9.

The weather following after this was foul and filled with anger. It rained heavily and the sky cracked several time sunder the weight of the lightning bolts. The sea was tumultuous and uncalmly, crashing the waves against the beachside. For a few hours, as it heavily rained, the waters grew gradually, but no matter how much it took them to grow, they would not reach the house or the front porch, for that matter.

I could hear Kayo – or better said, my new wife – in the music room, playing at her instrument concentrated and unmissing a single string. She had been angry since the brief wedding ceremony and we had hardly spoken since then. But the effect had been most benefic, for no one bothered us for a time and Nancy had even mentioned that most of the evil rumours addressed to the mistress of the house had gradually ceased and that not only had they gone, but that new ones appeared with people assuring others that they had been the first to assume this woman would marry before the end of this year.

I came to realize that perhaps under the weight of this small community, not only had I made a fool out of the woman I was married to, but I had also entrapped myself perhaps in a marriage I would not have gotten myself into. I had taken a deep liking to this woman and there were few things unlikeable of her. She was young and fresh, fetching to the eye and she was no uneducated child at all. By all means, she was fortunate as well, and as stubborn and brave as any man would be. But I hardly knew the depths of who she really was and why she had come to be here in the first place. Same would have gone for myself as well, she knew very little of me and the knowledge perhaps which she held helped create a most unfortunate image, perhaps that of a gold-digger, a stranger who enjoyed making a fool of any young single woman he met on the path of his life.

I decided to draw near to this woman, apply the rules of any newly married man and try to make amends for the abrupt, impulsive decision I had made for the both of us. But as soon as the following day came, this woman refused to see me, if anything, she locked herself in the study and refused to speak or to handle orders, convinced that now, had she a husband, I would do better to order around than she would. But the truth in fact was that – although I now shared everything which was rightfully hers – I still believed the house bore no relation to me and I was still yet in preparation to become its head. That was how I knew however that this woman had stubbornly agreed to herself that she would surpass her chores as head of the house to me – a righteous thing by written paper in accordance to the marriage certificate – but she did so in spite, because she knew I would not be able to handle everything orderly, myself knowing so little of the place.

Soon, Liesl came by with her mother, a young woman of thirty-seven and a beautiful one at that, and she knew to speak to Kayo of her daughter's music lessons, apologizing for the absence. I knew all too well the child had gone missing because of the foul rumours perhaps the reverent had spread, but now that things were settled in the house, such nonsense would no longer be available, and perhaps the mother conceived to let her child continue on with the lessons, for there would be nothing shameful of it. Yet, even to this, Kayo refused to accept anyone, claiming that it was "her husband's choice alone that she carry on with the task at hand". I smiled guiltily, while Liesl eyed me curiously, before she smiled widely.

'Oh, how wonderful! And you make sure a lovely couple, don't they, Mommy?'

'A fine one indeed, if I may say so myself, my dear. Please to excuse the boldness, sir, but this is indeed good news, I take it.'

'Thank you, Madam.'

'Pray tell me, sir, when this this fortunate event occurred? I am certain Father Johnson officialized everything, yet he mentioned nothing to us. But I will admit, sir, to my simple-mindedness that there have been rumours…'

'It only occurred a few days ago, Madam. It was, uh, quite sudden, I suspect.'

'Oh, that is wonderful indeed, and how dreadfully romantic! Permit me to invite you to dine at our house, I am certain Liesl would be positively enchanted by the idea!'

'Oh, yes, please, Christopher, you must come to our house! Papa would love you hear the tales you often tell about your sailing adventures!'

I smiled, confused at the child's holding my arm, while she smiled widely, so optimistic and her mother behind her, encouraging the communication and the invitation itself. I stared at her smiling charmingly, unable to decide for myself, and so I took one glance at the woman beside her, following in the darkness of the study, the door of which she had left open when the guests arrived.

Kayo was staring at the child and at the mother with both hands glued together calmly in front of the dress and her expression bore no feeling whatsoever. I could see she was determined to make my life miserable, now that I had forced her into a decision she did not like one bit. 'What say you, wife?' I asked her in spite myself, and to the title I gave her, her eyes glowed with hatred. She looked away.

'It is your decision entirely.'

I pressed my lips together and then I smiled to Liesl who practically begged while staring into my eyes. She smiled widely when I nodded to her and agreed to the arrangement. Even Nancy heard the fine news and was smiling to know that she'd finally loosen up on her chores and she would at least be busier with the preparations necessary for such a visit.

Liesl's mother was very happy upon the news and because of my health problem, she offered to send her carriage to carry us to the house down town. At first, I offered to thank her kindly and that she should not bother that we would find a way to come, but she insisted, and so I had to agree to the arrangement.

After they left, it was agreed that the dinner invitation would be consumed a day from now and that Nancy should start with preparations as soon as possible. For once, she would need to buy myself appropriate clothes for the occasion and even though I found it strange, I heard Kayo ask her in a low voice that I should be given her father's clothes, so well kept in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Nancy was all too happy for the arrangement and she washed and ironed most of the day without complaining. I was left to wonder the house alone, training on my lump leg and with the makeshift cane I was given, while my wife did everything to avoid coming in contact with me.

Under the circumstances, I was also give the keys to the rooms, so I was now able to roam freely without accusation, except for the key to my wife's study, which she refused to give under any circumstances. I made no use for other keys as well, which is why I agreed to the task without comment.

But I gradually met with the place and discovered the manor had two extra bedrooms, two bathrooms, a changing room, a small tea room and a ballroom, along with a large incorporate foyer which enclosed the most beautiful sea view I'd ever seen. The windows were barred in glass and steel bolts, the floor glass-like and thick enough to sustain a great weight of many people, there were a few pieces of furniture decorating the place and there was a single simple makeshift bed by the side of the large windowed walls, showing off the beach side, the wild sea and the distant lighthouse.

I was told that this was one of my wife's favourite places, which she visited often, so I asked Nancy that she prepare it for a second one as well. She understood what I meant and smiled, handling the task quickly. I sat by the windows and stared at the wild sea for a while, remembering the times when I went at sea and I played a foolish waterboy.

Soon, the door opened and slowly, it creaked under the weight of the pusher. Finally, the squeaking ceased and I realized that the person was not Nancy because she would have entered without such slow gestures.

This person pulled the door shut. 'Do not leave. Come here beside me for a while.'

I could feel her compel because she knew that she needed to abide. It took her a while however and when Kayo finally came by my side, her hands were both held down enclosed in fingers, while she was frowning. She was no longer wearing the silk coat she enjoyed wearing before and her hair was braided to one side, all of this just to show me that she'd changed her ways because of me and that I should either be pleased or regretful of myself.

'I'm told this is your favourite room from the house. I can understand why.'

She stood silent.

'You must be spending a long time here if you had Nancy prepare a bed for you in this chamber. The view is breathtaking, I believe, especially at break of dawn.'

From the corner of my eyes, I watched her behavior, but she was determined to show herself obedient, yet non-submissive. But the false silver ring was still enclosed on her middle finger and I understood that however stubborn and mischievous this woman may be, Kayo in essence was loyal and took such rituals seriously. The ring caught my attention and it was the only thing to force my mind into conversing furthermore.

'I apologize for this, I should have offered much better for your hands. I assume the ring feels fake and unfitting.'

'It does actually. It's heavy and it's unsuitable for my delicate fingers. It falls off constantly and sometimes I have to wash off the dirt from it.'

She was saying this to spite me. 'I will offer you a better one when the time comes.'

'I will not want another. This one's a whole lot itself.'

'Kayo, I can understand your anger.'

'Oh, I think you do not. You haven't the slightest idea.'

I frowned at her. 'You are a very stubborn woman, are you not? And a proud one at that. You must have had a mind of your own since a very young age. Well, I've had one too, Kayo, and you should imagine how I should have felt when I saw a perfect stranger, a woman by all means, make use of her money to pay a debt she had no relation to the payment. And the burden of it was mine alone, Kayo, and you foolishly believed that you could wipe it off without any consequences! Do you realize how it would have looked like to anyone, had I agreed to the arrangement? News travels fast in these parts and I assure you, if the townsmen had anything unkind of you to speak of, then paying my debt under no obligation whatsoever would have sealed it under any circumstances.'

'Then perhaps I should not have had you in the house to begin with. You have brought nothing but misfortune to me.'

I frowned harder and felt insulted. 'Perhaps you should not have, Madam!'

She looked away. 'Well, rejoice! The house is yours now, as am I. You may do with us as you please.'

'You should not have it this way, woman! The place is and will always be yours.'

'The money is yours as well. Whatever is left of it. You are, as of this week, a rich man, Mr. Chase. And by laws of this world, the money will be yours, even if I leave or die.'

I frowned harder. 'Don't be foolish, woman! You will not leave and you will not die! And I'm not touching a cent without your consent. Stop dramatizing, this is no game! You played with fire, Kayo, now this is the punishment. I've said I would wed you, but you refused to believe. This is as much your blame as it is mine.'

'You know nothing of me, sir. You've no idea who you have married.'

'If you are threatening me, woman, I'll have you know, they have no effect on me whatsoever. You do not scare me, Kayo. If anything, I should say you are frightened of me. There is no reason to, because I've never treated a woman unkindly and I certainly would not a woman who is now my wife.'

She suddenly turned to stare at me frowning hard and then she eyed the ring around my finger. She eyed hers and then she stared at the sunset by the beachside. 'Everything of mine belongs to you now.'

'I won't have you change for me, woman. You can go about your daily chores as you please and you may play along with your stubborn childish games if that is what makes you happy. What we share is but a title and nothing more. I am well aware that there are no feelings in between.'

'No! And there will never be! Because I am now locked in a cage.'

And then she turned around and left. 'Woman, you will not say such things, they are infantile!'

'I will say as I please, husband!'

I tried relating to her once more before the dinning at Liesl's house. This time, some time in the afternoon of the following day, I asked Nancy of the usage of so many Oriental issues around the house and she spoke of her mistress's dowry. She brought all available documents on the family ancestry and she told me that it was fine I should read the all now, that the woman belonged to me and so did everything she owned. And while she went about her chores, I read about Sir William Dunn and his fortunate upbringing but his gullible childish manners.

I realized I had done a mistake trying to relate to this woman in such a way, for as I went on reading papers, documents and birth certificates, I managed to decipher a most intriguing tale, that this man had the opportunity to travel abroad over to the Far East, to the Chinese and the Japanese and that in his travels, he had done the misfortune of losing money and gambling. He was a foul character, to begin with, and the only thing to pull him out of trouble was the fact that he had money to pay on the debts and the problems.

Yet, once, about twenty or so years ago, this man in his late thirties, a dashing witty, yet gullible young man, found a brothel nearby in the depths of Kyoto, the old imperial city, and in this brother, he took a night with a Japanese woman, by the name of Ima. This woman was beautiful and most distinguished, but she was also bought by the owner of the brother and she could not leave the place without someone buying her own. The woman was ten years the man's senior, but she was gentle and docile, strange features for a prostitute. As men went, and so gullible ones at that, the young man fell into a deep crush for this woman and he had her for the most part of her belonging there.

A child was born and the man felt compelled to buy the woman out, but not the child. He knew very little of children and he also thought that once he brought the child in with the woman, then the woman would most definitely concentrate on her own creation than her lover. So, he left the child to a rounin at the time, a masterless samurai, a man called Toshihiro Masamune and this man probably raised the child as his own, but feared that it should not need to be made a warrior like himself.

And when the time came, and the samurai class was abolished from Japanese society, this man, Masamune, came to Europe under poor conditions, with the child now thirteen years of age and he came up to this Dunn bloke's house and left the child there to be properly taken care of, while he went off and never came back.

In exchange and as a parting gift, the man left the child with all his Japanese traditions and belongings, as small as they may be. This fellow, William Dunn, took the child in, for now his lover had died and he raised the child to be his own, but under the same gullible, gambling-like manners, while the child grew up to be distant, cold and righteous as her fake father was. By the time, this Dunn fellow died, the child became a woman and she was engulfed in her Oriental teachings, because she believed them to be truer and must better than the life she had with her real father. The child's name was Kayo Masamune, but upon her new father's adoption, she took the name of Dunn.

So, when I finished reading this tale, I made a heavy walk towards her study and found that for some reason, she had left it open. I had never gone to her room, but it looked empty, darkened and filled with Oriental objects as other rooms. Yet, this place held a large portion of the most exquisite Oriental decorations I'd ever seen and a quarter of this place was occupied by a large wooden carved chest, which was sealed with a piece of wood peg wrapped in a black old cloth and stuck to refusal in between to large iron bolts.

I figured this is what Kayo treasured the most, so it would be most inappropriate that I tried to pry it open. I had heard from Nancy before that people who have seen this corner of her study had naturally assumed that there lied a most important treasure, perhaps all the money she owned or perhaps golden jewelry and treasury as inheritance from her biological father.

I just stood there in her empty study, the dim light from the candles blowing or dancing on the walls as if caressed by the sea breeze. She was singing by the porch, her saddened songs, and now I seemed to understand why they were so.

There had been several days since we had been pronounced man and wife and so far, the relationship had been tensioned and darkened by the stubbornness of her and my own as well, as I tried to push myself into this home, while I healed and I refused to believe that I would ever return home, that I would be forced to make a living here instead of trying to return home.

I knew I was not allowed to pardon in her intimate space represented by the study, but I still spent some time there, imagining what it was like twenty or so years ago for this woman to grow under the rule of a Japanese empire and to feel like she belonged in between worlds, instead of just one. How she must have felt to be raised in poverty by a mere soldier and how she had grown to fortune by being taken in by an equally fortunate man.

I had been raised by a mother in a family of ten and I had known what poverty was, yet my destiny had been subscribed to know which path to take. I would not be tampered with or stepped on, but she would not wish to settle in for what life gave her, because she knew there would be a lot more to expect. The entire set of moral values separated us, because the way I thought would be clearly different than from the way she believed to be.

'What are you doing here?'

I hadn't realized the music had stopped and that she had come in through the half opened door. I had been caught red-handed, or so they said. I looked around and pretended not to say anything apologetic. 'I was under the impression that I would be allowed inside each room.'

'Not in this one.'

She stepped aside from the door and looked away angrily. 'I suggest you leave, sir. This place is my own alone and we have agreed that you would have the rest of the house, but this.'

I took a step towards her. 'We have not agreed upon anything, woman. Because all you have done is shut yourself away from your husband and from this house, making certain at the same time how I should be constantly aware of the mistakes I have done when I chose to force you into marriage. You are making it very difficult for me, you know.'

'You said that there are no feelings involved, so why should it matter to you what I do and what you do separately?'

'Perhaps you haven't realized it yet, you obstinate woman, but I am trying to get to know you!'

'I do not wish to know you, sir.'

'That is a pity, I rather think of myself as a nice fellow', I smiled gently, jokingly. 'Come here a minute, Kayo, and close the door behind you.'

'No, I will not.'

'Are you afraid of me?'

'N-no, I am not!'

'Then come here.'

'I will not.'

I pressed my lips, as I stared at her being obstinate and indignant. She could be very spoiled at times, and very stubborn, quite close to resembling a mule, but I was certain she meant no harm.

'Very well, then I will come to you.'

'I will not wait.'

'Don't be a silly child!'

'I am not a child! But I will not play this infantile game with you, Mr. Chase, I do not have a care for it.'

'It is you, Mrs. Chase, who is playing games, and not I.'

'Don't call me that!' she waved her hand away so powerfully, the ring slipped off and hit the ground hard, banging also against the wooden objects nearby. The silver ring fell off under the heavy looking chest, but its hard banging was enough to make both of us startle.

'Please do not tell me that was your wedding ring, wife! And might I remind you that you bear my name now? It's only natural that you are called Mrs. Chase and I suggest you should get used to it.'

'I hate the name!'

'That, my dear, is a childish assumption.' I spoke as I slowly bent down to find the ring, but the pain in my le began at the first movement. So I screeched at my teeth and made a huge effort not to shout. The woman would not bulge from her position, as if I were a monster prepared to eat her for supper, and she would be locked in a cage with me, frightened of my very movements. 'Kayo, come here and help me find your ring.'

'You're married me, sir, without any consent of mine, so you find it! On your own!'

'Woman, I'm starting to think you enjoy being ordered around! Come here, I said! Why must you be so disobedient?! Have I wrong-done you so? As I have heard, your father has done much greater damage so much that I could not fathom to reach the gravity of it with my mistake. Now, come here and help me!'

The affirmation seemed to force a growl out from her, but she came closer to the sight and bent down gracefully. She began searching for the ring on her own, beside me and for a while, we worked as a team at close range and in quietness.

'There is something I need to tell you and I'd advise you to be calm about it. Although I've grown so used to your fits of rage, woman, I am almost certain you will bang me over the head.'

'What is it?!' she asked impatiently.

'I've looked over the family records. I've read about your situation, about your father's. And something of your origins.'

I expected her to scream at me, but she ceased searching for her ring, instead, she sat on the ground quietly. 'Then you know.'

'Aye, I do, wife.'

I finally found the wretched thing under the chest and I brought it up under the candle light. I eyed it for any dust speck and I blew through it to swipe off the cobwebs from in between.

'And you are not bothered by it.'

'You've no idea of my beginnings, Kayo. We all have secrets to hide. One day, I shall tell you of mine and perhaps you would be bothered. But I am certainly not bothered by yours. Because it was not even your fault.'

I handed the ring to her. 'Here you are, silly woman.'

She looked away frowning. 'It is bad luck that a wife should put on her ring.'

To this I pressed my lips and took her small hand in mine. With the other, I pushed the ring onto her middle finger. 'There. Is the game over now, woman?'

She frowned harder and muttered: 'This is no game.'

'Very well, then I propose something to you then. Each day you are given the task of asking me two questions about myself. Nothing related to us or of my family, but of myself. You should do so for the following week, on a span of seven days. Anything you wish to ask, you will do so and I should be forced to answer.'

'What is this new trickery?'

'It's no trickery, woman, I'm simply trying to make you know me better.'

'But I wish not to.'

'You will, if we are married from this day forward. And besides, if tomorrow we are to meet with Liesl's parents, they will most certainly ask questions of us.'

'This is silly!' she stood up angrily, but I smiled to her childishly, thus asking her to help me stand. She frowned and refused at first to do so, but finally, she permitted me to wrap one arm over her neck.

'You may start by questioning me now. "What is my name" and "What is your age" will not do. You already know my name and I shall state my age as bonus. I am thirty-two years of age. I believe I am your senior by nine?'

'That will not make you the wiser, sir', she answered spitefully. 'And by the way, if we are in this game together, then perhaps you should ask the same of me. Only, you are allowed but a question a day. And you shall start your game by tomorrow.'

She brushed away any signs of dust over her shoulder. 'And you are actually eight years my senior, sir. My birthday was a couple of days before your arrival.'

I pressed my lips together and was given the cane in return. 'So, your questions for the day, woman.'

She looked up at me and I could see her bright blue beautiful eyes sparling with confusion. She was yet uncertain should she play the game or not. 'Do you enjoy being a sailor?'

'Aye, I do. Very much.'

'And.. do you regret I have paid the debt you owed to that gentleman?'

I looked up at her thoughtfully, and for once, she looked back at me. Her hair was kept down, with her braided tail to one side. She wore a usual black dress without the silk coat on.

'I do not, Madam. I thank you for it.'

This time, she slightly blushed and looked away. 'I make no use of my money. And now they are yours. You may pay any debt you need with them.'

'I have no other. Are you done with your two questions?'

'Yes, I am. If you are done, sir, admiring the room, then perhaps you should kindly step outside, I have some business to attend to, none of which concern you.'

'Charming as ever, are you not?' I grinned at her convinced of her stubbornness, but I respected her request and stepped outside from the room soon enough, as fast as my beaten-up leg would permit me.

10.

Nancy was enthusiastic to help me with cleaning several pieces of clothing to get them ready for the evening dine at Liesl's parents.

Most of them were from my wife's father's clothing and some of them were of the best quality, very well kept and freshened at least once a day. She perhaps may not have respected her former father greatly, yet she showed considerate affection to his belonging and to the way she conceived to protect her family heirloom. Perhaps she believed that herself and her mother had been wronged a long time ago by this William fellow, but in essence, the man had been her father for her better part of her life and he had signed her as his sole successor.

I was given a fine white shirt, velvet dark brown pants and a navy-blue velvet overcoat. I had shaved a few days ago, so now there was no need, for I had gotten used to being a sailor for a very long time and I grew to hate looking as manly as possible.

I spent the better part of my day preparing for the upcoming dining, until I was done and I waited for Nancy to make the last of the preparations by cleaning my shoes. I had tried making her leaving this task to myself, but she refused to do so, because she was all too pleased that I had become her mistress's husband, and by definition, her master; I considered that thus, she believed that no other man shall set foot in this house with foul intentions, for there would no longer be a reason. Only then, did I realize that I had suddenly been named the richest man in the area, having been married to the woman most fortunate from town.

As the preparations were done, I threw out several remarks about rearranging the rooms differently and Nancy kept telling me that I would be able to do so now, since I was the master of the place. She assured me that for this matter alone, my wife would no longer be an impediment, for a wife's duty was to listen to her husband and to sustain him in each and every decision he would make of his own accordance.

I could not see Kayo agree to any arrangement without argument or commentary against my will, so I had to disagree to Nancy's ideas mutely. Yet, I said nothing, instead I waited until she was done and then I exercised against the make-shift cane through the chambers, so as not to seem a great impediment to the others. My beaten-up leg was feeling better gradually, especially with a new treatment the doctor had predicted to me – he too had been surprised to know that since his last visit, I had married the mistress of the house – yet, my movements were still slow and gradual.

When Kayo came down from her room, she was wearing a dark purple dress, with a large neck line, fixed onto her pale shoulders, holding up a silk-like shawl, with Japanese motifs imprinted on it. Her hair fell over her shoulders, before she brought it all behind and caught it with a thick ribbon. She might not have looked as pretty as other women would have, due to her pale skin and her light blue eyes, but she had a kind of charisma of her own which she emanated thankful to her independence and her stubbornness.

Her facial features were appealing enough for me, however, so I smiled kindly to her as she came down to the hallway from her chamber.

'You look very fetching, wife.'

I expected no comment from her, instead she glared at me silently. 'I thank you, sir, but you needn't be this polite towards me.'

'I am not polite, woman, I am being honest. Would you rather I lied and told you that you look like an ugly little duckling?'

I smiled and offered her my arm, for the carriage belonging to our hosts had arrived. She frowned at me, pressed her lips together and hesitated touching me, bringing both her hands at her lap, entwining her fingers, before she walked up to the entrance door. 'Nancy, please see to the house while we are gone.'

'Yes, madam.'

She held the door for us to step outside, and it must have been some time since Kayo had done this, for she startled before heading out into the cold sun-setting weather. I came following her with my cane, before we met with the carriage and the porter greeted us before he came down from his seat and opened the small door for us to come inside.

I stopped beside my wife, but noticed that she would not come inside, instead she too had stepped aside. She frowned at me: 'Please come inside.'

'You should be first, Kayo.'

She eyed me strangely, before she came inside the carriage first, after which I followed. My first reaction was to sit opposite her and give her space, yet hesitantly, my legs dangled against hers under the dress and she pulled them both to one side, so we would not make any physical contact. She looked away and I stared at her frowning. When she looked at me, I smiled childishly.

'What is it?'

'I am thinking maybe I should make use of my question towards you before we arrive. Here it is: How long has it been since you've left your home, Kayo?'

She squinted at me before the carriage began moving and she turned to gaze at the sea. 'It has been a while.'

'I don't suppose your father kept you locked in the house at all times. You had chances to step outside.'

'I had chances, but had not the will.'

'Were you frightened?'

'I am afraid, sir, you have already made use of your question of the day regarding my previous life.'

I breathed in deeply, rethinking the strategy. I looked at the sea and the waves crushing the sandy beach and the ride took a good twenty moments or so in silence and without anything to speak of. When it was time to step out, I was the first to come down and even though I had one arm free, for the other hand made use of the cane, I stretched it so that my wife would take it and come down from the carriage. Once more, Kayo hesitated, and she searched for the porter's hand in help. It took hers harshly, frowning at her, before she accepted it. But her fingers were cold, and delicate, pale and hesitant.

She brushed off the possible dust from her dress, while I saw Liesl come out from the large house by the side of a small front garden decorated in rose beds and bushes, green lush ivy and small decorative trees.

'You've come! Oh, how lovely! Oh, Miss D… Mrs. Chase, you look so pretty!'

My wife nodded frowning, without so much as smiling, although Liesl shifted her hands from her dress hems to the woman she now had in front of her, in an attempt to touch her and to take her hands in hers. I could see the tension Kayo was going through, staring at this child like it was a small demon coming after her. For some reason, I imagined this was a new experience to her and that she may not enjoy it as well. In fact, as Liesl came to her, Kayo frowned harder and took a step backwards, without appearing to back in retreat, so I felt compelled to interfere, by asking Liesl of her parents.

The child stopped in her tracks and looked at me confused, before she nodded and smiled widely. 'Oh, Christopher! You look very handsome, Daddy will like you so much! Oh, everyone is inside, come! Come, we need to come inside! Oh, you are going to love what we've prepared for you!'

She took my arm and wrapped her hand around it, pulling me towards the house, but her mother came forth, smiling to us gently. She greeted us with a light curtsy and frowned at her daughter, asking her to set me free, because it was not proper that she behave in this way towards her guests. I smiled and assured the parent that the gesture had been innocent and unoffensive.

The mother welcomed us in the house and I turned to follow in with my wife. Kayo looked at the road from which we had come and there was something in her behavior which felt strange to the bone. I could see now that she felt awkward, unbelonging to this place, unrelated to the context or wanting to be in the presence of any other place other than her own. I needed to assure her that she would not be alone in this. So I took her hand in mine and she startled, her first reaction to pull of her fingers.

'You needn't worry, wife, I will be with you.'

'Of course you will', she replied coldly, but I took her hand in mine and would not let go. Her fingers were cold and rigid, as if she vehemently refused to belong to anyone else, but herself.

Soon, we came in the house and we were greeted by Liesl's mother and father who introduced themselves and then welcomed us to the guestroom. At this point, without paying attention, Kayo pulled her hand from mine and gathered them at her lap politely, yet frowning.

'It is very lovely of you both to accept our humble invitation', Liesl's mother spoke as she eyed both of us kindly. 'My husband was positively thrilled at the idea and I must agree, now that I see you both, my child had been right to assume that you make such a lovely couple. Do they not indeed, my love?' she smiled widely to her husband, who was tall and well-built.

'Yes, indeed. Mr. Chase, I have heard so much about you since you've arrived in town, but I am ashamed to say all have bene gossip, for health has not been able to permit you within these parts and deploy any such lies gossip spreads.'

'It's alright, I must confess, Mr. Foster fed me on the latest gossip. I have to say my coming here was both a blessing – because I am alive – as much as a relief. The place is very quiet and very beautifully set on the coastline.'

'You being a man of the sea, I assume you must miss it terribly.'

'I do, sir, indeed.'

I walked ahead with the man, as they made room towards the guestroom, where they served tea and biscuits. Behind us, the women followed, and I could hear only Liesl and her mother's voice, for I knew Kayo was hesitant enough to speak to any of them. I could hear them complimenting her, asking her of the quality of the dress, the material, commenting on her style of hair and on the prettiness of her hands, the conduct of her manner, all everso politely, for they were bluntly curious, yet kind at heart and well-intended.

Liesl informed her mother of how well my wife played the instrument they called koto and her mother expressed the wish to once hear her daughter sing in the very same way. Finally, to this, I heard Kayo speak:

'She may be able to play it exquisitely one day.'

Her voice was faint and shy, but it told that she was struggling to integrate. For some reason, I watched her from the corner of my eyes proudly, for she now belonged to me, yet she felt as if I had only grown to know her slightly since this day.

'Do you believe so, Miss?'

'I believe the correct term you should use, Liesl, is "Mrs. Chase". The young lady here is now a happily married woman. We should not make offense to Mr. Chase here.'

'It's alright', Kayo said again. 'I take no offense. Liesl may call me however she pleases.'

'You are ever so kind, Mrs. Chase. Now, may I be so bold as to ask something of you, to sort through the horrid and the confusing gossip I have heard throughout town? I apologize beforehand if I take offense, I mean none at all. But I have heard, as Liesl told me, that you have come from the farthest land, called Japan. Tell me, madam, is it true, what they have spoken there? That the Emperor has taken cause to lead the country into modernity?'

'I am not sure, madam, I… I believe so, yes.'

'Is their culture any different from ours? And is it true what they speak of, that they are familiar with the Portuguese, but not to us?'

'I believe so, madam, I am not certain.'

'Be that as it may, I am convinced their music is one of the finest. And may I say, Mrs. Chase, the manner of your playing the instrument koto must be one of the finest, for my child cannot get enough of listening to it, she hums it daily. Pray, do tell me, madam, when is it that you have learned to study this difficult instrument?'

'I took to learning when I was five, madam.'

'Had you a teacher then?'

'Yes, there have been several. The matter of my growing up, however, is … difficult to explain. Suffice to say that I have not parted from the instrument since five years of age. I had practiced ever since and I have never felt the feeling of knowing anything else to study.'

'My husband has known a man from Japan once. They have come to the continent to study, you see. My husband finds them intelligent and very diligent at their tasks. They are very interesting to physique as well. And I have heard the ladies have the most exquisite of clothing style. What is it it's called that they wear so lovely and delicate?'

'Kimono, madam. You may call it this way.'

'Quite so. I have seen pictures of them. Do they look similar to any of the paintings we seen around here, madam?'

'I believe they do, madam, yes.'

'Oh, how thrilling! Oh, but I am the worst of hosts, for I have swarm you with questions, without serving a drop of tea! Please forgive me, yet this is my first time speaking to someone who has been t the land and who knows firsthand-knowledge of what could be found there.'

'They are not any different than us, for they are human as much as we are.'

'Of course they are! Oh, and may I add, your name, madam, it is gorgeous and charming. I have heard they give names of great significance to their children. Does your name bear any meaning, madam, pray tell us.'

'It does, madam. Yet, the significance is complicated. Their names are based on Japanese characters and depending on the meaning of those characters, thus is the meaning of the name.'

'Oh?'

'For instance, the characters for my name may well be a combination of "beautiful" and "gift" or "blessing" and yet another combination which could be related to words such as "night" and "entertainer". Sadly, my name bears no other significance, except for the latter.'

To this, I startled and straightened up in my chair, looking at my wife, while Liesl's mother frowned and then she opened her mouth to speak. Finally, she understood the meaning of the conversation and before her confused-still daughter questioned what they all meant to say, she smiled forcedly. 'Oh, I apologize, I did not mean to be intruding so, Mrs. Chase.'

She then looked up at me desperate and for some reason, I could understand her incomprehension, that she would assume Kayo's background was as subtle as a woman's from the brothers and that I had been tied to a rather unworthy woman, at that. Yet, the truth mattered not, for I knew Kayo's past no longer mattered now.

She would have a different path from now on, yet I too had been surprised to learn that she had bene given the name of her mother's profession. Perhaps the woman needed reminder that she needed to provide a better life for the child, precisely because of the low kind of profession she had.

'There is no offense to take, madam, the both meanings are quite harmless, so to speak. This name, in fact, is very commonly used in Japan and if anything so, parents use it as blessing to their female child. It may well be unrelated to the child or the child's parents' profession or origins.'

'Oh, I see.'

The woman smiled relieved and then she swiftly changed the subject to a better judgement, and when she stood up to call for a maid, to prepare the dining table, Liesl and my wife were left alone.

The child being small, yet fascinated perhaps at seeing her former music teacher married now and wearing a different garment than usual, she tried to touch and relate to the woman, yet Kayo frowned at her hard, unsmiling and thus prevented from showing her affection of any kind.

Liels smiled to her and winked. 'I knew you would marry Christopher. He's a very nice man. I like him.'

'Thank you, Liesl, I shall inform him of your praising.

'You are very formal, Miss. Mommy never talks about Daddy like that. I think he would have liked it, but Mommy thinks Daddy always knows when she loves him. Do you love Christopher?'

'That is a very personal question, young lady and I will not hear it from you.'

'I'm sorry, Miss. Oh! I meant to give you something, Miss. May I? Mommy thinks you should accept it as a wedding gift. Oh would you, please? It's very nice!'

'Behave yourself, young lady.'

'Right away, Miss!'

The child sprinted off out from the room and she left my wife alone, while I spoke with the child's father and another one of his guests. In total, we were eight and I assumed we would stay this way. I was questioned of the ship wreck and of how I had ended up at Dove's Cottage. After a while, when the subject was exposed, at dinner time, while we stood at the table, Kayo beside me and Liels beside her, I was questioned of our marriage and of the fortunate event's occurrence. To this, my wife kept quiet, while I gave a few details of it. The women at the table thought it dreadfully romantic, although the woman beside me found nothing interesting of it.

Among these women were Liesl's two aunts, both married and in their late forties, while her first cousin, Lydia, was sixteen and she eyed me strangely affectionate. I assumed because I was a handsome man and because she believed I was so, for some reason, wearing my wife's father's finest clothes. Yet, I felt I did not belong to their silky, clean little orderly world, because there was too much compromising at hand. I much preferred being truthful and strong at will, rather than lie about how I truly felt.

Beside me, I felt Kayo showed the same manners and feelings, the odd combination of refusing to compromise and having no choice in the matter. And then I noticed she wore a small package at her side, prettily wrapped in and I frowned at it. Perhaps, Liesl had given it to her as a gift or perhaps she had received it from our hosts, but rather the way she looked now so fetching, so quiet and so odd, she deserved any gift she was given.

When the food was served, perhaps she felt strange to begin eating, while the rest of us brought forth our hands and began using the forks and the knives. I took one of her hands in mine and I squeezed it encouragingly. She looked up at me frowning. After this, Kayo looked away and began eating slowly. But she ate very little and refused to drink anything except water. When asked why she would not take a drop of alcohol, at least sherry as women did, she argued that she took no liking to the drink of our kind, but that she was too used to the Japanese sake.

The male host laughed and amusingly excused himself for not having the drink at hand. It only added to my wife's embarrassment and awkwardness. It was clear that she felt no longer of this world and that she did not wish to continue on with staying here any longer.

The last straw was when one of the female guests made reference at the wedding rings we shared and at their distinctive taste, the quality of the material, obviously nothing compared to real silver or gold which hung around other women's fingers at this era, and Kayo seemed to be terribly discomforted by the comment. In fact, she quickly hid her ringed hand away and pretended to ignore the comment.

Soon, I figured it was time that we left, so we made dispose of our departure when the hosts kindly lent their carriage to us a second time. Before saying goodbye, Liesl's mother apologized to us if ever we had been distressed by several inappropriate comments or gestures made throughout the evening, and I smiled to her assuring her that everything had been alright. I could say that my wife disagreed to it, yet I spoke nothing of it.

Finally, we arrived at home, and while I heard the carriage leave the house, we met with Nancy in the hall and before I could speak anything to her, the mistress dismissed her to her home down town.

'Kayo…'

I tried speaking to her before she headed for her room, but my wife refused to even look at me.

'Good night to you, Mr. Chase.'

'Kayo, I am your husband, and I would rather have you call me by my given name, that is Christopher.'

Yet, before this was finished, she shut the door in front of me, to no further comment.

The small wrapped gift she had received from her young former pupil was left on a small table by the entrance hall, so I took it and brought it in my room. I unwrapped it and discovered it was a very lovely, delicately built music box. It resembled Japanese decorations, such as a young lady-in-waiting playing at yet another smaller Japanese musical instrument.

I set it aside on the night table, thinking of giving it to my wife on the following morning.