The Forbidden Promise

by Helena Rose

  Raquel trembled again at the memory of those terrible moments, so much so that she had to stop and lean against a wall to keep from falling. A shooting pain pierced her brain at the thought of that dreadful night.

  She had slumped on the floor of the gloomy mausoleums, exhausted, as if the last effort to avoid capture and ultimately ruin, had drained her of every bit of vital energy. She had stayed there, waiting for dawn, unable to move, her eyes moving restlessly between the mausoleum’s details, the faded flowers, the statues of severe frowning angels, the bas-reliefs of Christ bleeding and suffering, the demons defeated by armies of angels who wrestled between the coils of snakes and spirals of smoke. Suddenly she had realized that one of the devils had turned and was staring at her, grinning. She understood that they were waiting for her, that she too would finish among them writhing and screaming for eternity in the throes of suffering. She could not repress an anguished scream that echoed in the silence of the night. But no one had heard. She had jumped up to escape that deadly suffocating prison, but had stumbled on the hem of her dress and had fallen. Her eyes found themselves staring into the face of a terrible angel, his finger pointing at her, a harsh look of accusation in the cold marble eyes. You will pay... Raquel had heard the relentless condemnation vibrate in her ears. But now she had no more strength to resist and had remained there, crying, screaming as she had felt the tentacles of terror approach her on the dirty floor, her limbs motionless and helpless. Then she had realized, it was not fear that kept her trapped, but the coils of the serpent demon from hell that had come to take her to eternal damnation.

  Raquel could no longer remember how she had spent the rest of the night. Her mind had erased everything, she had found herself at a certain point in a ray of light that passed under the door. With a tremendous effort, she had got up and, trembling had pushed the door open and gone out of the mausoleum. The dawn light hurt her eyes, but inside she had felt wild joy. She, Raquel Navarra y Reyes had also survived hell, she was even stronger than Satan! No one would ever be able to defeat her and stop her from getting revenge on all her enemies!

  Raquel, recovering from the whirlwind of memories, began walking again with the wicker basket grasped in her hand, her steps once more certain and decided, her lips twisted into a smile.

  She could not stop the flood of memories that had inexplicably assaulted her, but subsequent events had made her harder, stronger and invincible, able to fulfill the role of an avenging spirit that she had taken on.

  When the caretaker had reopened the huge cemetery gate, it had been easy to leave without being noticed. Without taking off her veils she had bought some simply clothes with the few coins that she had had left. Then she had asked a coachman that was heading to San Luis Portosì for a ride.

  Raquel smiled at the memory of the amazement on his face when she had killed him to steal all his money. And then a whole year in San Luis, living on her wits.

  But she had survived, ready to come back stronger than ever. The news of the lavish masked engagement party between Marisol and Cristobal, at the hacienda that had been hers, had convinced her that it was time to act. The whole area was speaking about the party and it had not been difficult for her to discover all the details of the high-society event of the year.

  She had returned to Tampico, ready for absolute revenge. But first she had to devote herself to the minor pieces on the chessboard, to that damn traitor who had contributed to her downfall.

  She arrived in sight of the prison and assumed the air of a simpleton again. She asked the guard on duty to be able to visit a prisoner showing the food she had brought. The guard scowled and made her wait in the street. Shortly after, he took her into the office of the corporal on duty.

  " Who would you like to see?"

  " Penelope Robles," she said hoarsely, "I’m a distant relative and I’ve come to visit her. Her nephew and niece, Santos and Yolanda sent me."

  " That witch never receives visitors." Muttered the corporal, "Alright, let her go in. Only for five minutes!" He ordered the guard.

  The guard took Raquel down some gloomy stairs, to a long underground corridor, lit only by slits with gratings and torches attached to the wall. The various cells, places of degradation and decay opened on to the corridor.

  The guard stopped, took his keys and opened the cell.

  " Witch!" he shouted rudely. "There’s a visitor for you!" The guard pushed Raquel in and locked the bars behind her.

  "Just five minutes!" Reminded the guard as he walked away.

  Penelope, dressed in a kind of grimy gray dress, stood up slowly from her pallet. She had aged, her hair graying, her haggard face even sharper.

  " Who are you?" She asked curiously. The twilight helped Raquel to hide until the last moment.

  "Santos and Yolanda sent me," said Raquel disguising her voice as much as possible. "I’ve brought you some food."

  Raquel uncovered the basket and put her right hand in. Penelope approached without looking up to see her visitor’s face, all of her attention was on the tortillas and fruit. Her eyes immediately lighted up with greed and gluttony.

  "Kind Santos and Yolanda, remembering their aunt who fell into disgrace." Crooned her dull voice. She did not notice the right hand that quickly withdrew the dagger hidden at the bottom of the basket and lunged at her. She felt the cold knife stab her three times in rapid succession.

  She did not have time to scream before falling to the ground. In agony, she saw her visitor bending over her, loosening the knot of the scarf and letting down a cascade of black, smooth hair, now flecked with many gray strands. That hair that she had carefully combed many times, while they had woven their evil plots together.

  "Do you recognize me now, my dear Penelope?" asked Raquel smiling.

  Penelope did not have the strength to answer. She died with her eyes wide open, while a mute look of astonishment appeared on her face at the last moment. Raquel stood up, satisfied. She had been recognized.

  She tucked her hair under the scarf again and with difficulty she positioned Penelope’s body on the mattress, sitting back against the wall, in front of the basket, as if she was staring at it spellbound with her head down. Then, hearing the guard’s footsteps approaching, she pretended to give a cordial goodbye to Penelope and waited to leave the cell. The guard did not notice anything and escorted Raquel upstairs. She went out into the road and disappeared in the crowded streets.

  When the guards became aware of the murder it was too late to track down the mysterious woman.

  Lucas and Aurora arrived in Tampico two days before the masked party. They were accompanied by Santos who had been called by the prison guards to take care of his aunt’s funeral. The news had arrived by telegram and had upset the quiet stillness in Zacatecas.

  Yolanda was the only one who felt sincere sadness for Penelope, but her advanced state of pregnancy prevented her from traveling to Tampico with them. Furthermore, in agreement with Aurora and Lucas, she had preferred to stay in Zacatecas to look after the twins Eduardo and Lucrecia.

  However, the news unnerved Aurora beyond words.

  "Penelope’s death really bothers me, Lucas," she said anxiously. "I fear that this is Raquel’s work."

  "Don’t worry, my dear, with Penelope’s shady activities she will certainly have had other enemies. No one has seen Raquel in Tampico since Federico’s funeral."

  Aurora sighed, agitated.

  "I’ve a bad feeling about this, Lucas ... I'm scared."

  Lucas had hugged and kissed her passionately, to drive away the bad omen that tormented Aurora’s mind.

  Once in Tampico, they unloaded their bags at their town house. Even though the luxury Navarra hacienda was now available to them, Lucas had absolutely no intention of staying there. He limited himself to managing only the plantation, currently administered by Cristobal, and only rarely went to visit it.

  Lucas and Santos accompanied Aurora to her mother’s house, and then went without delay to Don José, to
deal with Penelope’s death.

  Doña Viviana was extremely pleased to see Aurora. The two women embraced happily. Viviana was still in mourning, but had passed from wearing black dresses to very sober, dark colors. Today she was wearing a dark blue dress with light colored lace at the wrists and the neck. Her bronze hair was gathered loosely on her head and she wore light and delicate make-up.

  "Aurora, I am so glad to see you," she said, smiling. "You’re becoming more and more beautiful, motherhood is doing you a world of good! But tell me, how are my grandchildren?"

  "They're fine, mother, they’ve grown a lot since you were last in Zacatecas! You should come more often! "

  " You're right, the mountain air is definitely good for you." Replied Viviana.

  "Yes , the air is light and crisp in Zacatecas, but sometimes I miss the sea. When the children are older we'll come more often so I can take them to play on the beach, or go boating on the lakes . "

  The two women sat down on the couch.

  Aurora looked down.

  "I read your letter, mother," she said shyly.

  Viviana was silent, waiting.

  " I don’t think you should torment yourself too much. Forgive me if I say, but the memories of the past have already ruined your life enough. Now, if you’ve the prospect of happiness, you should not let it escape, don’t remain tied to the past."

  Aurora saw that her mother was moved.

  "I miss Costantino so much..." She whispered, "I think about him every day and I feel alone, abandoned, like the only survivor of a shipwreck. But when José comes to visit me, I forget all the bitterness, every thought, every pain. He’s so sweet and understanding with me."

  " Accept his courtship, then, and after the period of mourning remarry."

  "Will I look like a ridiculous old lady?"

  Aurora smiled.

  "No one who knows you will think of you as a ridiculous old lady. You know that you're still the most beautiful woman in Tampico."

  "Only because you now live in Zacatecas." She replied.

  " Tomorrow night will you come to Marisol’s masked party?"

  " José insists. Obviously I’ll not dance, but since it’s Marisol’s engagement I think I can participate. She often comes to visit me with little Matteo. You know that Cristobal has begun the procedure to legally adopt him?"

  " Poor little thing! I hope his mother in heaven is happy for him, poor thing."

  " We’ll all be together again in the hacienda, then," commented Viviana.

  Aurora nodded.

  "I'm really worried, mother," said Aurora. "You’ve surely heard of Penelope Robles’ death..."

  Vivian nodded.

  " José is investigating it, he was really angry when his men told him of the murder! I can’t understand how it could have happened under the prison guards’ noses."

  "I’ve a bad feeling about it. I'm scared, Penelope’s murder shocked me. What if it were Raquel?" Aurora went on.

  " No," the answer came immediately. "It can’t be her! We finally defeated that wicked soul a year ago. No one has seen her since and I'm sure that she has nothing to do with it."

  "I hope so, mother. I hope so."

  The night of the big party, all Tampico was in turmoil. Don Miguel and Doña Clara Vargas de Coronado Rivera had lined the road between the town and the hacienda with torches to illuminate the way.

  The big house was decorated festively and the ballroom had been opened for the occasion. Marisol had preferred not to have the party outdoors in the park, as it would have reminded her of the reception for her first marriage. The masked party had been her idea, as a release and renewal from the pain of the past. Having the party at the Navarra hacienda would be a symbol of victory, of joy and of living compared to the tragedies of the past.

  For the occasion, the Count of Rivera had hired a bevy of servants and Lucas had granted Cristobal the use of the villa, giving him carte blanche, so the furniture had been moved, the walls repainted, and the carpets changed.

  The guests, some coming from as far as Veracruz and Mexico City, had already arrived.

  Marisol was radiant in a water nymph costume, her blonde hair in soft curls, in an exquisite long blue dress, veils of a greenish hue were attached to the sleeves and to the skirt and moved like sinuous waves. White lace mimicked the foam of the sea and she wore an emerald blue colored mask. On her arm, Cristobal was dressed as Fire, with a scarlet red jacket and pants, yellow, orange and red veils sewn on the sleeves and chest, and a mask painted in the same sunny tones.

  Aurora and Lucas arrived a little later; she dressed as the Moon, her dark blue velvet gown studded with shining stones and silver lace, with a mask in the shape of the moon, her wavy bronze hair left loose on her shoulders. Lucas smartly dressed in a blue jacket with dark blue pants and a golden mask with rays of copper to represent the Sun.

  Viviana came behind them, on Don José’s arm. She wore an elegant dark blue dress, with sober blue embroidery and a cerulean blue mask. Don José was dressed in civilian clothes, but he also wore a mask like all the guests.

  The festival began auspiciously; the guests enjoyed themselves, surprised and amused to recognize their friends under the exquisite and elegant masks.

  Marisol and Aurora hugged warmly, exchanging secrets of the recent months.

  "I'm finally happy!" Marisol whispered to Aurora "I’ve put everything behind me, I now have Cristobal and my little Matteo, I feel really complete. All I wish for is tranquility in my daily and home life like you have with Lucas."

  "I'm really happy for you, Marisol," replied Aurora. She then went to greet Don Miguel and Doña Clara. Doña Clara dressed as Isabella of Castile and her husband as Ferdinand of Aragon.

  Lucas joined her shortly after and requested a dance.

  At the end of the dance, the guests went to the buffet table, richly laden, on one end soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, on the other much sought after and sophisticated food.

  In the whirl of masks, elegant dresses, feathers and precious stones, no one noticed a masked woman: her dress black with a deep neckline, black lace with small pearls, and a black mask that covered almost her entire face.

  She moved quietly, smiling amiably to the people she met, without saying a word. Nobody asked who she was, at a masked party, concealing your identity was part of the game. With class and nonchalance, she walked over to the windows and hiding behind the heavy curtains, quietly, without anyone noticing anything she closed the windows one by one.

  Then she walked to the front door that led directly to the park. She took a key and turned it in the lock. What fools, they should have changed the locks! This is my home and will always be mine! Now the sacred purifying fire will transform it into the terrible fire of hell and burn all my enemies!

  When the band stopped playing for a break, the woman dressed in black, drew everyone's attention, raising her glass filled with wine.

  "Ladies and gentleman, excuse me! Pay attention, please! "

  Everyone turned, curious, Aurora and Lucas were still entwined from the last dance.

  "I would like to propose a toast to Don Cristobal and Doña Marisol’s future marriage! And I want to raise my glass to the owner of this hacienda, the good, generous and honest Don Lucas Navarra y Reyes and his wife Doña Aurora!"

  All the guests a little bewildered raised their glasses following the suggestion of the masked woman.

  The woman, after a moment, her arm raised with the glass in her hand, smiled. Then, suddenly she turned her wrist and poured the blood red liquid on the ground.

  The guests were stunned by the insult. Aurora trembled in Lucas’ arms.

  "It's her! It’s Raquel!" She said, in a panic.

  The black figure, laughed and tore off her mask. Everyone recognized the beautiful and cruel face of Raquel Navarra y Reyes, who had returned to take revenge.

  Raquel walked up to one of the silver candlesticks and picked it up.

  "You thought I was defeated
, unable to take revenge and return to fight for what belongs to me! But now I'm here!" She stepped back, staring at the flickering flames and then went to one of the heavy curtains. “I've been to hell and I've re-emerged to take revenge on those who wronged me and took everything!"

  Right before the eyes of the petrified guests, she turned around and set fire to the curtain. Then move to the next, setting fire to the second.

  "Stop her!" shouted Aurora. "She's completely crazy!"

  Lucas, Don Cristobal and José immediately sprang towards her, while the rest of the guests, in terror, tried to find a way out, hindering the three men.

  Raquel, meanwhile, seemed in the grip of the devil. With satanic screaming, she grabbed a bottle of tequila and threw it hard against the burning curtains. With a flash, the flames exploded upward, devouring the fabric and spreading to the surrounding carpets.