Dinner at Don Pedro's (evening April 15th)

[Blackguard]

Attention Francisco and Valencia

Word had arrived two hours before that Father Francisco and Diego Estrada would be joining the house for dinner. That gave Inez and Valencia just two hours to prepare.

Pedro had gone home early, complaining of a bad back, leaving Diego to escort the priest to the townhouse. They introduced themselves. Diego explained that he assisted Don Pedro with diplomatic matters. It was mostly small talk that occupied the men on the short walk to the house.

The men were shown into the parlor and offered their choice of beverage. Dinner would be served in ten minutes. Don Pedro arrived, feigning that his back was fine, already having downed several glasses of wine. He sent word to the girls to come down at once. "Good evening Father," he greeted the priest. "I am glad you had a chance to meet Diego."

[Francisco de Castillo]

Upon meeting Diego, Francisco bowed politely listened closely as he learned Diego's duties within the Embassy. The priest offered his own assistance should Diego require anything of him, and took a measure of confort in the short walk over to Don Pedro's house. He did his best to take in the architecture of the house, and the grounds of the embassy. Earlier in the day, he had little time to enjoy the environment. Now as they readied themselves for dinner, he took a little time to take it all in.

He asked for wine in the parlor and when Don Pedro himself arrived, the ambassador seemed in good spirits.

"Yes, good evening Your Excellency. He has proven a most able guide and conversational fellow. I am very glad to know him, and just as I suggested to him, I shall also repeat to you, that if there is anything you believe I can assist my Lord Estrada with, I shall be happy to do so."

The priest had been examining the interior of the house and parlor when the ambassador arrived, and now felt compelled to compliment Don Pedro on his decor.

"You have a lovely home. I thank you very sincerely for opening it to me for dinner."

[Blackguard]

The architecture was pleasing enough; but, it could not hold a candle to the architectural splendor Francisco might have seen in Spain or Rome. A priest might be more used to wonderous cathedrals than staid English mansion construction.

"You are most welcome here," Pedro replied politely. "I am certain that Diego will call upon you for assistance one day." Diego nodded with a smile as he accepted a glass of Spanish wine.

"So Father, tell us any news from Rome or the motherland," invited Diego. "We are starved for news here."

The girls had yet to descend to join the guests. But then, ladies were known to take extraordinary lengths of time to prepare.

[Francisco de Castillo]

It might be that, comparatively speaking, the architecture of the English manor was rather conservative and sedate, but the priest found a certain amount of comfort in it. It spoke to him in a measure that he was away from his home, doing God's work, and not being too sedimentary himself. In examining it, he missed the telling look between Don Pedro and Diego.

"I wish I had something to tell your Excellency. I spent much of time either abroad in the New World, or within the archives in service of the Legate. I was actually hoping more of the reverse would be true and that you would be able to tell me about what is happening here and now. Needless to say, cloister can be solitary and isolated when it comes to events of the world. I suppose that is the whole purpose for it. That way one can focus on the work of God and not be too distracted."

He took his glass and examined it before taking a sip.

“If it would please you Your Excellency, I should like to hear more of this city and the people here. I am finding obstacles are every turn, and I find I would be better able to serve Spain and you if I were more aware of what the climate here is.”

This was a somewhat subtle move for him. He had pondering over what Ronquillo had told him before, but here in the company of others, he wanted to gauge how much trust was within the room when it came to Diego. If Don Pedro spoke largely the same way, then he trusted Diego implicitly. If he did not, than Francisco would know more himself about how much to trust the other man.

[Blackguard]

"You've not been to Madrid then?" Diego sought to clarify in disappointment. "We hear nothing good from the old country these days. Has the Holy Father, by any chance, sought an investigation as to King Carlos? We have heard that some think him cursed by dark spirits." If Francisco had been at the Vatican, it was likely he had heard something. Every Spaniard cared desperately about the subject. The King was the last male heir of the Spanish Hapsburgs. The in-breeding had produced a creature almost inhuman in look and manner. The Church had asserted power recently as a rival to the Dowager Queen. There was also the matter of the bastard son of Philip IV -- Don John of Austria. There was a man of action and confidence. There was talk of a Papal Bull to legitimize John as legitimate, as the only thing that might save Spain. Diego knew such things for he was Pedro's spymaster.

On the subject of London, Diego looked to Pedro. The Ambassador replied, "I have told the Father about the war against Catholics." Diego took over the telling of the bad news. "It is quite the reverse of what is happening on the Continent. The Savoyards slaughtered every man woman and Protestant child. We are not that far away from the English doing that to the Catholics here Father. All it will take is some great injustice to ignite the hatred into action. Catholics are less than ten percent of the English people. They will be easy to purge. Already it is illegal for a Catholic to hold office. There are bills in Parliament to exclude Catholics from the succession. There is even talk of a bill to make it illegal for Catholics to live in London. One must tread carefully. We must avoid any provocation. We are worse than English Catholics ... we are foreign Catholics -- puppets of Rome in the eyes of the English people."

[Valencia Rodriguez]

The day’s excitement at the bank had left Valencia agitated and quite unprepared to receive guests, thus the delay in her appearance. Inez, dressed and ready long before Valencia, refused to descend until her cousin could accompany her. In her frantic state Valencia was hard pressed to put up Inez’s extreme shyness but she refrained from impatiently ordering the girl to go down without her. Finally, dressed in her favorite rose and white striped frock, her hair still damp from the vigorous washing necessary to free the black strands from plaster dust, she descended to the parlor with Inez in tow.

[Francisco de Castillo]

Francisco was surprised by the depth of information that Diego was privy to.

"Yes, indeed he has sought more information as to the state and wellbeing of the King. I confess that your information about dark spirits is both surprising and intriguing. His Holiness has said nothing about it to me, but I am sure that such a conversation, if it indeed did happen, took place well out of earshot from the likes of my rank and station. I have not been involved in any such conversations."

The priest was suddenly surprised by his own reaction to such talk. Dark spirits? Even the words made his heart race and his hands shake. A chance to see the Devil's own hand? An opportunity to face a demon's power in the flesh? To battle darkness first hand?

Francisco took a drink to steady himself. Had he known, he would have volunteered for such an assignment. It was the reason he had volunteered to mission in the New World. To meet the pagans head on, on their own ground. He had been surprised to find them more civil and honorable than he had been lead to believe, but his intention had been to battle the darkness when he left. Instead he found a people more concerned with survival than of wanton barbarism. They were a simple people with simple gods, and he found no reason to destroy them. Instead he had focused on building a church, and giving them a path to salvation.

The ladies coming downstairs broke him from his reverie. He looked up with the hint of a smile, eager to meet new people, and forcing himself to concentrate on the pleasantries of conversation, rather than his own thoughts of exorcisms and battling demons.

When introduced, he bowed politely.

"I am Francisco de Castillo at your service my ladies."

[Blackguard]

Nodding in silent disappointment that the priest had no more light to shed on the subject, Diego turned to Pedro for further reaction. Just as the Ambassador was about to speak, he heard footsteps on the stairs. It mean that the girls were arriving. As such, he stood and turned to face the arrivals.

"Ladies, you know Diego. This is Father Francisco. Father, this is my daughter Inez Elena and her friend and distant cousin Valencia Marisol Rodriguez Garcia." Inez was nothing remarkable to look upon; but, dressed nicely in her somber grey with white lace, she might be said to be pretty. Valencia was prettier than her friend, and less shy. Inez offered a curtsey to the priest, not thinking of presenting her hand to a man of God.

"Come have a seat," Pedro beckoned. Inez was placed next to Francisco and Valencia next to her, across from Diego. Pedro sat at the head of the table.

"Now then girls, why don't you tell us about your day?" Inez looked to Valencia to speak for her as the servants moved forward to serve a bean soup. It was always polite to let ladies go first and to speak of light topics during the first course.

[Valencia Rodriguez]

Valencia curtsied elegantly to the priest, returning his smile with one of her own. Meeting two new priests in one day? Valencia wondered if someone was trying to tell her something. “Welcome, Father Francisco. Are you settling in comfortably? If there is anything you require for your room, or some clothes more suited to the seasons here, please let me know…I’m getting to know the shops and would certainly be pleased to help you.” Valencia’s Spanish was a good deal more sophisticated than her English and she relished the chance to converse without sounding so stilted. It seemed that Valencia intended to assume much of the ‘Lady of the House’ role, though more rightly it would be Inez’s place to welcome a guest. She was hardly conscious of her decision to step into her cousin’s shoes, it was simply what she had been trained all her life to do and without the presence of an older lady or the opposition of a personality stronger than her own she had taken on the responsibility most naturally.

Valencia greeted Pedro next, demurely and respectfully. She watched carefully to see what of the arrangements pleased or displeased him. Valencia very much wanted to recreate a family atmosphere amongst the Spaniards, and she was set upon winning Pedro’s regard at the very least. To Diego she offered a slightly less formal greeting, still a smidgen uncertain of his place within the household. He worked for Pedro, she knew, but he didn’t seem like a servant per say. Her smile was friendly and a touch mischievous, she remembered how much she had enjoyed her conversation with him at the ball, though it seemed as though he had become much cooler to her when Douglas had approached.

“Senor Diego, I trust you are well? Say hello to Lady Inez, come here, my dear…” She nudged Inez forward with an impish grin. Valencia had noticed that the company of handsome men made Inez even more shy.

After they had seated and begun their meal, Pedro asked about what they had been up to. It seemed like all of a sudden Valencia realized what she was going to have to tell them. Her black brows shot skyward and she struggled to remain composed. “Oh, well. Inez stayed in today, didn’t you? She didn’t want to come with me, I, ah…was window shopping. I looked at some jewelry at Higgins and Hoare’s…” She trailed off for a moment. “There was some commotion at the bank.” She pursed her lips and studied the soup intently, obviously not telling them the half of it.

[Francisco de Castillo]

"Ladies, it is a both a pleasure and an honor to meet you."

"Yes my Lady, I am quite comfortable, thank you." He replied to Lady Valencia's query, enjoying the almost luxurious feel and sound of the Spanish language again.

As they sat and were served, Francisco noted the quiet Inez and her expectation for Valencia to speak for her. It was clear in an instant to the priest that something was amiss. By Francisco's estimation, the girls were hiding something. What that thing was, the truth, some action, whatever it may be was not clear at this point, but the priest was eager to hear more, and waited to see how the conversation progressed.

The soup was delicious, as were his returning thoughts of dark spirits and possession. He pondered over asking Don Pedro if he could personally escort Inez back to Spain. From there he could figure out a reason to stay, and a reason to find his way near the Court of King Carlos... From there, the battle could be joined.

[Blackguard]

Diego gave a warm smile to both ladies, hoping to put them at ease. Pedro kept his face impassive as he wanted to smirk at Valencia's notion that a priest needed a tailor. Even more than soldiers, priests were prisoners to a certain costume. It seemed that Valencia and Inez were a good match. Both seemed to say little, but in different quantity.

To Valencia's eye, Pedro seemed pleased enough with the dinner so far. It was hard to glean much in the way of likes and dislikes so far. From Diego's confident demeanor and seat at the dinner table, it was clear that he was no servant of the Ambassador, rather a man like a secretary or other member of the gentry assigned to the embassy. Diego nodded and confessed to being well, now that she was here. A bit of flattery never went amiss.

Wanting to encourage his cousin to sontinue speaking while he finished his soup, Pedro queried, "did you purchase some jewelry then?" He needed to see if the girl was a spendthrift. It would not do for Inez to become one. "What is this about a commotion at the bank?"

[Valencia Rodriguez]

“Oh, no…I just wanted to see what the English tastes ran to in the way of jewelry, you know…ahm,” Valencia hesitated, unwilling to curtail freedom of movement but equally unwilling to lie to her kin. She felt a deep and awkward silence fill the room as they waited for her to speak.

“Well, you see, someone…ah, tried to…rob it.” She raptly studied her fingernails toying with her napkin, trying to imagine what was about to happen. Inez would be horrified, surely, and she feared a scolding from Pedro. The priest was still an unknown factor. She peeked at Diego, hoping for support. “There was this Anglican priest there as well…he, um, stopped him…”

Killed? Should she tell them that the thief was dead? That she had been only yards away from a dead body? She raised her eyes and looked around the table, suddenly filled with the devilish urge to shock her cousins and damn the consequences.

“The thief had a gun and he shot at us! It nearly brought the ceiling down. It all happened so fast. The English priest fought him, armed only with his fists! He broke the other man’s neck with his bare hands.” Not that she had seen the actual killing, but she felt she had earned the right to the story nevertheless. Valencia took a gulp of her wine, untouched until now, and waited for their response.

[Blackguard]

OOC~ Given Francisco's absence, we'll work around him.

Both men were shocked, and likely the priest too, for he said nothing. Pedro was first to speak. "Robbed!" He looked at Inez questioningly. "I was not there papa," she squeaked. It was just as well for he was about to lecture both girls about safety and the need to bring a guard.

"You are unhurt?" Diego asked with concern in his voice. "Who was this priest? Were others there too?"

[Valencia Rodriguez]

“Not quite robbed, cousin.” Valencia was warming to telling the story and not incidentally avoiding the lecture for a few more moments. “So, I had just come in and I was standing at the counter near another woman and the owner. The priest was there too. Then, this man bursts in waving a gun and shouting like a madman. I couldn’t understand everything he was saying; he was too agitated and talking so fast. But I think he owed money somewhere, to some Earl or Duke or something. And then he pointed the gun right at me!” Valencia laid a fingertip on her forehead, miming a ‘right between the eyes’ sort of gesture.

“That was when the Father got involved; his name was a ‘W’ something…Whitaker, I think. He offered the man all his money to go and leave us alone, but of course that simply couldn’t be allowed to happen which I told the thief, I said he would be committing the gravest of sins if he stole from a priest and his parish. Well, he didn’t like that. I think that was when the other woman ran out. That was when he shot his gun off and ran in to break the safe. Then the shopkeeper gave the priest a gun and, well…then they fought.” Her narration began to falter as she reached the most disturbing point of her story.

”And the…he…well. The priest was fine. I’m fine. The bank was safe. I heard…the priest came out. But the other man…I heard…” Suddenly her eyes were filling with tears. The event had really been more upsetting than she had thought. She had watched the thief walk into the room. She had not needed to see the body to feel the creep of death all over her skin. “He didn’t come back out.”

OOC: Not a problem

[Blackguard]

Valencia was becoming quite the story teller. Should she care to notice, she might see each of the three men leaning forward in their chairs to bask in each detail of adventure. Inez was not quite sure how to react. There was the shared horror, but there was also the inexplicable envy of Valencia being the center of attention. Quiet natures could sometimes be mistaken for humility. This was not the case for Inez. She wanted to be popular, but did not have the tools to accomplish it, making the situation all the more frustrating.

"What sort of gun?" Diego asked instinctively. He was a man versed in anti-social behavior and wondered as to the practices of the local banditry.

Pedro was empathetic. As tears began to glisten in Valencia's eyes, he put down his cutlery and napkin, demonstrating a willingness to rise and move to her side if necessary. "Do not cry Valencia. The man had it coming. The priest was right to dispense justice to save decent folk from such dangers in the future. Robbers are parasites to which no mercy should be shown," he declared without consideration of the robbery he had ordered of the French gold.

[Valencia Rodriguez]

Valencia leaned back as the men leaned in. She was suddenly shy of the attention, but she couldn’t stop now. When she glanced at Inez she saw the horror but mistook the envy for interest. So, she pushed on.
“I don’t know what they call it…” she held up her hands and mimed holding up a rifle to her shoulder. “Like this? Anyway, it was powerful enough to punch through the ceiling.”

Valencia held out her hand across the table to urge her cousin to remain seated and reassure him she was going to be fine. “I tried to tell the priest that…but he was very upset. And now I think; now I think I do not know what the right thing was...” She shook her head, alone in her moral quandary and unaware of her cousin’s illicit activities. “The robbery had to be stopped but the priest felt such grief over that man’s death…At first I did not understand. The law must be obeyed. But now…there must have been some reason he tried to do it, right? That Duke or whoever must have put him up to it…”

[Blackguard]

"A musket?" Diego offered helpfully as Valencia made motions of a long weapon. It was something of a charades game, it seemed. "A curious choice." Of course, maybe the man thought to use it as a club after he fired the musket.

At last Father Francisco spoke up. "Priests are more sensitive than most about taking a human life. We are here to look after all of God's children. Even if a soul is evil, worldly punishment should be applied only with care."

"Tell us more about this Duke," Diego urged. "Do you know which Duke was said to be involved, and his role?" he asked with interest. Every tidbit of information about Dukes could prove useful to the Spanish crown.

[Valencia Rodriguez]

Valencia sort of half nodded, half shrugged. “I suppose that must be it, thankfully no one was shot.” She turned to look at the priest. “Yes, Father…” Valencia sounded subdued, doubtful. So many strange things had happened lately to make her question the nature of things. But not to the extent of contradicting a priest. Did worldly law exist separate to spiritual law? How could a person possibly know the right thing to do if those laws began to contradict…she was beginning to understand why Whitaker had been so upset.

Valencia looked back at Diego and shook her head softly. “I’m sorry…I don’t know anything else about the man or his Duke. That was all I could make out.”

[Blackguard]

Valencia was a good girl. She showed proper deference to a priest and her male relatives. It was the sign of a good upbringing.

As she admitted having few other details, Diego feigned that it did not matter to him. Yet every morsel missed only made him all the hungrier.

There was a pause of sorts as everyone resumed their meal and the dessert ... almonds with chocolate glaze. Inez, not to be outdone, spoke up to attract attention. "Papa, might we go to a play here in London? Valencia and I are dying to see what the English enjoy. I heard from a servant that there is a comedy to be played."

Pedro looked at his daughter as he cleared his mouth of food. "English plays are not suitable for young ladies of breeding. They are a place for men and cheap women to go. The language is profane. You may not go Inez." He forbid it. Father Francisco gave an understanding nod. Diego merely watched the body language of the two girls. Inez pouted.

[Valencia Rodriguez]

Valencia let her eyes linger on Diego as the others spoke. The novelty of his good looks had already begun to wear off and she was curious about who he really was. He asked so many questions…and seemed more interested in the answers than in hearing his own voice. Very unique.

Valencia turned her attention back to her food. She was licking a dab of chocolate off a slender finger when Inez spoke up. She paused, mid-lick. Valencia was surprised to hear her cousin talking about seeing a play, but she wasn’t surprised to hear Pedro deny the request.

Valencia rolled her eyes up in an exaggerated wide eyed glance. “Speaking of plays, you know, I was speaking with a young Lord and he said that they are quite respectable now-a-days…” Her voice was airy and careless, but the twist of her mouth was sly. “Even the King goes, I hear…What do you think, Don Diego? Plenty of young ladies must go, properly chaperoned…”

She mentioned this all carelessly, trying not to force the subject. She glanced at Inez. Valencia wanted to win this for her cousin, wanted to reward her interest in socializing. She was starting to worry about the amount of time Inez spent homebound.

[Blackguard]

Already Valencia was trying to play off Diego against Pedro. It had not taken long. The handsome Spaniard should have been annoyed, but he was far more proud of Val. She might make a useful agent yet.

"Just because an English lord utters it, milady, does not necessarily make it true," he warned in jest. Pedro nodded his agreement. "Some plays are more acceptable that others. The English playwrights prefer to gain their humor in ... baser ways. There might be a play that is suitable," he offered cautiously as he he looked towards Pedro. The Ambassador was signaling his ill-ease at the direction his lieutenant was taking. Diego flashed a reassuring smile and then looked back at the ladies.

"I shall attend the play and determine its suitability, and will vouch for it or not," he declared to the feminine newcomers. "Is that acceptable Your Excellency," he asked with new attention to his master.

"I suppose," Pedro replied cautiously. "Perhaps you can take Father Francisco with you," he suggested. That would all but assure that neither girl would attend a play.

Inez switched between contrasting expressions throughout. Val had given her hope. Her father had dashed it. Diego breathed new life into it, but she could not help but feel that her stodgy father would win in the end.

[Valencia Rodriguez]

Valencia was pleased with herself and a small sly grin showed on her face. She was like a kitten learning to pounce, excited by the power of her own tiny claws.

She smiled at Diego, pleased with his complicity. “Don Pedro, how very generous of you! I know Diego will be an excellent judge of the morality of this piece.” She tried to sound very serious. “I know all of your household is held to the highest standards of morality. Don Diego will make a very excellent judge indeed.”
Valencia smiled at Inez, not in the least concerned about the outcome and unaware of how desperately her cousin wanted to go. The whole thing was turning into a delightful lark as she tested her skills at manipulating and flattering.

“Dear Inez, did you enjoy yourself at the ball? Did you meet very many suitable people?” She turned to Pedro and addressed him in a very grave voice. “We must make sure Inez meets very many nice people and brings her unique charm to English society, don’t you think?”

[Blackguard]

Given how upbeat Valencia was, it was hard for Pedro to conclude that he had won. He looked at Diego with a frown. Was the man siding against him?

"I liked the ball," Inez replied, unwilling to shed the glumness she felt. "No one asked me to dance." She looked directly at Diego. "Easy enough to remedy," he replied quickly.

Pedro fought the urge to sigh. Inez was not here to find an English husband. She was here to vex him and be her mother's spy. Valencia, on the other hand, should be matched with an Englishman. Her family would like that. How could he explain that to Inez? He could not.

"We shall find some ways for you to meet proper ladies and gentlemen," he assured her with less than complete sincerity. "If nothing else, I have mentioned that you might host a tea."

"But we do not know anyone yet to invite papa," Inez complained. "I need to meet more people. Why are there no social functions at court? What do proper ladies do in London for fun? How do they meet people?"

Pedro wanted to shout that he did not know, or care. She should be more focused on reading her Bible and staying in her room until he could ship her back home. "We shall find you an opportunity," he uttered in a way that signaled the conversation was at an end. "Perhaps I will hire a tutor for you to learn better English," he offered. That would fill her time. Her accent was stronger than Valencia's, and he could use it as an excuse that good language skills were a prerequisite for meeting more English people.

[Valencia Rodriguez]

Valencia quieted down as the conversation became more tumultuous. Some of the sparkle seemed to leave her. She was afraid that by encouraging Inez she was fostering a quarrel between father and daughter. She gave Pedro a curious glance out of the corner of her eye. What father did not want his daughter to be popular and admired? Virtuous, yes, always, but admired too.

Valencia leaned in towards Inez. “Don’t worry, darling. I have met some nice people. I’ll get to work putting together a nice event so that they might come and meet you as well.” She spoke as soothingly as she could, wanting to quiet the girl down and ease the tension her harping could cause. Pedro seemed so frustrated, so edgy. She tried to think of something to do.

She glanced at Diego and made a small shrug. He might know of some smooth thing to say to lighten the mood. He seemed to be good at that. She would try a more direct approach. “Don Pedro,” she said, lowering her voice to a gentle purr, “would you like me to call for some Port? Or, if your back is paining you I could call for the servants to heat a compress and bring a nice drink up to your room…?”

[Blackguard]

Some fathers only wanted their daughters to be popular in a place where they were to be matched. Being popular in England was a danger. If Inez grew to like London, she might want to stay, and ruin everything. His position in Madrid was more important that his position in London. Inez, like any daughter of a politician, was little more than a bargaining chip for a potential alliance back home.

Inez was pleased to hear Valencia's promise. "You are a good friend Valencia," she declared and then threw an almost rebellious glance at her father, as if to say he was not a good father. That was not a wise strategem, for it only made Pedro's mood darker. He finished his glass of wine in one gulp, wondering if God visited children upon mankind as a punishment for their sins.

"I am fine Valencia," he muttered instinctively to her suggestion. Diego gave him a questioning look, but Pedro waved it away. As he thought more on Val's suggestion, the wisdom of it became apparent. "Actuually, I think I will go up to my room and receive a hot compress for my back. Father, will you join me?" he asked as he stood. It was a signal that the dinner was over, and it provided an easy escape from his sullen daughter. "Diego, assist the girls if they require it, otherwise, we have a long day tomorrow." It was his way of ending the evening as well.

"Si, Your Excellency," Diego replied crisply as he stood as well, moving to assist the ladies with their chairs so they too might stand. The young man watched Pedro take his leave with but a forced smile. Only when the older man was well up the stairs did he turn to the two ladies and ask, "may I be of asistance in some way?" Inez looked as if she wanted to say something, but looked to Val instead.