Chapter 52

The de la Vega garden...

"Where is our dear little Lolita," Marisol enquired, "someone as handsome as you should not be standing here all alone, Rafael..."

"She is right over there talking to some friends, Marisol. Is there something you wanted?"

"Only a few minutes of your time...We have hardly had a chance to converse...since that unfortunate little incident with Senorita de Madeira."

"That little incident could have been avoided if the two of you had been more ladylike. I believe you started the entire incident by referring to her as a servant."

"Everyone knew that she was working at the mission. Senorita Escalante practically banished her from the tavern because of her behavior. What did I say that was so wrong? It was the truth."

"You insulted her and her family...You inferred that she was a lady and that working was beneath people of a certain class."

"Would you want your wife to work? I mean it is alright for some people but not the wife or fiancée of a caballero."

"It seems good enough for Senorita Escalante and for my cousin Diego."

"That is different. She was always one of the working class. If not for her engagement to your cousin and his liberal views, none of this would be a thing would not be tolerated in Madrid for one tiny instant!"

"This is not Madrid, Marisol. This is the New World. You must stop living in the past."

"Tradition is not necessarily a bad thing but I suppose that you can bend the rules to suit yourself."

"Diego and Victoria seem very happy and very well-suited to each other. Could it be that you are jealous, Marisol? She managed to do something that you and the rest of these well-bred ladies could not do! Win my cousin's heart..."

"Why would I be jealous? Of Victoria Escalante? Of Don Diego? You cannot be serious! This coming from someone that is using Lolita Quintero to make a certain someone jealous. Aren't you being a little hypocritical?"

"I would never use Lolita. How dare you say such a thing, Marisol?"

"You had barely broken up with Margarita before you enlisted Dona Maria's services. Your affections could not have changed that quickly. Our little Lolita was too smitten by you to notice," she taunted, "Here she comes right now. Evidently, she is not too pleased by our little tete-a-tete. This promises to be most interesting. Don't you think, Rafael?"

"Is that true, Rafael? Is Marisol right?"

"Marisol is making trouble...Let's discuss this in private?"

"I would like an answer. Do you still love Margarita? Was I just a way to make her jealous?"

"This is not the time or place to discuss such things, Lolita," he stated as he looked at his surroundings. As usual, Marisol's flair for the dramatic had started to draw a crowd.

"What is going on, nephew," Don Alejandro stated.

"Marisol is causing trouble as usual, Uncle..."

"I was only speaking the truth. Some people cannot handle the truth even when it is presented to them on a silver platter..."

"You are causing quite a scene.," Don Alejandro interrupted, "Son, would you find the Senorita's mother? Our guest has overstayed her welcome. Let's leave these two alone for a few minutes..."

Despite the confusion, he was glad to see the woman take her leave. "Senorita..."

"Don't bother. Mother and I will show ourselves out. It has been a most interesting evening."

"Nephew, I will leave the two of you so you can talk."

Minutes later...

"Lolita...please let me explain..."

"Alright, Rafael...I am willing to listen."

"I admit that the idea did cross my mind at first. Margarita had abandoned me for Zorro," he confessed, "I was angry and hurt but I never set out to hurt you..."

"So you were using me as a substitute...a second choice when you could not have Margarita."

"I wanted Dona Maria to introduce me to other women to see if..."

"There were other 'fish in the sea.' I thought that you were sincerely interested in me...that you enjoyed my company."

"I do enjoy your company, Lolita more than I ever thought possible but I still have feelings for Margarita," he confessed.

"Then Marisol was right, Rafael. Maybe you should have given her time."

"You sound like, Diego. He said that I should wait until her silly infatuation with Zorro ran its course..."

"Instead of giving her time, you rushed headlong into another relationship before you were ready...You used me to make her jealous. I will not be part of some little game between the two of you and I will not be your second choice...some kind of consolation prize. I want a man who loves me and only me. I will not settle for second best...I would rather be alone than live a life of misery with someone who has no love or respect for me or my feelings. You and Margarita need to grow up...stop playing games with other people's lives. You need to make up your mind about who and what you really want out of life, Rafael. Good night, Senor de la Vega," Lolita held her head proudly and walked out of the hacienda, "Don Alejandro, good night. Papa is waiting for me."

"Good night, my dear. You are a true lady."

"Lolita...wait," Rafael said as he rushed after her.

"Let her go, nephew. She is too upset to talk to you now."

"I never meant to hurt her. Where did everything go so wrong?"