Chapter 3

Leonel woke up with a big hangover after all that drinking the day before and sat down to have breakfast with his wife and daughter with the little shame he still had left.

“As he grew old, he began to embarrass us by falling drunk in taverns.” Squeeze.

“Stay calm woman, it's not for that. I'm here in one piece, aren't I?”

“How is it not for so much Leonel? It took that man to drive you home because you couldn't stand up.”

"That man in town, I still owe him that damn favor."

“Did he bring you here, Atilio?” Guadalupe asked, interested in the tenor of her parents' conversation.

"And he seemed worried by his father's age and lack of judgment..."

Lupe's heart filled with hope and she didn't even know why knowing that made her smile.

"So he's not a bad man like I thought." She says, letting out a breath of faith.

“Maybe it isn’t, we know little yet about it pays to make judgments.” Esther recalled, served her daughter and husband a cake while watching Lupe smile for no reason.

Atilio started to attend mass regularly to see Guadalupe, Gabriel was always around and didn't like his rival's looks at that girl he had loved so much since he was a child and he believed to be his fiancée.

The priest had scheduled the confirmation ceremony in which Guadalupe, Luiza, and another young woman from the village would receive the sacrament.

“Your blessing Father.” Atilio asked, kissing the priest's hand.

“God bless you, son.”

“If you allow, I want to host a dinner at my house for the young women's family. Maybe so believe in my good intentions and stop making so many judgments about me?” He says, sketching a cordial smile.

“I can talk to them this afternoon, it would be a good opportunity for you to get better relationships with the residents here.”

“I will prepare everything and on Sunday night after the ceremony, I will wait for everyone at my house.” Atilio says, signing the commitment with the priest.

At the end of the day, after organizing the church's events, the priest went to Gabriel and Luiza's house to make the invitation.

Saul had to be firm to convince his son to accept this dinner, after a lot of conversation, he accepted after all it was an important part of the life of his sister and Guadalupe.

If he didn't go, he would leave the way free for Atilio to approach him and he would never allow that.

“Dad, can I go with the priest to the house in Guadalupe? It's just been days since we talked and she had asked me to go.” Luiza asks, remembering her friend's request.

"If the priest doesn't mind taking you with him in the buggy." Saul says.

“Of course, she can come and then we talk more about the confirmation.”

They went there, and as soon as they arrived they were greeted by Esther with a smile.

“Please sit down, I will call Guadalupe and my husband.” Esther invites them, leading them to the living room.

“I have come to invite you to a dinner that will be held for the young confirmed women.” The priest says as he sits down.

“Yes, Father and where would that dinner be?” Leonel asks, arriving in the room and greeting them.

“At Atilio's house, he asked me to invite the families. Because they once refused his invitation for no reason.”

“My father refused the first time without even giving him a chance to meet this man.” Guadalupe arrived and tried to get involved in that conversation.

"And then he was so kind to bring your father home a few days ago."

“So I see no reason for a refusal. This man has done much for the social causes of the church and without any interest in it.” The priest was firm in his mission to undo the bad impression they had of Atilio.

Guadalupe was beginning to have a feeling of affection for this man who seemed so charitable and full of good intentions with everyone.

“Auntie, can I take a walk with Guadalupe outside for a moment?” Luiza asks, really wanting to be alone with her friend.

“Of course, I do, daughter, but stay close.” Esther says, seeing the two-run outside.

“Don't delay Luiza, we'll have to come back soon.” The priest warns her.

“Not before you eat the cake I just made, Father.”

The two left arm in arm and went to talk near the fence.

“ We haven't spoken for so many days, since my mother got sick I stayed with her all the time and we only spoke briefly at mass.” Luiza regretted not being able to be more present in Guadalupe's life. as before.

"That's true."

“I heard some rumors about this guy Atilio who gave us this invitation...”

“What kind of rumors?” Guadalupe asked and as much as she denied herself, she wanted to know more about him.

"That in the city, he was very flirtatious and used to dishonor every girl he wanted."

“Rumors can also be false.” Guadalupe didn't want that to be true, the two continued walking as they spoke.

“Don't you think it's weird that he wants to give this dinner to the three of us? Doesn't it look a little strange, Guadalupe?”

"He might have changed, I don't know what to think yet, after the two times we've met." She swallows hard as she remembers.

“Did you meet him? Come on, tell me everything.” Luiza guided her friend and they sat on a large log.

“I couldn't tell you before, but he found me as I rode on horseback taking the food to my father. He scared Sunbeam and if it hadn't been for his brother to find us and take me away I don't know what he wanted to say to me...” Guadalupe smooths her hands, showing nervousness.

“But did he ever tell you anything? Did he try something with you?”

“There was no time, Gabriel took me very quickly from there.”

“Gabriel didn’t tell me any of that, maybe he was so irritated that he didn’t even want to talk about it.”

“And at church on Sunday, I was waiting for my mother in the sacristy. He came in, I got scared and instead of getting out of there, I ran into his arms.”

“Did he touch you, Lupe?” Louise's eyes widened.

"Yes, he held me tight against his body and I still remember the heat of his breath on my face." Guadalupe didn't know how to describe that feeling, fear, or pleasure?

“God, did your father know about this audacity?”

"No, and my mom asked us to keep it a secret, it doesn't look good for anyone to know he laid hands on me even if it was inside the church."

“My brother would kill Atilio! Think about it friend, marry my brother Gabriel. He has loved you forever and has been waiting for you for so long like a fool.”

"He knows my decision, his brother needs to have a family and if he doesn't get married he's going to get old." Guadalupe says, getting up.

“What about this Atilio guy?”

"What about him?" She stopped and thought.

“Did you feel anything when he touched you? Any feelings of love?” Luiza was curious about Guadalupe's feelings and knew that her brother's happiness depended on them.

“I think a mixture of fear and apprehension.”

"He's a handsome man, but too dangerous and especially for someone like you Lupe."

Guadalupe felt bad about Luíza's advice, she didn't like being judged for her disability.

not far from there

Atilio prepared everything with great care, the mansion was beautiful and he had hired other employees to help Amelia during that dinner.

As much as it was just three families and the priest, he wanted to surprise everyone and prove that he was a wealthy man.

Soon he saw the reason for that meeting, she was beautiful in a wine-colored dress, and her green eyes seemed even brighter that night.

"Goodnight. Please make yourself comfortable!” Atilio says, trying to control the eyes on Guadalupe.

“Thank you and I want to take the opportunity to thank you for that night...” Leonel thought he should say thank you.

“No need to thank me and if I may say it with all due respect, your daughter is the most beautiful young woman I have ever seen!” Atilio said that joke, he didn't think he could be seen with a disrespectful tone.

"Thank the boy’s daughter..." Esther asked giving her daughter a light nudge.

Guadalupe was silent and embarrassed while her family looked at that mansion in amazement.

"She was embarrassed by your compliment sir, but let's go in and excuse me!" Luiza responds by pulling Guadalupe inside and ending that scene.

Luiza took her friend out of there before the embarrassment was even greater or her brother heard that gallantry and the party ended before it even started.

When everyone was seated at the table and dinner was served, Leonel drank compulsively, embarrassing his wife.

In a reserved corner Amelia and Atilio were talking.

"Her father is about to give a great shame." Amelia says when she sees the old man pouring glasses and more glasses.

“Let the old man have his fill, he must never have seen such plenty in his life, let him enjoy it. How beautiful she is, (sigh) God!”

"But it looks like you're going to be left alone."

"That's what we're going to see, Amelia."

"That blonde girl's brother, just like you can't take your eyes off your blind girl."

“I realized, it was that boots who took her that day and who followed her on horseback, he's got his eye on her. But who will put their hands and more, it's me! Atilio replied pouring a glass of wine.

The priest got up.

“If you will allow me a moment I would like to ask our host to do us the honor of listening to him play, Atilio is an excellent pianist.” He stands up pulling his palms towards the owner of the house.

In awe, he went to the piano, sat on the bench, and played a beautiful song. Guadalupe felt her heart overflow with every note of that song, she had never heard anything so beautiful and true.

“Luiza? He can't be a bad man, that's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." Guadalupe sighed as he listened.

"He plays really well, but don't get things confused Lupe."

After playing, he formalized a wine toast.

“Greetings to our young confirmed women!” Atilio smiles and raises his wine glass making the guests toast with him.

All “Cheers!!!”

“Thank you so much for dinner, but now we have to go.” Esther was in a hurry to get home before her husband spoiled the whole party.

“So soon? We still have a lot of snacks and drinks...” Atilio says, the last thing he wanted was for them to leave with their object of desire.

“For me, we'd stay a little longer...” Leonel grumbled.

"No way, you've had too much to drink, old man."

“And if Guadalupe wants to stay a little longer too, the priest and I can take her home later.” Atilio suggests and arouses Gabriel's fury.

"No way!" Gabriel responds.

"I can answer for myself, Gabriel." Guadalupe says irritated.

“So you want to go home alone, with this man?”

“Son, calm down please.” Saul asked holding him by the shoulder.

“Enough of the fuss, Mr. Atilio, thank you so much for the dinner, everything was excellent, but we have to go now because my parents are already tired.” Guadalupe says to Atilio.

"Yeah, you're invited whenever you want to come to my house."

His desire to be able to touch her white skin was huge, perhaps less than breaking Gabriel's face, but he needed to keep control and not appear rude.

“Thank you very much, Father, tonight was very pleasant.”

"And I think we managed to get some bad impressions out of you." The priest smiles at Atilio.

"That's what I want most, Father."

Everyone left.

“Did you see her expression as I played?” He asks flattered, Amelia smiles.

"She looked delighted."

"I want this girl, more than I want to breathe, I need it." He says clenching his fists.

“They will never trust you enough to leave them alone, as I know you intend to.” Amelia shakes her head.

“I don't want her just for one night, she's different and she feels everything more intensely. Imagine all the pleasure she is capable of?” He smirked.

"Spare me the sordid details of your carnal desires."

“I want Sebastian to send Dr. Joshua early tomorrow, I'm in a hurry to talk to him. "

"The lawyer?"

“Yes, himself Amelia.”

“May I know what you want?” she asks with interest.

"I want to legally inform myself about old Leonel's ranch."

“Do you want to buy those lands? that is in ruins and must be worth next to nothing.”

“Maybe I do.” He claims.

He went to bed after that busy day, thinking about her and how much he'd like to see her face before he went to bed.

About that...

That man couldn't be as bad as they said, maybe those rumors could be wrong, or somehow he could have changed?

It was too much for a girl like me to ask someone like him to change his carnal and wanton nature if those stories about him are true, poor, redneck, and blind to boot.

Someone like Atilio would never look at me except out of pity, but that beautiful song made me think of things I never imagined: like love and well-being between man and woman.

While Guadalupe thought, in the next room...

“Do you think this guy is interested in our daughter?” Esther asked, lifting the blanket and lying down beside her husband.

“He is too rich to look at her, although beautiful, our daughter has nothing else to offer and we have to be frank!”

"But he looked at you a lot and you were so involved with drinking that you didn't even remember to look after your daughter."

"And what did you want me to do? gouge out his eyes for that?” He says getting under the sheets annoyed.

“No, but since this man arrived I've been worried about our daughter, she's been enchanted by his music. And if Atilio wants to take advantage of it with all the power he has, we won't be able to do much.”

“The less bad that she was enchanted by the music, the worse it would be if it was for him. We have to marry her to Gabriel at once and we will solve all the problems at once.” He answers.

"She doesn't want to marry, not with him who saw her grow up, not with another one."

"She needs to understand that we're old and we won't be able to take care of her forever Esther."

“Guadalupe will suffer so much if we impose this on her.”

“You will suffer more if you are alone in this world!” He responds by turning to his side.

"I'm so sorry to admit it, but you're right, old man."

"I'll talk to the priest and we'll hurry everything up, in a few days we're going to marry Gabriel and Guadalupe, and this guy Atilio will settle for it and leave her once and for all."