Here is another long awaited chapter. It took me some time to get these new character right and made it fit into my story. I hope you like them. Let me know if you do, but also if you don't. It's all about learning.
Part 4
Diego had just changed into some more fancy clothing when the first carriage arrived at the hacienda, which was soon to be followed by several other carriages.
Don Alejandro got warned by Miguel and hastened to the door, "Diego, Diego!"
When there wasn't a response, don Alejandro grumbled to himself, "oh where is that boy now? I hope for his sake he will be here within five minutes…"
When he opened the front doors, he heard his son calling for him. Impatiently he reacted, "Diego, get over here immediately, our guests are here."
Don Alejandro kept walking outside and walked over to the first carriage, which had arrived.
"Hola, don Longoria how nice to see you again. I hope you had a good journey." the haciendado greeted his old friend with a warm embrace, which was returned as friendly.
When don Alejandro had let the other man go to welcome the rest of his family, he noticed his son just standing a few feet behind him watching the whole scene as if the postman was passing through the pueblo leaving no message or visitor behind.
"Oh Diego, don't be so rude and get over here to get acquainted with my friends. You can also help the señoritas to the ground." Don Alejandro was already annoyed with his stubborn son and inwardly sighed hoping this hint to what was about to come.
Diego obediently walked over, followed by Felipe. "Buenos tardes señor, I hope you had a pleasant journey."
"Gracias," the short round man, rounder than sergeant Mendoza turned around to introduce his wife out of the carriage, he had just helped her out of the carriage before his old friend had come to give him a warm welcome.
"This is my wife and here come my two daughters Adonicia and Lalinda." The caballero introduced the daughters to the hosts, who obviously have been instructed how to act to don Diego. Diego almost got nauseous by their batting eyelashes and sweet over complimenting the house and the looks of the gentlemen.
Diego thought these women still young stupid girls and whished he could run off by taking their suitcases into the hacienda, but his father got him trapped. "Diego, why don't you escort the señoritas to courtyard for some refreshment, I am sure everybody wants to stretch their legs before retreating to their rooms got get ready for our formal dinner. Señora, may I show you the way to our beautiful garden."
"Why not, father," Diego answered trying hard to leave his disgust out of his tone of voice and offered the young women his arm, while he heard his father offering his arm to the mother, "Señora, may I show you the way to our beautiful garden. Don Longoria, if you don't mind of course."
"Of course not," the don replied amiably, "it has been too long since we have seen you and you know my wife has always been fond of you."
Don Alejandro nodded to his friend with a large smile and continued to his friends wife, "Doña Maria, I am afraid the garden isn't as beautiful as I would have loved, you know my Elena spent hours and hours gardening in it, she really had a talent for gardening."
"Yes she sure had, but don Alejandro, don't be too harsh on yourself, I am sure it will be as beautiful as if doña Elena had done it herself."
At that don Alejandro took the woman with her husband towards the garden.
Diego had no choice but to obey his father's instructions and follow his father and friend don Longoria with two young señoritas hanging at his arms.
Every time their vaquero Juan announced another family arrived or don Alejandro noticed his friends arriving himself the conversation seemed to repeat themselves. Sometimes Diego heard the wife mentioning how much he had grown, having knowing him as a young boy or a teenager who had looked as thin as a rake. Now he really looked gorgeous. Mostly this reply by the mother made her daughter or daughters giggle, making Diego doubt he had met such girls when he was studying in Madrid. He probably was too nervous himself, when he met the señoritas of the higher class he hadn't noticed how annoying this behaviour was. He realised he indeed had grown up, becoming a mature man who seriously wanted to marry a sensible woman with whom he could share he dreams and hopes, but also his sorrows. And only Victoria could be that woman. She knew what life really was like. He sighed deeply when he was on his way to the door after his father called for him to welcome the last family.
Madre de Dios, here we go again.
With a shrieking voice doña Manzanares called out to Diego with wide open arms, "Come here boy, let me have a look at you!"
Felipe shuffled his feet in embarrassment.
"Oh Diego, my boy, look how you have grown, if I had been younger or without my Sergio I would have shot all my arrows at you. Eliza, look here, this is don Diego I have been telling you about, practically all your life. Now what do you think of him? Doesn't he look delicious."
Diego swallowed hard when he was face with this pompous and very fake looking woman. Her make up was so wrong and then her dressing. He had no doubt the shy young woman next to her was feeling terribly embarrassed and understood why she hardly dared to have a look at him, the man of whom her mother was talking.
"Of course mother," she politely answered, but Diego heard some boringness underlying. "He must work a lot on the ranch, so he surely must have grown, but I am sure he wouldn't be put on a tray decorated with a variety of exotic fruit after dinner."
A small smile appeared on Diego's face noticing her intelligence, but also her own willpower.
"Don Diego," the mother continued as if she hadn't heard her daughter's hidden protest, "don't you think my daughter being a rare beauty like a pearl on a Caribbean beach?"
"Don Diego," Eliza suddenly cut Diego's reply off, "would you be so kind to show me the way to some refreshment, I'd die in this heat and it has been some time since I had had something to drink."
"Allow me," Diego gallantly offered his arm understanding the hint to get away from the pushing mother.
When they were out of earshot, the señorita sighed, "My apologies for my mother's behaviour, she is desperate to have me married to a wealthy man with a title or influence. She can be very headstrong, when she had found one suitable for me. I am afraid you are her next prey, though right now I am glad she got you trapped and I am out of her reach for a couple of minutes."
Diego was astonished at her openness. With a boyish grin he asked her, "And you are not looking for a rich man?"
"Señor, I am looking for a sensible man. If he is rich and handsome it would be nice, but most of all I want to be respected by him, but most of all, there should be love and that takes time to find it. I just hope I haven't offended you."
Diego had to grin even more, "not at all, señorita. I am glad you feel that way and I doubt I will find any sensible woman like you in this house next week or longer." The last statement was mixed with a deep sigh at
"Aren't you looking for a wife then?"
"To be honest," Diego watched her closely, "not by this way."
Then they arrived at the garden, where everybody was still getting acquainted with each other. When the last arrived family had a drink, don Alejandro asked everybody's attention to welcome everybody again, "My dear friends, welcome in my humble home. I see you all have got a drink after your long journey. Some of you brought only two servants with you, some have more. Feel free to ask my household for whatever you need and they will serve. We haven't had so many visitors for a long time, so be patient with them. The work on the ranch also has to continue, since we are close to the harvest and some horse are in need of special care at the moment."
"Well, about your rooms, since we don't have enough rooms, I am asking some of you to go to the pueblo and stay in our taverna for the time being. You will have everything there too, but if you only want to stay for the night, you can come anytime at our hacienda. We will have some programs for entertainment during your stay and of course you are free to go wherever you want to go."
"So, about the stay itself, I will name the families who will stay in the taverna at the pueblo. My son will escort you there. The rest will be shown their rooms."
Immediately after don Alejandro had told who was going to go to the taverna and who would be staying in the hacienda, the garden was filled with noise of giving orders to servants and complaints from the mothers to their husbands, who were going to the taverna.
The next hours the instalment of the families in the hacienda took place, while an uptight sphere lingered in the air. The servants had a very responsible duty to keep their masters satisfied causing them to run to and fro until everything was done. The masters had no idea they caused so much stress by giving them orders about everything and nothing in particular although the servants knew the routines by heart. Thus the command put a spoke in the servants' wheels.
Diego and Felipe shared the same feeling. Incredulously they watched the high activity at the hacienda from some distance. If this is setting the next month, it surely will cause a tremendous row.
"Time for a drink, don't you think, Felipe," Diego sighed under his breath for only Felipe's ears to hear.
With a sceptic look in Felipe's eyes, he agreed, sending out the message, "how will we survive?"
"Indeed, a good question," Diego responded with a frown, while his eyes followed his father hastening to the door whereas another family had just arrived.
At that Felipe went to the kitchen to arrange a very needed break, where his amazement at women only increased. There he became certain, the hacienda had turned into a hen house. When he found Maria at the kitchen, whom he asked for tea, coffee and some other refreshments, he noticed that her spirits were the same as Diego's.
"Well, well, well, Felipe," wisps of grey hair danced around her face as she feverishly shook her head, "who would ever thought this house turning into a theatre as it is now. I am sure you must be happy to be dismissed for a couple of minutes."
With a mischief grin he slowly nodded in answer.
"I hope master Diego will be able to handle all these cats," the woman mumbled more to herself than to Felipe. "Maybe I should ask the maids to help him a little."
Felipe had to hide his smile behind his shoulder, when he partly turned away to pick an apple. He would have never guessed this woman having such bad thoughts toward the master's guests.
Diego shortly after arrived at the kitchen and noticed Felipe and Maria sharing a certain look at each other.
"Don Diego," Maria handed him a fresh juice finding an excuse to end her conversation with Felipe.
"Gracias," Diego answered and enjoyed the silence of the kitchen.
After this short break, Diego and Felipe headed back to the library where they found some of the hacienda's tranquillity. The guests who would be escorted to the pueblo had already arrived there to wait for their carriage to arrive. The other guests had moved to the guestrooms to get installed there.
Don Alejandro showed up at his son's side, "Well, I think everything will be arranged by the evening. Diego, why don't you go with these people to the pueblo. Stay there until everyone is ready to return. You look splendid, so don't worry about your attire, you can wear them during dinner."
Diego knew everything was said and done.
Z