Caray, Caray!

Marco is still spying about town; Lisa is still mooning over cousin Ric, now aka "de Carvajal;" Ric tells his cousin and aunt not to take matters into their own hands with the widow, he'll do it; Saintly pours his heart out to Justo, father of both his ex-fiancee Camila (now the widow) and his current wife Rita, then says he knows his duty and will do it.

Justo tells Ofelia, Saintly's mom: surely Saintly will give in to temptation. "Oh no, they're well brought up, they know what's proper, they'll just exchange a few words occasionally, after all, they're in-laws." "Ah, but when the blood boils..." muses Justo in an unhappy foreshadowing manner.

Ric crosses the square, where TWO MULES can be seen, and pays his respects to the regidor, our old failed satyr Don Jorge. Ursula, whom I would enjoy calling "Pinkie," likes the looks of our Ric and takes him in to see daddy. Like father, like daughter: they both think Ric would make a fine husband for her, he's rich, a gentleman, has good recommendations... she flirts on the way out and invites him to the party she's throwing on the coming weekend. "Party?" inquires her dad blankly. "I just thought of it," she says as she sweeps out.

Ric gives a weak story about being in town for business and then says he was a personal friend of the Salamanca family, that old Timoteo in his senility left his money to his young widow and left his daughter with (almost) nothing, he's here to do something about it. Jorge invites him, and the aunt and cousin, to stay at the palace as long as they like - life in the provinces is so boring and most who pass through are just merchants...

Ric tells Marcos the suckup regidor and his daughter are hypocrites - "like me." Marcos tells the story he learned from the codger at the inn and Ric is struck with pity for the widow - "I understand her attitude now, she wasn't arrogant, she was desperate!" - and now he doesn't want to take her money. He reiterates he has enough moolah for Lisa to live like a princess and have a good dowry. Marcos wonders who'll have her. Ric says she's pretty and well-bred, she'll have suitors "Not if they catch her sniffing YOU, she won't," Marcos sort of says, "you know she's madly in love with you." Ric says it's just affection. Marcos teases him for liking Camila. They discuss setting up a pirate refuge and going back to business stealing Spanish gold.

Doña Sofia is unimpressed with Jorge's story about the well-bred visitor being a good suitor - she doesn't trust in his credentials - but Ursula rejects the whole current list of suitors and insists Ric is the one for her.

In their new home Camila and Jimena are discussing the Antillano's lies - he'd said he'd buy freedom for Claudio and Angel, but he didn't... Jorge arrives, Camila doesn't want to let him in but she does anyway as the maid and Jimena melt away. He asks if she needs anything, she says no rather stiffly. "Hey, I know you're holding a grudge against me, but you and I both know nothing happened." "Nothing? Because of you Santiago almost died and I was kidnapped." "Well, he's ok now, married, he'll no doubt be a daddy soon, and you're not doing so badly, you rich widow you."

He gets down to it: there's a blind woman in town, with Timoteo's nephew, planning to get Timoteo's coffers back. Jorge says he'll help Camila thwart that. Camila says she heard Timoteo's nephew was a pirate. Jorge poo-poohs that.

He leaves and Jimena says Camila needs an important man (like Jorge) to help her. Camila says heaven forfend.

That mean old friend of Jorge's, is it La Font?, yells at his daughter who's supposed to be spying around town, especially on Ursula, but who hadn't told him about Camila being back in town. The daughter redeems herself with other gossip: Vasco is out - Ursula's mad he hasn't been in touch and plans to dump him - and Ric is in.

And what do you know, Vasco lets himself in to Ursula's bedroom that night but she says it's over, she wants her keys back, and she's gonna marry the rich out-of-towner. Vasco calls her a whore and stomps out sulking.

Ursula is mean to her cute daughter and derides her doll's singing. Grannie Sofia says don't be so hard on the kid, and besides you neglect her. Sofia reiterates that recommendations can be bought and she doesn't trust the stranger. Ursula: "I'm going to marry him." Mom: "What if he won't have you?" "He'd have to be a fool not to want the rich daughter of the regidor - and he's no fool. Besides, Daddy likes him."

Sofia mutters: "People my husband likes are never decent people."

Marcos goes to the blacksmith's shop and asks Saintly to take care of Ric's horseshoes. Then he peers over the wall at Camila's place and watches the four musketeers discussing the departure, next morning, of Ascanio and Claudio. He reports back to Ric, who's surprised to hear Camila bought Claudio -- he'd thought his own henchman Lazaro (the same one he reamed out for borrowing a boat for a joyride) had bought the two kids on Ric's order. They surmise Lazaro just said he bought the kids and kept the dough for himself. "I'll quarter him!"

Rita and Saintly are sitting in a deadly silence in Ofelia's kitchen. Santiago leaves. "He's going to see HER," Rita whinges; Ofelia says "You shouldn't doubt your husband, and I've told you to conceal your jealousy." "He's not the same since she's back, we don't talk, he doesn't fulfill his Marital Obligations, how long must I tolerate this?" Ofelia suggests she should go talk to her sweet, reasonable sister Camila.

Jorge explains his little plan to La Font: he'll help Camila against the outlanders, and then in gratitude she'll become his lover. La Font sides with Sofia: don't trust him, recommendations can be bought. "Well, what are we, white doves? And by the way, how's it going with Foreman the Pirate King?"

Saintly is moping at the bar. Vasco comes in with a mope of his own: Ursula threw him out, just like a hired hand. "You knew it would happen." "Not like that, though! But she'll be back, she'll get tired of the new guy, and if she's pregnant, they won't know who the dad is. That new guy doesn't know her, it must just be business."

Saintly leaves the bar and tries to knock on Camila's door. The town crier asks what he's doing, "oh nothing," he limps away.

Marcos sees Ric doesn't want to go with Lisa and Tia's program of wealth-extraction, but he doesn't want to fight with them either. He says he'll go to Camila in the morning after Claudio and Ascanio have left.

Labels: Pasion