"Joseph.."

The woman's voice is thick with her latin accent, her eyes dreamy heavily curtained by her thick latina lashes. She made her way through the thick crowd towards Joseph, who,despite the almost non existent hair is looking delicious in his all black ensemble.

"Sofia, how have you been?"

Joseph held the woman's hand to kiss but the Contessa from Cuba would have nothing of it,she instantly grabbed her hand from his grasp and kissed Joseph on both cheeks.

"Oh amor, you dont think i deserve a kiss anymore?"

Joseph and the Contessa had been friends since they met during their college days, friends would be an understatement though, his family had known her . And liked her.

Although the woman is of royal descent, she is as humble can be.

Joseph could not wait to introduce Sofia to his beautiful wife, Clarisse.

From the balcony, Clarisse is watching all the goings on including the interaction between her husband and the Countess fromCuba who seems to be familiar enough to wrap her arms around Joseph. Although never in a million years will she ever admit to any other soul, she is finding herself more and more jealous of the intimacy shared between the two.

"I can have her hanged in our courtyard if you want, you know?"

Mia who stealthily crept besid her grandmother whispered.

"You can...oh! Mia! what in the heavens are you doing here? how did you get here?"

"Her name is Contessa Sofia Villaruz Montoya from Cuba. Royal by birth, married and widowed by a Count Montoya, no children. housed in the Latin consul at Libitz. what else would you like to know grandma?"

It shouldnt but it is delighting Mia to see her grandmother jealous.