Categories > Original > Romance > Fruta de la pasión
Ch 18 - Of horses and men
0 reviewsAlejandro is still remembering the party at Araceli's, years earlier.
0Unrated
Once in the patio, Alejandro couldn't suppress an involuntary frown: among the guests was Cesar Villegas, of course! He was Doña Araceli's current... well... 'suitor', to put it mildly. Except that 'suitor' wasn't exactly the name, since it was murmured in certain circles that much more than simple 'courtship' happened between the two of them... and anyway Alejandro wasn't sure any of the two considered marriage...
At first he had been rather shocked at the liberties Señora Ximénes de Valdès was taking with generally accepted moral standards. But she still had the best goods from Europe and the Ximénes Company still offered the best guarantees of payment for the products he wanted to export. So all in all, he got over his reservations about her lifestyle and chose to turn a blind eye on it. After all, it was none of his business. And precisely, as far as his business was concerned, he liked dealing with her: she was tough, but honest and straight. Rigorous... Straightforward... Never a bad surprise with her or her family... And they always paid on the nail. Never a hitch with her.
At the time Alejandro made her acquaintance, her 'man of the moment' wasn't this Cesar Villegas but a certain Leandro Alcalá, a lieutenant of the local garrison. A nice man, this Lieutenant Alcalá, pleasant to converse with, bright, refined. As a former officer himself, Alejandro esteemed this man, regardless of his... 'consorting'... with a younger woman he hadn't made his wife. Which made him not that much a gentleman, at least on this level...
But despite this slightly unpleasant detail, Alejandro even started to think the man could make a fine role model for Diego, an 'inspiration' on his return from Madrid. A slightly older man... thirty-five years old, perhaps? ...promised to rise in rank... well-bred and refined... straight and involved in the local community... Yes, Alejandro thought, Diego will certainly more or less be like this man in a few years' time...
And one fine day, just like that, Lieutenant Alcalá stopped being present at Doña Araceli's dinners. Yet he was still stationed in San Diego, Alejandro saw him. But apparently the relationship between them had ended, according to the grapevine buzzing among people she usually rubbed shoulders with.
For one year no other man seemed to have taken over Alcalá's role with Doña Araceli or found favour in her eyes. Alejandro went to San Diego a good half-dozen times in the space of this year, and as a good customer-supplier he had sometimes been invited to attend business dinners or other parties at Señora Ximénez de Valdès's.
And then one day she introduced to him her 'dear friend' Cesar Villegas. She didn't clarify what kind of 'friend' he was, but it soon became obvious that he was her new beau. An euphemism for 'lover', in that case.
After a few months and three or four encounters with him, Alejandro couldn't really put his finger on why exactly but he thought the man seemed to be a prize idiot. Why Señora Valdès was seeing him was beyond him.
He politely greeted the man nonetheless, and then let himself be dragged away by Doña Araceli who led him to another young man in the place.
"Don Alejandro," she said, "I don't think you know my brother Gaspar. He's running another branch of our company in San Luis Obispo. Gaspar, please meet Don Alejandro de la Vega, a good customer from the Pueblo de Los Angeles."
"That's an honour, Don Alejandro."
"The honour is mine, Señor," he replied.
Was he older or younger than his sister? Alejandro couldn't tell. He clearly was in his twenties, but whether he was more or less than her twenty-five years-old wasn't easy to guess... Anyway, now that Alejandro knew he was Doña Araceli's brother, he could indeed spot some resemblances between the two siblings. This raven unruly hair... these deep brown eyes... this slightly too swarthy complexion, at least for the standards of high society... Were there some Indian in their ancestry? Or even more unlikely, back there in Spain... some Gypsy? Appalling thoughts for any proud Spaniard, but you're hardly responsible for your forefathers, right? Or foremothers, come to think of that...
Unless their mother had some distant Moorish ancestry, like many Andalusians... Yes, he thought, that was more likely.
"May I introduce my wife Faustina?" Señor Ximénez said, gesturing to the charming young woman on his arm.
"Doña Faustina," Alejandro told her as he bowed to kiss her hand, "the flowers of this patio fade in comparison with your grace."
"Oh, Don Alejandro, thank you very much," the woman acknowledged the compliment with a becoming blush, gracefully accepting it as a simple but elegant mark of courtesy.
Doña Araceli hooked her arm with Alejandro's and falsely chided him with an amused smile:
"Don Alejandro, you want to be careful: my brother might get the wrong idea and take umbrage at your admiration for my sister-in-law! And I wouldn't like to have my brother and a friend of mine duel just after I introduced them to each other!"
"Well, Doña Araceli, I'm glad you just called me a friend and not a business acquaintance. Your friendship is an honour and a pleasure."
"Why couldn't we be both?" she asked playfully. "Make business and be friends, I mean..."
"Señora," he replied with a grin, "with you it seems that absolutely everything can go with some level of business talk..."
"Well," she said with a knowing smile, "friendship and business aren't mutually exclusive... as long as both play fair! You seem to have come to know me rather well over the years, Don Alejandro. I'm an open book, to you."
"I very much doubt it, Doña Araceli," he retorted mirroring her smile. "Or rather, what I have come to learn about you, other than the fact that you are the most charming hostess of all San Diego, is that as far as business is concerned you always keep a card up your sleeve in a negotiation..."
"Really?" she asked, rhetorically doubtful. "Well, never lose an occasion to make a good deal! That's my father's motto, and the second piece of advice he gave me as far as business is concerned."
"Oh? And may I ask what the first one was?"
"Never fool your customers," she answered straight back. "Be straight and honest in business, or they won't want anything to do with you in the future. A reputation of seriousness is the best asset a company can have..."
Alejandro could tell she had taken her father's advice by the book.
"And I suppose your brother too applies these rules strictly in San Luis Obispo..." Alejandro ventured.
"I certainly hope so," she replied. "If only for his own good! Otherwise Father might spank him! But talking about Gaspar, if he doesn't seem to take umbrage at your gallant compliment to Faustina, it might not be the same for me... I don't recall you telling me anything that delightful," she reproached him playfully. "But I can't resent you for admiring my sister-in-law: she's really a very pretty young woman!" she added with a smile. "But my flowers, on the other hand, might resent you for your comment. And here I thought they were the most pleasant sight in my house tonight..."
With a smile, she gave a slight tap on his arm with her closed fan.
"Then you were wrong," Alejandro told her, "because none here can compare with the wonderful charm of their owner... Really, there is no need for you to envy your sister-in-law Señora: she might make your wisteria fade a bit, but you, Doña Araceli, command to the flowers of this patio and of this whole hacienda, and you are the queen of this kingdom of beauty; no other flower can compare with your charm and freshness, and no guest here can vie with the pleasure of your company..."
"Why, Don Alejandro!" she exclaimed playfully, wanting to take the compliment lightly but obviously pleased nonetheless. "You're quite the gallant caballero tonight!"
A bright smile lit her face, radiating around her.
"I guess San Diego does that to me..." he replied pensively. "But, if neither your brother nor yourself did take umbrage at my words," he added, throwing a glance in her beau's direction on the opposite side of the patio, "perhaps Señor Villegas does... And perhaps he might misinterpret my words and find them a bit too forward for his liking..."
She followed his gaze. Cesar was taking a sip of his drink, looking her way.
"Oh no, don't worry, Don Alejandro," she answered. "Don Cesar knows fairly well that I can stand up for myself if necessary." She smiled at her suitor who got up, seeing her look at him. "I tell you, Don Alejandro, there's nothing like a man who treats you as a real adult and not as some inept and hopeless lesser person always needing someone else..."
She had a broad smile on her face as she saw her sweetheart stand up and start to make his way to them.
"Really, Don Alejandro, there's nothing like a man who's not feeling threatened by the fact that I don't need him..."
Villegas joined them as she ended her sentence. She beamed at him and smiled sweetly – mushily, Alejandro thought. He humphed inwardly at the sickeningly soppy look on her face. Honestly! And now what more...? Stars in her eyes, perhaps? Really! How could such a sensible woman suddenly turn into a puddle of goo? Ew... So disappointing from her! And if she really wanted a man in her life, she certainly could do better than this popinjay interested only in books, music and arts. Thank God, Alejandro thought, his Diego was nothing like this weakling!
Really, Doña Araceli might have a very good and wise manner of conducting her business, but she had a very strange way of leading her private life...
"Con su permiso...?" Villegas asked, presenting her his arm with on his face a wide smile mirroring hers.
Baboso, Alejandro inwardly called the young man.
She hooked her arm with her beau's, as Alejandro released her other arm, bowing over her hand. He then turned to Villegas.
Cretino, he thought again.
Yet instead of voicing his thoughts aloud, he courteously told him in a polite lip-service:
"She's all yours, Don Cesar."
"I very much doubt it, Don Alejandro," the young man answered.
The older man looked at him, startled.
"And as a matter of fact," Villegas clarified, "I doubt Doña Araceli will ever truly be anyone's..."
And on that note the young man fondly kissed her hand. Her already large smile grew even wider at his words.
Pooh! Smooth-talker, Alejandro thought. Really, what was a woman like her doing with a man like him?!
Well, Alejandro de la Vega wasn't born yesterday, and technically he had a pretty clear and far too graphic idea of exactly what they were indeed doing together... Ahem.
"Don Alejandro," Don Cesar told him, "I heard you had a look at Alvarez's horses this morning?"
"Yes I have," he answered, "and I have spotted a beautiful young mare I intent to buy. Initially I thought about buying it as a gift for my son on his return from Spain, but it won't happen before four more years; so in fact, I changed my mind and will simply and egoistically buy it for myself."
"Charity begins at home..." Don Cesar stated.
As and when Don Alejandro described the animal with some flights of lyricism, Araceli deigned to stop drooling over her lover for a few minutes and suddenly joined the conversation:
"Oh, you don't mean that white filly who was sired by Toboso, Alvarez's prized stallion?"
"Yes," Alejandro answered, "That's that one."
"Then I'm afraid you can kiss her goodbye," she told him. "I have beaten you to it. Or in other words, I've pipped you at the post."
"You've bought her?"
"Yes, this afternoon," she said in a gentle smile. "You see, Don Alejandro, one of the keys to success in business is quick decision-making. Or rather, the subtle balance between time of reflexion and rapidity of decision. More haste means less speed..."
"I purchase it from you," Alejandro decided. "I'm sure we can agree on a fair price, Señora."
"Thank you, but no. I like this mare, as you said she's beautiful."
"Oh please, Doña Araceli," he retorted, "we all know you're usually more subtle than this, if I may say so." He smiled knowingly. "You're just trying to make the price rise... Would I dare say I've known you to be more straightforward?"
This time, he was openly grinning, sure as he was to have uncovered her ploy.
"As you said so yourself Don Alejandro," she answered, "I am both more subtle and more straightforward in conducting business." She smiled at him to soften the graze. "The mare is truly not for sale. I've not bought her to make business on her; for once I've bought something for myself, just because such is my wish. In fact, I've paid it on my privy purse. I'm keeping her, sorry."
"What happened to 'never lose an occasion to make a good deal', may I ask?" Alejandro tried again.
She laughed heartily.
"It didn't fall on deaf ears, it seems! But sorry, I really want to ride this horse," she replied with an amused glint in her eyes. "But let's make a deal: in some time, you might send here the stallion of your choice for servicing her, and their first foal is for you. For free. That's my offer: do you take it or do you leave it?"
Alejandro considered it. He quickly calculated: the foal would just be ready to be broken and trained when Diego returns... It could make a nice present for him!
"Doña Araceli," he finally said, grinning, "it seems we are going to have a foal together!"
At first he had been rather shocked at the liberties Señora Ximénes de Valdès was taking with generally accepted moral standards. But she still had the best goods from Europe and the Ximénes Company still offered the best guarantees of payment for the products he wanted to export. So all in all, he got over his reservations about her lifestyle and chose to turn a blind eye on it. After all, it was none of his business. And precisely, as far as his business was concerned, he liked dealing with her: she was tough, but honest and straight. Rigorous... Straightforward... Never a bad surprise with her or her family... And they always paid on the nail. Never a hitch with her.
At the time Alejandro made her acquaintance, her 'man of the moment' wasn't this Cesar Villegas but a certain Leandro Alcalá, a lieutenant of the local garrison. A nice man, this Lieutenant Alcalá, pleasant to converse with, bright, refined. As a former officer himself, Alejandro esteemed this man, regardless of his... 'consorting'... with a younger woman he hadn't made his wife. Which made him not that much a gentleman, at least on this level...
But despite this slightly unpleasant detail, Alejandro even started to think the man could make a fine role model for Diego, an 'inspiration' on his return from Madrid. A slightly older man... thirty-five years old, perhaps? ...promised to rise in rank... well-bred and refined... straight and involved in the local community... Yes, Alejandro thought, Diego will certainly more or less be like this man in a few years' time...
And one fine day, just like that, Lieutenant Alcalá stopped being present at Doña Araceli's dinners. Yet he was still stationed in San Diego, Alejandro saw him. But apparently the relationship between them had ended, according to the grapevine buzzing among people she usually rubbed shoulders with.
For one year no other man seemed to have taken over Alcalá's role with Doña Araceli or found favour in her eyes. Alejandro went to San Diego a good half-dozen times in the space of this year, and as a good customer-supplier he had sometimes been invited to attend business dinners or other parties at Señora Ximénez de Valdès's.
And then one day she introduced to him her 'dear friend' Cesar Villegas. She didn't clarify what kind of 'friend' he was, but it soon became obvious that he was her new beau. An euphemism for 'lover', in that case.
After a few months and three or four encounters with him, Alejandro couldn't really put his finger on why exactly but he thought the man seemed to be a prize idiot. Why Señora Valdès was seeing him was beyond him.
He politely greeted the man nonetheless, and then let himself be dragged away by Doña Araceli who led him to another young man in the place.
"Don Alejandro," she said, "I don't think you know my brother Gaspar. He's running another branch of our company in San Luis Obispo. Gaspar, please meet Don Alejandro de la Vega, a good customer from the Pueblo de Los Angeles."
"That's an honour, Don Alejandro."
"The honour is mine, Señor," he replied.
Was he older or younger than his sister? Alejandro couldn't tell. He clearly was in his twenties, but whether he was more or less than her twenty-five years-old wasn't easy to guess... Anyway, now that Alejandro knew he was Doña Araceli's brother, he could indeed spot some resemblances between the two siblings. This raven unruly hair... these deep brown eyes... this slightly too swarthy complexion, at least for the standards of high society... Were there some Indian in their ancestry? Or even more unlikely, back there in Spain... some Gypsy? Appalling thoughts for any proud Spaniard, but you're hardly responsible for your forefathers, right? Or foremothers, come to think of that...
Unless their mother had some distant Moorish ancestry, like many Andalusians... Yes, he thought, that was more likely.
"May I introduce my wife Faustina?" Señor Ximénez said, gesturing to the charming young woman on his arm.
"Doña Faustina," Alejandro told her as he bowed to kiss her hand, "the flowers of this patio fade in comparison with your grace."
"Oh, Don Alejandro, thank you very much," the woman acknowledged the compliment with a becoming blush, gracefully accepting it as a simple but elegant mark of courtesy.
Doña Araceli hooked her arm with Alejandro's and falsely chided him with an amused smile:
"Don Alejandro, you want to be careful: my brother might get the wrong idea and take umbrage at your admiration for my sister-in-law! And I wouldn't like to have my brother and a friend of mine duel just after I introduced them to each other!"
"Well, Doña Araceli, I'm glad you just called me a friend and not a business acquaintance. Your friendship is an honour and a pleasure."
"Why couldn't we be both?" she asked playfully. "Make business and be friends, I mean..."
"Señora," he replied with a grin, "with you it seems that absolutely everything can go with some level of business talk..."
"Well," she said with a knowing smile, "friendship and business aren't mutually exclusive... as long as both play fair! You seem to have come to know me rather well over the years, Don Alejandro. I'm an open book, to you."
"I very much doubt it, Doña Araceli," he retorted mirroring her smile. "Or rather, what I have come to learn about you, other than the fact that you are the most charming hostess of all San Diego, is that as far as business is concerned you always keep a card up your sleeve in a negotiation..."
"Really?" she asked, rhetorically doubtful. "Well, never lose an occasion to make a good deal! That's my father's motto, and the second piece of advice he gave me as far as business is concerned."
"Oh? And may I ask what the first one was?"
"Never fool your customers," she answered straight back. "Be straight and honest in business, or they won't want anything to do with you in the future. A reputation of seriousness is the best asset a company can have..."
Alejandro could tell she had taken her father's advice by the book.
"And I suppose your brother too applies these rules strictly in San Luis Obispo..." Alejandro ventured.
"I certainly hope so," she replied. "If only for his own good! Otherwise Father might spank him! But talking about Gaspar, if he doesn't seem to take umbrage at your gallant compliment to Faustina, it might not be the same for me... I don't recall you telling me anything that delightful," she reproached him playfully. "But I can't resent you for admiring my sister-in-law: she's really a very pretty young woman!" she added with a smile. "But my flowers, on the other hand, might resent you for your comment. And here I thought they were the most pleasant sight in my house tonight..."
With a smile, she gave a slight tap on his arm with her closed fan.
"Then you were wrong," Alejandro told her, "because none here can compare with the wonderful charm of their owner... Really, there is no need for you to envy your sister-in-law Señora: she might make your wisteria fade a bit, but you, Doña Araceli, command to the flowers of this patio and of this whole hacienda, and you are the queen of this kingdom of beauty; no other flower can compare with your charm and freshness, and no guest here can vie with the pleasure of your company..."
"Why, Don Alejandro!" she exclaimed playfully, wanting to take the compliment lightly but obviously pleased nonetheless. "You're quite the gallant caballero tonight!"
A bright smile lit her face, radiating around her.
"I guess San Diego does that to me..." he replied pensively. "But, if neither your brother nor yourself did take umbrage at my words," he added, throwing a glance in her beau's direction on the opposite side of the patio, "perhaps Señor Villegas does... And perhaps he might misinterpret my words and find them a bit too forward for his liking..."
She followed his gaze. Cesar was taking a sip of his drink, looking her way.
"Oh no, don't worry, Don Alejandro," she answered. "Don Cesar knows fairly well that I can stand up for myself if necessary." She smiled at her suitor who got up, seeing her look at him. "I tell you, Don Alejandro, there's nothing like a man who treats you as a real adult and not as some inept and hopeless lesser person always needing someone else..."
She had a broad smile on her face as she saw her sweetheart stand up and start to make his way to them.
"Really, Don Alejandro, there's nothing like a man who's not feeling threatened by the fact that I don't need him..."
Villegas joined them as she ended her sentence. She beamed at him and smiled sweetly – mushily, Alejandro thought. He humphed inwardly at the sickeningly soppy look on her face. Honestly! And now what more...? Stars in her eyes, perhaps? Really! How could such a sensible woman suddenly turn into a puddle of goo? Ew... So disappointing from her! And if she really wanted a man in her life, she certainly could do better than this popinjay interested only in books, music and arts. Thank God, Alejandro thought, his Diego was nothing like this weakling!
Really, Doña Araceli might have a very good and wise manner of conducting her business, but she had a very strange way of leading her private life...
"Con su permiso...?" Villegas asked, presenting her his arm with on his face a wide smile mirroring hers.
Baboso, Alejandro inwardly called the young man.
She hooked her arm with her beau's, as Alejandro released her other arm, bowing over her hand. He then turned to Villegas.
Cretino, he thought again.
Yet instead of voicing his thoughts aloud, he courteously told him in a polite lip-service:
"She's all yours, Don Cesar."
"I very much doubt it, Don Alejandro," the young man answered.
The older man looked at him, startled.
"And as a matter of fact," Villegas clarified, "I doubt Doña Araceli will ever truly be anyone's..."
And on that note the young man fondly kissed her hand. Her already large smile grew even wider at his words.
Pooh! Smooth-talker, Alejandro thought. Really, what was a woman like her doing with a man like him?!
Well, Alejandro de la Vega wasn't born yesterday, and technically he had a pretty clear and far too graphic idea of exactly what they were indeed doing together... Ahem.
"Don Alejandro," Don Cesar told him, "I heard you had a look at Alvarez's horses this morning?"
"Yes I have," he answered, "and I have spotted a beautiful young mare I intent to buy. Initially I thought about buying it as a gift for my son on his return from Spain, but it won't happen before four more years; so in fact, I changed my mind and will simply and egoistically buy it for myself."
"Charity begins at home..." Don Cesar stated.
As and when Don Alejandro described the animal with some flights of lyricism, Araceli deigned to stop drooling over her lover for a few minutes and suddenly joined the conversation:
"Oh, you don't mean that white filly who was sired by Toboso, Alvarez's prized stallion?"
"Yes," Alejandro answered, "That's that one."
"Then I'm afraid you can kiss her goodbye," she told him. "I have beaten you to it. Or in other words, I've pipped you at the post."
"You've bought her?"
"Yes, this afternoon," she said in a gentle smile. "You see, Don Alejandro, one of the keys to success in business is quick decision-making. Or rather, the subtle balance between time of reflexion and rapidity of decision. More haste means less speed..."
"I purchase it from you," Alejandro decided. "I'm sure we can agree on a fair price, Señora."
"Thank you, but no. I like this mare, as you said she's beautiful."
"Oh please, Doña Araceli," he retorted, "we all know you're usually more subtle than this, if I may say so." He smiled knowingly. "You're just trying to make the price rise... Would I dare say I've known you to be more straightforward?"
This time, he was openly grinning, sure as he was to have uncovered her ploy.
"As you said so yourself Don Alejandro," she answered, "I am both more subtle and more straightforward in conducting business." She smiled at him to soften the graze. "The mare is truly not for sale. I've not bought her to make business on her; for once I've bought something for myself, just because such is my wish. In fact, I've paid it on my privy purse. I'm keeping her, sorry."
"What happened to 'never lose an occasion to make a good deal', may I ask?" Alejandro tried again.
She laughed heartily.
"It didn't fall on deaf ears, it seems! But sorry, I really want to ride this horse," she replied with an amused glint in her eyes. "But let's make a deal: in some time, you might send here the stallion of your choice for servicing her, and their first foal is for you. For free. That's my offer: do you take it or do you leave it?"
Alejandro considered it. He quickly calculated: the foal would just be ready to be broken and trained when Diego returns... It could make a nice present for him!
"Doña Araceli," he finally said, grinning, "it seems we are going to have a foal together!"
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