The Scarlet Kimono (Choc Lit) by Christina Courtenay Read Free Book Online Page B

and shrugged slightly.
    Hannah sighed and made her way into the draughty hall. Here she sank onto the lowest step of the staircase and leaned her head against the wall. She couldn’t bear to watch her sister or the captain for another instant. It would only make her think about their supposed assignation.
    ‘Sorry, lady, you no feel good?’
    Hannah jumped and raised her eyes to look into the face of the Chinaman. She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out.
    ‘You sick?’ he asked again, putting out a hand to feel her forehead. She jerked back and scooted up a step out of his immediate reach before realising that she was acting no better than the people who had made cruel comments about him. She slid back down.
    ‘No! No, I … that is, yes, a little. My, my head hurts.’
    He stepped back a pace and smiled, then bowed politely. ‘No need be afraid, I only want to help.’ Hannah relaxed slightly as he began to rummage in a small pouch hanging off his belt. ‘Ah, koko ni aru . Here.’ He brought out a small phial and held it out. ‘In drink, put three drops, headache gone.’ He smiled and bowed again, offering the phial to her.
    ‘Oh, uhm, thank you, but I’m not sure I can accept this.’
    ‘Please, lady. Will make you better, promise.’ He nodded and bowed yet again. ‘I fetch, yes?’
    Hannah took the tiny vessel reluctantly, then waited while he went in search of a drink. He returned surprisingly quickly with some light ale and administered the dose himself with great ceremony. Hannah didn’t have the heart to refuse to take it and drank it down.
    ‘Good. Now rest, feel better soon,’ Hodgson said.
    ‘Thank you. You’re very kind.’ Hannah looked at him and again she felt ashamed of the way he had been treated earlier. ‘I, uhm, I’m sorry everyone stared at you so,’ she stammered, wanting to make amends somehow. To her surprise his face split into a huge grin.
    ‘Is fine,’ he said. ‘I stare back. Your people – very ugly, but I used to it now.’
    Hannah gasped. He found them all ugly? ‘Surely not?’ she said, then suddenly burst into laughter. Now she understood his earlier amusement. ‘I suppose that makes us even then,’ she said and stood up. Her head had stopped throbbing already and the room didn’t spin quite as much as before.
    He nodded. ‘Yes.’ His eyes were twinkling and she found herself warming to him even more.
    ‘Shall we go back into the parlour?’ she said. ‘Or would you like me to find you something to eat? You missed the meal earlier.’
    ‘Thank you, but have eaten before. Must go. Captain say not stay too long.’
    ‘Oh, I see.’ Hannah wanted to ask him to keep her company for a while longer, but knew she couldn’t go against the captain’s wishes. Hodgson was after all his servant. ‘Very well. Thank you again for coming to my aid.’
    ‘ Dozo onegai shimasu ,’ he said, which she took to mean ‘you are welcome’. ‘ Sayonara. ’ With another deep bow he was gone.
    Hannah sat on the stairs for a long time, staring after him and wishing he could have stayed.
    She was called into her father’s counting room the day after the feast and found him behind his desk as usual, with her mother hovering nearby.
    ‘Ah, there you are.’ Hannah noticed her father affected a false cheerfulness, as if it would help to sway her in favour of whatever he was going to say. Since she’d already guessed what that was, this ruse was doomed to failure.
    ‘You sent for me?’ She stopped a few feet away from the desk and clasped her hands behind her back to stop them from trembling.
    ‘Yes, indeed. I have some excellent news. I’ve received a most flattering offer for your hand in marriage and your mother and I have decided to accept on your behalf. Mr Hesketh was here this morning, as I’m sure you know, and we agreed terms. Very generous, I’ll have you know.’
    ‘I see. Don’t I have a choice? After all, I’m the one who’ll have to marry