Nacre's Promise

Chapter XIX : Hard times

The daylight was disappearing a little earlier every day. Winter was upon us. The flora and fauna were already preparing for a reduced activity, but in Barcelona life never stopped. Diego's disappearance had stirred up the whole Campos house.

With the exception of Don Campos who knew that Isabel had gone to find her, for everyone the official version was that she had recovered and returned to the estate for her convalescence. But time did its work and the constraints of everyday life quickly put an end to the questions of the servants. Life resumed its course all the more easily because before his disappearance, Diego did not live in Barcelona, ​​even if he came there regularly to follow the business of the factory.

Doña Campos was worried for her grandson from whom she had no news, but also for her husband who had had to resume his activity despite his advanced age.

Seeing that he was trying to change things after Diego's disappearance and did everything to support this workload, she followed his attitude, like a good wife.

Their trips back and forth between Barcelona and the Cuevas-Blancas estate had been more regular since Salvador's marriage and the birth of little Elvira and they often went to visit their daughter.

They had, for the moment, given up settling there permanently and in order to facilitate their travels, they had acquired a car from the manufacturer Hispano-Suiza in Barcelona and promoted Miguel to personal driver.

This Catalan company was having difficulties, but Miguel was nevertheless able to take a driver training course from one of the dealers at the dealership. It had only taken him two days to slip into the post. Very quickly, he had become autonomous for driving and had acquired the basic notions of mechanics which would allow him to carry out a rapid diagnosis in the event of a breakdown.

Miguel was very proud of his new role. Hispano-Suiza did not produce many automobiles, and they were so expensive that they were reserved for a wealthy elite. Driving one was a privilege he appreciated at its true value. Luckily, the development of the Campos factory had been dazzling since Diego had started to take an interest in it, which had allowed his grandparents to become one of the very wealthy families in Barcelona.

Doña Campos, whose health was fragile, particularly appreciated this means of transport. Despite the rough condition of the road to Cuevas-Blancas, the car made the trip more comfortable for her and she was less tired when she reached her destination.

Despite this, Don Campos saw his wife's health decline from month to month. Diego's disappearance had marked her deeply and this event seemed to be the starting point for the slow deterioration of her state of health. She wasn't sick, she just seemed tired of living.

The only times Doña Campos was in good shape were those spent at the estate in the presence of Soledad and her great-granddaughter. The child was called Elvira, like her own daughter, and this name made her see herself again younger with her.

In Barcelona, ​​she spent her days reading in the living room or in the garden with frequent periods of drowsiness that always scared Carmen when she approached.

For her part, Carmen could not bear any longer to be around Fernando, the son of the cook who, despite his status as a married woman, pursued her with his advances. She had therefore left her post in the kitchen to become Doña Campos' regular maid and this job suited her perfectly.

After the death of their child, Carmen and Miguel, had tried unsuccessfully to conceive another. Carmen now unconsciously transferred her maternal instinct to her mistress by surrounding her with her attentions. She saw her slowly sink into a torpor that she knew she would not get up and did everything to delay this deadline.