Blood in the Valencian Soil (Secrets of Spain) (22 page)

“I haven’t heard anything about it.”

“You wouldn’t. It’s not a popular subject, and if the media ignores it, then it doesn’t exist. We’re the only ones covering it today and only as an attention grabber. Something to get the viewer’s complaining about on our Facebook page. Gets the ratings up. It doesn’t do us any favours from a journalism point of view. No one cares about these people.”

“I do. Who are these people?” Cayetano asked.

“There is a remembrance society that people can be a member of, run by some guy. Why do you care?”

“Just… imagine if you wanted to find a body… never mind. What do you want?”

“I came to talk to you about this magazine photo of you and girly, but I don’t want to talk while she’s here… where did she disappear off to?”

“Probably to attend to the children.” Cayetano folded his arms, an instinctive thing. He felt very defensive of what was going on in his house; it was private, and María was the last person he wanted to be passing judgment on his new life.

“Children? She has kids?”

“She does.”

“I can see why you like her then, she has the kind of ovaries you want.”

“Okay, we’re done now,” Cayetano said. “I can assume that you didn’t like the photo. We didn’t either. But it wasn’t planned, and I’m
hoping it goes away.”

“You and me both. If anyone gets the story of our marriage break-up, it’s going to be on my show.”

“You mean so you can lie?” Cayetano stopped when he heard his phone ringing. He turned to see Luna coming towards him with it in her hand. “Gracias, la chispa. Oh, it’s Mamá, I will be right back.”

Luna stood in the entrance way with María while Cayetano wandered into the kitchen on the phone. Luna didn’t want to be left on her own. If you want to meet your lover’s ex-wife, you want to do while dressed up, not in your casual wear while make-free, especially when the ex-wife looks fabulous.

“It’s sweet, he gave you a nickname,” María said.

“He gave you one, but it’s not as nice.”

María chuckled through gritted teeth. “Look, girly, I don’t know what your game is, but my husband isn’t going to play Papá. You need to find someone else to reel in.”

Luna smiled. “Yeah, whatever. I don’t play games, so whatever little mind-fuck you’re trying on me, it’s not going to fly.”

“I’m trying to give you some advice, Luna. Cayetano is my husband. We go a long way back.  I don’t know you, but you need to get out of the way, for your own sake. Plus, if you have kids, they’re going to get hurt. Cayetano and I… we’re not done.”

It wasn’t María’s words that threw Luna. It was her tone. She was serious. “I don’t want to have anything to do with your divorce.”

“Who said anything about a divorce? Girly, I cheated on my husband, he cheated on me. We go through rough patches. We’re solid, not some affair that burns out after a few months.”

“Okay.” Luna just shook her head. “We can just not talk.”

“I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, Luna. If you have kids, then at some point you have had a serious relationship, so you know what they’re like. They’re not perfect, but you’re not going to find a Papá replacement here.”

“My first husband died. I’m not looking for a replacement because he was perfect, like my marriage. I’m sorry you didn’t have the same.” Now Luna was just annoyed.

“The fact you have kids may be the only reason Cayetano’s interested in you. He can’t have any… or did he not mention that?”

“He did tell me. So we can make impulsive love in his dressing room without any worries… oh wait… he doesn’t even let you in
there, does he?” Luna mocked her. It was easy to say you want to keep it classy, but it was easier said than done. “I need to go back to my children now.”

María spun around without a word, and disappeared through the front door, just as Cayetano came back out of the kitchen. “Where did she go?”

“I don’t know, maybe she left her broom unattended,” Luna quipped.

“Was she a bitch? I’m sorry about that. You shouldn’t have to deal with her.”

“No.” She sighed. “I don’t want to deal with baggage. I know I have loads, and I don’t need more. Is everything all right with your mother?”

“Ah… yeah, she’s fine. Papá is angry at me.” The bastard went and found the chest missing! “It doesn’t matter. Like you said, no baggage.”

Luna smiled. “Fabrizio’s family is the stereotypical larger than life Italian family. Since I came from a family of only two, Max and Paulina seemed like a handful.”

“So… would meeting P
aco and Inés be an issue?”

“I thought we were just going to have a fun weekend.”

“We are… we really are. We’re going to have a relaxing weekend out of the city. We’re taking it easy.”

“Good, because I know little about family or marital problems.”

“Did María say something?”

Luna shook her head and looked to the floor. “It’s fine. She seems to think you and her aren’t getting divorced, and that you cheated on her.”

“Hey,” Cayetano said calmly and brought his hands to her face. When her eyes came up to his, he said, “I’m not a cheater. Maybe when I was 20 I was stupid and I acted that way. Being married is serious. I had faith, and I’m not quitter. I swear I don’t act that way.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

He brought his lips to hers for a gentle kiss. “I’m sorry that María suggested that we’re an affair.”

“You don’t need to worry. I don’t have a disgruntled ex, or parents, to present you to.”

“I would have liked to have met Alexander and Thelma. They must have been wonderful people to produce a daughter like you.”

“The charmer turns on the sweet talk,” she smiled.

“Anything to see that smile. Now, let’s get those boys ready, so we can resume our perfect weekend.”

“They’re brushing their teeth as we speak.”

“I will get myself ready, and we can go.” Cayetano kissed her forehead and headed back in the direction of the bedrooms.

Luna sighed. All of a sudden she felt uncomfortable. She had wandered into a whole life and family, and it felt rushed. It was fun when they were alone, but that wasn’t reality.
The last thing she wanted to do was get the speed wobbles, but she and Cayetano were going pretty fast with each other. She heard Cayetano talk to María, about bodies dumped in mass graves. Luna had thought that it was a possibility that her grandfather had suffered that fate. She didn’t want to believe it, and not just because that was no use to her in regards to her visa application. It was a scary business. María was wrong; people couldn’t just dig up bodies and put them in cemeteries. These people had kept the graves secret for the whole lives, and they were scared to discuss them. Even some bodies that had been moved to cemeteries were then moved again after locals petitioned councils, saying the bodies couldn’t be there. There was hate and fear simmering, and Luna didn’t want to get caught in it. Yet, at the same time, she wanted to yell and scream at Spaniards for hiding their secrets. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there had been a shift. The simple joy that she and Cayetano had was now gone. Pleasure was as fragile as glass.

20

Madrid, España ~ septiembre de 2009

The country place that belonged to Cayetano’s family was
far more than Luna expected. The sprawling grounds of the rural property stretched for miles. It was less of a house in the country and more of an expansive working farm. When Cayetano said that they bred bulls, he wasn’t kidding. Not only were there fields of pedigree bulls, there were stables with horses, and a large number staff going about their day jobs. There was good money in bull and horse breeding. Even the property’s name – Rebelión – fit so well. It seemed the Beltrán and Morales families had defied the odds and been successful for years. No war, or dictatorships, or anti-bullfighting sentiment ever did them any harm.

Luna
almost dropped her bags when she stepped through the lavish double glass doors into the entranceway. It was bigger than her living room on its own, complete with grandfather clock. A huge winding white staircase lead upstairs to the bedrooms, and beyond it were the living areas, kitchens, dining rooms, library, and even a music room. Cayetano seemed quite proud of himself when he watched her wide-eyed at the Morales property.

“Wow, this is quite a place,” she said. They stood at the floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the enclosed yard, luscious and green in contrast to the dusty paddocks that were beyond it. The kids had already charged out to play on the grass between the trees.

Cayetano glanced around the living room, all white and immaculately presented. He had seen her look up at the chandelier earlier and shake her head in disbelief. “Thanks. It was a mess when my grandparents first bought it, but Papá worked hard on it. Once I took over I had it restored properly. It’s an 18th century building, so pretty new, but it still needs a lot of work.”

“But who lives here? No one?”

“Papá comes a lot and brings
abuelo José and abuela Consuela. Technically it’s their home, but they live most of the time with Papá  and Mamá now, in the city. It’s easier. We have staff here to run things day-to-day, and me and Sofía, or our cousins come for the weekends. It belongs to everyone. Mamá and Papá will retire out here soon, and I inherit the house in La Moraleja, so they tell me.”

“Wow, La Moraleja
, with all the movie stars, and footballers, and celebrities… I guess you are one of them.”

“
I don’t feel like one of them. I like my little place in the city.”

“
I would love to live in the country.”

“Country life is for you?”

“For sure. Sure, the streets of the city are filled with possibility, but the open spaces are lined with freedom.”

“Not at Rebelión, I have 15 cousins and we can all fit in here at once. You should see Christmas gatherings. No freedom to be had, it’s crazy.”

“Nice, though.” Luna’s voice was quiet, her attention back to the children outside in the sun. “Do you have Christmas here every year?”

“Sure do, and it can be a circus.” Then he remembered; Luna didn’t have
a family. “I mean… I do appreciate it.”

“I’m sure.”

“Where… what do you do for Christmas? It’s only few months away.”

“I take the kids to Sicily to see Fabrizio’s parents, and they usually come to Valencia for Easter. Though… oh, never mind.”

“What?”

“We usually also have
Darren’s parents come over from Australia for Christmas. I guess we won’t now. It’s a shame, they’re good to Giacomo and Enzo. Sorry, this doesn’t matter…”

Cayetano gritted his teeth. There was nothing to say here. Sure, he and Luna were together, but there were so many complications, like this morning’s incident with María. “Are you al
l right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she dismissed him. “It will be nice to see the Merlini’s. They are nice people, even when they quiz my Italian skills. They’re fantastic grandparents. They never did like
Darren much, though.”

“That’s funny, I don’t like him either.”

Luna turned and threw him a smirk. “The Merlini’s think no one could match their son. They would shoot you down, you know. I don’t want to think about it. Christmas is months away. Maybe I will just sit at home on my own this year.”

“We can’t have that!”

“I have a lot on my mind, so what I will do for one day isn’t an issue.”

“Can I take your mind off your worries with some horse riding with the kids?”

“Prince Charming has a horse to ride? Of course he does,” she joked.

“Hey, I need to rescue damsels somehow.” He wrapped his arms around her waist while they listened to the squeals of the children who had found a ball to kick around.

“The problem with Prince Charming is that he had little personality or intelligence. Charm isn’t enough.”

“Good to know. Since I hurt my leg, my charm has disappeared into thin air as I hobble around like a cripple.”

“Can you ride with your leg the way it is?”

“I should be able to
ride just fine. You might have to rub me back to health later.”

“Have you even ridden with a child in the saddle with you? If I was to let you ride with one of my children, and he was to fall…”

“Sure I have! My nieces and nephews love it. You can trust me.”

“Let me think about it. The trouble is that I may not be able to live
with myself if they got hurt.”

“You can’t deny them opportunities because of potential risks.”

“When your life hasn’t been ruined by accidents, it’s easy to say.”

“Don’t bite at me,
preciosa. I want to have a good day with you.”

“I’m sorry. It’s hard to break habits
that have formed over the years.”

“Come and sit out in the sun an
d relax. You need to relax more.”

“I know.”

“Can I tell you about the secret I have for you later?”

“Please!”

“I have a box of things that belonged to my grandmother, Luna. It belongs to Papá now. I’m not quite sure what is in there, but maybe if we have a look, there might be a mention of Scarlett and Cayetano.”

“Your father let you have a look?”

“Sure.” That lie slipped out with too much ease.

“I would love to take a look, even if there’s nothing in there relevant to me. Luna’s life would be interesting on its own. As long as your father says that it’s fine, then I would love see what you have. I’m amazed  - there could be photos.”

“Mummy!” Giacomo yelled across the yard to the adults in the doorway out onto the balcony. “Come and play football!”

“Okay,” she called back.

“Cayetano, come play,” Enzo yelled. “Be on my team!”

“That might not be good for your leg,” Luna said to him. Around the house he walked alone, but the cane was close at hand.

“Stop mothering me, woman! Even injured, I’m more agile than you.”

“That’s it. Now I’m just going to kick your ass for fun.”

“Bring it on, enchantress. Me vuelves loca.”

“I drive you crazy?” she said
over her shoulder as she headed in the direction of the kids. “The feeling is mutual!”

Cayetano watched her head out onto his yard with the kids. It amazed him how, after years of having the life everything thought was glamorous and free, all he wanted was what others took for granted – a home and a family. Only a disaster could derail how he felt for Luna. The fact that his father had run
g him half a dozen times, wanting to know about the chest, had to remain a secret.

It was a long day before the children were finally asleep in the bedroom next to Cayetano’s suite. Giacomo and Enzo all but had to be carried to the room. Luna hadn’t relented and let them ride horses, but Cayetano was sure he could wear her down the next day. They had played football, walked around the property, played games with the kids, cooked dinner, and let the kids run wild through the house over the course of the peaceful Saturday. It seemed ridiculous to be so happy after only a few months, but that was how Cayetano felt. But it wasn’t time for fanciful notions of having a family of his own. By the time Luna returned from tucking the boys into bed, Cayetano was desperate to open the chest that his father had kept him away from his entire life.

He ran his hands over the square chest. The old wood threatened to put a splinter in his hands. He
would have to break the lock, which made him feel a little guilty. But on the rug in the living room miles from his family’s home, he had no choice. His father probably had the key, but Cayetano would never get his hands on it. The lid was barely held closed anyway; a bit of force and the old lock would just give up its defence. It almost begged to have its secrets discovered.

“Is this it?”

Cayetano looked up to see Luna. “It sure is,” he replied. “The boys are all right?”

“Fine. Enzo is already asleep, and Giacomo is only a moment away. Wow, that’s quite a chest you have there.”

Cayetano sat still for a moment, and just looked at it. Luna sat down on the rug next to him; the only sound the rare and precious rain that had started to fall. The huge windows were exposed to the outbreak, the water tapped incessantly just behind the seated pair. “I can’t promise anything,” he said. “I have no idea what’s in here.”

“Are you sure you want to open it? Was it not easier to go through it with your father?”

“The thing you need to know about Paco is that nothing is ever easy.” Cayetano snuck a few fingers in between the chest and its lid. He would only to have to force it a little, and the lock would just snap. With some luck, it wouldn’t do too much damage.

“Wait, where is the key?” Luna asked. “You can’t just smash it open.”

“I don’t have the key.”

Luna squinted as she looked at him. “Why didn’t he give you the key? Is it lost?”

“Well… not exactly.”

“Does he know you have the chest?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then we can’t open it!” Luna raised her voice as she spoke. “I want to see what’s in there, but not if it means breaking into someone’s life.”

“Don’t you think we deserve to know? This is my family.”

“Yeah, I know that. But… your father has reasons to keep secrets. Don’t we all have secrets, or problems, or things we simply want to keep to ourselves? I would be upset if I had my privacy invaded.”

Cayetano slipped his fingers from the chest. “I suppose.”

“For all we know, it could be a Pandora’s box.”

“I know the expression, but not the meaning.”

“To open a Pandora’s box is to spread an evil that cannot be undone. Pandora’s curiosity pushed her to open a box, and she
couldn’t stop the evil that was unleashed by her desire to peer into something she did not have permission to open. The only thing left in Pandora’s box was the angel of hope.”

“The angel of hope? That sounds good.”

“Maybe so, but what if evil hides in here?”

“It belonged to a young woman. How much evil could it hold?” Cayetano asked. It was too late; curiosity had got the better of him. They would forever wonder if the answers lay inside if he didn’t open it. He slipped his fingers through the gap under the lid and pushed. The flimsy brass lock surrendered to his strength in an instant. The mechanism fell away and into the box itself with no resistance. It may as well not even have been there.

Cayetano opened the lid, and they both peered inside. What could a box this size possibly hold that would cause a man to hide it for 50 years? The way Paco had behaved, there was a body folded up inside. The sight of white silk greeted them. “Am I the only one who feels disappointed?” he asked.

“Yes, you are,” Luna replied. She put her hand into the box and felt the soft fabric. “This is beautiful. Is it your
abuela’s wedding dress?”

“There’s a photo of Luna and Ignacio on their wedding day in the library,” Cayetano said. “Let’s pull this dress out and take a look to compare.”

Cayetano had to stand up to pull the flowing fabric from the box. Its length seemed to go on and on. He held it up to Luna while they both examined it. It seemed to be in remarkable condition. Luna had married in 1939, and it was still as white as it would have been on the day she wore it. “Suits you,” he said to Luna while she held it to herself.

“Oh, don’t even go there. I’m not going to be anyone’s bride. I’m enjoying all this ‘living in sin’ stuff.”

“It’s good to know that I don’t need to make an honest woman of you,” Cayetano joked and took the dress from her. He placed it on the couch so they could turn their attentions back to the chest contents. Without the dress, the rest of the secrets were exposed. He reached in and pulled out an old camera. “Amazing,” he said. “Imagine how few of these would have been around in Cuenca during the war.”

“Maybe she got it in Madrid. You know what that means – there
might be photographs.” Luna pulled a silver hairbrush from the chest. “Wow, this is pretty. And heavy.”

“I guess my grandmother had long hair.” Cayetano reached inside the box and pulled out a whole pile of envelopes, bound by a single red ribbon. They were clearly addressed to Luna
Beltrán Caño. “They have New Zealand stamps on them.”