Sango sighed silently as Inuyasha and Kagome sat, both silent, in the parlor. It had become a frequent occurrence over the past few weeks. Kagome would undergo her lessons with Jaken and the servants, learning from them what went into truly running a household, not just the events but the day to day needs. Her readings had changed from books of poetry and first love to books of exploration, of questionings of politics and women's rights.
Yet the moment Inuyasha came to visit, she became quiet, almost shy, only to groan and feel angry at herself when he left for wasting yet another moment to get to know him better. Sango could see the resignation creeping into Inuyasha's eyes as he watched Kagome, his ears drooping slightly, before he took his leave for the day.
"Kagome, will you please honor us with your playing?" Sango finally could not stand the awkward silence anymore. "You are so skilled with the piano."
"I… yes, of course Sango." Kagome whispered, her eyes darting up to meet Inuyasha's for a moment, her face flushing with the contact before she escaped to the piano, setting herself down with a deep breath.
The first chords of music danced through the air, the melody light and beautiful, and it took a moment before Inuyasha's ears suddenly perked straight up as he spun to stare at Kagome with cautious hope.
Kagome's hands flew over the keys, caught in the melody, needing no sheet music to guide her as she played the first song that Inuyasha had brought her those months prior.
"I…" Inuyasha began, pausing to clear his throat before his words failed him, and he continued to watch Kagome as she lost herself in the music and the feeling it evoked.
"Colonel…" Sango whispered as she smiled gently at him with a slight nod, hoping that her sister would finally have some forward motion with her fascination with the man.
"The Lord Hojo Higurashi." Jaken's voice broke the moment, and Inuyasha's ears fell as he stood, gave Sango a brief bow before shooting a look, full of longing, to Kagome, and striding out of the room, pausing only to give recognition to the girls brother as he entered the room.
"Sango, Kagome, it is good to see you!" Hojo exclaimed, nodding back to Inuyasha before focusing on his sisters.
Kagome's hands faltered on the keys for a moment before she changed the tune she was playing, the notes turning darker, more mournful…
And louder.
Sango forced herself to smile as she greeted her brother, drawing him to the couch to sit, only for him to sit in the only armchair as if he belonged there.
"I see that Colonel Inuyasha has been here visiting with you a good deal." Hojo said, snapping his fingers for a cup of tea from the staff.
"Well, yes." Sango responded, shooting the young maid a glance of apology as she scurried into the room with a cup and pot of tea.
"That is good, good." Hojo nodded, waiting until the tea was poured and the servant had left the room. "You should try for him Sango, yes, he would be a good match for you."
If he heard the discordant notes from the piano, the slight pause in the music, Sango could not tell, for it did not seem to affect him in the least. Yet she notice, and saw the slight tremor in Kagome's shoulders.
"Yes, yes indeed," Hojo continued as if there had been no reaction, "I do think that you may have a chance there. After all, you have it in you to attract the men, you just…" He paused and let his eyes scan his sister and her simple dress. It was pretty, yes, but simple. "You just need to go about it the right way."
"I assure you Hojo, that is not my intention." Sango gasped, "I have no designs on Colonel Inuyasha."
"No, pity. It would be a fine match for you, a fine one." His eyes darted over to Kagome before returning to Sango. "After all, one of the Higurashi sister's deserves a fine match. I do worry that it is all over for Kagome, there are too many rumor tying her to Kouga for anyone to truly look at her now."
"Hojo, there was never anything between Kagome and Lord Kouga." Sango groaned, "Surely you know that."
"My dear, it does not matter what happened, only what is said." Hojo reached out to pat her knee. "And people have been talking."
He stopped to take a sip of his tea, perusing Sango as he drank.
"As to any… prior attachments that you may have fancied, I do hope you know that it is quite out of the question." Hojo's eyes met Sango's directly, and she found herself swallowing, knowing exactly what she meant. "Mrs. Hoshi has some very– definite– intentions for your cousin Miroku's marriage."
"I… what?" Sango started, did that mean that Mrs. Hoshi approved of Miroku's engagement to Shima? No, it couldn't be, for Shima was still acting as though it was all to be kept at the utmost level of secrecy."
"Yes, she wishes to form an alliance with the house Morton, Miss Morton is quite an acceptable match, her family has the proper standing, and she the proper upbringing to be Lady Hoshi."
Ms… Miss Morton?" Sango's voice rose as she spoke, and Kagome paused in her playing, turning to see if Sango needed assistance. With a slight shake of her head Sango directed her back to her playing, needing something else to focus on in the background. No, that meant that the family was not aware of the engagement, for they would not be trying to match Miroku to another if he was previously engaged… unless they knew but did not approve of Shima…
"Yes, she is an heiress, set to inherit £30,000, it is a very desirable connection on both sides, and will do well to set Miroku on a path to succeed in life." Hojo seemed quite pleased with the thought himself, for a rise in the Hoshi family would also mean a rise in the Higurashi family… well the male side of the Higurashi family. "So as you see, Colonel Inuyasha, now that would truly be an excellent match for you, the man makes a fairly decent sum, and would be able to help take after your mother and sister. Yes, indeed, and to help facilitate this match, I come with an invitation to dine at the Hoshi residence tomorrow evening, the Colonel will be in attendance, and you would be able to make the acquaintance of my mother-in-law, the esteemed Mrs. Hoshi herself."
"Hojo, I am not sure that w…"
"We accept." Sango was cut off by Kagome's quick response, the younger girl undaunted by the look that Sango was sending her. "Thank you, and thank Mrs. Hoshi for her hospitality."
"Excellent, then we will see you both, and Lady Kaede of course, tomorrow evening. I bid you both good day."
Kagome rose from the piano, grabbing Sango's hand to hold her in place as Hojo left the room. It was only after the front door closed that Sango turned to Kagome, her face full of exasperation.
"Kagome, what were you thinking?"
"Sango, it is the perfect time for you to meet Miroku's mother, and to hopefully see Miroku himself!"
"You heard Hojo though, his mother seeks to make a match with Miss… Miss Morton."
"That is only because she does not know YOU Sango!"
"Kagome," Sango sighed, "it is not always that simple. There are things at work that you have no knowledge of."
"What I know is that you love him, and I am certain that he loves you. And once Mrs. Hoshi gets to know you, she will see what an excellent match you would be for her son and support you. Now, I am going to go tell Kaede that we are expected for dinner tomorrow."
"No, Kagome," Sango whispered as her sister ran from the room, "you do not understand anything, anything at all."
And now, thanks to her sister's lack of knowledge, Sango was facing an evening of torture, close to Miroku whom yes, she would admit, to herself only, that she loved, yet fully unable to truly be near him.
Sango watched the streets of London pass from the carriage window, choosing not to be part of the conversation between Kaede and Kagome. Each moment that passed made her heart feel heavier, a sense of dread forming. It was taking all of her considerable will to not let the others know how tense she was becoming.
Yes, she hoped that she would be able to see Miroku again, but knowing now what she does, she knew it would never be the same. He would never be free to see her in the same light that she saw him, and the thought made her want to curl into a ball and cry. It was funny, as Kagome became more like her, in some ways she was becoming more like Kagome, full of emotion, and finding it hard to contain and keep it hidden away.
When the carriage drew to a stop she took a deep breath, waiting to exit the carriage last before entering the doorway that seemed to both welcome and reject her at the same time. At least it would be a night free from having to lis…
"How delightful that you were able to come!" A voice had Sango stopping, a gasp breaking free from her lips a moment before another's arm wrapped through hers, and she turned to meet the brown eyes of Shima. "Can you imagine Sango, Botan and I only arrived here this afternoon, but we have been invited to stay the whole week!"
"Oh, that's… that's lovely." Sango choked out, her heart beginning to hurt even more. Had Shima been so accepted already that Mrs. Hoshi had approved of her and Miroku's match? Or was this Yura's doing, who had seemed so taken by Shima at the ball the weeks before.
"Pity me, Miss Higurahsi," Shima whispered, her hand stopping Sango from following the others as they made their way to the dining room. "There is nobody here that can feel for me but you, Oh I am all of a tremble with nerves." Shima took a breath then leaned closer to lower her voice. "In a moment I shall see the person that all of my future happiness depends on."
Sango started, her heart beginning to race even as she told herself it couldn't. "Miroku is here?"
"No, no, he is not to be present tonight, but that is a good thing. He cannot conceal the great affection that he has for me when we are together, so it is better that he is not here."
"Oh, I… I see." Sango responded, drawn helplessly by Shima as the woman started to slowly move towards the dining room.
"I mean Mrs. Hoshi, whom I do hope to one day call Mother! It is important that she like me, oh I do hope she approves of me, it will make our lives together so much fuller to know we have her blessing."
Sango slid her arm out of Shima's grip as she smiled, the sentiment not meeting her eyes as she bowed her head slightly. "I hope it goes as well as you hope." Her voice was even, and Sango was proud of herself for not letting the tremor that threatened to overtake her be present in the sound.
"Thank you, dear Sango, it truly warms my heart to know I have at least one ally here!"
Sango let out one sound, half laughter, half sob, as Shima left her alone in the hallway, and her eyes closed to try and push back the tears that threatened to form. What a quandary she found herself in, wanting Shima's efforts to fail, yet at the same time, hoping they succeeded so Miroku did not find himself bound to the Miss Morton she had heard talk of.
At no point, she was determined, would she let herself hope that both Shima and Miss Morton failed, and that Miroku would return her affections instead.
No, it was better to give that up as a passing dream, a fancy she dared not have let herself dream of in the first place. They were friends, that was all.
And she would fervently deny that her heart was crying at the thought.
Mrs. Hoshi was both not what Sango had expected, and perversely, exactly what she had expected. She had half expected the woman to resemble Miroku, oh the coloration was the same, the dark hair only just fading to gray with age, but where Miroku's eyes sparkled with mirth, Mrs. Hoshi's eyes gleamed with judgment. She resembled her daughter more closely than her eldest son in that regard, and Sango found it slightly terrifying when her dark brown, almost black eyes, focused on her.
Mrs. Hoshi took a sip of her wine, her gaze scanning the table before settling on Kagome. Kagome had just raised her head, smiling at Inuyasha, who sat across the table from her, when Mrs. Hoshi spoke.
"So, I hear Lord Kouga has taken a bride at last, that he has finally joined with the wolves from the Northern lands."
"Oh yes indeed, Mamma." Yura quickly responded, her eyes also darting to Kagome with almost undisguised glee.
"I understand that it was quite the upset to… certain… young ladies." Mrs. Hoshi's brow raised as she considered Kagome, who sat before her, unaffected by the words being spoken, and not giving her the reaction she had expected.
"You know how it was with him, Mamma," Bankotsu responded from his chair at the table, "he had several ladies who hoped to catch him, but he clearly was above those games, turning it around to play with them instead." He chuckled as he ripped off a piece of his roll and buttered it. "That man would not be caught by anything but another wolf and one with a fortune at that. Like keeps with like and all."
"Will Mr. Miroku Hoshi be joining us this evening, Ma'am." Inuyasha interjected, a heated glare at Bankotsu before his eyes turned back to meet Kagome's.
"No," Mrs. Hoshi responded, "I have arranged for my eldest to be staying with the Mortons for the next few days. Have you met the Mortons, Colonel?"
"No, I cannot say that I have ever had that pleasure, Ma'am. I am sure they do not run in the same company that I do."
"Hnnn. True, they are a very distinguished family." Mrs. Hoshi responded, either unaware of or uncaring of how her response sounded to others. "I must say, the good Miss Morton is truly an exceptionally charming young lady, and quite accomplished." Mrs. Hoshi's eyes shifted to rest on Sango, watching her closely for a response. Shima shifted in her seat, her gaze darting to her sister for a moment as she bit her lip.
"I must say, it is nice to finally meet you Mr. Hoshi." Kaede's effort to ease the tension was obvious, but many at the table seemed relieved at the change of topic. "I am familiar with your brother, but have not had the pleasure of meeting you before."
"Yes, I apologize," Bankotsu responded, "I am not enamored with the country Lady Kaede. While I do find country manners pleasing in their own way, I find I often chose not to travel outside the city and the comforts it provides."
"I hope you do not take us for country bumpkins then Mr. Bankotsu," Botan protested, "We have some very fine people in the country, fine people, and fine beaux as well. And I am sure that your brother Miroku has always enjoyed the country and his time there, don't you agree Shima?"
"I… Botan! How should I possibly know that?" Shima sputtered half heartedly, her gaze darting to Sango before turning back to her sister.
"You know, now that you mention it, I have heard Miroku say that he was never happier than he was when he was with us at Shikon." Kagome interjected, causing all attention to turn to her. Kagome lifted her head as Mrs. Hoshi's gaze met hers, and let her lips curl into a half smile. "This is truly an excellent meal, I do say."
Mrs. Hoshi's jaw set as she tried to stare down Kagome, throwing her napkin to the side when her efforts failed. With an annoyed sound she pushed back from the table, the sign that she, and therefore all the guests, were now done with their meals.
"Ladies, if you would all care to join me." Her voice was cold as her eyes never left Kagome's, waiting for the other women to stand before stalking out of the room.
"Oh Ma'am," Shima rushed ahead of the other women to trail Mrs. Hoshi, "please, you must make sure to sit out of the draft from the windows. We do not want you to catch a chill." Shima's eyes lit on a settee covered with pillows, and led Mrs. Hoshi to it. "Let me arrange the cushion for you, to make sure you have a comfortable seat for the evening."
Sango let out a slight huff of irritation as Mrs. Hoshi smiled at Shima, accepting the offer and the seat as if it were her due.
"I thank you child. Please, what did you say your name was?"
"Shima, Shima Metzger, ma'am." Shima gave a deep curtsey, and Sango watched as Mrs. Hoshi preened under the attention.
"She seems to be a decent, earnest girl, Yura." Mrs. Hoshi nodded to her daughter who quickly agreed with her.
"I daresay she is." Yura exclaimed, before turning her gaze to Kagome. "Kagome, dear, would you play for us?"
"I…" Kagome shot a look to Sango who gave her a slight nod. "If you wish."
"Oh we do. Mamma, Kagome is quite the accomplished musician."
"Ah, then we welcome your playing." Kagome made her way to the piano in the room, her fingers beginning to move over the keys when Mrs. Hoshi continued. "I have heard that Miss Morton also plays the piano quite well, as well as the harp. Quite the accomplished musician." Her gaze snapped to Sango. "Does Miss Sango Higurashi play?"
"I.. no ma'am." Sango admitted, her eyes falling from the almost triumphant look in Mrs. Hoshi's.
"Oh, that is a pity."
"Sango is more of an artist, Mamma," Yura informed her mother, "she drew that most excellent miniature of Shikon Park that I have told you that I adore."
"Ah, yes. I believe I recall you showing that to me." Mrs. Hoshi nodded, her brow lifting. "I believe her style is very reminiscent of Miss Morton's do you not think? Miss Morton is also a gifted artist, but then I say she does everything well, does she not."
Kagome's fingers faltered on the keys, her pinky hitting a discordant note that had everyone turning to her.
"Excuse me, Ma'am," Kagome said softly, only Sango able to see the slight twitch in her eye that gave away Kagome's temper, "but please, what is Miss Morton to us? You have mentioned her off and on all evening, particularly after we were discussing Sango."
"Kagome…" Sango whispered, only to be ignored by the other women in the room.
"Dear Sango, do not mind them, do not let them make you unhappy."
Sango held back her wry laughter, oh, of the people in the room that made her unhappy, she could not say that it was Mrs. Hoshi that currently led the list, although she was rapidly moving up the ranks.
"You are quite opinionated are you not, Miss Higurashi?" Mrs. Hoshi sneered, her gaze hardening as Kagome resumed her playing. "Have you no respect for your elders and betters?"
"I have immense respect for my elders, but I withhold judgment on who is my 'better' until after the first meeting, which we are still in, are we not?"
"Well, then, it is time for this meeting to end. I thank you ladies for your attendance." Mrs. Hoshi pushed herself to her feet, turning on her heel, a clear sign of dismissal, which Sango was only too happy to obey.
"Sango, do not." Kagome warned as Sango opened her mouth to speak once they were in the carriage, and Sango chose to honor her sister's request, returning her gaze to the passing scenery as they rode home in silence.
Sango had just finished breakfast the next morning when a slight knock was heard at the door, and Kagome conveniently disappeared, leaving Sango to face their guest, Shima, alone.
"My dear dear friend, I am so Happy!" Shima exclaimed as she rushed into the room and took Sango's hands in hers, drawing her to the closest couch. "Oh I was so afraid last night but I must say, Miroku's mother was absolutely charming! Oh, I think she took quite a fancy to me with her comments!"
"I…" Sango started, then had to stop and force herself to swallow to wet a throat that had suddenly gone dry. "She was certainly very civil towards you."
"Civil?" Shima started, her smile dropping slightly. "Did you honestly see nothing more than civility? Truly, I must say I saw a great deal more than just civility." Her smile grew again as she almost bounced in the seat. "I honestly believe we are more than halfway to securing his mother's consent already!"
"I am happy for you, and glad you think so." Sango bit her lip before continuing. "But I do have to say that I fear that Miss Morton may prove to be a stumbling block, given how his mother spoke of her. Is she not the one she seeks to have as his bride?"
"Miss Morton." Shima dropped Sango's hands and sat back on the couch, "No, you will not dampen my spirits by speaking of her. Miss Morton may be the one that his mother speaks of and praises, but I remind you it is ME that he had made his promise to." Shima's voice turned darker, losing her happy tone as she reiterated, staring directly into Sango's eyes. "Me, not her, nor anyone else."
"Yes, you are right, I am so…"
A soft knock on the parlor door had Sango's words fading as Jaken stepped in to announce a new guest.
"Mr. Miroku Hoshi."
Sango's eyes darted to Shima's, whose own were wide, and a slight tremor began to shake the other woman's shoulders.
Sango scrambled to her feet to rush to the door, intent on telling Jaken not to admit him when Miroku himself walked through the door, his indigo eyes meeting Sango's as she stopped, frozen in his gaze.
"Miss Higurashi…" Miroku started, then his tone changed, became softer, more intimate as he stepped forward and took her hands in his, lifting them towards his chest. "Sango."
Sango let eyes trace over his familiar and beloved face, relishing the warmth of his hand against her, the heat of his skin almost scalding. He gave a small sound and began to draw her closer, his eyes darting between hers and her lips as his own parted.
"Mr. Hoshi…" Sango whispered, then stopped to clear her throat. She could not allow this, not when… "You know Miss Shima Metzger, I believe." Sango drew her hands out of his grip, pausing for a moment to let her fingers linger before she fisted her hands behind her back, away from the temptation that he posed. She stepped to the side just as Shima rose from the couch, and the look of confusion that merged into almost pure male panic had Sango closing her eyes as a shaft of pain went through her heart.
"Ah….." Miroku let out a choked sound as his gaze met Shima's, and Sango swore that she heard hesitation and regret in the one sound, but forced herself to let go of such fanciful thoughts. "Yes, of course." Miroku continued, his voice decidedly more forced than when he had first spoke. His mouth opened and closed for a few moments, as if he were unsure how to continue until he composed himself, offering Shima a slight bow. "How do you do, Miss Metzger?"
"I am well, thank you Sir." Shima's tone in contrast was playful, flirtatious, yet the sound was grating to Sango's ears.
"Good… good, and yourself, Miss Higurashi?" Sango lifted her eyes to Miroku's, and there was no mistaking the regret and the longing that lingered in them, but which was directed at her and which was for Shima, she had no way of knowing.
"I am well, thank you." She responded softly, expecting Miroku to look back to his fiance, but was quite surprised when he almost refused to.
"I am very glad to hear that, and Kagome… is she well?"
"Kagome will be very happy to see you." Sango quickly told him. "In fact, I will go and tell her you are here, please, excuse me."
She had taken two steps to the door, intending to escape the situation she found herself in, when it opened, and Kagome stepped in, a smile on her face.
"Miroku, I thought I heard your voice! I knew you would come to visit us."
"Kagome." Miroku began, but trailed off.
"We had hoped to see you last night, we were visiting with your family for dinner. Why did you not join us?" Kagome shot Sango a look before turning her attention back to Miroku, completely ignoring the other person in the room.
"I… well, I was… engaged elsewhere." Miroku choked out, his eyes darting to the floor.
"Engaged elsewhere?" Kagome laughed, "Oh but Miroku, what was that when there were dear friends to be met?"
Sango shifted uncomfortably as she saw Shima's face turning red at both being ignored and the very casual and yet intimate way that Kagome was speaking with Miroku. Kagome was unknowingly making the situation that much more volatile, but had no knowledge of what she was doing.
"Perhaps, Miss Kagome," Shima interrupted, unable to stay silent any longer, "you think young men should never stand upon engagements, if they have no mind to keep them."
Sango watched as Miroku's attention darted between Shima and Kagome. He knew he was in the crosshairs, but was unsure how he had gotten there, and the position slightly terrified him.
"No, indeed." Kagome responded to Shima before shifting to look back at Miroku. "I am sure that whatever it was that kept him from being there, it was a matter of conscience for Miroku, as he is truly a man who would keep and honor his engagements. He would always keep his word, once he has given it."
Sango's eyes closed at the hurt those words caused. Yes, Kagome was accurate, Miroku was indeed a man who would keep any and all engagements, it was purely thus her misfortune to have met him after his affections had already been promised to another. There was nothing she could have done against time, and if Shima and Miroku had grown up together, they had a bond that she could never have hoped to match.
She opened her eyes to watch as Miroku's shoulders dropped slightly, as if he felt the weight of the world suddenly rest on his shoulders. Sango halfway wondered whether he had come to the same realization she had, especially when his gaze shifted to meet hers, lingering for a moment longer than was proper.
"Yes." His voice was hoarse as he responded, his tone almost resigned as he tore his eyes away from Sango. "Yes," he repeated, his voice steadying, "and that being so, I regret that I must leave you, for I am promised to my sister." He shifted his jacket as he looked between the three women "I must go there directly."
"But you will come again, soon?" Kagome questioned.
Her words had only just faded when Miroku interjected to tell her "very soon, I hope." He gave her a small smile as he bowed his head to her. "Miss Kagome, Miss Higurashi, Miss Metzger."
He quickly made to escape the tension in the room, but Shima's voice stopped him.
"If you are going towards your sister's, good sir, perhaps you would be kind enough to escort me? I am expected there, you see, and still do not know the way."
Sango glanced at Shima and caught the smug smile on her lips before the other girl's face changed into a flirtatious and innocent expression.
"I… of… course?" Miroku's voice rose slightly as he spoke, and Sango saw him give a nervous swallow before he nodded to Shima with a slight smile. "It would be my pleasure."
Shima smiled softly as she curtsied to him and made her way to the door, nodding briefly at Kagome. When she reached Sango she gave another small curtsey, her eyes locked on Sango's as her smile turned smug before she swept out of the room. Miroku let out a deep breath as he turned to look at Sango, pausing for a moment as his smile softened and his eyes met hers. After a moment he tore his gaze away and his smile turned rueful as he followed Shima out the door.
"What could possibly bring her here so often?" Kagome groaned as they heard the front door close. "Could she not see that we wanted her gone?"
"Kagome, we are all his friends, and Shima has known him longer than any of us. She has every right to want to see him, same as we do." Sango's head was beginning to pound, a combination of the nerves from the evening before and the morning's activities.
Kagome eyed her sister, noting the tension in her shoulders and how she held herself. "You know, Sango, it is that kind of talk that I cannot bear. If you want your statement to be challenged, I am the last person to do so. If that is how you truly feel, then so be it."
As Kagome flounced from the room Sango allowed herself to collapse into a chair, unable to bear the weight of everything. Sango could not tell Kagome what had caused the tension, nor truly what existed between Shima and Miroku. She was bound to secrecy from a promise she had never wanted to truly make to Shima to help keep the engagement secret, and while the entire situation may cause her pain, she was bound by her honor to keep it.
In the solitude of the parlor, Sango let her head tip back as her eyes closed, silver tears trailing down her face as she thought of Miroku, and how it had felt when his hand had held hers.
So surprise... another chapter? Hopefully this one explains a little more about what is going on with our beloved MirSan in this story, and we will continue to go off script because...
I can lol. Hopefully you all are enjoying the changes!