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Chapter 5 - The insensitive man

Joana

So he wants to continue our conversation? I know I started the proposal, but what I wanted was to get rid of Jaime of Orleans, and not marry a duke. He was a good man to live with for the rest of my life, but at the moment it wasn't my priority, after all I had no feelings for him.

"I want you to convince me to marry you. You're not safe with that marquis around." He said, without looking away from me, Fernando was serious. "You don't see him, but he keeps an eye on your movements through the shadows."

"What do you mean?"

"I asked a trusted man to follow you, and what he told me made me worry about you."

I smiled, how could he be worried about me?

"Don't laugh, it's serious, Isabela." He straightened his jacket and walked out of my sight. "Give me a contract with details, leave your demands on every line, do you understand me?"

"I'm sorry, Fernando, but I don't want to marry anyone."

"At the moment, I'll be your best chance. Think about it, in the meantime, tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll ask a servant to come and pick you up in a carriage, this time you'll be my visitor."

Without waiting for me to reply, he turned his back and left, and soon I heard the sound of the door closing.

Come to think of it, that contract proposal from the duke would be a great idea to get rid of any other possible arranged marriage. Who knows who my father would give me as a husband?

I started to move down the corridor with my mind occupied with what he had said. Fernando didn't seem to be a man who fervently followed the rhetorical rules of the time, I could see his intentions in his intense gaze and in that perverted smile. As he said, I just needed to convince him to marry me in the contract. I overheard my maids commenting that the Duke of Barcelona was a libertine who didn't want to get married because he had already refused several times.

~

At the end of the day, my parents were back. I waited for my little sister to come out of the living room to talk to them about the marquis' lies.

"I want to break off my engagement to the Marquis of Orleans".

"Isabela, didn't you love the Marquis very much?"

"Not me, Papa." It was silly Isabela who felt that way about him, not me. "I was only fulfilling the decision made by our two families, for the benefit of the Bourbon family."

"I understand perfectly."

"Aren't you, my father, going to scold me for not following your orders?"

He smiled gently and stroked my hands.

"What's wrong with you, child? You're different, very different. It's as if you were another woman." I tried to disguise his assumption by returning the caress on your hands.

"I've opened my eyes, Dad." I sighed with relief to know that, even in that century, there were sensible people. "I want to spend my life with someone I really love."

"That said, your decision to break up with Mr. Jaime directly affects our family and my business in Valladolid, but don't worry about it, everything has a solution, the most important thing is your happiness."

My heart filled with happiness when I heard that man's words. So this was having a father as a best friend and hero? In Isabela's recollections, he always did the best for his family, without a single word of complaint.

"We're proud to have a daughter like that". Added my mother, who had been silent until that moment. "We always wondered whether you were really happy with that man."

"Thanks, Mom, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You don't have to put up with anything because of us, daughter."

I let out a sigh of anguish, I know those words left me on cloud nine, but they weren't meant for me, for a moment I felt like a profiteering leech, I wasn't really their daughter.

But I wasn't going to stand in front of them and think nonsense, so I swallowed the negative words so hard that they stuck like thorns in my throat.

"Before I leave my parents' presence, you need to know two things." I took a deep breath, as I didn't intend to hide anything from them. "The Marquis is a bad man, and he was already married, he was deceiving us."

"How outrageous, how dare he?"

"Calm down, Dad, it's all settled between him and me." I cleared my throat to tell him the second part. "I've already received a marriage proposal, and I'd like to ask you to accept my decision."

"What family is the man from?" my father promptly wanted to know.

"The Duke of Barcelona."

"My child, that man is a depraved heretic." My mother said, her eyes restless. "We don't recommend that you continue with this marriage, you won't be happy with him."

I took a deep breath, my father didn't say anything, he just stared at me from his armchair.

"Let her go her way, Joana." Yes, my mother's name was Joana, the same as mine in the 21st century.

"I thank you for being by my side, Dad."

"Will my little girl be happy? Even if it's with that insensitive man?" How do I know, Dad? It's just a contract that I don't know if I'll be able to convince you of.

"Yes, I'll be happy, Dad, we like each other very much."

He nodded positively, got up from his chair, and came over to me. He kissed me gently on the forehead and left my presence, followed by my mother, who continued to chatter in his ear. I smiled with relief, now all I had to do was wait for the duke's carriage and create my contract with my demands.

"I will make that conceited man my husband, that will be my next goal in this century." I whispered, looking at a huge painting in the living room that depicted our family.

~

The next day, I realized that Fernando was a man of his word. The carriage picked me up early in the morning. As I approached his house, the memory of what he had said stuck in my mind. How had someone liked him, who had rejected so many women, become interested in me? These were questions that would soon be answered. The duke's house really wasn't that far from mine.

"It's an honor to receive you, Miss Bourbon." A serious-looking gentleman with a firm gaze greeted me, he was bald, and his skin was white. "The master is waiting for you inside."

I nodded at his kindness in helping me down. He put me in my wheelchair and guided me to the Duke's chamber. As soon as we entered the Duke's chambers, Fernando thanked his servant and asked to be left alone.

"I hope Your Grace's day is good." I spoke towards him, who was standing, inert, next to the huge window, devoting his attention to something outside.

"Let's skip the tiresome greetings." He said and turned to me. "You mentioned the King of Spain."

"Yes." I replied with shyness in my voice.

"What makes you think that?"

"It's not a thought, my dear. It's reality."

He turned away from the window and came towards me.

"How can I believe your words, Miss Bourbon? How can the king of the Habsburg family's days be numbered?"

"But that's exactly what the royal family wants. The Habsburgs want everyone in Spain to think that King Charles is well, but his health is very poor."

"I can imagine what you're saying."

"What are you laughing at?"

"You're very funny, your face makes me happy. I can't explain it, but I've felt disoriented ever since I saw you that night."

"I'm here to have a serious discussion with you, but you think I'm a court jester? That's not funny."

These attitudes discourage me, how does this man manage to irritate me without knowing him openly?

"Your intense gaze reminds me of someone… who isn't a court jester."

"What? My gaze reminds you of one of your mistresses?"

He raised his eyebrows, surprised by my question.

"Let's pretend it never happened, that's right?"

I think I exaggerated, but he provoked me. Who does Fernando think he is to provoke me? But I can't lose my composure. He could be testing me.

"If I apologize for this, will you believe me?"

"Please leave now."

Fernando Casanova turned his attention away from me and walked over to his desk. He sat down in the armchair and devoted his attention to the papers on the table, completely ignoring my presence. After everything I've said, he's still feigning ignorance?

"In that case… very well. I'll say goodbye, then." I whispered dejectedly, he was definitely a different man, he didn't even seem to be the same duke as the night before.

But before I left that man's office, I imagined myself returning home without the accepted contract and how that would affect my life. No chance of going through another hell with the other wedding preparations. Pretending to be a sweet girl isn't that difficult, all I have to do is act as I always did in my previous life, I'll do anything to get my freedom back.

"Is Ms. Bourbon still here?"

"What do you think will happen to the Spanish monarchy if a new king takes power?"

"Another monarch will be put in his place."

"Of course, but what if it's someone of French origin?" This information was very important, but only I knew it.

I got his attention again, which made me feel more secure.

"Well then…"

"The truth will be known in time, if I'm alive by then, in the year 1700, Your Grace will know what I'm saying."

He sighed and gestured to me.

"Come here, Isabella Bourbon, let's negotiate our marriage contract."

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