Wind of Destiny

by Christopher Nicole

  ‘Ha. You would associate with thieves and murderers,’ Lumbrera commented.

  ‘In any event, I have no fears of an attack on the plantation,’ Arnaldo said. ‘My own people are quite sufficient to guard me from bandits. They have been doing so for years.’

  ‘Ha ha. You think they will fight against Garcia? I am sorry, Don Arnaldo, but as General Blanco himself is attending the wedding, I have been commanded to maintain a strong presence on Obrigar until His Excellency leaves again. There would be a fine thing, eh, the Governor General being kidnapped from a wedding reception.’

  ‘Oh, really,’ Toni grumbled, but there was nothing anyone could do about it, and at least, as Rafael pointed out, with the Governor General himself present the police would have to behave themselves.

  In fact, their presence, with their machine guns and their rifles, helped to add to the excitement, especially when they formed a guard of honour for General Blanco’s arrival. The Governor General turned out to be a tall, thin, heavily white-bearded man, who looked more like some Biblical patriarch than a tyrant holding down a restive population. That night there was a pre-wedding ball, at which Toni of course was the guest of honour, to be presented to the great man. She had been carefully coached by Christina, but as her height did not lend itself very easily to curtseying, Christina and Carlotta both accompanied her, one on each side, to where the General stood with Don Arnaldo and Jerry and a group of men, some businessmen and dignitaries from Santiago, and several richly dressed officers from the garrison. The General wore a white uniform with a mass of medal ribbons on his left breast, and smoked a cheroot. Rafael was also there, panting with excitement — he might hate the Spanish government, but to have his wedding actually attended by the greatest man in Cuba was an immense honour. ‘My betrothed, Your Excellency,’ he said proudly. ‘The future Dona Antoinette Diaz de Obrigar.’

  His words sent Toni’s mind off at a tangent; should her full name be Antoinette Grahame de Obrigar, or Antoinette McGann de Obrigar? She would have to find that out. But meanwhile she was curtseying as low as she dared without falling over, and the general was staring down the cleavage of her off-the-shoulder ball gown — the first she had ever worn — and then taking her hands to raise her and kiss her on each cheek. ‘Such beauty,’ he said. ‘Such American beauty. I wish all your countrymen, and women, my dear senorita, could be as friendly to Spain, as yourself.’

  ‘Oh, but they are, to Cuba,’ she said without thinking.

  General Blanco stared at her, brows drawing together. ‘Cuba is but a part of Spain, my dear child,’ he remarked.

  ‘Oh, my God,’ Toni muttered at Christina when they escaped. ‘I have put my foot right in my mouth.’

  Christina gave one of her sad smiles. ‘You didn’t tell him anything he didn’t know,’ she pointed out.

  The ball went on until four in the morning. Arnaldo had imported an orchestra from Santiago, and the guests waltzed the night away. Toni got the impression that no one actually intended to go to bed at all, as the wedding was set for eleven the next morning. She danced with Rafael, who waltzed delightfully, and with Pa and Joe and Don Arnaldo, of course, and also with a couple of the handsome and dashingly uniformed young army officers from the Santiago garrison, who, if they were hated Spaniards, were also certainly the most charming gentlemen she had ever met, and was in a fine heat of perspiration and champagne and excited exhilaration when she discovered Colonel Lumbrera bowing in front of her. ‘May I have the pleasure, Senorita McGann?’

  She stared at him, mouth open, and felt a hand on her arm. ‘The senorita has already promised this dance to me, Colonel,’ Jack Lisle said. ‘I am so sorry.’

  Lumbrera straightened, looked from one to the other. ‘Then I must wait,’ he said. ‘For the pleasure of holding the senorita in my arms.’

  ‘God,’ Toni said, as she was whirled away. ‘God! I didn’t even know he was invited.’

  ‘He wasn’t,’ Lisle said. ‘He has come to escort His Excellency back to Daiquiri, and His Excellency is not yet ready to go. And as these things are usually very carefully organised in advance, I would say that he deliberately came early.’

  ‘But what he said. Thank God Rafael didn’t hear it.’

  ‘Yes,’ Lisle agreed, drily. ‘But he did not, so there is nothing for you to worry about.’ Suddenly she realised that she was actually in Jack Lisle’s arms, as they moved about the room. And for a moment she had hardly noticed. She smiled up at him. ‘I must thank you for rescuing me, sir.’

  ‘St George is my patron saint,’ he pointed out. ‘And would you not say that Colonel Lumbrera makes a passable dragon?’

  She threw back her head and laughed. She did not see how it could be possible to be happier.

  *

  She got to bed about seven, fell fast asleep, before being awakened two hours later by a room full of women, Ma, Carlotta, Christina, half a dozen maids, offering her black coffee and fussing about her as she was dragged from her bed, hardly awake, doused in a hot tub set in the middle of the floor, dried, powdered, encased in shifts and corsets, stuck in front of her dressing mirror to have her hair put up, manicured and rouged and generally painted, all in great haste and with a constant flow of excited conversation, hand waving and finger waving, in which the Spanish so delighted, while stockings were slipped up her legs and secured with blue satin garters, and her jewellery was adjusted, the diamond solitaire engagement ring given her by Rafael, the matching earrings given her by Arnaldo and Carlotta, and the gold locket and chain round her neck which had been Ma and Pa’s engagement present, and then at last it was time for the gown.

  ‘The time! ’ Carlotta kept saying. ‘What is the time?’

  ‘Five past eleven.’

  ‘Oh, my God,’ Toni muttered, realising that the noise she had been hearing for the past five minutes was the sound of the piano downstairs entertaining the guests.

  ‘All the best brides are late,’ Christina assured her, as there came a gentle knock on the door.

  ‘Anybody ready in there?’ Pa called.

  ‘Oh, heavens,’ Ma said. ‘We’d better go down.’ She and Carlotta and Christina hurried through the door, leaving Toni alone with Carlotta’s dressmaker who was making the final adjustments to the gown and veil, while Pa smiled at her from the doorway.

  ‘All ready, my sweet?’ he asked. ‘To become Mistress of Obrigar?’

  *

  Mistress of Obrigar! With all that entailed, and promised. She felt like a queen as she swept down the stairs, looking out over the assembled throng of guests, General Blanco towering above them in his white uniform. She wondered if Colonel Lumbrera had managed to be present on this occasion as well, but did not see him, although there were certainly armed police on the verandah and in the grounds. But she had eyes only for Rafael, waiting in front of the bishop, with Joe, so tall and splendid looking in his uniform and wearing his sword, at his side. Christina was standing at the foot of the steps with the bouquets, one of which she gave to her as she reached the floor, before falling into place behind her and Pa as they walked up to the improvised altar, where Rafael took her hand, guiding her to the cushion on which they would kneel during the ceremony, as the music slowly died, and there was no sound above the shuffling of feet and the odd cough.

  Toni hardly heard the words, repeated her vows mechanically, and then Rafael was moving her veil to kiss her, while a great rustle spread through the audience. Then it was done, and they were being surrounded for kisses and handshakes.

  ‘Now you are truly my sister,’ Christina said. ‘I am so happy about that.’

  ‘You have a made a beautiful bride, senora,’ General Blanco told her. ‘I am hopeful that you will bring the true beauty of tranquillity into this household.’

  A somewhat enigmatic remark, she thought. But he had called her senora. Because that was what she now was: Senora Diaz de Obrigar.

  ‘Oh, my darling,’ Ma said, holding her close. ‘I am so happy for you.’ />
  Don Arnaldo beamed, and Carlotta dabbed her eyes. And Jack Lisle kissed Toni on each cheek. ‘Now Obrigar will glow like a diamond,’ he said. He might have learned the speech from Rafael, but when he said it, it was no longer a mere gallantry.

  ‘You mean I will reflect its light,’ she said.

  He smiled. ‘No, I did not mean that, senora. But either way, it will be a warmer place.’

  Then he was gone, pushed away by the next eager male guest. Nor was he tall enough to be easily discerned in the crowd. But he would dance with her again, after luncheon. Of that she was certain.

  Except that there was to be no dancing, for her. After the ceremony it was necessary for them, accompanied by Christina and Joe, and Ma and Pa, and Arnaldo and Carlotta, to go out on to the front verandah, there to present themselves to the peons and their wives and children, several hundred strong. They had prepared an entertainment, too, the likes of which Toni had never seen before, in which two papier-mâché dragons had been constructed, which rushed at each other and made weird noises, and then joined in a kind of wrestling match which Toni at least, having been brought up on a farm, recognised as a mock mating between animals, and which was loudly applauded by the spectators, amongst them the Governor General. Then she and Rafael had to go down into their midst, tearing small bags of coins which had been handed to them by Arnaldo and Jack Lisle, to distribute them to those fortunate enough to get near enough. The pressure of the heated, sweating bodies, the rum-laden breaths, quite turned Toni’s head.

  But their own ordeal was just beginning, as they returned inside for lunch, an enormous meal which spilled over into the early evening, during which speeches were made and toasts were drunk and Toni could look through the open doors at the verandah, and Lumbrera, standing there. Then, before she really understood what was happening, really was aware of anything except that she could hardly keep her eyes open with lack of sleep the previous night, and now the amount of champagne she had drunk and the emotional exhaustion of the day, while she had not been able to eat a thing, Christina and Ma were urging her away from the throng and up the stairs. As she reached the top, the music started, and when she half turned back, the guests cheered and clapped, assuming it to be a studied gesture on her part.

  ‘You are the lucky one,’ Christina told her, as having dressed her so carefully seven hours before, they now proceeded to undress her at great speed. ‘You are going to bed. I don’t think any of the rest of us will see our beds before midnight.’

  ‘Well, I propose to sneak off just as soon as His Excellency leaves,’ Ma said. ‘I’m getting too old for this sort of thing, two nights in succession.’

  Toni said nothing. Suddenly she was nervous. She caught glimpses of herself in the mirrors as she was again powdered and perfumed. She was so big. Everywhere. Her legs were long and strong, her hips wide and powerful, her pale pubic hair thick and luxuriant, her belly hard and muscular … and her breasts were simply enormous. Ma had told her she was a woman born to be loved, and to be a mother. Did Rafael, who was really very slender, anticipate all of this? Did he understand about women. And then, Rafael … she had to start thinking about Rafael, make him the only important thing in her life.

  She remembered that he had written poetry to her body, and felt somewhat reassured.

  The satin nightgown was dropped over her head and carefully settled on her shoulders and hips. It was meant to be enticing, with the result that her breasts seemed to fall out of the skimpy, low cut, lace bodice. ‘You are irresistible,’ Christina told her. ‘Do not look so frightened. He is only a man.’ She smiled. ‘And my brother.’

  She could hear the noise coming nearer, cheering and clapping and Rafael was escorted along the gallery towards her.

  ‘Now, my love,’ Ma said. ‘Remember everything I told you, and you will be very happy.’ She kissed her on the cheek, fluffed out die pillow behind her head, made sure the sheet was folded neatly across her waist, and then went to the door with Christina, to open it at the knock.

  Remember everything she told me, Toni thought desperately. She could think of no part of it, could only stare at the door as it was thrown wide, looked at the mass of excited faces out there, and at Rafael and Joe and Don Arnaldo and Pa. Joe winked at her, Rafael was pushed inside, then the door banged shut, and suddenly they were alone.

  He wore a long nightshirt, which she found ridiculous. But he was as handsome as ever, and as gravely serious. As his cheeks were much less flushed than anyone else’s, she gathered that he must have had less to drink than anyone else, as well — including herself. She hadn’t really noticed, during the speeches and the toasting.

  ‘My dear, dear Toni,’ he said. ‘I have dreamed of this moment, every night, for more than six months.’

  ‘So have I,’ she said, not altogether untruthfully.

  ‘And you are so beautiful.’ He stood at the foot of the bed, looking at her. ‘So much more beautiful than I even imagined. The sight of you almost makes me wish to faint.’

  ‘Oh, please don’t do that,’ she said in alarm.

  He smiled. ‘I shall not. May I take off my nightshirt?’

  ‘Oh … yes, please,’ she said.

  He lifted the shirt over his head and threw it on the floor. Ma had told her exactly what to expect here too, but she was still fascinated, and not the least apprehensive. His physique was a trifle disappointing, because it was so very slender, but the muscles were there, and the huge, erect, blood-filled penis left no doubt as to either his manhood or his desire.

  ‘I do not frighten you?’ he asked.

  ‘No,’ she said. ‘No.’ Jack Lisle would have something like that, she thought, and he too would become erect at the sight of her lying in bed, waiting for him. Would Jack Lisle frighten her? she wondered. Oh, yes. The thought of Jack Lisle approaching her, naked …

  Rafael seemed a trifle disappointed by her reaction. ‘Of course,’ he remarked. ‘You have not led so sheltered a life as some girls.’

  ‘I’m a virgin, if that’s what you mean,’ she said, one of those quick replies she invariably regretted making.

  But he continued to smile. ‘I have no doubt about that.’ He sat beside her on the bed, took her in his arms and kissed her. Then he slipped a shoulder strap down her arm to expose her right breast, and kissed that too, taking the nipple gently between his teeth and seeming to pull it, very carefully. She felt quite shivery, and the tingle went right down to her toes. ‘I think you should take this right off,’ he suggested.

  ‘Oh … yes.’ She threw back the sheet, rose to her knees, and raised the nightgown over her head. While her arms were still above her head, encumbered in the garment, he seized her round the waist and kissed her breasts again and again, and then laid her on her back and moved his lips lower, while she quivered with tremendous emotion, because it was all so much more stimulating than she had imagined it could be. He was, in fact, a consummate lover, seemed to kiss every inch of her, from her head to toes, rolled her on her face to do the same to her back, had her moaning in ecstasy long before he parted her legs and knelt between. She had kept her eyes shut throughout, and felt him inside her before she knew what he was going to do. Even the pain was only a fraction of what she had anticipated, and to feel him surge back and forth within her was an experience to put with her most treasured memories.

  While with her eyes shut he could have been anyone. Or only one.

  When he lay still, she held him close to her throbbing body, eyes open now as she stared past him at the glowing chandelier. God, she thought, how lucky we women are, to be able to experience such pleasure, every night of our lives.

  If the man lying on her breast had been Jack Lisle, then joy would have been unconfined. But he was there, only a floor away, dancing … with Christina?

  Rafael raised his head to look at her, and kiss away the tear in the comer of her eye. ‘I have hurt you,’ he said. ‘Alas, it is unavoidable the first time.’

  ‘You have not hurt
me, Rafael,’ she told him. Not as much, she thought, with a sudden startling gift of prophecy, as I am one day going to hurt you.

  *

  The dancers gyrated madly, as the orchestra grew more and more excited, increasing the tempo, from time to time lapsing into obviously native rhythms which owed nothing to Strauss and had bodies moving off the beat but still maintaining sinuous and even erotic patterns. In the heat of the late afternoon, as the sun settled slowly into the west and the mosquitoes and sand flies rose from the fields, sweat and sensation, alcohol and animal instinct, were the orders of the day. The older guests, and their hosts, soon dropped out of the frenzied activity, the women to sit around the walls of the drawing room — against which all the furniture had been pushed — fans, hands and lips waving constantly, the men to cluster around the long bar tables in the dining room, where Salvador and his assistants were busily dispensing champagne, or wine, or the wine of the country, rum, mixed up into the most exciting and titillating of punches.

  Joe looked down into Christina’s face as she danced, more against him than ever in the waltzes they had shared the previous night, or earlier this evening, her eyes sometimes closed, as she allowed the beat of the music to reach her soul. He felt he was indeed looking down into the soul of a beautiful woman, and seeing passion, far more intense than he would have supposed — but not for him? Certainly she had been content to keep most of her dances for him, while Lisle had not danced with her all afternoon.

  The band paused for breath and refreshment, and the dancers gratefully followed their example. Joe discovered that he was both near a doorway on to the verandah, and one of Salvador’s footmen, who was taking advantage of the lull to circulate with a tray of punches. He released Christina for just long enough to secure two glasses, then put his arm back round her shoulders and escorted her outside, where it was already dark enough to obscure identity, once they left the glare of the lighted doorway.