An Unexpected Marriage
Chapter 1
"Diego? Are you coming? We have to hurry or we'll be late for church!" Alejandro was calling his son.
"I'm ready," Diego came into the parlor dressed in one of his best suits. "I don't know why you're making such a fuss about going to church today and dressing up in your finest suit. Isn't it a normal Sunday or am I missing something?"
"My friend Fernando is giving a party today and we're invited right after church," Alejandro smiled happily."
Diego made a face. "You should have told me that before. I don't know if I can attend, because I'm very busy with my studies."
"You and your studies, Diego! You should get married and have a family. It's about time to do something about it."
"Please stop nagging me about marriage, Father! We had this discussion often enough. This is not your business!"
"Of course, it's my business, Diego. You have to get married and father an heir to continue the family line. Do you think I worked all these years for nothing?"
"There is nothing you can do about it, Father! Just stop it!"
"I can and I will. You'll see, Diego!"
"Don't you dare, Father!" Angrily, Diego rode ahead to church, avoiding further talk until they arrived at the church and took their usual seats.
Z~Z~Z
The mass had nearly come to an end when the padre addressed the community.
"Today, we have something to celebrate and I ask you, Don Diego de la Vega, and you, Señorita Maria Marquez to step forward."
Confused, Diego rose from his seat and walked to the altar while Maria Marquez stepped to his side, smiling at him happily.
"Don Diego, I know this is quite unusual," the padre said, "but your father and Señorita Maria's father approached me three weeks ago to arrange your wedding. I know that you're reluctant to marry, but it's the duty of every good Christian to enter the holy state of matrimony."
Diego was too dumbstruck to say anything while the padre continued. "So, I'm asking you, Don Diego de la Vega, are you willing to take Señorita Maria Marquez as your wife and promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor her all the days of your life?"
"No!" Diego's answer was loud and clear. Not paying attention to Maria, who had started to cry silently, Diego turned around, his eyes searching for someone in the crowd.
"Diego, you can't say 'No' now," his father objected, who had joined them at the altar together with Maria Marquez' father, Don Fernando, who talked softly to his daughter. "The marriage contracts are all signed and there's no way for you to back out if you don't want to ruin us."
"How could you do that to me, Father! Without even consulting me!" Diego said angrily to his father.
"I asked you often enough to get married, Diego, and now my patience has ended. I realized you'd never marry unless you're forced to. Fernando and I arranged it all and Maria has agreed too. I expect you to marry her now!"
"No, I can't and I won't," Diego said firmly, causing a gasp running through the church. Turning to Maria, he addressed her. "I'm sorry, Maria, but I can't marry you. You're a beautiful woman, but I don't love you. I didn't know of my father's plan or we could have avoided this situation."
"We will lose our hacienda if you don't Diego. We will lose everything! Are you willing to risk that?" Alejandro threatened him.
Turning to the priest, Diego pleaded, "Padre, can I talk to you for a minute in private?"
The padre nodded his agreement and motioned him to follow him into a side room where they wouldn't be overheard.
The crowd began to whisper among themselves while they waited for the padre and Don Diego to return. A few minutes later the door opened again and the padre entered the church again – alone.
"Where's Diego? Why isn't he coming back?" Alejandro asked, when he realized that Diego hadn't returned.
The padre raised his hand for silence before he started to speak. "Don Diego talked to me and raised objections why he can't marry Maria Marquez. I found them valid and I can't perform this ceremony!" Maria Marquez began to cry louder and couldn't be comforted by her father any longer who led her away.
"Objections? What kind of objections?" Alejandro asked, angry and confused.
"As a priest, I'm sworn to silence about anything that was told to me in confidence. I advise you to talk to your son, Don Alejandro."
"Please return to your seats and let us finish the mass!" The padre continued with the mass as usual before giving the final benediction to the community.
"You will pay for this humiliation of my daughter, Alejandro. You promised me that your son would marry Maria. And now? See what you have done! Your son humiliated her in front of everyone when he refused to marry her. Your hacienda is now mine!" Don Fernando said to Alejandro when they met in the aisle.
"Fernando, I apologize for my son. We have been friends for so many years, don't break up our friendship so quickly. The last word hasn't been said yet. I will talk to my son again and make him apologize too. I will find out what kind of objections he has to this marriage. I'm sure after he had time to reconsider everything, he will change his mind and agree to marry your daughter."
"I doubt that, Alejandro, but I wish you luck talking to your son. I'll give you five days for an answer!" Fernando followed his wife and his daughter who were waiting for him in the carriage.
Alejandro motioned Felipe to mount his horse while he climbed on his own, noticing that Diego's Esperanza was missing, and they rode back to the hacienda.
Upon their return to the hacienda, Esperanza was in her stable, but Diego was nowhere to be found. While Alejandro was still yelling for his son, Felipe slipped into the cave to look for him there, but Toronado was missing and Diego had exchanged his Sunday suit for the black one, so it would probably be hours before Diego returned. Felipe didn't need to think hard to know where Diego had gone.