Chapter 24. Finally Alone.
Diego left the candle on a small table, approached her and whispered, trying not to startle her.
"Hola, mi amor." he said close to her ear.
She opened her eyes and at the sight of him smiled. "You're back. Finally. I tried to entertain myself with a book, but I only found this one and after a while I fell asleep."
Diego noticed the book in her hand. A treatise on botany. "Not very entertaining reading." he said picking up the book and setting it down on the bedside table.
She sat up to look at him a little anxiously. "Are you all right?" he nodded. "What about Marina, did you find her?"
"She's fine. She has a few bumps, but in a few days she'll recover. My father has invited her, and she is staying in one of the rooms in the other wing of the house."
"I'm glad you rescued her." she said. Then they both stood quietly looking at each other. "Adela brought a tray with dinner, I've already eaten something, but I guess you'll be hungry."
He didn't even avert his gaze to the tray. "That can wait." he said, more interested in her than the food. "I was just remembering that before I left you asked me to do something." he added as he unbuttoned the sleeves of his jacket.
"It was silly." she said blushing. "You don't have to if you don't want to."
"If I don't want to?" he replied in a deep voice as he took off his jacket. "But if what I want is to fulfill all your wishes. This one is a very easy one." he said starting to unbutton buttons on his shirt. "Don't you want me to do this anymore?"
"Well, yes." She smiled nervously. "Are you going to want me to do the same?" she asked feeling a little alarmed, because she didn't know if she would be able to.
Diego made a face like he was seriously considering it as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. "Tempting, maybe another day. Today I'd like to do it myself, if you have no objection."
She shook her head slightly, never taking her eyes off him.
Next he took off his shoes and socks, smiling to conceal that he was somewhat embarrassed he began to unbutton his pants.
Victoria was hot, she was convinced she was getting very red. His pants fell to the floor, and she decided to move closer as he finished removing them. As they embraced and then kissed she stopped having the feeling that something bad was going to happen. They were finally together, and everything was perfect.
The next day was also perfect. They hardly left the room, because the maid and the cook left them trays of food in the hallway cabinet. In the middle of the afternoon Adela knocked on the door to tell them that they had a bath ready.
"Is the tub big enough for both of us?" asked Victoria with a mischievous grin.
"There's only one way to find out."
Indeed it was, although they spilled some water all over the floor when Victoria got in after Diego and lay down on top of him. She was completely relaxed when he said.
"I was just remembering something padre Benitez said to me after I confessed."
"What did he tell you?"
"I had to tell him the truth, he knew I was hiding something from him and he thought it was much worse, that I was thinking of being unfaithful to you with other women or something like that."
"He's a good man, I'm sure he'll keep the secret."
"I think so too, but that's not what I was thinking."
Victoria shifted a little to settle in and rest her whole back against Diego's chest. She didn't want to think about anything else, she was so comfortable that she thought it had to be a sin.
"You see, padre told me that when you went to confession he said something to you thinking I was a seducer, and I'd like to know what it was."
Diego noticed how Victoria tensed. "I remember, maybe what he told me is no longer valid." she said concerned.
"Quite the opposite, he thought for a moment and told me he still thought it was good advice."
"The everything is fine." she murmured in relief.
That stung Diego's curiosity even more. "Aren't you going to tell me?" he whispered in her ear.
She stirred, a little nervously. "I just don't quite know how to explain it."
"Maybe you can repeat what he said."
"It wasn't very specific. He just told me that when a man seeks female companionship it's because he has needs, and that as your wife I have to help you avoid temptations."
"Did he suggest how to do it?" asked Diego, amused by the situation.
"Well... he said that if you ask me for something... he didn't say what, but that if what we do can lead to conceiving a baby... that I shouldn't worry about what some priests say."
"Do you know what he means?"
"I think that there's only one way to do...you know, that keeps chastity in marriage."
"Is that what they tell you women?"
"That's if we're lucky and we're not in the dark and end up getting knocked up by a scoundrel like what happened to Marina." she said in a somewhat angry voice.
"You're right. The thing is, I find that part you said very interesting."
"Which part?"
"The part where I can ask you for things to satisfy my needs. But I'll only do it on one condition."
"Which one?"
"That you do it too."
"But I wouldn't know what to ask you for."
"Then we'll have to try things I've heard about from other men and some I've read about out there."
In the position Victoria was in she could clearly tell that Diego was remembering something he wanted to try.
They decided to leave the room at dinner time, because Victoria wanted to make sure Marina was all right. She did not doubt that the servants were attending to her properly and she also trusted Don Alejandro to keep her company, but when she put herself in her place she knew that she would want to talk to some woman about her age.
When she saw her she was surprised at the bruise she had on her face where her kidnapper had slapped her. She couldn't help a small exclamation. Marina looked down, embarrassed, but Victoria wasn't about to accept that.
"Marina, I'm sorry I alarmed you. I didn't expect you to have been hit so hard, but it's not your fault. That man did something horrible, and I think you're very lucky they were able to stop him in time."
"Yes, I was so glad to see someone coming to my rescue that I didn't mind too much having hit the ground when I threw myself off my horse."
"You were very brave trying to slow them down."
"I'm not so sure about that. All I could think about was that I didn't want them to take me away from my son."
"That's what being brave is, fighting for the people you love."
Marina smiled. "I love my son very much."
"Of course. Who wouldn't love such a sweet baby?"
"I was very surprised that Ignacio came too, I thought he was dead or badly hurt. Then Don Alejandro told me that the bullet only wounded him superficially, but that he had still had to go to great lengths to participate in my rescue."
Diego had also told Victoria what had happened, and that the alcalde had behaved strangely. "Yes, I also heard that he wanted to confront that man himself."
"He did, but I can't help thinking that maybe it was more for my money than for me."
Victoria didn't know what to answer to that. Attributing good feelings to the alcalde was almost impossible for her, probably because of years of experience dealing with him, so she preferred not to give any answer.
On Sunday they had to dress in more formal clothes to attend mass. They got up in time to have breakfast with the rest of the family.
"Good morning Diego." greeted his father cheerfully.
"Good morning."
Marina was also seated at the table, while little Diego was in a large basket on the floor, from where he could see what was going on around him. Victoria greeted the adults present, then approached the baby to say hello.
Marina smiled, "Maybe soon you'll get to play with your own baby." she said without a second thought, then made a horrified face. Any topic that had to do with a couple's intimate life was not to be mentioned. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"Why not?" replied Victoria smiling. "I'd love that."
"And me too!" affirmed Don Alejandro enthusiastically. "I've wanted grandchildren for a long time."
Marina smiled. "I'm glad you weren't offended." she said a little embarrassed.
"We are friends here, we do not follow the customs of the nobility, and if you want to wish us happiness and many children I encourage you to do so." said Diego.
"I thought you were related to the nobility."
"My great-grandfather was a count, the title passed to an uncle of my mother's, and on his death it was inherited by the eldest of his sons, my second uncle, but when I was in Madrid I only saw him a couple of times, he lives in Seville and I would say that we have hardly anything in common. In the family it didn't go down too well that my mother married my father and came to live here."
The conversation continued through breakfast, with Marina feeling more and more comfortable with them. Felipe joined them near the end, rubbing his eyes, but had no trouble finishing breakfast on time.
"If we're all ready I'll let them know to bring two carriages." said Don Alejandro looking at the clock.
Marina looked a little nervous. She approached Victoria as they waited for the carriages to arrive to take them to the Angels.
"Are you all right? You look worried." asked Victoria discreetly.
"It's just..." Victoria looked at her thoughtfully, encouraging her to speak. "Ignacio didn't come to see me."
Victoria nodded. "Maybe there's a good reason. We can find out now in town. I'm sure the girls will tell me everything that's happened these days...whether I want to or not."
Marina smiled, a little relieved. "Maybe there's some explanation."
They prepared to go to town, but Marina decided to leave the baby at home with his wet nurse and his nanny.
"I don't like to be separated from him. Will he be safe here?" she asked Don Alejandro.
"My men take turns guarding the house, and the alcalde also assigned two soldiers." he took her hand, trying to reassure her. "That man is not going to hurt you again."
She looked up, her eyes sad. "I don't know if I'll ever stop being afraid." she said in a breathy whisper.
"You trust us, don't you?" said Don Alejandro in a serene voice.
She nodded.
"And your companion, she is a good woman, and her husband, they have always tried to protect you, even if the other day they couldn't do anything."
"Yes, my brother trusts them."
"You are an adult now, and a mother. It's not about your brother, it's about you, do you trust them?"
She made the strained face that indicated she was thinking.
"Yes, they've never tried to take advantage of me, they've done their duty whenever they could."
"That's a good start."
The carriages were ready, and Marina left the house on Don Alejandro's arm.