Carolina gave a quick bob of her head. “Thank you, Amá. Iwill go to Luz Elena at once.” She could only hope Lalo would find the means to sneak away.
She took off at a meandering pace, but as soon as her mother was out of sight, Carolina bolted. Her arms pumped as she raced down the corridor toward her room.
She sped forward. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Luz Elena shuffling through the corridor on the other side of the courtyard. Carolina stopped and tugged off one of her slippers. She chucked it as hard as she could just behind Luz Elena. When the woman went to investigate the noise, Carolina pushed ahead.
Finally, her hand grabbed the handle to her room. She pulled the lever and dashed in, trying her best not to slam the door behind her.
Her eyes widened when she noted her bed was empty. The sheets hadn’t even been ruffled.
Two heads shot up from the blankets on Nena’s mattress. Nena’s and Fernanda’s.
Nena’s curls were a tangled nest. Fernanda’s light brown hair jutted out from her chignon. The same shade of rosebud lip paint stained their faces.
“Happy for you!” Carolina whisper-yelled. “But also, hide!”
When the girls did little but blink with bewilderment, Carolina waved her arms frantically. “Fernanda, get under the bed!” There was nowhere else large enough to conceal a body. “Our nanny is coming. She cannot know you are here.”
“Did you not tell them you were taking on guests?” Fernanda asked, confused.
Carolina shook her head. “I didn’t want anyone thinking your brother left you here unattended. Nor would I tell a soul he was healing in my abuelo’s room. How could I explain hiscondition?” Plus, that would mean others would learn he had, in fact, been shot and lost the duel.
The door handle wiggled. It opened slightly. Carolina pressed her entire weight against the wood and slammed it shut.
“Carolina?” Luz Elena called. “What’s the meaning of this?” Luz Elena shoved against the door, jolting Carolina.Saints, la vieja was strong.
“One second, Luz. Nena isn’t proper.”
“I’ve been bathing and clothing you two girls since before you could walk,” Luz Elena said, jiggling the handle.
“Hurry,” Carolina snapped to Fernanda.
Fernanda scrambled out of the sheets in nothing but her undergarments and slid under the bed. Her head popped out, her hair fanning around her face. “This is the most fun I’ve had in ages.”
Nena grinned. “Me too.”
“Just hide and stay quiet,” Carolina whispered.
“Carolina? What is happening in there?” Luz Elena pushed harder against the door. Carolina couldn’t hold the woman back any longer. She was petite, but she was as mighty as the bull that struck Rafa.
Carolina tripped forward as the door burst open. Luz Elena surveyed the room. She was shrewd as ever. If Mamá knew the comings and goings of the hacienda, Luz was the one who’d whispered into her ear.
Her nanny pursed her lips. The wrinkles on her face tripling. “What is that?”
She jerked her chin toward a gown draped over Carolina’s vanity bench. Fernanda’s gown. She would throttle Nena for being so careless later.
“A dress,” Carolina said, very thankful that Luz Elena could not attend last night’s fiesta due to gout and therefore wouldn’t recognize the elaborate gown. “I just bought it from a tailor in el pueblo.”
Luz Elena’s sharp eyes turned to Carolina. “Which tailor? We have two.”
“Smith,” Nena shouted. “He did a fine job, no?”
There were actually three tailors within el pueblo, but Luz Elena never went to Mr. Smith after they had a dispute over silk prices twenty years ago—a fact her cousin knew well. Perhaps she wouldn’t be throttled, after all.
Luz Elena scoffed. “You went to that thief?”
“He’s no thief,” Carolina interjected.
“Have you seen what he charges his customers? Thievery, I tell you.” Luz Elena sniffed. “Do you smell that?”
