leave all that was familiar and dear, to travel to a country which, by all accounts, was barbaric in the extreme? Where the people were dirty and discourteous, had no manners and ate strange food. She bowed her head to hide her tumultuous thoughts.

  ‘And you know how to take care of yourself?’

  Her head snapped back up and she frowned at him. ‘Of course I do. You trained me yourself in swordplay and defence techniques, as well as archery. So did Father.’

  He smiled and raised a hand to stop her. ‘Yes, yes, forgive me, I didn’t mean to cast doubt on your abilities. As you say, I’ve done my best to prepare you for life, although I hadn’t thought you’d have to go quite so far away.’

  Neither had she.

  They sat in silence for a while, then Ichiro patted her hand awkwardly. ‘It is for the best, and it’s your fate. We must accept that.’ He drew a sealed letter out of the capacious sleeve of his robe. ‘Your mother and I discussed the possibility of you leaving one day, and she prepared this letter for you to give your relatives if the need should ever arise.’ He handed her the rolled-up document.

  ‘Why didn’t she give it to me?’ Midori frowned.

  ‘Perhaps she didn’t want to upset you? She knew your thoughts on the matter.’

  Midori nodded slowly and recalled her mother’s last words, whispered and urgent, her thin, clammy hand clutching Midori’s. ‘You must leave this place, return to England and seek out my family. There’s nothing for you here.’

  ‘If that is your wish, Mama,’ Midori had replied, but she’d said it only to placate her mother and keep her from fretting. She’d never had any intention of travelling to a country on the other side of the world. Japan was her home.

  ‘So it’s all settled? There really is no other way?’

  Ichiro nodded slowly. ‘We leave tomorrow at first light.’

  ‘So soon? But …’

  ‘Go and make your preparations now, and remember to take only as much as you can carry yourself. Who knows whether you’ll find assistance en route. I’ll send someone with your dowry so you can hide the coins in your clothing.’

  ‘May I not even say goodbye to your wife, and my nieces and nephews?’ Somehow the thought of leaving without bidding her sister-in-law and the rest of Ichiro’s family farewell made it seem even harder.

  Ichiro shook his head. ‘I’m sorry; it’s for the best. Just visit them as usual and pretend you’ll see them tomorrow afternoon.’

  Midori stood up, knowing the discussion was at an end. There was no choice and she had to abide by her brother’s decision. He was the daimyo now, but even he couldn’t save her from the Shogun’s men if they came for her, and she wouldn’t want him to try. It would bring dishonour to the family and put both Ichiro and the entire clan in danger. She couldn’t ask him to risk it. She bowed and turned to go, then hesitated.

  ‘Ichiro? If I can’t bear it in England, may I come back?’

  He nodded without looking at her and Midori understood he was hoping it wouldn’t come to that.

  Slowly, she made her way back to her quarter
s. She tried to let the brilliance of nature soothe her troubled mind, but found it impossible to concentrate on the autumnal display. The shock of having to leave the only home she’d ever known, and so suddenly, was too great. What if I never see this place again? Midori drew in several calming breaths to stop her heart from beating faster, but she couldn’t rein in the feelings of anger, sadness and resentment that surged through her.

  She was still in a state of turmoil when she reached her suite in the east wing of the castle. Situated at ground level, with a tiny private garden, she had the luxury of two large rooms and one smaller one all to herself. Tatami mats of the highest quality and thickness covered the floors, and there were costly painted scrolls covering many of the walls. On a built-in shelf precious items of porcelain and lacquer-ware, which her parents had given her over the years, were displayed. In an alcove stood a low table with the half-finished flower arrangement she’d been working on earlier.

  She had been spoiled, and she knew it, but that would now come to an end.

  She wondered what kind of accommodation awaited her in England? Her mother had talked about sharing a small chamber and even a bed with her sister. Would that be Midori’s fate, too, or worse? And what if her relatives weren’t there any longer or wanted nothing to do with her? She sighed and tried to put such thoughts out of her mind. They were pointless.

  In a corner of one room she had set up a small shrine in honour of her parents and she went to kneel in front of it. Two miniature urns held part of their ashes and there were wooden tablets with their names carved in Japanese kanji. A small bowl filled with sand held burning incense sticks which filled the room with sweet scent and early that morning she’d left an offering of food and drink.