“Yes, sir,” she said, stuffing the bill in her pocket and lowering her eyes. She promised herself she’d spit in his soup the next time he was dining at their house.
When she walked into the kitchen with the purchases, Rita was about to haul Ulises’s tray up to his room. “I’ll take it,” Inés said. “He wants his newspaper with the food, and I have it.”
Inés hurried up to his room. She slid inside and set the tray down. He was washing his face and frowned when he saw her.
“It’s customary to knock,” he told her.
“You try knocking when you’re carrying all this. Anyway, we need to talk about our plan. Cándido is extremely suspicious of you, and I know he’ll ruin everything with his meddling. He’s the biggest obstacle we face. He’s been my aunt’s suitor for ages now and he’s not going to cede any ground to the first contender who walks into the ring.”
“It’s early to be talking business, don’t you think?”
“What kind of thief are you? One with office hours?”
He smirked, sprinkled his face with more water, and dried it with a towel. Then he stood up, walked to where she stood, and reached for the newspaper that lay rolled up next to the breakfast tray, scanning its front page.
“No. But I do my best thinking after I’ve had a bite.”
“I’m not going to wait until you do your best thinking. Take a sip of coffee and pay attention to me.”
“I am paying attention, you silly girl. Now, what’s gotten in your head that has you so nervous?”
“It’s not nerves,” she said, although yes, it was partly that, but she wasn’t about to admit it. And there was, too, that feeling that she couldn’t even voice, a desperation that was boiling over. “I simply think we must have a plan. My aunt is a difficult woman, as you have already discovered, and on top of that there’s Cándido lurking around. We need to get rid of him for you to have any chance at romancing her.”
“Romancingandmarrying her,” he replied as he raised his coffee cup to his lips and took a sip. “My father could manage that in less than a month, from courtship to wedding. Afterward, with the bride convinced of her husband’s good nature and noble intentions, with bank accounts shared and access to important documents, it’s easy enough to take off.”
“And you? How long does it take you to go from romance to marriage?”
“I wouldn’t know,” he said simply.
“What do you mean?”
He set the cup down. “It means I haven’t tried it yet. My father used to handle our business; I merely provided him with support. When he passed away, I concentrated on postal avenues—”
She scoffed and sat down on his unmade bed. “Then you’re useless. I can’t believe it.”
“I’m smart. My old man ran postal scams too, it’s a reliable business and much less dangerous than meeting someone in person. Cheaper too.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Same reason you’re in my room right now: I’m tired and need a real score. Now, do you have anything valuable to contribute? Because if you don’t, I’d love to read the paper and eat my breakfast in peace.”
She stared at him, incensed by his no-nonsense tone. It made her feel like a child being talked down to by an adult. But she supposed he was correct, and there was no time to waste. Thoughts of hell were becoming dim concerns that she waved off with a shake of the head.
“As I was saying, Cándido will be a problem.”
“Very likely, but I don’t see how we could rid ourselves of him. He works for your aunt, doesn’t he?”
“He’s her errand man.”
“And he has much to gain if she marries him, so he’ll be watching me closely and plotting a way to sway her in his direction. He might even be ordering a diamond ring right this instant. So, what’s your plan?”
“It’s not a full plan but a thought. Last year Lulú fell ill and Cándido went away with her for three weeks to a seaside village.”
“It would be grand if we could get him out of town for three weeks, but I don’t see how we could magically make Lulú ill.”
“That’s the thing, you see, she’s never ill. She’s a hypochondriac who worries about the smallest ache. If we talked her into thinking she was sick, she would demand that he take her away to see a specialist. Why…why, I bet we could even make her sick.”
He frowned. “How?”