Akiko winced and fell silent. Jack immediately felt bad. He knew he’d been rude to her and that his tone had been harsh. But the imminent prospect of the duel, which would further delay his reunion with Jess, had combined with his utter dismay at the hostile welcome they’d received so far in England and had made him tetchy. ‘Sorry, Akiko …’ he muttered, ‘I’m a little tense at the moment.’

The delicate line of her jaw relaxed and her gaze returned his way. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you, Jack. But we’re here to meet your sister, not the end of a sword! And it seems pointless fighting over something so small.’

‘Well, certain samurai lords would chop off your head if you didn’t bow low enough!’ Jack shot back. He thought of the old blind tea merchant who’d suffered such a fate on the command of daimyo Kamakura – the man who’d become Shogun of Japan and expelled all Christians and foreigners from his domain.

‘They are the exception,’ defended Akiko. ‘Most daimyo are fair and just.’

‘If you are Japanese,’ said Jack bluntly as they were brought to a halt beside an old oak tree in the middle of a meadow. ‘Anyway, the same applies here. We’ve simply been unfortunate to meet such idiots as this man!’

Sir Toby was removing his fur-collared cloak with the affected grace of a royal courtier. Offloading the garment to his round-bellied and fawning friend, he examined the grassy duelling area, appeared satisfied, then began stretching his legs and flexing his arms. His other companion, the lank-haired drunkard, propped himself up against the tree, his eyes half-closed with intoxication. The growing number of spectators now formed a loose circle round them, hemming Jack and his friends in.

Yori, who’d been fearfully quiet all the way to Moorfields, now whispered to Jack, ‘Do you really have to do this?’

‘It looks like it,’ he replied, as Sir Toby made a show of parrying and lunging, much to the delight of the crowd.

‘But what if you apologize?’

Jack frowned. ‘What do I have to apologize for? He’s the one who should be apologizing to us!’

‘I know, but for the sake of avoiding yet another fight today, perhaps we can swallow our pride, say sorry and return to the inn in one piece.’ Yori looked up at him, eyes round and hopeful.

Jack sighed. Yori was right. He was about to risk everything over a perceived slight. He should just apologize and pray that would be the end of it, that his opponent’s posturing was no more than an act of bravado. ‘Yes, by all means try,’ he said.