C4 The morning after

She tried to reach some of the lamps, feeling the edges of the paintings, but she couldn't find them either, it was as if everything that could save her from that ordeal had evaporated in the darkness. She cried desperately, stumbling between the walls. The whistling stopped just as she found the room where Rafa slept.

The benevolent moon was shedding one of its graceful rays on the disheveled bed and Alice thought she was safe, but just as she entered she felt a bony hand tangle in her hair, she couldn't help it and let out a scream of fright that woke her beloved rudely.

Startled, he turned on the light on his bedside table and looked for her beside him. He found her on the floor behind the door crying her eyes out. He jumped out of bed and hugged her, Alice trembling.

" What's the matter with you? "he asked fearfully. She could not speak.

" What's the matter! " he repeated, even more frightened.

Alice hugged his neck and between sobs she murmured to him.

" A man..." and cried again without consolation.

" What man? " Rafa lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. " What man are you talking about? "

Alice only cried, trembling, unable to even look at him. Rafa felt helpless and scared, he shouted at her:

"Alice, answer me! "

She raised her arm and pointed weakly to the darkened hallway. He opened the door and saw no one. He went out angrily, thinking that Gustav or one of the servants might be watching him and might have frightened his beloved, but he could see nothing. He went from lamp to lamp lighting each one, and the hallway was filled with golden light. No one was there. He walked naked to the stairs, and they too were empty. However, he felt a certain tension in the air, as if someone was looking at him with disdain.

He remembered that feeling clearly, every time his grandfather watched him play in the courtyard, looking at him through the windows of his room. Rafa was never a brave boy, one of those who fall down and get up shaking off the dust with a smile. He was just the opposite, every fall was accompanied by a huge cry, which lasted for long minutes, until his mother lifted him up in her loving arms and the old man hated that.

He also did not like to go out hunting animals, nor did he want to learn martial arts from his teachers. He found fencing and chess boring and all the history of the knights of his family seemed obsolete and unnecessary. Rafa preferred to paint, play the piano and make clay models and the old man felt contempt for that useless offspring who would inherit his fortune and power.

He looked at him with hatred, with suspicion and that look put an enormous weight on his back, made his skin crawl and made him leave whatever he was doing to flee desperately to his mother. Now he felt that same pressure, as if the old man was watching him from the darkness that reigned at the foot of the stairs, but his mother was no longer there to protect him. She hadn't been there for a very long time.

Rafa sighed trying to get rid of that feeling, but it was useless. Even as he walked back he could feel the accusing eyes of all his ancestors on his skin, repudiating him. He went into the bedroom, slamming the door shut and jumped onto the bed.

" There's nothing there, honey " he whispered in Alice's ear.

She turned and hugged him:

"But there was someone. He chased me down the hall and had a cane."

" Shh, shh, I'm sure it was a nightmare. "he silenced her.

Alice kept silent, but she knew it hadn't been a dream and that she hadn't imagined it, she felt the fingers tangling in her hair, and the noises behind her back, but there was no use contradicting Rafa. She knew he wouldn't believe her. After much weeping, sleep finally overcame her, snuggled against love's chest.

The next morning they were awakened by an insistent knock. Alice covered herself with the sheets, while Rafa half-opened the door. Gustav greeted him with his repulsive smile.

"Good morning my lord, your breakfast is ready. The magistrate, in charge of the will, is on his way and here I bring your suitcases "

" Thank you very much, you can leave everything on the floor. " Rafa said and slammed the door in his face.

" Why are you so rude to that poor man?"asked Alice from the bed.

"Don't be fooled love, nothing here is what it seems."

After a few minutes she opened the door again, confirming that the butler had left. He picked up the suitcases from the floor and went back inside.

" Let's get ready, maybe we'll get lucky and I can finish the paperwork and leave today."

" Today?"

" Yes my dear, the sooner the better. Now get dressed please, you're provoking me and I don't want to be delayed." she whispered biting her lips.

They went down to the dining room promptly and Alice felt like a real princess, one of those who live in fairy tales. A row of twelve servants stretched along the side of a gigantic rectangular table, decorated with golden candelabras and beautiful bunches of white flowers.

All the tableware was spread out as if about twenty people were going to dine. Cups and plates, golden cutlery with the Cáceres family crest, embroidered napkins and in the center an endless parade of the most exquisite majares. Freshly baked cakes, pies, fruits and breads. Pitchers of juices and a huge selection of assorted sweets.

Never before had she witnessed such an outpouring of elegance or eccentricity. The servants brought the chairs to them, indicating that they should sit down. They looked like two small children at that enormous table.

"If there is nothing to your liking, Miss, our cooks can prepare any dish you wish in a jiffy." Gustav told her, as he saw her looking at the table, undecided. Alice felt overwhelmed, so much food, so many smells, so many servants.

"Just coffee, thank you. " she said fiddling with her napkin.

The languid butler insisted that Rafa occupy the head of the table, but he disliked the idea as much as the servant himself and ignored his invitations to occupy the chair, taking a seat next to Alice.

He saw her look at the floor and refuse any food offered to her, with great shyness, and he knew that this breakfast, which began by astonishing her, had ended by overwhelming her completely. He shuffled up the chair and extended his hand to her, who looked at him in confusion:

"Come on my love " he said to her.