Chapter 13: The Woman in the Orchards

Angela leaped up from her seat inside the bathroom upon hearing Leonardo's scream. His outburst was a clear indication of how much the painting meant to him and how strongly he opposed the idea of someone else touching it.
"It's alright, calm down. We're just speculating. Your first portrait is going to bring in more promotion than we had anticipated," Lara stuttered a bit. "And if you don't want to sell it, how about making it my wedding gift?"
Angela was stunned when she overheard Lara discussing her upcoming wedding. She believed Lara to be the most wicked woman she had ever met. "Congratulations, Mr. Vera. You now have a wife to look after you," she couldn't help but be sarcastic as she spoke from the bathroom.
"Thank you, Angela. Lara, please tell Fredrick to forget about the latest painting," Leonardo requested.
"Alright, you need to eat now," Lara said in a soft voice as her purse phone started ringing.
Angela left the bathroom door open to see what Lara was up to. She observed Lara swiftly answering the phone.
"Hey Mom, thanks for calling back," Lara said after a brief pause. "You're at the airport? Okay, I'll be there in a couple of hours. I also want to talk to you about our wedding. See you soon, Mom," she gave Leonardo a peck on the cheek. "I have to go. Mom's waiting for me at the airport. This is a good thing. We can discuss our upcoming wedding. I'll be back tomorrow," she stated, leaving Leonardo with his untouched food.
"Angela, come over here," Leonardo called out, surprising Angela who was still in the bathroom. Slowly, she emerged from the bathroom and asked, "What do you need, sir? I was in the middle of cleaning the bathroom and checking for alternative scents."
"What do you think about our wedding?" Leonardo asked seriously.
"I'm not sure, sir. Please don't ask," Angela replied.
"Why not? I don't think it's impolite to inquire about a wedding with a single woman," Leonardo said firmly. "Both men and women deserve positive feedback from others. Have you received a wedding proposal from your boyfriend?"
"No, I haven't," Angela replied emphatically. "Asking personal questions of a single woman is considered impolite."
"I don't believe so," Leonardo stated firmly. "Now, answer me honestly. Is it a good idea for me to marry Lara?"
Angela was taken aback by Leonardo's line of questioning. Instead of answering, she asked him, "Are you afraid of growing old without a wife because you're blind?"
"Do you have a strong desire to get married?" Leonardo asked.
"No, I don't. Marriage is a sacred bond in human life and should not be taken lightly," Angela replied as her stomach churned with butterflies.
"And you thought we didn't take the true meaning of marriage seriously?" Leonardo sighed.
"Perhaps, or perhaps not," Angela replied. "It depends on who you marry."
After a brief pause, Leonardo asked again, "I decided to marry Lara because she desires it so much and..."
"And what?" Angela's heart raced with anticipation.
"What do you think, Miss Brinson?" Leonardo asked, his eyes fixed on the wall.
"What?" Angela replied, confused.
"Do you think I should marry Lara or not?" Leonardo asked firmly.
Angela's heart plummeted, her words barely escaping her lips. "Don't marry her!" The plea hung in the air, a desperate cry tinged with an undercurrent of anger.
Leonardo recoiled, his composure momentarily shattered by Angela's unexpected outburst. He had not foreseen opposition from an outsider, let alone Angela's resolute stance against his proposal to marry Lara. The clinical reasoning behind Angela's objection, highlighting Lara's professional obligations over the role of a wife, caught him off guard. He faltered, searching for a response as Angela held her ground.
Eyes locking in a battle of wills, Angela unveiled her convictions, stating that Lara's commitment to her job would always take precedence. But Leonardo, unyielding, asserted that he held the power to make Lara quit if he so desired. "She'll quit," he declared, his voice firm and unwavering.
"No, she won't," Angela shot back, her tone laced with unwavering certainty.
A daring proposition hung heavy in the air as Angela's resolve solidified. "I'll take that bet, Mr. Vera," she proclaimed, her voice tinged with a mix of determination and defiance. A glimmer of curiosity danced in Leonardo's brows as Angela pressed on. "And what's the prize?"
A flicker of intrigue crossed Leonardo's features, and he responded, "You can ask me for anything."
Angela, unflinching, set the terms of their wager. "Eat now and take a bath after." The deal was sealed, and Leonardo accepted the bet with an air of nonchalance. However, the conversation swiftly shifted, taking an unsettling turn as Leonardo expressed his desire to visualize Angela.
In a flat, detached tone, he uttered, "Would you describe yourself to me?"
Angela's discomfort heightened, a mix of apprehension and vulnerability coursing through her veins, as she reluctantly began to paint an image of herself, forced to expose her innermost insecurities to the man she had dared to challenge.
"Why do you want me to do that?" Angela asked curiously.
"I may be blind, but I still have a vivid imagination. When we talk, I want to be able to visualize your face," Leonardo explained.
Angela hesitated but eventually gave in and described herself from a different perspective. "Well, I have bulging eyes, a funnel nose, curly hair, I'm fat, and I have puffy lips. In short, I have an ugly face," she proclaimed proudly.
To her surprise, Leonardo did not react negatively to her description and dismissed her casually, "You can go now, Angela."
A few minutes later, Angela stood by the swing, gazing down at the city below as the chilly wind blew in from the east. She couldn't help but dwell on the betrayal of Leonardo by Lara and Frederick. Their illicit affair had consumed her thoughts, appearing in her dreams and weighing heavily on her conscience. She drew a deep breath, wanting to shake off the negative emotions, and started to roam around.
As she walked, she looked down at the studio's roof surrounded by fruit trees and felt a sense of anger in her heart towards unfaithfulness. She tried to push the negative thoughts aside as she turned to head back to the house. However, a glimpse of something moving among the orchards caught her attention.
“Who’s that woman,” Angela noticed a woman in a white dress walking beneath the orchards. She quickly ran towards the orchards to get a closer look, but when she arrived, she found no one there. The chilling wind wrapped around her, giving her an eerie feeling.
"Are you searching for something, Miss Brinson?" A man’s voice coming from behind made her jolt. The gardener approached her, wearing gardening gloves and boots and carrying a newly sharpened sickle.
Angela was startled by his sudden appearance, "Have you seen a woman walking around here just now?" she asked.
"No one has been seen wandering around here, Miss Brinson," the gardener replied, looking at her intently.
"Are you sure?" Angela asked, feeling confused and uneasy. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she had seen something unusual, and the gardener's response only added to her confusion.
The gardener told Angela that he had spent an hour sharpening his sickle behind the tall trees and hadn't noticed anyone wandering around. However, he offered to help Angela search for whatever she had seen. After a brief search, Angela suggested they stop looking.
"Maybe it was just my imagination," she admitted, thanking the gardener for his assistance. As she made her way back to the house, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss but decided to put it out of her mind and concentrate on her tasks in the mansion.
In the afternoon, Lara unexpectedly returned, and Angela entered the room with a tray of hot coffee, hoping to diffuse the tension between Leonardo and Lara. However, upon seeing them, Angela's heart sank. They were locked in a serious conversation and the air was thick with animosity. Angela hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt or leave them be. "I'll come back later, sir," she said tentatively.
But Leonardo's voice cut through the silence, sharp and impatient. "Where is my coffee, Angela?" he demanded.
Angela approached the table slowly, sensing that something was amiss. Leonardo continued to speak, his frustration evident in his tone. "We need to talk about our wedding, Lara. And I decide that you stop working."
Lara's outrage was palpable. "No!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing with fury. But Leonardo's voice grew even more forceful. "So, you're saying that you won't do this for me?"
Lara's expression softened as she tried to reason with Leonardo. "I can't just stop working, Leonardo. My modeling agency is becoming more successful, and we need the income to survive," she pleaded.
But Leonardo's voice grew steely. "You can't work because I'm blind, and you have to work because of my disability, is that it?" he snapped.
Angela found herself caught in the middle of their heated argument, as Lara explained her intention to continue working after their marriage. But Leonardo remained firm, showing no signs of backing down, rendering Lara's opinion useless.
Lara could sense a dangerous edge to his tone and realized she needed to tread carefully. "Can I have a moment to think about it, Leonardo?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
But Leonardo exploded with anger. "How can you be a wife if you're still working?" he yelled.
Lara's eyes blazed with rebellion. "You still need a nurse to look after you, Leonardo," she retorted. "But I need a new nurse for you."
Angela watched in horror as the argument escalated. She had never seen Leonardo so confrontational. "I think I should leave so you have more time to discuss your problem," she said, sensing that the situation was spiraling out of control.
But Leonardo demanded that she stay. "Stop where you are, Angela," he ordered, gripping the mattress tightly. "Take me to the kitchen."
As Angela stood there, unsure of what to do next, Lara attempted to touch Leonardo's arm. However, he forcefully pushed her away and his tone turned hostile. "You can only touch me if we're already married, Lara," he growled.