One of the boys kicked the ball in their direction, and for a moment Armada was worried they would be spotted. Lucas stayed rooted to his spot, not having the same fear. Did he perhaps hope the boys would come over? Was he hoping for some kind of reconciliation? Was he aware of how foolish that was to hope for? Probably not yet. But in time, perhaps.
Thankfully, they weren’t seen, and the boy just picked up the ball and kicked it as high as it could, bouncing it off an engraving above a lecture hall re-iterating the university’s motto of “Kings for Universities, Universities for Kings.”
“I did go on. Eventually,” Armada said. “But it took a while to get used to being alone in this world again.”
“Yes, sir,” Lucas said dismissively.
“I know you’re still angry, Lucas. You have every right to be. I was the one that took you from the path that would have led you here. I took you away from any hope of living like other boys your age. And then to make it worse, I brought you here and allowed you to taste what you were missing.”
Armada wished he could see Lucas’s face, but Lucas kept his back to him. It was the boy’s right to hide his thoughts, but it didn’t make this easier.
“And if you remain angry at me for the rest of your life, I would understand. But if you are to continue travelling with me, Lucas, it must be a choice. You are no good to me if your loyalty comes only from a sense of obligation or a need for wages.”
“I understand, sir.”
“Lady Florentia and I spoke of you. I told her everything that had happened. She was sad about learning of Aurelio Martinez’s fate. But also grateful for our help, including yours. So grateful, in fact, that Lady Florentia has agreed to allow you to take Aurelio Martinez’s place at university next year. Your expenses would be entirely sponsored by her, of course.”
This got Lucas to turn around, unable to hide his shock.
“This life at university is yours if you wish, Lucas. But before you decide whether to take Lady Florentia’s offer, I want you to consider something.”
“What’s that, sir?”
Armada took a breath. Lucas wasn’t going to like what he was about to say, but he wanted to make sure he at least heard it. He couldn’t be confrontational. This all had to be Lucas’s decision. He would hate to see the boy make a mistake like this purely out of spite for him.
“You don’t belong here, Lucas,” Armada said. “For some reason, God has sent you on a path that is quite different from anyone else’s in this world. You are not just one of these boys, no matter how much you want to be. Yours is a mind that works differently. It wouldn’t be long before you got bored of these sons of aristocrats and their games and yearned for a life more significant. You have seen so much more than they have of this world, of the darkness that lies in the hearts of man. You have seen behind the curtain of death. It has already changed you. In so many ways, you are already many years older than these boys.”
Armada felt he wasn’t making himself clear and could see Lucas getting distracted by watching the boys play on the steps. He took Lucas aside, taking him around the corner, trying to break the trance.
“You have much more to offer this world, Lucas. And it is not something that will be cultivated by long lectures on law or theology. I believe you are on a path toward something different, and for a little while longer at least, I can still guide you along it. But you have to choose it. I cannot force you into anything. You’re too old for that now.”
“Sir…I…,” Lucas began.
“It’s not a decision to be made now, Lucas. Lady Florentia does not need an answer until next year. You have time to consider your future. Take it.”
“Yes, sir,” Lucas said.
Armada suddenly felt proud of Lucas. It was only a few short years ago he’d been a small child, helpless and vulnerable when it came to navigating his way through this difficult world. But those days were over. Armada was starting to see what he would be like as a man and it was frightening. The day was fast approaching when Lucas would have to make his own way into the world, leaving Armada behind as just another lonely old man.
It brought up memories of coming home on the ship from Peru once again. Such a long voyage, so many nights spent gazing out at the moon, wondering if Peru had all been just a dream, wondering if he’d made the right decision, wondering if he would ever feel anything other than loneliness again.
Armada led the way back to the cart, trying to shake off the heavy weight that came with thoughts of the future. For now, Lucas was still with him. For now, he had no reason to be lonely. For now, he had a long trip home.
THE END
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Also By Jefferson Bonar
A Murder Most Spanish
Armada is called to the coastal town of Salobreña to investigate the brutal murder of a labourer during the sugar cane harvest. What appears at first to be a crime of passion soon becomes a vast conspiracy involving the most powerful men in town and a mysterious woman whose disappearance leads Armada to a crime committed long ago.
Available now: US UK
A Murder Most Watchful
The tiny fishing town of La Herradura is in mourning after losing four children to a pirate raid . When the soldier in charge of keeping them safe is murdered, it appears to be a simple act of revenge. But Armada finds there is nothing simple about murder as he uncovers a tangled web of crime, obsession, and deceipt that appears to involve a calamitous shipwreck from a century ago.
Available now: US UK
Quote Citations
Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. The Worst is Not Always Certain.
Translated by Kenneth Muir, Esq. London: Charles Dolman, 1853.
De Vega, Lope. Persistence Until Death.
Translated by Antonio Cortijo Ocaña, Jessica Ernst Powell, Erin M. Rebhan. Pamplona: Eunsa, 2003.
Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. The Constant Prince.
Translated by Denis Florence MacCarthy, Esq. London: Charles Dolman, 1853.
De Vega, Lope. Fuenteovejuna.
Translated by Jill Booty. Bristol: WBC Print Ltd., 1990.
For Adrian, whose literacy of the human soul is matched only by his generosity.
About the Author
Jefferson began his career in the film industry, writing and directing numerous short and feature-length films that played at film festivals all over the world. He attained his degree in feature film screenwriting from the University of London, Royal Holloway in 2010 and put it immediately to work by ditching film altogether, deciding he’d be happier writing novels.
He then wrote two novels of little note in a genre that didn’t suit him before moving to the south of Spain with his new family in 2015. It was here he discovered a love of history in a country with a rich and tumultuous past, the reverberations of which were felt in nearly every corner of the globe. And it was on this fertile ground that a new character, a new setting, and a new genre were realised.
To learn more you can visit his website at:
jeffersonbonar.com
Contents
Chapter
One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Get Your Free Book
Also By Jefferson Bonar
Quote Citations
Dedication
About the Author