Doña Maria was not a very impressive figure when she greeted Marta and Fina in the estate's courtyard. She was small and slender, her taste in clothes simple. But she smiled kindly when she saw the two women coming down the path and her smile widened as they approached.

'Maria, this is Fina Valero. She's going to help me with my work over the next few days, I have a huge backlog.'

Maria gave Fina a friendly nod. 'Welcome to the Belmontes' estate. I am Doña Maria. We were expecting you to arrive a little earlier in the day.'

Fina looked a little helpfully at Marta.

'There were things to finalise in Toledo before she could leave,' Marta said curtly.

Maria nodded.

'Then it's probably best if I show you to your accommodation now. The house is right next door. You even have your own room.'

Doña Maria sprung into motion quickly and the two women had little choice but to follow her.

The employees' living quarters and Fina's accommodation in particular were neat and tidy, that much could be said. But the walls, Fina realised immediately, were not all that thick. She heard the laughter of other women. At the same time, she wondered where Marta's room would be.

'Do you like it? I thought it would certainly be nicer for you to have a room to yourself instead of sharing one with the other girls, who'd all be strangers to you.'

'Absolutely, Doña Maria, thank you very much.'

'Bueno...oh...excuse me a moment. I need to sort something out and I'll be right back,' she quipped, disappearing from their view down the corridor.

'Which room are you in?' Fina whispered.

Marta looked at her questioningly. Then she understood and gulped. Fina's eyes darkened.

'Fina, I'm staying in the main building.'

'Of course.' Fina exhaled deeply. She didn't know what exactly she had expected, but somehow it wasn't that. Disappointment spread through her.

'Querida, I'm sorry. Doña Maria thinks you're my assistant, whom I sent for after my arrival. I didn't know what else to say.'

'At least I've been promoted to assistant now,' Fina said, but her voice didn't sound any less disappointed or hurt.

'We'll only be here for a few days. Until you reach Esther in France. This is a new beginning, my love. It may be a little rough, but it's our new beginning.' She stroked Fina's cheek.

This doesn't feel like a new beginning right now, Fina thought. More like very familiar, in an uncomfortable way.

'Why didn't we just go to a hotel for a few days?' she asked in a whisper.

Marta remained silent.

'Marta? Why not a hotel?'

Marta finally sighed and said: 'A hotel for that many days is quite expensive.'

Fina's eyes widened. 'But... I thought you were rich.' She felt a little foolish, not wanting to appear naïve, but what else could she have thought.

'The de la Reinas have money,' Marta confirmed. 'I had money as long as I was part of the family.'

Fina understood.

'Fina, don't worry. I do have some money. And with what Andrés has given me, we'll get to Paris without any problems. I just want to be careful. As long as you haven't reached Esther yet and we're not sure if we can go to her...we don't even know how long it will take...I just want to play it safe. We're going to need money for our fresh start.' Marta tried an encouraging smile now. 'I'll walk with you across the Atlantic to our new life if I have to, but it would still be unpleasant if we ran out of gas in the middle of the Pyrenees. And it's only for a short time.'

Fina massaged her forehead. She really had imagined things to be very different. But admittedly, in her joy that Marta was even willing to start a new life together, she had simply ignored some unanswered questions. Perhaps they also hadn't had enough opportunity to talk to each other about it. In addition, the fact that she still hadn't been able to reach Esther had definitely not been part of the plan. But Marta was right. It was the way it was now, and it was only for a short time. They would get through it.
'It's all right,' she said to Marta. Just as she was about to give her another furtive kiss, they heard Doña Maria coming back down the corridor.

'Excuse me, there was something I needed to clarify. But now back to you.'

She turned to Fina and smiled again. 'Fina, would you like me to show you the canteen? I don't think there's much left at this time of day, but they'll be able to conjure up something for you. Surely you're hungry?'

'Actually, Maria,' Marta interjected at that moment, 'it would be nice if Fina could eat with us in the main building. Didn't you say we were going to have dinner when I got back? I would appreciate it if Fina would accompany me. Then we can talk about the most important things afterwards without me having to sneak around the courtyard in the dark.'

Out of the corner of her eye, Marta saw Fina's grateful eyes.

'Ah, I see. Well...sure...of course, Fina is welcome to join us for dinner.'

'Very well, thank you, Maria. I'll see you at the house in a moment.'

Dinner went smoothly, despite the conversation feeling a touch stilted. Maria's husband, Don Augusto, was still travelling and would not be back until late in the evening, her hostess had informed her, almost apologetically. They were therefore only joined at the table by Maria's sister and the young niece, who was quickly dismissed and returned to her room.
However, the maid had served food that was really delicious and so Fina was reasonably satisfied. And the somewhat disconcerting, somewhat chilly atmosphere was further dispelled when everyone was poured a glass of cognac at the end.

'Bueno,' said Don Maria, finally, after they had talked for a while about this and that, including Marta's reason for the visit. Fina had practically left it to Marta alone to lead the conversation, who effortlessly avoided more dangerous questions or simply came up with a lie at one point or another. Fina wasn't shy, but she wasn't used to simply chatting in such an environment. Marta, on the other hand, was as eloquent and seemingly confident as ever.

'I'll leave you alone now. It's getting late, but if there's anything you need to discuss, feel free to use Augusto's office, I'm sure he wouldn't mind.'

Marta closed the office door behind her and it wasn't a second before she felt Fina's hands on her hips and Fina's lips on her lips. There was still a hint of anger in Fina's demanding lips, but that only made the kiss all the more exciting. And Marta gave in willingly. For a moment, she even thought that a really angry Fina would be a particularly interesting experience. If they ever really had a fight without any witnesses ... Marta shuddered. A sequence of images immediately flashed through her mind at the thought. Images she had never conjured up before. Sure, she had inadvertently disturbed other people more than once when they were living out their passion. And always wondered a little how it was possible to break tables, use a wall as a support or give yourself away by shouting. For Marta, on the other hand, the only place for such activities so far had been the bed - even if it hadn't always been in her own room.

Fina, however, was the type of woman with whom Marta could even break tables. And she was probably the type of woman herself, she had to admit. She had just never had such a passion, such a devastating desire, that it had ever come to that.

That was changing by the second as Fina's tongue became more and more demanding. Every thrust, every gentle suck and bite on her lip made the blazing desire in her abdomen grow and Augusto's desk laughed tantalisingly at her.

'Fina!'

'Fina! Stop!' She gasped and pushed Fina at least an inch away from her by the arms. Not far enough, as Marta herself quickly realised, but she tried to pull herself together.

There was nothing, absolutely nothing she would rather do now than sit Fina down on this table, rip open her blouse, hear the sound of the buttons flying on the floor, Fina's moans, her fingernails on the skin of her own back, her own hand dipping into her moisture over Fina's softly hairy mound and ...

Marta shook her head vehemently.

'Stop, Fina, please.'

Fina's wild expression in her eyes made her shiver again.

'We can't do this here. We really can't.'

It wasn't even disappointment that was written on Fina's face now, but rather a different kind of anger, frustration and unquenched hunger. The kind of hunger that they had talked about so often and which was so clearly visible on Fina's face for the first time that it almost caused Marta physical pain. Her muscles wanted to overcome the few centimetres and it took all of Marta's willpower not to give in.

'Then I will retire to my room now, Doña Marta, if you give me permission.'

This form of address at this moment struck Marta like a whiplash. She could understand Fina, but it wasn't fair. She wanted everything Fina wanted. With the same passion. But she also wanted them to be safe. Above all, she wanted Fina to be safe. In order for that to happen, she had to keep her wits about her, at least until they were finally there, where no one was eavesdropping around every turn or throwing questioning looks. Could Fina not understand that?

She was almost about to start an explanation, to tell Fina exactly what was going on inside her, when she was bumped roughly by the swing door at her back. Both women took a step forwards and apart at the same time before the door opened fully.

'Buenas tardes, Marta,' came the sonorous voice of Don Augusto. 'Maria has already told me that you are occupying my office.'

He turned to Fina. 'And you must be la señorita Valero, Marta's assistant?'

It was strange and liberating at the same time that this man was addressing her almost formally. Fina didn't know how to reply. Augusto smiled at her.

'That's right, Augusto, Fina is my assistant. Without her, I'd be lost sometimes.' Again, it was Marta who stepped in. However, a nervous laugh accompanied the confirmation. The sweat on her forehead had appeared before Don Augusto had even entered his own office.

'I understand that very well. I have to say, though, that as a man I probably couldn't work around you, Señora Valero.'

Fina suddenly understood the formal friendliness that was probably just part of Augusto's flirting style. Marta, on the other hand, seemed unimpressed. Perhaps she hadn't caught on. Or perhaps she was so used to it that she hardly noticed.

Fortunately, Marta still said: 'Augusto, we're going to say goodbye now, please excuse me. It's been a long day. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, won't I?'

'Sure, sure. I hope Señora Valero will be there too?'

'Of course, Don Augusto, I'd love to,' Fina replied with a nod.