Chapter Two
"Mama, really?" Rosarita asked, and gasped as more air was sucked from her.
"I'd like you to wear it," her mother replied. "I want to leave a very good impression on Don Alejandro when he and Diego leave. I want him to talk about you to his son long after this visit ends."
"Maybe I do, too," Rosarita grumbled, gingerly feeling her corseted waist. "But that doesn't mean it needs to be laced this—tight!"
Amelia pulled one last time, and quickly tied the ends before dropping her hands to her side.
Ana-Carmen looked critically. "Your waist can be made smaller than mine," she said approvingly. "Now the dress. You are going to wear my best dress when I was your age. I've been reworking it for the past year."
"But Mama! I wanted to go walking or something with Diego today. That dress must be too fine for..." Rosarita trailed off when Amelia came back into the room, bearing a dress so fine Rosarita didn't dare touch it.
It was white lace, with long, tight sleeves, a heart shaped neckline and a very narrow waist that billowed into a full skirt. It was slid over Rosarita's head, then Amelia and Ana-Carmen worked to fasten it.
Rosarita looked at her figure in the mirror. Her hair still in curlers, she wasn't sure what the final affect would be, but she felt very feminine in this dress. Very feminine and very delicate and very confident.
She was ready to charm Don Alejandro. She'd always been able to do it before and this time would be no different.
"Don Alejandro!" Domingo Cortez was delighted that the rich don would honor their home with a visit, especially after all this time. "It is so good to see you. I hope the trouble you've had in Los Angeles is completely in the past."
"So do I, Domingo," Don Alejandro said, happy. What Rosarita first noticed about the stately don was the quiet smile he got each time he looked at his son.
What has happened between them to prompt this change? Rosarita wondered, puzzled but delighted to see the relationship repaired. She descended the stairs, making the entrance her mother had so desired, and Don Alejandro had a look of delight when he saw her.
"This can't be Rosarita! You look even more grown up than when you came to Los Angeles!" Alejandro turned to Diego. "Have you told her yet, how beautiful she looks?"
"Not enough," Diego said. "I intend to say it much more, and to make a habit of it." His smile, when looking at his father, was more contemplative, but it was obvious how much closer they were now. Upon Alejandro's arrival, Diego had gone out to meet him, and, using her point on the balcony as an advantage, Rosarita had seen their tight embrace when Alejandro dismounted.
Behind them, coming through the gate, was Bernardo, bearing packages. Ana-Carmen stepped forward. "May I direct your manservant, Don Alejandro?"
"No, he's mine," Diego said smoothly. "He neither hears nor speaks, so I should be the one to tell him."
"Oh, it is Bernardo?" Ana-Carmen said, and Rosarita didn't miss the brief flick of Bernardo's eyes to her mother. Curious.
"Si, how do you know him?" Alejandro said, as Diego 'spoke' to Bernardo.
"My daughter has mentioned him," Ana-Carmen said. "I apologize for the misunderstanding, but since he accompanied you, and not Diego..."
"Do not worry yourself over it," Alejandro said.
"Do you know how long you can stay?" Domingo asked, taking control of the situation.
Alejandro fingered his hat, a slight frown on his face. "That I do not know. I'd like to make a leisurely, long visit, but we have been away from Los Angeles for some time already. I think a week is all we can do right now."
"Seven days will be enough to make you at home here," Ana-Carmen said. "We must take you to our beach. It's lovely."
"You and your father seem to be on better terms now, Diego," Rosarita said softly, during that afternoon.
The morning had been spent in further catching up with the de la Vegas. It was now siesta hour, and, to Rosarita's knowledge, she, Diego and Amelia were the only ones up.
Amelia sewed in the corner quietly, unobtrusively. Rosarita and Diego sat on a bench, built into the wall of the sala, that was right next to the windows to the garden, which were open. A heavy, delicious scent of the roses wafted in, and Rosarita felt quite content, sitting there.
"Si, I suppose we are," Diego said, just as quietly. "Things have happened between us. We have reached an understanding."
"I'm so glad," Rosarita said, reaching out and brushing his hand with hers.
Diego nodded. "Of course you would be."
"You know, we've been talking so much of the news from Los Angeles, we haven't been able to speak about the Monterey happenings," Rosarita said. "You mentioned Ricardo was there, but you never elaborated."
"Why would I want to elaborate on Ricardo?" Diego asked and she couldn't help laughing with him.
"Surely, you must have had many escapades with him," she said, shaking her head. "Come, tell me. I know you said there was a woman involved. Who was it?"
"A gentleman shouldn't discuss such things with women of your inexperience," Diego said, biting his lip to keep from laughing.
"Diego!" Rosarita said. "Don't be like that."
"I really don't want to talk about it!" Diego said, tone serious, but eyes still sparkling.
"Everything you did with Ricardo can't have involved a woman," she said.
"Maybe it didn't, but why the sudden interest in Ricardo?"
"He is the only one you will put a name to," Rosarita said, frustrated.
"All right," Diego said, throwing up his hands. "I'll start at the beginning. I met the Verdugos first, and saw them off when the situation was resolved. I helped a tamale peddler."
"Which one?"
"Theresa Modesto," Diego said. "What a woman she is!"
"Theresa?" Rosarita said, frowning. "Oh! Pilar's daughter."
"I assume, but I never met her mother," Diego said.
"Theresa is the third child, I think," Rosarita said reflectively. "A family of many children. I confess, I cannot put her face to the name. Pilar Modesto has six daughters, I believe."
"Theresa is the human cannonball," Diego said. "She's petite, but thinks she is as tall as me; beautiful but never cares, and the most empathetic woman you'll ever meet."
Rosarita nodded. "The human cannonball was all I needed," she said, giggling. "I did meet her once. Quite a lovely girl. But I don't think that is all there is to it."
"Joaquin Bastenado," Diego said. "He was Theresa's galan. Quite a hotheaded young man, and when the governor was away —and surely, you heard of Rico!"
"Oh, that is the situation," Rosarita said. "I do know of Rico. He was the tyrant, and Joaquin must have been the revolutionary. Father met with the Padres at the mission a few times over it, but I never heard more than that."
"Well, Joaquin was right in the thick of it, and, therefore, so was Theresa."
Diego leaned back against the cushioned seat. "It was a trying time," he said carefully. "I'm glad that it ended peacefully. The governor returned and he and Joaquin managed to reach a peaceful agreement."
"Extraordinary!" Rosarita exclaimed, drawing Amelia's attention. "That something so volatile as that could be peacefully resolved...Who was the miracle worker there?"
"I helped," Diego said, modestly. "And there were others."
Rosarita smiled widely. "How much did you help?"
"As much as I could," Diego teased right back. "I tried my best to get Joaquin to see sense, and I became quite the go-between for Rico."
"You always could negotiate," Rosarita said. "Oh, Diego. This is so much easier than it was in Los Angeles."
"Si," Diego said, voice fervent. He reached to briefly, tightly, clasp her hand in his. "Si."
Before dinner, as Rosarita dressed in her room, Dulce skipped in.
"Hermana, are you busy?"
"Not terribly so," Rosarita responded, saw the serious look on her sister's face and motioned for her to sit beside her on the bed.
Dulce hurried over, and Rosarita wondered at her sister's sudden eagerness to spend more time with her.
"How are things going with Carlos?" She asked cautiously, Carlos being Dulce's amigo. Son of Don Domingo's chief vaquero, he led the rest of his contemporaries in much mischief. Rosarita did not like him, but Domingo trusted his father and let Dulce play with them, over Ana-Carmen's and Rosarita's protests.
"Oh, he hasn't been by," Dulce sighed. "After being scolded last time."
"Well, he did almost drown you," Rosarita reminded, a tone of scolding creeping into her voice.
Dulce looked unsatisfied. "He did not," she grumbled. "And I did not come here to speak of him."
"Why did you come, Dulce?" Rosarita said, standing to mess with the skirt on her gown.
She missed the way Dulce's lips tightened at the motion. "We didn't go to the ocean again," she said.
"Of course we didn't," Rosarita said distractedly, moving to the mirror.
"You and Diego said we would go every day," Dulce reminded, standing up to follow Rosarita.
"Well, of course we won't be able to," Rosarita began. "He just meant it would be nice. We were much too busy to go today."
Dulce left without saying another word.
Don Alejandro came down from his siesta beaming and full of vigor. Again, Rosarita noticed the resumed closeness between father and son. They were almost finishing each other's sentences, and Alejandro was often casually touching his son, as if to reassure himself he was there, and this was happening.
The beach, it was determined, was not a trip that would be made today. Ana-Carmen wished to go, and she would need more preparation.
"We could make a picnic of it," she said eagerly. "Or even a whole day's trip. Cook outdoors, return to our roots."
"That sounds like a fine idea," Domingo said. "It has been some time since I have cooked and eaten a meal outside. I like that idea, I really do. Diego could even bring his guitar."
Rosarita's eyes met Diego's and they both were filled with laughter. "What a change in our parents," she whispered to Diego, edging closer.
"I know." Diego's grin was wider than she'd ever seen it. "I'll bring my guitar, you bring your dancing skirts."
"I don't dance like that," Rosarita whispered back. "But I think Dulce would be up for it."
Diego really had to restrain himself from laughing then, and his eyes shot to the little girl. "She and my father do seem to get along well," he said reflectively. "I think he is almost considering her as he would a grandchild."
"She has spirit," Rosarita said. "Much spirit. My mother let her have that because of the sons she lost."
Diego reached to squeeze her hand.
"Diego," Alejandro said, turning back to him. "What day do you suggest for the picnic?"
"Any day of the visit," Diego said. "Tomorrow is too soon, I'd expect."
"We'd need more time to prepare food," Ana-Carmen agreed. "Domingo, what do you think?"
"I will be busier in the coming days," Domingo said. "I think we'd better delay it to the end of the visit."
"Of course, I forgot," Ana-Carmen said, flushing. "You are having some difficulty?"
"Please, tell me it," Alejandro said. "I'm sure I can be of help."
"It's the market," Domingo said bluntly. "I have a whole herd I just can't get offers for."
"You have not been looking in the right places," Alejandro said. "Steers, I suppose."
"Si, of course!"
"I knew it! Don Ignacio, in Los Angeles, you remember the Torres; he has been looking for a herd of steers these past months."
As the conversation turned steadily to cattle, Rosarita went over to Dulce. "Do you want to walk outside, with Diego and me?"
"All right," Dulce agreed, her wide eyed attention to the conversation diverted. They walked outside, to the afternoon air.
"It's a beautiful day," Diego said. "Were it not for the hills, we could see for miles!"
"Can we go to the ocean again?" Dulce asked. "It was such fun."
Rosarita only had to look down at her dress to know the answer to that question. "Not today, Dulce. But as we were talking in there, we are going to make a whole day trip soon."
Dulce smiled at the notion. "I like water," she said happily, skipping ahead.
Diego turned to Rosarita. "Don't you think she's the perfect child?"
"In times like these, si," Rosarita laughed. "But I have seen her through too many tantrums to say perfect."
"All children get angry," Diego said. "Tantrums prove their perfection."
"That is what you learned in Madrid?" Rosarita teased.
"That is what I learned with you," Diego said, and Rosarita gasped.
"Diego, are you implying I threw tantrums?"
"I'm not implying anything," he said, her hands flew to her hips and the next thing she knew, she and Dulce were pursuing him through the garden, until Dulce managed to catch hold of his trouser leg.
"What did you mean by that, Senor de la Vega? If I were a man, I'd challenge you!"
"I can do it for you, hermana," Dulce insisted, and Diego laughed.
"You know, how about this? How about I challenge this scoundrel?" Diego suggested.
"I think that's a wonderful idea," Rosarita said, feigning haughtiness. "So I suggest the weapon to be water."
"Why, what do you mean?" He asked, truly confused.
"Go dunk your head!"
"Such sweet words!" Diego said. "But you still deny any tantrums?"
He only barely ducked in time.