Seger, Maura (12 page)

On a low lacquer table, an earthenware jug held a single sprig of maple leaves, their glowing russet tone adding warmth to the paleness of the straw mats covering the floor and the oiled paper squares set in the ceiling to form a skylight.

The disparaging comments of Westerners who found Japanese architecture uncomfortably austere came back to her as she marveled at her own response. Far from being put off by the almost total absence of furniture or other ornamentation, she found the house soothing and peaceful. It was a refuge from the cluttered morass of day-to-day existence. No wonder Storm had chosen to live here rather than in the crowded Western enclave.

She was about to say as much when the sudden appearance of a woman hurrying from the back of the house cut her off. Erin watched with growing dismay as the kimono-clad beauty smiled shyly before bowing first to Storm and then to her.

In softly accented English, she said, "I am so sorry I was not here to receive you. Please forgive me."

"That's quite all right," Storm assured her, his voice gentle as he eyed the woman's bent head. "Odetsu, this is Erin Conroy. She will be staying here."

Turning to Erin, he said, "Odetsu is my housekeeper and easily the most valued member of my staff. She never raises her voice - above a whisper, but she could give any master sergeant lessons on getting things done."

Though he spoke humorously, his manner made it clear that he held the young Japanese woman in high esteem. Erin could hardly blame him. With her delicate features set off by huge almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones and a full mouth, her honeyed skin and her sleek black hair coiled at the nape of her slender neck, Odetsu was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her ivory kimono embroidered with cloud, wave and shell motifs and secured by a scarlet sash emphasized the perfection of her slender form. Every motion she made was graceful, as though she were a flawless blossom blown gently by the wind. Her air of deference and self-effacement was unmistakable, as was her genuine concern that her employer might be put out by her failure to be at the door waiting to greet him.

"Please," she murmured as she bowed yet again, "allow me to welcome your guest." Addressing Erin directly for the first time, she added softly, "If you like, I will show you to your room now."

"I'm sure Miss Conroy is anxious to get settled," Storm said mockingly. "I will leave her in your capable hands. See to it that she is ready to dine with me tonight."

Without another look at his outraged guest, who was having a more-than-difficult time coping with such blatantly male pomposity, he strode off. The deep-throated chuckle that floated behind him only added to her disgust. Erin's hands were tightly clenched and her sky-blue eyes glittered dangerously as she snapped, "It isn't necessary for you to see to anything, Odetsu. Just tell me where my room is and I will take care of myself."

If she had struck the girl, she could not have provoked a more shocked response. Odetsu's vermilion-hued mouth trembled as her eyes took on the look of a wounded doe's.

"Please," she whispered, "I have done something to give offense?"

Baffled by such an extreme reaction, Erin shook her head. "No, of course not. I only meant that there is no need for you to worry about me, when I'm sure you have plenty to do elsewhere."

"That does not matter," Odetsu said with gentle firmness. "Davin-san said to look after you. Therefore, I will do so."

Erin eyed her uncomfortably, suspecting that
if Davin-san
told her to walk through fire, she would promptly immolate herself. Such slavish devotion was disconcerting under the best of circumstances. When it came from an undeniably beautiful woman and was directed toward a man whom Erin could not help but want for herself, she was hard pressed to deal with it.

"I really don't need any help," she began tentatively, "but if you insist. . ."

Odetsu did. Beneath her gentle, serene demeanor lurked a streak of stubbornness not even Erin could overcome. Within minutes she had guided her to the spacious chamber she would occupy, seen to the unpacking of her trunk, ordered a bath prepared and sent a bashful serving girl for a tray of green tea and rice cakes.

Delighted by her room, which like the rest of the house was classically Japanese in style, Erin would have been perfectly content to be left alone to get acquainted with her new surroundings. But that was not to be the case. To her dismay, Odetsu gently but firmly insisted on helping her off with her clothes.

As she did so, she kept up a soothing stream of questions about Western fashion, which had the effect of distracting Erin so thoroughly that she barely had time to note that every scrap of covering was removed from her before she was wrapped in an exquisitely soft silk robe and led over to a low table on which the tray of refreshments had been set.

Following Odetsu's lead, she settled down on her knees before it, finding the position uncomfortable but tolerable. As she sipped the tea and nibbled politely at a cake, the Japanese woman took down her hair and gently brushed it free of tangles.

"How beautiful," Odetsu said with apparent sincerity. "I have never seen hair like this. It is almost as dark as mine, but it catches the light in a different way." She studied it for a moment before declaring, "Davin-san is right. You should wear it down so that it flows over your skin like silk."

Erin swallowed the sip of tea she had just taken too hastily and coughed. She did not doubt for a moment that Storm was perfectly capable of speaking of her in such intimate terms. But the thought of what else he might have said to his housekeeper made her flush.

Was Odetsu aware of her true reason for being in his home? If so, it was difficult to understand why she was being so friendly and kind. Even the best-trained Western housekeeper would look down her nose at a woman in Erin's position.

But if Odetsu saw anything the least untoward about it, she hid it well. Against her will, Erin found herself relaxing as the tensions of the last few days slid away. When her bath was ready, she went into it unhesitantly.

The separate room paneled in aromatic cedar planks and dominated by a huge, steaming tub was only one more delightful discovery in a house that seemed to possess an endless supply of them.

Guided by Odetsu, Erin washed thoroughly before entering the water. The extremely high temperature made her gasp, but she found herself quickly adjusting to it. Muscles she hadn't even realized were clenched relaxed and became fluid as she leaned back against the rim of the tub, letting her body float languidly. Breathing deeply, she savored the fragrance of jasmine incense burning nearby.

She was dimly aware of Odetsu moving about the chamber, keeping a close eye on her to make sure she didn't remain too long in the extremely hot water. But the sounds she made were carefully muted and did not intrude on Erin's thoughts. Reluctant though she was to do anything to disturb her unexpected serenity, she could not help but consider what lay ahead in the next few hours.

The contradictory feelings Storm never failed to set off in her were once again at work. The mere thought of being made a woman by him was enough to make her tremble with excitement even as she had to fight against the sense of panic that threatened to rob her of all courage.

Briefly she wondered if it would do any good to ask him for more time. Everything she knew about him convinced her it would not. Once set on a course, he was not likely to be deterred for any reason. Nor could she honestly claim to want any delay. Each slowly passing moment was enough of a torment without wishing to extend them further.

At last Odetsu came to fetch her from the tub, gently toweling her dry as she exclaimed with concern over the bruises and abrasions left from her encounter with the ronin. At her insistence, Erin allowed a soothing salve to be rubbed into her limbs before she was dressed.

As she stood naked in the center of the room, giggling servant girls appeared with a magnificent silk robe in shades of violet darkening to mauve at the hem. The color brought out the delicate rose hue of her complexion and gave an added sparkle to crystal blue eyes already bright with emotions she did not care to identify.

Although she had long ago given up the habit of lacing, she was still a bit dismayed to realize that the robe was meant to be slipped on without benefit of undergarments. Yet despite this, it proved a perfect fit.

The scoop neckline revealed the high curve of her breasts, but was not so low-cut as to make her uncomfortable. The wide sleeves fell gracefully down her slender arms to conceal her hands. A broad sash emphasized the narrow span of her waist and the ripe curve of her hips.

It was only when she moved that Erin recognized the full attraction of the garment. Slit up the front, it opened with each step, revealing a creamy expanse of slender legs clear to her thighs.

Unable to still her protest, she said, "I'd prefer to wear something else. Some of my own clothes, or perhaps a kimono like yours."

Odetsu shook her head firmly. "Davin-san does not like Western styles in his home, and my clothes would not be comfortable for you."

Erin could hardly argue with that. Though Odetsu's garments were beautifully made, they so tightly restricted her movements as to leave her all but hobbled. Having heard of the Chinese custom of binding women's feet, she had to give the Japanese credit for going one better and tethering the entire body.

The sash Odetsu called an
obi
was so wide that it encased almost her entire torso in a rigid tube of material. As though that were not enough, the folds of the kimono itself were pulled so snugly that they would not open above the knees.

When she moved, she looked for all the world as though her legs were bound together, as in effect they were. Even her soft white socks that took the place of shoes in the house looked uncomfortable, with the toes rigidly separated in a way nature had surely not intended.

By comparison, Erin's robe left her utterly unfettered and free. She could not help but note the contrast and wonder what, if anything, it was meant to convey.

Storm had praised Japanese women, yet he seemed to have no wish to force her into their mold. She could only hope he would continue to be as tolerant as the last barriers between them vanished and the emotions shaped by eight tumultuous years were finally released.

Chapter Nine

Erin had never before considered it an act of courage to walk down a hallway and enter a room. But as she followed Odetsu through the house to where Storm awaited her, she needed all her determination to put one foot in front of the other.

She wasn't helped by the fact that her robe kept gapping open with each step, until she was driven to hold it shut with a tightly clenched hand. Even then the thinness of the fabric and the way it clung to her curves added to her spiraling nervousness.

By the time Odetsu slid open a screen partition and beckoned her to enter, Erin was trembling. Nothing she had ever imagined had prepared her for this moment.

Vainly she wished she had paid more attention to the giggling confidences of young girls exchanging what little information they could ferret out about the mysteries of love. However much of it might have been inaccurate, she would at least feel better prepared to deal with whatever lay ahead. Instead, she felt for all the world as though she were jumping off a cliff.

Pride stiffened her spine and held her head erect as she stepped into a room much like the one she herself occupied, but larger and more elaborately furnished. A low lacquer table set against a wall held papers and maps. Beside it, shelves built into a recess were crowded with books.

Across the room, a raised platform was covered by a mattress and quilts. Nearby, another table was surrounded by silk cushions and set with stoneware dishes and a charcoal brazier. The dining area faced a grouping of indoor plants placed on polished stones. A tiny waterfall sent glistening droplets of light and sound down among the verdant setting.

Her spirit responded intuitively to the harmonious surroundings, so much so that for a moment she began to relax. Until she saw the man standing in the shadows at the far end of the room. As Storm turned to her, all her apprehension returned tenfold.

He was dressed in an ankle-length robe of heavy black silk loosely belted at his narrow waist. Against the richly dark material, the burnished skin of his hair-roughened chest shone clearly. He looked even bigger and more threatening than he had when he killed the samurai, only now it was on her that his attention focused.

The heat of his gaze taking in every detail of her appearance made her flush. She knew full well that he missed nothing, from the top of her shining hair falling in a silken tumult down her back, to the tips of her slipper-shod feet peeking out from beneath her robe.

What he saw must have pleased him, for he smiled sardonically. "I see my instructions were carried out, Odetsu. You have done very well."

The Japanese woman bowed, obviously relieved by her employer's praise. Modestly she said, "Miss Conroy is very beautiful, Davin-san. It was necessary to do very little."

Erin's chagrined look did not go unnoticed by Storm. He laughed softly as he came toward her. "No matter how annoyed you try to appear, you will not be able to convince me that you didn't enjoy Odetsu's pampering." Perceptively, he added, "I would guess it's been a long time since you were so well cared for."

That was true. Erin's busy fife had left little time or energy to coddle herself, and Meg's advancing age made her spare the older woman all possible effort. She had forgotten how good it could feel to be looked after. Reluctant though she was to admit as much, she couldn't deny the truth of what he said.

Turning to Odetsu, she smiled gently. "Thank you for your help. But you really mustn't be concerned about looking after me while I'm here. I'm sure you have quite enough to do as it is."

Surprised by such consideration, the Japanese woman was flustered for a moment. But she quickly recovered and returned Erin's smile before hurrying away to check on dinner.