9. GUESTS

“Yes, quite the epitome of elegance, ma'am,” Gisela hastens to say, and the other servants nod in agreement. “Will your grandparents be joining as well?”

“No, this dinner was rather abruptly arranged by my mother and mother-in-law; you know how it is. I couldn't say no, and there wasn't time to invite them,' I clarify, feeling their absence keenly. 'We'll host a separate dinner for them at the end of the week. I'd much prefer their company without the added pressure of entertaining others.”

“I understand. Just let me know what they fancy, and I'll prepare it. Had I been informed earlier, we could have tailored tonight's meal to your parents' liking,” she replies with a tinge of regret. “Not to worry, ma'am. Everything is under control. As you can see, it appears we've prepared everything ourselves; they'll be none the wiser. I believe they've arrived; that sound must be their cars,' she indicates.

“Yes, I recognise the one that belongs to Dad,” I say, attuning my ears to the sound of car engines. “Let me check if Luis has made his way down.”

I proceed to the living room and observe as Luis descends, clad in a sleek black suit that complements my dress. In truth, he cuts a dashing figure: tall, with a well-toned physique, captivating blue eyes, and a strikingly masculine visage. His lips, though slender, are in perfect harmony with his chiselled nose. And then there's his mercurial charm—flitting from one mood to the next with effortless grace—making him the total package.

It's no wonder women are drawn to him. Yet, none can endure his foul temper—I cannot fathom how that blonde has tolerated it for so long. He seems smitten with her. Why wouldn't her parents approve?

“Luis,” I murmur as he approaches and links his arm with mine, guiding us towards the entrance. “You look rather handsome.”

“Thank you, you're looking stunning yourself. Just remember, everything needs to go smoothly tonight.”

“Don't fret; I'll follow your lead. Just don't leave me to fend for myself, you know I get tongue-tied and might blurt out something untoward.”

“I've assured you all will be well. Trust your husband, Isabella Sardino Ibáñez.”

“Just Isabella Sardino, if you please. Save "Ibáñez" for your future wife,” I retort with gravity.

“Alright, but you can't deny that we make a striking pair today.”

“Drop it, Luis. You and I will never be an item. It looks like they're coming in. Let's go.”

We move towards the door, which a servant is already holding open for our guests. Promptly at eight o'clock, everyone has arrived. My in-laws and my parents are all impeccably dressed.

Upon entering, they look around curiously, advancing to greet us. My father, in particular, scrutinises every detail; I'm convinced he recognises Mima's and my grandfather's influence. Indeed, I catch him half-smiling in front of the grand library.

“'Hello, lovebirds!” my mother exclaims with theatrical warmth, planting a kiss on each of my cheeks and enveloping Luis in a generous hug.

“Hello, dear mother-in-law, it's a pleasure to have you here,” Luis responds, his smile so wide it takes me aback. “We would have invited you sooner, but Bella has been swamped with university exams.”

I marvel at how effortlessly Luis can shift his demeanour. Were he an actor, he'd surely have a collection of Oscars by now. I smile at the thought, watching as he mingles from one guest to another, dispensing laughter and embraces, making everyone feel at ease. I trail behind him as he requested, silent and unobtrusive.

“You seem quite jubilant, Bela,” my mother-in-law observes, drawing me from my reverie. I turn to face her. “It appears my son has been taking good care of you,” she suggests with a hint of mischief.

I feel a blush creep up my cheeks at such an insinuation. Luis draws near and drapes an arm around my shoulders, planting a light kiss on my cheek. His touch leaves me uneasy. Despite having asked him not to leave me alone, this display of affection feels too intimate. So I step away, slipping from his grasp to embrace my father-in-law who opens his arms wide and hugs me with the enthusiasm of a true patriarch.

“You look beautiful, Bela; marriage suits you!” He scrutinises me while still grasping my shoulders, a gesture that leaves me feeling rather uncomfortable. “Yes, my son has made you bloom—you're quite transformed from the girl we met at the engagement!”

“Thank you, sir…”

“No, no, no... Not sir, not father-in-law. Dad, come on—I want to hear you say it,” he insists with a smile.

I laugh nervously “'Ha, ha, ha...' I really don't like this man. 'Thank you, father-in-law,” I manage to say, catching my own father's eye. I think I detect a half-smile from him when he hears me use the term.

“Bravo! How was the journey? Did you enjoy it?”

“Very nice, father-in-law”

Luis comes to my rescue, joining us and keeping the promise he made not to leave me alone with them. I'm truly grateful; their probing questions and insinuations make me anxious.

“But now let's eat; dinner will get cold. We can chat later.”

“Dad, are you coming?” I ask when I notice he's paused, observing everyone.

“Yes, Bella, I'm on my way.”

He responds, having been distracted by the house. He seems to approve, smiling on several occasions. I suspect he misses Mima and sees her touch in every detail. Luis once again ushers us towards the table. And so we all proceed to the terrace which has been beautifully laid out for dinner. The night is splendid, particularly at this time of year.

“It's beautiful out here, son!” my mother-in-law exclaims, pleasantly surprised as she looks around. “You seem to have a fondness for flowers, Bela. Did you arrange all this?”

“No, ma'am. It was my grandmother's doing; they built this house,” I reply with a smile.

“Eva, I thought it was you,” she says, and I can tell by the look my mother gives me that I've misspoken, so I decide not to mention it again.

“Yes, yes, it was me alongside her dear. We sorted everything out together. I couldn't leave her to manage on her own; you know she's been quite unwell.”

“I knew at once that this exquisite taste must be your handiwork,” my mother-in-law affirms, and I notice my father's mouth twist in a grimace of distaste, though he remains silent.

“Let's take our seats,” Luis suggests. "We hope you'll enjoy what we've prepared, despite the short notice we had for this dinner. A day or two's warning would have been appreciated; poor Bela was beside herself trying to get everything ready.”

I appreciate his words; though polite, they convey a subtle message that such short notice isn't ideal. They don't respond, merely exchanging silent glances before moving towards their chairs to seat themselves.

We follow suit: the men on the right side, the mothers on the other, while Luis and I take our place at the head of the table like gracious hosts. My mother engages in non-stop conversation with my mother-in-law as if the rest of us don't exist. My father talks to my father-in-law but occasionally, I catch him glancing my way. I smile whenever our eyes meet, prompting him to quickly avert his gaze. After dinner, we retreat to the living room. Luis and I ascend to our bedroom to fetch the gifts; we really do appear the consummate married couple. He insists on carrying most of them.

Joy reigns as we settle in the living room to distribute our gifts. Everyone appears quite thrilled. I, too, am astounded by my own performance. I have perched on the armrest of the chair where my husband sits, his arm casually resting over my legs.

The evening passes with Luis spinning incredible tales of all the adventures we're supposed to have had. I simply echo his enthusiasm, exclaiming how marvellous each place he mentions is. Fortunately, neither my mother nor my mother-in-law feels inclined to inspect our bedroom.

As we say our farewells, the last to leave is my father, who, to my astonishment, embraces me more tightly than usual and inquires,

“Are you really all right, Bela?”

Dad lingers after his question, holding me by the shoulders and studying my face as if searching for something.

“Yes, yes... Dad, I'm very well; there's no need for concern,” I reply, somewhat bewildered by this unexpected display of affection. I can't recall the last time he hugged me so earnestly. For a moment, I feel genuinely cherished by him. So this time, I hug him back firmly, and he responds in kind, even planting a kiss on my forehead. As we part, he gives me another penetrating look. What's gotten into Dad today? I wonder. Why this sudden change?

“Luis,” he turns to my husband, who, like everyone else, has been observing us. His tone carries a hint of warning as he says, “Take good care of her. Should anything happen to her, you'll answer to me. I won't have my only daughter suffer on your account. Do you understand? Don't forget who I am, Luis.”

“What do you say, dear?”

My mother intervened, prying Dad away as she always did. Whenever he came close like that, she would whisk him away, and he never resisted. However, today I saw him break free from her grasp and firmly shake Luis's hand. Judging by Luis's expression, it must have been quite a squeeze, until Mum let go and said,

“Luis adores her; he'd be incapable of harming Bella. Can't you see how happy they look? Right, Bella? He treats you very well, doesn't he?” she asked, casting me a threatening glance. I smiled at Dad reflexively, not understanding his behaviour, and nodded. Perhaps it was the wine? He hadn't stopped drinking all night or watching me.

“Don't worry, Mr Sardino, I'll take good care of her; she's my wife,” Luis assured him. Nonetheless, Dad continued to scrutinise him intently until Luis shifted his gaze and placed his arm around my shoulders as though he were afraid of something. Dad finally finished his farewells and left, followed by Mum who was still fussing over him. We waved them off from the doorway, and as soon as they were gone, I shrugged off Luis's hold. He looked at me pensively when we were alone.

“Bella, you were brilliant. I thought it would be tougher to convince them that we're a genuine married couple,” he said, his gaze still fixed on me.

“You too, Luis. Thank you for keeping your promise not to leave me alone with them for a moment; I really was very nervous,” I said and started walking back into the house, where the servants were finishing tidying up. “Really, have you visited all those places?”

“Yes, I did—with my girl!”