City of Fortune by Victoria Thompson

Author:Victoria Thompson [Thompson, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2022-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Senor Chavez, shouldn’t you be paying some attention to your betrothed?” Gideon asked after he had refilled the young man’s glass.

“The Senorita does not care for my attention, I am afraid,” he said sadly.

Mr. Westerly had come over for a third refill of his own glass and overheard the Senor’s complaint.

“I can’t believe that,” Westerly said, slapping Chavez on the back with more force than was necessary. Chavez was lucky not to lose his glass, although he did lose a bit of its contents. “Good-looking fellow like you, I bet all the girls are crazy for you.”

“All but the one I am being forced to marry,” Chavez said.

“Forced?” Westerly echoed rather loudly. Several heads turned to see what he was shouting about. Why did drunk people always speak so loudly?

“Is that not the right word?” Chavez said with a frown. “I am not willing to marry her, but I must.”

“I believe it is what we would call an arranged marriage,” Gideon said, hoping to placate Westerly before he caused a scene. Westerly glanced over to where Elizabeth was trying her best to interest Olinda in conversing with the other guests. “That’s right, an arranged marriage. But she’s not too bad-looking. Why are you so reluctant?”

Chavez took a sip of his whiskey. “I should like to choose my own wife, and if I did, I would choose one who is willing to marry me. That Olinda, she is like a snake whenever I get near her.”

“A good-looking fellow like you, she should be grateful,” Westerly said.

“But she is not,” Chavez said sadly.

“You need to charm her, boy,” Westerly advised.

“Yes, because if Senor Chavez does not marry the fair Olinda, the Senora will not receive her inheritance and she won’t be able to repay your loan to her,” Gideon pointed out. He was amazing himself with how easy it was to participate in all this without telling a single lie.

Westerly was still drunkenly considering this when dinner was announced.

“Excuse me,” Gideon said. “I must escort the Senora into dinner.”

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