Laura Rowland - The Ronin’s Mistress

“Go to your room,” Reiko told him, angry at her own obliviousness, wanting to separate Masahiro from Okaru and shut the door on his new world even though it was too late.

He started to protest, to defend Okaru. Lieutenant Tanuma rushed into the room.

“Where have you been?” Reiko asked Tanuma. “Didn’t I tell you to watch Okaru?” Before he could answer, she said, “Take Masahiro to his room.”

Tanuma and Masahiro slunk out like whipped puppies. Reiko turned to Okaru. The girl knelt on the bed, hands clasped behind her back, like a child caught stealing candy.

“Now,” Reiko said in as level a tone as she could manage. “Explain what you were doing with my son.”

“Nothing,” Okaru said. “I hugged him because he was kind to me. That’s all.”

But Reiko had seen the look on Masahiro’s face while he and Okaru were touching. A hug could easily lead to other things-perhaps things that had already happened when she wasn’t there to see. For the first time she experienced the jealousy of a mother who realized that someday she would no longer be the woman her son loved best.

“You’ll stay away from Masahiro from now on,” Reiko said. “Do you understand?”

Okaru nodded, her complexion gray, lips pressed together as if she feared that if she spoke she would be sick. Her eyes were huge and solemn.

“Good.” Reiko felt a pang of shame for treating the girl so harshly. She remembered why she’d come to see Okaru. “I have news. My husband and I have found out who’s responsible for the attack on my father. It’s not you. You’re exonerated.”

Tears of relief spilled from Okaru’s eyes. She murmured, “Thank the gods. I prayed that I would be proved innocent.” She gazed up at Reiko in sudden apprehension. “Does that mean you’re letting me go?”

Reiko knew she was thinking of the cold night and her lack of a place to stay. “You don’t have to go now.” Reiko wasn’t heartless enough to put the girl out. “Tomorrow I’ll have my husband’s troops escort you and Goza home to Miyako.”

“A thousand thanks. You’re so kind even though you think badly of me. I’m sorry I’ve displeased you.” Okaru smiled nervously. “But … I wish I could stay in Edo and see what happens to Oishi. I can’t help hoping…”

“That he’ll be pardoned and he’ll take you back? I’m afraid I have more news,” Reiko said, unable to resist a little spite. “Oishi has reunited with his wife. If he lives, he’ll be going to her, not you.”

The smile vanished from Okaru’s face, which turned white. Her eyes rolled up, and she fell onto the bed in a dead faint.

* * *

Reiko summoned a doctor to care for Okaru, then went after Masahiro. He was in his room, kneeling at a table on which toy soldiers were set in battle formation. His hands fidgeted atop his knees. He wore an expression she’d never seen before-a mixture of anger, pride, and shame. As Reiko sat beside him, he glanced up at her, then down at the soldiers again. She felt uncomfortable and shy, as if he were a stranger, not her little boy.

“I didn’t know you liked Okaru,” she ventured.

Masahiro scowled. An almost visible barrier loomed between them. Although he’d never had secrets from her, he did now. Reiko was surprised at how much it hurt.

“It’s understandable that you would like her,” Reiko said. “Boys do become interested in girls. And Okaru is very pretty.”

Masahiro picked up a toy soldier and examined it with studied concentration.

“There are some things I must talk to you about,” Reiko said. “When a boy and a girl … get close … well, the girl might have a baby.”

A blush reddened Masahiro’s face. Reiko’s own face felt hot. She’d never talked to him about sex. She’d thought his father would do it later, but it couldn’t be put off. How much did Masahiro already know? He’d seen animals mating and the young born, but Reiko wasn’t sure he was aware that the same process happened with humans.

“When a baby is born and the boy and girl aren’t married, there can be trouble. Especially if they come from different classes, which means they can’t marry. The girl’s family will probably disown her. She’ll have to raise the child herself.”

Men weren’t usually held responsible for their illegitimate children, and their reputations didn’t suffer, but Reiko didn’t want Masahiro casually fathering babies as other samurai youths did. If he did, she would feel bad about the ruined women and abandoned children, even though other ladies of her class pretended not to notice the situation.

“So it’s best not to … well…” Reiko couldn’t tell Masahiro not to have sex until he was married. That went against custom; men behaved as they pleased. “You shouldn’t be with too many girls or do it too often.”

Masahiro set the toy soldier carefully on the table. The blush had crept down his neck. Reiko wished she’d never brought Okaru into their home.

“There’s something else I have to tell you,” Reiko said. “Sometimes a girl will take advantage of a boy. She may pretend to like him, and-and do things with him, so he’ll give her money or presents.” That was how prostitutes hooked patrons, Reiko had heard. “But she doesn’t really care about him; she’s just using him. You must be careful, because your family is rich, and a girl might think she can get-”

“Stop! Be quiet!” Masahiro turned on Reiko, his eyes hot with temper.

“Masahiro!” She was shocked because he’d never spoken to her so rudely.

“It wasn’t like that!” he yelled.

“Then what-?”

He flung out his hand, swept the toy soldiers off the table, and jumped to his feet. “I don’t want to talk about it. Leave me alone!” He ran from the room.

Reiko sat for a moment, incredulous and bewildered. Then, hearing men’s voices, she drew a deep breath, rose, and went to greet Sano in the corridor.

“I just met a messenger from your father’s house,” Sano said. “He says your father is still unconscious; there’s no change in his condition.”

Reiko’s fear for her father worsened. “What if he doesn’t recover?”

“Don’t worry. He will.” Sano said, “Are the children all right?”

“I’m afraid Masahiro is upset with me.” Reiko explained.

Sano smiled ruefully. “I suppose we should have been prepared for this sort of thing. Shall I talk to him?”

“Let’s give him some time to calm down,” Reiko said. “Have you arrested Kajikawa?”

“Not yet.” Sano explained that the castle keeper had gone on the run. “I’ve got search parties looking for him. He won’t get far.”

The search went on through the night. Sano stopped to visit the supreme court judges, who had temporary quarters in the palace. He relayed the new testimony from Oishi, Ukihashi, and Lady Asano. The judges were gratified to know the true story behind the vendetta but were more at a loss for a verdict than ever.

“Why does the truth have to be so complicated?” Inspector General Nakae said.

“We’ll probably still be deliberating in a month,” Superintendent Ogiwara said.

They began to argue about the new evidence. Sano resumed the search for Kajikawa. As he and Detectives Marume and Fukida rode through Edo Castle, a hard, driving rain began to fall. The air grew so cold that the rain froze. Passages turned slick and treacherous. The horses’ hooves skidded. Patrol guards clung to the walls for support. Brass lanterns at checkpoints dripped icicles. Near midnight, in the courtyard just inside the main gate, Sano and his detectives met up with the party he’d sent to Kajikawa’s house.

“He’s not there,” the leader said. “He left for work as usual this morning, and his wife and servants haven’t seen him since.”