‘Another storm is coming,’ he said, looking out at the angry black clouds.
Tamako struck a flint and lit an oil lamp. ‘Good. It will cool the air and refresh the plants. I have not been able to look after my two gardens.’
He turned and watched her. In the pool of golden light, she seemed to him more beautiful than ever.
His wife – the mother of his children. He felt a surge of gratitude and affection.
Going to her quickly, he knelt and took her into his arms. They clung to each other and kissed. Her lips were soft, responsive. Desire stirred. He kissed her more deeply, tasting her sweetness and thinking: Tora is not the only one.
But Tamako returned his passion only briefly – if deliciously – before drawing away. ‘Akitada,’ she murmured, ‘it may not be good for the child.’
He released her with a sigh. ‘Of course. Please forgive me.’
‘Not at all,’ she said. ‘I am highly gratified.’ She looked at him quizzically and murmured, ‘Will you return after your supper? There are surely other ways that I may please you.’
He jumped up. ‘We’ll have supper together. I’ll tell Hanae we’ve retired early and bring the food back myself. Then we can have the whole night together without being bothered.’
He left, humming to himself. No doubt, Hanae would inform Tora of his master’s ardent attentions to his pregnant wife.
They dined on small delicacies he had coaxed out of the cook, and then they lay close together, while the storm passed over the city. He put his hand inside her gown on her swollen belly and felt the child moving against his palm. The touch of another life filled him with joy and wonder. ‘Tamako,’ he murmured into her ear, ‘I have been so afraid to lose you.’
She looked at him and traced his lips with her finger. ‘I know. My heart is full.’ Then she raised herself on an elbow to kiss him while she undid his sash and then the bands of his trousers.
The wind buffeted the sturdy roof, and the rain fell in torrents outside. Inside, they explored a hundred ways of giving and receiving pleasure. Akitada discovered a boundless gentleness in himself and profound gratitude to Tamako. When the noise outside abated, they fell asleep contentedly in each other’s arms.
When he left Tamako the next morning and returned to his study, Tora was waiting for him. Seeing Tora’s broad grin, Akitada flushed and snapped, ‘What are you so happy about?’
Tora’s grin faded. ‘Is anything wrong? Your lady… is she…?’He trailed off.
Akitada straightened his collar and tied his sash. He had hoped for an early bath and time to change his clothes. With a sigh, he sat down behind his desk.
‘Nothing is wrong. My wife is very well.’
‘The gods be thanked,’ said Tora with feeling. The grin returned. ‘I caught the little bastard.’
Akitada had no idea what Tora was talking about and found it hard to think before he had had his customary tea. ‘Hem,’ he said, searching his mind. ‘You did?’
Tora looked smug. ‘Yes.’
From the hallway came the sound of Seimei’s shuffling steps. Akitada brightened. ‘Here comes Seimei with tea. Save the story so he can hear it, too.’
Seimei came in and nodded to Tora. ‘I looked for you earlier, sir,’ he said to Akitada. ‘No one told me that you spent the night with your lady.’
Tora chortled. ‘Caught me unawares, too.’
‘I’m parched,’ Akitada said, ‘and Tora is anxious to tell us his adventure.’
Seimei took his time pouring and stirring, and Tora fidgeted. It looked as if he wanted to comment on the sleeping arrangements again, but fortunately he thought better of it. He refused tea and, as soon as Seimei was seated with his own cup, he told the story of catching the boy Tojiro running away from the latest fire.
‘He admitted stealing my gold.’
‘What did you do?’ Seimei asked.
Tora’s face fell a little. ‘He got away before I could find a constable, but I reported it to the police.’
‘This is the young man who looks like the Kiyowara heir?’ Akitada asked. ‘I don’t know, Tora. There’s something very odd about your bumping into him all the time. Are you quite sure he set last night’s fire?’
‘Absolutely. This is the second time he was at a fire. He’s the one all right. I told the superintendent that it was all your doing that the arson problem is getting solved.’
With a sinking feeling, Akitada set down his cup. ‘I wish you hadn’t done that.’
Tora’s jaw dropped. ‘What? You’ve changed your mind? I thought you wanted me to find out about those fires. I wish you’d told me. I wasted a whole night on this. And the police weren’t exactly eager to arrest the little bastard. I did it because I thought it would help you get your job back.’ He clamped his mouth shut in disgust and folded his arms across his chest.
Akitada felt guilty – as he was meant to feel. ‘You didn’t let me finish, Tora,’ he said.
Tora said nothing and looked sullen.
‘You know I’m investigating the Kiyowara murder. That means we have enough money to see us through the rest of the year. And besides, I never wanted you to risk your life in this matter.’ He paused, then added in a softer tone, ‘But I’m very grateful that you should have cared so much.’ When Tora looked slightly mollified, he went on: ‘I’ve been trying to keep Superintendent Kobe out of our activities because he ordered me away from the Kiyowara case. He may see a conflict of interest because of our past friendship.’
‘But the fires have nothing to do with the Kiyowara murder.’
‘Well, perhaps no harm is done.’ Akitada paused. ‘Unless, of course, you happened to mention this Tojiro’s resemblance to young Lord Kiyowara?’
Tora mumbled, ‘I might have said something about it in passing. Not to make a point of it, you know.’
‘Not to Kobe, I hope. He would wonder why you should be familiar with Kiyowara’s son.’
‘I may have-’ Tora broke off and cocked an ear towards the courtyard. ‘Someone’s calling.’ He jumped up and left.
Akitada had not heard anything. He thought Tora had fled because he did not want to face his anger, but then there were voices.
A visitor? This early in the morning?
Seimei hurriedly put away the tea things. The door opened, and a strange monk stepped over the threshold, followed by a puzzled-looking Tora, who announced, ‘This is Saishin, sir. He comes with a message from Abbot Shokan of the Seikan-ji Temple.’
The monk, middle-aged and slender, approached silently on bare feet. He bowed and presented a letter.
Akitada returned the greeting and unfolded the heavy paper. It was the expensive kind with leaves of dried grass embedded in it and not what he would have expected from a cleric. Furthermore, it was written in an elegant courtier’s style. The letter was brief: ‘Abbot Shokan begs Lord Sugawara’s help in a matter very close to his heart.’
Astonished, Akitada asked the monk, ‘Do you know what this is about?’
Saishin compressed his lips. ‘I know only that it concerns one of the acolytes running away.’
It sounded as if the monk disapproved either of the acolyte or of his flight. Akitada speculated that the combination of ‘acolyte’ and ‘close to my heart’ suggested a male love affair, not unheard of in monasteries. He was mildly curious, but he hated to leave the house when Tamako was so close to her time. So he told the monk, ‘I’m very busy at the moment. Perhaps the abbot could come to see me?’
Saishin raised shocked brows. ‘The abbot never goes out unless the emperor, his nephew, requests it.’
Damnation! Akitada should have recognized the name and the temple, but there were so many male relations of emperors who served as abbots and bishops that he had never made the attempt to memorize them all. In any case, he could not refuse the summons now.
‘When may I call on the Reverend Shokan?’
‘The abbot is very anxious to have your advice as soon as possible.’
‘Today?’
‘I think that is what His Reverence had in mind.’
‘Very well.’ Akitada thought quickly. Tora had already rented a horse for the trip to the farm. They could postpone that journey for another day. He said, ‘It will save time if I ride.’
Saishin nodded. ‘Good. I have other errands. May the Buddha smile on you and your house.’ He bowed,
