I will try to publish these first chapters as soon as I can since I know how unattractive one chapter can be. I'm sorry if I'm focusing too much on Luisa and Connor is just standing there, but I think it will be more interesting if he slowly opens up to her as I felt he did in the game, he did felt like an award statue at times. One more note, I don't really like "fast romances" that develop too fast, especially in a character like Connor so please be patient with Henrique my "distraction" so that things don't run too fast.

Chapter Two – Seven Years Later

Luisa sat on the drawing room reading a book she couldn't remember the story of, even though she had started it an hour ago. The blizzard outside kept getting worse and her heart sank as she realized there was no way she could make it to Catarina's tea party, not that she minded much about her but she did fancy her eldest son, just returned from his studies in London. It had been her father's idea to go and meet the young man, heir to one of the greatest cocoa plantations in Brazil and of course, heir to a great fortune.

"His family has a beautiful palace in Sintra, and a homestead in the North of Portugal where they made some of the finest wine I have ever tasted. Catarina has paintings all over her house of the family's estate, and Henrique is the sole heir." Domingos had said after coming home from checking on his stores in Boston.

"The last time you insisted on me meeting an heir he held so little knowledge of self hygiene that I could barely stand less than three meters away from him." Her stomach twisted at the memory of that dreadful dinner, even if her father was hell bent on finding her a Portuguese husband she wouldn't marry a pig.

"But he was a nice fellow; and must I remind you that there was a time when you didn't smell much better than him."

"You were the one who insisted on me becoming a lady; and I never smelt that bad!"

"Oh you didn't smell yourself on that Christmas night when we met; if I wasn't so hungry I would never had taken food from such dirty hands."

"Says the man who was fresh out of six months at sea."

"Anyway back to Henrique," Domingos said with a smile on his face, "he was homeschooled by a very much English tutor, with a very English method, according to his mother and has just come from a very old English university."

"Catarina better not say that too loud or too often in Boston."

"Oh she does, and isn't much loved for it; she's English to the very bottom of her heart she says, even if she can't speak a word of it and has never set a foot in England."

"So you assure me that he won't smell like the farms he owns?"

"He doesn't own farms! It's a cocoa plantation, and last time I checked you were pretty found of chocolate."

When she met him the next week she was pleasantly surprised, the months spent on a ship filled with cocoa left its pleasant smell on him and the only other things he smelled at were tobacco and soap; but he didn't just smell nice, in fact he had been the first Portuguese gentlemen she met who actually looked like one. The big blue eyes and light brown hair didn't help her in her quest to dismiss any suitor who threatened to take her away from her father.

That night she had to admit to Domingos her admiration for him, leaving him with a big goofy smile on his face. She saw Henrique almost every day since, until his mother announced she was moving back to Portugal. Without Catarina in Boston there were little motives left for her son to come here and because of the snow, Luisa would miss the last tea party held on the residence soon to be sold to another family.

Marking the page she was in, Luisa dropped the book on her bed and as the snow outside became worst another dread took over her. Domingos wasn't home yet and if the snow kept getting worse soon it would be impossible to walk on the streets, if he was in one of the stores there wasn't much to worry about but if he wasn't…

She walked aimlessly around the big house they had moved to just two years ago, she couldn't believe when her father told her it was theirs. In fact since landing in Boston ten years ago Domingos became a bottomless pit of surprises; if he was resourceful in Europe, with the ongoing war in the new world he was a commercial genius, he got a loan from a friend, opened his first general store and made contacts with all sorts of traders, farmers and craftsmen, making sure he had the best in town at the best prices. He used the black market carefully and always with the anticipation of getting into trouble, but he never did. When he paid the loan he opened another store, then another, and another. He bought small houses and establishments for renting and he had begun to try his luck at a corn plantation.

All the time he devoted to his business was time he stole from Luisa, and at the time she didn't respond well to it. He looked for a school as soon as they landed and when he made enough money, hired a tutor- Jane, who later became his wife; and it was she that made Luisa understand that every coin her father gained he spend it on her, her education, her dresses, her jewels that she shared with her new mother, he had made her a lady and Luisa hadn't even notice.

Luisa liked her tutor turned mother well enough, but it wasn't the same relationship she had with Domingos, closer to her own age Jane became more like a friend and Luisa never called her mother except when introducing her, and even then she was her stepmother. Jane was gone for two months now, her father, living in the frontier, was sick and in need of her and Domingos painfully let her go.

"The old man needs her the most now, not that he ever held any sympathy for his daughter, but who am I to say anything." Those were the only words spoken about it between him and Luisa.

She heard the bell of the nearby church and panicked at realizing in was eight o'clock and her father wasn't home yet, she thanked the cook for not reminding her that dinner time had passed but it was impossible not to worry and at this point she went to the kitchen window, the best view to the beginning of the road leading to town. A few minutes later Bo, the cook joined her, the old lady being concerned too, though more with Luisa who was beginning too look pale and lightheaded.

Luckily they didn't had to wait long, a small figure came into view a few minutes later but as it came closer and distinguishable in between the falling snow Luisa's relief vanished when she realized the figure was in fact a strange man carrying her father in his arms. She raced to the door to open it for the stranger and she couldn't put words out of her mouth as she saw Domingos unconscious, blue from the cold but still breathing. Bo was the one taking charge, leading the stranger to the living room, putting the old man in a chair by the fire, changing his clothes and wrapping him in all the blankets they could find in the house. All the time Luisa stood in silent, frozen by fear, her heart going back seven years and remembering the prayer she repeated over and over again when she saw her only family being dragged away by the guards.

"Lu, the weather is getting worse." Bo said from the fireplace as she checked on Domingos, slowly turning into a healthier color. Luisa looked outside, coming out of her daze, the snow had turned into a white wave coming from all directions and the strong wind howled all over the house.

"Yes, but he's safe now."

"You father is dear, but I'm afraid the young man won't be able to leave." Luisa's cheeks reddened as she realized she had completely ignored her father's savior, hadn't even acknowledged him and given him a proper welcome, didn't even know his name. Suddenly she was almost relieved her father as unconscious or she would never hear the end of it.

"Where is he?"

"In the kitchen, I gave him some hot chocolate, I hope you don't mind. I know it's expensive."

"No, of course not. I'll go and thank him, will you look after father?"

"Yes, should I prepare the guest's room?"

"When he's out of danger." Luisa said mentioning Domingos still trembling in the chair.

"Of course child."

"And please don't tell him-"

"That you forgot everything he and Jane taught you? Don't worry." Bo laughed, she had kept secrets for Luisa for seven years now, and she was a saint compared to the little devil she had first met.

"Thank you."

She held her father's hand before going to the kitchen making sure it was warming up, kissed his forehead and left, praying the stranger would understand why she had been so rude. But seeing her father at the doors of death again was a fear that never really left her.

The stranger sitting by the kitchen's fire held the jar with the cocoa grains on one hand and the cup with the hot chocolate on the other smelling both with amazement.

"A friend of ours gave it to us; he claims his family has a secret for giving the cocoa that taste, it's the best I've ever had but I'm sure the secret is the land it's planted on." He stood up and turned to her and she was amazed by him, not only his gigantic structure but that natives weren't known to help rich European traders, yet there he was, her father's savior with his copper skin, face paint and weird hair-do. She smiled, glad to see him, glad he had taken her father home despise what his kind had suffered on the hands of hers. "My name's Luisa, Lu if you find it hard to pronounce."

"Ratonhnhaké:ton. Or Connor." Of course, natives didn't spoke English as their mother tongue either, she laughed a little and held her hands to him, noticing the puzzled look he gave them, she took the jar from his left hand, putting in on the table and with her two hands embraced his.

"Thank you. A thousand times, thank you for bringing my father home."

"You're welcome." She chose to ignore his awkwardness and the edge on his voice; she had to do this properly for all the money her father invested on her education.

"I'm sorry for my coldness earlier, I hope you understand… seeing him like that… I panicked." She let go of him and gave him back the jar. "This is yours, along with all the hospitably this house has to offer and a room is already being prepared for you to stay the night." She saw him open his mouth with a refusal in his lips and added before he could answer: "I advise you to look outside before refusing."

He did and she saw the expression on his face change as he acknowledged there was no way to cross that storm and survive.

"Thank you."

"I'll ask Bo to serve dinner for us; in the meantime I must go see my father. You're welcome to join us."

"I'll just stay here."

"Let me rephrase that. It would be my pleasure if you would join us… please." He looked oddly at her and she turned around, stopping at the door to look back and smile when she saw him following her, the empty cup left on the table and bringing the jar with him.

Bo left when they entered the room, Luisa gave her the instructions to prepare a simple dinner and serve it on the kitchen for the three of them, and being sure that Connor wouldn't mind the lack of etiquette that was the norm they were used to. When Bo was gone Luisa kneeled by her father's side, leaving the other chair by the fireplace for Connor. Her skirts spread around her she could barely remove her eyes from the frail figure of Domingos, wrapped in blankets and still a little too cold for comfort. She could feel the awkwardness coming from her guest as well as some old part of her that became exasperated that he couldn't manage to even pretend that he was comfortable and felt welcomed, she didn't know what else to do, her father's condition a much too great concern in her mind to let her properly think of anything else.

She turned to Connor and smiled, trying to smile like Jane did when visitors came, but apparently failing since her smile wasn't answered by him, who simply stared at her.

"Where did you find him?"

"I didn't find him. We were discussing some trouble with a delivery when the weather got worse, he insisted on coming home so I decided to accompany him. The storm got worse too fast and he wasn't properly dressed."

"So you're one of his traders?"

"Something like that."

"How did you know where we live?"

"He invited be over a few weeks ago. You weren't around." He added when she looked at him surprised, her father never brought work into their home, it was the one rule he didn't break.

"Obviously." She was wounded that her father would have kept from her that he had guests when she wasn't around, it was bad enough to know he had a completely separate life when managing his business that didn't involve her, to know he kept a social life too…

"I spoke too much." She was brought back by his remark and looking better at him she wondered if her father held some sympathy towards Connor, seeing he even invited him to his home, but if they were friends it didn't make sense that he wouldn't have introduced them.

"No, not at all. How old are you Connor?" She asked remembering an incident six years ago, when she made her first friend of the colonies. It didn't matter if it was rude for her to ask, but if her father had kept him a secret from her for the reasons she thought he did Domingos had some serious explaining to do once he got better.

"Twenty-six." Old enough to run his own business and young enough to be a suitor, Luisa had to take a deep breath to keep the rage she was feeling inside. She thought her father was over this, her father completely blocking any sort of connections from her that weren't Portuguese, which involved not only friends and business partners, but especially young single men who posed a possible love interest to her. Even six years ago when she barely even knew what love was, he forbade her friendship with the son of their neighbors, coming to the point of looking for another house across the river for them to live in.

If it had been ridiculous then, it was even worse now when she was dating a young and wealthy Portuguese heir, just like her father whished she would. If only he would wake up, she had a serious argument to have with him.

"Dinner is set." Bo was standing by the doorway and Luisa stood up, followed by Connor who left his jar in the chair and the three of them sat for dinner, with Luisa and Bo agreeing to take turns to check on Domingos to which Connor volunteered too.

It was a strange dinner, Luisa and Bo felt awkward for not knowing if they should act as the friends they were or as servant and lady, Connor felt awkward too they could both feel it, even if they weren't sure what for. So they both ate quietly, until they heard stirring from the living room and Luisa stood up and ran to her fathers side. He was awake, and struggling, confused, with the blankets.

"Father…"

"Lu… you're here." He managed to release a hand and grabbed her's. Bo came in with Connor behind, both with worried looks on their faces.

"We were so worried about you!"

"I'm sorry Lu…but…I really didn't want to spend this blizzard away from you. I was worried too."

"We should take him to his room." Bo interrupted them, taking the blankets away from Domingos and feeling his temperature. "Connor will you help?"

"Connor…?" The old man looked shocked as the younger raised him again to take him upstairs.

"He brought you home, almost frozen to death when you got here."

"You gave him food and shelter?" Luisa stumbled on her dress and her cheeks turned red again with her father staring knowingly at her.

"Your daughter was very kind."

"I'm glad to know it." He said as Connor laid him gently on his bed and Luisa and Bo ran to put him inside the covers. Luisa reached for her fathers hand with Connor standing beside her while Bo quietly left the room. "I know you're worried Lu, my dear, but I really must speak with Connor in private."

"Its fine father, sleep well."

"You too."

When she left the room her former rage came back, she hated that Domingos held secrets from her, she hated that she felt like a wall was standing between them and worst of all she felt like he was pushing her away. She waited, sitting on the stairs while she heard the hushed tones coming from her father's room, she couldn't make out what they were saying, only that there was worry in both of their voices and worry on her soul. Something was wrong, her father was in trouble again and she knew nothing about it. About half an hour later Connor walked out silently, closing the door behind him and Luisa stood to face him.

"Will you need anything else?" She was sure even he could sense the coldness in her voice but she was much too tired to care.

"No, thank you."

"Then I'll leave you to your things, your room is here," she opened the door to the left of her father's "the one at the end of the hall is mine, knock if you need anything."

He nodded and she left to her room, Bo already waiting to help her out of her clothes.