It was the dead of night. There was a slight breeze but the night air was warm. Only a hum of insects could be heard over the crashing cascade of the waterfall.
Silvia could feel the cool waterfall spray splashing her face. Her braided ebony hair was covered in gleaming droplets of water. She stared, unblinking, ahead of her at a small path leading into the forest. She was waiting by the waterfall, like she did twice a week; to see the man she wished to marry.
Carlos was a handsome; well muscled nineteen year old who had moved from Spain three years ago with his brother, father and uncle. Carlos had known little English when he arrived. Silvia and Carlos had met when he came to the vicarage to learn English from the priest who cared for Silvia and her brother.
Silvia tried to wait patiently, but as the minutes passed she had to struggle to suppress the irksome fly of impatience that was buzzing around her head.
Finally, she heard footsteps approaching. She would not leap into his arms to greet him tonight; instead, she would ignore him for several minutes as a punishment for his lateness. The figure that stepped out of the trees was a tall, muscly man with tanned skin, fair hair and chiselled features. His hand some face turned down into a grimace as he saw Silvia. He looked as if he had been crying and the beard he sported glistened with tears.
It was then that Silvia realised that the man who stood before her was not Carlos. She had no time to question the man's presence as the he spoke almost immediately.
"I did not believe my brother when he told me he had been meeting you here. I was going to stay with him and ignore his request. But even in his state he managed to make me swear upon my life to come and find you."