A Bride's Agreement

by Elaine Bonner

A pot of beans bubbled on the stove. Fresh tortillas were folded in a towel, keeping warm for Eduardo. Now, all she had to do was make herself more presentable. Her resolve from this morning was wavering. How could someone so ugly ever be presentable?

  She found a cake of scented soap among the things Eduardo had laid out for her. The sweet, flowery smell filled the room. Never had she bathed with something so enchanting. The thought of pleasing Eduardo warmed her. She couldn’t help but dream that he would like her so much, he never yelled or hit her. She sighed and began to scrub her skin. That was only a fantasy and would never happen.

  By the time she climbed from the tub, the water had cooled. The sun outside dipped low, almost behind the mountains. Eduardo would be home soon, and she had to do something about her hair. He’d said he wanted it brushed.

  Before bathing, she had done a quick job of taking in the side seams on the yellow dress. Now she slipped it on. The gown fell just right, as if it had been made for her. Crossing to the table, she touched one finger to the inlay on the silver brush. How she wished she had a different one to use! This one might be too fragile. She couldn’t bear to ruin Eduardo’s mother’s special things.

  Leaving the mirror alone, Chiquita picked up the brush, careful to wrap her fingers tight around the handle. She left the mirror face down. All these years, Papa told her so many times how fortunate she was to not have to see herself. She believed him and couldn’t bear to look.

  The mat of tangles resisted her efforts, but she was stubborn. Little by little, they came free. By the time she finished, her hair had dried. It hung to her waist, not as thick as Teresa’s, but still full enough. The sides showed a slight wave when they fell forward. Would Eduardo like her hair this way? She felt so vulnerable without the tangles to hide behind.

  Outside, a horse whinnied. Chiquita hurried to the window. Eduardo rode up to the barn and dismounted, acting stiff from a long ride. Rico met him, and they spoke for several minutes. She wondered if they talked about the injured man and wished she knew if he was okay. Eduardo led his horse into the barn. He would be inside soon, expecting a meal. After being gone all day, he would be hungry.

  Chiquita’s hands shook as she put the bowls on the table. Earlier, she’d brought in fresh water for drinking. She ladled some in glasses and put them near the bowls. Peering out the window, she still couldn’t see Eduardo coming. Maybe he didn’t want to face her. Maybe he was still angry with her for sleeping so late and would come in raging mad.

  Her hands shook. She walked back to her room to brush her hair one more time. She glanced at the mirror. Should she look? What if she were as repulsive as her father said? How could she face Eduardo? How could she stand the thought of him being saddled with an ugly wife when he was so handsome?

  His lean face swam before her. Dusky brown eyes, the color of the road after a rainstorm, twinkled in her memory. He had hair darker than mesquite bark and a mustache that curved in a graceful arc around his mouth. She felt the burning in her cheeks. When he smiled at her yesterday, he’d been the most handsome man she’d ever seen. She wanted to see him smile some more.

  “Chiquita?” The kitchen door slammed shut. Heavy footsteps echoed in the quiet house. Her heart pounded. Would he be angry? She forced her legs to move. The walk down the hallway to the living room felt like miles.

  “Chiquita, are you ready to eat? I’m starved. I’ve been…” Eduardo stopped talking as he turned and saw her standing near the hall. His eyes widened. His mouth dropped open. In two quick strides, he crossed the room to stand before her. Chiquita forced herself not to flinch.

  Eduardo cupped her cheek and tilted her head until she met his eyes. He stared in silence. She wanted to groan. This meant she was as ugly as Papa said. She stepped back, breaking Eduardo’s hold. Tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She turned to run and hide. In midstep, Eduardo gripped her from behind. She was trapped.

  CHAPTER 6

  Breathing came hard for Eduardo. He felt like a drowning man, gasping for air, as he stared at the vision across the room from him. When he arrived home, he couldn’t believe the change in his house. The air smelled clean and fresh as a spring day. Everything sparkled from the work she’d done. He had no idea how she’d accomplished so much. Then, when he turned and saw her, he became speechless, as tongue-tied as a young boy. He didn’t remember moving, but suddenly he stood in front of her, cupping her cheek in his hand.

  The yellow dress was perfect for her. Her creamy, tan skin took on the tinge of ripened wheat, and her eyes sparkled with a look of shy pleasure. Her hair hung to her waist. The soft tendrils he touched were the same color as cocoa. For the first time he could clearly see her face. She had an adorable, slight cleft in her chin and a small mole above her lip on the left side. Her neck was long, straight, and slender; her whole frame, willowy.

  He cupped her cheek, needing to touch her. She seemed so fragile, yet with enough spirit to give her an uncommon strength. Tears filled her eyes. She pulled away and took a step back. She wanted to run. Why? Did she believe him to be unhappy with her? He couldn’t let her go. Grabbing her arm as she turned, he pulled her to him.

  “Chiquita.” His voice came out in a husky whisper. “Don’t run.” He eased her around to face him.

  She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. He could see the doubts there, and the underlying fear. “Chiquita, you aren’t beautiful.” She looked down and tried to pull away before he could finish. “Wait.” He put his arms around her to keep her from going. A tremor shook her.

  “Let me finish. You aren’t beautiful—you’re exquisite.” He ran his hand through her fine hair. Up close, in the light, he could see golden highlights woven throughout. Soft waves curled along the edges. The scent of lavender soap drifted up to him.

  Chiquita’s eyes were enormous, the tears shimmering. She had such a look of hope, it broke his heart. Once more, anger at Diego welled up inside him; but he pushed the rage away, lest Chiquita sense his feelings and think they were directed toward her.

  “I don’t know how your family could have called you that horrid name. I’ve never seen any girl as pretty as you.” He smiled. Her eyelids drifted almost closed, as if she were enjoying the caress of his hand over her hair. Had anyone ever touched her in gentleness? He doubted that.

  His stomach let out a loud growl. Chiquita’s eyes widened again. He chuckled. “I can smell the beans and tortillas. If I don’t get to eat them soon, I’ll be too weak to walk to the table.”

  A ghost of a smile lifted Chiquita’s lips. He released her, took her hand, and led her into the kitchen. Eduardo shook his head. He couldn’t seem to quit staring at her. Whoever would have thought that tangled mess of hair hid such beauty? He was beginning to believe he’d gotten a gem in this marriage. God had been looking out for him, even though he doubted that yesterday.

  After supper, Eduardo went back to search again through his mother’s things while Chiquita cleaned up in the kitchen. He thought he remembered his mother packing away the old slate that he used to practice writing the alphabet. Near the bottom of the trunk, he found the things he needed. He grinned. Tonight, he planned to begin teaching Chiquita to read. She seemed to have few blessings in her life, and judging by the look in her eyes yesterday, she would consider learning to read a wondrous gift.

  When he came out of the room, Chiquita was seated in the living room with one of his mother’s old dresses, preparing to take in the seams. She glanced up as he came into the room.

  “Oh no you don’t.” He strode to her chair, took the sewing from her, and pulled her up. She cringed, the look of fear haunting her eyes. Eduardo sighed inwardly. He’d forgotten how fragile she was. The slightest wrong move had her thinking he was like her father. He could see that in the way she reacted.

  “Hey, what did I tell you?” He stroked his thumb over her silken cheek. “I won’t hurt you. I want you to come over to the desk with me. I’ll bring another chair, and we’ll start yo
ur lessons.”

  Her eyes widened. She glanced at the things in his hand.

  His lips twitched. “Yep, you guessed it. You’re going to learn to read. Every evening, we’ll spend a little time practicing.” He pursed his lips. “Of course, I’m not a teacher, and it will be harder when you can’t talk.” He gave a slight smile. “But we’ll manage. That is, if you want to.”

  She nodded. Her hair shimmered in the light. Her eyes shone, the closest he’d seen her to happy since she’d arrived. They sat side by side at the desk. He began to show her the letters. She caught on fast, copying them, her head bent forward in concentration.

  Eduardo found himself distracted by the perfect curve of her jaw and the slight blush on her cheeks. When she glanced up at a long pause, he felt his face warm. He cleared his throat, trying to recall where they were. Chiquita gave him a puzzled look. She couldn’t understand his hesitation. He knew she’d never had anyone admire her before. She probably couldn’t fathom why anyone would.

  “I think that’s enough for tonight.” Eduardo almost smiled at the look of disappointment on Chiquita’s face. “If we try to do too much at one time, you could get confused. Have you ever heard the Bible read?”

  Her brows drew together. She shook her head.

  Eduardo rose and stretched. “Why don’t you go back to your sewing, and I’ll spend some time reading aloud. My father used to read the Bible to us at night and sometimes from other books, too. If you’d like, we can do that.”

  A look of amazed anticipation made Chiquita’s face glow. While he found the place he wanted to read, she hurried to pick up the dress. When she gave him a puzzled glance, he understood and explained why he wasn’t starting at the beginning of the book. He turned to the book of John and began to read.

  Smoothing the soil around the seeds she’d planted, Chiquita sat up and stretched her back. She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in the last week, since she’d married Eduardo. For the first time, she was beginning to relax and enjoy living.

  She still feared Eduardo. Often during the last week, he’d lost his temper over little things that had gone wrong. On each occasion, she’d been terrified he would begin to hit her. She tried hard not to show her fright because just knowing she was afraid used to give her father satisfaction as he hit her. So far, Eduardo hadn’t been violent with her at all, but she didn’t trust him to continue that way. Papa had shown her how men treated women.

  In the evenings, Eduardo continued to teach her the alphabet. She knew all the letters now. Last night, he taught her a couple of simple words. Then, when he got out the Bible to read, he let her look on the page and find the words she learned. She’d been so excited, she could hardly sit still. Soon she would be able to read by herself.

  The ache to be able to read had grown over the past week. Growing up, there had never been any mention of the Bible. Mama had a small niche outside the house. She and her other daughters went there to pray sometimes, but Chiquita had never been allowed to join them. Now Eduardo read her fascinating stories about a man named Jesus who lived long ago. She’d never heard of Him or the miracles He did. She couldn’t wait to hear the end of the story of His life. Eduardo explained that the Bible was about Jesus and His love for all people. Although she couldn’t imagine Him loving her, she wanted to find out what happened to Him.

  She patted the last of the seeds and dipped water from the bucket to pour over them. Her braid tumbled over her shoulder, and she flipped it back, relieved to finally have her hair in manageable form. Two days earlier, Eduardo had taken her outside to show her the overgrown garden plot his mother once tended. He brought out seeds that were old but should still grow. She’d spent most of the time since then planting and watering. When he found out she wanted to put in the garden, despite the lateness in spring, Eduardo enlisted the aid of his ranch hands, Jorge and Tomás, to turn the earth with shovels. Chiquita loved the feel of the dirt spilling through her hands and the excitement when the sprouts began to grow.

  “I see you’re done with the planting.”

  Chiquita jumped and whirled around to face Eduardo. Her breath caught in her throat. Would she always fear his approach? Could she ever learn to trust him?

  “Here, let me help with that.” Eduardo took the bucket from her and finished watering the newly sown seeds. “There you go.” He nodded at the rows. “You’ve done a fine job. I look forward to the produce. I’ve depended on Pilar for too long.”

  Eduardo headed for the house, and Chiquita followed. Glancing at the hills, she couldn’t help wondering at the feeling she’d had of being watched. She wondered if Eduardo felt it, too. She wasn’t used to him being home this early. He usually spent most of the day on the range with Rico or with one of the hands, checking the cattle or seeing to the horses. The sun was sinking in the sky, but there were still at least three hours of daylight. She hadn’t even started to fix dinner. What if he expected his meal early? She fought the panic welling up inside.

  “I thought maybe you would like to see the rest of the ranch buildings. You’ve been here a week and still haven’t met any of the hands or Pilar. She’s anxious to meet you.”

  Her heart pounded at the thought of meeting other men. Even getting to know Pilar didn’t interest her. After the way her mother and sisters treated her, she had no idea what to expect from this woman. She scrubbed vigorously at the washstand, uncertain how to let Eduardo know she didn’t want to meet anyone else. She couldn’t hurt his feelings. What if her unwillingness to meet his employees made him angry?

  Smoothing the wisps of hair that had pulled free from her braid, Chiquita faced Eduardo, trying her best to smile. As they walked across the yard, Eduardo caught her hand in his. She flinched, wanting to pull away, but she knew that wouldn’t be right. Eduardo hadn’t hurt her so far. Why couldn’t she relax and enjoy his company? He was bright and interesting. He was certainly handsome, yet something held her back. She knew it was his tendency to lose his temper. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t trust someone who exploded in rage over every little thing that upset him. Papa had done that.

  “I want to tell you about the plans I have for this ranch.” Eduardo nodded at a pasture with mares and long-legged foals. “My father always raised cattle and had a few horses for use on the ranch. I wanted to spend time to improve our mustangs, and I have. We now supply the cavalry in Tucson with quite a few of its mounts.”

  Chiquita watched the mares cropping grass while their babies cavorted and raced around the pasture in total abandon. They weren’t big horses, but they were well put together. They looked much stronger and sturdier than her father’s nags.

  “The lieutenant at Fort Lowell in Tucson, who’s a friend of mine, spoke with me about what the cavalry needs. These horses, while sturdy and good at working cattle, aren’t as good for the men who need to carry enough provisions for two weeks. They need mounts that will carry them and all of their necessities.”

  He turned toward the barn and tugged on her hand. She followed him into the dim interior. The place smelled strongly of horse, hay, and the leather from the tack.

  “This is El Rey.” Eduardo stopped beside a stall at the end of the aisle. The horse inside nickered and thrust his head over the wooden partition. “He will be the start of a new line of horses for us.” Pride warmed Eduardo’s tone. He rubbed the horse’s head, running his hand under the dark mane.

  “When I bought him a few months ago, I also bought a mare of this same breed. She gave birth to his foal this week. They’re out in the pasture to the west. I’ll take you to see them after you meet Pilar and the boys.”

  Chiquita had never seen such a beautiful horse. His liquid brown eyes stared down at her. His muzzle was dark, but the rest of his coat was the color of light copper. The sunlight coming down the passageway made him gleam like fire. His mane and tail were deep brown, and his face had a blaze of white. Although taller than the mares in the pasture, El Rey appeared as graceful as a dance
r. Chiquita couldn’t help stroking the soft muzzle. His warm breath feathered across her hand while the few whiskers tickled her palm.

  She glanced up to find Eduardo watching her. She lowered her hand and stepped back. Maybe he didn’t want her to touch such a valuable animal. His grip on her hand became firm. He pulled her back to him.

  “You don’t have to be afraid—of him or of me.”

  She could hear the twinge of hurt in his voice and regretted moving away. All her life, she’d wanted to ride, but she hadn’t been allowed near her father’s horses. Oh, how she wanted to ask Eduardo if he would teach her to ride.

  As if he understood her thoughts, Eduardo spoke. “Have you ever ridden?”

  She shook her head. Her hand crept up once more to touch the stallion’s nose.

  “Then we’ll have to change that. We’re pretty busy right now, but by next week, I should be able to take the time to show you how. Once you learn, you can go with me on shorter rides. Would you like that?”

  She drew in a sharp breath. This man was full of miracles. First he gave her new clothes, then he taught her to read, and now he offered to teach her how to ride a horse. She wanted to pinch herself and wake up from the dream, before she believed it was real.

  “Señor! Señor Villegas.” A young man galloped up to the barn and jumped from his horse. His breath came in gasps.

  “What is it, Tomás?” Eduardo strode down the aisle, still holding Chiquita by the hand. She trotted alongside.

  “The foal.” Tomas panted, trying to catch his breath “The newest one. You must come.”

  “What’s happened?” Eduardo’s grip on her hand grew tight. She could see the anger building and wanted to leave, but couldn’t.

  “It’s dead, Señor. A puma must have found the foal lying down and killed him while the mama was grazing.”

  “Dead?” Eduardo glared at Tomás as if the death were his fault. He gripped her hand like a vise. She wanted to cry out, but she knew if she did, Eduardo’s rage would turn on her. “The cougar came that close to the buildings?”