The Bandido's wife

TWELVE - Who has the Upper hand?

When Alise finally made an appearance downstairs a little while later, Diego was in the drawing room, sitting at round a table with a few of his men playing some sort of card game the smoke from their cigars hung heavy in the air. Alise had no intentions of joining him as she walked past the room to the library, but on catching sight of her, he made the effort to get up and go out into the hallway, his brown eyes surveying her from head to toe, with an air of appreciation.

At first, she was not aware of his attention on her, as she had her back to him as she was walking across the hall to the library, but then he spoke up

"Ah, my little wife has decided to make an appearance at last, and looking rather becoming as well I must say" he drawled.

She stopped in her tracks, and turned, her smile brittle, and her eyes kindling with animosity. "As the daughter of Don Felipe, I have standards to uphold, so don't flatter yourself that my appearance is for your benefit in anyway" she informed him haughtily, "And the only reason I do look so becoming, is because of Marie, so you have her to thank, if only her substitute was as capable"

"Well, perhaps in her short visit here, Marie can give Carlotta some tips before she goes back to her man" he suggested with a shrug, his emphasis on the last part of his sentence letting Alise know that he had no intentions of keeping Marie around, despite her talent for making her former Mistress look well.

Alise just snorted disdainfully, "It would take more than a few hours to learn that girl anything, it would be more like years" she retorted, before escaping into the library, not wanting Diego to see she was still a little emotionally fragile, at the prospect of Marie going away again, and she had to be strong, she would not break down in front of him again.

She had noticed that Marie was thinner, despite her pregnancy, and there were dark shadows under her eyes. Her face looked a little gaunt, and her gown a little worn and shabby. It infuriated her that Diego was using his ploy of emotional blackmail to stop her finding out more about the conditions and the manner Marie was living under, and she was concerned for her despite the fact that Marie insisting she was fine.

Thinking about it now, Alise paced up and down the Library in frustration, having to resist the urge to go across the hall and scratch Diego's eyes out for what he was putting them all through, as she the noise of him and his men laughing and talking with not a care in the world from the drawing room It was so unfair.

But then a tap on the library door made her still, "Who is it?" she demanded

"It's me, Carlotta, Senora," came the reply, "I really need to speak with you" she added with a hint of urgency

"Come in," Alise commanded her in a relief,  just glad that it wasn't Diego. Then she realised he probably would not have had the decency to knock on the door and would have probably just barged in whether she invited him or not.

Carlotta entered the room closing the door behind her, and looking a little furtive, but happy to see Alise looking more like herself, and she smiled as she made her way across the library, to join her Mistress. "I am so glad you have decided to come down from your bedroom, as I can get the chance to talk with you in privacy here, whilst I can" she then confided in a low tone.

"What is going on Carlotta?" Alise enquired anxiously.

Carlotta was looking a little excited and pleased now, as she continued "It is good fortune Senora, when Diego learned you would not leave your room, he sent for Marie"

"I had gathered that much," Alise replied dryly, "But unfortunately, she will not be staying around either, he has made that quite clear, and refuses to let us have further contact, until it suits him, so it has been a somewhat bittersweet reunion"