Chapter 12. Negotiation.
The alcalde opened the office door and gave an order to the soldier at the door.
"Do not allow anyone to enter until further notice."
"Sí, señor alcalde."
The gentleman turned before entering and motioned to the older of the two men following him. That man nodded and they both went to the side, where they would be protected from the strong sun by the shade of the roof. Then the gentleman entered and advanced a few steps inside the office waiting for the alcalde to pass and close the door.
De Soto approached his desk and indicated him to sit in one of the chairs in front of it, and he sat in his armchair. He studied the newcomer, judging his bearing and his clothes, which were of excellent quality. He was also noticeably accustomed to giving orders.
"May I offer you a drink, señor..."
"My name is Fadrique Ortiz de Casqueta, Count of Altamira de Puebla."
De Soto smiled slightly, seeing that he had not erred in his assessment. "We are not used to having such illustrious guests here."
"I figure, but I have no patience for conversations with the likes of you. My sister, or should I say half-sister, has acknowledged you as the father of her child, and it is in my interest to avoid a scandal, so you are my first choice to marry her."
The count was tremendously disappointed in his sister, he did not want to harm her, but she had made a grave mistake and now she must pay the consequences. His sister's indiscretion had put him between a rock and a hard place, because he was convinced that a man willing to marry her despite having had an illegitimate child would only be interested in her fortune, and that was precisely what he had tried to avoid. Now he had before him the biggest scoundrel of all, who was looking at him with a calculating expression.
"Perhaps we can come to a reasonable agreement." said the alcalde.
The count's gaze was very hard. "You see, señor de Soto, there is nothing I would like better right now than to ask my three servants to wait for the right moment to meet you alone and break a few bones, and believe me when I say they would do a good job, but my sister, although she is dumber than a crate of turnips, is a candid soul, and I would like this situation to be resolved in the best possible way. I suppose when you duped her you didn't know who she was."
"I must admit I didn't."
"Of course. That's partly my fault. In Puebla she had so many suitors that the poor thing no longer knew what to do. Those men courted her insistently, and they were each one more greedy and stupid, so I sent her to her maternal uncles, specifically to her mother's sister, my father's second wife. Fortunately that woman is not related to me, because she assured me that she would take care of her. The thing is that I told my sister to hide who she is while I tried to find a man less greedy than all the coyotes that were around her in Puebla. I didn't expect her to meet someone like you, interested in just having a good time, or her aunt wouldn't keep a proper eye on her."
"Listen, Count..." de Soto began to say with an offended air.
"Please don't interrupt me, especially not to tell me a lie. It is clear that you are responsible for this situation, so I offer you a win-win solution." Interrupted the count in a tone of voice that brooked no further retort.
"I am listening."
The count sighed with resignation. "I figured as much. I suppose you want to know how much my sister's dowry amounts to."
"That would be a good start to a negotiation."
"Of course." the gentleman reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope from one of the inside pockets. He held it out to de Soto, who set about opening it trying not to appear anxious. "That's an impressive amount." he said after reading it.
"That's right, my stepmother was a wealthy woman, and she left almost all the money to her only daughter. There are also three properties in Spain: an estate in Segovia, a manor house in Cáceres, and a more modest house in Madrid."
De Soto stroked his beard trying to conceal his surprise.
"I see your interest in my sister just increased 225,000 pesos and three properties."
"I wouldn't put it that way."
The count ignored that last comment. "I'm going to propose to Marina that we stay at the tavern for a few days since we don't know anyone in the area whose house we could stay at. I hope it's a decent establishment."
"Yes it is, the landlady is engaged to one of the local gentlemen."
"I will allow you to court my sister, though she will always be properly escorted, and if in a week's time she consents to be your wife she will stay until you can be married. She will not return to Puebla, so we will avoid increasing the scandal. I will take advantage of the four weeks it would take you to get married to travel to Monterrey and buy you a commission to return to Madrid, where you will all leave for immediately after the wedding, unless you prefer to live in another city."
De Soto could not believe his luck. He had to try hard not to smile. "I am interested in a commission in Madrid."
"I'll see what I can do on such short notice. Once there one of my trusted men will work in your house. That man is married to a very respectable lady who will be the one to assist Marina. My servant will send reports regularly."
"I assure you they will all be favorable."
"Make no mistake about me, señor de Soto. I know people of your ilk perfectly well. If you treat my sister well and are discreet enough not to give her any displeasure you will have a good allowance and some control over her fortune, though with supervision to make sure you don't squander it. You will also have my support as you work your way up the career ladder. If you make her cry again you will turn up dead in a gutter, is that clear?"
"Meridian" said de Soto "I think we have a deal." he added, offering him his hand. The count looked at him coldly and did not accept it. He got up and went to the door leading to the plaza.
The alcalde rose from his chair, went to the sideboard and poured himself a drink to celebrate his good fortune.