your passage from there to Mexico. Correspond with me in the way we discussed.” He reached out his hand to shake and Marco took it, then pulled him into a hard, quick hug.
“Javier!” his father called.
“Very well. Very well. Let us be off.” Javier took his saddlebags and Isabella’s from Sebastián and the three of them watched as Marco leapt into the small boat that would take him out to the Sappho , where he would continue across the sea.
Javier announced that he and his wife would be staying at the Rossio Inn, and several other inns along the way, alone, on their private journey back to Badajoz.
“This is very unsatisfactory!” The Duke of Feria had never looked more discomfited.
Javier’s father intervened. “Leave them. We shall all meet up again in two weeks. We will have a proper celebration then.”
The duke continued to look ill used.
“I will pay,” Javier’s father added.
That seemed to assuage the duke somewhat. “Very well, then,” he finally conceded.
Javier thought he heard his mother grunt in a very unladylike manner.
“”Francisco de la Mina shook hands with his son’s new father-in-law and watched as the bitter man got into his carriage and his coachman led the tired horses back in the direction from whence they had just come.
Everyone else had dispersed, most likely in search of the nearest establishment with ale, to spend the princely sums the duke had given in the heat of his fury to put together a mob to find and destroy the young Javier de la Mina. Sebastián had joined the rabble of men after agreeing to meet up with Javier and Isabella in Badajoz.
They were nearly alone. Javier’s parents approached. His father spoke respectfully. “Will you please do me the honor of introducing me to your bride, Javi?”
Isabella felt an instant appreciation for this strong, peaceful man, so unlike her own impatient, demanding father.
Javier took the tips of Isabella’s hands in his and held her slightly in front of himself.
“Mother. Father. Please allow me to present Doña Isabella de Suárez de Figueroa y Córdoba de la Mina . My wife.”
Javier’s mother held out her hand for Isabella to take and for the new bride to show a sign of respect to her new mother. Isabella took it, curtsied slightly, and trembled when Javier’s mother grasped her hand very tightly. Isabella stood up and was completely confused when the tall, aristocratic, completely veiled woman pulled her into an unaccountably familiar hug. “I knew your mother,” she whispered.
Just as quickly, she set Isabella away from her.
Javier’s father reached out, took Isabella’s hand in his, and kissed her very lightly on the back of her gloved hand. “Welcome to the family, my child. I see you are very much like your mother, a turn of events about which we are all equally pleased, I suspect.”
Isabella covered her mouth and smiled behind her hand at the indirect insult to her father.
Javier put his hand around her waist and whispered, “You see, I am from a long line of people who flout convention.”
“We wish you both every blessing,” Señor de la Mina concluded. “We will see you in Badajoz in two weeks. Right, Javi?”
“Yes, Father.” Javier smiled and shook his father’s hand.
“And you will tell us how your marriage happened to be? How you came to find one another after all?”
“Yes, Father,” Javier repeated, a bit sheepish this time.
“Good. Then that is all settled,” his father said. “Now, I shall take your mother to her sister’s house and we shall sleep for two days. You were wise to choose Aveiro, Javi, but this has been far too many days in pursuit.”
“I am sorry for the inconvenience, Father. It couldn’t be helped.”
They hugged and parted.
A few moments passed with Javier’s hand around Isabella’s waist and the two of them standing patiently, as if some other calamity were about to strike. Night had fallen over the port and the lanterns and torches of
“Javier!” his father called.
“Very well. Very well. Let us be off.” Javier took his saddlebags and Isabella’s from Sebastián and the three of them watched as Marco leapt into the small boat that would take him out to the Sappho , where he would continue across the sea.
Javier announced that he and his wife would be staying at the Rossio Inn, and several other inns along the way, alone, on their private journey back to Badajoz.
“This is very unsatisfactory!” The Duke of Feria had never looked more discomfited.
Javier’s father intervened. “Leave them. We shall all meet up again in two weeks. We will have a proper celebration then.”
The duke continued to look ill used.
“I will pay,” Javier’s father added.
That seemed to assuage the duke somewhat. “Very well, then,” he finally conceded.
Javier thought he heard his mother grunt in a very unladylike manner.
“”Francisco de la Mina shook hands with his son’s new father-in-law and watched as the bitter man got into his carriage and his coachman led the tired horses back in the direction from whence they had just come.
Everyone else had dispersed, most likely in search of the nearest establishment with ale, to spend the princely sums the duke had given in the heat of his fury to put together a mob to find and destroy the young Javier de la Mina. Sebastián had joined the rabble of men after agreeing to meet up with Javier and Isabella in Badajoz.
They were nearly alone. Javier’s parents approached. His father spoke respectfully. “Will you please do me the honor of introducing me to your bride, Javi?”
Isabella felt an instant appreciation for this strong, peaceful man, so unlike her own impatient, demanding father.
Javier took the tips of Isabella’s hands in his and held her slightly in front of himself.
“Mother. Father. Please allow me to present Doña Isabella de Suárez de Figueroa y Córdoba de la Mina . My wife.”
Javier’s mother held out her hand for Isabella to take and for the new bride to show a sign of respect to her new mother. Isabella took it, curtsied slightly, and trembled when Javier’s mother grasped her hand very tightly. Isabella stood up and was completely confused when the tall, aristocratic, completely veiled woman pulled her into an unaccountably familiar hug. “I knew your mother,” she whispered.
Just as quickly, she set Isabella away from her.
Javier’s father reached out, took Isabella’s hand in his, and kissed her very lightly on the back of her gloved hand. “Welcome to the family, my child. I see you are very much like your mother, a turn of events about which we are all equally pleased, I suspect.”
Isabella covered her mouth and smiled behind her hand at the indirect insult to her father.
Javier put his hand around her waist and whispered, “You see, I am from a long line of people who flout convention.”
“We wish you both every blessing,” Señor de la Mina concluded. “We will see you in Badajoz in two weeks. Right, Javi?”
“Yes, Father.” Javier smiled and shook his father’s hand.
“And you will tell us how your marriage happened to be? How you came to find one another after all?”
“Yes, Father,” Javier repeated, a bit sheepish this time.
“Good. Then that is all settled,” his father said. “Now, I shall take your mother to her sister’s house and we shall sleep for two days. You were wise to choose Aveiro, Javi, but this has been far too many days in pursuit.”
“I am sorry for the inconvenience, Father. It couldn’t be helped.”
They hugged and parted.
A few moments passed with Javier’s hand around Isabella’s waist and the two of them standing patiently, as if some other calamity were about to strike. Night had fallen over the port and the lanterns and torches of
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