Miya, who had come today as bride, was the eldest daughter of a pawnbroker who lived by the inner gateway of the Zōjōji temple. Tomo had decided that the only arrangement likely to work would be with a tradesman’s family more interested in property or social status than in personal character; for the first wife, too, she had chosen the daughter of a cloth merchant in Nihonbashi. Miya’s family, who had already been told by the go-between about the Shirakawas’ property and Yukitomo’s career, only needed to hear that Takao would be brought up by his grandparents without troubling Miya in any way for both the mother and Miya’s elder brother, now head of the family, to show immediate enthusiasm. For the moment the couple might have to live in rooms in the Shirakawas’ house, but after Yukitomo’s death the larger part of the income from a considerable number of buildings and estates within the city limits would fall to Michimasa, which was quite enough to make Miya’s luxury-loving mother accept everything else – the previous wife, the stepchild, the fact that the bridegroom had no occupation. She was also much taken with the Shirakawas’ suggestion that no trousseau would be necessary. For her bridal outfit, Miya was dressed in a red robe from the pawnshop, which was a good three or four inches shorter in the sleeve than the white silk under-kimono.

Since for her own daughter Etsuko’s marriage Tomo had carefully chosen everything herself, from neckbands to the last undergarment, lest Etsuko’s mother-in-law and relatives should see them and laugh at her when she went to live with them, she was shocked that a woman so smart in her personal appearance and so sophisticated in her speech as Miya’s mother could show such casualness in providing for her child, and the reflection that it was precisely this outlook that had made it possible for the mother to give her yet unmarried daughter as second wife to a man like Michimasa reinforced the pity she felt for Miya.

‘Ma’am …’ said Suga after Miya had gone back to the main room where the wedding guests were waiting. She pointed to the white under-kimono that she had been folding after helping the bride change her costume in the rear room set apart for the purpose. Tomo frowned as she saw the light brown stain still visible on the garment, and said with quiet emphasis as she went out in Miya’s wake:

‘Don’t tell the maids. You and Yumi fold them, please. It would be awful for Miya if she thought we’d noticed.’

Meekly finishing her folding of the white robe, Suga was startled on glancing round to see Yumi, her hair done in a round bun, standing before the mirror with the red outer kimono discarded by Miya draped about her own shoulders.

‘Yumi! Whatever are you up to!’