Chapter 11

Sam sprayed on some perfume and looked at herself in the mirror. She touched her dark blue robe that matched her light blue and pearl-toned wardrobe. She highlighted her hazel eyes with black eyeliner and white shadow. She had put on lipstick, even though no one was going to see her lips, but it was to keep them moisturized. Her hair looked beautiful and silky, although only part of it was showing because the veil covered most of her face including her hair. She had changed a lot since Arthur took her to the estate, she was no longer disheveled and her hair didn't look like a bird's nest.

Sometimes it was uncomfortable to wear the veil and she did not know how she would eat with etiquette in front of those people, as it would look strange when the fork went under the cloth. Would she ever get over her trauma? Would she be able to free her face from that veil? Nostalgia overwhelmed her. Before falling into Daniel's clutches she was happy and free. A dreamy young girl without complexes. Her father always emphasized how beautiful she was, although Sam never considered herself very pretty, she was satisfied with her appearance. That changed; she hates her face, for she hates what it conveys and hates what she carries with it.

(...)

The Ben family entered the estate under the attentive gaze of curiosity of all present. After they had talked with Arthur for a while, they went to the table. Anabela sat next to Sam, who remained in front of Arthur, and Arthur, in turn, sat next to a beautiful blonde whom he introduced as Jacqueline Ben, a slender woman with short hair down her neck, light blue eyes like all the visitors at lunch; dressed in beige pants and a transparent black shirt. Her bearing was modern and self-contained, a woman who exuded confidence and intelligence and spoke with elegance and general culture. Her thin lips were painted a deep red and her eyes had light, soft makeup. She smiled at everyone present and held conversations with great propriety, in short, an admirable and very beautiful woman. There were four visitors in all, including Mr. and Mrs. Ben and Jacqueline's brother.

When Arthur introduced Sam, they all looked at her strangely, but none of them made any comment or asked any imprudent questions that would make her uncomfortable, they just said hello and that was it.

The evening was pleasant and without tension, Sam disguised her sadness very well.

(...)

“Hey Sam,” Anabela approached her with an expression of intrigue and suspicion. “That young lady... What is her relationship with Arthur?” she asked with trepidation at the significance of her and her family's visit. “I had already had the opportunity to deal with her, but not very often, since the few times the blonde had visited the estate, it was during the time Arthur's father was alive and they had never dealt with each other.”

“You'll soon find out,” she limited herself to answering only that.

“I don't understand what the mystery is and I'm worried that Arthur will do something stupid. He's so obsessed with the Joneses and the Deltons that I'm afraid he'd do anything to take power away from them.”

“Well, I don't know much and what little Arthur has mentioned to me is confidential for now. I don't understand the mystery either, but I imagine Arthur will have his reasons,” she shrugged.

“Well, I find it suspicious that that family comes to observe his wealth and how that blonde won't leave his side, and I don't understand the reason for her to stay at the estate for a whole week, I don't like it at all.”

“Arthur is no fool, he knows what he is doing,” she just wanted to be alone and deal with her pain in peace.

(...)

The Ben family said goodbye to Arthur and Sam, except for Jacqueline, who would stay until the announcement of the engagement.

“Well, it's time for me to get some rest,” the blonde turned to Arthur with a smile. “Will you come to bed or would you prefer to stay up later?”

Sam swallowed hard, would they sleep together?

“I won't sleep now, I'm not sleepy yet. Go to sleep quietly, Nidia will show you to your room,” he looked at Sam as if to explain. “Tomorrow we'll catch up.”

“Okay, as you say,” she kissed his cheek and he tensed. While they always had that trust, he was uncomfortable with displays of affection in front of Sam, afraid she would misinterpret it. He felt foolish, for Jacqueline was supposed to be his fiancée, not Sam.

“Good night, Sam,” she came up to her and hugged her. Sam didn't know how to react. “It was nice to meet you.” Jacqueline smiled kindly and Sam felt guilty since she had kissed her fiancé the day before.

Arthur looked at Sam nervously once they were alone in the room.

“I…” he combed his hair with his hands. “I'll be outside —”

“Good night,” she interrupted coldly and hurried up the stairs. She sat down on her bed and wept disconsolately. Once again another woman was taking away the man she loved, it was so unfair.

(...)

“So, a group of men assaulted your hut and almost raped you,” Raul confirmed in surprise.

“That's right, but I escaped. Then, I wandered through the streets of the villages without money or a place to take shelter. People wouldn't help me because they thought I was crazy because of my looks. I begged for a few weeks and then Arthur found me, he saved my life,” she narrated.

“He returned the favor because you had already saved his life,” Samuel replied.

“Your story is very nice, you are an exceptional couple,” Anabela mentioned with excited eyes.

“Yes, love is beautiful and intense,” Samuel fixed his loving eyes on Anabela, who avoided his gaze, an action that saddened him.

“Stop making those comments,” Sam reproached. "It's not wise what you're saying, Arthur and I are not a couple.”

“You love each other and there is a lot of sexual tension, it's only a matter of time before something happens between you,” Samuel commented mischievously and Sam blushed, only that reaction could only be perceived in her eyes.

“Who has sexual tension?” Sam almost had a heart attack when she heard Jacqueline. The four of them were sitting near the barn so immersed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed the blonde's presence.

“Who else? Ar…” Sam nervously covered Raul's mouth. At that moment Arthur made his presence known.

“Samuel, we should go, remember that we have something pending," he said to the big man and he nodded. Everyone watched in silence as the two mounted their horses and set off on their journey.

“Hey," Jacqueline caught the attention of the rest. "Why don't we take a ride around the grounds of the ranch? I'm a little bored and it would be nice to get to know each other better.”

“Of course, Miss!” “Raul answered for everyone with a big smile, Anabela gave him a dirty look, she didn't want to mix too much with that woman until she knew what Arthur was up to, although on second thought, she could get that information out of her.

“That's fine with me,” Anabela replied with a fake smile. They all looked at Sam expectantly.

“Well... I'm not in the mood,” she shrugged. She didn't want to deal with that lady, she just didn't think it was right.

“Come on, don't be rude,” Anabela insisted.

“Yes, please,” Jacquelin joined in. “I like you very much and I think we can be friends; Arthur has told me wonderful things about you, I want to experience for myself what a beautiful human being you are.”

That hurt her. She felt like the meanest person in the universe, as on the one hand, her heart leaped with joy that Arthur was talking about her, and on the other, guilt was eating her up inside. She surrendered to her blue gaze in manipulation mode and his tender pout. They walked for an hour and sat down to rest. She got to know a little more about the blonde and concluded that Arthur couldn't have a better wife.

She watched her speak with such command and propriety that she felt a little envious. Despite being so young, Jacqueline knew what she wanted and it seemed noble to her that among her goals was to impose true justice in the Northern regions, for the corruption of the richest was destroying the poor. She understood Arthur's reason for choosing her, they both had the same vision and ambitions. She felt so small and foolish, she shouldn't have even imagined a relationship with Arthur, she simply wasn't the one.

(...)

Arthur and Samuel rode for two hours and arrived at a small farm. An older man with a dirty look received them smiling and serving them beers.

“Well, Tulio,” Arthur looked at him firmly and a little anxiously. You said you had found something, so drop the soup.

The old man looked at him with drama and a twisted smile that showed his damaged teeth.

“That's right. I was investigating the villages around the place where you were for a month, and I didn't find much, but…” He took a sip of his beer and brought his face close to Arthur. “Searching and rummaging I discovered a town not often mentioned in these parts, as it is to the East, after crossing the green lake.”

“Too many detours,” Samuel complained and the old man grimaced.

“Well, as I was telling you, in that town, there has been a lot of corruption since a few years ago, as I heard it all happened after the death of a certain Fraga. He was the owner of most of the land in that place and people liked him a lot because of his generosity and because he generated work, therefore, many families supported themselves thanks to that. The fact is that his daughter and only relative married a worker from Fraga. The strange thing was that Fraga died during the celebration of the wedding and nobody knew how to explain the cause of death. According to the autopsy, it was a natural death, but the guests, which was almost the whole town, were not satisfied with the autopsy.”

“Why?” Arthur asked, intrigued.

“Because of the way he died. It is said that he convulsed and foam came out of his mouth; everyone agrees that he was poisoned. But do you know what the seriousness of the matter is? The first suspect is his daughter and only heir: Samay Fraga.”