Little Manuel slept in the arms of Dionisia, who sat beneath a lush willow tree. Sofía spread a blanket on the grass and began taking out the sweets and cakes she had prepared for the occasion from a wicker basket. Antony would arrive soon, and she wanted everything to be perfect for his arrival.
"Everything looks delicious," said Roberto Páez, reaching out to take a bun, but his wife stopped him."It would be best if we wait for my sister's fiancé to arrive, dear," Isabel scolded."Excuse me," the man said, embarrassed."Don't worry, I don't think Antony will notice if just one is missing," added Sofía, handing the tray to her brother-in-law."Thank you. It's very good," Roberto said with a smile, and Isabel sighed softly.Once the food was arranged, the young woman sat on the grass, and both her older sister and brother-in-law followed suit. The man finished eating the sweet bun and wiped his hands with a napkin.Manuel woke up and began crying loudly. Dionisia started singing a beautiful lullaby in a language Sofía didn't know, but the baby kept crying."I'll hold him for a bit," Isabel said, about to get up, but Roberto took her hand."He'll be fine. Let Dionisia handle it," Roberto requested."She can't. Manuelito needs his mother. You have crumbs on your chin, by the way. Try not to eat anything else until Van Ewen arrives," she reprimanded and went to fetch her baby.Dionisia handed over the baby, and upon feeling his mother's touch, he stopped crying almost immediately. Isabel said something to her slave that Sofía couldn't hear from where she was, and together they started walking across the meadow, leaving her alone with Roberto.Sofía felt a bit uncomfortable, as she hadn't conversed much with her brother-in-law, let alone alone. She hoped Antony wouldn't misinterpret the situation upon finding her in the company of another man, even though he was practically family.After all, blood ties hadn't been any impediment for Diego to fall in love with her. She hadn't spoken to her cousin since the previous night when he had kissed her, but she feared things would never be the same again. Diego was her best friend and one of the most important people to Sofía; why couldn't her cousin have left everything as it was?"I wish she liked me or at least liked me a bit more," Roberto said sadly, while looking at his wife in the distance."Do you think my sister doesn't like you, brother-in-law?" she asked, surprised."It's not that she's said it, but that's how I feel. I thought things would improve with Manuelito's arrival, but I think even if I gave her a chest full of jewels and silks, she'd still look at me as if I'm not enough for her," he confessed, somewhat flushed."I don't think it's your fault. It's just that my sister never dreamed of getting married and starting a family. She was never that type of woman," Sofía said, trying to console him."What does Isabel want then?" the young man asked."I can't know for sure, but I suppose she was happy in Spain when she felt she had power over herself and others. If my father was away, she took care of the entire estate by herself," Sofía added, hoping she wasn't causing problems for her sister.The truth was Roberto Páez seemed like a good man, and Isabel didn't appreciate how fortunate she was to have him. He had nothing in common with his younger brother, who sometimes was so apathetic it bordered on rudeness."Thank you," the young man said, and a hint of hope appeared in his dark eyes.The young woman saw in the distance her beloved Antony Van Ewen approaching on horseback, accompanied by five white and gray dogs running alongside him. Once he was close enough, she saw that the Englishman was holding a beautiful puppy in his arms."My beautiful lady," said Antony, stopping in front of his fiancée."Antony!" she greeted, standing up.She approached her fiancé and took the puppy in her arms so the young man could dismount."He's so cute!" the girl exclaimed, stroking the puppy, who looked at her with his big black eyes."He's for you, my dear Sofía. He's a beautiful specimen who will keep you company if I have to travel," he explained."Really? Thank you so much! I promise to take good care of him. Will you have to travel soon?" she added."The life of a merchant is like that, my dear. One never knows when it's necessary to leave for business. That's why I thought the puppy would help you not forget me," Antony admitted."I could never forget you," she added, blushing, and he gave her a beautiful smile.One of the dogs, as large as a wolf, cautiously sniffed Roberto, who had turned pale. Sofía looked scared, remembering very well that one of Antony's dogs had shredded Diego's arm months ago."Don't worry. They'll only attack if they perceive I'm in danger," the Englishman explained.That didn't seem to reassure Roberto, who swallowed hard and slowly stood up to keep his face away from the dog's sharp teeth. The young woman wondered if it was possible for those animals to be so smart as to perceive Diego as a threat to Antony Van Ewen."I prepared some sweets for our picnic. I hope you like them," Sofía said modestly and sat down, placing the puppy on her lap."Everything looks delicious, dear. Is Mr. Páez your only company today?" Antony asked, paying no mind to the dog cornering Roberto."Of course not. My sister and her servant are around here, but since Manuelito Páez was restless, they took him for a walk. They won't be long," she hurried to respond, unable to hide her nervousness.She was terrified by the idea of her brother-in-law being devoured by the ferocious jaws of that animal. Fortunately, Antony said a few words in English, and the five older dogs moved away from the picnic. Only the harmless puppy stayed with them. Roberto breathed and sat near the couple, but without taking his eyes off the pack.The Englishman didn't stop praising Sofía's beauty and her talent for making sweet dishes, and when Isabel returned, there was almost nothing left to eat, though she didn't seem to mind. She remained almost on the sidelines of the conversation for the rest of the afternoon. Sofía hoped her sister wouldn't be angry with her for being honest with her brother-in-law.