Page 44 of Fortune's Kiss
“Thank you,” Mayté whispered.
Dominic gave her a kind smile.
“Lorena?”
Lo turned and gasped with delight.Carmen was seated next to her.
“Are you all right?”The maid took her hand and gave it a squeeze.She looked stunning.No longer was her black hair in a tight bun.Soft waves framed her face, making her look younger, less severe.Her off-the-shoulder scarlet gown was embroidered with intricate silver and gold patterns that shimmered in the candlelight.Despite that, the brightest part of her was her smile.She beamed from ear to ear.Up close, Lo could make out every pale freckle and the occasional brown mole sprinkled across her nose and dusting her chin, likely from the endless hours tending the gardens and hanging freshly washed linens.The sun may not have burned her olive skin so easily, but it still left its mark.Sera often warned Sofía she would look like Carmen one day if she stayed outside with the horses too long and Lo saw now just how beautiful and sun-kissed Carmen truly was.
“I’m as okay as I can be,” Lo said.“Are you?”
“Yes.Now that I’m here, all I can do is try my best.”Carmen plucked a little cake dusted in sugar with the tiniest strawberryon top off her plate.She took a bite and winced.It was the joyful kind of face someone made after biting into something unexpectedly sweet.It made Lo’s teeth tingle.Carmen licked the sugar off her lips before continuing.“I’m sure it’s the same for you.”Her warm eyes sparked with sympathy.The unspoken hung between them like a silky thin strand of a spiderweb.Lo’s father.They were both flies caught in the web, desperate to escape the carnivorous spider.
“If I may ask … when did you leave for Fortune’s Kiss?”Lo toyed with her silverware.Did Carmen know what Lo had done to her father?
“Very early in the day.I volunteered to run some errands but didn’t come back.I don’t know if I would’ve had the courage to go if anyone had tried to stop me.”
She had left before the incident.There was no way she could have known.
Lo felt a prickle on the back of her neck and turned to see Dominic staring.She hadn’t realized she was gripping her knife tight until his gaze flicked to her hand.With a jolt, she quickly dropped the knife to the table and smiled.“What?Do I have something on my face?”But before he could answer, she turned back to Carmen.“I’m sure you’ve heard rumors about my mother.”Walls may not truly have ears, but the house staff did, and she was certain those who worked in the de León household knew of every scandalous thing that transpired within its walls.Maybe Carmen knew something about Mamá.
If the staff at Fortune’s Kiss were anything like the workers at home, they could know something about Mamá too.“Some say she came here, in fact.”Lo spoke louder and glanced back to see if that had caught the attention of any of the servers.If any of them knew anything, it would seem that they had their pokerfaces mastered.They stared straight ahead, almost as if they had no emotion.
“Oh, yes.”Carmen nodded and popped the rest of her cake in her mouth.The time it took for her to chew and swallow it felt excruciatingly long.“I know some people believe she simply ran off, but I truly believe that she came here.That’s what inspired me to come.I remember when I first started working at your home, everyone talked about it, but no one dared say anything in front of your father.”
Lo bit back the urge to ask what Carmen and the other staff thought had happened to Mamá.
“I was only a teenager.Not much older than you.”Her smile turned bitter.“With a newborn.Shunned by most of my family and the Church.My abuelo took me in and watched over my son while I worked.Now Abuelo’s health is poor, and every year he grows more and more forgetful.I knew we were in a bubble that would soon pop.But from the moment I heard what your mother had done, I knew I had to come here too once the opportunity arose.Even just the slightest chance of winning a better life for what’s left of my little family … It’s the only thing that has kept me going.”
“I … I had no idea,” Lo whispered.Even though Carmen was her favorite, she had never thought to ask about her personal life.
Carmen was always so warm and gentle when brushing Sofía’s tangly curls, and endlessly patient whenever Sera went off on her pompous tangents.Most of all, she was dogged in the way she looked out for Lo.
It was because Carmen was a mother, Lo realized.She came here for the sake of her child.
Just like Mamá.
She felt sick.No matter how much she favored Carmen, how much she respected her, Carmen could not win Fortune’s Kiss, for her winning would lead to Lo and Mayté losing, and Lo could never allow that to happen.
A server set a plate of berry panqueques in front of Lo.She stabbed her fork into it, causing crushed strawberries and raspberries to ooze out like fresh blood.Her heart skipped a beat, but she reminded herself to keep calm.Calm and confident, like a winner.
Carmen smiled at her once again, before digging into her own plate of pancakes.Lo wanted to press more about Mamá, but movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention.Carlos.He came over with a steaming mug.Up close, Lo could see the shadow of unshaven hair forming above his lips.
“Mayté,” he said.
Mayté bit into her chorizo con huevos.Her eyes watered as if the spiced sausage had an extra kick to it.But Lo knew that wasn’t the cause.
“I brought you some café.It’ll help wake you up,” Carlos said.He held the mug out to her, but she continued scarfing down the orangey eggs as if they were manna sent from San Proveedor.
“I don’t think she wants any.”Dominic stood.“But I’ll take some.”He took the mug and Carlos’s mouth hung open.Dominic lifted the mug to his mouth, about to take a swig, but then seemed to change his mind.“Or would you rather have it, Lorena?”
“Oh, thank you so much, Dominic.”Lo took the mug, careful not to burn her fingers.She took a sip, not bothering to blow on the steaming liquid.The pain made her forget her unease.“Mmm.”She closed her eyes.It went down smooth and rich, with the slightest hint of spicy cinnamon.It heightened her senses and chased away the heaviness around her eyes.Whenshe looked back up, her heart skipped a beat: Carlos’s entire face had turned red and he stood rigid with his arms close to his sides, hands balled up into fists—just like Mayté whenever something enraged her.The thing was, Carlos was usually the cool-headed one.The one who shrugged off problems.Now he was a vat of boiling potions, unstable and ready to explode.
“You should finish your breakfast, Carlos, before it gets cold,” Dominic said.He acted nonchalant, but there was a knowing glimmer in his brown eyes.He was about to sit down when Carlos snatched his arm.His chair toppled with a loud clang.Everyone else stopped what they were doing and stared.Even Mayté froze mid-chew, but didn’t look up.
“Just because you’re one of her suitors doesn’t mean you can act so damn entitled.”Carlos grabbed Dominic’s collar, yanking him closer.
Dominic simply gripped Carlos’s arms.“This has nothing to do with Lorena.”His voice was surprisingly steady.“Your sister has made it clear that she doesn’t want to talk to you right now.”
