A/N: Gonna be away from the computer for a few days. Enjoy…This chapter includes most of the early material from The Arrival, with added thoughts and touches.
CHAPTER TWO – Two – or One?
Elena's pain was becoming unbearable and she cried out all the time. Ynez had enough of it. I know how to take care of that. Even if Don Alejandro and I don't get along well, at least Doña Elena likes me. I'm sure of it. I'll give her some of my mother's chamomile tea…with my special additive.
"Stay calm Senora. It will not be long now." Her excitement was growing by the hour. Her plan was in place. Everything was perfect. Ynez smiled sweetly at Elena as she held her hand.
Elena looked up at Ynez with trust. "I wish Alejandro was here." Even in her pain, she smiled.
"The King has work for him in Calais. God has work for you here. Now…hush." Ynez leaned down and listened to baby's heartbeat. She moved her head a couple different places.
"What? What can you hear Ynez? There's nothing wrong?" Elena was apprehensive.
"No!" Ynez expressed a chuckle, as she continued to listen. Uh-huh – there are still two. They're both still there. They are both alive. "There's nothing wrong, Senora. Everything is just as I hoped." She moved her head around a couple more places, and then rose up.
Ynez held Elena's hand a moment, and stroked her hair. There was a knock on the door. Ynez answered it. Marta brought the tea set, and wanted to peek inside. Ynez was ready to put her plan in place. Her face showed her determination. She put the tea set down and took out a small bottle with white powder in it from her pocket. She poured the bottle's contents into the cup of tea and stirred while thinking of Marta.
That servant girl, Marta, is the only one who could ruin my plans. We'll take care of that…and her…once she does what she's asked.
"I've made an herbal tea. My mother's recipe."
Elena raised up a bit on her pillows. Ynez helped Elena drink it, holding the saucer for her while she drank from the cup. Elena leaned back on the pillows and sighed in happiness.
"Mother. I'm going to be a mother." Elena could hardly believe it…after all these months, finally her baby was about to be born. She smiled as she fell asleep.
Ynez put the tea cup back. And so am I. I am going to be a mother, too…finally. And when my child is grown…I shall also…be rich! She smiled to herself. She now knew the de la Vega family had great wealth, not only in Spain, but also in the New World. She looked back at Elena, who was already asleep by this time.
Z
Hours later, a baby cried. Ynez held the sleeping baby, already wrapped tightly in a blanket, and carried him to the door. My son, my son…you will be my son, Gilberto Avila Risendo de la Vega. Marta opened it.
"Senora…"
With quiet urgency, Ynez explained. "He's wrapped to keep him warm."
Marta was puzzled. "Why…what's wrong?"
"Ask no questions. Trust me. It is a matter of life and death. Use the back stairs, and let no one see you. Go!"
As the girl turned to go, Ynez called her back a moment. "Marta!"
"Si Senora?"
"Take him to my rooms – you know where they are. Remember, it's a matter of life and death – this little one's!"
Marta took the baby and quietly left.
Z
Elena felt exhausted. She'd been sleeping. She knew she should be more awake, but instead, she felt more tired. She struggled to open her eyes. She felt sluggish. Where was Ynez? She called out. "Ynez? Ynez?"
"I'm here." Immediately Ynez was by Elena's side.
"I had a baby. Is my baby here?"
"No. Not yet, my lady. Shhh…" Ynez took Elena's hand and patted her arm. She smiled in comfort.
Elena fell asleep again. As she drifted off, Elena thought for sure… she felt…she'd had a baby…she was sure of it…something was wrong, but she didn't know what…why was she sleeping all the time?
Z
Marta nervously looked about to make sure she was not seen. She held the firstborn son of Alejandro de la Vega closely to her breast for protection. She couldn't understand exactly why Senora Risendo wanted her to take the baby out of the house. Maybe the Senora feared for the child's health. Marta was a peasant girl with no education. She was extremely personable, but very naïve and gullible. She ran down an alley looking around her all the way.
Z
Marta waited nearly an hour for Senora Risendo to come. Marta held him until the Senora came, bouncing him around as she strolled around the small room.
In Ynez's temporary rented room in another part of Madrid, the little de la Vega boy cried. Marta placed the baby on the bed. Ynez stood by. Marta remarked, "He cries for his mommy. Why did you take him from her?"
"Senora has another son, born two minutes after this one…and quite healthy." She intimated that there was something wrong with this one. That was why she wanted him taken away.
"Twins? Oh! What a surprise! How nice. If this one is sick…at least there's another?"
Ynez turned her back on Marta and drew out a knife but kept it hidden. "Surprise? No. I heard two hearts beating, already out of rhythm… even before birth."
Marta was puzzled. "But you said…you said it was a matter of life and death."
Ynez whirled around, raised the knife. The girl, terrified – screamed. The baby cried.
"And it IS! Yours!"
Ynez struck hard and fast, then took the baby and fled to her regular apartment in yet another part of Madrid. The murder scene had been rented for only a few days, under an assumed name. No one will be able to trace me to this. And virtually no one will miss little Marta.
Z
In another part of Madrid, Elena awakened again as she heard a baby cry. She looked around for Ynez, but didn't see her in the room.
"Ynez? Ynez?"
Elena rose up to a sitting position and smiled as she looked at her baby in a beautiful brass crib with white lace netting, at the foot of her bed. Her father, Don Roberto de Santiago walked in. She looked at him with anticipation.
"I could not find her anywhere. How could she stay away at a time like this?" Don Roberto walked over to Elena, leaned over and gave her a kiss on forehead. He took her hand and placed the other to support her shoulder as she sat. He helped lower her back to a reclining position. He rubbed the back of her hand and held it with both of his for a moment, to comfort.
He went to the baby and picked him up. He held the baby up, his right hand under the little one's head.
"He's so handsome Elena. Oh, your mother would gladly have seen this. Alejandro will be so proud of him. My grand – son Diego. Diego. Diego. Diego!" He smiled with pride and played with little Diego. Elena beamed with pride and joy. Elena knew little Diego would be Alejandro's pride and joy, too.
Z
Elena dreamed. For the last several days, her dreams were always the same. Two…she had two babies. She was sure of it. But where was the other? What happened to him? Did he die? Why didn't Ynez tell her? And why was she so sleepy all the time? Was she loco? Did she imagine having two babies? If she gave birth to two babies, why would she not have two babies with her?
She was always so sleepy…after drinking Senora Risendo's special herbal tea. Her mother's recipe, she had said. Doña Elena could hardly tell what was real and what was dream…
Z
Alejandro received word of the birth his son two days later. He went to his commanding officer and requested an emergency leave. Because of his faithful and courageous service, it was granted. He hurried to Madrid as quickly as possible.
"Elena! My Felicidad! I'm home! I'm home!"
He ran up the stairs and practically burst into the bedroom. At the foot of the bed, Alejandro saw his son for the first time. His eyes misted, but he checked on Elena first.
"Alejandro, stop bellowing! You'll wake little Diego! Shhhh!" she whispered. She smiled and put a sly finger over her lips to silence, cocking her head to the right.
Alejandro quieted down and hunched his shoulders, with a guilty, but regretful expression, shoving his hands in his pockets a moment. He ran a hand through his thick, black hair, causing a lot of it to fall on his forehead like bangs, making him look even younger than his mid-twenties.
Z
The next day, Elena got up from the bed. She was still weak, but every day, she felt stronger. After all, she had a baby to feed.
Alejandro held baby Diego, rocking him back and forth. He only had one day left of his three-day pass to welcome his new son. "Well – that does sound like a crazy dream. Two babies?"
"I don't know Alejandro. Maybe it's, maybe it's just a silly feeling I have. I heard a baby cry, and I felt exhausted. It was probably a dream after all."
"Maybe." Alejandro's eyes were on his son.
She paused a moment. "But my querido, I don't think Senora Risendo has been entirely truthful with me. She was very secretive. She kept listening to my stomach. The doctor never did that, but from the first day she came, she listened frequently. She said everything was fine. I don't understand."
"What don't you understand?" Alejandro got up and strolled around the room gently rocking baby Diego in his arms, dipping every once in a while.
"Well…I slept all the time. I slept through everything…the whole experience! I don't think that's natural, Alejandro! Some of my friends told me they remember the very moment when their baby was born. I slept through the birth of mine."
"Is that so unusual?" Alejandro stopped strolling and looked at Elena, deciding to pay real attention to her. He put little Diego back in his cradle and went to sit next to his wife.
"And then, mi querido, I woke up to the sound of little Diego crying… Ynez was nowhere to be found. Father looked everywhere for her. And Marta is gone too. Not even her family knows where she is. It's very strange, Alejandro. I don't know what happened, but I know something's not quite right. While you're home, you should find Ynez and have a talk with her. I haven't seen Marta since the day Diego was born. I am quite worried. So are her parents."
"Mi querida Felicidad – I will look into both matters. I believe you. Something is not right here. It's not like Marta to leave and not tell anyone where she went."
Z
Alejandro pounded on the door to the address of Senora Risendo the doctor had given him. There was no answer. Since the doctor was responsible for hiring her, Alejandro sought out the doctor and had it out with him.
"Doctor Rosario, some strange things happened during the birth of my son, Diego. My wife is convinced Senora Risendo had some sort of scheme going on. And our kitchen maid has disappeared. She had been helping the Senora. I have not been able to find Senora Risendo – or our maid, Marta! May I ask you a question, doctor?"
"Certainly."
"Doesn't a woman know when she's had a baby? Can she feel it…even if she's asleep? And can a person tell when they've been drugged – on purpose? My wife suspects…"
Doctor Rosario rolled his eyes shook his head. "Your wife is a hysterical woman full of baseless accusations and insinuations. I've heard all this before, Don Alejandro. Now, are you going to pay my bill and the Senora's for our services – or shall I take you to see the magistrado?"
Alejandro released a guttural cry of frustration. "Your bill, I guess I have to pay – but the Senora's…I will not! I will tell everyone I know not to hire her! You gave me a poor recommendation, Doctor. And her failure to be honest will catch up to her someday – and maybe you, too!"
He slapped his riding gloves with the other hand and left in frustration.
Z
Doña Elena was nursing her baby when there was a pounding on the door. She put a small blanket over her chest and Diego, and rose from her rocking chair in the parlor. When she opened the door, she was astonished to see a Madrid civil policeman, in the company of a king's lancer.
"Are you Doña de la Vega? Is this the home of Capitan Alejandro de la Vega?" the policeman asked. The lancer remained quiet.
"Si. What is it? Is everything all right?" Concern wrinkled Elena's expression.
"Did Marta de Silva work for you?"
"Si. But I have not seen her for over two weeks. She was our kitchen maid, a very sweet child."
"You say you have not seen her in two weeks. Are you certain?"
"Si. What is it? What's happened?" Elena was alarmed.
"I am sorry to tell you in this way, but she has been murdered."
Elena swayed, throwing out her free arm for balance. Baby Diego's muffled cry came from under the blanket as Elena was caught by the lancer, and helped by both policeman and lancer back into the parlor.
"Would you like to sit down Senora?"
"Si. Pardon me, but my baby…if you will excuse me a moment…" She turned her back to them, and brought Diego out from under the blanket, then sat back in her rocker. She held Diego up to her shoulder and patted his back, waiting for him to burp. When he did, she laid him in her arms and rocked him, as she talked with the two visitors. Baby Diego quickly fell asleep.
"Now, can you tell me what happened? I will be all right." Elena forced a small smile.
TBC
