The Bandido's wife

Ten- The Senora's Loss

Felipe Olivares, managed to last out for another few months, then, in the early hours of the morning an  the urgent knocking on her bedroom started Alise and Diego out of their sleep. Ever Alert, Diego had shot up  into sitting position and grabbed his pistol that  he kept near him, but then he lowered it again when he heard the familiar voice of one of the servants shouting.

"You have to come right away... its Senor Felipe he will not wake up!"

On hearing this, Alise was out of the bed in a matter of seconds to go over and fling the door open and rush to her father's room.

Another servant and one of Diego's men were already standing at her father's bedside Alise pushed past them to go over and see her father's still form lying in the bed, she attempted to shake him awake but there was no response to this or her calling out his name

"You will not wake him, he is gone" it was Diego who finally spoke up as he joined her in the bedroom looking impassively down at her father in the bed

"No!" Alise wailed in defiance of Diego's statement, flinging herself on her father's body hanging onto him, "No Papa, you can't leave me, not now!" she sobbed in distress

Diego motioned with a curt flick of his head for the others in the room to leave, then following them out, went to Carlotta to go and keep an eye on her mistress, knowing his own presence would not be welcome. Not that he wanted to be around to stand and watch his wife grieving over her dead father. His only main concern and regret over Felipe Olivares sudden death, meant he had lost some leverage on the control he had over Alise, so he might have to rethink some of his strategy, and keep a more careful eye on her.

When the doctor was finally brought later that morning, he delivered the verdict for Felipe's death. It turned out his heart had finally given out, whilst he had been sleeping.

Even though Alise was aware that her father had spoken of having no desire to go on living, she was still in a state of shock when it had finally happened. Lately she thought he was coming around and would go on. She had even managed to get him out of his room, to go outside when Diego had been away, although she noticed the sadness in his eyes, when he had surveyed his home and land for that final time

After her first emotional outburst at his bedside, when she realised her father was really gone, a cold numbness had now settled over her, as she started to accept it and that she was alone now. She didn't want to think or to feel anything, and spent most of her time beside her father's dead body, not paying attention to anything else going on around her.

Diego had been the one who had gone about making the arrangements for the funeral. And a few days later, Felipe Olivares was being buried next to his wife on the family plot, with Padre Mendez conducting the service, whilst Alise and those who were left that had been loyal to her father, gathered around the grave to pay their last respects. Diego and his men watched on from a short distance, much to Alise's relief, although a little surprised that he had even bothered giving her that much courtesy

She stood straight and dry eyed, with all the dignity she could muster at the graveside as they lowered the coffin into the grave. Telling herself she would be strong, and not break down in front of him, or let Diego see any sign of weakness after her initial grief when she had found her father dead in his bed. She needed to be strong for her father's sake, she had promised him that much, and she would show Diego just the kind of woman he had taken on. She still had the Olivares blood running through her veins, despite being married to him.

Padre Mendez stayed on with her a while, after the burial to offer her some comfort, which she was glad.

"Are you going to be alright? I worry about leaving you here after these awful tragic circumstances" he admitted with a small concerned frown, "The last time I spoke to your father a week ago, he specifically asked me to keep an eye on you"