The Forbidden Promise

by Helena Rose

  Lucas flung open the front door of his house in a fury. He had not said a word all the way back, meanwhile his anger continued to grow.

  Aurora, pale and agitated, came in and closed the door behind herself.

  Yolanda was waiting for them in the living room.

  "Ah, you’re back, I was just finishing cleaning." She said.

  "Go straight to the kitchen," Lucas growled in an altered voice, "Leave us alone!"

  Yolanda terrified by Lucas’ furious expression, hastened to obey.

  Aurora, nervous as ever, waited for Lucas’ wrath to fall upon her like a wild hurricane.

  "You’ll be satisfied, I suppose, to have had me ridiculed in front of everyone?" He accused her, his eyes bright with anger.

  "I’m not at fault, you did it all on your own." she said, trying to keep a cool and detached demeanor.

  Lucas grabbed her by the arms, bringing his face close to Aurora’s pale one.

  " You didn’t do anything?" He asked amazed. "You behaved like a slut!"

  " Don’t you dare!" cried Aurora, as she too felt a burst of anger. How did he dare to insult her, after all the evil he had done?

  "You call me a slut." She continued furious, "When you enjoy yourself with your girlfriends, including dear Yolanda? Don’t you have any shame?"

  Lucas loosened his grip on Aurora’s arms, with a shocked expression on his face.

  " What the hell are you talking about? Perhaps you’re mad?"

  " No, I'm not crazy! Do you believe that I don’t know that the other night you were having a good time with one of the whores in Zacatecas? Do you dare to deny that Yolanda is your lover?" Accused Aurora.

  "Of course I deny it! I deny it because they are all lies! Who told you such a thing?" Asked Lucas.

  " Who do you think told me? Your beloved Yolanda, you also confided in her the secret of our marriage!" Aurora threw the latest accusation at him decisively. "How could you have betrayed my confidence in such a way? I believed in you! To the point that I gave you all of myself, and instead you were deceiving me."

  Lucas stepped back, as if he had been slapped in the face.

  " What did Yolanda say about the pact?" he asked in a hollow voice.

  Aurora looked down, trying to hold back the tears that were ready to flow down her face.

  "She admitted that you confided in her that our marriage was just a facade. One of the many secrets that you told her after your amorous encounters." Replied Aurora.

  Lucas took Aurora’s arm again, though more gently, and led her briskly towards the kitchen.

  Yolanda must have heard part of the conversation, because she was standing against the wall, and glanced terrified from Lucas to Aurora.

  Lucas went up to Yolanda, looking at her with hatred.

  "I order you to repeat in front of me what you said to Aurora!" Threatened Lucas imposingly.

  Yolanda's eyes widened and she shook her head. Lucas moving closer to her.

  "I warn you, don’t deny it. Speak! "

  Yolanda began to sob.

  "I lied, it's true! But I only did it because I love you, I love you to death and you run behind her ... " Cried Yolanda.

  Aurora looked at her shocked and shaking her head said, "Are you saying that everything you told me were lies? That you made everything up?"

  Yolanda, without speaking, looked at Lucas and seeing his angry face, she finally decided to nod.

  "So Lucas, that night ..." Aurora started to say.

  "He was at the mine celebrating with his men." Finished Yolanda between sobs.

  "And what is this about a fake marriage?” Interrupted Lucas.

  "I ... I overheard your conversation ... and ... I was given to understand that ..." Stuttered Yolanda.

  “You got it wrong!" Lucas said, "Get it straight in your head, Aurora and I are husband and wife and we shall be forever, is that clear? Don’t invent unnecessary illusions!"

  " But Lucas, I ..."Stammered Yolanda

  " Ask Aurora for forgiveness." Lucas ordered in a cold voice.

  Yolanda looked at him in amazement.

  " What?" She asked weakly.

  " Ask Aurora for forgiveness. Immediately." Lucas repeated.

  " But Lucas, I’ve already admitted ... "

  "If you ask forgiveness from Aurora, you still have a hope of returning to Zacatecas with us and continuing to work at our hacienda. Otherwise you’re staying in Tampico with the nuns."

  " No," moaned Yolanda, "Lucas please forgive me, I won’t do it again ... "

  Lucas looked at her harshly.

  "Not me. Ask forgiveness from Aurora. She is the Doña of my house and she makes the decisions on the servants. If you manage to win her over, perhaps she’ll decide to have you back in her service. But you should know that I won’t intervene in her decisions. Your future is entirely in her hands." Explained Lucas.

  Yolanda wiped the tears from her face and looked at Aurora, who had witnessed the scene with astonishment, her heart pounding. They were all lies ... Lucas was faithful to me ... maybe this proves something to me ...

  Yolanda had meanwhile approached her.

  "Come on," Lucas ordered.

  Aurora diverted her mind from her thoughts.

  "No, Lucas please, it’s not necessary ...“ Aurora intervened weakly.

  " Come on! Ask her for forgiveness!" Lucas continued undaunted.

  Yolanda lowered her rebellious look to the ground.

  " Forgive me. I lied to you. I beg your pardon."

  How much she must love him to have done what she did... And what would I be capable of doing for him?

  Aurora decided to adopt a calm tone. By now, all the anger, the humiliation, the pain had gone and her mood had brightened again and she did not want to dwell on the unpleasant events.

  "It’s all right." She said, "I've already forgotten about it."

  Lucas walked over to Aurora, apparently satisfied. He looked back at Yolanda.

  "When Santos arrives, go with him and don’t come tomorrow, my wife and I want to be alone."

  Then, without saying a word, he took Aurora’s hand and led her upstairs to his room. Aurora followed him in silence. Nothing in the world would stop her from sleeping with Lucas tonight.

  Lucas, now calm, eyed her curiously as he sat down on the bed.

  "Why didn’t you want Yolanda to ask forgiveness?" he asked.

  Aurora smiled embarrassed.

  "Because she felt humiliated and was suffering. I don’t like to see people suffer."

  "Despite what she did?"

  Aurora nodded, looking down. Lucas got up and walked over to her, gently taking her chin he lifted her face. He looked into her deep hazel eyes.

  "If you're so good and unselfish with others, why didn’t you believe in me? Why didn’t you doubt even for a moment that what Yolanda said to you was just a pile of nonsense?"

  "I ..." Aurora felt her cheeks burning and her heart beat violently in her chest. "I thought you ... "

  "How could you believe without doubting for even a moment that I could be interested in other women? Ever since we got engaged I’ve not been with anyone else, even though we were only bound by a pact of convenience and not a real engagement, and after ... "

  Aurora felt herself melting, carried away by his magnetic emerald eyes, like a drowning person being dragged down by the tide.

  "Now I know why, my beloved Aurora" he went on, "because ever since then I’ve been in love with you. I’ve loved you from the first moment and continue to love you more every instant. It wasn’t love at first sight, it was something deeper, a hidden feeling that enveloped me with its sweet tentacles without my noticing. Up to the point where now I can’t live or breathe without you."

  Aurora felt herself tremble, while any doubt left her permanently, fading away like snow in the sun. Now the sun was warming her with its gentle healing rays, and her sun was Lucas who lovingly looked at her impatiently.

  But she did not answer with words
. She leaned towards him and kissed him, opening her lips and savoring his hot and manly taste. Then she pulled away slightly.

  " I love you too," she whispered. "I love you like I never thought I could love. Without you I am nothing."

  Their lips met again, red-hot with passion.

  "Forgive me," she whispered. "Forgive me for the cruel words that I unfairly said to you. Forgive me for the way I behaved tonight. Forgive me for not having confidence in you."

  In response, he gave her another kiss.

  "I’ve nothing to forgive, what I want now is to love you." Lucas’ hands delicately caressed Aurora while helping to free her of her dress.

  She smiled embarrassed by the burning gaze that he ran over her naked body. With frantic movements, Lucas took off his clothes, and then lifting Aurora as if she were a feather, laid her on the bed. He lay down beside her and his impatient hands moved over her with desire. The fire of passion ignited the love they felt for each other, and made their caresses even more daring. Aurora opened up completely to the love she felt and that she now knew was reciprocated. They urgently came together in the beautiful dance of love. Aurora abandoned herself completely to her husband, until led by Lucas she reach the highest peaks of pleasure. They did not even notice the night passing by.

  The next day Cristobal got up rather late. He had returned to Tampico when it was almost dawn and his head felt terribly heavy. He touched his sore lip where Lucas had hit him.

  Damn bastard he thought angrily, I can’t tolerate that such a lout is that beautiful woman’s husband. Aurora Navarra y Reyes's face had reappeared constantly in his mind, disturbing his sleep. Ah, if she were a free woman ...

  But unfortunately she was married and Cristobal had to face this fact. First, however, he decided to remedy the scandal that he had caused during the party.

  He had breakfast, then went out and headed towards the Navarra hacienda. He was announced by a maid and after a few minutes he was admitted into the study, where Doña Raquel was present.

  Doña Raquel seemed impassive and immaculate as ever. The black dress gave her, her usual austere and severe air.

  "Good morning, Don Cristobal. I didn’t think we would meet again so soon." She said as she motioned for him to sit down.

  Cristobal obeyed, as he tried to adopt the right tone to convince Doña Raquel of his remorse.

  "I wanted to apologize to you, Doña Raquel, for the unfortunate spectacle of which I was protagonist last night."

  " You mustn’t distress yourself, I’ve already forgotten about your involvement in that sad incident," said Doña Raquel her lips tightened with severity. "Of course I know that it was my stepson’s fault."

  "I would never have expected a reaction like that from a gentleman." Replied Cristobal.

  Doña Raquel assumed a contrite expression.

  "As much as it causes me pain to admit it, my stepson is not a gentleman. His character is out of control, his habits crude and questionable, they make him more like a peon than a member of a respectable family. Luckily, my poor husband is not alive to see the worry that he causes me! The pain would have destroyed him, I am convinced of it."

  Doña Raquel’s skillful recitation did not convince Cristobal even for a moment. Doña Raquel hated her stepson and she felt no discomfort in criticizing him as much as possible.

  "I noticed, however, that you chatted amiably with my daughter in law Aurora." Raquel added, almost casually.

  " Indeed, she is a wonderful woman. In addition to her looks, she is very intelligent, she is a doctor…"

  That little intrigue is just the same as her mother, she manages to impress men with that air of an innocent prude ... Raquel thought, but who knows, this interesting development may serve to finally destroy Lucas ...

  "Yes, poor girl , she’ll suffer a lot with my stepson. He’s definitely not a man who is able to treat such a well-bred woman as she deserves."

  "Furthermore," she continued nonchalantly. "She will be condemned to a miserable life of poverty and hardship. Lucas incurred many debts in order to buy the dilapidated hacienda in Zacatecas, and I’m sure that he’ll never succeed in repaying all of them. He’s always had these unrealistic ideas and has never managed to finish anything good in his life."

  Cristobal listened with interest to all this information. He was now convinced he would fight for the woman who in a few seconds had the power to bring him back to life after the loss of his wife. He took his leave shortly thereafter and left the hacienda.

  Doña Raquel watched him as he rode away on horseback and smiled to herself.

  Don Cristobal de la Vega could well prove to be a valuable ally in my plans ...

  But now she had to think about other things. She called the maid.

  " Go and wake up my son and daughter in law. Today I want to have lunch with them before they leave on their honeymoon."

  " Yes ma'am, I'll go straight away to the west wing."

  "If they’re still in bed wake them up, I’ve no intention of eating late because of them."

  The maid bowed slightly and walked towards Federico’s new apartments.

  "By the way," Doña Raquel added, "tell my son’s maid to come here as soon as she’s finished tidying the rooms."

  She absolutely had to interrogate the maid to find out how her son’s wedding night had gone. That good for nothing was drunk, I hope he was able to fulfill his duties and to hold the Navarra y Reyes name up high.

  As soon as he returned home, Cristobal went directly to his study, where he was served lunch. Then he opened the trunk that contained all the documents that had belonged to his father, inside there were folders and pages yellowed with time, letters, and legal documents of all kinds. They dated back to the period when Don Giacomo de la Vega practiced as a lawyer in Mexico and his first few months in Spain. Shortly after the voyage to Spain, he had become quite seriously ill and had had to gradually abandon his work.

  As he ate, he leafed through the folders, saw copies of records of sales, donations, notes for defense proceedings, draft wills, courtesy letters ... but nothing that might interest him.

  Doña Raquel was very interested in the possible correspondence between Don Eduardo and my father. If there really is something to help me to clarify the secret that the woman holds so jealously, maybe I could get to Aurora ...

  He worked hard all day, unfortunately without success. But he would not give up even if it meant sifting through every single piece of paper that had belonged to his father.

  Yolanda sad and disconsolate went to see her Aunt Penelope. She had to wait in the hall because Penelope was busy in a consultation with a client.

  She felt alone and abandoned. The night before, when Santos had come to pick her up, she had been unable to hide what had happened. Her eyes full of tears and her dejected expression had betrayed her immediately. Santos had become livid with rage and had remonstrated hard.

  " You really deserve to be locked up in a convent for the rest of your life! Remember that Doña Aurora is your mistress and if she kicks you out of her house, you deserve it!"

  It’s all her fault, that damn woman! Yolanda thought with resentment, but what can I do against her ... Lucas loves her, I have to resign myself to this!

  Shortly Penelope was able to receive her.

  "My dear, what’s happened to you? Come, tell your dear aunt everything!"

  Yolanda unloaded her heart and through tears told Penelope everything that had happened, the lies she had told and Lucas’ anger over how she had treated Aurora.

  Penelope listened with interest to everything that Yolanda was saying. She would have some information to report to Doña Raquel.

  "Aunt, I love him," cried Yolanda desperate. "I can’t forget him! And that woman makes me so angry."

  "My dear child, if you would just let me try my methods. There is no need for Santos to know about it!" Advised Penelope in a persuasive voice.

  Yolanda stood looking at her for a moment, tempted by the o
ffer. Ah, if it were possible to tie Lucas to her forever! Then, with regret, she shook her head.

  "Santos has threatened to lock me in a convent for the rest of my life if I make more trouble for Lucas and Aurora."

  Penelope sighed annoyed.

  "Never mind, my child." She finally said in a quiet voice, "but remember always come and tell me everything. At least you’re allowed to do this and it will definitely make you feel better."

  Yolanda nodded through her tears.

  "Aunt Penelope, you're the only one who truly understands me, the only person to whom I can turn to, especially now that I have to be polite to that damn woman!"

  Penelope gave her a comforting smile, stroking her curly hair.

  I’ll always be here to listen to you, little one. You don’t realize but you're a rich mine of information for me.

  Chapter 14

  Aurora and Lucas spent the next day in a magical atmosphere full of looks, kisses, caresses, whispers and loving words. Lucas’ small house was transformed and for Aurora it took on the form of a mythological world in which she and Lucas acted the role of protagonists.

  Also meals, prepared quickly together, were an excuse for the exchange of declarations of love and affectionate devotion.

  In the evening they went to sleep happy in each other's arms.

  " I can’t wait to get back to Zacatecas," Lucas whispered in the darkness. "From now on, our lives will be perfect."

  " It’s true, nobody will be able to separate us and together we can overcome any obstacle."

  Aurora smiled, hugging him. She felt really satisfied, she had everything life could offer: a wonderful love, a true and happy marriage with a husband who accepted her choices and her work. Before going to sleep, she thanked God for the gift she had received.

  The next morning they got up early.

  They went down for breakfast holding hands and laughing like two sweethearts.

  Yolanda had arrived and had already prepared breakfast. She kept her eyes down and did not dare look either of them in the face. She served them in silence and then retreated into the kitchen.