Delia's Gift (Delia 3)

“Oh, señor, that would be—”

“But I won’t even try unless you promise me certain things,” he said.

“What things, señor?”

“I don’t like you doing these things to yourself. I don’t want you returning to the Davila home. They are angry people in pain, and you never know how they will react.”

“Oh, they would not hurt me, señor. That—”

“Will you promise me this?”

“Sí, señor,” I said, nodding. “I can do no good for them returning, anyway. I don’t think they would even open the door for me.”

“Muy bien. I will work on this, Delia, but you must promise to be a cooperative patient both for Dr. Denardo and for Mrs. Newell and, of course, for me. I don’t want you to think of yourself as a prisoner, but for now, I want you to take extra good care of yourself and permit me to give you everything and anything you need. This is a very big property. There is much for you to do here to amuse yourself. I’ll have any and all books and magazines for you. You have your own entertainment center upstairs. You ask for anything, and I will have it brought to you, anything.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me to leave the property?”

“Why would you need to leave? I just said I can have anything you want brought to you, including your schoolwork. Indulge me during this pregnancy. Afterward, you can do what you want, go where you want.”

“What about our trip to my Mexican village to visit my family’s graves?”

“I discussed it with Dr. Denardo, and he thinks we should wait until after you give birth. It’s a very emotional journey for you. I promise you, the day after you can get up and leave, I’ll have you delivered first class to your village. How’s that?”

“I don’t know,” I said, all sorts of worry rising to the surface of my thoughts.

“It’s not really all that much to ask of you, and everything I ask is for our baby’s benefit, Delia. Look at how simple your sacrifice, if you want to call it that, is, compared to your friend’s difficult and unpleasant situation in prison. Don’t you want to do something about it?”

I looked up at him.

He smiled and turned his palms up. “What do you say?”

“How long will it take you to help the Davilas?”

“It’s not something I can manage overnight, Delia. There are favors to call in, officials to convince, but it can be done.” He smiled. “It’s been done before, believe me. However, you must not speak of it. That could compromise my efforts, understand? Mr. Whitfield, the father of the boy killed, is also a man of some means, with influential friends. I don’t want you to tell anyone anything, especially your aunt Isabela.”

I had to laugh at that. “You have no worry there, señor. I doubt that she and I will be speaking again.”

“Bien. So, we have a bargain?”

Again, I envisioned Ignacio’s father’s face and the pain in his eyes.

“Sí,” I said. “We have a bargain.”

He smiled. “Good. Now, please go and rest. Take a warm bath, perhaps. All of the toiletries in the bathroom are fresh. I’ve restocked them for you, and they are all my wife’s favorites. She was very concerned about her skin, her hair. You have it all up there. And,” he said, rising, “just to put some icing on the cake, I’m going to have my wife’s beautician and manicurist come to the hacienda tomorrow. I’ll make sure you are pampered and more than comfortable. How’s that?”

“I don’t know what to say, Señor Bovio.”

“Say nothing. Enjoy whatever I can do for you, and let me see about your friend’s problem. I don’t want anything weighing on your conscience and bringing you stress and unhappiness.”

He came around the desk and offered his hand. I stood up and took it.

“We have a real bargain, then, Delia,” he said, fixing his eyes on mine.

“Sí.”

“Good. You have made the right decisions for both yourself and little Adan or little Adriana.”

I raised my eyebrows. Was he dictating the name I was to give to my own baby?