Golden Paradise (Vincente 1) (10 page)

When they reached a hill that provided a magnificent view of the
hacienda
, Marquis reined in his horse. "I have decided that I will see you again, little Silver Eyes," he said. His hand moved to her face and he cupped her chin, raising it up so their eyes could meet.

Valentina shook her head. "I don't think that would be wise. We are from different worlds, and each of us has his own destiny to follow. This will have to be good-bye for us, Marquis."

His eyes took on a sadness. "Perhaps what you say is wise, but I will see you again, never fear." Nudging his horse forward, Marquis propelled him homeward. Valentina knew that the world was about to come crashing in on her. She wished she could stay forever in Marquis's arms.

When they reached the house, they were given no time to say more. Rosalia and Dona Anna ran to them, inquiring if Valentina was all right. Marquis helped Valentina down and she was hurried into the house by his mother and sister. Valentina had the strongest urge to turn around for one more look at Marquis, but she did not give in to her desire, though she could feel his eyes burning into her back. When she reached the top step, she heard the jingle of spurs, the creaking saddle leather, and knew he was riding away.

That night at dinner, Marquis and his grandfather were both absent from the table. Valentina was told Don Alonso was too ill to come downstairs, but no one explained to her why Marquis was not there and she did not ask. Even though Valentina knew she had no right to feel so, she was hurt because Marquis did not make an appearance on her last night at Paraiso del Norte. After dinner Valentina accompanied Dona Anna and Rosalia into the parlor, where she attempted to prolong the evening, hoping Marquis would come. When it was time to say good night, Marquis still had not appeared. Finally, with a sinking heart, Valentina excused herself and went to her bedroom.

When she entered the darkened room, she dropped down on the bed and covered her face with her hands. She wished the next morning would hurry and arrive so she could leave this place forever. She did not belong here. Valentina thought of her mother and hoped the medicine had helped her overcome the fever. Valentina had made her mother a promise that she would find her father and somehow she intended to keep that promise.

Her hand brushed against something soft that was propped against the pillow and she glanced up. There in the middle of the bed was a single crimson rose with a note attached to it. Her heart skipped a beat. Even before she read the note, she knew it was from Marquis. Her eyes devoured the words:

Silver Eyes, I will not see you tomorrow, having chosen this form of communication to say my good-bye. I have a feeling I was by far too bold with you last night and then again today. I beg that you forgive any offense you feel I have committed toward you. I assure you I have the greatest respect for you. As I promised, I will see what I can find out about your father. Never take it upon yourself to try such a dangerous venture on your own again. You will hear from me before too long.

Don Marquis Domingo Vincente

Valentina held the rose to her nose, breathing in the delicate fragrance. Tears of heartbreak and hopelessness fell on the crimson petals. In that moment, if anyone had asked her why she was crying, she could not have told them.

Valentina thought of Salamar and the strange predictions she had made about California. She tried to recall all that Salamar had told her, but her mind was in a muddle. She could only remember Salamar's speaking of a man whom she would love. There was very little doubt in her mind that Marquis Vincente was that man.

To Valentina's surprise, Santiago was waiting downstairs for her the next morning to accompany her back to San Francisco. She was glad to hear that they would be traveling on horseback rather than by buggy.

On her walk through the house, she mentally said good-bye. She would often think of the beautiful garden and remember the Vincente family's graciousness toward her.

Saying farewell to the Vincente family proved harder than she had thought it would be. Rosalia cried and Valentina felt her eyes sting with unshed tears. Dona Anna, as always the matriarch of the Vincente family, stood stiff and unyielding, and Valentina sensed she was glad to see her go. Valentina was greatly touched when Don Alonso got out of his sickbed to see her off. He made her promise that she would come to visit them again so he could take her on in a game of chess.

Marquis did not appear, but then she had not expected him to do so, since he had made his good-byes in his note. The rose he had given her was tucked inside Valentina's gown. She knew she would treasure it long after the color had faded and the fragrance had disappeared.

As Valentina and Santiago rode away from Paraiso del Norte, she could not resist halting her mount and gazing back for one last look. The rolling hills were bathed in golden light. The red-tiled roof gleamed brightly against the background of blue sky. In the distance, the mighty Sierra Mountains shadowed the land as a reminder that man was but a speck against the giants of nature. Her heart ached at the thought that she might never see the Vincente family again.

Turning her horse, she rode away with a deep feeling of loss. She had no way of knowing that Marquis, astride his prancing black steed, watched her departure from a distant hillside. After Valentina disappeared from sight, he turned his mount and rode back to the house.

The trip back to San Francisco passed uneventfully. Valentina and Santiago rode hard each day, stopping only to rest the horses. The first night they dined on food prepared by the cook at Paraiso del Norte and slept beneath the stars. After that, they dined on their usual fare of beans and tortillas.

Valentina spoke little, trying to clear her mind of the past few days. She had visited a land and a people as different from her as day was from night. Yet a dull ache reminded her that she had left a part of herself behind.

9

It was dusk when Valentina and Santiago reached San Francisco. The town was coming to life as Valentina dismounted and bid the little man good-bye. Watching him ride out of sight leading the horse she had ridden, she raised her hand and waved to him. Out of the corner of her eye, Valentina saw the curtain move in one of the windows of the Lawton house and knew she was being watched. Easily dismissing her landlord and her sister from her mind, she quickly made her way toward the cabin, eager to see her mother and Salamar.

Salamar watched Valentina come up the path and met her at the door. Raising her finger to her lips, she cautioned her to be quiet. "Your mother is sleeping," she whispered, her face beaming a welcome. "How is your ankle?" Salamar inquired, glancing down at her riding boots, satisfied that since Valentina walked without a limp, she must be fully recovered.

"I have no pain at all. The Vincentes's doctor was a very cautious man, but he made too much fuss." Valentina smiled and hugged Salamar. "Was mother very worried about me?"

"Not after Santiago came by and told her what had happened. Doctor Cline convinced her that the Vincente family was very respectable and that you could not be in better hands."

The night was chilly and Salamar steered Valentina to the hearth and seated her in a chair. Valentina leaned back and closed her eyes while Salamar brought her a bowl of meat and vegetables. They talked in low voices so they would not disturb Valentina's mother in the next room.

"How is Mother feeling, Salamar? I have been so concerned about her."

"Some days I think she is growing stronger, then the next day she can become weak and listless again." Salamar shrugged her shoulders and shook her head sadly. "It is not your mother's physical health I am worried about. She has very little will to rise from her sickbed. I take it, from what Santiago told us, that you never reached your father's mine."

"No, but I shall try again. I promised Mother I would learn the truth about Father, and I will."

Valentina had not been eating, so Salamar took the spoon from her and raised it to her lips, daring her to refuse the bit she offered her. "All in good time, Valentina. We have a more pressing problem at the moment."

"Money," Valentina said, understanding Salamar's concern. "We are running out of money."

"Yes, for medicine."

"I don't suppose it helped Mother any when she heard I was in an accident."

"She was upset at first, but Santiago was very convincing when he told her you were all right. As I told you, Doctor Cline helped assure her that you were in good hands. He said the Vincentes were considered California nobility. He told your mother that when the history of California is recorded, the Vincente name will head the list for important families."

"I found them to be the kindest, most gracious people I have ever known. They made me feel so welcome. They treated me as if I were doing them a favor by staying with them."

"The Californians are known for their hospitality. It is said that when the first Europeans came to these shores, the Spanish welcomed them with open arms. The Spaniards had been dissatisfied with the corrupt Mexican rule for some time. This is their country, but many of them are willing to give the Americans a chance. They hope for something better for California than what the Mexican government offered."

Valentina took the last bite of her meat and smiled at Salamar. "I can see you have done your homework. You have only been in this country a short time and already you know the history. I am constantly amazed by your ability to glean knowledge."

The maid smiled slightly. "I got my thirst for knowledge from you, Valentina. You have made me aware that there are not enough years in one's lifetime to learn all the facts a hungry mind craves." Salamar took the empty bowl from Valentina and stood. "The doctor often brings the newspaper to your mother. Since you have been away, I have been reading it aloud to her; that is how I learned about California."

Feeling drained, Valentina leaned her head back against the wooden chair. "I don't know what we are going to do, Salamar. As you pointed out, we are running out of money. If it weren't for mother's ill health, we would move to the mine and I would work Father's claim."

Picking up the kettle of hot water from the hearth, Salamar watched the flickering firelight play across Valentina's face. "I didn't want to tell you this until you had rested, but I fear things are much worse than before. Two days ago your mother bumped against the table, knocking her medicine off and spilling the contents on the floor. I had to buy another bottle from Doctor Cline and it took almost all the money we had left. There is very little money for food, Valentina; when we have eaten what is in the house, there will be no money to buy more. I was reminded today by Mr. Lawton that the rent on this cabin comes due in less than a week."

Valentina felt as if the walls were closing in on her. "Does Mother  suspect that  we are running out of

9"

money:

"No. I have kept it from her." She moved across the floor until she stood in front of the table.

Valentina held out her hands to the warmth of the fire, feeling the weight of the world pressing upon her. "I will just have to find employment of some kind."

"That would be the solution, but what are you qualified for?" Salamar asked bluntly.

"I could teach school." Valentina heard the splash of water as Salamar filled the basin; then she heard the clatter of dishes.

"There are no children here. This is a gold field town. The miners have not yet sent for their families. Whom would you teach?"

"I suppose I could become a seamstress."

"The kind of women who live in San Francisco either work in the saloon or are like Prudence Lawton."

Valentina shook her head in defeat. "The only thing I am qualified to do is dance. That is the one thing I do well. I fear there is no demand here in San Francisco for a dancer with my qualifications."

Salamar plunged a bowl into the soapy dishwater. "I already thought of that. I, myself, went to the Crystal Palace Saloon next door and told the owner, Tyree Garth, that I was a dancer. He was not unkind, but he readily pointed out the fact that I am past my prime."

Valentina stared at the leaping flame, despairing that there was no solution to their plight. "I would rather not, but tomorrow I will talk to Reverend Lawton and see if he will allow us to stay on here until I find employment."

"He claims to be a man of God, but there is something about him I do not like. Be careful around him."

Valentina felt the same way. Percival Lawton seemed much more eager to condemn his fellow men than to teach them about the love of God. She dreaded the thought of facing him and asking for charity. She did not want to be under any obligation to the man or his sister. Valentina would have to find employment as soon as possible.

"How much money do you have, Salamar?"

"Four dollars."

"I have five. It will take all we have to buy meat for Mother. The doctor stressed how important it was that she have red meat. I believe for the first time in my life I am frightened, Salamar."

Salamar sat down near the hearth and poked at the fire with the heavy tongs. As the sparks scattered into the air, a glazed look came into her eyes, the kind of look she always got when she was looking into the future. "Do not fear, Valentina. You will soon know your way . . . tomorrow you will learn what you must do."

"If you know what will happen, then tell me, Salamar," Valentina pleaded. "Believe me, I could use the assurance of knowing the future at this moment."

Salamar shook her head. "You will know when the time comes. Tell me this, Valentina. Did you meet the man with dark eyes?"

"Yes, you foresaw this, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Will he play a part in my life ... or will I never see him again?"

"I believe at this moment he searches for something on your behalf. Is this not so?"

"That's true. He said he would try to find my father." Valentina's voice rose excitedly. "Please tell me if—"

"Ask me no questions, Valentina. It is not good to know too much about the future. Allow things to develop as the Lord intends."

"Sometimes I feel like I have my back against a wall, Salamar. Would you tell me if you knew my father's fate?"

"Of course I would tell you that if I knew, but I do not. I do not see everything in the future. The sight is a little, like a door barely cracked to let in light. Your mother seems to believe he is alive, and I trust in her feelings for him."

Valentina stood up and began to undress for bed. Her thoughts were of her meeting with Reverend Lawton the next day. Something about him made her feel very uncomfortable. When he touched her, it made her skin crawl. She was so weary that she pushed all unpleasant thoughts out of her mind and fell asleep almost the moment her head rested on the soft pillow.

Valentina had washed her mother's hair, braided it in one long braid, and tied it with a green ribbon. After giving her mother a dose of medicine, she sat beside her, holding her frail hand.

"I was glad to find you home when I awoke this morning, Valentina. I feel it is my fault that you put yourself in danger."

"Nonsense. I was never in any danger." Valentina looked into her mother's soft eyes, seeing a beauty that time could not erase. "You are very lovely, Mother. I can well see why Father fell in love with you."

Evonne Barrett raised her daughter's hand to her cheek. "I will always want to look beautiful for your father. I must get well so when he returns I won't look so pale."

"You could never be anything but beautiful," Valentina said, glancing at her mother's lovely face, which was unmarred by her illness. "You have what one would call a timeless beauty, Mother. When you are eighty, you will still be very lovely.'1

Evonne smiled at her daughter. "You are the lovely one, my dearest daughter. You don't know how lovely you are, do you?"

"I believe I am passingly pretty."

Evonne laughed for the first time in days. "Stay modest and sweet, my love. It is very becoming in a beautiful woman."

"What does it feel like to be in love, Mother?" Valentina wanted to know. "You and Father were in love from the first moment you met, were you not?"

Evonne raised her hand and touched her daughter's cheek. "Yes, the very moment our eyes met. To know love is to feel pain; it is also to know great happiness. It is loving one person so much that his happiness comes before your own."

"How can one know if she is in love?"

Evonne's eyes clouded and she took an unsteady breath. "You will know when the real thing comes into your heart. You will be willing to make any sacrifice for that love. There was a time when, as Jordanna the dancer, I was the rage of all Paris. Men stood in line just to have me say hello to them. When I met your father, I turned my back on fame with no regrets. I never missed the excitement of dancing; all I wanted was to be Ward's wife. I believe that is what will happen with you, Valentina. You will be like me and know the man you love the moment you see him."

Valentina thought of the velvet-eyed Spaniard and knew he had most certainly touched her heart. But was it love? she wondered. If so, it was a love that was doomed to failure because he was soon to marry. Not wanting to think about Marquis, Valentina leaned forward and touched her lips to her mother's flushed cheek. "I am no beauty like you, Mother. I may never know the kind of love that you and Father have shared."

Evonne took her daughter's chin in her hand and raised her face to the light. "Oh, my dearest daughter, you are fairer than I ever was. You are so beautiful that you will make all the men fall in love with you. If you were dancing in Paris, you would be a sensation, for your talent far exceeds mine. Many gentlemen would offer you the world. But you must be wise and wait for just the right man."

Valentina laughed delightedly. "So speaks my mother. You look at me through eyes of love. You don't see my imperfections."

Evonne tugged at Valentina's hair. "Think what you will. All too soon, men will shower you with attention."

Valentina was thoughtful for a moment. "Are you sure you never miss being Jordanna, the prima ballerina of Paris, Mother?"

"Not one day of my life. Loving and being loved by your father was all I ever cared about. I know there were times when you felt cut out of our life, Valentina, but I had to go with your father. I will never regret that I spent all my time with him. You will understand this one day."

"Strangely enough, I never felt cut out of your life. I have always known that you and Father loved me. Of course there were times when I could have died of loneliness, but I believe I took some kind of satisfaction in your love for each other. However, I do not think when I marry that I shall leave my children with anyone."

Evonne's eyes drifted shut and she murmured, "No, I do not think you ever would. You will make a far better mother than I, for not only are you lovely, but you also have a kind and loving heart. Your nature is such that you don't even realize that you are lovely beyond compare."