The Assassin's Daughter by I.J. Parker

Author:I.J. Parker [Parker, I.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B010C30PQS
Published: 2015-06-23T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

The Silk Merchant and his Wife

On his return to the city, Akitada felt some gratitude for his own children. Yasuko and Yoshi made him proud almost every day. He thought of how obedient they were, and how affectionate to a father who was mostly too busy to spend time with them. He thought of the impromptu concerts they had had in Mikawa with Yukiko and Yasuko. He had left his flute there and missed it.

And now Yukiko was carrying another child, a child for them to raise together. He felt quietly thankful for all of that and decided to buy a gift for his young wife and gifts for the children, too. The children were easily accommodated. It was time Yoshi had a decent sword, and this he bought from a shop that specialized in such weapons for boys. For Yasuko he found two very pretty painted fans. She had exhibited signs of taking an interest in fashion lately.

Yukiko was not so easily pleased. She had always had enough money to buy what she wished, though she had shown remarkable restraint until his sister Akiko took her in hand. In the end the only thing that came to his mind was more silk. She loved pretty fabrics and he knew the name of the shop where she had placed her orders. He would go and add something special to that order.

The Nakai shop was not far from the Eastern Market. It occurred to him that Yukiko might have revealed its exact location with just such a purpose in mind. He entered the large shop with a smile on his face, thinking about this. On the raised sections on either side of the stone corridor, mats were spread and customers perched on the edge while shop assistants waited on them. The walls on both sides were covered with shelves, and on these shelves rested multi-colored lengths of silk and brocade of the size to make a full kimono-style robe, but folded into neat packages. As he knew from Yukiko, the shop also offered the services of a seamstress, and a number of items Yukiko had ordered were to be sewn up here.

There were three women and a man shopping at the moment. The women occupied the right side where a very handsome and well-dressed young man and an older saleswoman were waiting on them. Akitada joined the male customer on the opposite side and was greeted by a young woman of extraordinary plainness. She had, however, a cheerful and polite manner. He explained who he was and about Yukiko’s prior order. When he got that far, another woman suddenly appeared beside his shop girl. She was a little older but less than thirty years, very handsome, and dressed in a fine green silk dress with an embroidered Chinese jacket in a pale golden color over it. Her hair, which must be long, was coiled elaborately at her neck. She told the girl to go and help the other customer and introduced herself as Mrs.

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