Page 5 of Devoted to the Spanish Duke
It wasn’t as if her brother had ever found himself in the position where he had to use a sword or pistol against a man. The worst adversary Maria hoped he would ever have to deal with was an Iberian wolf or a brown bear.
Her gaze returned to the sea. The tide was slowly working its way out, and several boats were making their way into shore. Maria doubted she would be able to enjoy lazy mornings like this once she was wed to the ambitious Juan Delgado.
She reached for her gold chain, silently chiding herself for having forgotten to put it on this morning. As soon as she was finished breakfast she would go and get it. Maria never went anywhere without her Santiago medallion.
“And speaking of happy days, how are the dowry negotiations going this morning? Father did not seem pleased when I saw him earlier,” she added.
“Not good. Juan Delgado is a tough negotiator. After everything Papá has offered him, he still asks for more. At the rate things are going, you will be lucky to be a bride before Christmas,” replied Diego.
What a shame.
She would have to remember to feign disappointment in front of her father if he could not seal the agreement today.
A shadow fell over the two siblings, and Maria glanced up to see her father’s trusted advisor, Señor Perez, standing close by. The gray-haired man smiled and bowed to them. “Don Diego. Doña Maria. What a beautiful morning. The sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky. God is truly smiling down upon us today.”
Maria and Diego exchanged a grin. Señor Perez was always one for waxing lyrically.
Diego rose from his chair and politely bowed to Maria. “I must go and see how things are progressing. Though I don’t hold out much hope.”
Señor Perez nodded. “Good luck. They were still haggling over jewelry when I left a few moments ago.”
Maria finished the last of her coffee and also rose. Señor Perez held out his arms to her, offering a hug. “Don’t worry. Your father will eventually get things settled. In the meantime, would you like to go for a walk along the beach? One of the villa staff mentioned that the fishermen often have delicious, fresh clams for sale.”
She had known this man all her life, considered him as an uncle. Spending a warm summer’s morning with him strolling along the sand was a perfect idea. The cool sea breeze would help to clear her mind.
“Let me go and get my necklace and then I shall meet you at the stone steps which lead down to the beach,” she said.
“How about we leave now? The fishermen may be gone by the time you return if we delay. And it would be such a pity to miss out on those clams. I promise we won’t be gone long,” he replied.
She nodded. “Alright, let’s go. I am sure I can survive for a few minutes without my pendant.”
A short while later Maria followed Señor Perez as he led her onto the golden expanse of Zarautz Beach. She took in a deep breath; the salt air was magnificent. Being this close to the sea always did something to her mood.
Lisandro de Aguirre was right about the lure of the sea.
Not wishing to ponder why her thoughts kept returning to the Duke of Tolosa, Maria took hold of Señor Perez’s arm and grinned up at him. A change in topic was in order.
“I didn’t see you at the ball last night,” she said.
He screwed up his face. “You know me—I am never one for those sorts of things. All that dancing and making polite talk? No, thank you.”
“Oh, come now,tío, I have seen you dance. The ladies are always eager to take a turn of the floor with you,” replied Maria.
He leaned in close and met her gaze. The pale color of his face and dark circles under his eyes gave her pause. He looked tired. “I took to my bed early last evening. I am not a young man anymore. I need my sleep.”
The sound of men crying ‘heave’ came on the wind, and Maria turned to see a fishing boat being dragged into shore. Pots, nets, and rope were tossed over the side. Señor Perez gently nudged her.
“Let’s go and see if they have any clams for sale. I would love some tossed in garlic.”
Maria lifted her skirts, doing her best to keep them dry. The thought of fresh seafood was a nice distraction to her new concerns about the health of her father’s trusted servant.
As they drew closer to the small boat, the fishermen stopped their work and stood with heads bowed. One by one, they slipped off their woolen caps, acknowledging Maria.
“Buenos días,good gentlemen. Did you have a successful fishing trip?” said Señor Perez.
The men looked from one to another, then finally, one of them stepped forward and bowed low. “We caught many fish,” he replied.
Maria released her hand from her friend’s arm and moved toward the boat. She was keen to see what was in the fishing pots. “Do you have any clams, or should we ask farther up the beach?”
