Nacre's Promise

Chapter XXIV : The inconceivable

The tension was palpable in the office. After a short pause, Alessandro waited for Rodrigo, with a brief nod of his head, to allow him to continue and resumed for Diego.

— You are aware that the wedding of your parents was negotiated by the two families, without the two parties having been presented. At the time this kind of rapprochement was very fashionable. This made it possible to conclude family alliances aimed at consolidating or increasing the social position and fortune of the various stakeholders. Love was completely absent from the equation and the newlyweds never had a say.

The young man nodded.

— This is what happened to your parents with, in their case, an additional clause which concerned a natural child. You were already born and you were part of the contract when they got married. Esperanza's fault was passed over in silence (who had known himself in certain circles) on condition that Elvira's was also forgotten and that Rodrigo assumes your paternity.

The eyes of the two young people were bulging. They were staring at a point on the horizon, mouths open, as if petrified. Rodrigo looked dark, ready to burst into tears, but he didn't.

Alessandro paused for a moment before continuing, this time addressing more particularly Diego who seemed to come out of his torpor.

— Your mother was madly in love with a young man from a good family, Andrès d'Ortanza, who was an orphan. Your grandfather took care of it a lot because he had been very close with his family. He had lived in part with them for several years, dividing his time between the boarding school and the Campos house. After finishing his studies, he moved into a staff apartment at the bank where he had found work as an accountant. Don Campos had managed to get this job.

He paused briefly to relight his cigar.

— Elvira had just turned fifteen and he was eighteen when he asked Don Campos for his hand. He was shocked at this request because of the young age of his daughter. Seeing only the ardor of youth and wishing to temporize, he reserved his answer by promising to think about it when Elvira was more mature.

Alessandro looked at Diego who was literally drinking his words. He had the impression that the young man was showing some signs of impatience.

— On the surface, everything seemed to be taking its course. Elvira was not complaining but, a few months later, she announced her pregnancy, already well advanced, to her father. Your grandfather hadn't seen anything. He was, it seems, mad with anger and refused to bow. He sent Elvira to her sister, who lived near Seville in a well-isolated fortress, while awaiting your birth.

Suddenly, Diego's face did not show any more of his inner tumult. He was in a hurry for Alessandro to continue his story, but he waited patiently.

For his part, Rodrigo seemed completely devastated by grief. He had postponed the moment of revealing everything so many times that his pain was increased tenfold.

— I was still a seminarian at the time and familiar with Doña Campos, which allowed me to follow these events. The rest is less pleasant but you have to know it.

After a fit of coughing, he resumed his story.

— Don Campos was a farsighted person and as his professional experience had made him suspicious, he had taken information about his ward. You should know that the Peseta was decreed as a common currency in 1868. From that date the Bank of Spain had upgraded the entries, but not everything had yet been processed. Andrès d'Ortanza discovered it and embezzled large sums for his benefit. An investigation was launched to confuse and arrest him. Several months were necessary. This is also part of the reason why Don Campos refused the wedding. He hoped that Andres would be cleared at the end of the investigation, but it did not happen.