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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you Maria, DrkDevin, Mariana and Amelia-Jane for reviewing the first chapter, hope you keep enjoying the story. And in celebration that I managed to write two chapters of this story today, here you have chapter 2.
Thank you, Jen for betaing this chapter.

Chapter 2

Campo Real Hacienda

As Giles had predicted don Rodrigo had been crushed and elated; crushed by the news of the death of Anna, but elated that he at least had something left from her, their son. But after hearing the news, he had decided to mourn his Anna in private and after he’d gotten to know this son of his a little bit more.

At the moment, he and Rupert were out in the veranda watching Angel and William play in the garden. He couldn’t stop looking at the blond boy and smiling, he’d never imagined someone could look so much like him. He and Angel were so different, Angel had brown eyes and hair, and even if he was younger he was already taller than his half-brother. He felt happiness bubble inside of him as he noticed how much they seem to enjoy each other’s company, even though they’d just been introduced.

He hadn’t told Angel they were brothers and he’d been pleasantly surprised that it had been William that made the suggestion that they wait until doña Darla knew. But still, Angel must have felt the pull of their blood, because as soon as he had met William, his face had lit with a warm smile and he’d immediately offered to share his room, clothes, and toys with the older boy. It was quite a relief for him that Angel hadn’t really inherited his mother’s chilly demeanor.

Thank God his wife, Darla, had been on one of her trips to Galveston when Giles had gotten to Campo Real with William; she hated to stay at Campo Real during the summer, preferring to spend their time in their house in the city or visiting her stepbrother, Hank Summers and his family and he’d never felt happier about that fact than he was today. It would make it easier for him to present the whole issue as a fait accompli; she wouldn’t be able to turn down his son if he was already recognized as his when she came back. Of course for that he’d have to go to Galveston to do that, but since the trip couldn’t be avoided, they had already planned to go there in the next two days, with any luck they wouldn’t even had to see Darla while they were in the city.

In the meantime, he’d enjoy having his two sons and the man he considered to be his best friend right there with him, without anything or anyone trying to put a damper on their time together.

* ~ * ~ *

Summers’ Household in Galveston

Darla De Alcazar and Joyce Summers sat at the Summers’ living room chatting amicably while they watched Joyce’s daughters play with their dolls a few feet away from them.

Elizabeth was the older of the two girls and she was Darla’s goddaughter, she was five years old, small framed, with long and curly blond tresses that framed a pixie face with big green eyes. Aimée was a year younger than her sister and also had green eyes, but that was the end of their resemblance. She had long auburn hair and was already a little taller than her sister and people often thought she was the older because of that. Other than that, their characters were completely different, whereas Elizabeth was quiet, obedient and shy, Aimée was outgoing, willful and mischievous.

“Oh, Joyce, your daughters grow more beautiful every time I see them,” Darla said.

“Thank you, Darla, I think so, too. And how is Angel? We haven’t seen him lately.”

“Oh, he’s getting so tall, Joyce, and he’s so well behaved, too. He’s my little gentleman. Did you ever get around into telling Hank that I want Elizabeth and Angel to marry when they’re of age? You promised you’d talk to Hank about it.”

“I did, but you know how stubborn he is. He keeps saying that when they’re of age, they should be allowed to choose the person they want to marry. But don’t worry; I’m sure he will cave in eventually. We wouldn’t find anyone better suited for Elizabeth than Angel if we tried.”

“Oh, Rodrigo shares that same opinion.” She shuddered. “As if I’m going to let some trollop snag my precious son as Anna tried to do with him.”

“Yes, I know exactly what you mean. Speaking of Anna, did you ever find out anything else about her or where had she disappeared to?”

“No, I didn’t. She seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth and I hope that doesn’t change… ever,” Darla said. “Oh, well, enough of that. I’m sure we have nothing to worry about, Elizabeth is going to grow up into a beautiful young lady and Angel will fall madly in love with her.”

Joyce nodded. “I hope so. That’d be a match made in heaven. Speaking of heaven, when are you going back to Campo Real?”

“I really don’t understand why you’re so fond of that dreaded place, Joyce. I just can’t resist the heat, if it were for me I will very much prefer to live in Galveston all year long, but you know Rodrigo, he loves Campo Real, there’s no place in the world he’d rather be than there…” she stopped talking for a minute as an idea began to form in her mind. “Now that I think about it, since Hank is away on business, why don’t you and the girls come back to Campo Real with me tomorrow? We could take advantage of this to let Angel and Elizabeth begin to know each other.”

“Oh, Darla, that’s a wonderful idea, but are you sure Rodrigo won’t mind having us there?”

“Of course I’m sure, darling. I’ll send him a note with one of the servants as soon as I get back to the house. How soon can you be ready to leave? Do you think you and the girls can be ready by ten?

“Yes, we can, of course,” Joyce answered positively beaming at her sister in law; she wouldn’t dare to tell her, but she’d just given her the perfect escape from her marital problems. She couldn’t tell Darla that her stepbrother wasn’t away on business as she’d told her, but parading on Boston with the last woman in his long string of conquests. No, she couldn’t let anyone know about that, ever.





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