Isabel tried to stay close to her sisters on the way to the church gardens and away from the field laborers. She didn't like the familiarity with which they moved among decent people as if they considered themselves equals. Nor did she like the closeness between her older cousin and Leónidas. Some boundaries were dangerous to cross.
Wooden chairs had been placed on the grass so everyone could sit. The men went to the group on the right, while the women sat on the left. Father Facundo stood in front of both groups and waited in silence until the murmurs died down and everyone was settled."It fills me with joy to see so many new faces in God's house. I hope you feel welcomed here by all of us, and I want you to know that if you need anything, I am at your service. I don't like to speak for others, but I would put my hands in the fire to say that you can also count on the support of all the humble brothers present here," said the priest with the kindness of someone who had given his heart to the Lord.Isabel felt obliged to respond on behalf of the family since her cousins said nothing:"Thank you very much, Father. God bless you."The priest responded to the young lady with a nod and added:"I see here another new person we didn't have the opportunity to hear from. Please, I would like you to tell us something about yourself," said Father Facundo, inviting Leónidas to speak."I'm afraid I'm just a servant," the young man excused himself, mortified with embarrassment."A good and humble man earning an honest living, you mean. I am also a servant, but the one I serve is beyond this earth. All those present serve the Lord, or at least we should. Moreover, we have a mission entrusted to us; that is why we are here in different places but with a common purpose, which is to fulfill what He has planned for us. So don't be shy, my son, because at this moment we are all equal in the eyes of God."Isabel couldn't believe the priest's audacity. Comments like those could only incite disorder and chaos. Didn't he realize that planting such ideas could embolden the laborers against their masters?She looked around, and the people seemed spellbound or hypnotized by the priest. The women even sighed and whispered their approval at those words, which her father would have called heresies if he had heard them."My name is Leónidas, and I work as a helper in the Pérez Esnaola household," said the servant, while the foolish Sebastián gave him an encouraging pat on the arm.Isabel shook her head. She didn't understand how her cousin could go against everything he had been taught. The eldest Pérez Esnaola was undoubtedly a rebel without a cause.Perhaps she was overreacting, and the priest didn't want to incite a revolution. Maybe he just wanted to encourage a somewhat shy and not very bright young man. However, from the moment she saw him, Isabel knew something wasn't right with that man. He seemed too humble, too kind, and too handsome to be just a simple priest.Isabel had a keen eye for detecting intrigues and betrayals. Thanks to her, a slave escape had been thwarted on their fields in Spain. Although she was a woman, she could have the cold blood needed to command respect. She had ordered the whipping of those who had planned the escape. She had no mercy and was proud to have helped maintain order on the estate.If it were up to her, she would manage her father's lands, but she was soon to be married, and her dreams would never come true. Her uncle had told her that Roberto Páez, her future husband, was a man of character who would know how to deal with her. Such comments didn't please her at all, but she chose not to give the man the satisfaction of responding with something sharp and starting a fight. She was smart enough to know which battles she could win and which she couldn't.Father Facundo's voice pulled Isabel from her thoughts. The priest encouraged the parishioners to share their concerns. Whether humble or wealthy, both men and women spoke of their problems and were listened to by their brothers, who prayed for God not to forget them. Others simply gave thanks or shared new events in their lives.A Creole couple named Franco and Alicia would soon be getting married. Both looked radiant and smiled at each other from a distance. Isabel doubted she could ever feel something similar and couldn't help but silently hate them.The young woman was a bit surprised to realize that Pablo Ferreira didn't ask for his grandmother's health. Perhaps the relationship between them wasn't very good, but she understood that she was his only close family. Then she reflected that it was possible the woman was faking her ailment for some reason. Sofía had told her that the peasants referred to the old woman as the Witch Widow. If she had heard them instead of her younger sister, she would have had them whipped for such insolence towards a Spanish woman. However, she couldn't help but be a little curious about the lady she hadn't yet met and wondered what truth there was to the workers' gossip.