Chapter 3 The Secret

"I will allow you to move into the mansion."

Erick gave a satisfied smile and leaned back in his chair.

"But there's a catch. I don't know how fond my fiancée is of this region. So she'll decide that. Suddenly she's thinking of living in the mansion. I will never take away her wishes. Then you will have to ask her. And I want it to be done in my presence.

Flauber saw his dream come true when he saw Erick's face full of wounded pride. At that moment Mistress Cleuza arrived with a tray containing three cups and served them before sitting down again.

"Well? Have you come to an agreement?" Mrs. Cleuza said observing the hatred of her husband in her eyes. She had been married to him for a long time and knew that when he was short on alternatives, hatred was his response.

"Not yet Mrs. Cleuza." Flauber said quietly. "The coffee is wonderful."

"Thank you." Mrs. Cleuza thanked him, turning red. And this did not go unnoticed by Flauber who did not know how, got a glimpse of her younger. She was a young woman still. She must have gotten pregnant very young. Her features were still attractive. Which gave Flauber another idea of revenge.

Flauber stood up and left the cup on the tray that had been placed on the table. He noticed that Erick's remained untouched and that this didn't bother Mrs. Cleuza.

"I'll be going now. I'll be back tomorrow to get your answer Mr. Erick." He said and turned to Mistress Cleusa. "Thank you Ms. Cleuza. Both the dinner and this coffee were worthy of a king." Flauber said and nodded to Erick and left.

Mrs. Cleusa was left alone in the library. Erick didn't want to talk anymore after Flauber left and she continued finishing her coffee quietly, while Erick went to his room without saying goodbye. It couldn't have been nine o'clock at night yet. She was sleep deprived. As soon as she finished her coffee, she got up, checked that the wooden window was closed, and turned off the lamp. And so she went room by room. When she climbed the stairs to the bedrooms, she saw light underneath Sigrid's room. She looked at the door opposite hers, which was Astrid's room, and saw that it was unlit. She knocked. As there was no answer, she went in, imagining that she might have slept with the candle lit. But she was startled and took a step back when she saw her sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed staring at her with her intense blue eyes. Dona Cleuza could see that she had cried a lot. Her eyes were swollen. Then she came closer, after the impact of the surprise, and sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her with immense tenderness.

"You were meant to be happy my daughter. You are going to marry the man you love and they will be able to have your child without worrying about society's rejection."

"Who is my father?" Sigrid asked dryly. Her mother had no right to have kept that secret from her for so long. Not by watching how she was treated by that man she believed her entire life was her father. Watching her suffer with his rejection. She was furious with her mother. Even though she understood that her mother should have had no way out. Her grandfather had bought her a husband so that she would not have the fate of many young women she heard about. Her mother was a warrior for having agreed to marry so that she would not have to give up her daughter. But she did wrong by not telling her when she was old enough to understand.

"Don't be hard on me Sigrid. I... I don't even know where to begin."

"Start from the beginning. I want to know everything."

Dona Cleuza sighed deeply.

"Your father was my father's sister's son."

"So... You were cousins?"

"Not really. He was adopted. He was beautiful and dreamy. We played together in childhood and he and his parents always came to visit us. My aunt and uncle couldn't have children, and one day someone left a basket with him in it asking my aunt and uncle to raise him. My aunt was overcome with love for him as soon as she held him for the first time. My uncle didn't like the idea very much, but later agreed to raise him as a son. And it was a happy family. We were about the same age and we understood each other from the first visit that I remember, but my mother told me that since we were babies, we seemed to have a connection. We started dating at the age of thirteen. While our parents thought we were going out for ice cream, we were just making an excuse to meet each other out of their sight. And so we had our first kiss. All our experiences were unique and first time for both of us. His eyes were the same color as yours. He also had golden hair. He was a good man. Erick started visiting my parents around this time. I didn't pay much attention, because he was eight years older than me, and that, in adolescence, is a big age difference. Then he asked for my hand. But I made a scandal and did not accept. By this time, I was already fourteen years old and had already crossed the limits of decency with his father. I became pregnant. The two of us were two children. We didn't know what to do. My aunt and uncle moved out of the country, taking his father with them, and I was left alone. So Erick took advantage of Dad's desperate situation and ended up accepting all the conditions Erick gave to marry me pregnant. Mom was against it, but at that moment my father wouldn't listen. Later, my father regretted it and realized that he had acted imprudently, he found out that he should have listened to Mom, but it was already too late. The wedding was only a few days away, and all the friends and relatives had already been invited. And Erick threatened to tell everyone about my pregnancy, and said that he had already slept with me too, if my father stopped the wedding..."

"So it's like you and Grandpa are being held hostage by this man.... Because of me." Sigrid concluded sadly.

"In a way yes. An eternal prison."

"My father, didn't you try to look for him afterwards?"

"I haven't seen your father since the day we told you together that I was expecting a baby. I haven't even said goodbye to him. My parents and his parents made sure we never saw each other again. Our country is huge. And I ended up on a farm. I would have no way to meet him again. I'm sorry, my daughter. Maybe Flauber can take you to see the world and, knowing this story, hire a detective and find out where your father is. I never had the opportunity to know.

"Mom... Do you still love him?"

Mrs. Cleuza lowered her eyes. Her daughter deserved the truth.

"I never, at any time, stopped loving him. It's a kind of love you never forget."

"And Erick? Do you still love him?"

"I never did. I didn't lie down with him until I was sure his father wasn't coming for me. That's why you and Astrid are four years apart. Erick had been pushing me too hard and I saw no other future for myself than this one. So I gave in."

"Why don't you come live with me and Flauber as soon as we get married?"

Sigrid saw the glint of interest pass through her mother's eyes.

"I would take away your privacy, and there's also Astrid. I can't leave her with only her father's influence. I want you to be happy my child. I won't be a burden to you and your husband."

"I'll talk it over with him. Oh, that reminds me, I promised him we'd talk about it before the wedding. Can you help me with that?"

Dona Cleuza smiled as if this request took her to remote places, memories hidden by the years and silence. Then she stood up.

"Yes, I will help. Tomorrow he's coming to finish the deal with your father, so I'll talk to him."

"They haven't gotten along yet?"

"Not by the looks of it. Now blow out that candle and go to sleep. I'm going to my room too." Dona Cleuza said and left.

Sigrid lay down and her heart felt lighter. She knew she would be happy. And she fell asleep right after these thoughts.