The Forbidden Promise

by Helena Rose

  The Forbidden Promise

  By Helena Rose

  Copyright © 2013 by Helena Rose

  Design © by Rodrigo Soler

  English translation by Helen Shaw

  Original Title: Il Patto Proibito

  All Rights reserved

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Epilogue - One year later

  Prologue

  Viviana stopped to admire the nocturnal sea. The calm waves gently lapped on the empty beach, illuminated by the pale moon that shone in the dark sky. Not far away, the chapel of the Virgen del Mar cast its shadow over the beach and on the lush palm trees growing along the edge of the sand.

  Anxious, she pulled her dark cloak tighter around herself. If her parents discovered her, she would be in serious trouble. And who knows what Costantino would think of me. Thinking of Costantino inevitably made her feel guilty, even though she had done nothing to encourage his courtship; she knew he was a good man, kind and gentle. He was admired throughout Tampico: the younger son of the powerful Vargas de Coronado family, he had decided to go to Mexico City, where he had studied and had graduated with honours in medicine. He was now a respected doctor and carried out his profession with devotion. Of a completely different character was his older brother Miguel, who had the good fortune to be bound in matrimony to the daughter of the Rivera family, proud members of the local nobility. Costantino’s parents had tried in every way to entice Costantino to devote himself to the administration of the estates and, above all, to seek a bride just as noble and suitable as his brother.

  Instead, he chose me ... Viviana thought, a simple girl and what’s more, in love with another ...

  She heard a noise and turned around. She saw her lover, Hector Navarra y Reyes, who belonged to one of the richest and most powerful families on the east coast of Mexico.

  Hector embraced her passionately, his pale eyes looked at her admiringly. He pulled back the cloak from her head and gently caressed Viviana’s beautiful bronze hair.

  "My Love," he whispered, "I have finally arrived."

  "I've waited so long," said Viviana. The two kissed passionately. The Hector’s lips took possession of Viviana’s mouth, while his hands caressed her back, giving her a red-hot thrill. It was Hector, who suddenly broke the magic. He pulled away from her and taking her hand walked to the waterfront. Stunned, Viviana followed him.

  "I need to talk with you," he said seriously.

  She looked with intrigue into his clear eyes. With her, he had always been sweet and affectionate, but she knew that in Tampico he had a reputation of being an exacting man, gruff and surly.

  Hector stroked the trimmed beard that adorned his chin, giving him the appearance of a buccaneer.

  "Something serious has happened? Have you fought with your brother again?” Viviana knew, like all the rest of Tampico, that Hector did not get along with his older brother Eduardo with regarded to the administration of the Navarra hacienda. The problems seemed to have exacerbated since Eduardo’s marriage.

  Hector stared at her silently, hesitating.

  Viviana suppressed a shudder. Something bad is going to happen, I can feel it.

  "I can’t stay here with him ... and with his wife." He whispered, "I must go. Go far away."

  Viviana opened her hazel eyes, trying to understand exactly what he meant.

  "Do you mean move to Mexico City?"

  "No, Viviana. I intend to leave Mexico. I‘m going to Europe. "

  For a moment Viviana thought she had not understood properly.

  "Europe? Why Europe? No, Hector think again ... "Viviana tried to hug him, but he pushed her away. He turned and began walking nervously along the shore.

  "You don’t understand, Viviana, there's no room for me in Mexico ... my life here is over. Eduardo and Raquel have taken everything away from me. "

  Raquel, was Eduardo’s wife. One of the most beautiful women in Tampico. One of the most courted. Local gossip even said that she had been fought over by the two Navarra y Reyes brothers...

  "Raquel ... it's all her fault, isn’t it?" Viviana said, barely holding back tears. "What power has this woman still got over you? Tell me! You swore to me that you were like strangers now, especially since she became your brother’s wife! "

  Hector shook his head.

  "You don’t understand, my dear. She’ll always have power over me. She has cursed me, she has bound me with chains that I can’t break. "

  Viviana felt that she been struck in the heart by a dagger. She winced in pain, and put her hands to her chest.

  "Do you still love her?" Viviana asked plaintively. "You've always loved her, haven’t you? With me, you’ve only been amusing yourself, hoping to make me give in and give up my respectability ... " She started sobbing.

  Hector grabbed her impulsively and hugged her close.

  "It's not what you think, it’s not a question of love or feelings. It’s something else. She’s blackmailing me. I can’t do anything but obey. Viviana, she keeps me in the palm of her hand. She keeps all my family in the palm of her hand. "

  "But Eduardo is her husband now! If she cared about you, why did she marry him?” Cried Viviana, "She doesn’t love you, she just enjoys seeing you suffer! "

  "It may be so, but I can’t do anything else." Replied Hector who was also struggling to hold back tears, "but as far as I can, I must repair the harm I have done to Eduardo. I have to leave or this story will never end. And although I love you, Viviana, I won’t drag you down with me. You don’t deserve it. I never wanted to deceive you. I want to marry you more than anything else in the world, but now it’s no longer possible. You deserve someone better. Someone like Costantino Vargas de Coronado. "

  "Costantino knows that I don’t love him, he figured it out," said Viviana bitterly. "His family won’t allow him to ask for my hand in marriage again after my continual refusal."

  "I'm really sorry, Viviana," replied Hector moving away from her. "I ask your pardon, but I can’t stay. I have to go away. Forever. "

  Viviana tried to hold him, but Hector moved away from her.

  "Hate me if you want, despise me, but please, try to be happy," he said.

  "No ... take me with you! I'll come to Europe, I don’t care about the honour or the scandal! "

  "Enough! Don’t you understand that it will already be difficult for me to start over again in another country, you would be just a hindrance to me! "

  Viviana met Hector’s aloof gaze and understood in an instant that all his childhood dreams had been shattered, like the waves of the sea against the cliff. All of a sudden she felt she had to maintain a modicum of dignity: she turned to hide her face and the hot tears that were beginning to run down her cheeks.

  "Then go, now, immediately, you are a coward, a puppet in the hands of this woman, you don’t deserve my love!"

  Hector was startled by the harsh words and slowly began to move away from Viviana, her love now, was lost forever.

  He walk
ed quickly towards his horse, untied the reins and with a leap jumped into the saddle. He urged the animal into a frantic gallop, trying not to think about Viviana, the lovely silky smooth skin of her face, her warm hazel eyes, her bronze hair that fell in waves over her shoulders. It’s all over, enough! Damn Raquel!

  Without even noticing, he reached the Navarra estate and arrived at the hacienda. He dismounted and walked briskly into the luxurious house.

  Nervously he crossed the hall and met Raquel’s personal maid, Penelope. She made a small curtsy, while glancing sideways at him.

  "Don Hector," she greeted him.

  Hector did not answer. He could not stand the woman, who was faithfully bound to Raquel.

  Penelope stopped to watch him quickly climb the stairs, a wry smile crossing her pursed lips.

  Hector entered his room and slammed the door. He began to walk up and down the room like a caged lion. It's over Hector, you've made your decision, now you can do nothing else.

  Suddenly he heard a knock at the door.

  "Who is it? "He asked irritably.

  A soft, calm voice replied.

  "It's me."

  Raquel. His downfall. The cause of his despair. His torment.

  "Go away Raquel, I don’t want to see you!" Hissed Hector.

  "Let me in immediately," ordered Raquel firmly, "I need to talk to you."

  Hector hesitated an instant, then as if propelled by invisible hands, opened the door.

  Raquel walked slowly into the room and shut the door behind her. Her hair, black as the night was gathered on top of her head, while long ringlets framed her face. Her eyes, dark as coal, looked at him attentively and inquisitively. She slowly stroked her belly swollen with pregnancy.

  "What timing, you were expecting me?" Asked Hector abruptly.

  "Yes I was waiting for you: I ordered Penelope to inform me when you got back."

  "What do you want?"

  "You did what I told you? You have left that insignificant little woman? "

  Hector grabbed her roughly by the shoulders.

  "Don’t you dare insult her!" He snarled.

  Raquel stared at him for a moment and then laughed.

  "You don’t want to hurt me, do you? You should be careful, you may also do harm to your child. "

  "Don’t repeat that," cried Hector. "Eduardo might hear you!"

  "Eduardo is still working in his study. The hacienda is his whole life as you know.” Raquel sat on the bed and stared at him intently.

  "The important thing is that you've done all you had to do. You’re mine, remember this. "Said Raquel sweetly.

  "However you married Eduardo." He replied, "You chose him, but as soon as you were alone, you sneaked into my bed! You’ve never left me in peace, and I was stupid not to have said no! To reject you as you deserved! I should have revealed everything to Eduardo a long time ago! "

  Raquel smiled again.

  "You're still the same naive, Hector. Who do you think would ever believe your story? Your brother certainly not. You could never convince him that his beloved wife was pregnant by another man. He even saw the evidence of my virginity in the marriage bed! Who do you think Eduardo would believe, you, the brother with whom he’s always been in conflict, or me, the wife who he loves and that whispers words of love in his ear every night? "

  "You're despicable, Raquel. I loath you."

  Raquel got off the bed and approached him. She touched his lips with a light kiss.

  "No, Hector, you don’t hate me. You love me. And despite your cowardice you know that I prefer you to Eduardo ... I married him just because he is the oldest and the master of everything here ... but in truth between the sheets I’ve always preferred you ... "She smiled slyly, then went on, "I thought it was just punishment for your proud brother to betray him with you! He, who deep down has always preferred the memory of his dead wife to me! That poor white soul who is now underground! What consolation is a ghost, poor fool, while I may have the pleasure he denies me with you. "

  Hector looked at her almost with disgust.

  "I can’t live like this any longer. I’ve left Viviana, who was my only hope of having a happy life. I don’t want to deceive Eduardo anymore and there's nothing to keep me here, apart from the lust I feel for you, damn you Raquel ... I’ve decided to go to Europe. I never want to see you again! "

  Raquel looked at him astonished.

  "You dare to leave me?" she asked angrily.

  "You can do nothing to stop me. If you decide to expose me, you would fall into the abyss with me. You know that. "

  Raquel looked at him thoughtfully.

  "Ok. You’re your usual cowardly self. Go! It has always been pleasant spending the nights with you, but I can do without you. I’ll comfort myself knowing that all the wealth of your family will be mine ... and you’ll have the consolation of knowing that your child will one day be the heir of everything. "

  "You forget that Eduardo already has a son, Lucas, by his first wife."

  Raquel made a gesture with her hand, as if to drive away a troublesome insect.

  "I know that well enough. In a while Lucas will no longer be a problem, I'll deal with him, don’t fear."

  "Eduardo will understand sooner or later, what kind of snake he has married. Don’t believe he is so naive."

  "He is naive enough for me to be able to handle."

  Raquel smiled sinisterly, speaking more to herself than to Hector.

  "I’ve done everything possible to emerge from the misery in which I was thrown into as a young girl, due to father’s drunkenness. You understand, don’t you? I couldn’t allow you to marry someone else, and come to live with her here ... I’ll not divide the power and wealth with anyone! I’ve endured, suffered, I was humiliated ... but my triumph is at my fingertips! When I met you I knew you'd be the key to my comeback; through you, I met Eduardo, who had just become a widower, and it was easy tying him down to marrying me and finally making me the mistress of all "

  "You're completely crazy," Hector whispered, staring at her grimly.

  Raquel seemed to awake from a dream. Slowly, she walked to the door.

  "Enough talk. I have won and you and your brother have lost. Farewell dear Hector!"

  Raquel walked out of the room, quiet and haughty.

  Hector decided he needed to talk with Eduardo.

  He left the room and descended the stairs. Penelope was still there, intent on organizing some plants.

  "Don Hector," she greeted.

  Hector looked at her in disgust and walked towards Eduardo’s study. He knocked on the door.

  "Come in” said a voice from within.

  Hector walked into the office and stood in front of Eduardo’s desk

  "I need to talk to you, Eduardo," he said firmly.

  Eduardo stared at him with inquiring eyes. Green eyes that twinkled with curiosity.

  "What’s happened Hector?" he asked, stroking his dark beard.

  "I want to leave."

  "You want to leave the hacienda?" asked Eduardo amazed.

  "No, you didn’t understand. I want to leave Mexico. I want to go to Europe."

  "To Europe? Why? "

  "Come on, Eduardo, you know that we don’t get along. You’re the oldest, it is up to you to command, while I have to stay on the sidelines. I'm now resigned to the fact, so take the hacienda. I’m tired of being the younger brother. I'm leaving. "

  Eduardo stood up and walked over to Hector.

  "You're exaggerating," he said. "It’s true ... there have been some disagreements, but they‘re surmountable, we could find a way ..."

  Hector stopped him and put a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.

  "No, Eduardo, nothing more can be overcome. It’s right that I go. Believe me. "

  "But why now, when my child is about to be born? Don’t you want to wait at least until Raquel has given birth? "

  Hector walked away nervously.

  "It's one more reason to leave. I prefer
not to be here when the baby arrives. "

  Eduardo noticed Hector’s hesitation. What's going on? What’s making him so agitated? I've never seen him in this state before.

  "I'll be leaving soon. Tomorrow I’ll order the servants to prepare my luggage. I'll stay a while in Veracruz and then take the steamer for Europe. "

  Eduardo looked at him incredulously. He's suffering ... a lot. But what’s happened to him? This time it was he who put his hand on Hector’s shoulder.

  "Hector, despite our differences, you’re still my brother, tell me how I can help. I don’t want you to go."

  Hector hugged him impulsively and becoming emotional said, “You don’t know what you are saying Eduardo ... if only you knew, you would kick me out unceremoniously!"

  "What are you saying? Why would I kick you out? "

  Hector did not answer. He just hugged him closer.

  "Eduardo, forgive, forgive me," he sighed, "it's better for me to go. I want to say just one more thing: keep an eye on Lucas when the other baby is born."

  Then he turned and ran out of the studio. Eduardo watched him thoughtfully. He’s never said "your child." Hector has always referred to him as "the baby" or even "the other." I don’t understand.

  Hector set off the next morning, careful to avoid meeting both Eduardo, and Raquel.

  He went into Lucas’ room to say goodbye. Lucas greeted him with a smile:

  "Look what I found in the garden uncle," he exclaimed happily.

  Hector looked at the smooth stone that Lucas handed him.

  "It looks like treasure." Lucas said as his face lit up with a smile of joy.

  "It's wonderful." Replied Hector, ruffling Lucas’ hair that was as black as coal, then he continued:

  "I’ve brought you some gifts so that you'll remember me after I’ve gone."

  Hector handed him a few items: some books, a penknife with a mother of pearl handle, and a small pendant of lapis lazuli.

  Lucas happily said goodbye, thanking him.

  "Come back soon Uncle!"

  Hector smiled sadly, leaving the room and going to collect his luggage.

  He had decided not to take too many things with him that would remind him of his past existence. He was also about to leave his Navarra y Reyes medallion, but then shook his head and decided to keep it, putting it around his neck. It was a medallion engraved with a bull's head surmounted by a crown: the Pamplona bull, symbol of Navarra, the Spanish region where his ancestors had originated from when they had come to settle in the New World. Eduardo also had one: their father, Don Alvaro, had had them made for his two sons, as he was proud of the family’s Spanish descent.