Chapter 112

Upstairs in the inn, Noriko checked the rooms to see that the bedding was laid out properly for the inn's guests. Bedding was customarily laid out in the evenings and taken up in the mornings to make room for daytime activities. Noriko's own bedding took up almost all the floor space in what was, during the day, her office. Many guests were already in their rooms, talking or playing games. Several had gathered in one room to make music. She cast a gimlet gaze over each room, making sure the night maid had left everything in order.

She paused to rearrange a casually tossed robe on a stand. Here, as in other rooms, the yukata kimonos and slippers were missing. A good number of guests were using the bath for their late-evening entertainment. While the bath could be reserved for private parties, the inn was big enough to boast a men's side and a women's side, and unless reserved could be used by anyone.