Chapter Sixteen

News

"Sir," the telegraphist said as he walked up to Fernando with a telegram. "This arrived a few minutes ago."

He frowned in surprise but nodded his thanks to the young junior officer and began to unfold the note he'd received.

"What is it?" Carolina asked curiously as she had been walking next to her husband when the telegram was delivered.

Fernando stopped, his frown deepening as he reread the text once again to make sure he'd understood correctly.

"Fernando?" Carolina called. Seeing the troubled look on his face.

"It's from your uncle," he replied cryptically but he didn't elaborate.

Carolina snatched it from his hand and gasped.

From Pedro Villanueva to Fernando Fábregas.

Please let Carolina and Eva know Francisca is all right – stop – I have troubling news – stop – my brother did business behind our backs with your brother-in-law – stop – Rosa Marín got in their way. They hid her body in the trunk to get rid of her – stop – she brought the gun because she feared they'd kill her – stop - she knew of something they smuggled – stop – it must have been gold.

"It is gold," Carolina said as she looked up from the paper. "We all know that. It was true. Papá deceived everyone and he did it with the help of Aníbal. It must be a small fortune hidden away in that sealed compartment that Pierre found."

"Let's head down there," he suggested and turned on his heels but Carolina remained where she was.

"We must let Juan and Carmen know the truth Fernando," she begged.

He turned back to her, his eyes dark and cold all of a sudden. "After everything that woman put us through? Do you still-,"

"Fernando, she deserves to know the truth," Carolina reasoned softly.

OOOOOO

Alvaro Rojas knocked on the door but he didn't wait for a reply before entering the first officer's cabin. Instead he walked inside with a brisk pace and stopped dead in his tracks as he found his patient dressed in a robe and seated at the desk with a pen in hand.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded as he walked up to the desk and put his bag down with a thud.

Nicolás involuntarily straightened in his chair with a very innocent look on his face. "Good morning to you too doctor," he said.

"Nicolás, what are you doing here?" Rojas questioned. "I thought I made it very clear that you should be resting."

"My paperwork is neither strenuous nor exciting," he offered with a smirk and appeared slightly amused by the whole thing. "Besides, I can't stay in bed the whole day."

"The captain would have called defying orders a direct failure to follow the chain of command," he muttered as he gestured towards the unkempt bed across the room. "Come on, I'll help you."

Nicolás sighed and put down the pen.

"Eva is angry and disappointed in me as it is. She's going to be infuriated if something happens to you," he said gloomily as he gently draped Nicolás arm over his shoulder and steadied him by placing his hand on his patient's back, mindful of the bruising to his chest.

"You did put fire to their cabin while Eva was still in there," Nicolás reasoned. "And you poisoned Carolina. I am surprised they're even on speaking terms with you."

The doctor chuckled bitterly. "You'd be surprised what you find yourself capable of when you think you're going to prison for something you didn't do," he said.

"Excuse my bluntness, doctor, but why not simply tell the truth from the start?"

Rojas rolled his eyes. "No one, absolutely no one, would have believed me. Besides, Pedro and I planned and executed a murder – well, attempted murder anyway," he finished dryly.

"Is the patient giving you trouble?" Eva spoke up from behind with her arms crossed over her chest and a glare directed at Nicolás.

Rojas jerked at the sound of her voice while Nicolás only smirked mischievously.

"How long have you been standing there?" the doctor admonished.

"Long enough," she admitted a she walked up to them and helped the doctor put Nicolás to bed.

"Who knew the little girl who's terribly afraid of needles would step in as a nurse?" he said with a smirk. "And a good one at that."

Eva frowned innocently as her lips curled slightly upwards at his statement. "You'd be surprised what you find yourself capable of when someone who matters to you are in danger," she said to let him know she'd heard the previous conversation.

Rojas sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, gathering strength. "I understand that you don't believe me but I didn't intend to put you at risk. I had no idea you were in the bathroom," he said. "I saw Carolina up on deck and assumed you were close by."

"I am not ready to forgive and forget yet," she replied yet her tone of voice was soft and reasonable. "Especially not what you did to Carolina. You might not have known I was in the cabin but you deliberately poisoned my sister and blackmailed me into getting the microfilm for you."

"Would you have shot me?" Nicolás asked curiously, the saddened and disappointed look in his eyes breaking her heart.

She sat down next to him and gently placed a hand on his forehead. "No, Nicolás," she whispered dejectedly. "I just didn't want you involved. I was desperate, I didn't know what to do."

"You could have asked me to open the safe," he suggested simply.

Eva looked away for a moment and then back again, trying to give him a reassuring smile. "I am sorry for being such an idiot," she whispered.

His eyes twinkled as he looked at her. "I don't know. I think there's a lot of idiots here," Nicolás offered kindly. "Why don't we leave all that behind?"

"There is one thing that I don't understand," Eva mused. "The way you described Chantal from your time together she was a smart, kind and loving woman. Why would she hook up with a cruel guy such as Jean Fonte?"

Alvaro Rojas pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure at the mention of the man's name. "He was sick, Eva," he said darkly. "The driver that your sister hired was not the man we met in that small cargo hold."

"What do you mean doctor?" she asked curiously.

"At first I thought it was about greed but then I realized it was something more to it. He behaved out of character. Now, I am not an expert in that area but I have a friend who's specialized in head injuries. The field is very interesting but also very intricate to even begin to understand. However, based on what I have seen I'd guess there was something wrong with his brain."

"Like a tumor?" Eva guessed quizzically.

Rojas nodded. "At one time he almost lost his footing, then he had a dizzy-spell. He got very riled up at times and started yelling at Chantal, like he was in rage over something-," the doctor trailed off and sourly added; "Well, I guess he was."

"The gold," Eva replied darkly. "Nothing good has come from that awful payment."

"At least it's over now," Nicolás offered softly.

The three of them shared a faint smile as the doctor gently reached for Nicolás wrist to take his pulse.

"Alvaro," Eva said suddenly. "I want to thank you for saving Nicolás, not once but twice."

Rojas looked at her in surprise at hearing the sincerity in her voice. He forced a smile as he let go of Nicolás's wrist. "I was just doing my job," he assured her, then added lightly with a wry smirk. "It's a good thing I am so good at what I am doing."

Nicolás grimaced. "Don't make me laugh," he cautioned.

"What's going to happen when we reach port?" Eva asked curiously.

Rojas sighed. "There is going to be a hearing about your father's death," he said apologetically.

"He stopped being my father when he agreed to bring all those innocent people to harm," she said coldly. "I can't help but to wish it had ended differently though."

"After this voyage you never have to see me again," the doctor assured her with a faint smile.

"You've misused the trust I had built up for you during all the years as our family doctor but I still believe that deep inside you're a good person," Eva said as she rummaged through her pockets and retrieved the microfilm. "I think you should keep this."

He broke into a genuine smile; the first genuine smile Eva had seen since Vigo. "Thank you," he said sincerely and nodded at Nicolás. "Our patient will live, provided that he does as he's told."

"Oh, don't worry," Eva replied enigmatically with a twinkle in her eyes. "I'll make sure of that."

OOOOOO

Back in Rio

"You know Francisca," Pedro finally said as he turned back to look at her. "I've always held you dear. You've always been there for me, for my nieces, for everyone but I fear you've got little appreciation back."

"Nonsense," she protested. "I've loved taking care of the girls when they grew up. Besides, I knew the terms when I signed up for the job. Your brother was kind enough to let me work despite my pregnancy and to let Verónica become a part of the family."

"You've been very important for Eva and Carolina since their mother died. You've become like a surrogate mother to them and I fear that without your guidance they would not have grown up to become such strong and bright young women," he said.

Francisca blushed. "Pedro," she chastised.

He hesitated for a moment. "I think it's time I start telling the truth."

She tilted her head at him and looked a little concerned.

"The girls – they don't need you anymore, Francisca, but I do," Pedro said softly. "I have been meaning to ask you - or perhaps I should say – I have been meaning to tell you how much you mean to me and that I would like for you to come and live with me as my wife."

She smiled at him, obviously very surprised by his revelation. "Pedro, I had no idea," she began in a subdued voice. "I can't leave Verónica on her own."

The old man smirked as he glanced out through the window behind her. "I do have a feeling that she'll be courted and spoken for in the near future," he said enigmatically.

OOOOOO

To be continued