Chapter 9

Ignacio gave a small smile at the surprised look on his one time enemy's face; it wasn't often that he had seen that particular express. "Yes, it's me Don Diego." he replied as he shifted his gaze to the man on the ground. "Is Vargas dead?" he asked the lancer.

"Yes Don Ignacio." The sergeant replied.

Ignacio frowned; he had been hoping to get more information out of him. "I told you I wanted him alive Sergeant." he reprimanded the soldier.

"I know sir, sorry sir but in the struggle, the pistol went off before we could subdue him."

Ignacio sighed; what's done is done. "Well, did he say anything before he died?"

It was Diego who answered. "He said something about a man with a ring."

"Just what is going on de Soto? Why would that man want to kill us?" Don Alejandro demanded.

Ignacio held back another sigh, this was one conversation that he wasn't looking forward to. "I think it would be better to discuss this inside Don Alejandro." he said before he turned to the lancer. "Sergeant, organise two of the men to take the body back to Cordoba and hand over him to the local authorities for burial. And also have the men stay alert tonight, we don't know if there will any further attacks on the Marqués and his family."

Diego, Teo and Don Alejandro exchanged a look while the sergeant snapped to attention. "Yes Don Ignacio, I'll get right on it." he replied.

Ignacio nodded. "Good."

Don Alejandro stepped forward. "Just how did you know that my son is to become a Marqués?"

Ignacio smiled. "It's hardly a secret Don Alejandro, all of Madrid knows. Come, let's go inside and I'll answer all your questions." He replied as he gestured to the tavern.

Diego shook his head. "It must be something interesting to bring you all the way from England." he said as they turned and walked towards the tavern, leaving the driver and the owner to fix the stage and the lancers to begin the preparations to transport the body of Vargas back to Cordoba.

"You could say that Don Diego." Ignacio replied.

Felipe and Victoria looked up worriedly as they heard footsteps at the doorway and both were relieved when Diego came through but Victoria's jaw dropped when Ignacio de Soto followed him.

Ignacio grinned; this was another expression he rarely saw. "Buenos noches Doña Victoria, Don Felipe. I see that you weren't expecting me to come through the door." he said with a grin.

She immediately closed her mouth and gazed at Diego, who smiled. "It's okay, you haven't seen a ghost." he said as he crossed over to them, with Don Alejandro and Teo behind him.

"Well, no, you're the last person I would expect to see." she admitted. "What happened? Is anyone okay?" she asked as she gazed at the men.

Don Alejandro frowned. "That's what de Soto is going to explain."

"Yes, please explain why someone would want to kill us." Diego added as they sat down.

Victoria and Felipe exchanged a look. "What do you mean, kill us?" she said.

Ignacio sighed as he sat down opposite Teo, who nodded slightly; the action wasn't lost on the others.

"Do you two know each other? Do you know what's going on Teo?" Don Alejandro asked his old friend through narrowed eyes.

Teo smiled re-assuringly. "de Soto and I met just before he was posted to England and as to what is going on, I'm not sure but I think it might be time for truth, the real truth to come out." He said as he gazed intently at Ignacio.

Ignacio returned the gaze of the older man and thought about his options. He would be breaking his orders if he told them and there could be repercussions if he did so; it could cost him his position at the Embassy or worse but the situation was serious enough to warrant breaking those orders and it seemed that Teo was giving him permission to speak of it.

Diego watched with interest at the silent communication between the two men and he knew that whatever the reason for this Vargas to kill him and his family was bigger than he first thought. "So are you going to tell us or are you going to stare at each other all night like lovestruck teenagers." he said calmly, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Teo chuckled while Ignacio shook his head and came to a decision.

"Do you know a man by the name of Ramiro Lopes de Toledo?" Ignacio asked carefully.

"de Toledo...? No I don't believe I do. What about you Diego?" Don Alejandro turned to his son.

Diego frowned. "I'm not sure, I don't think so. Who is he?"

Ignacio sighed. "He was a minor royal whom the King had expelled from Spain and her territories for an act of treason."

Don Alejandro snorted. "He was lucky that he wasn't executed but what does that have to do with us?"

Ignacio took a deep breath. "It has to do with your son."

Don Alejandro frowned. "Diego? What has he done?"

"No, not Diego, your other son Gilberto." Ignacio replied softly.

"Gilberto? I don't understand." Don Alejandro muttered as the blood drained from his face.

Diego reached out and gently touched his father's arm; he knew that the older man had never fully recovered from the horror of discovering his son had been stolen from birth and raised in such horrible way that he sought vengeance for his abandonment. They rarely talked about him now but he knew that his father had never forgiven that woman for what she had done, while he himself had released the anger long ago and now felt only sadness that he had never known Gilberto as a brother.

Ignacio hated to do this to the older man but it was time for the whole truth to come out, no matter how distasteful it was. So with much kindness and compassion, he retold them what he previously written to Diego a year ago; of how Gilberto and another man had made an agreement together in which Gilberto would take over the de la Vega estates and they would do this by committing treason against the King by forging his signature to orders to gather a War Tax.

But now he explained the real reason behind the conspiracy. Having heard that Diego was to become Marqués of Villafranca, de Toledo, a very minor royal, believed that the title rightfully belonged to him and together with Gilberto, they had conspired against the King in the hopes that de Toledo would regain his family title, while Gilberto would get his revenge against the father whom he believed had abandoned him. Each man would get what he wanted at the expense of Don Alejandro and Diego de la Vega lives.

Victoria felt hot tears well in her eyes and her heart almost broke at sight of her father-in-law's white face and her husband's solemn expression at the terrible news of de Toledo and Gilberto and what they did. She knew it had been hard for both the men to hear more details about the son and brother and she didn't know how much more they could take.

Diego felt his father grip his arm back and he knew that the older man was struggling with his emotions. To learn even more about Gilberto and this other man had brought everything back to them, the hurt, the guilt; was Gilberto to haunt them forever, he mused to himself. He cleared his throat. "Do...do you think that this de Toledo is behind this...attempt to ...kill us? And what about this ring?"

Ignacio nodded. "I have information from a reliable source that de Toledo himself was seen hiring Vargas. de Toledo, by the way, wears a rather ostentatious ring."

Don Alejandro snorted. "Many men wear such rings. I, myself wear a ring and so do you." he stated.

"That's true but the information I was given included a description of this ring and it took some time to discovery who it belonged to. The ring bears the seal of the old Marqués of Villafranca on it which he claims was passed down through male line to himself but the last Marqués had no children, at least officially anyway." Ignacio replied.

Victoria couldn't believe it. "But why would this man do this to us now? How can he think that if he...kills us, then he would get the title anyway?"

Ignacio sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps he believes just that, perhaps he is out for revenge for having been expelled from Spain or maybe he's just insane. It could be any number of reasons."

"Does the King know?" Teo asked.

Ignacio nodded. "He does, which is why I am here with the squad of lancers, to escort you to Madrid."

Diego sat back and frowned. "So, you believe that de Toledo is still a threat to us?"

Ignacio sighed and ran his fingers through his white hair. "To be honest Diego, if he took the risk of returning back to Madrid, of all places, after he had been expelled from the country, just to hire Vargas, then I don't think he would give up so easily."

Don Alejandro rose suddenly, his seat scrapping the floor. "Please excuse me." he muttered as he moved to the main door and walked outside into the cool evening.

Everyone was startled by his sudden exit; he had been silent for most of the conversation and it had worried Diego a great deal and he was about to follow his father when he felt a hand on his arm.

"I'll go." Teo said quietly as he stood up.

Diego frowned. "But he needs me."

Teo shook his head. "I think he needs a friend more than a son right now."

The two men gazed at each other for a moment before Diego nodded. "Alright." he agreed reluctantly.

Teo nodded before he turned and followed his friend outside. He was worried about Alejandro when he saw how pale he had become when de Soto told them about the history between Gilberto Risendo and de Toledo and he had hoped to spare him the pain of knowing the truth.

"Alejandro." he called out as he peered into the night. He waited and for a moment he thought that his old friend would not answer him but he eventually did.

"Over here."

Teo frowned at the barely repressed anger in his voice as he moved towards the coral; two lancers were on duty nearby but not close enough to hear them. "Do you want to talk?"

Don Alejandro turned on all his pain, all his anger towards his friend. "What about Teo? Talk about that you lie to me, that you hide the truth from me? Tell me Teo, were you ever going to tell me about my son Gilberto or were you just going hope that it wouldn't come up in conversation? I trusted you Teo, but now I find that you knew all along. How dare you come to me in friendship when you knew what happened?" Without warning he swung his arm and punched his friend on the jaw.

Teo staggered back as he held his hand to his jaw. "Do you feel better now, Alejandro?" He said warily as eyed his friend.

Don Alejandro sagged against the wooden railing as his anger disappeared as suddenly as it came, leaving him feeling old and tired. "Madre de dios. Please forgive me Teo, I don't know what got into me."

Teo nodded as he moved closer. "Now do you want to talk?"

Don Alejandro sighed as he ran his fingers through his silver hair. "Is there anything else I should know? Does everyone know about Gilberto being my son and how he was taken from us?"

Teo sighed. "Yes, it's common knowledge Alejandro but I would imagine that most people won't say anything out of respect to you. What de Soto told you is everything I know but I can't guarantee that there won't be any further surprises. de Toledo was exiled and stripped of his rank for his role in the conspiracy and no-one could have foretold that he would come back to Spain and seek some kind of revenge against your family." he paused for a moment. "Felicidad would not have wanted you to stay angry at Señora Risendo." he said quietly.

Don Alejandro rubbed his eyes. "I know but when I think of what she did, I just can't find it in myself to forgive her. The Padre said that I should be compassionate because she was unable to have children herself. Well, I can understand that for even Felicidad and I couldn't have any more children but we didn't go around stealing babies."

Teo nodded thoughtfully. "True but we don't understand the heartache that comes from being unable to have children at all. Teresa's sister and her husband have not been blessed and I can see their hurt and sadness in not having children and Teresa occasionally feels this strange sense of guilt that she has children while her sister does not, even though she doesn't begrudge Teresa at all." he paused to allow his words to sink in. "Can you imagine how it would feel for a woman, a midwife at that, to deliver baby after baby, knowing that she would never have one herself. That pain turned into bitterness each time she saw the happiness of both parents at the birth of their child; happiness that was denied to her. I think it would drive any person mad."

Don Alejandro closed his eyes, he didn't want to think about it but Teo's words rang truer than any priest's could. Perhaps because it was Teo's sister-in-law who was unable to have children that made it more real, more personal and a little more believable that it could turn a woman into a bitter and twisted person.

He sighed as he opened his eyes. "That doesn't excuse what she did."

"No it doesn't but it does help to explain why she did it."

"I guess." he muttered as he slowly recognised that perhaps his friend was right, that grief and anger could turn to bitterness and that in turn could destroy someone's mind. Perhaps it was time to let go of the pain, the hatred and try to forgive. He knew that was what Felicidad would have wanted. "What happened to her anyway?"

"It was decided at the inquest that instead of imprisoning her for her role in the affair, she would be placed into a closed convent and remain there in seclusion for the rest of her life, with no contact with the outside world." he replied.

Don Alejandro turned away and took a long breath and slowly let it out before he turned back and he gazed at his friend. "Just look at us Teo, what would Felicidad say if she saw us now? We never actually hit each other before, no matter how much I wanted to." he said with a small smile.

Teo grinned. "Yes, I know that feeling all too well Alejandro. I think she would be rather annoyed with both of us and she probably would have scolded us like children."

Don Alejandro chuckled. "I think she would at that. She certainly wasn't shy in speaking her mind."

Teo chuckled too. "No, she wasn't. It was one of the things that I always liked about her."

"I loved her for it." Don Alejandro added quietly.

The two men were silent once more as each remembered the woman they had loved but only one had married.

Don Alejandro straightened up. "Thank you Teo, for listening"

Teo nodded. "That's what friends are for Alejandro." he paused and then grinned. "Next time, I get to hit you." he teased his friend.

Don Alejandro smiled and shook his head. "Goodnight my friend, I'll be in shortly."

"Of course." Teo replied as he turned and left his friend to his thoughts. He re-entered the tavern to find Diego waiting for him; the others he assumed, had retired to their rooms.

"What happened, I heard shouting." Diego asked worriedly as he rose to his feet. Then he saw a slight bruising on the older man's jaw. "Did he hit you?" he asked incredulously.

Teo rubbed his jaw. "Yes, well, he's got a good right hook that I didn't know about." he remarked with a wry smile. "It's alright, no harm done. In fact he's probably better for it." he added as he moved towards the stairs. "He'll be fine Diego.'" he reassured him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Teo." he replied absently as the older man walked up the stairs to his room.

Just then Don Alejandro came through the doorway and saw his son and smiled wryly. "You didn't have to wait for me."

Diego nodded. "I wanted to." he replied as his father came up to him. "But did you have to hit Teo?" he asked.

Don Alejandro chuckled as they moved towards the stairs. "Well, he had it coming to him."

Diego smiled. "I'm sure he said the same if the positions were reversed." He replied as they walked up the stairs and along the hallway.

"Actually he did." He replied as they stopped outside his room. He turned and placed his hand on Diego's arm. "I'm okay son, it was just a shock that's all." he said quietly.

Diego nodded. "I understand. If you ever need to talk..."

Don Alejandro squeezed his arm. "I know and I will. Goodnight Diego."

"Goodnight father."