The Gilded Fan (Choc Lit) (3 page)

Abe had recovered by now and made as if to charge her once more, but Nico decided it was time to intervene. No matter how skilled she was, the men were still fighting with a woman. He couldn’t allow that.

‘Enough! What’s going on here?’ His curt command stopped both Abe and Peter in their tracks.

They turned as one to face him, wearing identical expressions of frustration and rage. Nico would have laughed if it hadn’t been for the fact that the woman swivelled round to look at him as well. Suddenly he forgot everything else as he gazed into quite the most perfect face he’d ever seen. In fact, it was so exquisite that for a moment he wondered if she was actually real.

Large, slightly almond-shaped eyes, fringed with dark lashes, under perfectly arched brows. A small, tip-tilted nose, high cheek-bones and a mouth just the right shape and size, all set in a heart-shaped face with flawless, porcelain skin. The woman may be dressed in what appeared to be men’s clothing, but she was female in every other way. Soft curves were hinted at by the silk of her robe and her backside was delineated by the strange, skirt-like breeches. Thick, shining tresses of hair cascaded down to her knees, tied back loosely with a ribbon.

Nico had to remind himself to close his mouth. ‘Well?’ he prompted. ‘Have you all lost your tongues?’

Midori turned to see who had come to her rescue. The voice belonged to a man who was much taller than the others, broad-shouldered and not quite as ill-kempt. He seemed to have made an effort to tame his beard by clipping it very close to his skin and had tied his hair into a short tail to keep it tidy. It was of a colour she’d never seen before, like shiny but tarnished gold, and it swept back from what her mother had called a widow’s peak. Midori found it impossible to stop staring at him.

His beard and eyebrows were darker and showed off the sharp planes of his face. Deep-set eyes, a determined jaw and straight nose with a slight bump in the middle gave him character. Although he was wearing the same type of baggy knee-length breeches as his compatriots, he had a clean Japanese belted jacket on top. He stood with his legs apart and arms crossed, a fearful scowl directed at the other men as he asked them to account for the scene before him.

‘Oh, Captain Noordholt, sir, this here wench dared to cut Barker in the arm.’

‘Yes, we were just havin’ a bit o’ sport with her, like with the others, but she got all uppity and took offence at somethin’.’

‘And she drew a sword on us. Just look what she’s done, sir.’

Barker made an elaborate show of uncovering his wound, adding a great deal of noise to the process. It was deep and blood flowed freely, but it was hardly a mortal wound. Midori sent him a scornful look. She hadn’t behaved like that since childhood, and he was a grown man.
Pitiful!

‘Leave us,’ the captain ordered. ‘Go and have Barker’s wound seen to.’

‘But Captain Noordholt, sir …’

‘Do as I say,’ he snapped. ‘I will speak with you later.’

The three grumbled, but took themselves off at last, leaving Midori to face the man she’d asked to see. His scowl disappeared and he studied her with a calm blue gaze, so like her mother’s it made her breath catch in her throat. He bowed to her, then spoke in halting Japanese, his voice gentle and kind now.

‘I apologise. I am the captain-
san
. You wish speak to me? Please state business.’

Midori bowed, lower than she had to the others to acknowledge his attempt at politeness, before answering him in English. ‘It is no matter. I believe they mistook me for something that I’m not.’

‘You speak English?’ His eyebrows shot up and Midori was tempted to laugh again. These foreigners were so transparent.

‘Yes, I’m half-English.’

‘I see. And what brings you here, if I may ask?’

‘I’m on my way to visit my relatives and have come to buy passage to England on board your ship. That is, if I’m speaking to the owner of the
Zwarte Zwaan
?’ Satoshi had reported the name of the only foreign ship in port at the moment and Midori hoped she had pronounced it correctly.

‘Not her owner, but her captain, yes.’ He hesitated. ‘Er, you are travelling alone?’

When Midori nodded, he frowned.

‘Perhaps you’re not aware of the fact that females seldom travel unaccompanied, especially not on a ship, unless they are the kind of woman my men took you for?’

‘
Honto, neh
?’ Midori thought quickly. She wouldn’t have travelled by herself in Japan either, but this time she didn’t have a choice. Although she supposed she could hire some hapless servant to accompany her on the journey, it was hardly fair since she didn’t intend to return. She said as much to Captain Noordholt.

‘You don’t plan to return?’

‘No.’

‘Not ever?’ He opened his eyes wide and in the light from the lantern they glittered with sapphire sparks. Midori was momentarily distracted by the sight, then realised he’d asked her a question. She shook her head.

He stroked the stubble on his chin while apparently thinking this over. ‘If you don’t mind my asking – are you expected by your kin?’

‘No, but I don’t think it will be a problem. I carry a letter for them.’

‘Hmm. Well, Mistress, er …?’

‘Midori. My name is Midori.’ She thought it best not to mention the name of her father’s clan, just in case. Her first name would do for now.

He looked her in the eyes and smiled briefly. ‘Very fitting, to be sure. Your green eyes must be much admired where you come from, being rather unique here, I take it?’

Midori gathered he knew her name meant ‘green’ in Japanese, and he’d seen the colour of her eyes in the light from the lantern, but she didn’t understand his strange question. She frowned. ‘No, no one liked them apart from my parents. And Ichiro, of course.’ She stopped, realising she may have said too much. ‘But what has that to do with anything?’

‘Oh, nothing really, I beg your pardon. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.’

Midori was becoming impatient and didn’t want to discuss the colour of her eyes. ‘Well, are you going to let me travel on your ship or not?’ she asked.

‘No, I’m afraid I can’t help you. Allowing you to sail alone on a ship with upwards of a hundred and twenty men would be madness.’ He shrugged apologetically.

‘Why? I won’t mingle with any of them. I’ll pay you for a private cabin.’

He frowned at her again. ‘Mistress Midori, you don’t appear to lack sense. Surely you can understand that you would represent a great temptation?’

‘I can defend myself. Haven’t I already proved it?’

‘Against three men perhaps, and three of the clumsiest at that. What of the other hundred-odd? Cabin doors are rather flimsy.’

‘Surely they wouldn’t all … at once …?’ Midori tried not to feel intimidated by the image he’d conjured in her mind.

‘Wouldn’t they?’

The quizzical expression on Captain Noordholt’s face as he stared down his haughty nose at her riled Midori. She decided he was just being obstinate, trying to put her off going. She clenched her fists inside the sleeves of her robe as she tried to compose herself. A Japanese lady never lost her temper and she had no intention of letting this irritating stranger provoke her.

‘Maybe you underestimate your own charms, Mistress Midori,’ he added in a kindly voice, which annoyed her even more.

‘Aren’t you man enough to ensure complete obedience in your crew?’ she challenged.

He looked surprised. ‘Of course, but tempting them with a tasty female isn’t a normal occurrence on board any ship. I would be a fool to do so and I really don’t need any more complications on this journey. I’ve only recently taken over as captain, so it’s important that nothing goes wrong.’

‘
Tasty
?’ Midori almost raised her voice, but managed to resist the temptation at the last moment. ‘If you must know, I have never yet met a man who was tempted by what you call my charms.’ She didn’t count the episode with the three Englishmen as they had thought her a whore and therefore fair game. ‘If your men are so desperate, you should bring along some other females.’

‘By all that’s holy, woman, have you lost your mind? I’ll have enough trouble keeping the crew adequately fed during such a long journey. And I don’t need any hangers-on for them to fight over at every opportunity. God’s teeth, but there would be a mutiny before we’d sailed a hundred leagues.’ He shook his head at the thought.

Midori stepped closer to him. ‘Well, I don’t care how you arrange matters on board your ship. All I know is that I must sail with you and I have plenty of silver to pay for my passage. If I stay here, I die. It’s as simple as that.’

‘What do you mean, you’ll die?’

Nico frowned at the woman, trying to make sense of her words.

She glared at him. ‘Haven’t you heard? The
Shogun
has decided to persecute all foreigners and Christians. We’re to be evicted from the country, even half
gai-jin
like me. I have no choice but to leave, don’t you see?’

Nico had heard vague rumours to that effect, but hadn’t taken much notice. Corneliszoon assured everyone on the island they were safe since they had permission to trade and weren’t staying long, so it didn’t concern him.

‘I’m sure there must be other options open to you. I’ve been told there is a thriving Japanese Christian community in the Philippine Islands. Couldn’t you go there?’ he suggested. ‘It’s much closer, for one thing, and you could sail on a Japanese vessel.’

It was a reasonable proposition, but apparently it wasn’t to the lady’s liking. ‘I don’t want to go there. I’m going to England,’ she insisted.

Nico sighed inwardly. He hated arguing with females; their logic was not like his. In this case he had to stay firm, though. ‘Not with me. I’m sorry, but there it is.’

Although he didn’t raise his voice, there was a steely quality to it that should have told her he wasn’t prepared to back down. He’d practised it on the crew of the
Zwarte Zwaan
often enough and it usually procured instant obedience.

Her eyes narrowed and she took a deep breath, then asked in a softer tone of voice, ‘Have you by any chance heard of the
ninja
?’

‘I believe so. Trained assassins or some such thing? What of them?’ Nico felt his frown deepening.
What is she up to now?

‘My brother happens to know where to find them and, as you may know, they’ll do most anything for a price. Unlike some people.’

He crossed his arms over his chest again, fixing her with a stern gaze. ‘Where is this conversation leading, Mistress Midori?’ he asked, although he was perfectly able to guess. ‘I have other calls on my time.’

‘Oh, yes, of course. You were expecting a whore. I’m so sorry to take up your valuable time, but then …’

‘I am
not
entertaining any whores,’ he gritted out between clenched teeth, trying not to let her goad him. ‘And it’s not a word any respectable female should be familiar with in any case. Your parents should have taught you that.’

‘Really? How strange. What should I call them then?’

‘Nothing! If you’re a lady, you don’t mention them at all. Now could we get to the point please?’ He was fast losing his patience.

‘The point, Captain Noordholt, is that unless you change your mind and allow me on board your ship, you yourself might not be sailing on her. The
ninja
are known to be swift and deadly and they’re trained never to fail in their missions.’

He stepped closer and glared at her. ‘Are you threatening me?’ Since he was at least a head taller than her and possibly twice as broad, this should have made her back off, but she didn’t seem intimidated in the least.

She looked up at him, as calm as you please, and assumed an innocent expression. ‘I wouldn’t call it that exactly. I’m just informing you of the consequences should you persist in your refusal.’

He fumed silently for a moment, unable to believe this slip of a woman would dare to give him an ultimatum. Then he realised the absurdity of the situation and gave a short laugh. ‘And what’s to stop me from murdering you right here, right now? Or taking you captive?’

‘My brother is expecting me back shortly. If I don’t return, he’ll come looking for me.’

‘Then I would be ready and waiting, with my men.’

Midori shook her head at him. ‘He wouldn’t come charging in, he would use stealth,’ she scoffed. ‘He’s not a fool. Besides, I don’t believe it will be necessary.’

Before Nico had time to do more than open his eyes wide in surprise, he found himself lying on his back in the dirt with all the air knocked from his lungs. Midori sat on top of him pointing a very sharp knife at his throat as he gasped to regain his breath. He stared at her in shock.

‘What the hell …? How did you …?’

A wave of fury surged through him, but he managed to hold his temper in check. This had gone beyond absurd. It was downright ridiculous.

It had been almost too easy and Midori knew she’d taken him by surprise only because he hadn’t expected to be attacked by a female. He was a big man, after all, and she was tiny in comparison, so he hadn’t been on his guard. She’d simply hooked her right leg behind his left one and pushed hard, then quickly jumped down on top of him as he fell, pulling out her knife. Luck had been on her side this time, but she was sure he’d never allow it to happen again. She would have to take advantage of her victory immediately.

The interview hadn’t been going according to plan, so Midori had known she had to do something drastic. She couldn’t fail. To go back to Ichiro without securing passage on board the captain’s ship would be to lose face. She had to prove to her brother she could fend for herself. With renewed determination, she gripped the handle of her knife and drew in another calming breath. It wouldn’t do to sink to this barbarian’s level; she must stay calm and reasonable. Slowly, she felt her inner harmony returning.

Several expressions flitted across the captain’s face – astonishment, anger and possibly a small measure of admiration. Midori waited in silence, her knife poised by his neck. She could see him debating with himself, but his next words indicated that although he wasn’t prepared to give in gracefully, he was wavering slightly.

‘We’re not going to England, so you’d have to find your way from Amsterdam to wherever you’re headed,’ he growled. ‘By yourself.’

‘Well, there must be ships that sail to London. It’s not that far, is it?’ Midori had no idea if this was true, but decided to take a chance. She wasn’t actually going to London, but knew it was England’s main city, so she was sure she could reach her destination from there somehow.

‘London?’ His eyebrows descended even further. ‘Your relatives live there?’

‘Um, nearby I believe, yes.’ To distract the man from the fact that she was lying, Midori gave him a dazzling smile. ‘So, you see, I’ll be all right if only you can take me as far as Amsterdam.’

The captain blinked and stared at her. She saw him swallow hard, then he closed his eyes and uttered what sounded like a groan. ‘Very well,’ he gritted out. ‘You may sail with us. I can’t guarantee your safety, but I’ll do my best. It might not be enough, though. Do you understand?’

‘Perfectly. I’ll leave you to your, er … pleasures now. When do we sail?’

‘For the last time, I’m not indulging in any …’ He muttered a curse, then made a visible effort to calm himself. ‘We’re sailing with the tide the day after tomorrow. I’ll require your payment by tomorrow evening. A thousand pieces of silver.’