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*** Wednesday, May 25, 1887 ***
Sesshomaru snarled, his fingers crumpling the piece of paper he had in his hands. The source of his ire was not the letter he held, but instead was the person portrayed as villain in its contents. He tightened his hands into fists, crumpling the letter further, before throwing it down on his desk and marching to the side board in his study.
He poured himself a dram of scotch, knocking it back with ease. Another followed, then another, before he slammed the glass tumbler onto the side board. It didn’t break or crack, but he knew that if his butler had seen him, Jeffrey wouldn’t be pleased. At this point however, he found he couldn’t care about any of it.
He just wanted to try to calm himself so that he wouldn’t make the rash decision to take a train to Glasgow so that he could…
Sesshomaru sighed, moving away from the breakable objects as his eyes found the letter again. He didn’t know what he would do if he ever saw Inuyasha again, but he knew it wouldn’t be pleasant.
He hadn’t meant to take over his father’s estate when the elderly man had passed away, since he was quite sure the estate was to have fallen to his more favored son: Inuyasha Mori. But instead, his father had given him the company, the estate, and the land holdings. He now oversaw the textile mills spinning Indian cotton into cloth to sell back to the subcontinent (1), the townhouses in Mayfair and Manchester, and the country estate in Derbyshire.
It was a position Sesshomaru hadn’t been prepared for, and he had spent the last ten years doing all he could to maintain his father’s estate, grow it, and take care of the people who worked for him as a part of it. Of course, it wasn’t just employees he cared for. He had also taken in his step-mother and her then Eton-age son under his care. He had provided Inuyasha with schooling, his step-mother with a modest income, and he’d seen to it that they had all of their needs provided for.
And what did Inuyasha do?
He squandered it all by taking advantage of one of the daughters of a Japanese Baron (2) who was visiting. Izayoi hadn’t written too much, but from what he did gather, he had played both sisters against each other, before running off and eloping with one of them. The other, he learned from the letter, was left in scandal as Inuyasha had promised for her hand, and she had foolishly given him more when he did so.
No one in England would want a woman who was the subject of scandal and who had squandered away her virtue. Not in this current society.
Which left him to try to pick up the pieces that Inuyasha had left behind. Apparently, the eloped couple had married in Gretna Green (3), sent a letter home after their disappearance, and were now absconding somewhere in Scotland- Glasgow was the location Izayoi hinted. The elder daughter however, was left behind and now, with her reputation torn to tatters, was the subject of great scandal.
And Higurashi Hideo, the girl’s father, had demanded that he do something about it.
Frankly, Sesshomaru didn’t know what to do. He was removed from the day to day gossip and machinations of London, content to remain in the Bolton-Manchester area and oversee the mills. And now Inuyasha had forced his hand to make him return. Sesshomaru knew he had no choice and cursed his half-brother again.
He’d have to fix this mess Inuyasha had thrown at his feet. And he was going to have to do it properly. Only, he thought it might be better to do it away from prying eyes.
Moving back to his desk, he picked up new paper and a pen writing out a letter to Izayoi. If all went well, he expected to see her and the Higurashi’s at the Derbyshire Manor in a week’s time.
*** Tuesday, May 31, 1887 1:30 P.M. ***
Kagome stared listlessly out of the carriage windows at the English countryside. She’d not seen much of it since her father had been posted as a trade ambassador in England. Her usual day to day outings were mostly to one of the famous London Parks, and even then, only if it was sunny and if she felt ready to take herself out into the soot and grime that was so prevalent in the city nowadays. She did live in a more upper-class residential area, so her experience in London wasn’t as grimy as those of the workers who called the East End home. But it was still a far cry from the Tokyo home she had grown up in.
No, that home, where she had lived for fourteen of her twenty areas was spacious, comfortable, and a far cry from the townhouse in London.
But, none of that mattered now. All of it had stopped mattering when she’d been so utterly foolish and believed her sister and Inuyasha. Oh, how they must think her such a fool! They both had known of Inuyasha’s rather public courting of her. In hindsight, she supposed it had been what they presumed the best strategy to hide their own relationship.
After all, at only sixteen, Kikyo was far too young for marriage.
Still, it had hurt her so much when all she’d had after a night spent with Inuyasha was a note from both him and her sister informing her of their romance and their departure to Gretna Green. She’d alerted her mother as soon as she could, but by then it had been too late and the damage had been done.
She’d become the victim of scandal because of her lost virtue, and Kikyo and Inuyasha were already gone.
They’d sent a letter three days later explaining they were in Glasgow and that they wouldn’t return home as they were happily married.
There was no mention of her, no apologies given for their actions, and not a single ounce of regret for what they had done to her. Her father had been furious, ready to tear up Glasgow to go searching for them, but her mother had stopped him.
She had been the one who had gotten in contact with Lady Izayoi Mori and the two had then forced her father to wait for news from the head of the Mori family before making any decisions.
That was the reason she was now in a train carriage hurtling through the English countryside to head to the Mori’s Derbyshire Estate.
“Kagome,” Izayoi Mori smiled at her when she caught her attention, “we’ll be arriving in Nottingham soon. I just wanted to let you know so you can gather your belongings. We’ll have to move to another portion of the station there so we can take the train to Ilkeston (4).”
“Thank you.” Kagome replied automatically, for lack of anything better to say.
She heard the telltale railroad whistle and noticed that the countryside was giving way to buildings. They must be quite near to the station then. Gathering her parasol, which she most likely would need with England’s near perpetual gray skies, she clutched her purse tight in her hands and waited to disembark.
Nottingham’s train station wasn’t large, but then again, it wasn’t a big city such as London, or Manchester. There were two platforms though, connected by a bridge that she had to cross. The train they were to take to Ilkeston was already waiting, and it seemed the conductor had heard to wait for them, because he stood outside the train and greeted Izayoi with a smile.
“It’s nice ta’ see you again Lady Mori.” He greeted, tipping his hat to her. “Going back to the Estate for a bit?”
“Yes.” Izayoi replied, accepting his hand to climb aboard the three-carriage train. It was a small one, but Kagome wasn’t too surprised at that.
The conductor nodded at her, helping the other ladies on board as well. Once everyone, including her father, had taken their seats, he moved towards the front of the train to tell the engineer they could start again.
Kagome soon lost herself in the movement of the train, staring out the window again, though this time, her already steam-clouded view was further hindered by rain. She ignored the conversation going around her between her parents and Izayoi. A tug on her skirts had her look down however.
“Kagome?” Rin asked, a frown on her face. “Can I ask you something?”
The adults were still deep in their conversation, so Kagome inclined her head towards her youngest sister.
“Why are we going to Ilkeston? Mother says we’re visiting the Mori Estate in the country. But I thought Mr. Mori ran away?”
Kagome winced at the words even if she knew that her sister didn’t mean anything by them. “We’re visiting his elder brother.” Kagome explained. “We’re hoping he will be able to help us find Kikyo.”
“Oh.” Rin’s eyes widened, and she burrowed closer to Kagome. “I miss her. Why did she have to run away too?”
Kagome ran a soothing hand over Rin’s hair as she held her sister closer. “I don’t know Rin.” She lied.
*** Tuesday, May 31, 1887 4:22 P.M. ***
Sesshomaru paced the length of his formal parlor room. His butler, who stood at the side table arranging the cake platters for a late afternoon tea service, watched him out of the corner of his eye. At the third such pace, he cleared his throat catching his master’s attention.
“What is it Jeffrey?”
“Sir, perhaps it may be prudent to stop pacing? I don’t doubt that you doing such will help matters any.”
Sesshomaru glared at him, though it was half-hearted at best. “I will pace in my drawing room if I want to Jeffrey.”
Jeffrey looked over his arrangements, making minute adjustments to the place settings. “If you wish to pace in the drawing room sir, I shall not stop you. However, this is the parlor.”
If it were anyone else, Sesshomaru would have been livid at the cheekiness of the words. But Jeffrey had been with Sesshomaru since Sesshomaru was an Eton-age lad. He had been his manservant, and later, upon the death of his father, Sesshomaru had elevated him to butler. Jeffrey was a friend to Sesshomaru more so than a servant, and as such, he was allowed leeway where others were denied it.
“Jeffrey,” he finally sighed, throwing himself down into one of the armchairs, “I don’t know what to do. This girl, she might be with child, and what am I supposed to do then? Do I take her in and raise the child as my ward? What do I do?”
Jeffrey stopped his work to stand straight and regard him. “I don’t know the answer sir, and I can’t make decisions for you. I do have one suggestion though.” Sesshomaru turned towards his friend and inclined his head. “Perhaps it is best to make a decision after you have learned whether or not she is indeed enceinte.”
Sesshomaru had a feeling that Jeffrey was right. It was probably best to let the matter rest for a while until they were sure of all possible outcomes.
There was movement by the door and his head of house, Alice, stepped into the room. “Mr. Mori, the carriage with Lady Mori and her guests have arrived. Shall I show them in here immediately?”
Sesshomaru stood, straightening his clothing as he did so. “Yes please. Have the valet and carriage boys take the luggage up to their rooms in the meantime.”
Alice nodded, leaving the room, and Sesshomaru began to pace again much to Jeffrey’s amusement. By the time the guests were shown into the parlor, Jeffrey had brought up the tea service from the kitchen and began preparing the tea while Sesshomaru had paced the length of the room another four times. It was Izayoi who came in first, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Higurashi. Trailing after them were their two daughters.
“Sesshomaru.” Izayoi greeted coming up to her step-son. “I trust that you’ve been well in Bolton? I do wish you would visit London more often.”
Sesshomaru kissed his step-mother’s cheek fondly in welcome as he answered her. “I’ve been fine in Bolton as you well know due to Jeffrey. But enough about me, how was your journey?”
“It was fine.” Izayoi stepped away from him and to the side so that she could make introductions. “Sesshomaru, I would like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Higurashi, and their daughters- Kagome and Rin. Kagome is their eldest, and Rin their youngest.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Sesshomaru held out his hand to Mr. Higurashi who took it with a firm grip. The man scowled at him but didn’t return his greeting. Not that Sesshomaru expected any better.
Izayoi pasted a stiff smile on her face, taking her step-son’s elbow and guiding him to the table. “Perhaps we can have some tea, yes, and talk about our visit? Our cook, Sarah, makes splendid cakes and sandwiches.”
The Higurashi’s followed, and Jeffrey stepped to the side discreetly, the tea having been prepared so that he wouldn’t be in their way. Izayoi in the meantime, poured the milk and doctored everyone’s tea to their preferences. Rin, excited at the array of desserts on the platters, eagerly helped herself to a slice of sponge.
Mr. Mori,” Mr. Higurashi said, after having had his tea, “I think it is best if we no longer hold the pretense of a purely social visit any longer. Perhaps we can go to your study to discuss the matter at hand?”
Next to him, Sesshomaru felt Izayoi lay a hand on his arm. He ignored it however. Perhaps Mr. Higurashi was right, and it would be better to see the matter discussed now instead of prolonging the inevitable conversation.
“If the ladies do not mind our excuses?” He asked turning to look at his step-mother. Izayoi pursed her lips but then nodded.
“I will see you for dinner then Mother.” Sesshomaru stated standing from the table. He inclined his head towards the other occupants of the table, and made his way to the door of the parlor hearing the heavy booted footsteps of Mr. Higurashi behind him.
They walked in silence to his study on the first floor. Once they entered, Sesshomaru closed the door and walked towards the side board where snifters of Brandy, Cognac, and Scotch laid. He turned towards Mr. Higurashi; one brow arched in question.
“Cognac then. A finger will do.”
Pouring for his guest first, then himself, Sesshomaru walked back towards Mr. Higurashi with two tumblers in his hands. The men took their seats afterwards, and Sesshomaru took a sip of his drink, waiting to hear what Mr. Higurashi had to say.
The man took a sip of his drink, before deciding that decorum no longer mattered. He drank his cognac quickly, setting the glass down on the desk in front of him with a thunk.
“It’s quite a bind we’ve found ourselves in Mr. Mori. I am quite...angry on my daughter’s behalf, though I am also resigned I suppose.” Mr. Higurashi leaned back in the chair he was occupying. “On one hand, I want to force your hand in this matter and hold you responsible for what happened to Kagome. On the other, I want to ask myself where I went wrong that I did not see what my other daughter was planning.”
He looked up at Sesshomaru, meeting his gaze shrewdly. “As a father, I can only do so much for Kagome now. Her standing in society is now gone, and I’m not entirely sure that I can fix it for her. I do know that I will do all it takes to help her avoid too much scandal however.”
“What do you propose then?” Sesshomaru asked.
He knew better than to say anything more. He was responsible for Inuyasha’s actions after all, being the head of the Mori family. It was his duty to fix the mess that Inuyasha had created and imputed onto him.
“A marriage alliance.” Mr. Higurashi replied. “I wouldn’t normally force my daughter’s hand in this, but I cannot sit back and do nothing. At least this way, her reputation is protected. And if she does end up with a child as a result of her actions, then at least, it will not be a bastard.”
Of all the possible scenarios, Sesshomaru had not expected this. He didn’t even have an answer prepared. He almost immediately wanted to object, but he stopped himself. It was not an ideal situation, and were it anyone else, he would have outright refused. But Mr. Higurashi had made a good argument.
“Does she know of your plans?” Sesshomaru finally asked.
“No. I won’t tell her until we have reached a decision, Mr. Mori.”
At a loss of what to do next, Sesshomaru said the only thing he felt comfortable saying. “Before I make a decision, please let me speak to my Mother.”
Mr. Higurashi gave a nod. “It is not the easiest of decisions to make, so I will give you some time for consideration. However, I ask that you tell me soon so that I can make alternative arrangements if I have to.”
“Of course.” Sesshomaru agreed standing from his desk. “Would you like to rejoin the women for some more tea? Or would you prefer to retire to your rooms?”
“Tea would be preferable.”
Sesshomaru didn’t say anything more and led the man back down to the parlor. When they arrived, his step-mother raised one brow in question. He took a seat next to her and placed a hand on hers.
“I would like to speak with you about something important before dinner Mother.”
*** Thursday, June 9, 1887 ***
The wedding was held in the morning in the small parish church of Ilkenston. It wasn’t a grand affair and the only guests in attendance consisted of family, the clergyman’s wife, and Jeffrey. The bride and groom weren’t dressed in anything but sensible, if rather elegant, clothing, though neither of their ensembles were new.
It had taken Sesshomaru a surprisingly short amount of time to obtain the proper licenses for the wedding (5). Though, for Sesshomaru at least, this was simply a marriage on paper. While the parties had all decided to respect the sanctity of this marriage, and its legality, none of them considered it a proper one.
The proper one had occurred yesterday at the Mori Estate when Sesshomaru and Kagome had performed a hastily designed san-san-kudo ceremony.
Neither of the two families were religious, but both had agreed that it was better to perform at least some version of a token Japanese ceremony along with another one at the parish church.
Now, as he stood at the door connecting his rooms to those of his wife’s, Sesshomaru wondered what he was supposed to do. Neither he nor Kagome had properly discussed what the terms of their marriage would be. He had been traveling the past week: first to Nottingham, then Darby, and finally Winchester to make sure he received the proper licenses for their marriage. She, in the meantime, had been preparing for a wedding that she had scarcely had time to learn about properly.
And now, on the night of the wedding, after the guests had all retired to their rooms, both bride and groom were on different sides of a door (6) unsure about what lay ahead.
Finally, Sesshomaru raised his hand and knocked. He didn’t want, nor need, a wedding night. He wouldn’t force his new wife to lay with him even. But they had scarcely spoken to each other since they had become engaged, and he wanted to at least know some things about the woman who he had made his wife.
The door opened in front of him, and his new wife stood there, anxiously. She was dressed in a large white nightgown, a red dressing gown covering her shoulders at an attempt at modesty.
“Mr. Mori,” she stated, not moving away from the door, “did you need something?”
Sesshomaru looked at her face, her eyes, taking in her nervous and fearful stance. This would not do. He cleared his throat, taking a small step backwards to alleviate some of her fear, though he doubted it would help.
“I realize that neither of us were given a chance to know each other before the marriage. If I may, I was wondering if you would care to join me for some tea so that we may get to know one another.”
“Oh.” Kagome blinked, and he saw the confusion on her face. It cleared however, and he was surprised to see a hint of a smile replace it. “Perhaps we can ask for some cake as well?”
The hopeful expression on her face, and the relief present, were enough for Sesshomaru to think he had done the right thing. So, he nodded, stepping back further and inviting her to come into his sitting room.
“Yes, tea and cake. I’ll call Jeffrey for it. Please, take a seat by the fire, I’m sure he’ll be up here shortly.”
*** Friday, July, 1, 1887 ***
It was late, perhaps nearing nine-o-clock in the evening, but Kagome was still in the sitting rooms of her suite. Her husband had spent the last three days in Bolton, overseeing some work for the mills. She had stayed behind with his Mother, and the two women had spent some time with each other.
Of course, it wasn’t spoken about, but she knew that he had waited so long to go because they were all waiting to hear whether she had become enceinte. But, when her monthlies had come, there was a genuine feeling of relaxation in the house, and her mother had finally decided that it was time she could go back to London with Rin now that there was no pressing reason for her to stay any longer.
She had left with Rin the same day that Sesshomaru had departed for Bolton, her newest son-in-law accompanying her and Rin to Nottingham.
Kagome’s own father had already left for London, a mere two days after her wedding, to take care of business in the city and was eagerly waiting for the return of his wife and youngest daughter.
Now, three days after their departure, she was waiting for her husband to come home. She knew he was on his way home today; he had told her of his trip and itinerary numerous times before leaving. He had likely caught the last train home from Manchester to Nottingham (7) and was in a carriage on his way home now if he was still following the itinerary properly. Hopefully, he wouldn’t take too much longer to arrive.
She really had missed their nightly conversations over tea.
The first night of her marriage, Kagome hadn’t known what to expect. She knew that her new husband was well within his rights to ask her to grace his bed, but she was decidedly scared of what should happen if he did do so, even if she herself wasn’t a virgin any longer. To her surprise however, he had asked her to tea and they had spent a decent portion of their night learning about one another as they shared cake.
She had gone to bed that first night feeling just a bit hopeful that the rushed wedding might lead to a marriage that, even if it wasn’t built on love, would be based on friendship.
So, the next night, she had boldly asked him to share some tea with her again.
And that was how they had continued until he had left to look over the work being done at the cotton mills in Bolton. They had discussed many things during their tea conversations. They spoke of the Queen and the marriages she was arranging for her children, they spoke of the problems associated with the Home Rule Bill that the Prime Minister had tried to pass last year, they spoke of the conflict between Russia and Turkey and their hope that it would remain short such that other countries needn’t get involved.
They also spoke of her love of books, his passion for fencing, and their enjoyment of the park surrounding the Estate. They spoke of things friends would discuss, and by the time he left for Bolton, Kagome had hopes that her marriage would be a bearable one.
She still missed him however, and hoped that eventually they would be able to have more meaningful conversations. There were things that were expected of her as a high society woman. She needed to bear children for her husband and take care of his household. She needed to meet and greet his friends and social sphere to ensure that his standing in society was still respected.
And these were all things that she needed to discuss with him before too long.
A knock on the door pulled her from her musings. She stood, trying not to appear too eager, and made her way to the door. Sesshomaru stood there when she opened it, his hands holding a bouquet of flowers which he handed to her immediately.
Freesias and Kennedia her mind noted instantly. She had learned the language of flowers (8) shortly after moving to England as it was such an important part of the society here. Her eyes widened as she remembered their meaning, and she blushed.
He trusted her as a friend and considered her an intellectual beauty.
“I am quite sorry for the state of the flowers.” Sesshomaru stated. “I ordered them from Manchester earlier today, and while Jeffrey was able to bring them, the lateness of the hour has wilted them somewhat.”
“Oh no, they’re beautiful. Thank you for them!” Kagome held the bouquet tighter, a smile stretching across her face. She stood silently at the threshold of her door for a moment. “How was your trip?”
Sesshomaru leaned against the doorjamb. He hadn’t expected her to be awake when he arrived, but he was glad that she seemed to care for their pre-bed tea just as much as he did.
“I accomplished what I needed to do. My overseers are able to manage in my absence for the next fortnight at least. Perhaps you can accompany me on my next visit.”
“I would like that.” Kagome assured him. She hesitated, and he wondered why her smile fell and her eyes showed nervousness. “Would you care for some tea?”
He hadn’t realized how much he was looking forward to the tea until she had asked him. And now that she had he knew he couldn’t refuse. There were already so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he had wished he could have discussed with her when he was away.
Now that he was here, he didn’t want to wait to have those discussions any longer.
“Tea would be lovely. I’ll ring up Jeffrey for some.”
*** Tuesday, July 19, 1887 ***
Lady Mori left for London the same day that she and Sesshomaru had left the Derbyshire Estate for Manchester. Or rather, the townhouse in Manchester, and the cotton mills that Sesshomaru oversaw in Bolton (9). That had been two days ago, and Kagome was slowly adjusting to the Manchester townhouse that Sesshomaru called his own.
She had a set of rooms here, similar to the set of rooms she had in Derbyshire, but unlike that home, there was no connecting door between rooms here. Instead, Sesshomaru crossed the hall to have tea with her every night in her private sitting room.
Today, she was planning on properly acquainting herself with the staff. She had only been able to speak with them briefly yesterday before she had asked Jeffrey to show her around the city.
Walking into the kitchen, where she was told by Jeffrey the staff was, she wondered what she would find. At the estate, which was a larger working house, Alice had overseen a staff of seven: a gardner, a driver, a valet, a cook, a groundskeeper, and two housekeepers besides herself. She’d gotten to know them all quite well and was friendly enough with them which would help running that estate easier.
She wanted to ensure that she would have the same sort of relationship with the staff here in Manchester.
In the kitchen, she was met by a stout, middle aged woman who had curly auburn hair piled into a tight bun on her head. She wore an apron and was in the process of kneading some dough when Kagome walked in. Almost immediately, she pulled a young woman nearby to her side, whispering something in her ear. Then, she wiped her hands, bobbed a half-curtsy towards Kagome and introduced herself.
“Hello ma’am. Mr. Mori told us of your arrival last he came. Me’ names Margaret and that young girl you just saw was Mary. I work the kitchens, but Mary takes care of the house- the cleaning and what not.” As she spoke, Kagome saw another figure come in through the back door with Mary. “Oh, there he is! That’s John: our driver. When he’s not out driving the carriage or taken’ care of them horses, he’s helping one of us.”
“It’s nice to meet you all.” Kagome replied. “I suppose I will need to talk to you later Mary about the work you do. But Margaret, the cakes you made yesterday were divine. I’m looking forward to seeing what else you cook.”
Margaret fluttered a hand by her face. “Oh no, ma’am. It’s no problem at all. I best get on this bread though.”
“Of course.” Kagome let her return to work as Mary washed her hands in a nearby basin. “I’d like to meet with you in the parlor Mary. Would that be alright?”
Mary nodded, drying her hands on a nearby dishrag. “Oh, of course ma’am. But I can just follow you up there now. I have no pressing tasks here.”
Kagome nodded and waited for a few moments before she made her way to the parlor. Now, she just had to figure out what she and Mary could do to make their time productive.
*** Wednesday, August 3, 1887 ***
Sesshomaru had brought her flowers again. Kagome laid them out on the table in her sitting room making a note to take them down to the kitchen with the tea service afterwards. If Mary saw them, she would know that she needed to help Kagome press them to preserve them. Or, perhaps Margaret would see them and would find a use for them in something-edible or decorative.
This time, he had brought a handful of assorted chrysanthemums and dahlias with him. He thought of her as a wonderful friend who had dignity and elegance. She found that she appreciated his message and wished that there was a way to tell him she appreciated him the same. Perhaps she’d ask John to pick up some flowers tomorrow.
“How was your day?” She asked pouring him his tea and doctoring it just as he liked. There were no snacks tonight. Margaret had promised her that she would make some more of her shortbread tomorrow though.
She had already posed the question at dinner, and Sesshomaru had answered her with his normal polite response. Away from any prying eyes however, she found that he was quite open with his words.
“I can’t be happier with the way Gladstone (10) is handling things in London.” Sesshomaru answered as he took the now ready tea from her hands. “No biscuits today?”
“Margaret is making some shortbread tomorrow. I’ll ask her to make some more of your favorite sugar biscuits then as well.” Kagome hid a smile as she made her own tea to her preferences. Who would have ever thought that her husband had a sweet tooth?
“Hn. I don’t know if I prefer the American cotton (11) our supplier keeps sending us. The higher blend does make the end product more durable, but I think the Indian cotton produces finer cloth.”
“I prefer Indian silk myself.” Kagome muttered while taking a sip of her tea. “Mother once had a shawl presented to her by a governor of Madras. It is such fine cloth, and the designs are splendid. And did you know the border of the cloth’s design incorporates gold and silver thread.”
“Silk?” Sesshomaru asked, taking a few sips of his tea as he thought about her words. “I suppose it might be interesting, but I doubt I would look further into it.”
“Why not?”
Sesshomaru didn’t answer for a moment, choosing instead to finish his tea. When he did answer, his response surprised Kagome.
“I may run my father’s mills Kagome, but I do so only out of a sense of respect for him and the workers. I would much rather prefer closing them down, but I know I cannot in good conscience do so when the livelihoods of so many people depend on them.” He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.
“Do you want to know a rather unflattering secret about the cotton trade Kagome?” He didn’t wait for her answer as he continued. “Cotton mills were started in England because the British government was angered by the fact that Indian merchants were able to make money by selling to British customers. So, they subverted them. Through a series of acts, they now force Indians to only ship raw cotton to Britain. And Indians, who grow the cotton, care for it, pick it, and ship it to our shores, buy the final product from us.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand the problem?”
“Cotton mills used to be quite common in India Kagome. However, now, with the British subverting locally made crafts and taxing them, more Indians are buying cotton cloth made in Britain. The same cotton cloth that was likely made by their own countrymen and picked by their own hands.” He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. “I believe trade is the way forward, though sometimes I do wonder if it causes more problems than it solves.”
“Oh.” Kagome didn’t know what to reply, so instead she changed the topic. “Now, what has the Prime Minister done to endear you to him so?”
*** Thursday September 1, 1887 ***
Sesshomaru fingered the bouquet of mums and dahlias in his hand. The dahlias were likely overpowering the other flowers, but he couldn’t think of a better way to express his feelings towards his new wife.
When he had first married her, he wasn’t sure what he was getting into. He’d seen and heard of the many types of marriages, and he had hoped that his wouldn’t be the kind where his wife was merely a guest in his home or a chance to beget heirs. To his surprise, his marriage from Kagome was quite pleasant.
She was the lady of the house, not just a guest, and he saw her in all the little touches. The parlor in the townhouse was now arranged in a proper manner for when guests came over, and his peers in the cotton mill business had expressed their delight at the dinners that Kagome had helped him host monthly.
In this marriage, he had gained a friend, and one who carried herself elegantly with a dignified grace. They had never spoken about the actions that had led to the marriage, and while some would ask how his wife could ever be dignified in the face of such a scandal, he found her more lovely for how she had put the past behind her.
Of course, he had yet to share a bed properly with his wife, but he suspected she wasn’t ready for him yet. And he would wait for her. She was the one who would have more reservations with the act than he. He only hoped that she wasn’t traumatized too deeply by Inuyasha’s actions such that she was petrified of the act.
But that was not the issue at the moment. Instead, now the issue was the fact that he was waiting for Kagome in her parlor with the flowers he had Jeffrey fetch earlier in the day and that said woman was not in her rooms.
Impatient, Sesshomaru set the flowers on the table in her sitting room, the petals of some dahlias brushing the tea service, and decided to take a look at the rather full bookshelf that housed his wife’s collection of reading material. As he did so, an off-placed book caught his eye, and he pulled it down to study it further.
It was a novel by Jane Austen that had obviously been well read and liked judging by its worn state. Causally, flipping through it, his eyes widened at what he saw pressed in one of the pages: flowers. More specifically, it was flowers that he was sure he had given Kagome the month before.
More curious now, he began to flip through the pages, finding more and more that were covered with the pressed plants, and he couldn’t help but smile.
It seemed his wife treasured these small gifts, and he found himself pleased with the fact. Placing the book back where he had found it, he moved back to the chairs arranged around the table.
He could wait for her even if the tea went cold, he decided. After all, he could use that time to plan what flowers he might give her next.
*** Monday, October 10, 1887 ***
Kagome fretted and wrung her hands as she paced the length of her sitting room, once, twice, thrice. Mary stood by the door watching her in amusement. There was no real need for Kagome to worry as she was. In fact, Mary knew that there was absolutely nothing that could go wrong today.
Margaret had prepared all of Mr. Mori’s favorite foods alongside Mrs. Mori who had made some of the traditional Japanese dishes. On Margaret’s list this included the Blancmange (12) that Mr. Mori loved and that Margaret rarely ever made. The table for dinner was set in the larger, grander, dining room with the elegant china that Mrs. Mori had specifically requested for the occasion.
Now all that was left was making sure that the person who had planned an elegant birthday dinner for her husband was actually waiting in the dining room when John and Jeffrey escorted him there. If only Mrs. Mori would stop fretting and wear the Japanese dress (13) that she had specifically brought out for the occasion.
“Do you think he’ll like it? I know we haven’t had anything that wasn’t English while we’ve been here, but I did follow my mother’s recipes so I’m quite sure the food will be alright.”
“Mrs. Mori, ma’am, the food tasted fine earlier. Bit sharp for my English tastes, but that’s me talking. John liked it just fine. Now, Mr. Mori will be home soon, and you did want to change into that Japanese dress of yours before he got here.”
Kagome looked at the clock standing tall and upright on the wall of her sitting room. “Oh my! Is it that late already! Quick, the flowers, did John or Jeffrey pick them up from the florist?”
“The flowers are in the kitchen under Ms. Margaret’s watchful eye.” Mary confirmed. “Do you need help getting ready Mrs. Mori?”
Kagome, already at her wardrobe and working the buttons of her dress free, shook her head. “No, I should be fine.” She turned to look at Mary over her shoulder even as she began to pull out the kimono that lay folded on a shelf in front of her. “Would you mind if I asked you to bring the flowers to the table and leave them there?”
Mary smiled as she pushed away from the wall and made her way to the door. “They’ll be ready for you when you get there Mrs. Mori.”
Sesshomaru arrived at his home a half-hour later. He had been curious when Jeffrey had accompanied John and the carriage on its way to bring him home from Bolton. But he hadn’t said anything, figuring that it was likely Jeffrey had an errand to do, or that his wife had sent Jeffrey out on an errand herself.
He was surprised however when, upon descending the carriage outside his townhouse, Jeffrey had instructed him to follow. Curious, he did as told, noting that Jeffrey had led him to the larger dining room that was used to host dinner parties which was odd. He didn’t remember one on the schedule for today, and he and Kagome only used this room during those parties. They usually ate in the smaller dining room when they were dining by themselves.
Once at the door, Jeffrey held it open for him, and Sesshomaru went inside, surprised to see the grand dining table set for two. His wife stood by one of the chairs, dressed in a kimono, and Sesshomaru felt his breath catch. He’d known for a few months now that Kagome was beautiful, but in the sage green kimono, she was quite possibly one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.
Behind him, he didn’t hear Jeffrey shut the door, and it took him a few moments to register the fact that he was alone in the dining room with Kagome.
Alone for, what he quickly began to understand, a birthday dinner that she had planned just for him.
Slowly, he approached her, taking her hand in his and bestowing a kiss upon it. She blushed prettily at his action as he straightened.
Before he could speak, even if merely to thank her for celebrating his birthday in this manner, Kagome reached out behind her and pulled some flowers close so that she could present them to him.
It took a moment for him to register what they were, but when he did, his eyes widened.
Kagome was giving him white violets: she wanted to take a chance with him.
He accepted the flowers gracefully, stepping forward and taking her hands into his own. “You are sure?” He asked, needing to be certain that his wife had made her decision carefully. He had hoped that the day would come when she would no longer want to just be his wife, but his lover, but he hadn’t expected it so soon.
“Yes.” Kagome answered, her blush staining her cheeks further. “If you accept?”
Sesshomaru didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he crushed her to his chest, ignoring her startled gasp as she did so, and kissed her on the lips.
They would have to have a talk later, over tea, or perhaps over dinner, about what this meant. But for now, he was simply happy to enjoy the moment.
And he’d have to make a note to bring his wife flowers tomorrow: daisies, or better yet, if he could find them red tulips.