Blood in the Valencian Soil (Secrets of Spain) by Caroline Angus Baker Page A
Authors: Caroline Angus Baker
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things I’m not proud of.”
“There’s a war on. What goes on in wartime is against all the rules that we live by. After all the battles you’ve fought in, the world can’t be the same for you.”
“So… if I said that I came around here, even though I knew that Alejandro wasn’t home… would you mind?”
“Why would you do that?” she said. Her heart jumped in her chest. She knew why; she hoped so anyway.
“Because I have sat by for years, watching you at every opportunity. People are scared of what is about to happen. Life is about to change for us, and I have wasted too much time.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Republicano leaders have left to live in exile, in Francia. We have been abandoned by those whose cause we fight. It’s bad enough that the Británico government endorsed the Nacionales government a few weeks ago. As soon as Franco’s troops get here, they will take our town, and that’s it. They will win. We are all as good as dead.”
Luna ran her hands over her dress and took in the information. It felt so stupid to want the chance to wear a gown to a party when their lives were in danger. “We have to get Papá out of Madrid.”
“I’m trying,” Cayetano replied and took a few steps over to her. “But an anarchist leader as well-known as Juan Pablo Beltrán is of course in danger. As soon as he is here, we are all going to go to Valencia, and hopefully we can get on a boat and out to Francia. Maybe then we can hide out somewhere. Scarlett is desperate to go home to Nueva Zelanda because… she… she just needs to get out of España. It’s been unkind to her.”
“I thought Scarlett would have run to the front lines, gun in hand, to fight again.”
“Sí, however, this time she can’t. She doesn’t want to abandon España, but it’s complicated. She has to leave.”
“I don’t want to abandon España,” she said with defiance. “None of us should.”
“I would kill every soldier to save us if I could do it, Luna. But we need to face reality – we will lose this war. Our chances of success are hindered now that the troops have got through to Vinaròs and cut Valencia off from Barcelona. We’re trapped.”
“The rebels haven’t taken Madrid.”
“Not yet they haven’t. I just want to move you all o ut to Valencia.”
“You and Alejandro want to take up arms again, don’t you?”
“I doubt it would help. I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry that I never danced with you when I had the chance.”
“I wish you had asked me. I wish Alejandro or Papá would have allowed it. Juan Pablo and Isabel lost seven children. Alejandro and I were the only ones who made it to adulthood. You can’t blame them for being over-protective.”
“I suppose that Juan Pablo thinks he has found a good husband for his daughter in Ignacio. He doesn’t want a man like me for you.”
Luna could barely swallow; a lump of nerves was stuck in her throat. She shouldn’t have let him inside. It wasn’t proper. She was a good girl, but it was as Cayetano said – they could all be dead very soon. The laws of propriety no longer applied. If the Republicans lost the war, their deaths would be brushed over in the annuals of history, and Cayetano and Luna would be just numbers lost in a war that the world had ignored for their own gain. Only Hitler and Mussolini were allowing their countries to engage in the war, and that brought nothing but misery. “Dance with me now.”
Cayetano stepped forward and stood all but against her. “I’m afraid I’ve never danced before.”
Luna took his right hand and placed it on her hip and took his left in hers. She tenderly placed her other hand on his shoulder. “Like this,” she said, not sure how close to stand to him, she had only ever danced with her father and brother before now. There was no use in showing him the steps; they could do no more than the slightest shuffle in the tiny dark room. What their feet did was irrelevant to
“There’s a war on. What goes on in wartime is against all the rules that we live by. After all the battles you’ve fought in, the world can’t be the same for you.”
“So… if I said that I came around here, even though I knew that Alejandro wasn’t home… would you mind?”
“Why would you do that?” she said. Her heart jumped in her chest. She knew why; she hoped so anyway.
“Because I have sat by for years, watching you at every opportunity. People are scared of what is about to happen. Life is about to change for us, and I have wasted too much time.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Republicano leaders have left to live in exile, in Francia. We have been abandoned by those whose cause we fight. It’s bad enough that the Británico government endorsed the Nacionales government a few weeks ago. As soon as Franco’s troops get here, they will take our town, and that’s it. They will win. We are all as good as dead.”
Luna ran her hands over her dress and took in the information. It felt so stupid to want the chance to wear a gown to a party when their lives were in danger. “We have to get Papá out of Madrid.”
“I’m trying,” Cayetano replied and took a few steps over to her. “But an anarchist leader as well-known as Juan Pablo Beltrán is of course in danger. As soon as he is here, we are all going to go to Valencia, and hopefully we can get on a boat and out to Francia. Maybe then we can hide out somewhere. Scarlett is desperate to go home to Nueva Zelanda because… she… she just needs to get out of España. It’s been unkind to her.”
“I thought Scarlett would have run to the front lines, gun in hand, to fight again.”
“Sí, however, this time she can’t. She doesn’t want to abandon España, but it’s complicated. She has to leave.”
“I don’t want to abandon España,” she said with defiance. “None of us should.”
“I would kill every soldier to save us if I could do it, Luna. But we need to face reality – we will lose this war. Our chances of success are hindered now that the troops have got through to Vinaròs and cut Valencia off from Barcelona. We’re trapped.”
“The rebels haven’t taken Madrid.”
“Not yet they haven’t. I just want to move you all o ut to Valencia.”
“You and Alejandro want to take up arms again, don’t you?”
“I doubt it would help. I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry that I never danced with you when I had the chance.”
“I wish you had asked me. I wish Alejandro or Papá would have allowed it. Juan Pablo and Isabel lost seven children. Alejandro and I were the only ones who made it to adulthood. You can’t blame them for being over-protective.”
“I suppose that Juan Pablo thinks he has found a good husband for his daughter in Ignacio. He doesn’t want a man like me for you.”
Luna could barely swallow; a lump of nerves was stuck in her throat. She shouldn’t have let him inside. It wasn’t proper. She was a good girl, but it was as Cayetano said – they could all be dead very soon. The laws of propriety no longer applied. If the Republicans lost the war, their deaths would be brushed over in the annuals of history, and Cayetano and Luna would be just numbers lost in a war that the world had ignored for their own gain. Only Hitler and Mussolini were allowing their countries to engage in the war, and that brought nothing but misery. “Dance with me now.”
Cayetano stepped forward and stood all but against her. “I’m afraid I’ve never danced before.”
Luna took his right hand and placed it on her hip and took his left in hers. She tenderly placed her other hand on his shoulder. “Like this,” she said, not sure how close to stand to him, she had only ever danced with her father and brother before now. There was no use in showing him the steps; they could do no more than the slightest shuffle in the tiny dark room. What their feet did was irrelevant to
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