The Peony Lantern by Frances Watts Page A

joke?’
    â€˜N-no, my lady,’ I stammered. ‘But I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the hairstyles of Edo. Perhaps if you could describe your preferred style?’
    She flung down the mirror. ‘Fetch Ishi,’ she snapped. ‘At once.’
    My face burning, feeling close to tears, I hurried to the kitchen.
    When I returned with the cook, Misaki had already removed most of the pins, combs and ornaments.
    She didn’t mention the havoc I had wreaked on her head, merely said, ‘Ishi, could you show Kasumi how I like to wear my hair, please?’
    I concentrated hard as the older woman created a large roll at the back, then smaller rolls at the front and sides to create an illusion of fullness. These she fastened with hairpins and combs — including the one Lord Shimizu had bought in Yabuhara. The red shone against Misaki’s black hair. The simple style accentuated the delicacy of her face.
    â€˜She doesn’t like it too fancy,’ Ishi said. ‘And she doesn’t need it fancy, either — she’s beautiful enough. Now, do you think you’ve got it?’
    â€˜I think so. Thank you.’ I tried to keep the tremble from my voice.
    Ishi retreated back to the kitchen.
    With her hair done, it was time to do Misaki’s makeup, and this time she didn’t leave me to my own devices. Speaking to me as if I were a dull-witted child, she instructed me on how to mix white powder and water into a paste, which she brushed over her face, neck and chest, after which I carefully did the nape of her neck. She then patted and blended the makeup with a sponge until it was smooth. By the time she was done, her scar was invisible. She nodded in satisfaction at the mirror, then painted her lips red with safflower.
    Finally we were ready to dress her in a kimono. Here in Edo, summer had really begun, so Misaki selected a cool design, pointing to an unlined kimono in blue silk with a design of streams and grasses.
    She slipped her arms through the sleeves then stood perfectly still while I wrapped the right side of the robe across her body, overlapped it with the left, and tied a thin belt around to fasten it. I pulled up the fabric so that the hem of the kimono fell exactly to her ankles, then arranged the excess material so it covered the belt. Over this I put the wider belt, the obi, which tied behind, making sure as I did that the seam at the back was straight.
    I managed to dress her without any mishaps, but I was still feeling tense and anxious from the hair disaster as I followed Misaki back to the reception room. She sank to her knees on the tatami and I did the same, waiting to see what we would do next.
    As Misaki sat poised and aloof, staring out into the garden, I wondered why she had not brought an attendant with her from Morioka. Perhaps her father hadn’tapproved of her marriage, and she had been banished from her home; maybe this was the secret the couple had been discussing the night before. Or Misaki had been promised to another man, but she had met Lord Shimizu when he visited their domain and . . . and I was sounding like Ayame. More likely my mistress had not brought a lady-in-waiting of her own because her husband thought it better that she have an attendant from his own domain. That made perfect sense. Except . . . he had given the position to me. Which made no sense. I sighed. There was no point wondering and questioning; I should accept things as they were.
    Misaki stood abruptly. ‘I’d like to take some air.’
    I sprang to my feet. ‘Yes, my lady.’ Even with the side of the house open to the breeze, it felt close in the reception room. It was much more humid here than in the mountains, and I felt the moist air pressing at me insistently.
    Outside the sky was low and heavy with clouds. They looked as ripe and swollen as the plums the rain would feed.
    I fetched our sandals from the entrance, and then we stepped