The Bandido's wife

Epilogue - The Bad Bandido's downfall, and the feisty Senora's Survival

dedicated to VarishmaVu1 as I said encouraged me to get this story to its ending thanks very much for your support:)

(Nineteen years later)

Alise sat in front of her dresser, staring at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed at her long dark locks that now had strands of silver grey starting to show in them. apart from a few lines around her eyes and forehead she thought she had aged well, which surprised her under the circumstances she had lived through.

It was a little strange that she recalled the memory of that night with Diego, shortly after Alex had been born Her declaration that she would never love him had been the case in the end.

Despite his small claim of triumph, he had never gained her heart fully, and in the proceeding years, their relationship had continued as stormy as ever, despite sharing the marital bed, which had resulted in them also having a daughter Elena, just over a year later, then followed that, Alise suffered two miscarriage's and a stillbirth of her fifth child a son she named Felipe after her father.

And then there was her beautiful first-born son Alex, He had grown up to be a fine boy, and the biggest contention between herself and Diego. Obviously, the Olivares blood ran through her son's veins more than Diego's as he was a studious and sensitive young man who loved books and learning, which she had encouraged, and which Diego of course disapproved of, preferring brawn to brains, and chided his son for not being a real man

But then it had just been like Diego to try force his will on his children, just as much as he had tried to force it on Alise because he did not know any other way to handle people and always for his own ends

Alise recalled her father's words about how a man like Diego would hang onto his power no matter what the cost, which proved to be true even in later years

As a new government overtook the previous one that Diego had supported, he did not waste time in jumping ship, ingratiating himself with the new powers to be, and trying to solidify their support by offering his seventeen daughter Elena to one of them in marriage.

Not caring that Elena already had feelings for another, Jose, Maria's son.

Unfortunately for Maria, she did not live long enough to see her son grown into a young man, dying of a fever when Jose just turned ten years old. So, Alise had treated the boy like another son, and when he became older, he worked on the ranch to earn his keep, and it seemed a romantic affection had developed between him and her daughter Elena.

Alise had not agreed with Diego's decision to try and marry her off to a man who was almost twice her age, just for her husband's political security. Once again, she found herself doing battle with him on her daughter's behalf.

In the end, Elena and Jose took matters into their own hands, determined they would not be parted, and just a week before Elena's marriage, they ran away together

Discovering this, an enraged, Diego had gone in search of his daughter, determined to drag her back and to shoot Jose for his insolence for running of with her. But they had made their escape across the border into America much to Alise's relief.

But it had left Diego angrily cursing his daughter, and disowning her for making an embarrassment of him in front of his new found political allies. That she should run of with al lowly ranch hand and snub the high borne husband he had so carefully manoeuvred into an alliance with him.

He then declared if she ever tried to return, he would not let her pass the door as she would not be welcomed, as far as he was concerned, she could rot in hell, whilst her name was never to be mentioned again.

Elise blamed Diego for the way things had turned out, and it had fractured whatever existed of their fragile volatile relationship, as her resentment at losing both her daughter and Jose left a bitterness in her heart.

But the final blow had been the death of her son Alex, just a few months later.

After the fall out of Elena's defection, Diego had just come down harder on his son, leading Alex trying to step up and be the man his father wanted him to be. So, when he got into an altercation, with a few rabble-rousers who were badmouthing his father's tattered reputation, it had ended up with guns being drawn, and Alex had not survived the bullet that one of the men put through his chest.

On learning about the fate of her son, Alise had fallen screeching and sobbing on her knees as the painful realisation set in, and she felt her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Her beautiful son, whom she had so many hopes for in the future, to go to college to become lawyer or teacher was now gone, and nothing or no one could comfort her.

Her old hatred of Diego, resurfaced with a vengeance, blaming him for the loss of their son, and she could barely bring herself to speak or look at him, they were back to leading separate lives again this time there would not be any kind reconciliation.

But it seemed that the downfall of his political ambitions, and the loss of his only son Alex, had taken its toll on Diego, that he  then took comfort in the whiskey bottle, soon it became his only companion, as he lost interest in everything else around him.

Alise felt no pity for him, her bitterness that his actions had brought all the awful things down on their heads was too great for her to overcome, that she felt nothing but further disdain.

And when one of the ranch hands hurriedly arrived to greet her in the Villa one evening, to inform her that they found Senor Diego's body just outside the ranch, where it seemed in his drunken state, he had fallen from his horse, whose hooves had then trampled on his head, and which probably killed him, she received the news with very little emotion.

When it came time to bury Diego, she insisted his grave would not be in the family plot where her father and her son Alex lay, and he was to be laid somewhere else on the ranch. 

 That had been just over two months ago, and since then she had never the inclination to visit his grave. She had attended to funeral just to see his coffin being lowered into the ground, with the satisfying realisation that she was at last free of him. Though it was a bittersweet realisation, knowing her beloved son's life had been the cause.

It created a little heaviness in her heart now thinking about it, as she put the brush aside.  But then, a knock on the door, distracted her, and made her turn in her seat,  when the door opened, a much older and plumper Carlotta stepped in

Dear loyal Carlotta, whom Alise had kept her promise, and given her the chance to return to her mother and family, only Carlotta had decided she wanted to stay with Alise instead. But right now, there was an excitement dancing in her eyes as she now greeted Alise.

"Senora they are here, Elena and Jose, their carriage has just come within view of the ranch!" she informed her.

Alise felt her heart now lift, her daughter was at last returning home, she had reached out to her shortly after Alex's death managing to find where she was staying somewhere in Texas. She and Jose were now man and wife, and Elena was also increasing, expecting their first child, so Alise was soon going to be a Grandmother.

After Diego's death, Alise had asked them to return home and live back on the ranch with her, and they only too happily agreed.

So now she was to be reunited with her daughter and son in law, and for the first time in a long time her future didn't seem so bleak. 

She had survived Diego, and as she had promised kept the legacy of her father alive despite all that had been through it had only made her stronger. For now, she was done with tears and heartache. She got up, noticing the sun was setting high in the sky over the ranch, and glimpsing through the window she seen the carriage approach the Villa and a happiness she hadn't felt in a long time filled her heart

And as she followed an excited chattering Carlotta down the stairs to greet her family, she knew her future and that of the Ranch had never been so secure.

THE END 

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A.N.  I am toying with doing s sequel called the Bandido's widow, where Alise finally  finds a man deserving of her and finds love, but its all a bit vague at the minute.. but if it forms clearer in my head and I can get it down in writing, I will do so:)