Letters in the Sands of Time

Chapter 3 - The Loss He Feared

Lost in her painting, Isabella did not notice her mother enter the study room.

Something about the symbolic rocks by the shore mesmerized her, and she found herself painting them.

Victoria approached her and asked “What are you painting?”

“The rocks, on the shore..” she said as she pointed on each one “this is love..this is second chances..taking chances..and the last one represents secrets.”

“Quiet an imagination..

But they do look lovely, you have always been talented my dear Isabella” her mother said with a warm smile. Victoria saw it in her daughter’s beautiful eyes, she was different, smart, beautiful, witty, and to her fear, quiet free spirited.

“You do remember senior Louis, do you?” Her mother asked,

“Senior Louis? Yes I do, what of him?” She remembered him the son of a very well decent family. They resided not too far from the Lorenzo’s mansion. Not to forget that he was also the topic of every young lady in Spain. Golden blonde hair and dark blue eyes, well mannered, dressed in the latest fashion, and very much accessible. Isabella has always dreamt of un hombre misterioso. Although, she did acknowledge Senior Louis as a rather handsome gentleman, she did however have different views when it came to a gentleman’s appearances.

“Well, his family payed us a visit yesterday, and they would like to ask your hand for marriage”

The brush fell off her hand. Marriage, She did have more time, she thought. Senior Louis? He was not what she had always dreamt of. God, she did not even imagine getting married before she found love. Silly of her to think, but she did have quiet an imagination, right? She thought.

She was unable to speak the words running through her mind, and her mother did see the conflict in her lovely daughter’s eyes, so she interrupted her thoughts “Isabella, we love you dearly, and we would only wish to see you rather happy..” she paused

“…he does seem like a gentleman that would make you happy..” she paused again only noticing more confused looks in her daughter’s eyes,

“…we chose not to approve before consulting you” hoping this will make her daughter’s hands that were now in a tight fist loosen,

“…but we do believe you should give yourself a chance, I know it is love you seek, but love will eventually find its way, carry on with your painting now, you can inform us of your thoughts on the matter tomorrow.” She concluded, not able to withstand her daughter’s startled looks any further. She patted Isabella’s shoulder and made her way out.

Isabella stood there, watching her mother leave. She had always known this would happen, she just wished to postpone it as much as she can, and now it seems she may not. She knew deep in her heart that for a Lorenzo lady, love was hard to find, “Impossible to find” she whispered.

This is how all the Lorenzo ladies married, and most of Spain for that matter.

But she could not help but sense,

She was destined to be different.

“You seem rather distracted” Anna said to her best friend with worried eyes as they were sitting in the rose saloon having their cup of tea, which Isabella has not touched or even looked at.

Isabella starred at her best friend’s eyes with tears dwelling in her eyes. She knew she will not be forced into this wedlock, but she also saw the disappointment in her parents’ eyes, and she could not be the reason behind it.

“Have you ever felt that you were born in the wrong time and place?” she finally managed to say

“Oh Izzy, what has happened to you? I have never seen you like that” Anna said as she moved to settle herself closer to her best friend

“Senior Louis wants to marry me” she said, sobbing as she hid her face in her hands

“What?!” Anna said in disbelief and rather happy, Anna did always find Senior Louis as the perfect gentleman

“…I don’t understand…why are you this devastated?”

“You know why, I don’t..” fighting back the sobs “..don’t love him”

“Oh Izzy..I know how we always hoped and wished for love, but that could not happen in our world. Not for us. And you know it.. please stop crying…” she paused handing her best friend a handkerchief

“…but atleast you got Senior Louis, God forbid you could have gotten an old rather round man.. he is as handsome as they get, a gentleman, a lovely family.. What more can you wish for?”

“Love..” she said, and her eyes seemed to have sank in her thoughts. Was it really too much to ask for? To feel loved.

“Izzy, where did you expect for us to ever find love?”

Anna was right, Isabella knew it in her heart. But she could not find a suitable answer, and so she just nodded.

“What did you say to your parents of the matter?”

“Nothing. I shall have an answer by tomorrow.” She said no longer crying, but Anna saw the look in her eyes, it was not sorrow but rather a look of a girl whose dreams just shattered

“Izzy, you are the sister I have never had, and if I were to ever wish for you to marry, I shall not find a better suitor than Senior Louis. You barely know him.. take a chance, love might surprise you”

Isabella let Anna’s words sink in and she excused herself to her chambers. She needed to be alone,

She needed to think,

She needed to come back,

She needed to write..

Rafael spent his day unable to think of anything or anyone else other than Sophia, repeating her words over and over, reliving their memories, remembering her hazel eyes and her smile...

He waited eagerly for this moment, midnight. It was rather a windy night. Well he has been waiting and pacing along the rocks on the shore for almost two hours.

He wanted to kiss her, run to her, smell her...God, he wanted to scream her name and hold her..

He could only hope.. and wait.

There she was, he felt tense, his emotions running wild, he started moving in her direction

Until..

There it was

The loss he feared,

He was paralyzed.

He felt his knees tremble as he drowned in grief like moving sand.

He turned his back

and walked away....

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