Read Online The Masuda Affair by I. J. Parker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: I. J. Parker
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you.’
The maid, a dainty and very neat woman who had been with Tamako since both were young girls, pushed the needle into the fabric she was working on, bowed, and left the room. Akitada looked after her, wondering why Tora had never seemed interested in her. She was still quite pretty, even after an ill-conceived marriage had ended in widowhood.
Bringing his attention back to his errand, he said, ‘I am leaving for Otsu this morning.’
‘Again?’
‘Yes. There’s something I left undone.’
‘I see.’
‘Er … it concerns a child.’
‘A child?’
‘Yes. There’s a child, a boy. He’s about five years old.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Why was it so difficult to speak to one’s wife? Akitada fidgeted, then burst out, ‘I have decided to raise him.’
Tamako gave a small gasp and rose, the fabric on her lap falling to the floor, along with thread and needle. ‘What boy?’ Her voice was tight with shock. ‘Five years old? In Otsu? You never mentioned …’ She had turned quite pale.
So much for breaking the news gently. ‘I’m sorry, Tamako. I should have told you right away, but I didn’t want to upset you further. I have thought and thought how to tell you about him.’ He pleaded, ‘The child needs a loving home and someone to teach him and raise him properly. He’s a very nice little boy.’ Seeing her face contract with pain, his heart sank and he muttered again, ‘I’m sorry.’
At least she did not burst into angry speech, as he had expected. She said tonelessly, ‘Of course you must bring the child here. He will be welcome.’
‘You won’t be troubled,’ he promised anxiously. ‘I can look after him myself.’
She gave him a searching look and seemed to want to say or ask something else, but in the end she merely nodded.
‘Thank you,’ said Akitada. ‘I hoped you would understand.’
Tora had to be woken to saddle his master’s horse.
Akitada, for once conscious of his surroundings, eyed him with a frown. ‘Another late night?’
Tora blinked. ‘Not really, sir. Long day yesterday.’
Akitada, who thought he had had an equally long day, had no pity. ‘You might as well saddle yours, too,’ he said. ‘We’re going back.’
‘Back?’ Tora stared at him in dismay. ‘To Hikone?’
‘No. A place called Awazu, a fishing village on the lake just beyond Otsu.’
Tora had promised to take Hanae to Uji today. ‘Will we be gone long?’ he asked, a futile question, for they would certainly not be back in time, even if they turned right around. Tora’s face grew longer.
In a deceptively calm voice, Akitada asked, ‘Am I interfering with some personal plans of yours?’
‘In a way.’ Tora was too preoccupied to notice his master’s growing anger. ‘I had promised to take … a young lady to Uji today. I was going to put her on a horse behind me.’ In an afterthought, he added, ‘It’ll give the horse some exercise.’
Akitada exploded. ‘Don’t make up lame tales about exercising the horses when you want to take one of your doxies on an outing. I regret to interfere in your plans -’ Akitada’s voice dripped icy sarcasm – ‘but I must insist.’
Tora flushed. ‘That’s all right, sir,’ he muttered and glumly finished saddling the horses.
‘Take a sword. I’m carrying gold on this trip.’
Akitada led his horse into the courtyard and mounted. Tora remained in whispered conversation with Genba, who kept shaking his head.
‘What is it now?’ Akitada snapped.
‘Just asking Genba if he can get a message to Hanae … that’s the young woman’s—’
‘Genba has better things to do than to carry messages to your women. Hurry up. I’m waiting.’
Tora obeyed, but he maintained a hurt silence all the way out of town. Akitada ignored him and kept up a good pace. They crossed the Kamo River against a stream of farmers who brought their produce in heavily laden ox carts or in huge baskets slung on their bent backs and headed for the
The maid, a dainty and very neat woman who had been with Tamako since both were young girls, pushed the needle into the fabric she was working on, bowed, and left the room. Akitada looked after her, wondering why Tora had never seemed interested in her. She was still quite pretty, even after an ill-conceived marriage had ended in widowhood.
Bringing his attention back to his errand, he said, ‘I am leaving for Otsu this morning.’
‘Again?’
‘Yes. There’s something I left undone.’
‘I see.’
‘Er … it concerns a child.’
‘A child?’
‘Yes. There’s a child, a boy. He’s about five years old.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Why was it so difficult to speak to one’s wife? Akitada fidgeted, then burst out, ‘I have decided to raise him.’
Tamako gave a small gasp and rose, the fabric on her lap falling to the floor, along with thread and needle. ‘What boy?’ Her voice was tight with shock. ‘Five years old? In Otsu? You never mentioned …’ She had turned quite pale.
So much for breaking the news gently. ‘I’m sorry, Tamako. I should have told you right away, but I didn’t want to upset you further. I have thought and thought how to tell you about him.’ He pleaded, ‘The child needs a loving home and someone to teach him and raise him properly. He’s a very nice little boy.’ Seeing her face contract with pain, his heart sank and he muttered again, ‘I’m sorry.’
At least she did not burst into angry speech, as he had expected. She said tonelessly, ‘Of course you must bring the child here. He will be welcome.’
‘You won’t be troubled,’ he promised anxiously. ‘I can look after him myself.’
She gave him a searching look and seemed to want to say or ask something else, but in the end she merely nodded.
‘Thank you,’ said Akitada. ‘I hoped you would understand.’
Tora had to be woken to saddle his master’s horse.
Akitada, for once conscious of his surroundings, eyed him with a frown. ‘Another late night?’
Tora blinked. ‘Not really, sir. Long day yesterday.’
Akitada, who thought he had had an equally long day, had no pity. ‘You might as well saddle yours, too,’ he said. ‘We’re going back.’
‘Back?’ Tora stared at him in dismay. ‘To Hikone?’
‘No. A place called Awazu, a fishing village on the lake just beyond Otsu.’
Tora had promised to take Hanae to Uji today. ‘Will we be gone long?’ he asked, a futile question, for they would certainly not be back in time, even if they turned right around. Tora’s face grew longer.
In a deceptively calm voice, Akitada asked, ‘Am I interfering with some personal plans of yours?’
‘In a way.’ Tora was too preoccupied to notice his master’s growing anger. ‘I had promised to take … a young lady to Uji today. I was going to put her on a horse behind me.’ In an afterthought, he added, ‘It’ll give the horse some exercise.’
Akitada exploded. ‘Don’t make up lame tales about exercising the horses when you want to take one of your doxies on an outing. I regret to interfere in your plans -’ Akitada’s voice dripped icy sarcasm – ‘but I must insist.’
Tora flushed. ‘That’s all right, sir,’ he muttered and glumly finished saddling the horses.
‘Take a sword. I’m carrying gold on this trip.’
Akitada led his horse into the courtyard and mounted. Tora remained in whispered conversation with Genba, who kept shaking his head.
‘What is it now?’ Akitada snapped.
‘Just asking Genba if he can get a message to Hanae … that’s the young woman’s—’
‘Genba has better things to do than to carry messages to your women. Hurry up. I’m waiting.’
Tora obeyed, but he maintained a hurt silence all the way out of town. Akitada ignored him and kept up a good pace. They crossed the Kamo River against a stream of farmers who brought their produce in heavily laden ox carts or in huge baskets slung on their bent backs and headed for the
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