Thank you very much to The Walrus and the Carpenter for helping me Beta this document.
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Chapter 2.- The newcomer
I slowly make my way towards the leaving room, and by the time I reach it, I feel completely out of breath and drained from the small walk. I sit on the sofa catching my breath while looking at the preparations that have taken place. The warmth from the fireplace has filled the room, and close to it is Papa´s armchair with its pipe on the small table next to it. On the main sofa is Marissa´s sewing kit, with the pillow she has been working on since she was twelve. In one corner of the room, in a hidden table that is next to Marian´s portrait, a chess game waits, ready for a new challenge. At the other side of the room is the grand piano, where I used to play while my sisters danced around it. I continue analyzing the room and can´t help smiling when I see Marissa was kind enough to bring one of my favorite books and put it in the sofa where I usually sit, next to the window.
I hear the maids whispering in the dining room located next to the living room, discussing how many seats they should prepare.
"Maya," I turn around and see Marissa. She is a younger version of Mama, but the energy and spirit she has makes her beautiful. She comes and sits next to me, "you look lovely." She gives me a wide smile, making me believe that she is truthful, but who is she kidding? I am average; she on the other hand looks stunning,
Mama has made sure she looks older, with a matronly hair do; however, she is not able to hide the innocence of her eyes. "Thank you for helping us. I know you dislike this kind of activity"—I flash her a small smile—"and how wearing the corset makes your breathing harder," she says under her breath.
I giggle at the face that she makes. Surely, she hates them as much as I do.
I start coughing, and it's hard for me to stop. It seems I went over my limit with the small walk from my room to the living room. Marissa stays right by my side until the fit finally stops; her face full of concern at how long it takes me to recover. She reminds me of Marian the way she bites one corner of her lower lip trying to hide her concern.
"Is there any news from Marian?" I ask. Papa had probably asked the rest of the household to avoid telling me anything related to her, but I can always rely on Marissa to be truthful.
Her face falls and her eyes well with fresh tears that threated to fall. She shakes her head. I grab her hand trying to comfort her as best as I can, but she keeps her eyes on the floor. Unfortunately, I see Mama right in front of me, with a murdering look. I have just managed to ruin Marissa's good spirits prior to meeting her new suitor—not a smart move from my part.
"Something will come up," I say trying to cheer her up. "She probably found a handsome young gentlemen and fell in love with him and eloped." I try hard not to look at Mama, since the only reason Marian would have done that is because of her.
"Amalia, stop making up stories and filling Marissa´s head with such nonsense about love." She looks severely towards me, her eyes threatening. If she only knew how much Marissa is a fool for love stories ever since she was a little girl.
"Madame, the gentlemen has arrive," Jacinta interrupts my reply to Mama, making sure I keep my mouth shut before I get myself into more trouble.
"Well don´t keep him waiting, Jacinta,' she adds quickly, eyeing Marissa for a final checkup, "and inform Mr. Valencia our visitor has arrived."
"No need to inform me, Jacinta, I am already here," Papa says, entering the living room. He is a big, tall man, and a black beard covers the lower part of his face. He grins when he sees me, but the smile doesn´t reach his eyes. A shadow of sadness has been there since Marian disappeared, along with the shadow of concern he has when he sees me. He approaches me and tucks a strand of my hair, that has managed to come loose, behind my ear. "You look beautiful Maya, just like your mother."
I wish I could see Mama´s face right now. She is probably as red as a turnip, enraged by my father's innocent comment. It probably felt like a punch to the stomach, with her distaste towards me increasing. Nothing is worse for her than my father remembering my mother—it's another reason why she hates me. She clears her throat trying to get my father´s attention, without achieving much.
"I told you, Maya," Marissa says, stepping closer to me and grabbing my hand, giving it a small squeeze. I turn and look at her. Her big smile is contagious.
"Papa, Marissa is the one that looks ravishing tonight," I say, bringing my father's attention to his younger daughter. Maybe this will get me on Mama´s good side.
"You both look beautiful," he says, looking at the corner where Marian´s portrait is located. Among the three of us, Marian was the one who, no matter what she was wearing, always looked strikingly gorgeous.
Without another word, he walks to where his armchair is located and takes his pipe; he won´t light it while I am in the room, but I´ve notice it gives him some kind of tranquility just by holding it.
A set of footsteps approach the living room, making us all turn towards the door. A man enters, so I immediately start working on the task Mama has assigned me. The first thing I notice is that he is very handsome—far above from the usual suitors that have come to the house. He is tall as Papa is, but his body's slim. His hair is a mousy brown color that reaches his chin, but he wears it behind his ears to keep it from falling to his face. His skin is even paler than my own, making the black circles under his eyes stand out. I wonder if this man might be sick, considering how close his appearance is to my own, but the way he moves shows no kind of weakness whatsoever. If anything, he moves too fast.
I hear the gentleman saluting my Father, Mama and Marissa.
"And this is Amalia," Mama´s voice snaps me out of the trance I was in. I look at her and see her eyebrows shooting up, together with her hand. It seems my full attention was so entrapped that I forgot to stand up as the rule of propriety dictates. "Please, Mr. Alvarado, excuse my daughter for her rudeness."
I try to stand up, however, the corset and my strength makes it impossible for me to achieve it as quickly as I am hoping.
"No need to worry, Mrs. Valencia, I am sure your daughter did not mean any disrespect." He approaches me and extends his gloved hand, helping me to my feet. His touch feels cold, even with the piece of cloth between us, as if it was seeping from him.
I smile at him for his generosity, but it stays frozen in place when I look into his eyes. The coloring is not right. I am certain I wouldn´t have noticed them if it wasn´t for the proximity, but with the light from the fireplace I am certain of what I am seeing; they have a crimson coloring to them.
How can a man have red eyes? I know I have never seen one and I am quite observant. The simple thought sends a shiver down my spine.
The introductions are quickly over, and everybody takes their place. Papa starts chatting with him while Marissa quickly works on her pillow, and Mama sits next to her to instruct her. I slowly sit down and grab the book Marissa brought me, but I am not able to concentrate. I constantly glance over to where he is sitting, and study him. The first thing I notice is how his breathing is off; it seems that he skips a breath or two. I follow the rhythm of his breath with my own and I am certain that at some point he is not breathing at all.
How can a person talk without uttering a breath for that long?
I look at his clothes and the accessories he is wearing, and they are not fake items; this surely is going to please Mama. This his suitor falls right into her definition of ´love´. However, he is not right for Marissa. His body language indicates that he cares for her, he constantly glimpses towards her, while his body is directed towards where she is sitting. However, his face and eyes are telling a different story. I try to pinpoint the exact word for it, but the only thoughts that come to mind is he wishes to devour her—literally.
"Amalia," Papa´s voice interrupts me. He usually never calls me by my actual name, he prefers my nickname, but in front of strangers he likes to keep it formal, "are you feeling all right, my dear?"
Now that he mentions it, I am feeling rather weak and hungry, but I want that wary look in his eyes to disappear, so instead, I nod and give him a big wide smile.
"Could you be kind enough to play something for our guest?"
I look at Mr. Alvarado; his gaze makes me feel uncomfortable. "Do you have a specific preference?" I push my feelings aside and keep my smile plastered on my face, trying to appear as gracious as I can.
"I am sorry, I don´t understand the question." He chuckles, looking from me to my father.
"What my daughter is referring to, Mr. Alvarado is, if you have a specific instrument or piece of music in mind. She knows how to play at least five different instruments." I notice how my father's back straightens, and the smile on his lips becomes wider. Daddy always enjoys bragging about his middle daughter.
He has always been proud of how fast I am able to learn, no matter the subject; languages, math … you name it I learn it. I might be a prisoner of my own body and be limited in many aspects, but my mind is something gentleman should be afraid of—his words not mine.
Mr. Alvarado gives me a quick look up and down, assessing me, then turns his head and eyes the table in the corner.
"How about a game of chess?" he smiles at me. "I believe it is less exhausting."
I get the feeling he knows that I am not feeling well, but he has hardly glimpsed my way. I know I am not a very good actress, but I am putting forth my best act and he is seeing right through it.
"Good luck with that, Mr. Alvarado." Papa smiles widely. "She is our best player."
"An interesting challenge then." He stands up, approaches me and offers me his hand to again help me up.
We walk to the table where the chess game is set and take our place, his back towards the portrait of Marian and mine towards the window.
"Ladies first." He points towards the chess game.
I take a quick look at the board and make the first move; I move a pawn deciding to see if he will play more offense or defense.
"Mr. Alvarado, I wasn´t paying a lot of attention to your conversation with Papa," I say while he makes his move. I immediately move the same piece forward, pretending I am not putting a lot of attention to the game. "Which part of Spain are you from?" It is obvious by his accent he is not originally from the new continent.
"Barcelona, doll," he says smiling at me and making his next move.
I assume by the way he plays he is more offense than defense; he is going after my pawn. I will have to entice him with a more interesting piece to go after while I work my way towards his king.
"I´ve heard it's a beautiful city; although, I´ve never been there myself." He nods, his attention on the chessboard. He immediately smiles and takes my pawn. I continue, not giving much thought at my fallen piece; I was expecting it. "My older sister, Marian, was there some years ago visiting an aunt." I notice his eyes widen when he hears her name. I pause trying to make sense of what it means and make my next move, deciding that my bishop might be a good piece to distract him.
We continue moving pieces around the board; I manage to bring down some of his while leaving my bishop out in the open.
"And what did your sister think of the city?" he asks not looking at me; his eyes set on the board.
"I could tell she liked it; although, she didn´t talk much about it. She discussed more about her suitors." I notice his eyes light up when he becomes aware of how vulnerable my bishop is, and without further due, he attacks it with a tower—not realizing how vulnerable his queen has become.
"She was a beautiful girl," he says, taking down my fallen piece from the board.
His comment brings my concentration on the game to a deathly stop. I look up straight into his eyes, ignoring the strange feeling I get, and try to see beyond them. I notice a change in them, and I don´t like it. "Have you met her?" I ask calmly, ignoring the past tense he used in his previous phrase. I see him hesitate, his eyes widening as he makes quick nervous shuffle in his chair.
"I didn´t have the pleasure of making her acquaintance, but she looks like a lovely girl" He points to the portrait hanging at the wall behind his back. I´ve spend countless days and hours in this room either reading or playing an instrument I know the room by heart, and I am certain he never had a good glimpse of it, plus, no one had mentioned the portrait was of her.
I look at the rest of the family hoping somebody else has noticed the same thing, but no such luck.
I sigh pushing my feelings aside, there isn´t much I can do, and nobody will believe in my gut feeling until I have some proof. I look down at the board and realize his queen is no longer in the same position where I just saw her. The game is now in his favor, and some key pieces are either at a different place or no longer in the board.
I am distrustful of him, my suspicious are higher, and alarms are going off in my head. I continue without uttering a word at the new re arrangement, taking my time to form a new strategy. It will take him four moves to get my king if I don´t do anything to protect him, but if I play it smart, I can save it and corner his instead.
"I haven´t lost hope yet on Marian," I say, making my first move. "However, it's still a soft subject to discuss, for all of us."
"I understand," he says seriously while looking down at the chess game and making his next move.
"I´ve heard from Mama that you are interested in Marissa," I say, lower this time, so the conversation doesn´t reach the rest of our gathering. Mama would probably send me straight to my room if she heard me. I make my move while waiting for his answer.
"Are you always this straightforward?" I can judge by his tone that he is not happy to be asked so directly. He asses the game and makes his move.
"Usually no, but when it comes to my family and the people I love, I become overly protective. I'd rather cut to the chase and avoid the pleasantries." I make my move, without taking my eyes from the board, afraid that he might take this small distraction and cheat once again.
He stays quiet, and after a small while, he continues with the game.
"Plus, she is very young. Just turned fifteen last week," I add, as I make sure to trap his king. My next move is designed to save my own one, and afterwards check mate.
"It seems your mother considers her old enough to have suitors, since she was the one that invited me tonight." He moves a piece and takes my horse, but hasn´t noticed the current situation of his king.
I can almost taste victory, and without a word, I move my king out from his reach.
"She is looking for a way to distract Marissa and my father from Marian´s disappearance with this kind of nonsense." I dare a glimpse at him and give him a threatening look; he just gives me a cocky smile.
I look down at the board game and his king is no longer cornered. Cheater!
"I love playing chess," he says calmly, engaging once again towards my king, "never lost a game in my life."
"Nice to hear that," I analyze this new game; not everything is lost. I don´t know how he's doing it quite so fast; I only took my eyes from the board for a second, but he is not giving much thought to the pieces he is moving. The moron made sure his king was out of grasp from my two previous pieces, but he did not consider the other ones. Actually, he left it more vulnerable than before. Again, I defend my king from the position, making sure it takes him more than one move to get him.
He is about to engage again towards my king, but I see his hand stopping before the move, realizing he is as good as dead. He can try to escape but I have him in a very tight position, beating me, although not improbable, has become almost impossible—without cheating. I make sure not to move my eyes from the board; I´ve learned from my mistakes.
"Oh my! I should apologize to you, Marissa," he says to the rest of the room, and raises from the chair. I follow him with my eyes. "I´ve been so distracted playing chess with our dear little Amalia, I´ve been neglecting you."
Little? Who does he think he is?
He walks towards Marissa, her face lighting up with the attention from Mr. Alvarado.
Is he quitting? Just when I'm about to win! Coward!
I look down at the board, and my eyes can´t believe what I am seeing; his king is no longer cornered, and he is in a safe position. However, my king is now fallen and a tower is in its place.
"Was Amalia polite enough to give you an advantage at some point?" Papa asks with a wide smile on his face.
"No need, Sir. She is a good player; however, I beat her," he answers with a smug tone.
Papa´s jaw drops.
I feel as if my insides are boiling.
Many people constantly lie to spare me from getting overexcited, fearing I won´t be able to handle the news due to my poor health. I hate being lied to, but at least they think they are doing it for my own good. Being tricked or cheated falls under a completely new category—one I am not willing to overlook.
"That is a first, right, Amalia?" Mama adds. I look at her and despise the grin she has on her lips. She is gloating and enjoying the result.
"Right Mama." I smile a little and look at Mr. Alvarado. He returns the smile but there is a warning behind his eyes.
He should be the one afraid of me!
He returns, and puts his full attention on Marissa and Mama.
"So, Mr. Alvarado, how long have you been in this savage country?" Mama inquires.
"Call me Carlos, Mrs. Valencia," he happily says, smiling at both of them.
A red shade takes over Mama´s and Marissa´s face.
Honestly? Can´t anyone see how strange this man is—the way he is manipulating everybody?
I decide to keep a close eye on him, finding faults and reasons why Papa will object to him. I decide to keep my distance and comments until the proper time to bring all of my finding to Papa´s attention.