Caray, Caray!

[Apologies for the lateness. My usual Thursday night committment went late and I got nothing but interruptions today. It sucks when work and real life interferes with playtime, doesn't it! Corrections and additions, welcome as always. This was a talky episode.]

We start out with the extra special breakfast Jimena and the servants prepared for Cami, Ric, Fran and Lis. Mario isn’ t there and Jimena asks after him. [I had a slightly different take on Lis and Fran’s reactions than Julie did last night. Julie thought that maybe was trying foods for the wedding reception. There seems to be a food/class theme going on here which happens whenever the middle class people eat with the wealthier folk. The upper crust seems to have a more formal European diet while the middle class are already eating what we think of as Mexican fare—chiliquilines, tamales etc. Some of the upper class people actually enjoy the lower class food, most notably Fortunata. But then maybe she enjoys any kind of food, as long as there is plenty of it. Lis and Fran have been more standoffish and Fran has even been scornful of it. So it may be that they are just sourpusses about the wedding, having to sit there with Cami and Ric or it could have been the food.]

In the chapel at Montecarmelo, Rita and Ofelia wait for Santiago. Rita’s impatient. Ofelia chides her. Rita cracks that he’s not going to be home for the birth of his child. Ofelia says it’s not going to be happening soon. “Soon enough” says Rita. Santiago appears and Rita starts riding on him to come home. Ofelia tries to restrain her but Santi says he’s going to come home. Rita is elated. She tells him that Don Jorge and Dona Sofia have been by. Santi says he’ll go see them. He asks about the twins, Justo and whether they know. Ofelia says she doesn’t think so. Ascanio knows but he’s discreet. Rita immediately launches into a speech about how since Jorge and Sofia have come over, it shows that they are showing good will and that he should do the same. Santi blows up at her. It would mean accepting the name of the man who raped his mother and assaulted the woman he was going to marry. Now it’s Rita’s turn to blow up, which she does, as expected, at camila’s name. Ofelia intervenes and shushes her by saying that she should be quiet or she will bring ill favor on herself, her child and the whole family. Santiago takes advantage of the moment to say that he will leave to tell the head monk that he’s leaving and pay his tab. Rita smiles like she’s already thinking about what curtains she’s going to have in her palace.

Fran and Lis are walking outside. Fran speculates pruriently about what “that whore” did to Ric that made him so angry only to have him so sweet the next day. They go to Ofelia’s (to throw Ric’s spies off she says) but Ofelia is out. Ramona, the servant tells them that she and Rita are at Montecarmelo to see Santiago who is there on retreat. They will be back around lunchtime. Ramona offers them food but the ladies turn it down and continue on their way.

Over at LaFont’s, the servants and Manuela are enduring the wrath of LaFont. He’s royally ticked at having his house robbed yet again. He insults the servants and when Manuela asks what they were looking for, what was taken, La Font shouts at her that HE DOESN’T KNOW. And he knocks over some furniture for emphasis. A few minutes later, he’s outside walking to Don Jorge’s while some street performers happen into the frame—a juggler and a fire eater. He goes into the Palacio. Outside, Fran is telling Lis that their next stop is Don Alberto’s . Lis says no way, if Ric’s spies see them, it will incriminate them. Fran is impatient but Lis says she doesn’t want any more problems with Ric. Fran is all like, “So why did we leave the house then?” Lis says “It was your idea.” Fran calls out to Manuela who is walking by. After exchanging pleasantries, Fran asks after LaFont and Manuela tells her that he left earlier. Fran is disappointed but asks after him and Manuela tells her that their house got broken into again last night. Nothing got taken. Again. (I guess she doesn’t know about the other letters). Manuela says she’s in a hurry. She’s helping Sofia with her charity work and she’s late already. After she leaves, Lis is in a panic that the Ric stole the ED letter. Fran says that they could just denounce him as El Antillano. Lis gets angry and says no way. If she does that, she’ll abandon her to her fate. SHE can always get married to LaFont while Fran will be begging in front of every church around. Lis moves ahead and Fran yells at her to listen to her.

La Font has to wait for Jorge. He’s with somebody else. The guy he’s with is doing some kind of transaction for important clients and asks for Jorge’s permission to go ahead. He launches into a discussion of what steps he’s going to take with regard to the law when Jorge cuts him off saying he knows what the law is. Jorge asks for more time. The guy has no choice but to say “Yes sir” and leaves after asking him to let him know. As they go out the door, the guy sees LaFont and is about to tell him their bidness when Don Jorge brushes him off and tells him that HE will tell Alberto. The guy leaves.

As Jorge admits Alberto to his office, Jorge complains loudly about Alberto getting involved in the letter business while Foreman is right there. La Font says it doesn’t matter if Foreman is there or not. Jorge complains some more about LaFont’s involvement with the ED letter. What if Ric and Foreman, if both are pirates, are buds? What if they talk to eachother? Alberto shoots back that Jorge is just mad that he didn’t get the letter so that he could have gotten Camila in the sack. Jorge finally asks what happened. La Font says he found it and got it. Jorge then complains why LaFont didn’t tell him right away. LaFont is fed up with all the whining and says he doesn’t have to tell him everything he does. Besides he was doing “justice.” Jorge gets up from his chair and says “Justice? Since when did you care about that?” Jorge thinks that his motive is that he has become infatuated with Lis and thinks she’ll pay him back with her favors. Alberto laughs and says she has endeared herself to him. Jorge laughs but Alberto says he’s not joking. Jorge says, whatever, but best to wait to make a move until after Foreman is out of the picture. La Font agrees. He moves on to the subject of his house being broken into. Jorge is shocked. La Font tells him that the guards saw nobody and nothing. And he even got knocked on the head when he entered his own bedroom. Jorge is even more shocked and says that these guys don’t seem to be afraid of anything. La Font says he still thinks it was Ric. Jorge asks if he thinks he came back to find more letters--proof against the both of them. La Font says he doesn’t have anything. Jorge says, still, it’s disturbing. Even more so given that Foreman is there.

At Ric’s mansion, Foreman is arriving. He greets Ric, Mario and the boys. Mario calls him Captian and asks what he’d like to be called and they agree it is Lancaster from here on out. Ric brings Cami out to meet him and Foreman very gallantly doffs his hat and kisses her hand. He tells her she’s very pretty (in English, with Spanish subtitles.) Camila shies away and Foreman says now he knows why their good friend forgot all the rest of them. Camila looks uncomfortable. Jimena is quite taken with goldilocks as well and gives him a big smile which catches the jealous glance of Mario.

Sofia, Fortunata and Manuela are out doing their good works. They are talking about how some old geezer school master doesn’t seem to be able to control the youn’uns anymore. Fortunata comments that kids are just full of energy at that age. Sofia laments that they will have to find a new teacher. Fortunata complains that so few people in town know how to read and write. Manuela pipes up that she can teach the town children to read and do sums. Sofia objects and says that teachers have to be men and besides her father would never consent. At that moment, they come upon a woman crying and begging for help in the street over a sick young boy on a litter parked right there. Sofia instructs the two servants following them to pick the boy up and take him to get help. After they leave, Sofia asks Manuela about Uriel’s courtship of her. Manuela says she hasn’t heard anything from her father. Sofia adds that she knows that she’s not too excited about it. Fortunata butts in to say that she doesn’t see why not. Uriel is handsome and from one of the best families in San Fernando, educated..etc. Just then Ascanio hurries by, wearing a nice suit of clothes. He greets the women and Sofia pulls him over. She asks him if he works with Santiago. She wants to know if he knows when he’s coming back from Montecarmelo. Ascanio says he doesn’t know. Next she asks him if he knows how to read and write. He sneaks a glance at Manuela and proudly says “Yes.” Sofia tells him to let her know the minute Santiago returns. Ascanio promises and smiling at the other ladies, excuses himself and departs. Fortunata notes the huge smile on Manuela’s face. Sofia turns around and notices it too but turns to talk about Santiago and how he needs to come back and take the social position that he is meant to take. But once he’s gone from the blacksmith’s shop, his employees will be out of a job. She figures she needs to think of them and at least this…Ascanio (Manuela pipes in to help with the name) could take the schoolmaster’s job. It wouldn’t be a lot of money but it would be enough to live on. Manuela smiles broadly.

At Ric’s, Foreman is at the table with the ladies and Mario and Ric eating and talking. Foreman is talking about his meeting with Don Jorge and says he’s a refined and cultured gentleman. Jimena adds..and shameless. Foreman asks why and Mario says that Jimena thinks that all those with power and money are [shameless]. Foreman says that often that is the case. Ric and Cami exchange uneasy glances that Jimena is about to blab too much. Foreman next asks Fran and Lis how they stay in San Fernando has been. Lis answers with a friendly “very good” and Fran, less enthusiastically. Foreman adds sympathetically that even though San Fernando is a nice town, it’s still a small town. Lis says that it’s all the same to her, as she can’t see. Foreman bows his head and says yes that’s true and apologizes for not taking that into account. Lis adds smiling that she’s met some “very nice people.” Cami and Ric hold hands nervously. Ric announces that if the ladies don’t mind, he invites the men to join him in the great room for a digestif. Foreman thanks Camila and obsequiously says that “every minute that passes makes him envy his dear friend Ricardo, more and more.”

The men retire to the other room. Lis archly says that she and her aunt will retire as well and gets up. Fran gives a curt “thanks for the food” to Jimena. Jimena rolls her eyes at Cami. Jimena leans over and asks who Foreman is. Cami gives a non-committal “He’s a guy who Ricardo knows..” Jimena immediately guesses he’s a pirate and starts to say so when Cami cuts her off with a YES and tells her that he’s the top dog pirate. Jimena’s eyes widen and she asks why he’s here. Cami says that Ric thinks he there to talk to Jorge and LaFont. Jimena still doesn’t get it. Cami explains that Ric thinks that Foreman is the guy they use to fence their stolen money.

In the hallway, Fran and Lis are returning to their rooms. Fran remarks that if Foreman has known Ric a long time, that means that he must also be a pirate. Lis points out that Foreman knows Don Jorge and Don Alberto too. Fran says they may not know that he’s a pirate. Lis turns to discussion of the letter. She wants to know if Alberto turned it over to the authorities before the break-in. Fran says that if she tries to find out, for sure Ric’s spies will follow her and tell him. Lis snaps her fingers and says “I know, we can use Clotilde to take a message!”

Foreman, Mario and Ric are in the great room drinking their digestif. Foreman asks Ric to tell him the truth about what he’s doing. And before Ric can speak, he tells him he knows that he broke the rules of the brotherhood of pirates. Ric guesses that he had his guys do a background check in Mariana. Foreman says yes and the letters that Ric sent [reporting on their activities] were turned into him. Ric responds then he knows perfectly well what he’s doing. Foreman turns to the subject of Camila, “she’s the widow of your uncle, right?” Ric says yes. Foreman says “so you fixed your problem! You ended up with the inheritance. But I guess your cousin isn’t so happy about it.” Foreman wants to know so then why can’t he go back to pirating? Ric says his wife isn’t too keen on leaving her family. Foreman doesn’t get it. “Since when does a pirate let a woman boss him around?” (Good Question!) Mario looks like he’d like to know too. Ric changes the subject. “And you? What are you doing in San Fernando? I don’t think it was to visit me.” “Why not?” says Foreman with big smile. “Because I know you,” says Ric “and you don’t do anything that doesn’t have a purpose.” Foreman says OK, he’s come to propose a business deal. They sit down. It’s a deal for fencing stolen goods. Ric asks if it’s the loot from the operations at La Paisana’s that el Chino is taking over. Foreman says yes. The ship-piracy biz has gone sour. With all these governments making peace, the pirate is no longer protected by any government. Instead, robbing on land is earning money (redituable). Foreman brings up Ric’s stolen loot and asks “You know who did it?” Ric says that his money was in a caravan that Juancho and the boys robbed. But Juancho told him that another gang robbed his wagon. Foreman asks about the other gang, whether they are locals. Ric tells him he doesn’t know. Foreman says “That’s why you are still here? To find out and get your stuff back?” Ric grunts non-committally. Foreman tells him to fuggedaboutit. The money is long gone, for sure. It’s been divided up and spent by now. Ric responds by accusing him of dodging the question of why HE is here. Foreman says he told him, he’s there to make a deal to sell contraband. Ric looks over at Mario. He turns to respond to Foreman, “And if we turn this one down, are you going to offer us some other deals?” Foreman takes a sip of wine.

Ursula is in her pink boudoir in her skivvies looking at her French pornography (I mean art) book. Fortunata comes in and she bitches her out for not working on her mom and dad to lift her grounding edict. She’s going stir crazy. Fortunata says she should be happy—the English “sir” is in town and for sure Don Jorge is going to do a dinner or some gala affair to fete him. Fortunata goes back to the subject of marriage and Ursula is not so keen on this subject and complains that all the decent gentlemen are boring and aren’t interested in sex, unless it’s with a prostitute. Fortunata is scandalized and says that if she doesn’t watch it and goes back to her catting, her Dad’s going to shut her up in a convent. She reflects that she did like Ric and Santiago, they at least seemed different. Unfortunately, Ric had to fall for the miller’s daughter and Santiago turned out to be her brother! Fortunata says there will be another. Ursula says “Who?” Vasco? Fortunata says, “we are talking about gentlemen.” Ursula repeats that she doesn’t want a gentleman. She offers Fortunata a chocolate and asks her to tell her the latest gossip. Fortunata repeats the story of how Uriel is interested in marrying Manuela but just this morning, when she was out with Manuela and Sofia, she noticed some furtive glances between Ascanio and Manuela. Ursula breaks out laughing. She revels in the fact that Manuela was criticizing her for her common taste in men, and here she is flirting with a guy from the pueblo. Fortunata is sure it’s not quite like Ursula’s dalliances, given that Manuela is prim and proper (and well, Ursula is a slut—no she doesn’t quite go there). Ursula says "wanna bet?" And teases Fortunata with the chocolates.

At Ric’s Foreman is bidding Ric and Mario adieu. Foreman says that he doesn’t want to be misinterpreted. He still has one big deal in the offing, probably his last and he’d like him to participate. Ric says thanks for the offer. Foreman says, for sure they will meet again. Ric says yep. Foreman says to give his goodbyes to the wife and they do the pirate shoulder to hand embrace. At that very moment, Paco runs up with a pitcher of watermelon juice. Ric picks up and thanks him. Ines has brought the little boy who apparently insisted on coming. Ric explains that Ines is the wife of Camila’s brother and the little boy is his son. Foreman says he’ll be seeing him (Ric) soon and leaves. Ines is apologetic to have interrupted something but Ric assures her that Foreman was just leaving. They go in to see Camila. Paco tells his uncle that the watermelon juice has lots of sugar and that his grandpa gave him a lot of instructions about how to behave when visiting. Ric tells Paco that he’s never a bother. The little boy gives a gesture of frustration and says “you know how it is!” Ric laughs at the adult expression and says “I can guess.” They go inside.

Outside, Mario and Pablo discuss Foreman’s visit. Mario says he doesn’t like it. Pablo says what? The visit of the Englishman? The arrival of Camila’s relatives? Mario says he doesn’t know but he has an uneasy feeling about all of this.

Foreman and his pirate bud chat about the visit in the open coach on the way back to the town. The pirate expresses surprise that El Antillano is so “domestic.” He also points out that Foreman didn’t ask about his relationship with Don Gaspar, the high ranking prelate. Foreman says with so many new aspects to their old friend’s new life, he didn’t think it was prudent to let him know how much they knew. “I don’t like it” he says in English. He also comments on how much in love Ric seems to be with that pretty girl. We should not fail to take it into account, he adds a bit menacingly.

Meanwhile outside the carriage, they drive by a whole line up of beggars with baskets out.
Over at LaFont’s, Clotilde has apparently taken advantage of the distraction of Foreman’s visit to slip out and deliver the message from Fran. She hands the note over to a servant and when he tries to brush her off, she says she is to wait for a reply. She eats something out of a tiny bag around her neck while she waits.

Inside, La font reads the message and tells the servant to tell Clotilde to pass on the message that everything is fine and that he will shortly be along to visit them. La Font gives a dark, brooding look.

At Ric’s Ines is relating how hard it is to know what to say to poor Ofelia. Camila agrees that it’s a delicate subject. Ines says she can see that Ofelia is suffering greatly from all the revelations. They ask her about Santiago and Ines relates that he’s still at Montecarmelo and Ofelia and Rita went there to see him today. When asked about what she thinks he will do, Ines says she doesn’t know but Rita is keen on him becoming the next Lord of San Fernando. Jimena shrugs as if to say “of course.” Ines asks about the ED letter. Camila replies that she still doesn’t know. Ines says that Vasco insists that Bernabe must have destroyed it. Jimena sighs. Just then Paco runs in with Ric. Paco comes in excited about the horses. Camila asks if he was able to ride them (looking up at Ric) but he says no, because they had just eaten. Ines says it’s time to go and Paco isn’t thrilled by this news. She reminds him that they just came to drop off the watermelon juice. Ines says she has to finish a dressmaking job. They bid their goodbyes and leave, with hugs and kisses. Camila asks if Foreman has a wife and children. Ric says that pirates generally don’t see that side of their comrades’ life, since it’s don’t ask don’t tell. Camila asks what Foreman will think after seeing Ric in such a family environment. Ric says he doesn’t care. Camila says that every day that passes, every new thing she discovers about him, makes her love him more and makes her more fearful. (Well, except for that business about lying about his name--I say.) Me too, says Ric. And sometimes it scares me too.

Ascanio is with the boys at the forge. He tells them that he has seen some other carts, some older and cheap and some newer and too expensive. One of the twins says that he’s really resenting this long absence of Santiago’s at Montecarmelo. Santiago has always been a religious guy but this time he’s really been gone a long time. He speculates that maybe he wants to become a monk. It doesn’t make sense, since he’s got a pregnant wife and a mother to support. The twin asks Ascanio what he thinks. Ascanio shrugs off the question and the twin continues—what if Santiago decides to leave the blacksmithing business? What do they do then? Again, Ascanio shrugs. Just then a carriage drives up. It’s Santiago. The twin runs up and says “What’s going on, boss? You left us with no warning!” Santiago says nothing is happening, everything is fine. Rita offers without being asked that they are all tired from the long journey and Santiago needs to clean himself up. Ofelia tells Rita to help her draw a bath for Santiago. Santiago limps over to the guys. He says nothing will change. They will continue working as always. The twins are perplexed and one of them says “and why shouldn’t we?” Santiago turns with surprise to Ascanio. “You don’t know?” Ascanio says “No” indicating that he hadn’t told them anything. Santiago then says “you tell them.” Ascanio tells Santiago that Dona Sofia asked him to tell her when he had returned. He says he will do it and Santiago pats him on the shoulder as a OK, thanks for the headsup. Ascanio turns to the twins who ask what happened. Ascanio tells them simply that Santiago is the son of Don Jorge Mancera. The twins are double impactados.

Over at Mancera mansion, Sofia and Fortunata are drinking coffee. Fortunata fills Sofia in on her conversation with Ursula. Fortunata tells Sofia that Ursula is still upset with the whole Santiago is Jorge’s illegitimate son deal. She feels displaced, like why should she marry if she’s out of the line of inheritance anyway. Sofia remarks dryly “So she wants to continue whoring?” Fortunata says no, but she thinks you hate her and her father doesn’t care about her. Sofia laments that parents always want the best children even when they haven’t been the best parents. Fortunata says that that’s not what’s going on here. Besides, look at her, her parents never gave a damn about her and she has a happy life. she says, biting into a cookie. Sofia looks up in surprise. “You’re happy, Fortunata?” Fortunata relates that she would have liked to have had a husband and children but if God didn’t choose to grant her those, she’s not one to complain. Sofia smiles bitterly and says that a husband and children don’t always give one happiness either. Fortunata shoots back a wry smile of her own while drinking her coffee.

Later, Sofia walks into Don Jorge’s office. Uriel is there asking for advice on how to proceed with his courtship of Manuela. Jorge tells him to talk to her and tell her of his intentions. He agrees and bids the couple goodbye. After he leaves, Don Jorge tells Sofia that Uriel has just told him that Alberto has not accepted his proposal of marriage for Manuela. Alberto told him that he wants a “decent” guy for his daughter. Sofia cracks that sinners want to clean up so that they can still get to heaven on judgment day, without ever having done a decent thing in their lives. Jorge says he assumes that she’s alluding to Santiago. Sofia agrees. She tells him that maybe if he recognizes him, God will take it into account. Jorge grunts and asks her to what he owes her visit. She says that she has come to ask for Ursula’s grounding to be lifted.

At LaFont’s gate, Uriel is ringing the bell. Inside, Manuela is doing her embroidery. Nana Agata tells her that Uriel is outside. Manuela jumps up like she’s been stabbed by a needle. This is not good news. Agata says that maybe he’s there to talk other bidness with her Daddy. Manuela prays that this is so. Agata remarks that Uriel is young and is from a good family. She could do worse and it’s about time she was married. Manuela says she knows but one still has dreams, hopes. Agata tells her that hopes and dreams don’t pay the bills. She’ll have a nice house, to rule over and kit out as she likes. Manuela asks what if Uriel beats her and punishes her all the time like her Dad. Agata tells her not to think of the worst possibility. Manuela cries.

At Ric’s, Clotilde has come back and Fran brings the news to Lis. Alberto says that everything is fine. And he says that he will come for a visit as soon as he can. Lis says, “what, and have Ric suspicious? NO! Tell him that he can’t come over.” Fran says, it’s done, for better or worse. Lis says she doesn’t want Ric mad at her. Fran says there’s no avoiding that. What is he going to say? “Thanks, cousin, for taking my wife’s money?” Lis says obviously not, but she doesn’t know why she listens to her aunt anyway. Fran says not to go backwards—they had an agreement. Lis gets angry and says no—“you convinced me!” Fran points out that it was she who decided not to let Alberto give the letter directly to the judge. Fran points out that they can’t continue living under the same roof as Camila. “And the only way to leave is with the money that prostitute (furcia) stole.” Lis cries and says that she doesn’t want Ric to hate her. Fran says “My queen, you “want the gold and the moor” (el oro y el moro--to have your cake and eat it too) . She lashes out at Lis saying for the umpteenth time that Ric is never going to be interested in her. It could be that he’ll tire of Camila and look for someone else—“but that somebody else will never be you!” she finishes. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? IS THAT CLEAR? Lis covers her ears and cries some more. Fran tells her to cry cry cry all she wants. When she’s done crying, then she’s got to think of herself for once in her life.

Ric and Mario are pondering Foreman’s visit. Ric still doesn’t understand why he is there. Mario says he thinks that Foreman came to make a deal with LaFont and Don Jorge. Then maybe he thought that he could cut Ric into his deal as well. Ric says no, it doesn’t make sense to have that many people split the loot. Ric thinks that the fencing contraband scheme is just a pretext to justify his presence there. Mario accuses him of thinking too much—it could be as straightforward as what he says. Ric says no, these guys aren’t just common pirates, one is no less than the local representative of the crown. Mario agrees but doesn’t get why Foreman would hide what he’s doing. After all, they all belong to the brotherhood of pirates. Ric shakes his head. He says it’s clear that Foreman no longer trusts him if he sent somebody to check up on him in La Mariana. It’s quite possible that he knows about Don Gaspar being his godfather. Mario finally gets it. He asks Ric if Foreman mentioned it and Ric says no, but he’s sure the Englishman is not telling him everything since he knows Ric wants to retire. He can’t risk it that Ric could be a spy for the Spanish. “Which, in a certain way of looking at things, I am, although not officially.” Mario says things are getting dangerous. Ever since Gonzalo got back from Mariana, they’ve been under suspicion and now with Foreman, who actually knows he’s a pirate, there are too many people around with some amount of information about their activities. Foreman could leave and the very next day, Don Jorge could be rounding them up. Mario thinks the best thing to do would be to get out of Dodge and head for La Iguana. Ric says, “and leave everything?” He thinks that they are close to getting all they need to prove that Jorge and LaFont’s complicity in the caravan robberies. They just need one of the accomplices to talk. Mario shakes his head. Ric says if he and the boys want to leave, it’s fine with him. He can’t leave Camila with the problem of the ED letter looming over her. Mario suggests that he just take Camila with him. Ric says, she won’t want to go. And if they take everything from her, they’ll take the mill too and it will be handed over to Lis. Her dad will die this time from the shock. Mario points out that if somebody turns Ric in, all that will happen anyway. Ric says he knows but at least with him being there, he might be able to do something to avoid it. Mario says that he should be thinking about is going back to the sea to make some cash in case all that he’s worried about with Camila losing her fortune comes to pass. Ric shoots Mario a nasty look that surprises even him.

At Ofelia’s, Ofelia is pouring what looks like lemonade. Rita says that Santiago must be almost done getting ready and she hopes he’s going to see Don Jorge. Rita adds that she thinks Ofelia doesn’t want him to go. Ofelia replies that she only wants what her son wants. Santiago shows up and Rita asks him if he’s going. Santiago turns to ask his mother what she wants him to do. Ofelia says timidly that she thinks he should do what his heart tells him but she’s afraid. He asks her about what and she says “That we’ll lose you.” Santiago assures her that that’s not going to happen. Ofelia asks him what he’ll do if Don Jorge says he’ll recognize him and that he’ll have to move to the palace. Santiago says that he won’t do it. Rita butts in and says that she thinks that he should think about it. Santiago says he’s already thought about it. Rita gets upset. “But he’s your father, you have the same blood!” Santiago says he knows all that. Grita is starting to freak out. She wants him to think of their child. It could have a better life, a better education, not grow up in a dirty blacksmith’s shop. Santiago takes offense at this and says that blacksmithing has given them an honest living since the time of his grandfather. Grita is now yelling that that guy wasn’t even his grandfather. His grandfather was a Mancera. Santiago yells back that THIS is his family. They are the ones who raised him, loved him and gave him an honorable profession. And don’t interrupt him when he’s talking to his mother! He limps away. Grita turns to Ofelia and complains that now she can’t even have an opinion. Ofelia unloads on Grita with both barrels. “When Camila disappeared, we all saw your attentions with Santiago and thought that you would make a good wife. We were wrong. You are imprudent, ambitious, selfish and full of envy. You don’t care about my son’s feelings. All you care about is the gold plating and the adulation, to dress yourself in fine clothes and jewels. Grita responds yelling back, and “what’s wrong with that? Camila does that.” Ofelia says “aha” that’s what this is all about. You trying to one up your sister. Ofelia tells her that Camila isn’t who she is because of what she wears but because of who she is inside. She leaves Grita in tears with this big diss. Grita immediately curses Camila again. (Or at least she says “Maldita Mujer” and I don’t think she means Ofelia.)

Next time:
Santiago confronts both Ric and Camila and tells them that now that he knows his true parentage, he really needs to know if Don J really did have his way with Camila.

Labels: Pasion