Firefly by India Millar

Author:India Millar [Millar, India]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Empress Publishing
Published: 2019-09-09T16:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

If you have never

Been knocked down, then how are you

To know how to stand?

“Thank you for the loan of your robe, brother.”

I handed Isamu his borrowed robe. He barely glanced at it, yawning and stretching as if he had forgotten I had ever worn it.

“And how did you like the Floating World, younger sister?” He smiled cheerfully at me and I felt guilty that I had ever thought him capable of playing such a mean trick on me.

“It was like nothing I could ever have imagined,” I said truthfully.

“Aye? Well, you certainly made an impression. First, it was Hana, then Reo-san. You know, I thought at one time that Reo-san had taken a real interest in Emiko, to the extent that he might actually put in an offer for her. And I could see she was struck with him as well. But it all came to nothing.”

“Probably just as well,” I said tartly. “If he likes young boys, I hardly think he would have made a good husband for Emiko.”

Isamu stared at me, his eyebrows arched in amazement.

“Perhaps taking you to the Floating World was not a good idea after all, sister. Emiko—and you, for that matter—will accept the husband father selects for you. And do it gladly.”

“I am sorry, Isamu.” I lowered my eyes so he couldn’t see the defiance in my expression. “You are right, of course,”

I nearly had to bite my tongue to force the humble words out. Isamu clearly took my apology at face value.

“You didn’t like Reo, did you?” I shrugged non-committedly. “I suppose he can be a little—what’s the word I’m looking for?—a little flamboyant, shall we say? But he is wealthy, and he comes from a very prestigious family. If he had made an offer to take Emiko as his wife, I think Father might have been just a little tempted to put poor Soji aside in his favor.”

“Could Father have done that? Emiko’s been betrothed to Soji-san since she was a child. I’ve never heard of such a thing happening.” As soon as I said it, I felt foolish. Of course I would never have heard of it; such things would have been handled with the greatest delicacy and never made public. At the same time, I was deeply grateful Emiko had had no idea that she might have had a chance with her plans. If she had only mentioned Reo by name, everything might have been very different. “Surely it would have been terribly disrespectful to Soji-san?”

“Father would never have considered it if it was anybody other than Reo. And Soji.” Isamu shrugged. A sly smile quirked his lips at the corners. “You must remember that Reo really is tremendously rich. And his family is even higher-caste than ours. If he had decided to put his case to Father—who knows? I know it’s virtually unheard of to break off a betrothal, but you have to remember that Soji—even though he’s samurai, in name at least—is a bit of a milksop. I

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