Chapter 6

Dinner at the Almendrez household that night was quiet if a bit strained. Don Ramon sat at the head of the table while Louisa sat on his right and Matthew, his left. Louisa had implored Matthew to stay for dinner. She needed him as a buffer in case her father brought up the issue of her arranged marriage again. Having bent Matthew's ears with all her grumbling and raving, and after losing about fifty percent of her bodily fluids with all the crying she did, she was quite sure that she had nothing more to give. But in the event that she was wrong, Matthew's calming presence would help keep her demons at bay. Matthew, being genuinely concerned for both her and her father, had agreed without thinking twice.

Yaya Seling was, as per usual, hovering in the background, calmly awaiting instructions. Louisa knew, however, that despite the old woman's bland face, her Yaya was bursting with questions. Louisa would confide in her when she's ready, she always did. Nanay Iling, the cook, having heard of Louisa's unusually foul mood, decided to lift the young señorita's spirits by cooking all of her favorites.

Louisa appreciated the old cook's efforts, but news of her betrothal had left a bitter taste in her mouth confining her to only bits and pieces of the delicious fare. She feared that she would gag if she added more stress to her insides. The two men, not suffering from the same dilemma, were the ones who really complimented the cook by having second and even third helpings of each dish. Due to Louisa's self-imposed verbal strike, conversation was kept to a minimum and centered mostly around business.

"Tío Ramon, Mr. Castañeda approached me yesterday about our stud services. I told him I'd have to discuss the details with you first before recommending a stallion," Matthew said, breaking the silence.

"Okay. Is he looking for racers in particular?"

"I think he wants to continue breeding racers, but not from his own stallions. He's been having quite a turn at the tracks lately. Two of his entries did not finish well the last time."

"So, now he wants to compete with us using our own stock?"

"Well, he also implied that he was actually hoping you would go into a joint venture of sorts."

Don Ramon snorted at that. The quiet rivalry between the two men was not a big secret. Don Leon used to be the top horse breeder in the country, churning out thoroughbreds that won races left and right. When the Hacienda Constantina's horses began making waves, he befriended Ramon. Lately, he has been pushing for a more permanent connection between their families. He even went as far as insinuating that his eldest son, Reginald, and Louisa would make a lovely pair. Her father knew, however, that Leon was more interested in his horses than Reginald's tender feelings for Louisa.

"Tell him, I'll think about it, just to pacify him. Louisa and I will be visiting the Montoyas for a few days," he paused and glanced at his daughter. "I'm sorry to cut your vacation short, dear. But we must visit Fernando. Not only is he my best friend. He's also your godfather."

"Si, Papa," was her meek reply. She took a deep breath and counted mentally to ten. Anger was bubbling inside her and she struggled to tamp it down. Thankfully, her father did not appear to take notice. After a beat, her father turned to Yaya Seling. The older woman immediately rushed to his side.

"Señor?" she said, her eyes darting nervously to Louisa.

"Please help Louisa prepare for our trip. Pack a few things yourself, you're coming with us. We'll be leaving at first light. Tell Pedro to get the car ready and to get a good night's sleep. I don't want him nodding off on us again."

"Si, Señor," Yaya Seling nodded and hurried off to do as told.

Matthew was about to excuse himself when Louisa kicked his leg. She glared at him when he looked up, warning him to stay put. It was only when Don Ramon cleared his throat in a very obvious manner that Matthew jumped to his feet, mumbling his thanks to Don Ramon and a quick goodbye to her. Louisa bit her tongue to stop the bitter words she wanted to scream at Matthew. Before stepping out of the room, he cast a last glance at her, apology written in his eyes. He would be calling her later to beg forgiveness. She would make sure to turn off her phone.

Let him writhe in agony for a day or two, she thought bitterly.

Don Ramon took a sip of his wine and leaned back in his chair, a frown marring his handsome face. "Louisa, I really am sorry for not telling you about this arranged marriage sooner. I just thought I had more time," he paused, waiting for her response.

Louisa sighed. She had to accept the futility of arguing about her betrothal.

"I understand why you did it, Papa. You only wanted to make sure I wouldn't be left alone to fend for myself someday. And you believe that the Montoyas would be able to protect me," she paused, taking a deep breath.

Her father seemed relieved by what she said. Still, he remained silent, as if expecting a 'but' somewhere.

And he was right.

"But, I'd have to ask you, why Gabriel, Papa? Why did you betrothe me to him? As you said, there were four Montoya brothers to choose from. Why did it have to be Gabriel? If the Montoyas really wanted to have me in their family, any one of their sons would have been eligible." She needed to hear the reason. She needed to understand.

"It was Fernan who suggested the match. Probably because Gabriel was the first-born son and you were also my first-born. I wanted to protect you; Fernando wanted to protect his bloodline. And Gabriel, being the heir apparent to the Montoya empire would be the prime target of unscrupulous, fortune-seeking women. Fernando wanted to make sure that Gabriel would have a trustworthy wife, one who would not run away with the family jewels, so to speak."

"Okay, I get that. Tío Fernando was looking out for the family's best interests. But, why me? What if I turned out to be a shrew, a woman with loose morals? I'm not even pure Spanish!"

Don Ramon smiled, his eyes glowing with affection. "Because Fernan saw the best in you. And he knew that you would grow up into a fine, smart, and lovely woman. As for not being pure Spanish, Fernando never cared about such things," he chuckled and tweaked her nose affectionately.

Louisa blushed despite herself. "You're my father. Of course, you only see the best in me," she protested.

"Fernan's not your father, but he still saw what I saw. Sure, you were quite a handful as a child, but Fernan did not see that as a black mark against you. He said that it only assured him he made the right choice. He believed you to be the perfect match for his Gabriel because you would be able to stand up to him when needed."

Would she? All she could remember was how Gabriel always terrified her into silent anger, making her react in often outrageous ways. She wondered if that would still hold true.

"Pero, what about you, Papa? Why did you agree to have me betrothed to Gabriel? Why not to Miguel or Angelo who was much closer my age?"

"Because you would've walked all over them. When you were kids, those boys worshipped you and you took advantage of it, always ordering them about like a general. Except for Gabriel."

"And you think that's good? That the man I'm going to marry is the only one who didn't worship me?" Louisa asked incredulously.

Her father gave her a knowing smile before getting up. As he walked behind her chair he bent down to kiss the top of her head.

"Go to sleep now, Louisa. Get some rest. I have a feeling we're going to have a long day tomorrow." He tousled her hair and left her alone with her tumultuous thoughts.

Louisa felt drained, exhausted, and very badly in need of sleep. It would not come easily tonight, though. She let out a ragged breath and was about to leave the dining room herself when she caught sight of the small blueberry pie left untouched on the table. She smiled, knowing in her heart that it was her father's way of saying sorry. He knew it was her comfort food. It reminded her of her mother and of better, happier days.

And as she needed all the comfort that she could get right now she could not really ignore her father's peace offering. Just one slice, she said, and plopped down her seat, pulling the pie towards her.

She ended up eating the whole thing.