The Forbidden Promise (16 page)

Early the next morning, Aurora and Lucas got up and got ready
for their departure. Aurora put on her sage green traveling dress, and pinned
up her long hair under her hat. On leaving the house, she found Lucas,
impeccable dressed in a hazel colored travelling suit with knee high boots,
waiting for her next to a carriage that was already loaded with trunks and all
their luggage. Seated in the driving seat was a middle-aged man with dark skin,
chewing tobacco.
Lucas smiled at her, holding out his hand to help her up into the carriage.
Aurora accepted his help and climbed in, Lucas then got in and settled himself
on the seat in front of her.
"Let's go," he shouted to the driver.
The carriage moved noisily. Aurora couldn’t help suppressing a shudder of
excitement
. I'm leaving Tampico, this time forever. I'm heading to a new
life full of unknowns, at the side of a man I hardly know.
They soon left Tampico and headed inland. They skirted the vast basin of
Lake Chairel, with its placid waters. Memories of the trips she had had here as
a child accompanied by her parents flood into Aurora’s mind. She had always been
a happy and contented little girl who had liked to go out in a rowing boat with
her father and had always tried to lift the heavy oar from the oarlock, to help
him to row. The memory brought a smile to her face.
"What are you thinking?" Lucas asked, curious.
 "When I was little and I used to come on trips here with my
parents."
"It’s a really nice place to spend an enjoyable day. As a child I never
came here, my father was always busy with the
hacienda
and then ...
well, you know the rest."
Again, Aurora was surprised by the sadness that was apparent from those simple
words. She said nothing, just touched the back of Lucas’ hand with hers.
She rested her head on the back of the seat, and continued to observe the blue
expanse of the lake from the window. She was not aware when she had drifted off
to sleep. When she awoke, she noticed that the carriage was proceeding slightly
uphill and the landscape had changed. The grassy plain, had given way to
rolling hills covered with lush forests.
For lunch they stopped in the small village of Tamasopo, where they ate a light
meal and changed the horses.
They left soon after, to avoid losing too much time.
" By horse, of course, it takes less time." Said Lucas.
"It’s still a long journey." Said Aurora. "It also takes a long
time to go to Mexico City, but it's all by train. "
"The railway has recently been finished between Tampico and Zacatecas that
makes the journey much faster, but with all of our luggage I couldn’t find any
places available so we had to be content with going by carriage. Are you
tired?" Lucas asked worriedly.
Not wanting to appear cowardly, Aurora denied it decisively.
"I'm fine, don’t worry. I can’t wait to get there."
The carriage carried on, climbing hills that were getting higher and higher, while
the passage of time seemed to slow down more and more.
Aurora was fascinated by the beautiful landscape she saw from the window, the
green forest, the mountains in the background, soaring high and the noise of
the animals.
By mid-afternoon, they reached the town of San Luis Potosi. They made another
brief stop just time enough to stretch their legs and move around a bit.
"We're almost there," Lucas sighed.
The carriage continued on its way, shuddering and jolting as it did. Now the
mountains were becoming higher, and the villages they encountered showed the
typical characteristics of an altitude area, colorful houses with sloping roofs
that were concentrated on the more level areas and gradually becoming more
scattered on the steeper slopes. The air had become fresher and Aurora
shivered, so she put on her cloak and wrapped the heavy material around
herself.
Without saying anything, Lucas moved closer to her to try to warm her up.
If
he were really my husband, I would snuggle up to him, and he'd keep me close in
his arms
, the thought struck Aurora, and made her annoyed so she drove the
idea immediately out of her mind.
What sense is there to think about these
things? It’s useless!
At dusk they reached the village of Guadalupe.
" We're almost there, Aurora," said Lucas. "The
hacienda
is located halfway between the village and Zacatecas. Maybe tomorrow, if you’re
rested, we could go to visit Zacatecas."
Aurora nodded as the carriage passed the village and soon after turned, leaving
the road. During the last part of the journey, they found themselves crossing a
flat section, where the forests and mountain vegetation grew abundantly. After
a few minutes, they reached the borders of the
hacienda
that was marked
by milestones. Shortly after, they arrived at the gate of the main avenue
leading to the house, guarded by some
peones
. The carriage continued on,
stopping in front of the entrance of the large building.
With relief, Aurora got down from the carriage helped by Lucas, and smoothed
out the creases in her dress with her hands.
"Do you like it?" Asked Lucas enthusiastically.
" It’s beautiful," said Aurora, enchanted. The house stood
majestically amongst the trees in the park, in a typical colonial style. The
facade loomed bright in the evening, decorated with inlays of the typical local
pink stone, the square windows on the ground floor were lit by the dim interior
light, the arc of the upper floor was dark and mysterious and the central door
was massive and solemn.
Lucas took her hand and she meekly let herself be guided forward, while the men
came to unload the trunks.
The door opened and Yolanda and Santos came out.
" Welcome!" Exclaimed Santos happily. "Come in! Your home awaits
you!"
Yolanda ran to Lucas and hugged him tight. Aurora let go of Lucas’ hand and waited
for Yolanda to end her outburst of affection.
" Yolanda." Reproved Santos in a stern voice, “Leave him alone! He’s
just arrived and he’ll be tired!" Santos looked at Aurora embarrassed, but
Yolanda remained impassive.
Yolanda broke away from Lucas, smiling and then noticed Aurora who stood
waiting.
" Good evening." She said with a grimace, as if she had just
swallowed a lemon.
" Good evening." Replied Aurora quietly.
Lucas moved, passed Yolanda and took Aurora’s hand again.
"Come, I’ll lead the way." He said, smiling.
Yolanda followed them, pouting, as Lucas and Aurora entered the building.
Aurora found herself in a vast hall, built entirely of bricks made of the pink
stone typical of Zacatecas. A majestic staircase with an elegant wrought iron
handrail lead up to the upper floors. The colonial-style décor was warm and
welcoming. In the huge fireplace, a massive log burned and sputtered.
"You did a great job, Lucas," said Aurora impressed. "I've never
seen such a beautiful house!"
Lucas’ enthusiasm was definitely infecting her, while she proudly admired every
small feature, and decoration, of the vast central hall.
" Wait until you see the rest!" Lucas told her. "You'll be
amazed!”
They then walked round the entire ground floor, the dining room, furnished with
a massive rectangular table of dark wood, the study, with a writing desk and
elegant leather armchairs, the huge and cozy kitchen, where the cook was
finishing the preparation for dinner.
Then they devoted themselves to the upper floor where the bedrooms were
located.
For the first time since they had arrived, Lucas seemed embarrassed.
"This is the master bedroom," he said, opening a door of dark wood.
"This was Gajardo’s room and I slept here during my last visit. I’ve had
it reorganized, but if you like it..."
"Don’t worry, any room will do for me." Aurora hastened to respond.
The room was very large with a huge double bed in the center made of solid wood
and decorated with an elegant and delicate inlay. A huge window looked out onto
a balcony with a view of the gardens and the driveway.
Aurora felt her face flush as she imagined unintentionally, lying in the bed.
" It’s very nice, where am I going to sleep?" She asked, trying to
sound indifferent.
Lucas closed the door and opened the door of the room opposite.
"If you like it, in here," he said, motioning for her to enter.
The room intended for Aurora was perhaps slightly smaller, but it was
definitely bigger than the one she was used to in Tampico. The bed made of
wrought iron, had a canopy with delicate white lace curtains and the window
overlooked the back of the house, where she could see the lawn and the lush
forest.
"It’s very beautiful." Aurora commented sincerely. "I couldn’t
wish for more." She ran to the window and opened it. She felt the fresh
evening air, and in the light of the moon she saw the high mountains
surrounding Zacatecas valley.
"If you want to freshen up, dinner will be served shortly." Said
Lucas withdrawing discreetly, while Aurora looked around, excited about all the
new features. A little later someone knocked on the door and a young maid with
black hair, entered followed by some men who carried Aurora’s trunks into the
room.
"While you’re at dinner, I'll fix your luggage
Ma’am
." said
the young maid shyly.
Aurora smiled and thanked her and the men who were leaving the room.
She undressed quickly, and after freshening up with water from the washbowl put
on a periwinkle colored dress that she had unpacked from one of the trunks. She
let down her hair and combed it quickly.
Then went down for dinner. Lucas and Santos were waiting in the lounge and
immediately stood up as soon as they saw her.
"I’ll be going now, I've already had dinner. If you’ll excuse me."
Said Santos leaving. Aurora and Lucas then went into the dining room, where
shortly after dinner was served.
Yolanda brought in their sweet.
" How are you finding it here Yolanda, do you like it? "Lucas asked.
" Yes, I like it! I love it. " She replied enthusiastically.
"Thank you for letting me come, Lucas, I adore you!"
Aurora coughed as she stood up.
" I'm very tired, I’d like to retire." She said, politely.
"Good night," said Lucas. "Do you remember which the door to
your room is?"
"I think so. I'll try to get my bearings," replied Aurora.
"Why don’t you sleep in the same room, like everyone else does?"
Yolanda asked suspiciously, not realizing the impertinence of her question.
Aurora felt herself blushing to the roots of her hair.
"Because we have decided to follow the European fashion." Aurora
replied after a moment, before finally taking her leave.
" What fashion is it where a husband and wife don’t sleep together?"
asked Yolanda her eyes wide open.
" The fashion of people in high places." Lucas said, sounding
unconvinced. "In any case it’s none of your business!"
Yolanda stayed silent for a moment reflecting.
" I told you she wasn’t the right woman for you!" She said suddenly.
"You need a real woman by your side, a woman who loves you with all her
being, who knows how to please you."
"Enough!" Lucas shouted. "You're exaggerating! If you give me
one of these speeches again I’ll tell Santos to send you immediately back to
Tampico, and make you study with the nuns!"
Yolanda made a face and walked away, leaving him alone.
Lucas drank a glass of tequila, and then went to his room to spend the night.
Alone.

The
long journey was finally coming to an end. Don Cristobal de la Vega admired the
Mexican coast from the bow of
Santa Elisabetta
,
the ship that had brought him from the coast of Spain to his father’s country
of origin. The sun kissed the lush vegetation and its scents drifted up to him
while seagulls flew high in the sky in search of their prey. A light breeze
ruffled his hair. Cristobal sighed. He had left Spain but he could not forget
what he had left behind, the memories of his previous life that had ended along
with that of his wife, his beloved wife. He put his hand over his heart, in the
pocket close to it he kept her photo, his dearest memento.
He hoped that his arrival in Mexico, and the duties he had to perform in his
father’s name, the lawyer Giacomo de la Vega, would distract him from his pain.
"Good afternoon, you’re also enjoying this beautiful view" a voice
distracted him from his thoughts.
"Good afternoon to you. I must admit I was enchanted. Your land reveals
its charm even from this distance "
"Yes," the man replied, his eyes moving constantly to absorb the
vivid colors of the coast. "This land radiates with all of its untamed
beauty. It’s warm and alive just like its inhabitants."
" From your words I sense that you must have missed it a lot." Said
Cristobal.
"You can’t imagine how much, I’m very happy to be finally back here."
" Do you have relatives that are waiting for your return?" Asked
Cristobal.
" No, not really," the man replied elusively. "If you'll excuse
me, I have to finish preparing my luggage for disembarkation."
" I'd better hurry and do it too, this scene has distracted me for too
long." Replied Cristobal.
What a strange character
, thought Cristobal looking at the man with
ice-colored eyes,
we’ve undergone a long journey together, talked for many
hours, but he hasn’t even revealed his name to me. Who knows what secrets this
man has.
Don Hector walked quickly away from the ship’s deck and went down to his
cabin. It had been many years since his escape from Mexico due to Raquel. Over
time, the sense of guilt had finally forced him to return, he could no longer
live as a coward. He sighed worried. It was time to remedy the mistakes of his
youth.
When the ship finally arrived in the harbor the passengers were all crammed on
the deck, the trip had been so long and boring that people were now looking
forward to touching land again.
Cristobal looked around for his mysterious traveling companion, he would have
liked to have had company during his first few days of his stay in Mexico. That
man, who knew the country so well, could have been a help to him getting in
touch with the people that he would have to meet to carry out a legacy left to
him by his father.
Cristobal suddenly saw him moving quickly away through the crowd, he called out
to him but the clamor of the voices in the harbor was too loud, so he resigned
himself to seeking temporary accommodation alone.

At the
hacienda
in Zacatecas life went by calmly for Aurora and Lucas. They were both very busy
and saw each other only at dinner, when exhausted from the day's work they told
each other what they had been doing.
Lucas was dealing mainly with trying to get the old silver mine up and running.
He was counting on the first load of the precious material to pay off most of
the debts he had incurred from the renovation of the
hacienda
itself,
and especially to pay the hired workers that up to that time, had worked on
credit, making do with food and accommodation in the run down huts on the
estate.
As Lucas was impatient for Aurora to visit the mine, on one of the first days
of her stay at the
hacienda
she  went to the stables with Lucas who
helped her to mount a horse.
"Please be careful, this mare is quiet, but you never know," Lucas
advised Aurora, as he mounted a vigorous black stallion.
Proceeding at a leisurely pace, the two crossed the
hacienda
’s park, and
headed towards the mountains. After a while, the flat stretch of ground gave
way to an uphill rocky path that was not easy to negotiate. Lucas came up
beside Aurora taking the reins of her horse to guide it with more confidence.
" I can do it, don’t worry," exclaimed Aurora.
" If you get hurt, who would care for you? You're the only doctor within a
few miles!"
Aurora laughed and within minutes, they reached the cluster of huts belonging
to the
peones
and miners. The huts stood near a solid masonry building,
which resembled a sort of
annex
of the main house.
"The mine’s old owners used it as a store and a place to rest in."
Said Lucas.
Aurora looked at the small building with interest.
" It is ideal for my clinic," she said enthusiastically.
" If you like it you can take all the space you want." Replied Lucas.
Aurora guided her horse towards the building and got ready to dismount. Lucas
immediately preceded her and in a flash he was at her side, ready to help her
as she got down from the horse. Aurora felt strong hands with a delicate touch
hold her waist and lift her effortlessly down to the ground. She stood for a
moment as if stunned, but she roused herself quickly, embarrassed.
Without further ado, she walked toward the building, followed by Lucas and went
inside.
"This room is perfect!" She exclaimed eagerly. "I could organize
the beds here."
In a moment Aurora was planning her clinic, moving between the dusty rooms, as
if she could already see what she was just imagining.
She's so happy to be able to do what she wants
. Thought Lucas, happy
himself,
seeing her smile warms my heart.
Shortly after they left the building and headed for the mine.
Aurora saw a massive wall of rock, with a dark opening at the center, the
entrance to a dark cave like the throat of a monster.
"From the entrance you start to descend to reach the deepest levels of
extraction, there is even an underground water mill that we have put into
operation again." Described Lucas enthusiastically.
Aurora was impressed by the magnificence of the mine.
"Is it dangerous to work inside?" She asked worriedly.
"No, not anymore," reassured Lucas, "we’ve made it safe,
securely propping up the parts most at risk of landslides. Now these shouldn’t
cause any problems, the last thing I want is for someone become seriously hurt
working in my mine."

The days passed quickly. While Lucas supervised the mining of
silver, Aurora, for her part, was very involved in the organization of her
small clinic.
"Now the premises have been cleaned and the walls whitewashed, I spent my
time today looking for suitable furniture for the clinic, in the warehouses I
found some beds that are a bit shabby but I hope I can make them usable.
Tomorrow I’ll go into the attic and see if I can find anything that might be
useful to me. I hope to find some mattresses or at least some bed linen. I also
need to have a desk and a bookcase. "
Lucas watched her fascinated, Aurora always had a bright light in her eyes when
she spoke of the clinic. Lucas was very sorry not to be able to offer her the
equipment she needed, but the extent of their debts meant he could not afford
other expenses.
"I'm glad you found something useful. For the moment, you’ll have to be
satisfied with what you find here, but I hope that we’ll soon be able to afford
the additional expenses of your equipment. We just need to wait a bit. Soon the
mine will operate at full capacity and then you’ll have everything you
need."
"I'm sure we'll make it, however for the moment I am more than satisfied
with the way things are going. Later this week I think I can treat the first
patients. Of course, the villagers need to know that a doctor is willing to
provide them with care here at the
hacienda.
"
Lucas got up from the table stretching muscles exhausted by fatigue "I'm
so tired. Hard work has never scared me, but staying in the mine all day is
really tiring, I ache all over."
"I can give you an ointment to relax and loosen your muscles. You would
find it beneficial." Said Aurora
" You’re very kind, thank you." Replied Lucas. Aurora smiled and
stood up "I’ll go and get it right away, if you’ll excuse me."
At that moment Yolanda came into the room so fast that Aurora had to step aside
to avoid colliding with her. "Lucas I’ve got you a nice hot bath ready!
I’ve put oil on the fire to warm up and I’ll give you a massage. It’s a panacea
for pain." Said Yolanda flaunting a bright smile.
"Thank you," Lucas said embarrassed, "but I think the b…"
"I see that you don’t need my ointment after all. I'll leave you in
Yolanda’s expert hands. Goodnight." Said Aurora as she left the room with
long strides.
"Aurora wait ... “said Lucas weakly, then, furious, he turned to Yolanda
"You're the same old quarrelsome girl! What did you have in mind offering
to give me a massage? Furthermore you said it in front of Aurora. You’re a
little hussy! Get out now brat."
Yolanda said through tears. "Stop calling me brat! I just wanted to take
care of you, I don’t think your wife would do likewise. You don’t even sleep in
the same room!"
Lucas grabbed her arm and yanked it. "That’s none of your business, don’t
make me repeat myself again. You’re rude to Aurora, you never greet her when
she comes back home, and you serve her disrespectfully. I warn you that I'm
losing patience with you."
"Let me go, you're a brute! It's me who’s losing my patience, you don’t
understand that I take care of you like she’ll never be willing to do. I love
you and you do nothing but follow her around like a loyal dog.” Cried Yolanda.

"For the last time,
be respectful to Aurora, child, or I myself, will teach you a lesson! I warn
you, behave like that again and I’ll send you back to Tampico, I’ll forcefully
put you onto the next stage coach!" Replied Lucas.
Yolanda screamed in shock and went out crying, "don’t try to touch me you
bad tempered bore, that’s what you are, I'll tell my brother! And if you force
me to go and study with the nuns, I swear I'll run away at the first opportunity,
and neither you nor my brother will ever hear anything of me again! "
Lucas sighed in exasperation running his hands through his hair.
That girl
is becoming a real problem. I can’t allow her to ruin all my attempts to get
closer to Aurora. Aurora ...

Aurora slammed her
bedroom door violently behind herself and sat on the bed with her arms folded.
That
little schemer, always so inappropriate and shameless! Offering to massage
Lucas, what a hussy! And in front of me! Who does she think she is? A concubine
of a prince in one of those scandalous novels that Dolores reads? But I know,
it's all Lucas’ fault, how can he permit her to behave that way? If he had any
consideration for me, he wouldn’t accept such behavior.
Tears of
frustration began to wet her face
. But who am I kidding, I'm jealous,
jealous of that stupid girl. And Lucas has made no effort to hide his affair
from me. He hasn’t even had the nerve to come and apologize! He'll be enjoying
his massage.
She stood up and with angry gestures prepared to go to bed. She tried to sleep
but as soon as she closed her eyes, vivid images appeared in her mind of Lucas
in the bathtub and then lying down being massaged.
It was only later that at last tiredness over took her and Aurora fell into a
restless sleep.
The next morning she woke up in the same bad mood as when she had fallen
asleep.
She hoped not to meet Lucas at breakfast but when she went into the dining
room, she realized she was not going to be so lucky.
"Good morning," she said coldly.
Lucas greeted her with an uncertain smile and asked. "Good morning Aurora.
Did you sleep well? "
"I've had better nights." She replied.
"I'm sorry," he said helping her to sit down and placing a napkin on
her lap.
He then sat down himself. For a few minutes they remained silent. Yolanda
brought in hot chocolate and put it on the table with bad grace, without
deigning to look at either Lucas or Aurora.
They began to eat in a silence that became increasingly tense.
Lucas ventured, "I would like to talk to you, Aurora. "
"Let’s talk," said Aurora haughtily.
She’s certainly not making things easy for me
Lucas thought demoralized.
"I would like to apologize for Yolanda’s behavior last night, she was very
rude to you."
" I don’t understand what you're talking about," said Aurora biting
into a biscuit.
" Yes, well ... she nearly knocked you over when she entered and then she
spoke of a massage ..."
" Ah, yes, and did it do you good? Are you feeling better this
morning?"
" Yes, that is no."
" Yes or no?"
"Yes, I'm better."
Aurora gave him a withering look and Lucas raised his hands in front of himself
as if to defend himself "Even without the massage I mean, the hot bath
brought me back to life!" He gave a shy smile.
"I'm glad. Now I must go, I’ve a lot to do, if you'll excuse me." Said
Aurora as she stood up.
"Wait, listen to me for a moment." begged Lucas
Aurora turned to stare at him angrily, "What else do you need to say to
me?"
" I'm sorry, Yolanda was unforgivable, but I scolded her harshly and
she’ll not behave that way anymore." He said in one breath.
"Well, learning some good manners will not do her any harm." Said
Aurora taking a few steps toward the door, then she turned and added,
"Anyway, I would ask you not to arrange with her for certain services in
my presence. The fact that our marriage is a sham doesn’t mean that I don’t
want, however, to maintain some semblance of decorum. I've already told you and
I’ll repeat it. You can have any woman you want but at least have the decency
not to put your pastimes under my nose. Have a nice day."
Lucas swore frustrated. His attempt to remedy the mess Yolanda had created
would have to continue that evening.
Yolanda, who had heard everything from behind the half-open door, put her hands
over her mouth in surprise. She could not believe her ears.
What does it
mean the marriage is a sham?
I said it was odd that they slept in
separate rooms! So if that woman doesn’t love my Lucas I can still manage to
get rid of her!
She walked into the kitchen smiling satisfied.
" Hello, you’re happy this morning Yolanda!" Greeted Pablo who had
recently been taken on at the
hacienda
for the heavier household chores.
" Yes, I am," said Yolanda cheerfully.
" May I ask what’s making you so happy?" asked Pablo
" Nothing that might be of interest to you, said Yolanda annoyed.
"It’s better if you think about carrying on with your work!"
"Don’t act you were the mistress!" He teased her, "you're just a
servant like I am!"
Who knows, maybe one day I’ll truly become the mistress of this house
,
thought Yolanda,
sooner or later I’ll succeed in kicking that imposter out
of this house and from my Lucas’s life!