Thanks to Sanosuke's driving, the normally three hour trip was completed in just shy of two and a half. Sanosuke had called the house when they were an hour out to let the staff know to expect them for lunch.
"Will that be enough time for them to prepare a meal? I don't mind grabbing lunch along the way."
"They've known we're coming so the staff was already getting ready, it was just a matter of what time they needed to set the table. Thank you though, it's good to know you're not squeamish about eating at a mom and pop."
Megumi lifted her chin at Sano's implication. "Excuse me, but I am not a snob."
"Didn't say ya were. Just a clean freak though."
"I resent that. I am hardly a clean freak." Sanosuke turned to her as if to say 'Sure.' "I'm not! Rather, I'm on the safe side but I'm not obsessive about it."
"If you say so." Sano smirked. Megumi narrowed her eyes at him.
"Washing your hands regularly and not touching questionable surfaces doth not a clean freak make."
Upon their arrival, they were met by the Yoshida's, an elderly couple who had taken care of the estate for the Sagaras since before Sano had been born. Megumi watched as Sano warmly greeted Toshio and Hitomi, hugging them both. Megumi could tell they adored Sano by how Hitomi held his hands and how Toshio broke into a smile.
"This is Ms. Takani. Dr. and Mrs. Takani will be coming up with Otousan and Okaasan this evening. Megumi didn't miss how Sano didn't introduce her as his fiancée. She didn't know if she was grateful for it. Megumi and the Yoshida's bowed. It seemed Toshio still guessed at her connection to Sano as shown by the smile and the twinkle in his eye.
"Welcome, Ms. Takani. It's a pleasure to meet any friend of the Young Master's."
"Toshio-san, I told ya to stop calling me 'Young Master. It's so formal.'" Sano rubbed the back of his head, his expression mock-petulant.
It was a testament to their decades of service and their place in Sano's affection when Hitomi shook her head in disagreement. "We were around before your father was born and we witnessed you grow up into a wonderful young man. You will always be the Young Master to us."
Megumi had to hide a smile when Sano reddened at the faithful servant's declaration. Megumi broke in to relieve Sano from his apparent state of embarrassment, although she herself found it extremely endearing.
"It's lovely to meet people who have taken such good care of Sano." Sano smiled gratefully at Megumi for diverting the Yoshida's attention.
"Welcome, Ms. Takani. We hope you enjoy your stay."
"Thank you, I'm sure I will. And please, call me Megumi."
Toshio ordered two house hands to unload the weekend cases from Sano's car into their respective bedrooms.
~O~O~O~
The Sagara home was a large, sprawling, single-level mansion seamlessly blending traditional shoin-zukuri elements and comforts of a Japanese home with European elegance and modern amenities. Megumi found it lovely and was gratified by the pleased expression on Sano's face when she told him as much. Sano proved himself an excellent guide as he walked Megumi through the various rooms to kill time before lunch.
"The land has been in the family since the 17th century. It's been cut down to about half the size it used to be since then, though. The original mansion didn't suffer any major damage during World War II but a fire burned down half of it in '55 which led to almost a decade of redesigning and reconstruction. Some of the old house still remains. You'll recognize it when you see it."
Megumi understood what Sano meant when he took her to the center of the mansion. Aged hardwood pillars lent a majestic air to the hall, giving Megumi a thrill to be in a structure that had been around for centuries.
"Yeah, I feel that way too. Every time." Megumi looked at Sano in surprise. She hadn't said anything. As if to answer her unspoken question, he added, "It shows on your face." She hadn't been aware he was even looking at her. Megumi's cheeks dusted a light pink.
"I like history so thank you for sharing this house's story." She smoothed her hand over a square-cut pillar. "I love that even if we live in a modern age where technology and scientific advancement is a day-to-day occurrence, we can still look back at where we came from. It's rather humbling but at the same time…" She trailed off, unable to put her feelings to words.
"It's an honor." Sano injected. Megumi nodded her head in agreement. "It's an honor to be the caretakers of such a rich piece of history."
"Yes." Megumi's voice escaped in a whisper. Her heart beat faster and her senses seemed to focus solely on the man standing before her. Sano was looking at her, holding her gaze captive. The space between them felt charged and Megumi wondered what it would feel like if, maybe, Sano kissed her. The sound of approaching footsteps had her taking half a step back, eyes wide. Sano quickly turned around, his larger frame shielding the flustered young woman from the servant who entered to inform them that lunch was ready.
"Megumi?" Sano held out his hand to her. She took it after a moment's hesitation. Sano didn't speak but tucked her hand into his arm and led the way to the dining room.
~O~O~O~
Lunch was a simple affair but each dish was extremely delicious. Sano explained that Hitomi supervised the household and was an excellent cook.
"Hitomi-san inspired my love for home-cooked meals. For a time when I was growing up, she and Toshio-san lived with us in the city. She kept me well-fed." He smiled at the memory. "When I went off to college, they returned here since my parents were often away anyway."
"When do I get to taste Hitomi-san's protégé's celebrated itamemono?" Megumi asked with a smile. There had been no mention of the incident in the main hall and for that, she was relieved. She wouldn't even know where to begin if that conversation came up.
Sano lowered his bowl. "I haven't forgotten. If Hitomi-san won't mind, I'll handle tomorrow's lunch."
After lunch, Sano excused himself to attend to estate matters, leaving Megumi in Mrs. Yoshida's capable hands. The elderly woman was tickled pink when Megumi praised the meal and mentioned how Sano still fondly remembered her cooking from when he was a boy.
"The Young Master, bless his heart, is too kind. He makes this old woman's heart younger whenever he visits."
Mrs. Yoshida led Megumi to the wing where all the bedrooms were located, the only side of the house she still had not seen from Sano's earlier tour. The rooms for the family were to the right of the hallway and the guest rooms were across, on the left. Megumi was given a room next to her parents'. Asking her to let the staff know if she needed anything, Mrs. Yoshida left Megumi to rest if she wished.
~O~O~O~
Her assigned room, minimalist in its furnishing and décor, was lovely in an understated way. A set of shoji stood open, allowing a refreshing breeze to waft in from the garden. A low bed was centered against the opposite wall from the hallway; from a single touch, Megumi could tell the sheets were of the finest Egyptian cotton. A glance in the closest showed that her clothes for the weekend were already unpacked. Feeling restless, Megumi decided to stretch her legs. She grabbed her sneakers and stopped by the kitchen on her way out, asking Mrs. Yoshida where the best place would be for a walk. The elderly lady suggested the back garden, the one that Megumi's room overlooked. Megumi thanked her and exited the house.
She must have been in the garden for about fifteen minutes when a bark somewhere behind her caused Megumi's heart to skip a beat. She whirled around in alarm, hand to her throat, suddenly terrified that the estate might have large dogs who didn't appreciate strange women walking around. She couldn't see the dog but she didn't dare move just in case she excited it into running after her. A sharp whistle rang out and a series of short barks followed. Unable to see the animal and deciding it was better to know what was going on than to wait until it came after her, Megumi gathered her courage and retraced her steps. She was met with the sight of Sano being enthusiastically greeted by a tawny bear of a dog. Sano was crouched down on the path, long arms keeping the overly excited canine from licking his face. "Down, boy. It's good to see ya too." The dog finally settled down, its shaggy tail still wagging happily. Suddenly the dog caught Megumi's scent and bounded in her direction. Megumi froze. "Notaro, heel!" Sano called out in an authoritative voice. The dog immediately stopped and dropped on its haunches, whimpering sadly as if it had been reprimanded. Sano strode past Notaro and grasped Megumi's arms. "Are you okay?" Megumi nodded, laughing weakly.
"I'm sorry, he just surprised me."
"You're still afraid of dogs, aren't you?
When she was five, a dog had gotten free from its master and run up to a terrified Megumi as she and some other children had been playing in the park. She wasn't harmed, but she had been extremely wary of dogs ever since.
"You remember that?" Megumi asked in surprise.
"I don't forget where you're concerned." With that statement Sano drew Megumi to his side and turned back toward Notaro. "Here, boy." The dog got up and trotted over obediently. Sano knelt down, pulling an unresisting Megumi down with him. "This is Megumi, she's with me." With his free hand, Sano patted the dog's hand who gave a happy grin, his tongue hanging out. "It's okay, he won't hurt you. He's still a puppy and gets easily carried away." Megumi extended her hand tentatively. Notaro sniffed the offered hand and crowded closer when she petted him on the head. "See? He likes you." Megumi nodded and relaxed a little more against Sano.
"Yeah."
"Come on, I'll give ya a tour of the gardens before everyone else arrives."
Itamemono - Japanese stir fry
Shoji - traditional sliding doors.
Notes on the story:
I've decided to move the timeline back to September instead of the story starting in December. I've gone back and tweaked the previous chapters to reflect that.
As always, thank you, thank you, to my readers. Please do review, it makes me happy and that helps get me in a writing mood! Win-win! Have a happy and safe weekend, everyone!