what she had to do.
“Thank you, Mother. I’ll try . . .” Her mother gave her a stern look and she quickly amended her words to “I’ll do as you say.” She cautiously reached for the box and slipped it into her sleeve. She wrinkled her nose at the inevitable prospect.
Late in the afternoon Rie made certain that Jihei was still in the office. She walked over to where he was working and spoke to him softly, out of earshot of her father, Kin and the clerks.
“You know, tonight we’ll be having fresh mackerel cooked with miso the way you like it, and sesame tofu. And I thought we could try some of the special sake Toji has been experimenting with.” She smiled at Jihei, she hoped enticingly. “Your bath will be ready soon.”
Jihei looked at Rie and nodded. “All right.” Was he such a dolt he thought nothing of her sudden change of personality?
Rie shook her head as she checked the bath to be sure it was heating and hurried to the kitchen to instruct the cook to prepare the special dishes for the evening. She set aside three bottles of the highest grade of sake. Upstairs she pulled out the tansu drawers holding her kasuri kimonos. She fingered several before selecting a lighter shade of indigo with a larger pattern than she generally wore. She slid her mother’s perfume box into her sleeve and took out the kasuri she had selected.
While her father and Jihei were bathing, Rie went again to the kitchen to ask O-Natsu to heat the sake. Jihei and her father retuned from the bath, their skin still moist and flushed, their moods relaxed.
When Rie and her mother were seated with their husbands Rie poured, first for her father, then for her husband.
48oyce Lebra
“This is the special sake that Toji has brewed this year. I thought we could enjoy some with our mackerel this evening.” She looked at her mother, who urged her to continue, then turned toward Jihei, caught his eye, and smiled as she poured for him.
“Mother, why don’t you have a taste too?” She held the bottle and a cup toward her mother.
“Just a sip, dear.” Her mother held up her tiny cup delicately to Rie.
Rie turned back to Jihei. “How do you like it?”
“Here, try some yourself,” Jihei said, holding out a warmed flask toward her cup.
She inhaled the yeasty bouquet and savored a sip. “ Mmm.
Wonderful! We should be able to market it at top price.”
Her mother sighed and cast a warning glance at Rie not to talk business, but her father, oblivious to the interchange said, “Yes, Rie, I think you’re right. It’s something new. I haven’t tasted anything quite like it before.”
Rie smiled inwardly at this sign of approval from her father.
With a nod to Rie, Hana excused herself to prepare her bath and retire early, but Kinzaemon and Jihei continued to enjoy their evening sake. Rie excused herself as well for a quick bath, then hurried up the stairs and lit a lamp in the anteroom. Light from the lamp sputtered and flickered through the wooden carving above the screens, and shadow cranes drifted into the bedroom. She took out the futons and laid them side by side. In the dressing room she took out her mother’s Kyoto perfume and applied some behind her ears, neck, and wrists. She smoothed her kimono and obi and surveyed the room quickly. Satisfied, she returned to join her father and Jihei. She paused outside the room and adjusted the collar of her kimono so that a bit more of the nape of her neck showed than was proper. As she entered the room she glanced at Jihei to see how red his face was. It would not do to wait too long. Seated at the table again, she turned her
The Scent of Sake 49
back toward Jihei and lingered over the sake flasks and cups.
She turned back toward Jihei and forced a smile. “I can take a flask upstairs if you like.”
“Yes, I’d like to have another sip, a nightcap.”
As Rie rose with the sake tray she saw out of the corner of her eye that Jihei was rising to follow her. She could feel
“Thank you, Mother. I’ll try . . .” Her mother gave her a stern look and she quickly amended her words to “I’ll do as you say.” She cautiously reached for the box and slipped it into her sleeve. She wrinkled her nose at the inevitable prospect.
Late in the afternoon Rie made certain that Jihei was still in the office. She walked over to where he was working and spoke to him softly, out of earshot of her father, Kin and the clerks.
“You know, tonight we’ll be having fresh mackerel cooked with miso the way you like it, and sesame tofu. And I thought we could try some of the special sake Toji has been experimenting with.” She smiled at Jihei, she hoped enticingly. “Your bath will be ready soon.”
Jihei looked at Rie and nodded. “All right.” Was he such a dolt he thought nothing of her sudden change of personality?
Rie shook her head as she checked the bath to be sure it was heating and hurried to the kitchen to instruct the cook to prepare the special dishes for the evening. She set aside three bottles of the highest grade of sake. Upstairs she pulled out the tansu drawers holding her kasuri kimonos. She fingered several before selecting a lighter shade of indigo with a larger pattern than she generally wore. She slid her mother’s perfume box into her sleeve and took out the kasuri she had selected.
While her father and Jihei were bathing, Rie went again to the kitchen to ask O-Natsu to heat the sake. Jihei and her father retuned from the bath, their skin still moist and flushed, their moods relaxed.
When Rie and her mother were seated with their husbands Rie poured, first for her father, then for her husband.
48oyce Lebra
“This is the special sake that Toji has brewed this year. I thought we could enjoy some with our mackerel this evening.” She looked at her mother, who urged her to continue, then turned toward Jihei, caught his eye, and smiled as she poured for him.
“Mother, why don’t you have a taste too?” She held the bottle and a cup toward her mother.
“Just a sip, dear.” Her mother held up her tiny cup delicately to Rie.
Rie turned back to Jihei. “How do you like it?”
“Here, try some yourself,” Jihei said, holding out a warmed flask toward her cup.
She inhaled the yeasty bouquet and savored a sip. “ Mmm.
Wonderful! We should be able to market it at top price.”
Her mother sighed and cast a warning glance at Rie not to talk business, but her father, oblivious to the interchange said, “Yes, Rie, I think you’re right. It’s something new. I haven’t tasted anything quite like it before.”
Rie smiled inwardly at this sign of approval from her father.
With a nod to Rie, Hana excused herself to prepare her bath and retire early, but Kinzaemon and Jihei continued to enjoy their evening sake. Rie excused herself as well for a quick bath, then hurried up the stairs and lit a lamp in the anteroom. Light from the lamp sputtered and flickered through the wooden carving above the screens, and shadow cranes drifted into the bedroom. She took out the futons and laid them side by side. In the dressing room she took out her mother’s Kyoto perfume and applied some behind her ears, neck, and wrists. She smoothed her kimono and obi and surveyed the room quickly. Satisfied, she returned to join her father and Jihei. She paused outside the room and adjusted the collar of her kimono so that a bit more of the nape of her neck showed than was proper. As she entered the room she glanced at Jihei to see how red his face was. It would not do to wait too long. Seated at the table again, she turned her
The Scent of Sake 49
back toward Jihei and lingered over the sake flasks and cups.
She turned back toward Jihei and forced a smile. “I can take a flask upstairs if you like.”
“Yes, I’d like to have another sip, a nightcap.”
As Rie rose with the sake tray she saw out of the corner of her eye that Jihei was rising to follow her. She could feel
Similar Books
