Chapter 19

Sebastian considered his guests' stares. Judgement stabbed into his psyche. He stiffened. "Is there something that I am missing? Perhaps one of you would care to enlighten me?" He put his hand on his chair to pull it out.

"And what did not agree with you, Papa?" Victoria folded her arms across her chest. She tapped her foot against the polished oak floor. "Perhaps your own spite wounded you?" Indignation sniffed from her nostrils.

Sebastian frowned. "What spite? Victoria, this is a happy morning! Let us not ruin it with attitudes!" He shook his head.

"I believe you have already done that, Don Sebastian," John rebutted.

"Why, John Cannon! Certainly, I would expect better of you!" Sebastian snapped.

"As I expect better from you," Ricardo interjected. "What did you say to Manolito? He's upset. He will not tell us."

Sebastian sighed. "Still my Son seeks pity." He squinted at Manolito. "It seems he has learned discretion after all. Perhaps there is hope."

Manolito tensed. "Discretion? You speak of discretion? HA! Perhaps you might wish to tell your good friend, Don Ricardo, what you think? Perhaps you might want to repeat what you said about how foolish our dreams are, Papa?"

"And now the scene. Get ahold of yourself! YOU ARE STILL IN MY HACIENDA!" Sebastian lectured.

Manolito shook his head. "IF YOU WANT RESPECT, THEN ACT LIKE YOU DESERVE IT! I AM NOT ONE OF YOUR PEONS! GO AHEAD! TELL DON RICARDO WHAT YOU TOLD ME! TELL HIM, PAPA!" He slammed the table with his open palm.

"Don Sebastian, enough! What did you say?" Ricardo insisted.

Sebastian shook his head. "I did not want to speak on this matter especially in our current company." He bypassed the coffee. Instead he took a glass and poured brandy into it. "Don Ricardo, we have been friends for many years. It is no secret that you are ambitious. I believe you push this matter to your advantage." He glared into Ricardo's eyes. "You are insinuating yourself into Tucson. Why the sudden turnabout with Miguel? Hmm? And why are you buying land for Manolito and building a hacienda?"

"Ambitions?" Ricardo coughed. "I help my children. Would you not do the same? I do not have to agree with them to do so. I do not give such things away like presents! Would you have me deny Mercedes her dowry? That is what paid for the new rancho! And Miguel? He made the arrangements. He wired the Archbishop himself. I gave a donation to the Church for land and materials. That money will help Tucson. I make a new alliance with John. But I will watch everything! Certainly, you know that as well!" He frowned.

"He thinks you manipulate me," Manolito revealed.

"Manolito! ENOUGH!" Sebastian ordered.

"Dang!" Blue gasped.

"Papa! ¿Dijieste eso? How could you? You know how Mama felt about Manolito and Mercedes! And you spit on her memory? TODAY?" Victoria threw her hands in the air.

"Victoria, how dare you? I have not done so! Perhaps if my Son will not have his hand out? He can earn that rancho!" Sebastian retorted.

"And what did he ask for, pray tell? The Moon? Half of this rancho? Don Sebastian, the way you're carrying on, I'd say that." John shook his head. "Don't worry. We'll be watching them. Still, Manolito's in charge up there." His eyebrow arched. "Out with it. What was so upsetting?"

"Cattle. Even after having the wedding here and the expense, he wants his own herd," Sebastian sniped.

Manolito shook his head. "I asked for a few cattle to fill out the herd as a wedding present! Perhaps a dozen head of cattle? Twenty? Certainly, you allow the Comancheros to take more than that!"

"You want cattle, go and buy them yourself! As I said to you, this is business!" Sebastian insisted. He gulped deeply from the brandy glass. "That is what a man does!"

Ricardo shook his head. "You cannot spare twenty head of cattle? And that is why…?" He reached into his pocket. From it, he brought out a white glove. Anger and Indignation burned in his eyes. He trembled.

"Ricardo, no!" Lupe rushed to her husband's side.

"Honor must be served!" Ricardo insisted. He strode forward toward Sebastian. "You have stepped over the line."

"Papa, please!" Miguel begged.

"Listen to your wife and son, Ricardo. We are not rash young men." Sebastian finished the brandy. "You would challenge me?"

"If we were fifteen years younger, I have my rapier or pistol in hand right now," Ricardo informed him. He stuffed the glove back into his pocket. "I will not bloody my daughter's wedding day. Doña Esperanza was my dear friend. I would not take her wish from her." He sucked in a burning breath. "I will take no more. Lupe, we are leaving." He took his wife's hand and marched from the room.

"Now you have done it, Papa. You never learn!" Manolito insisted. "Mercedes, if you want to eat with the others, that is fine. I need some air."

"I have lost my appetite, Manolo." Mercedes placed her face against his arm. Emotion overwhelmed her. She sobbed. "I…I am sorry."

"You have done nothing to be sorry for, Mercedita. Nada." Manolito kissed the top of her head.

"See what you have started, Manolito? Certainly, you should think!" Sebastian lectured.

"What I have started?" Manolito blinked. His jaw dropped. "Papa, stop! Just stop!"

"Manolo, por favor. I want to leave. I am sorry," Mercedes begged.

"Si. I believe nothing else needs to be said. I will not disappoint Vaquero or the people in Casa Cueva!" Manolito stormed out of the room.

Mercedes' teeth clattered. "Victoria, Blue, Penny, I did not want this! ¡Manolo, espera por favor!" She ran after him.

Sebastian rubbed his head. "Does anyone else have anything to say?" He refilled his glass. "Or do you abuse my hospitality too? Hmmm?"

"Papa!" Victoria gasped.

"Victoria." John shook his head.

"John! You cannot agree with him!" Victoria protested.

"He ain't, Victoria," Buck interjected. He coughed. "John's just sayin' that nothing we say is gonna change things." He shook his head. "This here's gotta be a first. I'm turnin' down a fancy spread. My friend means more than that. You have no idea how big a man Manolito is. Do you?" He tipped his hat. "You know. I've seen him get whipped by Apaches to save a little girl? He didn't have to but he did! He helped stop an overthrow of Juarez at the High Chaparral. Nope. You don't know." He shook his head. "I got my friend to check on. I gotta pack up. I'll be waiting by the buckboard." He stalked out.

"Blue, you'd best get upstairs. I believe you and Penny have some more talking. Don't you?" John suggested with an edge to his voice.

Blue kept his head down. "Yeah, Pa. Penny and me'll meet you out there too. Just one thing I need to say first." He looked at Don Sebastian. "Thanks for hosting the ceremony, Sir. I heard what you said after." He raised his face. Sarcasm huffed a cough. "Can't change how you feel. Too bad. Wish I understood you. There's a lot more to marriage than land, games or politics. Can't believe you'd let this rancho go to Hell! Just because I ain't your blood grandkid? Well we are family! I am sick of Cannon-this and Montoya-that! And now you talk of Don Ricardo's-that too? You remember when Manolito and I came down here for that bargaining session? It was right after Pa and Victoria got the Chaparral."

"What are you going on about? You were acting like a child then as you are now!" Sebastian dismissed.

"You and Pa got on us about not taking our responsibility seriously. Yeah, we had to learn a big lesson. Still you set us up! And what about your faking death? You made us think that so you could get the ranch from Pa? And now you insult me behind my back. You insult my family." Blue frowned. "Sir, I wish you would really do some of that thinking you were telling Manolito about. You need it." He led Penny from the room.

Victoria fumed. "Papa, Blue is our family! You will stop your games and act like a caballero!" She rubbed her forehead. "I…I…" She turned on her heel and marched out of the room.

John nodded. Pride warmed him over Blue's words to Sebastian. "I almost feel sorry for you, Don Sebastian. You have the big rancho, land and cattle. You have three families who want to care about you. Yet you drive everyone away." He glared at the host. "And yes, I heard a child ranting. It certainly wasn't Blue. You're impossible! You know that?"

"I did not have to give you that alliance! I did not have to allow my daughter to marry or stay with you!" Sebastian insisted.

"Allow?" John raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea at all who Victoria is? When we first met, you compared her to a wild horse. That was very close. Want to know my secret with her and Manolito? I don't try to break them. I learn about them. I set rules and expectations. They have their expectations of me. We live with each other. Victoria loves and wants to be loved. There are no games between her and me." He tipped his hat. "I've learned those blow up real quick." His head nodded again. "Too bad that Austrian Countess didn't stick around. She might've been good for you. She sure opened my eyes where Victoria's concerned. Just think on that. I'll see myself out." He took two more steps. "You want to be alone so badly? Don't abuse us. Just tell us. We'll leave you alone if that's what you want. I pity you. But Buck's right. You aren't going to change. Excuse me!" He left the room.

Sebastian shook his head. "They don't understand business!" He shook his head. "Pepe, take this all away! If you need me, I'll be at my desk!" He stormed back down the passage.

Solitude was a cold alternative to Fellowship's warmth even if some wouldn't admit it….