After a moment’s passionate embrace, Tora said urgently, “Where can we go?”

She wailed, “I don’t know. I have to go back to our inn with the others, or I’ll be in trouble.”

“What inn?”

“The Golden Phoenix. It’s near Rashomon. But you can’t go there. They keep an eye on us.”

Well, it would have to wait. Tora cursed inwardly and removed his hand from her breast, trying to control his baser urges. “Can you meet me tomorrow?” he asked.

“Maybe. Where?”

“I have a woman friend in the Willow Quarter.” He felt her stiffen in his arms. “It’s not like that,” he said quickly. “I once did a favor for her and she’ll let us use a room in her place. I know you’d rather not go there, but it’s the best I can do at the moment. I’m broke.”

“All right, Tora,” she whispered, burying her face against his neck and kissing it softly.

He groaned and let his hand reach for her naked breast again when there was a loud squeal of rusty hinges. She gasped and tore herself free.

Ahead a dark head poked out from the door of the training school, and a soft voice called, “Gold? Is that you? Danjuro and the others are ready to leave!”

The girl in Tora’s arms cried, “Coming!” then whispered to Tora, “It’s Miss Plumblossom’s maid. I’ve got to go. Tomorrow at this time? Where’s the place?”

Tora shrank behind a pile of lumber, pulling Gold with him and into his arms for another quick passionate embrace. Then he whispered instructions in her ear and let her go.

She disappeared into the building, but the door remained open. Tora waited in the shadow of the woodpile, but nothing happened. He peered cautiously toward the door. Through a crack between the wall and the edge of the door, he could see a bit of blue cotton with white fans on it. Miss Plumblossom’s pretty maid still stood there. Waiting to catch him? Why? Tora had a profound conviction that women liked him and that everything that happened, happened specifically to keep his life interesting. He moved from the shadow on soft feet and rushed the door. Pulling it wide, he seized the girl, and drew her out, placing his hand over her mouth. She struggled wildly in his arms.

“Shhh,” he whispered in her ear. “Don’t shout. It’s me. I’m not going to hurt you, my pretty. I just want to talk to you. A lovely thing like you has no need to spy on other girls.” She stopped struggling.

He was about to remove his hand from her mouth when she bit him hard. With a curse he released her. She jumped back inside, but for just a second before she slammed the door he saw her face and recoiled in horror.

FOURTEEN

A Taste of Ashes

When Akitada entered his study, the short, rotund figure of his brother-in-law was sitting on a cushion by his desk cheerfully sipping wine. As soon as Toshikage saw Akitada, he arranged his face into suitable gravity.

“Good afternoon, Brother!” he said with a bow. “I hope you don’t mind my waiting in your room. Seimei brought me some warm wine. Please have some. It takes the chill off the weather. You look frozen.”

“Good afternoon, Toshikage.” Akitada touched his face and ears. They were icy. Preoccupied with his family troubles, he had forgotten to turn up his collar against the wind. He untied his hat and went to warm his hands over the glowing brazier, then held them over his ears. The cold had given him a headache. “You are always welcome here, Brother,” he said to Toshikage, who filled a second cup with wine.

Akitada had become fond of his brother-in-law, but his presence here today struck him as ominous, because of Yoshiko’s threat of leaving. Apparently she had been serious. The situation left him utterly helpless. His solemn resolve to take care of his family had already ended in the first failure.

Toshikage extended the wine cup. Akitada attempted a smile and drank. Toshikage was right. The wine, sweet and mellow to the tongue, lit a fire in his belly. He felt marginally better. All day he had been as tightly strung as a bow, afraid that his self-control would shatter. He rubbed his temples, waiting for the headache to recede.

Toshikage, searching Akitada’s face, said, “We both came the moment we received Tamako’s message. What does the superintendent say?”

“Oh! You brought Akiko?” Then the full implications of Toshikage’s words struck Akitada momentarily speechless. Tamako had sent for them! She had taken Yoshiko’s side and sent for Toshikage and Akiko the moment his back had been turned. No doubt the three women were together even now, packing Yoshiko’s clothes and making plans for her life in Toshikage’s household. He felt slightly sick. Between them the women had cast him in the role of the ogre.

Toshikage’s face wrinkled with new concern when he saw Akitada’s expression. “What is it? Bad news? Will she be arrested after all? It is outrageous! We must stop him. I tell you what: I’ll go to Kudara. He’s a major counselor, a member of the Great Council of State. Kudara’s the sort of man who insists on class privilege. He’ll tell this Kobe fellow a few things and we’ll have Yoshiko back home in no time.”

Toshikage’s offer was kind, but Akitada’s way, no matter how mortifying, was preferable. He had no desire to put himself into debt to one of the great men. Such favors came with a price, and the price was too often one’s integrity. He hurriedly reassured Toshikage, “No, no. The case is not as desperate as all that. I have managed to stave off the worst by throwing myself on Kobe’s mercy.” The memory of that difficult step was still painful, and he grimaced. Toshikage raised his brows questioningly, and Akitada confessed, “I doubt he was motivated by mercy. The situation was fairly humiliating.”

Toshikage bristled. “That man gives himself too many airs!”

“We don’t get along too well because he thinks I meddle in his affairs. On this occasion he thought I had finally overstepped the bounds of legality by smuggling messages and instructions to a prisoner about to come to trial. Has Tamako told you Yoshiko’s story?”

Toshikage looked uncomfortable. “Yes, er, that is, I understand that this Kojiro is a former suitor and she went to visit him in prison.”

“Yes. Repeatedly. And it is worse than that, I’m afraid. She appears to be besotted with the man. He is totally unsuitable, but she insists on marrying him as soon as he is cleared of the murder charge. I have forbidden it, of course.”

“Ah, hmm.” Toshikage nodded, avoiding Akitada’s eyes and fidgeting.

Akitada was not encouraged by Toshikage’s manner to hope that he was on his side, but he decided to get it over with. “She has defied me and informed me that she will leave this house. I assume you are here to take her back with you?”

Startled, his brother-in-law looked up. “Heavens, no. I came to offer my support against those high-handed police authorities. I had no idea things were as bad as that. She is leaving? Oh, dear, I have no wish to come between you two.” He paused to digest this new information. “By the Blessed Buddha,” he said, shaking his head, “if it’s not one thing, then it’s another. I’ve only just settled my own problems, when here is this new thing cropping up. But my dear Akitada, you are the head of her family. She must obey you. What do you want me to do? I am completely at your service.”

“Thank you.” Akitada did feel profoundly grateful. It meant a great deal that Toshikage at least recognized his authority and would support him against the women. “I want Yoshiko to stay here,” he said, “but I will not force her beyond reasoning with her. If worse comes to worst, I would be very grateful if you offered her the shelter of your home.”

“But of course. She is Akiko’s sister and I am very fond of her.”

“How is Akiko?”