'No, I'm afraid I can't help you. Allowing you to sail alone on a ship with upwards of a hundred and twenty men would be madness.' He shrugged apologetically.

'Why? I won't mingle with any of them. I'll pay you for a private cabin.'

He frowned at her again. 'Mistress Midori, you don't appear to lack sense. Surely you can understand that you would represent a great temptation?'

'I can defend myself. Haven't I already proved it?'

'Against three men perhaps, and three of the clumsiest at that. What of the other hundred-odd? Cabin doors are rather flimsy.'

'Surely they wouldn't all ... at once ...?' Midori tried not to feel intimidated by the image he'd conjured in her mind.

'Wouldn't they?'

The quizzical expression on Captain Noordholt's face as he stared down his haughty nose at her riled Midori. She decided he was just being obstinate, trying to put her off going. She clenched her fists inside the sleeves of her robe as she tried to compose herself. A j.a.panese lady never lost her temper and she had no intention of letting this irritating stranger provoke her.

'Maybe you underestimate your own charms, Mistress Midori,' he added in a kindly voice, which annoyed her even more.

'Aren't you man enough to ensure complete obedience in your crew?' she challenged.

He looked surprised. 'Of course, but tempting them with a tasty female isn't a normal occurrence on board any ship. I would be a fool to do so and I really don't need any more complications on this journey. I've only recently taken over as captain, so it's important that nothing goes wrong.'

'Tasty?' Midori almost raised her voice, but managed to resist the temptation at the last moment. 'If you must know, I have never yet met a man who was tempted by what you call my charms.' She didn't count the episode with the three Englishmen as they had thought her a wh.o.r.e and therefore fair game. 'If your men are so desperate, you should bring along some other females.'

'By all that's holy, woman, have you lost your mind? I'll have enough trouble keeping the crew adequately fed during such a long journey. And I don't need any hangers-on for them to fight over at every opportunity. G.o.d's teeth, but there would be a mutiny before we'd sailed a hundred leagues.' He shook his head at the thought.

Midori stepped closer to him. 'Well, I don't care how you arrange matters on board your ship. All I know is that I must sail with you and I have plenty of silver to pay for my pa.s.sage. If I stay here, I die. It's as simple as that.'

'What do you mean, you'll die?'

Nico frowned at the woman, trying to make sense of her words.

She glared at him. 'Haven't you heard? The Shogun has decided to persecute all foreigners and Christians. We're to be evicted from the country, even half gai-jin like me. I have no choice but to leave, don't you see?'

Nico had heard vague rumours to that effect, but hadn't taken much notice. Corneliszoon a.s.sured everyone on the island they were safe since they had permission to trade and weren't staying long, so it didn't concern him.

'I'm sure there must be other options open to you. I've been told there is a thriving j.a.panese Christian community in the Philippine Islands. Couldn't you go there?' he suggested. 'It's much closer, for one thing, and you could sail on a j.a.panese vessel.'

It was a reasonable proposition, but apparently it wasn't to the lady's liking. 'I don't want to go there. I'm going to England,' she insisted.

Nico sighed inwardly. He hated arguing with females; their logic was not like his. In this case he had to stay firm, though. 'Not with me. I'm sorry, but there it is.'

Although he didn't raise his voice, there was a steely quality to it that should have told her he wasn't prepared to back down. He'd practised it on the crew of the Zwarte Zwaan often enough and it usually procured instant obedience.

Her eyes narrowed and she took a deep breath, then asked in a softer tone of voice, 'Have you by any chance heard of the ninja?'

'I believe so. Trained a.s.sa.s.sins or some such thing? What of them?' Nico felt his frown deepening. What is she up to now?

'My brother happens to know where to find them and, as you may know, they'll do most anything for a price. Unlike some people.'

He crossed his arms over his chest again, fixing her with a stern gaze. 'Where is this conversation leading, Mistress Midori?' he asked, although he was perfectly able to guess. 'I have other calls on my time.'

'Oh, yes, of course. You were expecting a wh.o.r.e. I'm so sorry to take up your valuable time, but then ...'

'I am not entertaining any wh.o.r.es,' he gritted out between clenched teeth, trying not to let her goad him. 'And it's not a word any respectable female should be familiar with in any case. Your parents should have taught you that.'

'Really? How strange. What should I call them then?'

'Nothing! If you're a lady, you don't mention them at all. Now could we get to the point please?' He was fast losing his patience.

'The point, Captain Noordholt, is that unless you change your mind and allow me on board your ship, you yourself might not be sailing on her. The ninja are known to be swift and deadly and they're trained never to fail in their missions.'

He stepped closer and glared at her. 'Are you threatening me?' Since he was at least a head taller than her and possibly twice as broad, this should have made her back off, but she didn't seem intimidated in the least.

She looked up at him, as calm as you please, and a.s.sumed an innocent expression. 'I wouldn't call it that exactly. I'm just informing you of the consequences should you persist in your refusal.'

He fumed silently for a moment, unable to believe this slip of a woman would dare to give him an ultimatum. Then he realised the absurdity of the situation and gave a short laugh. 'And what's to stop me from murdering you right here, right now? Or taking you captive?'

'My brother is expecting me back shortly. If I don't return, he'll come looking for me.'

'Then I would be ready and waiting, with my men.'

Midori shook her head at him. 'He wouldn't come charging in, he would use stealth,' she scoffed. 'He's not a fool. Besides, I don't believe it will be necessary.'

Before Nico had time to do more than open his eyes wide in surprise, he found himself lying on his back in the dirt with all the air knocked from his lungs. Midori sat on top of him pointing a very sharp knife at his throat as he gasped to regain his breath. He stared at her in shock.

'What the h.e.l.l ...? How did you ...?'

A wave of fury surged through him, but he managed to hold his temper in check. This had gone beyond absurd. It was downright ridiculous.

It had been almost too easy and Midori knew she'd taken him by surprise only because he hadn't expected to be attacked by a female. He was a big man, after all, and she was tiny in comparison, so he hadn't been on his guard. She'd simply hooked her right leg behind his left one and pushed hard, then quickly jumped down on top of him as he fell, pulling out her knife. Luck had been on her side this time, but she was sure he'd never allow it to happen again. She would have to take advantage of her victory immediately.

The interview hadn't been going according to plan, so Midori had known she had to do something drastic. She couldn't fail. To go back to Ichiro without securing pa.s.sage on board the captain's ship would be to lose face. She had to prove to her brother she could fend for herself. With renewed determination, she gripped the handle of her knife and drew in another calming breath. It wouldn't do to sink to this barbarian's level; she must stay calm and reasonable. Slowly, she felt her inner harmony returning.

Several expressions flitted across the captain's face astonishment, anger and possibly a small measure of admiration. Midori waited in silence, her knife poised by his neck. She could see him debating with himself, but his next words indicated that although he wasn't prepared to give in gracefully, he was wavering slightly.

'We're not going to England, so you'd have to find your way from Amsterdam to wherever you're headed,' he growled. 'By yourself.'

'Well, there must be ships that sail to London. It's not that far, is it?' Midori had no idea if this was true, but decided to take a chance. She wasn't actually going to London, but knew it was England's main city, so she was sure she could reach her destination from there somehow.

'London?' His eyebrows descended even further. 'Your relatives live there?'

'Um, nearby I believe, yes.' To distract the man from the fact that she was lying, Midori gave him a dazzling smile. 'So, you see, I'll be all right if only you can take me as far as Amsterdam.'

The captain blinked and stared at her. She saw him swallow hard, then he closed his eyes and uttered what sounded like a groan. 'Very well,' he gritted out. 'You may sail with us. I can't guarantee your safety, but I'll do my best. It might not be enough, though. Do you understand?'

'Perfectly. I'll leave you to your, er ... pleasures now. When do we sail?'

'For the last time, I'm not indulging in any ...' He muttered a curse, then made a visible effort to calm himself. 'We're sailing with the tide the day after tomorrow. I'll require your payment by tomorrow evening. A thousand pieces of silver.'

Midori didn't bat an eyelid at this preposterous amount, although she couldn't help wondering if Ichiro had brought such an enormous sum. 'Five hundred,' she said. 'I'll bring you half of it tomorrow, and the rest I will give you when we reach Amsterdam safely.'

'I didn't say the price was negotiable.' His blue gaze had turned to steel.

'No?' Midori smiled sweetly and lifted her eyebrows, while p.r.i.c.king him with her dagger. A tiny droplet of blood appeared on his sunburned skin.

Captain Noordholt gave her a furious look, before turning the tables on her with a minimum amount of effort. He grabbed the hilt of her knife with lightning speed, twisting it out of her grip and throwing it to the ground. Then he shoved her off and jumped to his feet in one fluid motion. With another glare he turned on his heel and stalked off.

'Six hundred and not a piece less,' he called over his shoulder before disappearing inside the house.

Midori sat in the mud and stared after him. 'What an extraordinary man,' she muttered. He could obviously have heaved her off at any time, but he'd let her think she had the upper hand. And then he gave in to her demands? It didn't make sense to her, but she was grateful all the same.

She wondered if she would ever understand these foreigners.

Nico stopped just inside the door and leaned his back on it for a moment. His heart was racing as if he'd been running, and he clenched his fists. 'd.a.m.nation, but you're a fool, man, a complete lackwit!' he berated himself. Of all the stupid things to do, he'd let a pretty face sway him and cloud his judgement. Well, not just pretty, dazzlingly beautiful! But I'm still an idiot ...

And yet, how could he leave a woman like that here to die? She was half-English, after all, as much a foreigner to the j.a.panese as he was. A lady, alone and defenceless, who'd asked for his help. It put him in an impossible position.

He'd been determined to refuse her request. As he'd told her, it was sheer madness to allow her on board the Zwarte Zwaan and he doubted she understood what she was asking of him. But one smile, one incredible smile, and all his good intentions had flown out of the window.

Nico slammed his fist into the nearest wall, then regretted it when he made a huge dent in the flimsy wood. 'd.a.m.n it all to h.e.l.l!'

But he'd given his word now and he couldn't take it back.

Chapter Four.

'Off so soon?' The guard by the gate looked taken aback when Midori appeared behind him and demanded to be let out.

'Yes, the captain is a busy man, but he asked me to return tomorrow, so you had better warn your colleagues to expect me. Oh, and some of my servants might be bringing a few of my possessions, so kindly let them on to the island as well. I shall be sailing with the captain.' She swept past the slack-jawed man and disappeared into the night.

As soon as she was out of sight of the guard, Ichiro and his men came out of their hiding places to join her on the walk back to the inn.

'You are well?' Ichiro fell into step beside her and looked her up and down to check for any signs of violence.

'Yes, thank you. I have successfully negotiated a pa.s.sage on board the Zwarte Zwaan to er ... the captain's country.' She didn't want to tell him the ship was bound for Amsterdam. It would only complicate matters and she was sure she could find a way to reach England from there.

'Your negotiations took place on the ground?'

'What?' Midori looked around to find Ichiro staring at her dirty clothing in the light from one of the lanterns his servants carried. 'Oh, no, but you wouldn't believe how disgusting their island is. They have livestock walking around the place. I sat on a bench to wait and it must have been filthy.'

'I see.' He gave her a penetrating look, but let the subject drop.

Midori hesitated slightly before voicing her main worry. 'Ichiro, how much silver did you bring?'

'Quite a lot. Why?'

'Well, the captain is asking for an incredible amount as payment and although I haggled, I wasn't sure whether I should have tried to make him lower the price further.'

'How much does he want?'

'Six hundred pieces.' She saw her brother's eyebrows go up and hurried to add, 'Although I said I would only pay half now and the rest on safe arrival in England.'

'Hmm. It's a lot, to be sure, but if that's what it takes to see you safe ... No, we can't argue with the man. You need him to be on your side.'

Midori thought she'd better not tell Ichiro it was much too late for that. The captain would no doubt honour his word and try his best to protect her, but he was most definitely not 'on her side'.

'When do you leave?'

'The ship sails with the tide the day after tomorrow. We have one more day together.'

The thought that this was probably the last day she would ever spend with her brother suddenly hit her. An acute feeling of loss slammed into her gut and made her gasp for breath, but when Ichiro gave her a worried glance, she turned it into a cough and pretended she had choked on some dust. One more day, and then what?

She would have to make the best of it. It would never do to leave him with the memory of a sister who looked desolate. She wanted him to remember her in a happy mood. If it was their fate, they would meet again. Midori comforted herself with that thought.

He was the best of brothers and he'd tried to give her the bad news gently, but it had still come as a shock ...

Just over a week earlier, she'd been in her suite of rooms at Castle Shiroi arranging flowers when her maid came to give her a message.

'Lady Midori, the lord Ichiro wishes to speak to you. He is by the pond.'

Midori looked up from the ikebana she was creating to find the maid bowed low and on her knees next to her. 'Thank you, k.u.mi, then I will go at once. You may accompany me.'

She wondered if the summons had anything to do with the arrival that morning of a messenger from Edo. Midori had seen him come galloping into the main courtyard. There had been an urgency to the man's mission which boded ill and she hated not knowing what was going on. If anything bad was to happen, she wanted to be told so she could prepare herself and meet the danger head on. It was what her father had taught her to do.

It was a clear autumn day, perfect for contemplating the beauty of nature, and there was no better place in all the world to do this than by the castle pond. Midori made her way along the garden paths, the maid following at a respectful distance behind her, and looked around at the glorious riot of colour. The acer trees were clad in their most brilliant hues, from palest orange to deep burgundy red, and Midori couldn't resist a brief smile at this display. It was as if nature was trying to make up for the barren, dull months that were to follow, leaving something spectacular to remember when all the colours had faded.

The pond was really a small lake, used for the breeding of carp as much as for decoration. She found Ichiro sitting on a jetty which was reflected in the calm water. Cross-legged, he was as still as the stones all around the sh.o.r.e, his eyes far away and his mind obviously in harmony with his surroundings. Midori hesitated, not wanting to disturb his tranquillity. When she took a step on to the jetty, however, this made it shake and alerted him to her presence. He turned and smiled, stretching out a hand in invitation.

'Ah, there you are. Come, sit by me.'

She saw that he was on a silk cushion and there was another waiting for her. She sank down on to her knees and folded her hands in her lap, waiting for him to speak. Although she was longing to question him about the messenger, she knew it wasn't her place. Such impertinence wouldn't be tolerated, even by a beloved sister. Ichiro would reveal all, if and when he felt so inclined and not a moment before.

He took his time, as if he had to weigh his words carefully before speaking. Finally he said, 'Midori, you know I have your welfare at heart and I want you to be happy?' She nodded. Despite an age difference of ten years and the fact that they had had different mothers, they'd always liked each other and dealt well together. 'Then if I tell you the time has come for you to leave, you'll understand it's not because I, personally, want you to go.' It was a statement, not a question, but Midori heard the slight hesitation in his voice, as if he wasn't sure how she would react.

'Leave? You mean you've found a husband for me at last?'

Ichiro sighed. 'No, I wish I had, but I'm afraid that's not what I meant.'

For several years now, her brother had tried his best to find her a husband n.o.ble enough to befit her station as the daughter of a daimyo and poor enough to overlook her mother's provenance. It had proved an impossible task.

Midori didn't think of herself as ugly, but she knew she was different from all the other girls in the castle. Although her hair was as straight and shiny as theirs, it was a dark auburn in colour and much softer besides. She supposed she could have dyed it black, but since she couldn't change her green eyes to brown there was no point. She'd noticed that whenever her prospective suitors looked into their depths they either gasped or blinked in horror, and soon after made their excuses. The plain truth was she frightened or repulsed them.