his way into the office. More than once Rie heard Kinnosuke giving him bits of information about the business. Rie did not think this inappropriate. Still, the reality of the geisha’s bloodline in the house rankled, never leaving her consciousness for long. What could she do? There was no altering the fact that Yoshitaro was heir, that after Jihei he would become Kinzaemon XI.
This morning as she sat before the mirror she thought of Saburo Kato and their meeting at the ikebana exhibit the morning before her mother died. The tragedy had pushed all thought
The Scent of Sake 85
of their discussion from her mind. Earlier in the week, Rie had received a note of remembrance from Saburo on the anniversary of her mother’s death. He had reiterated a desire to work together to prevent Yamaguchi’s reelection, and their mutual hope to meet again. Something in the way he’d penned his note had made her think that perhaps he had more in mind.
Was Saburo’s talk of working together against Yamaguchi perhaps just his way of forming a bond with her? She hoped so, even though they both wanted to defeat Yamaguchi. She pictured in her imagination meeting Saburo at night, alone. She would make it happen, make it possible to be with him so that she might bear his child, a child growing of love, a child without the blood of a geisha. A child that might someday make it possible to expel the geisha bloodline from the Omura House. She had always felt she belonged with Saburo, not with her dolt of a husband. She would do it.
The idea she hadn’t dared let surface so many months ago now blossomed. She pictured his caring brown eyes and pondered for several minutes. Then with a tingle of anticipation and renewed excitement in her step, she went to a tansu and opened a secret drawer where she kept some cash. She took out several coins and placed them in a pouch of finest silk. She inserted the pouch into the sleeve of her kimono and hurried down to breakfast. O-Natsu and others would notice if she delayed too long.
She ate a perfunctory breakfast alone. Her father and Jihei were already in the office, and it was not often they spent time together at this busy hour. She hurried back upstairs, took a brush and inkstone from a tansu drawer, added a bit of water to the inkstone, and quickly rubbed the inkstick back and forth until the ink was of proper consistency. She knew her calligraphy was not highly skilled, but she carefully wrote a few lines on the best rice paper, folded the note, sealed it with wax, and thrust it into her sleeve. She was proud that she could write and use the abacus,
86oyce Lebra
skills not common to every woman in brewing families. She went back to the secret drawer, took out a few more coins, and placed them in another small silk pouch. She touched her kimono sleeve to make certain the pouches and note would not slip out, and went downstairs.
In the corridor Rie asked one of the maids to send O-Natsu to her room with tea.
A few minutes later O-Natsu entered on her knees with a tea tray and set it on the tatami in front of Rie. She looked at Rie expectantly.
“Thank you, O-Natsu. I have a very big task for you. It is a great responsibility for the house.”
O-Natsu’s eyes widened. She bowed. “Whatever O-Josama requires.”
She knew she could trust O-Natsu. Discretion was paramount. “Well, O-Natsu, I wonder if you have some relatives in a nice house not too far away who may be having financial difficulties, and who are completely trustworthy?”
O-Natsu paused, biting her lip. “Yes, O-Josama, they live not far from here.”
“What I want you to do is to go to your relatives tonight. Ask them if they would make their house available two nights from tonight from midnight until dawn. If they agree, give them this money.” Rie handed the larger pouch to O-Natsu with both hands. “But tell them they must remain absolutely silent about this, on pain of death. And they must not be there those hours from
This morning as she sat before the mirror she thought of Saburo Kato and their meeting at the ikebana exhibit the morning before her mother died. The tragedy had pushed all thought
The Scent of Sake 85
of their discussion from her mind. Earlier in the week, Rie had received a note of remembrance from Saburo on the anniversary of her mother’s death. He had reiterated a desire to work together to prevent Yamaguchi’s reelection, and their mutual hope to meet again. Something in the way he’d penned his note had made her think that perhaps he had more in mind.
Was Saburo’s talk of working together against Yamaguchi perhaps just his way of forming a bond with her? She hoped so, even though they both wanted to defeat Yamaguchi. She pictured in her imagination meeting Saburo at night, alone. She would make it happen, make it possible to be with him so that she might bear his child, a child growing of love, a child without the blood of a geisha. A child that might someday make it possible to expel the geisha bloodline from the Omura House. She had always felt she belonged with Saburo, not with her dolt of a husband. She would do it.
The idea she hadn’t dared let surface so many months ago now blossomed. She pictured his caring brown eyes and pondered for several minutes. Then with a tingle of anticipation and renewed excitement in her step, she went to a tansu and opened a secret drawer where she kept some cash. She took out several coins and placed them in a pouch of finest silk. She inserted the pouch into the sleeve of her kimono and hurried down to breakfast. O-Natsu and others would notice if she delayed too long.
She ate a perfunctory breakfast alone. Her father and Jihei were already in the office, and it was not often they spent time together at this busy hour. She hurried back upstairs, took a brush and inkstone from a tansu drawer, added a bit of water to the inkstone, and quickly rubbed the inkstick back and forth until the ink was of proper consistency. She knew her calligraphy was not highly skilled, but she carefully wrote a few lines on the best rice paper, folded the note, sealed it with wax, and thrust it into her sleeve. She was proud that she could write and use the abacus,
86oyce Lebra
skills not common to every woman in brewing families. She went back to the secret drawer, took out a few more coins, and placed them in another small silk pouch. She touched her kimono sleeve to make certain the pouches and note would not slip out, and went downstairs.
In the corridor Rie asked one of the maids to send O-Natsu to her room with tea.
A few minutes later O-Natsu entered on her knees with a tea tray and set it on the tatami in front of Rie. She looked at Rie expectantly.
“Thank you, O-Natsu. I have a very big task for you. It is a great responsibility for the house.”
O-Natsu’s eyes widened. She bowed. “Whatever O-Josama requires.”
She knew she could trust O-Natsu. Discretion was paramount. “Well, O-Natsu, I wonder if you have some relatives in a nice house not too far away who may be having financial difficulties, and who are completely trustworthy?”
O-Natsu paused, biting her lip. “Yes, O-Josama, they live not far from here.”
“What I want you to do is to go to your relatives tonight. Ask them if they would make their house available two nights from tonight from midnight until dawn. If they agree, give them this money.” Rie handed the larger pouch to O-Natsu with both hands. “But tell them they must remain absolutely silent about this, on pain of death. And they must not be there those hours from
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