Dragonfly Wings by Elizabeth Ann Boyles

Author:Elizabeth Ann Boyles [Boyles, Elizabeth Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Promise House Publishing
Published: 2020-01-21T22:00:00+00:00

Two hours later, John bowed to the solemn Sumi and her father at the consulate’s gate and turned back to face Phillip’s questions in the parlor.

“So that’s your pretty little tutor,” Phillip said, his voice half teasing, half serious. “And she must have been the native who was with you at the May Day Ball. Heard it mentioned at the club.”

“I guess there’s a lot of talk about it. Upset an uppity section of society. Believe me, if she could ever be more to me than just the daughter of my interpreter, I’d never have invited her.”

“I know that, I think.”

“She’s a charming native, but a native nevertheless. And the daughter of a samurai would hardly have any romantic leanings toward an American like me.”

“Well, leanings or not, I may ask her on an outing myself . . . to tutor me.

John scrutinized Phillip’s face. Just what kind of outing did he plan?

“What the devil are you looking at? Do I have gravy on my beard or something? I wouldn’t take advantage of the young lady if that’s worrying you.”

“Of course not.” Having the thought cross his mind could hardly be termed worrying. “It’s just that Miss Taguchi’s a fragile thing and taken with Western ways. Her family, especially her samurai grandfather, would guard against any appearance of her being courted by a Westerner, no matter how upstanding.”

Phillip shrugged. “So even the most innocuous outing could be a problem, I gather.”

“Afraid so,” John said, while thinking of a bigger drawback. Miss Taguchi could easily catch any man’s fancy without intending to. After all, he’d found it hard to resist her charm at the grotto. And at the ball. And in his arms during the dance lesson. And even after the fiasco with the bow and arrow. But he had resisted, and was continuing to do so, like during the lesson that just finished. He forced his mind to bring up Catherine’s image, replacing Miss Taguchi’s beguiling one.

Wrinkling his nose, Phillip picked up the dictionary. “I can see why people planning to live here the rest of their lives tackle the language, but you puzzle me. Just how long do you plan to stay in Japan?”

“Five years, or seven at most. Long enough for the company to have a solid footing.”

Phillip stared at him. “Are you serious? How could you endure these bizarre customs for years—eating with sticks, squatting on straw mats, the stares and snickers, swaggering samurai, and most irritating, the bows, bows, and more bows?”

“The customs don’t seem all that bizarre now. It’ll take time to train qualified managers. The company’s got stiff competition. In fact, I communicate partly in code with my Chinese comprador and the clerks back in the States. The British firm Barton is nipping at our heels. If they knew my payment for the best silk, they could raise their offer and snatch the order.”

“But what about Catherine? Do you honestly expect my sister to accept that long of a separation?”

“I’m encouraging Catherine to visit and see how it is.

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