The Forbidden Promise

by Helena Rose

  He went into the study, where he saw a dim light coming from some candles and found Doña Raquel, sitting at her desk with a picture of Federico in her hands.

  "Have you come to make fun of my misfortune and my pain?" She asked without lifting her head to look at him.

  "You know I'm not that kind of person. I came to tell you that I'm sorry for what happened and that I’ll give provisions so that a worthy funeral can be arranged for Federico." Replied Lucas.

  "What happened is your fault, and I swear you'll pay for it," she hissed, her face distorted by anger and fury. "I’ll destroy you and your family as you did to mine!"

  "Don’t you think that after so many misfortunes, the time has come to stop this useless hatred?"

  "Never," exclaimed Doña Raquel vehement. "Since you were little, since the first day I saw you, when your father took me to this house for the first time, I understood what kind of bad person you were. I sensed immediately that you would be my downfall and for that I’ve done everything to remove you from my path! I’ll not rest until I see you destroyed! Now get out of my house."

  Lucas did not bother to reply to the last insults. Now that he had won, he did not wish to rejoice in the misfortunes of the defeated.

  "I'm sorry you think so," he sighed sadly. "I'll let you know about the funeral," he said, heading for the door.

  Doña Raquel picked up a heavy inkstand and threw it at Lucas who promptly managed to dodge it.

  "Get out and never come back!" She shouted as Lucas walked away shaking his head.

  He left, closing the door behind him. Doña Raquel is completely insane ... he thought sadly.

  A few days later Federico’s funeral was held. Only a few loyal people accompanied the coffin. All the friends that Doña Raquel had had when she was rich and respected had suddenly disappeared after the inheritance trial. There was, however, a crowd of onlookers, like jackals that had come to feast on the misfortunes and the ruins of the most powerful family on the east coast.

  Aurora stared at Raquel’s impassive face then said in Lucas’ ear, "She seems to have lost her mind!"

  "I am afraid so," Lucas said.

  Doña Raquel, her face pale and haggard, moved slowly, like an automaton. She was dressed all in black, her head covered by dark and gloomy veils, her hands clasped hold of a flower. She seemed to completely ignore the existence of the people around her.

  Yet, Aurora felt a strange evil aura coming from Doña Raquel, so much so that she shivered involuntarily. Lucas noticed it and hugged her to him.

  In the meantime, while the funeral took place, Don José left Tampico accompanied by two policemen. He had finally got a search warrant from the magistrate and was heading to the Navarra house to search for conclusive evidence that would condemn Doña Raquel.

  He quickly reached the house and dismounted. The main door was locked, so he went to the service entrance that opened into the kitchen. He called one of the policemen to force open the door. Once inside, he immediately noticed the desolation and neglect that prevailed. The servants had left the house, pain and death hung in the rooms like invisible cobwebs.

  Don José moved cautiously among the various rooms, rummaging in the study and living room. Then he headed upstairs to search the bedrooms. He went immediately into Doña Raquel’s room. He opened the huge wardrobe and began to search among the clothes, all meticulously ordered, everything black and sad. Then, suddenly, badly folded at the bottom of the wardrobe, he saw a cloak. He grabbed the material and opened it up. It was the same silk damask, as the fragment found by Viviana. Full of emotion, he took the piece of fabric from his pocket and put it against the cloak. The material was identical. He carefully checked that the ripped hem matched the fragment in his possession. The fabric fitted perfectly. A cry of joy broke from his lips, he had finally found the proof that would nail Raquel Navarra y Reyes to her atrocities.

  He called one of the policemen.

  "Go to the barracks and organize a group of policemen to guard the cemetery entrance," he ordered in a firm voice. " At the end of the ceremony arrest Doña Raquel immediately!"

  " At once," said the policeman, leaving, but Don José stopped him.

  "Be sure to do it at the end of the funeral, I don’t want Don Federico’s funeral to be disturbed in any way, this at least, we can do for her."

  The policemen nodded and hurried to carry out Don José’s orders.

  In a short time, a group of policemen lined up silently in front of the Tampico cemetery gates, taking care not to disturb the funeral ceremony.

  Nevertheless, Viviana turned around, she looked with sadness at the few familiar faces present at the funeral, as much as she hated Raquel it did not seem right that all of her supposed friends had abandoned her in her time of need. She then noticed a strange movement outside the gates and saw the policemen lined up waiting, she knew what was coming and could not help but think that finally justice would be done.

  Father Julian, meanwhile, delivered a moving homily and after saying the last prayer, blessed the coffin that was lowered into the grave. Doña Raquel, standing like a statue, without shedding a tear, raised her hand and threw the flower that she still clutched in her hands on to the coffin.

  After the ceremony, people began to disperse. The women dressed in black mourning clothes and the men with a black armband on their sleeve.

  The policemen scrutinized each face as the people passed through gate but did not see Doña Raquel. Don José arrived and joined his men.

  Aurora accompanied by Lucas and Viviana, passed in front of Don José and stopped to say hello.

  Aurora turned to see where Raquel was and if she now understood that her days of freedom were over. But she could not see her.

  "Come on," Lucas said, moving her gently forward, "I don’t want to watch this scene. My father can now finally rest in peace and my life has taken its rightful course. But I’ve no desire to witness Raquel’s defeat. Indeed, may God prevent me from meeting her again."

  Aurora nodded and together with Viviana they return to their respective homes.

  When everyone had gone, Don José gave the order to his men to enter and scour the cemetery. The policemen began to patrol the sad and lonely paths between the graves, but they found no trace of Raquel.

  "We don’t know where she is, Captain!" Said a policeman that came back to report to Don José.

  " Damn it!" He cursed. "Search the whole town! Organize patrols, send three men back to the hacienda to search for her there! "

  The policemen obeyed and began to scour every inch of the town. A small group went to search the Navarra hacienda, but found no trace of Doña Raquel, who seemed to have vanished into thin air.

  Don José did not wish to give up and with the arrival of several negative reports he intensified efforts. The investigation continued for several weeks but at the end Don José was forced to surrender and declare that she had disappeared. Nobody ever saw Raquel Navarra y Reyes again.

  In Zacatecas the mine had finally begun to function again and an abundant extraction of silver had resumed.

  Aurora had taken up her role as doctor in her clinic once more. The days passed serenely.

  After a few weeks spent blissfully in their hacienda, Lucas had to leave Zacatecas to attend to some business matters and together they returned to Tampico.

  That evening Aurora planned a small dinner for friends and family.

  While they waited for the guests to arrive, Lucas walked over to Aurora who was intent on arranging the final details on the table. He encircled her waist and kissed her passionately.

  Aurora ran her hands through his black hair.

  " Love, I’ve a surprise for you! I wanted to wait to tell you but I can’t resist!"

  " What is it?" he asked curiously.

  "We are expecting our first child," she exclaimed laughing.

  Lucas picked her up and twirled her round covering her with kisses.

  "It's wonderful news, my love! "
/>   " Put me down, Lucas! You’re making me dizzy!"

  Lucas put her down and kissed her gently on the lips.

  " It’s the perfect seal to our eternal love."

  Aurora nodded, returning the kiss.

  Their tenderness was interrupted by the arrival of the guests.

  Marisol entered the small dining room of Lucas’ house in Tampico, accompanied by Cristobal and little Matteo. The two had decided to adopt Matteo as soon as they could get married, after the period of mourning.

  Viviana was accompanied by Don José, although not officially a couple, the gossip about their relationship became more and more insistent.

  Dr. Peron and Father Julian came last, carrying a basket of sweets made by the nuns and a bouquet of flowers for Aurora.

  The cook, hired especially for the occasion, served a delicious meal and everyone, happy and relaxed, enjoyed the delicious food and each other's company.

  Aurora and Lucas, between courses, announced their news.

  Viviana was moved and ran to embrace Aurora, while Marisol and Cristobal happily congratulated them.

  After dinner, Lucas and Cristobal, went out into the garden to drink a cognac, while the other guests remained chatting amiably in the living room.

  The laughter coming from inside warmed their hearts as they sat under the starry sky.

  "I have decided to outsource the Navarra estate and return permanently to Zacatecas," said Lucas, slowly breathing in the salty scent that the sea breeze carried. "I'm tired of constantly going back and forward to Tampico and now I want to enjoy my family."

  " You won’t live in the Navarra hacienda then? Even though it’s now a few weeks since Federico’s death and Raquel’s disappearance?"

  Lucas shook his head.

  " No, Aurora prefers to stay here, in this old house when we stay in Tampico, although it seems a bit small to me. She says it is the place where we fell in love and she doesn’t want to leave ... you know what women are like!"

  Cristobal nodded with a smile.

  "I have some news for you, as you may know, I've asked Marisol to marry me and she has agreed, so I’m thinking of settling in Tampico and not returning to Spain. If you want I can take care of the administration of your hacienda when you're away."

  "I could not wish for a better steward," exclaimed Lucas.

  "Thank you for your appreciation, Mr Navarra" replied Cristobal.

  "Perhaps it is time that we used first names, I consider you a friend, a dear friend." Lucas said shaking his hand.

  Cristobal gave him a slap on the shoulder and they stayed outside gazing at Tampico’s amazing starry night sky, finally enjoying the peace and happiness for which they had fought so hard for.

  Epilogue - One year later

  A gentle breeze blew across the lawn of the hacienda in Zacatecas. At these altitudes, despite the beautiful bright sun, the days were always clear and breezy, while fluffy white clouds floated across the sky.

  Aurora, sitting on a bench, was reading a novel, Pasionarias by Manuel Maria Flores, one of her favorite books.

  Maybe it was better to say that she was trying to read, given the joyful cries that came from her twins Lucrecia and Eduardo who were playing nearby.

  For the umpteenth time, her attention was distracted from the same page in the book to see what was happening. The twins were playing with wooden toys looked after by Yolanda who seemed to be enjoying herself more than they were.

  She is preparing for her forthcoming motherhood, Aurora thought happily, noting the obvious roundness of Yolanda’s abdomen.

  " Yolanda, don’t get too tired ..." advised Aurora. "I wouldn’t like to be forced to do a cesarean section."

  " No, Aurora, don’t worry, I'm not tired, I'm having such fun!"

  " I wouldn’t want Pablo to be angry with me because I’m not taking good enough care of you!"

  Aurora saw Lucas approaching from the house. With rapid strides he reached the lawn, patted the children and went to kiss Aurora.

  "What a surprise, love! How come you're not working?" she asked pleasantly surprised.

  Lucas smiled.

  "I missed you too much, so I decided to join you. In addition, these letters have arrived from Tampico."

  Lucas handed her the envelopes and Aurora looked at them curiously. One was from her mother, the other from her cousin Marisol.

  She opened the letter from Marisol first, as soon as she read it she hugged Lucas happily.

  "I’m so happy! Marisol and Cristobal have become engaged! They’re having a masked party to celebrate the event!"

  Lucas laughed.

  "A masked party? Marisol hasn’t lost her extravagant habits."

  "Yes, that's true. She wrote that she was inspired by the Carnival in Venice. She wants to go to Italy for her honeymoon. I'm happy for them, finally even Marisol, after so much pain will have her fair share of happiness, like we have."

  " We could offer the Navarra hacienda in Tampico as the venue for the party, what do you think?" Lucas suggested, "It’s time for some joy to finally banish the ghosts of the past and the shadows of painful memories."

  "It's a great idea, Lucas, I’ll write and tell her straight away."

  Aurora stood up from the bench and walked towards the house, asking Yolanda to look after the children.

  She went into the study and sat down at her desk. She wrote a reply to Marisol congratulating her and offering the Navarra hacienda in which to host the party. Then, she calmly began to read her mother’s letter. Doña Viviana now led a quiet life, serene and at peace. She had finally buried her old pain and remorse and now that Aurora also knew the truth, the past no longer tormented her. She spent her days devoted to charity auctions for the parish, visiting Costantino’s grave in the cemetery and, with Don José’s friendly calls. The affection and attention which Don José showed Viviana was apparent, and she knew in her heart that she was not indifferent. But what right do I have to even hope to begin to be happy again with another man after your father? Viviana wrote anxiously, I could never betray his memory.

  Aurora stopped reading for a moment and thought about her mother remarried to another man, she could not deny feeling a twinge of jealousy and regret. But then, she roused herself, she was a grown woman, she had her own family and lived far away. Viviana was alone, with no one close to keep her company. It was not fair to condemn her mother's desire to have someone at her side again. And Aurora knew that only with her consent and approval would Viviana be able to be serene again. She continued reading the letter, thinking. Viviana soon came to the point, her slightly more uncertain handwriting showed the emotions she had felt when she had written the words, Don José has openly declared his wish to marry me, after a fitting period of mourning. I didn’t know what to say to him, but I must confess that my mind immediately began to fantasize about a new life at his side.

  Yes, Aurora had understood, her mother would accept in the end. And this absolutely did not mean a betrayal of Costantino’s memory and his wish to see Viviana completely happy.

  Lucas entered the study and Aurora shared Viviana's news with him.

  "It's right that she is happy, isn’t it?" Lucas asked "For years she suffered because of her love for my uncle and hatred towards Raquel that separated them. Now everything is buried and she can start to be happy albeit, not with your father." Lucas looking angry added, "Another victim of that damn Raquel."

  " I hate her with all my being," exclaimed Aurora. "How I would like to see her in prison, in the place that she deserves!"

  Lucas came up to her and hugged her.

  "Who knows where she is now and what she’s doing. I just hope that she isn’t inflicting her cruelty on anyone else."

  Tampico market square was as always crowded with people, busy maids, local people, rich curious bourgeois, old people, children running between the stalls.

  Among all this confusion and this clamor, a figure moved fast and silent, wearing simple clothes, a colorful sca
rf on her head tied with a knot on her forehead and black eyes lowered, eternally watching the cobblestones.

  On her arm she carried a wicker basket. She walked over to a stall and bought two tortillas, then, a little later she bought some fruit. She put the food in her basket and covered it with a handkerchief.

  Soon after, she headed towards the prison building.

  No one would have recognized that the humble woman, dressed in poor clothes, her face pale, emaciated and marked by suffering, had once been one of the most admired and feared women on the east coast, Doña Raquel Navarra y Reyes.

  A year had passed since her last appearance in Tampico at Federico’s funeral. She was now back with a single thought in her now clouded mind, absolute revenge. She would begin relentlessly from the last in order of importance and step by step to arrive at the apex, the death of those that she hated most; Lucas, Aurora and Viviana.

  She slowed her pace for a moment, struck by her own memories. It hurt her, hurt a lot, recalling the time when everything had finished and her new life had begun. Only a few friends had participated at Federico’s funeral because she, Doña Raquel Navarra y Reyes, always so admired and feared, was now disgraced, humiliated, impoverished and defeated. She relived for a moment the burial of the coffin, all those curious eyes turned on her, waiting for her to collapse, for her to cave in. But I'm stronger, nobody will ever make me yield! She thought. She had managed to remain motionless, like stone, her face covered by black veils, her steady hand that threw a flower on the coffin. Then she had looked up at the gate and had seen the policemen lined up, waiting for someone. For her, of course. It’s over, it's over ...

  No! This could not happen to her, she who had dominated, destroyed, and suppressed anyone who got in her path. People were starting to disperse, and she had hastened to follow them, her face always veiled, her pace slow but sure. With cunning she joined a group of women dressed in mourning, their voices already relaxed and animated, commenting on the disgrace that had just happened. Raquel had repressed the urge to tighten her hands around their throats and strangle them. She must not attract attention, it was a matter of a few precious moments. She turned to see if anyone had noticed her, no, everyone was busy talking to each other, no longer interested in her, an outcast, a shadow of herself. Silently, with stealthy steps, she had turned into a side path and had hidden behind a massive tomb with a stern angel pointing his finger to the sky. From there she had crept towards the outer wall of the cemetery, where there were the mausoleum in which the old colonial families were laid to rest. There had to be an escape, an unguarded exit. But she could not find one, and time was now running out. Soon the policemen would come and get her. She had not hesitated a moment, she had opened the door of one of the many funeral mausoleums and had gone in. She closed the door and hid behind one of the majestic granite sarcophagi. She had heard the footsteps of the policemen move around the cemetery, voices that called her, but she had remained there, still, motionless, waiting. Then, shortly after, nothing, just silence and finally the creaking noise of the gate in the distance being closed for the night. It would not be reopened until the morning.