Glossary:
Nana: Nanny
Bueno: Okay, all right.
Cantina: Saloon.
Chapter 15
William’s cottage, later that same day
“What the hell are you doing here?” William asked the brunette woman sitting outside his house.
“I’ve come to live with you.”
“The hell you are! Xander, what’s the meaning of this?” He turned to the man that was standing next to her on the porch, and he looked very uncomfortable by the whole thing. He’d been sure this was going to be Spike’s reaction, but once Faith got something in her mind, it was very difficult—if not impossible—to dissuade her from it. “I think I told you not to bring her here.”
Xander shrugged and motioned to Faith with his head. “You of all people should know how she is. I told her you said that she shouldn’t work at the cantina any more, and she decided that meant…”
“That you’ve finally come to your senses and want me to come live with you,” Faith completed, a dazzling smile on her face, as she followed William inside his house.
“No, Faith, I don’t want you to live here with me.” Faith’s face fell and Spike felt a pang of regret as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself.
He loved Faith, but not like she wanted him to love her. She was like a little sister to him, and he didn’t want her to continue working at the cantina where she was at the mercy of the drunkards that visited the place. He’d met her two years ago on one of the few trips Captain Roberts had made to the Texas Gulf Coast. She was an orphan like him, but hadn’t run with the same good fortune as he had. Her father had abused her and then sold her to the owner of a cantina in Matagorda; it was there where Spike had met her, he’d been offered a night with her by Captain Roberts, which he—being young and immature—had promptly accepted and that was one of the few things he’d ever regretted doing in his life. For him, it had only meant a night spent in the arms of another woman, while for her it had meant that they were meant to be together, especially after he’d rescued her from being raped by one of the cantina patrons. He’d given her money and told her to move to another town, to make a fresh start somewhere where no one knew her, and she did for a short time, but soon she fall into the same life she’d lived before. It had been mere luck to find her here in Galveston and as soon as a member of his crew had told him about her, he’d send for her with the idea of sending her to work at a good family’s house, anywhere except the cantina.
“I’m going to find you a job working in the house of a family.”
“But… why?” She pouted. “I can live here with you, I’ll take care of your house, make your meals, wash your clothes…”
“My crew takes care of that.”
“But I can give you something that they can’t…”
“NO! No! If I don’t want you working at the cantina anymore, its to take you away from that life because I want you to find a man that loves you, that takes care of you.”
“I don’t want another man! I want you—”
“No, Faith,” Spike said resolutely. “Listen to me, because this is the last time I’ll tell you, what happened between us was a mistake, something that should have never happened and that won’t happen again. I love you as a sister and nothing else. Please don’t make things harder than they have to be. Now be a good girl and go with Xander to La Cantina del Tuerto…”
“I only want to be with you, Spike,” Faith said before throwing her arms around Spike’s neck and trying to kiss him on the mouth.
“And I’ve told you that’s impossible, Faith,” Spike replied, trying to avoid her kisses and pulling her arms away from his neck. It was then that he heard a surprised gasp from the front door of the cottage. Faith and he turned towards the sound only to find a very angry Aimée looking at them, jealousy pouring out of her in waves.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were busy,” she said, her voice laced with deep comtempt, before turning and fleeing from the cottage.
“Wait!” William began to move towards the front door to follow after Aimée, when Faith grabbed his arm and made him face her.
“Who is that?” she demanded. “That’s why you don’t want me to live here, isn’t it? Because you have another woman… and a high society one at that, don’t think that her cheap clothes fooled me for a minute!”
Spike clenched his jaw and shouted, “Xander!” The man ran into the cottage. “Take Faith to the cantina and make sure she stays there or I’ll have your balls for dinner!”
Damn! Just what he needed, how the hell was he going to get out of this mess now?
Xander took a look between Faith and Spike, the woman scared him, but his Captain scared him even more. He knew he didn’t issue empty threats, so he moved towards the brunette girl and threw her over his shoulder, trying to ignore the pounding of her hands on his back and, with a nod to Spike, he left with Faith.
* ~ * ~ *
Summers’ house
Aimée entered her room through the French doors that were located on the garden, angrily taking off the clothes she’d worn to see William, and putting on a morning gown as she grumbled under her breath, “The nerve of that man! Who does he think he is? How could he do this to me?” Jealousy and fury tinted her words as she conveniently forgot that what she supposed he’d been doing was precisely what she was doing. “If he even thinks I’m going to share him with another woman, he’s got another thing coming. He will have to do some serious groveling before I forgive him for this.”
She felt much better as she thought about William begging her to forgive him. She had no doubt he would. After all, who in their right mind would prefer a woman like that over her?
“Aimée?”
She heard a knock on the door followed by her mother’s voice calling for her and she barely had time to hide the clothes she’d taken off under her bed before her mother entered her room.
“Oh, there you are, darling. Why didn’t you answer me?” Joyce moved into the room and sat on her daughter’s bed.
“You didn’t give me enough time to, mother.”
“We have a problem, dear. Elizabeth is convinced that my sickness is a ploy to convince her of leaving the convent.”
“And?”
“And you have to help me convince her that that is not true, of course.”
“But it is true, mother.”
“I know that, but we can tell her that Doctor Adams prescribed that I had to take a daily walk or something. It’s fundamental that she stays here, especially now.”
That peaked Aimée’s interest. “Why especially now?”
“Well, Angel is back, darling, and he came to invite us to have supper with him tonight.”
“Really? And what does that have to do with my sister? Wasn’t she the one that broke off the engagement? That’s what you told me.”
“She did, but now that they have seen each other again, I am pretty sure that she will change her mind. She just needs time to think about it, you will see when we less expect it they will be announcing their engagement,” Joyce said, convinced that the fairytale life that she had planned for Elizabeth would happen one way or the other.
‘Like hell it will!’ Aimée thought. ‘Now that Angel is back he will announce his engagement, that much is true, but to me, not my sister. I will be doña Aimée De Alcazar, mistress of Campo Real, and my sister will be nothing but a measly nun in some measly convent.’
“Of course, knowing how stubborn your sister is, it won’t happen for some time.” Joyce let out an aggravated sigh. “Can you believe that she refused Angel’s invitation for tonight?”
“She did?” Aimée smiled inwardly, this could work on her favor. She’d just have to make sure that Angel told her mother about his intentions tonight.
“Oh, well, it doesn’t matter. Where have you been all morning? Your sister thought you’d gone with me to the market.”
“I’ve been here in my room, trying to escape from this hellish heat. I swear if I didn’t know better, I’d think that we are living over a hellmouth,” she said.
“I’m sure you will get use to it soon, darling.”
‘Not if I have anything to say about it,’ Aimée thought, but since she couldn’t say that to her mother, so she responded instead, “So, what time will we be leaving?”
“Around six o’clock, darling. Please be ready by that time,” Joyce pleaded, before leaving the room.
“Of course I’ll be ready, I can barely wait,” she said to herself, practically beaming as she thought that she really couldn’t wait to see her sister’s face after she found out that the man she loved had chosen her as his bride and not Elizabeth.
* ~ * ~ *
Buffy was furious as she paced inside her room. How could her mother do this to her? Wasn’t she supposed to be on her side? To help her? How dare she invent a fake illness and jeopardize her entry to the convent. She could understand that her decision had been difficult for her mother to accept, but to realize the lenghts she was willing to go so Buffy would not to join the convent was a little too much. The worst had been that she’d continued lying after she confronted her; how naïve did she think she was as to believe that Doctor Adams had prescribed her a daily walk? She knew Doctor Adams since the day she was born and there was no way he’d prescribe something other than bedrest for the illness her mother claimed to have.
She had thought that the encounter she’d had with Angel that morning had been fortuitous, but now she was beginning to think her mother had planned it. Well, she was up for a rude awakening, if she thought that this was the way to convince her to leave her idea of becoming a nun behind, she was about to discover it was exactly the opposite.
It was too late to return to the convent today, but tomorrow she’d leave as early as she could.
* ~ * ~ *
That afternoon, Giles’ office
“Campo Real’s Administrator? Me?” William lifted an eyebrow in doubt.
“Yes, you. Think about it, William, it’s perfect for our plans. Angel needs someone he can trust on that post and you’ll be replacing Snyder. Can you imagine how mad he’s going to be when he discovers that his plan to make you disappear didn’t work? And Angel is sure he will agree to stay as foreman, so he’d be under your orders.”
William was about to answer when they heard a knock on the door.
“It must be Angel,” Giles said as he opened the door, finding the brunette man that had visited him in the morning on the other side. “Good afternoon, Angel, we’ve been expecting you.”
Angel shook Giles’ hand and came into the office, hesitating for a moment when he saw the man he supposed was William. He reminded him so much of… but no, that couldn’t be. He was sure his father or Mr. Giles would have told him if what he suspected was true; so, disregarding the thought as impossible, he decided that his surprise at seeing William had only been because—aside from the white blond hair—he hadn’t changed that much since they were children.
Giles noticed Angel hesitance and sharing a quick look with William, he said, “Angel, you remember William, don’t you?”
Shaking out of his stupor, Angel moved towards his childhood friend. “Of course I do. William, I’m very happy to see you again,” he said before pulling William into an embrace similar to the one he’d given Giles earlier, except that this time William returned it with the same warmth.
“I’m happy to see you, too, Angel.”
“So, did Mr. Giles tell you about the job I want to offer you?” Angel said as they all sat on Giles’ living room.
“Yes, he has. There’s a little inconvenience though, and I can’t accept right away. I have a last trip that I have to do with my crew and it’s all ready for us to sail in less than a week. If you’d be willing to keep that post open for me in one month, I’ll accept.”
“Well, I needed you right away, but I imagine I can manage to wait for one month. Deal!” Angel answered, he glanced at his pocket watch and noticing it was after six already, he excused himself.
Giles exhaled a relieved sigh. “For a minute I thought he had noticed the amazing resemblance you have with your father.”
“I thought so, too, Mr. Giles. I only hope one day we will be able to tell him though. There’s nothing I’d like more than to be able to call him brother.”
* ~ * ~ *
“Can I help you with anything else before I go to sleep, María?” Buffy asked the woman that had been her nanny when she was a little girl, after she’d help her clear the dishes of their supper. “I have to wake up very early tomorrow to return to the convent.”
“Oh, niña, how I wish you stayed, this house is not the same without you in it,” the older woman said with tears in her eyes.
“You know that’s not possible, nana.” She shook her head, a sad look in her face. “I-I can’t stand to see all my dreams crumble to dust and if I stay here, I’d never be able to heal. Tell me you understand.”
“I do, mi niña, but that doesn’t mean I think you are right, you know? I think you’re too beautiful and good to be locked away in a convent.”
“I know and thank you, nana, for not trying to influence my decision, like some other person we both know. So do you want me to help you with anything else?”
“Bueno, if you’d be so kind as to take these dresses that I just finished ironing to your sister’s room, I’d be most grateful.”
“Consider it done. Good night, nana,” Buffy said before giving her nanny a kiss on her cheek and leaving the room.
* ~ * ~ *
Buffy had just put away the dresses in her sister’s dressing room when a man she’d never seen before entered the room through the French doors that connected to the garden. Afraid, she tried to hide behind the dresser, until she heard him whisper...
“Aimée?”
“Who are you and what are you doing in my sister’s room?” Buffy said stepping out of her hiding place, trying not to show how afraid she was at being alone with a man.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m not the devil,” William said, admiring the girl standing in front of him. ‘So this is Aimée’s sister, the one that’s going to be a nun. What a pity! A beautiful girl like her shouldn’t be locked away in a convent.’ What was her name? He was sure Aimée had told it to him at least once. ‘Oh, that’s right, her name is Elizabeth. Santa Elizabeth.' It was strangely fitting for her.
“What is it you want?” she said.
“With you? Nothing… where’s Aimée?”
“Aimée? You’re looking for my sister?
“Isn’t she here?”
“I don’t have to answer that. Please, I beg you to leave.”
“Did she go out with your mother?”
“That’s not of your business.” She stood tall in front of him, refusing to let him intimidate her in any way.
He smirked as he noticed her defensive attitude. “I didn’t know nuns were so quick-tempered...” he began.
Buffy contained the desire to stomp her feet on the ground, as she tried to rein in her anger, no one had ever made her so mad in her life! The nerve of this man! Her sister was going to have many things to explain when she came back. “I’m not going to tolerate your stupid taunting, and if you don’t leave…”
“Or so beautiful,” he continued, moving closer to her, while Elizabeth took a step back for each step forward he made.
“I’m going to call the servants,” she said, her eyes throwing daggers at him, as her irritation at being in this awful situation increased.
“Call them,” he replied calmly as he continued to advance towards her until her back hit the wall. He grabbed her by her arm, lowering his head towards her. He’d never felt like this for anyone before. Sure, Aimée was beautiful, but this girl was more than that, especially now that she was furious. She was simply breathtaking; her fire drew him in like a moth to a flame and he simply couldn’t wait to see how much more he could antagonize her. “Is that why you decided to enter a convent? Because you can’t stand the touch of a man?”
“Go away!” Buffy screamed, finally giving free rein to her anger as she took a candelabrum from a table and threatened him with it.
“Alright, alright, I’ll leave. Be a darling and tell Aimée I came by. God bless you…Santa Elizabeth.”
And throwing another infuriating smirk her way, he disappeared through the French doors, leaving a stuttering and still very furious Buffy behind.
tbc
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you very much to SarahandJamesFanatic, jt, Devin, DaniD, Amelia-Jane, Klai and Kimber for reviewing. This chapter is a bit longer than usual and finally William and Elizabeth will meet, I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks to Jen, as always, for betaing this chapter for me.
Thanks to Jen, as always, for betaing this chapter for me.