The Beginning Of The Legacy
It was a beautiful spring day the year as 1842 and all of Senora was awaiting the arrival of the happy newlyweds Don Sebastian Montoya and his bride Senora Luisa Velazquez De Soto daughter of Count Antonio Diaz Velazquez and Countess Elisa Costa DeSoto of Asturias Spain. The couple were married in Madrid Spain at the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal of La Almudena at the insistence of her godmother Queen Isabella II. The first stop would be Mexico City to visit with Don Sebastian's parents than off to Senora and their new home, a home that was one of the most magnificent haciendas on all of Mexico. There were garnet lions resting on stone pillars at the entrance of the road to the home,telling all they were approaching the lions den. All the furniture was shipped from Spain nothing was spared for the new Senora Montoya, even a house full of servants awaiting the arrival of the Mistress of the rancho. The daughter of the Count of Asturias gave up her title to follow the dream of her husband and never looked back again. She embraced this new life with passion and love, and her only wish was for his
The first year brought the birth of their first child a daughter Victoria Velazquez DeSoto Montoya a beautiful child and clearly Sebastian's own princess, two years later the birth of the heir to the rancho Montoya a son Manolito was born. Don Sebastian's rancho prospered and though he was not always there to be with his children under Luisa's eye the Montoya children were raised as those of privileged children of their time .Every Sunday Luisa made sure her children not only went to mass but helped her distribute food to the needed after mass in the church courtyard. Everyone in Senora loved Senora Montoya she was pleasant to everyone and always had time to offer help to a needed soul. As the years passed and the children grew Don Sebastian wealth also grew but he failed to notice his wife's health. It was the servants who saw the Senora was slowing down there was a few times she had to hold on to a chair to steady herself, yet she never let her family know . They needed her too much. How would Sebastian be able to cope without her here , she would rest and tomorrow it would be better. It was at Victoria's eighteenth birthday that it became apparent there was something very wrong with Luisa. Don Sebastian was entertaining the guests gathered down in the courtyard while Victoria was in her room putting the final touches on her hair when Luisa knocked on the door .
" Come in"
Victoria looked up at her mother and smiled
" I know I'm late mama but this dress is …."
Luisa looked at her daughter the little girl with the raven pigtails was all grown up, it seemed like over night she had transformed into a beautiful young woman, a princess who would one day leave them when her knight in armor would come and claim her hand and her love. She hoped she would be here when that day came.
"Victoria I have been saving this for this very night to give to you, it was my grandmother's and now I'm giving it to you."
She opened the box and Victoria gasped there before her eyes was a beautiful diamond and sapphire necklace.
" Oh mama it's ….."
" Here let me put it on for you."
Standing in front of the mirror the necklace was the perfect touch to the gown. Victoria gave her mother a hug and rushed out of the room. Luisa held on to the chair as she fought the dizziness that had been plaguing her all day. Slowly she made her way to her bedroom and slumped on the bed.
" I'll just rest here for a bit then join the party," she kept saying
Slowly hearing the music Luisa drifted off to sleep but it was not really sleep she was drifting off to.
It was the next morning at breakfast that Don Sebastian had to tell his children that their mother was dead. His beautiful Luisa had passed in her sleep peacefully without any pain. The rancho would never be the same again. The laughter and charm that Luisa brought to the rancho was lost and would never return again. For days Victoria and Mano were inconsolable Don Sebastian walked in a daze most of the time other times he would sit out be the fountain and just stare out at nothing . The woman who was to share his life with his precious Luisa gone at the young age of thirty seven. It was his task now to be there for his children, the children who were no longer children Victoria was eighteen years old and Mano was sixteen they were more like strangers than his children yet he had to find a way somehow to guide them.
Victoria spent more time by herself, Don Sebastian began to worry about her he started to invite potential suitors to the rancho hoping Victoria would show some interest yet with each one she would only smile and excuse herself to her room. Mano on the other hand was never home usually at the cantina or other establishment he dealt with his grief in his own way. Always in trouble with the law Don Sebastian feared one day he would be shot for his behavior.
Eleven years the rancho Montoya was still one of the finest ranchos if not the finest in Senora the only enemy Don Sebastian has now are the Apache stealing his cattle. There was some talk on Senora that some gringo had bought the Rivera rancho .He had plans to claim that land for his and when his hands were driven off the land by that gringo Don Sebastian vowed he would put an end to this John Cannon's life. Though Don Sebastian had no love for gringo's he still was interested to find out more of this gringo who 's land now borders his
By Louise Riveiro - Mitchell