Standard disclaimers apply
***CHAPTER 7***
Kaoru fell asleep with her mind in a whirl. She knew that the testing time would come the instant she awoke.
All her life, those first few waking moments had decreed whether or not she had made the right decision about any problem that was worrying her. If she opened her eyes and felt calm, as if a great weight had been lifted from her mind, then she was sure her conclusions of the previous night had been right. But if she awoke feeling fretful and disturbed, it meant she must think again and find a new solution.
This particular April morning, Kaoru drifted into consciousness and realized she felt as if she were floating on a cloud. All her instincts told her that the plan she had formulated long into the night was the right answer to Soujirouâ??s problem.
As if to enhance her sense of optimism, the rain had stopped. Joyfully, she flung back the curtains and held out her arms in welcome to the sunshine that flooded into her room.
After breakfastâ??at which Saitou made favorable comment on her cheerful faceâ??Kaoru slipped away and made her way up to the picture gallery. She walked swiftly past the somber portraits, the bronze statues and gold-framed miniatures, until she came to the portrait of Sayo Kashiwazaki.
As she studied the girlâ??s lovely face, the defiant toss of those brown hair, and the passionate expression in the green eyes, Kaoru recalled what Mrs. Fujita had told herâ?|
How Sayoâ??s attempt to elope with her penniless lover had been foiled by her father. Okina Kashiwazaki had slain Sayoâ??s lover, which caused the distraught girl to seize the sword and throw herself upon the point.
Grief-stricken, and overcome with guilt, her father had decreed in his will that the summer house must always be guarded. No one must ever enter it again. And local folk whisper that Sayo hid some gold there, which she was planning to take with her when she eloped.
My brother will have that gold! Kaoru thought fervently. I am sure poor Sayo would not mind. After all, it is for a worthy cause, and she was my ancestor. I am convinced she would understand.
Mrs. Fujita had said that on scented spring nights, the ghost of Sayo sometimes appeared at the summer house.
â??But on this occasion, the ghost of Sayo will be none other than myself,â?? breathed Kaoru. â??Mrs. Fujitaâ??s son Sanosuke guards the summer house every night. I know it is unkind to scare him into running away, but Sanosuke is a resilient boyâ?|and what a story it will make to tell his friends, and eventually his grandchildren.â??
Kaoru could not avoid the chilling thought that perhaps there really was a ghost who haunted the summer house of Haruno Grange. That while she was occupied frightening Sanosuke away, and entering the summer house, the real ghost of Sayo would appearâ?|
She gazed once more into the beautiful eyes of the portrait. â??Please understand,â?? she pleaded, â??I must do this for my brother. If he stays much longer in this house, his spirit will be brokenâ?|his youth and vigor lost. I must help him to reach Okinawa where our Armyâ??s waiting to sail to Taiwan. Then, when he has tasted life to the full, he will be ready to return to the mansion and settle down as my father wishes.â??
The brilliant green eyes of Sayo Kashiwazaki stared back at her. For a moment, there in the gloom of the gallery, it seemed to Kaoru that the eyes came to life, sending a glowing message of sympathy and understanding.
â??There you are, Kaoru,â?? came Soujirouâ??s voice behind her. â??I have been searching all over the house for you.â??
Kaoru whirled around, thankful that Soujirou was too far away to detect her guilty expression.
â??Mama wants you to join her,â?? Soujirou went on. â??The dressmaker is downstairs, with some fabrics for your new kimonos.â??
â??I will go at once,â?? promised Kaoru, bidding a swift, silent, farewell to Sayo. â??What are you doing today, brother?â??
He grimaced. â??I am to be instructed in the art of hedging.â?? He sighed. â??What a waste of time! There I will be, obediently examining hedgerows, and meanwhile there is a war being fought!â??
Patience, Sou, thought Kaoru as she hurried to the drawing room. This tiring life will soon be over for you, my dearest brother.
While she discussed with her mother the merits of the printed fabrics over the plain ones, and whether bold colors are much better than the pastel ones, Kaoru remained absorbed in her own private plans.
Reluctantly, she had decided against taking Soujirou into her confidence. It was a difficult decision. On the one hand, Soujirou had a right to know about her plans, as they were all to be for his benefit. And as she would be compelled to steal the gold under cover of darkness, it would be advantageous to have his help, company and protection.
On the other hand, Kaoru dared not risk implicating Soujirou in the plan, for fear that something might go wrong and they were discovered in the act of taking the gold. If she were on her own, she could excuse the episode as a girlish prank. After all, why would she need the money?
But if Soujirou were with her, the consequences for him would be far more serious. It was an open secret that Soujirou was dissatisfied with his allowance. He and his father argued constantly about the matterâ?|almost as much as they clashed over the idea of Soujirouâ??s joining the Army. Saitou was a shrewd man. It would not take him long to put two and two together and realize that Soujirou wanted the gold to take him away to Taiwan.
No, Kaoru decided, I am better off on my own. The only remaining problem to be solved was when she should make her journey to Haruno Grange. It was a mere five miles away, no great distance on horseback.
It was not until the fabrics had been cleared away and the dressmaker had departed when Cook came into the room to discuss the weekâ??s menus with her mistress.
â??If you please, Madam, I would be most grateful if we could arrange to have a cold dinner on the evening of April 30.â??
Yumi looked puzzled. â??April 30? Whyâ?|?â?? Then her brow cleared. â??But of course. It is your sisterâ??s birthday, isnâ??t it?â??
Cook nodded. â??Thatâ??s right, Madam. She is the only living relative I have and we wanted to celebrate her birthday.â??
â??Iâ??m sure you do,â?? said Yumi, smiling indulgently.
â??How old is your sister?â?? asked Kaoru curiously.
â??Sheâ??s 54, Miss,â?? answered Cook blushing.
Yumi sighed, â??Very well. I will write a menu for a cold dinner that evening.â??
Despite his assertion that of course the servants must be allowed a day off, Saitou was extremely grumpy when presented with his dinner.
â??A body needs hot food to keep it fuelled,â?? he said testily, examining a chunk of beef as if it had been poisoned.
â??Simple food will do you no harm for once,â?? declared Yumi firmly.
Saitou pushed the rest of the food to the side of his plate. â??I can feel all that cold food settling in a nasty lump at the bottom of my stomach. I know I will have indigestion tonight.â??
â??Have another glass of water, sir,â?? suggested Soujirou, passing the pitcher. â??It is a wonderful aid to the digestion.â?? He turned to his sister. â??Would you care for a game of checkers after dinner, Kaoru?â??
She raised a delicate hand to her head. â??Thank you , Sou, but I donâ??t feel well. Just a headache, but I think I will go straight to bed after dinner.
â??I will have one of my new powders sent up to you,â?? said Yumi anxiously.
â??No, no,â?? said Kaoru, attempting to look sick. â??I would much prefer to just rest in the dark. I have little faith in powders.â??
As she anticipated, this brought her father to her aid. â??Quite right,â?? he grunted. â??Iâ??m glad to see youâ??re getting some sense into your pretty head at last, Kaoru. All these new medicaments are a waste of time.â??
Seeing that Soujirou was ready to prolong the argument, Kaoru rose quickly to her feet, made her excuses and good nights, and fled from the room. Distantly, from the kitchens, she could hear the sound of laughter as the younger servants prepared for their night out in the town.
What I have to do now, she thought, is wait, as patiently as I can!
By the time the clock struck nine, all was silent at the Kamiya mansion. Kaoru imagined her mother quietly sewing in the drawing room, while her father sipped his sake in the library nearby. Soujirou, doubtless, had retired to his room, to read his book about animal husbandry.
The hours that followed her removal from the dining room had seemed endless to Kaoru. But she knew she could not possibly have sat downstairs playing checkers with Soujirou without her eyes revealing something of her inner excitement. It would have been fatal for Soujirou to suspect her plans at this late stage.
Now the time had come! Softly, Kaoru slipped from her room and ran down the back stairs, leaving the mansion by the garden door. From these she made her way around to the stables, where her faithful mare stood quietly in her stall. Kaoru had decided that this was an occasion when she must ride bareback, for it would take too many precious minutes to saddle the horse. Besides, she could not risk waking the stableboys who slept in the loft above.
Speaking soothingly to the mare, Kaoru fastened on the bridle and led her out into the courtyard. As in the way with horses, the mare seemed fully to understand the need for secrecy. She trod lightly across the cobbles, her hooves making the barest sound. Once clear of the stables, Kaoru was presented once again with a problem.
â??How stupid of me not to realize that riding a horse clad in kimono is way quite impossible. That is, if Iâ??m planning to ride sideways,â?? she thought exasperated.
Suddenly a solution came to her. She ripped the sides of her kimono and flung herself onto the mareâ??s back.
â??Good girl,â?? she breathed, stroking the soft, glossy coat and urging the horse forward toward the lane which led to the village.
Kaoru was clad in a green kimono, over which she had thrown a simple cotton cloak. Admittedly, she knew that at close range she looked every inch the lady she really was, but hoped that no once notice the rip in the sides of her kimono.
She rode down the lane and through the pretty village, following then the sounds of laughter coming from the wood that fringed the hillside. Ahead was a group of boys and girls who had come to town to view the fireworks. Kaoru slipped down from her mare and joined them.
They were in high spirits. Some carried hampers of food, others blankets to spread while they ate their picnic while watching the fireworks.
How Kaoru longed to run and join them! But she had a more important task ahead of her. Leading the mare, she followed the path through the trees, and then remounted, leaving the merrymaking behind her. Ahead were spread two broad fields and beyond them, just visible in the moonlight, lay the ruins of Haruno Grange.
The house had been gutted by fire long ago, leaving nothing but a ghostly gray shell. It was as if, Kaoru reflected, after Sayoâ??s death Haruno Grange had been fated. The walls surrounding the grounds were crumbling, and the lawns and gardens sadly overgrown. Kaoru turned the mare away from the house, and along a weed-tangled path that led to a small clump of trees.
The light of the moon barely penetrated through the canopy of leaves and branches. For the first time, Kaoru began to feel afraid. An owl screeched somewhere overhead. A bat brushed by her cheek in the darkness. The creatures of the night were summoning their forces against her, the intruder. Kaoru shivered, uneasily aware of resentful eyes watching her from the trees.
She jumped down from the horse and tethered her securely to a tree. She also tied her cotton cloak to a branch, leaving herself dressed in the green kimono and lacy white shawl.
As a final contribution toward her ghostlike appearance, Kaoru lifted her hands and removed the ribbon from her hair, allowing her raven hair to cascade free and wild around her shoulders. Now she was ready!
Treading warily, she left the little wood and positioned herself behind a clump of bushes. Their thick, finger-like leaves formed sinister patterns in the darkness, but Kaoru refused to listen to the fearful hammering of her heart. For ahead of her lay the summer house.
It was smothered with ivy which had been allowed to grow unchecked over the door and windows. Yet the long grass roundabout had been cut, and recently, too, judging by the sweet fragrance lingering in the night air. That was probably thanks to Sanosuke, Kaoru decided, occupying himself with the scythe during the long, lonely nights in the grounds of Haruno Grange.
She could see Sanosuke now, sitting with his back to the summer house, eating onigiri and drinking sake. Kaoru imagined his mother packing it up for him in a clean white cloth.
â??Poor Sano,â?? Kaoru whispered, â??I really am sorry to be upsetting youâ?|and spoiling your supper, too.â??
But she knew that if she did not act now, her courage would fail her. Searching amongst the bushes, she selected a couple of heavy stones. These she threw, with the accurate aim learned from Soujirou in childhood, to land on the roof of the summer house.
As the stones clattered onto the only part of the tiled roof not choked by ivy, Sanosuke dropped his onigiri and leaped to his feet. Kaoru watched him walk suspiciously around the summer house, trying to find the cause of the disturbance. As soon as he reappeared, she threw back her lovely head and glided, soft and silent, down the hill toward him.
Sanosuke, looking up, stood transfixed, the scream dying in his throat. With the moon shining full upon her, the swaths of white shawl and green kimono floating in the breeze, Kaoru was an exquisite vision of green and white.
As Sanosuke stared, the apparition raised her arms, like an avenging angel come to seek justice. Sanosuke waited no longer. Heâ??who had always bravely maintained that he did not believe in ghostsâ??turned and fled.
Thank heaven for that, thought the ghost, listening to his dying footsteps with considerable relief. She ran to the summer house, but drew back at once in dismay. There on the door was a large, solid lock.
â??How stupid of me!â?? exclaimed Kaoru, â??Why did I not anticipate that the summer house would be locked? But I will not be beaten! There must be a way in somewhere.â??
Inch by inch, Kaoru felt her way around the sides of the summer house, plunging her hands through the stranglehold of ivy to the cold walls beneath. At last, she found what she was looking for. Tearing away the creeper, she revealed the rotting framework of a window. It was crusted with dirt, and within minutes Kaoruâ??s hands, face, and clothes were filthy. But she did not care. Within minutes she had pried apart the rusty catch, and pushed the creaking window wide enough to enable her to scramble through.
She landed on a cold, tiled floor. The summer house smelt musty and airless. It was pitch dark, but Kaoru had come prepared for that. Neatly secured in the deep hem of her dress was a candle and a small match. She lit the candle, placing it carefully in an old earthenware flowerpot she found lying on the tiles. Then holding the light aloft, she began her inspection of the place which had witnessed such terrible deeds committed within its walls.
How well she could imagine the meeting between Sayo and her lover. Here was a wicker table, and there a seat just large enough for two. Kaoru visualized the seat piled with cushions and the lovely Sayo lying in her loverâ??s embrace, her face kissed by the moonlight streaming through the window.
Lowering her candle, Kaoru noticed an irregular, dark brown stain on the floor. She froze. It must be the blood of the lovers, mingled together in a permanent reminder of their tragic death.
The thought drove Kaoru into action. I must act quickly, she told herself. If Sanosuke runs back to town and raises the alarm about the Haruno Grange ghost, it is possible that he may form a party to come and investigate.
The gold, Mrs. Fujita had said, had been hidden by Sayo beneath the floor of the summer house. Kaoru gazed helplessly at the tiles. Where should she start? It would take her all night to lift each of these tiles, for they were heavy and deeply embedded in the earth.
Kaoru refused to allow herself to panic. â??Think Kaoru,â?? she instructed herself sternly. â??If you were Sayo, where would you bury the gold?â??
Calmly, Kaoru carried her candle from one side of the summer house to the other as she studied the tiles. It was then she noticed that all the tiles were fashioned from red clayâ?|except one, almost hidden in the corner farthest from the door . This single tile was made of mellow sandstone.
Acting on a pure, sure instinct, Kaoru set the candle down and took a penknife from the hem of her kimono. Carefully, she chiseled out the earth from the side of the yellow tile. By the time she had finished, her elegant nails were ruined, while her hands were roughened and bleeding.
Oblivious of the pain from her smarting fingers, Kaoru gathered up all her strength and began to pry the tile from the floor. At her first attempt she fell back, exhausted. But she carried on and eventually she felt it move. Encouraged, she took a firm grip and pulled with a vigor she never knew she possessed. At last, the tile was safely removed and she was looking down into a hollowed-out space.
With her breath coming in short, excited gasps, Kaoru saw the leather bag lying in the space beneath the floor. She lifted it out. It was monstrously heavy. It must be the gold!
Trembling with anticipation, Kaoru felt inside the bag and drew out a gleaming old piece. She had found it! Sayoâ??s gold was hers, and soon Soujirou would be free to live the life he chose.
She held the piece of gold, cool and shining, against her burning cheek. And it was then that Kaoru became aware that she was not alone in the summer house.
Quite what alerted her, she never knew. Small soundsâ?|the creak of the window, a soft step, a muffled movement. Terrified, Kaoru pushed the bag of gold back into the hollow and snuffed out her candle.
As she did so, there came the unmistakable sound of a match being scraped. Another candle flared into life revealing the silhouette of a man standing to one side of the window.
Kaoruâ??s first instinct was to scream and run. But run where? Her only means of escape was the window, and the man was standing there, barring her way. She was trapped.
Trapped, but not defeated. She thought of her brother and his need for the gold. Her courage came flooding back. No, she would not allow anyone to stop her now. She had no idea who this intruder might be, but intruder was an appropriate name for him. He had no right to be here. She, after all, was a descendant of Sayo Kashiwazaki. But this man, standing still, silent, and sinister by the window, was clearly a thief. Very well, she resolved. I will frighten him away, as I frightened Sano!
Drawing up her shawl, she wound it around her face and glided slowly toward the man, praying he could not hear the distinctly un-ghostlike thumping of her heart. He stayed quite immobile until the apparition was within two feet of him. And then, to her consternation, he did the worst thing possible. He laughed.
Yet it was a laugh Kaoru recognized. An unmistakable, mocking sound that she had heard several times before. Confused, she dropped her shawl, and as her fingers relaxed, the gold coin clattered onto the tiled floor.
Kenshin bowed. â??Good evening, my dear Miss Kaoru.â??
Recovering swiftly from her fear and surprise, Kaoru said with more than a touch of annoyance, â??I might have known it would be you! How dare you laugh at me like that! You were supposed to be terrified in the face of Sayo Kashiwazakiâ??s ghost.â??
Kenshin smiled, and as he lifted his candle Kaoru observed that his eyes held an amber gleam. â??I must confess, Kaoru, I am not all that familiar with the ways of ghosts. Even so, Iâ??m positive that genuine apparitions do not wear dirt-streaked dresses or have cobwebs and ivy in their hair.â??
Kaoru sighed. â??Oh, I had forgotten what a trouble it was breaking in here.â??
â??And may I ask,â?? said Kenshin pleasantly, â??just what you are doing here?â??
For a moment, Kaoru contemplated not telling him the truth. But there was something so compelling about Kenshin that she knew she could not lie to him. Besides, he had heard the gold coin fall to the floor.
Stooping, she lifted the leather bag of gold. â??I came for this,â?? she said defiantly.
â??Did you now?â?? replied Kenshin. â??What a coincidence. So did I.â??
She stared up at him, appalled, suddenly aware of his superior strength and power.
â??But I need it,â?? she blurted. â??For my brother Soujirou. He is desperate to join our Army in Taiwan.â??
â??How very strange,â?? said Kenshin softly, â??for that is exactly why I, too, need the gold.â??
Kaoru felt as if he had dealt her a physical blow. â??Youâ?|you are going away?â?? she whispered.
He nodded. â??In about six weeksâ?? time. My affairs are almost settled in Japan, and I want to fight for my country.â??
Kaoru sensed that she was being torn in two. How brave of Kenshin to wish to join the battle against the hated French. But how could she bear the thought that he was no longer in Japan, that he was in the midst of the bloody battle, perhaps wounded, on some alien, foreign field?
Gripping the bag of gold tightly, she backed away from him.
â??You will not have it!â?? she declared fiercely. â??I found it first! I have a right to it. Sayo Kashiwazaki was my ancestor. She was nothing to you. And I need the money for my brother!â??
â??Thatâ??s true,â?? said Kenshin calmly, his gray eyes glittering amber in the light of the flickering candle. â??But I am, for the moment, regrettably short of funds. The gold must be mine.â??
As he spoke, he advanced toward her. Quite suddenly, he pounced, seizing the leather bag. She snatched at his arm, kicking and clawing at him in a total frenzy.
â??No! Give it to me, you beast, you thief!â??
He was strong and easily fended her off. As the tears streamed down her face, Kaoru unexpectedly found herself held in his arms.
â??My dearest, bravest girl,â?? he was saying tenderly. â??Of course I will not take all the gold from you. There is enough here for both your brother and me. Here, we will share it.â??
He tipped the gleaming coins onto the floor and divided them until in one pile there were twenty-one, and in the other twenty. He scooped the twenty-one into the leather bag and pressed it into her trembling hand.
â??Take these for your brother,â?? he said.
â??But you have one less,â?? murmured Kaoru, feeling calmer now.
â??As I remember, you dropped one,â?? he said. â??Ah, here it is, under the table.â?? He handed it to her. â??This coin is for you. As a souvenir of this episode, and our previous adventures together. I would hate you to forget me, Kaoru.â??
She felt too forlorn to speak. At last she whispered, â??You mean, I will never see you again?â??
â??Next month I am going away to war,â?? he replied. â??Anything could happen to me. Keep the gold piece, Kaoru, and when you gaze upon it, remember me and the times we have shared.â??
She opened her mouth to protest, to plead with him not to go into battle and leave her. But already he was replacing the yellow tile, snuffing out the candle, and making ready for them to leave.
â??How did you get here?â?? Kenshin asked.
â??I brought my horse with me,â?? she said softly.
â??Where did you tether your horse?â?? he asked.
â??In the wood at the top of the hill,â?? she replied miserably.
Gently, Kenshin lifted her through the window and then pulled the ivy back over the frame, leaving the summer house to mourn amongst its memories once more. He then accompanied Kaoru up the hill and assisted her onto the faithful mare.
â??So you are riding bareback?â?? he said admiringly. â??What an amazing girl you are, Kaoru.â??
She could not find the words to reply. She was too sadly aware that this was the last time she would ever have with her red-haired, cross- scarred friend.
The air was heady with romance, increasing Kaoruâ??s sense of melancholy and loss. The man she loved was leaving her! Her great adventure was all but over. All she had to look forward to was a wretched marriage to a man she loathe.
When they reached the stable gate of the Kamiya mansion, Kenshin lifted her down from the mare. â??This is where we must part,â?? he murmured.
She gazed up at him, her eyes misty with tears.
â??Goodbye, Kaoru,â?? he said softly. â??Keep the gold piece I gave you, and think of me sometimes.â??
â??I will think of you always,â?? she breathed.
His eyes held hers for a long, dreamlike moment. Then, swiftly, he bent and kissed her very lightly on the lips. For a second it seemed as if he was about to say more, but instead he turned abruptly.
He raised his hand in a final salute and then disappeared into the night, leaving the desolate Kaoru with only her memories and the burning touch of his lips on hers.
AUTHORâ??S NOTES:
Again THANK YOU MINNA! Especially to the following: Jason M. Lee, Chibi-Angel (who kindly gave me some suggestions), Kori Suketchi, Battousai Angel, Macy, Omochi, LSR-7, Sync*in, Inuki, Bunny, M@ry and Linay. Donâ??t worry Kenshin isnâ??t leaving yet. See ya in the next chapter!
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