The fiesta was alive with music, food, and a vast number of guests. Alejandro, Diego, and Jenna arrived in time to enjoy the company of friends and dancing. Many were surprised with the color of Jenna’s hair and the American sound of her name. She was closely scrutinized, partly because she was dressed so wonderfully in a gown of antique rose. But there was an element of curiosity, which began wearing on her nerves.
Diego and Alejandro were only two of the many men who claimed her for a dance. It helped immensely. The nagging headache that had threatened to grow began to dissipate. When the magistrado, Señor Galindo, asked her to dance, alarm bells went off in her head. Jenna felt a deep-seated fear around him. He looked like a goat with evil intentions to raid the local waste management facilities. After the music ended, Galindo began to very cleverly ask questions about herself.
“Señor Galindo, I make it a personal policy not to talk about myself to people I barely know. It’s a matter of safety but it is also bad manners to talk about one’s self. I’m sure you can appreciate the idea?” she stated, point blank and with an air of indignance.
“We just met a short time ago, and I take no considerations to a person’s position. I am, after all, a Señorita.”
Galindo had never encountered such an outspoken young lady, and felt slightly insulted that so bold a woman put him off. It wasn’t something he was accustomed to. Perhaps it would require some investigating on this Americana to discover if she could learn proper respect for him. Galindo made a mental note of it as he headed for the Señorita Cortez. She was at least Spanish and knew her place. She was with young de la Vega and speaking to Franco Barbarosa and his daughter.
Jenna meanwhile took a break from dancing and stuck close to the shadows, so that she wouldn’t be dragged out again. She saw Alejandro heading towards her. “Jenna, my dear, why are you hiding over here? You look too lovely to waste the evening in the dark.”
Jenna was truly fond of the old gentleman. She let out a light laugh and gave him a look of merriment. “Well, I was trying to get you over here and it worked!” she teased. Realizing she was being silly, he offered her his arm and led him back to the assembly, but where they could seat themselves. Jenna fanned herself as she explained. “But truthfully, don Alejandro, I needed to sit down. I have enjoyed myself so much, but I’ve been dancing so much my feet ache.” She slipped her shoes off and flexed her toes, making her gown rustled at the movement.
“Well, Señorita, you look so lovely in that dress, no decent caballero would dare ignore you,” Alejandro said warmly.
“Oooh you are full of flattery, don Alejandro!” and kissed his cheek. “Go on! Tell me more!” she urged him, batting her eyes and laughing. He joined in the humor. They turned towards Diego, and noticed the older caballero and his daughter walking away as if offended, while Diego and Rosarita stared in disbelief at the magistrado. Diego spoke one or two words to Galindo, who he raised his eyebrows in comprehension.
“Or was it the look of something diabolical?” Jenna thought. Something told her that’s exactly what it was. She waited until Diego returned to her and Alejandro and requested a dance from her. It wasn’t until they were on the dance floor that Alejandro noticed Jenna seemed slightly shorter. Looking down he saw her shoes left behind. Shaking his head in amusement, he stayed put to guard the shoes till her return. The Señorita Americana was truly delightful, but, Alejandro thought with a little pang of regret, she did not belong here. There was something about her that showed she didn’t fit in this society, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. She was unlike any other señorita: unafraid, took no back stance to men, independent in nature, outspoken. And Alejandro found he would defend her right to be so if it were questioned.
Meanwhile, out on the dance floor, Jenna relayed her thoughts and insights to Diego. “That old guy, Diego, Señor Galindo?”
“Si, Jenna, what about Galindo?”
“He’s bad news, Diego. As sure as God made little green apples, that man is trouble. Just now, when that other man walked away with his daughter,” she prompted, with Diego’s grunt of understanding, “Galindo got this look on his face that whatever you said to him about the other guy, was interesting to the point of being monumental in something that’s not kosher.”
Diego looked at her, not comprehending totally what she was conveying. “Jenna, speak so I understand, please. And to simplify things, the other man is Franco Barbarosa. He’s a good man; worked hard to build up a very impressive stock of cattle. He deserves everything he’s worked for and the status with it.”
“All right. In plain, simple…English,” she snickered, causing Diego to as well, “Galindo is up to something. When you, just a few minutes ago told him something about Barbarosa, all of a sudden his face changed. Whatever it was, Galindo found very interesting. He got this look on his face as if he could use that information somehow. And he was asking me questions about myself too, Diego. I about smacked his face. I told him I don’t go around discussing myself with strangers. He didn’t seem to appreciate that.”
“I am sure he didn’t,” Diego agreed with a chuckle. He digested everything Jenna told her. She didn’t need to convince him the magistrado was up to no good. He’d already encountered Galindo’s deviousness; twisting laws, squeezing taxes out of people, imposing restrictions and duties on people. It was as if he was purposely trying to spread misery among the people.
If he felt like Jenna had put him in his place, no doubt Galindo would somehow make her pay for her rebuff. “I do not trust him either, Jenna. Too many things have happened recently that lead me to believe he is part of a larger conspiracy. But I have no proof other than eagle feathers. He’s connected to them, that much I know. But to prove his guilt will be more difficult.”
He held her just a little bit closer, as if he were keeping her safe. “I believe you have come at a very dangerous time. I cannot shake the feeling, Jenna. Knowing what I do of the magistrado, he’ll stop at nothing. And he is not beneath causing problems for a Señorita such as you. We must be on our guard.”
As if knowing he was being discussed, Galindo looked in the direction of Diego and the uppity, golden-haired Señorita. Her impudence towards him rankled severely. It would not be ignored. He would have the false comandante Ortega use his authority and teach her a much-deserved lesson in respect. But first he would deal with Franco Barbarosa.
Chapter Nine
Chapter Seven
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