Chapter 17

Promptly at ten o’clock a Rolls limousine rolled up the drive. By that time, Dan Douglas’s car had been garaged, and Kim had pulled hers off to the side to clear the circle. She went to the door to welcome their guests.

The chauffeur had jumped out of the car and was holding the rear door as an elderly gentleman alighted followed by a much younger man. The younger appeared to be under 30 while the older appeared to be in his 70s. In spite of his age, the older man stood up very straight. He approached using a gold-handled walking stick.

When he reached Kim, she greeted him in her perfect Madrid Spanish. The gentleman’s eyes were brown and as piercing as those of a hawk. When she spoke, he fixed her very briefly with a stare, then shifted his stick from his right hand to his left. Taking her extended hand in his right, he brought it to his lips and kissed her fingertips in a most gallant fashion.

In his finest classical Spanish, he greeted Kim and added, “It is little wonder that Maria speaks my language as fluently as she does. With friends like you with whom she can converse, how could she speak otherwise?” Then he added in an undertone, “Such stunning beauty, too! How utterly marvelous.”

Kim was introduced to Jaime, and then escorted the two men into the living room where Donna and Maria were seated, waiting side by side on the sofa. Señor Garçia looked at the two and smiled. “Maria, you never cease to amaze me. No other woman would dare sit beside the fabulous Donna Douglas for fear that beside Donna’s beauty, she would just disappear. But in your case, my dear, it merely confirms how incredibly beautiful you are.”

Maria was embarrassed by his remarks, while Donna just smiled with pleasure.

“Now,” the grandfather said, “it’s time to talk business. With whom should I be speaking?”

“I am representing the family in this matter,” Kim said in her perfect Spanish.

The grandfather was a very cosmopolitan and cultured gentleman. He looked from one woman to the next until he had carefully examined all three. Then he just shook his head and announced, “This is just not fair.”

“What is not fair, sir?” Kim inquired.

“It’s not fair that my grandson and I are not only outnumbered, but we are in the presence of three of the most beautiful women in the world.” To Kim he said, “And you, madame, are the most beautiful negotiator in the world. It’s just not fair,” he repeated.

“Surely you can’t mean me,” Kim protested.

But before she could continue, Donna said, “Knock it off, Kimberly. We settled that matter last night. Let’s not resurrect it.”

Before they could get going, though, Maria spoke up. “Really, sir, this has gone too far already. I am not the woman your grandson should marry.”

“And why not?” he asked.

“Here’s one reason why not: my daughter, Conchita.”

Hearing her name, Chita entered the room. Like her mother, she was wearing a plain white dress that set off the youthful perfection of her body. Going before the grandfather, she made a perfect curtsy and then sat in a straight-backed chair. Her posture was perfect.

Maria performed the introductions and then said, “I’m sure it’s now obvious to you that I gave birth to my daughter when I was only 12 years old. I managed to escape from some white slavers and then peddled my body on the streets for six years to try to feed my baby. Then I was taken in by Mrs. Douglas eight years ago.” With her eyes blazing she emphasized, “I was a prostitute for six years!”

“And now?” the grandfather said mildly. “Are you an American citizen?”

“Yes, sir.”

“So you consider yourself a Mexican-American?”

“No, sir. I consider myself to be an American! Where else could a girl with a baby out of wedlock rise so far in such a short time? Unfortunately, not in Mexico nor anywhere else to my knowledge.”

“Let’s not talk about who you were, Miss Sanchez,” Don Alfredo said. “Let’s talk about who you are. First, my grandson tells me that you will be graduating from UCLA in June, summa cum laude. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And in spite of your undeniable youth and beauty, you are the most respected person in the entire Chicano community. You have done more things of value for more people — either alone or in groups — than anyone else alive. You are respected for what you are, what you do, and the way you act.”

He glared at Maria, then turned to Kim and said, “Enough of this. Let us begin the negotiations.”

“Don Alfredo, Miss Sanchez’s family is prepared to offer a dowry to the young man who takes her hand in marriage in the amount of one million dollars.”

Jim Garçia’s eyes popped, but his grandfather merely shook his head. “That is utterly preposterous!”

“But it’s only an opening number—”

“Preposterous!” the older man repeated. “It’s preposterous to offer any monetary dowry with Miss Sanchez’s hand. Her beauty, her brains and her charity are far more than enough. Now, when can the marriage take place?”