Now I Lay

The group exited the general store. Each couple arm-in-arm as the ladies were escorted by their respective husbands. "It's the first store of its kind in or around our town," explained Mr. Luisiano Mr. Santana exclaimed, "Carlo, you're going to acquire a fortune from the convenience alone!" Both wives were nodding in agreement. Motioning to the young man walking within a proper distance next to his daughter, Mr. Santana asked, "I assume as your eldest, Roberto will handle the management of your new establishment?" Carlo nodded in agreement, "Well, Hector, he will need to be well established before he and Carla finally get married." Roberto was practically, but never actually betrothed to Carla. Each stemming from wealthy founding families, it would have been a match made in heaven. As they grew up together from birth, Roberto and Carla truly had become great friends. And they may have just gotten married, become an influential couple in the town, and had a brood most couples dreamed about having to carry on both families lineages for decades more....had he not seen her. The year was 1847. Texas, having only been a nation for a year was still in slight disarray. Santa Luisa, on the other hand, was a very stable community and most families never left. The same families would promenade the streets daily. So when the unusual family came wandering through, everyone noticed the outsiders. Roberto only noticed Venizia. Her raven hair reflected slightly blue and her skin shone gold in the afternoon sun. Her downcast eyes quickly flickered up to meet his revealing their nearly black irises. Her presence was fleeting. It took all of two minutes for her family to exit the inn and walk into the general store, but that's all it took. Roberto knew he could not exist without her. Abruptly leaving Carla's side, Roberto quickened his step to locate Venizia inside the family store. The betrayal was felt instantly by the Santana family as they stood by speechless. Carla was astonished as she saw the look in Roberto's eyes when they shortly connected with the raven-haired girl. This new girl wasn't particularly handsome in any way, but there was definitely something that stood out. All Carla knew was that he had never so much as glanced at her the way he was now longing for this strange guest. The courtship between the two was quick. Carlo could not stand that his son wanted to rip two long-connected families apart. It was bad enough that he had to see Carla pacing the courtyard of the Santana manor as he took his daily horse ride without the insult of his son wanting to marry a complete no one. He immediately hired an agent to find out more about Venizia's family the day Roberto left Carla's side coming home hours later spouting declarations of love from the foyer, alarming anyone within earshot. Disappointingly, the agent only was able to uncover that they were not traveling for leisure, but were looking for a permanent residence. That told Carlo that they had no current family residence, more than likely they had no family or inheritance, and Roberto was about to be their bread and butter if he didn't put a stop to this now. Roberto's mere mention of a wedding, prompted Carlo's immediate response of an ultimatum. He was to leave Venizia at once or be prepared to leave his fortune and family forever. Carlo could never have imagined that Roberto would walk away, and never look back.