She touched his arm lightly. "Thank you, but no. I'll do this on my own."
She walked up to Carmen, who appeared startled to see her, as did her friend in purple. She took a firm hold of her grandmother's upper arm. "Forgive us, we need a moment in private." She urged her grandmother toward the exit, and while Carmen huffed with indignation, she kept up with Maggie's longer stride.
Once they'd entered the hallway to the restrooms, Maggie released her. She then spoke in the beautiful Spanish she taught in her classroom. "You've been cold and rude to me since the moment I arrived in your home, but what you did to Santos this morning is unforgiveable. He's devoted himself to the Aragon family in ways you don't even approach. By insulting him as you have today, you've made a powerful enemy. Miguel loved his sons and daughters, and he'd be deeply ashamed of the way you've treated us. I won't accept an apology and neither will Santos.
"We're going ahead with the funeral planned for eleven, and I suggest if you attend, you pray for your own rotten soul rather than weep for Miguel." She threw in a few immensely derogatory terms and left her grandmother staring at her bug-eyed in the hall. Rafael and Santos were waiting for her on the other side of the door. "That felt so good."
Santos saluted her with a glass of orange juice. "You were only gone four minutes."
"It was enough time. If she dares to come back in, don't speak to her. I told her you'd never forgive her for this morning, and even if you will, make her wait."
"I'll make a point of it. You've no idea who these people are, do you?"
Ana entered the ballroom with Fox, adding two to the count. "Only the ones I met at the beach house. Should I assume the men I don't recognize are all famous matadors?"
Rafael nodded. "Most of them are, but none were as good as your father. Who's the man with Cirilda?"
Santos spoke softly. "That's her second husband, Alfonso Rivera. I liked him. He's a pediatrician, and the fact they didn't produce any little ones might have caused their problems."
Rafael turned his back to Cirilda. "How can he have imagined she'd tolerate a baby spitting up on her?"
Maggie wondered about that too, but her aunt was regarding Alfonso with a rapt gaze. He smiled widely, apparently appreciating her attention. Her aunt's private life didn't interest her, however.
Santos also quickly dismissed the couple. "Come, let me introduce you to Father's friends."
She took Rafael's hand and brought him along with her. The first man regarded her with a befuddled stare, and the second looked equally perplexed. Understanding their confusion, she pulled Santos aside. "Apparently my father never mentioned he'd had a daughter with an American wife. There's no point in introducing me to anyone else when they'll be as embarrassed as I am."
"This is your first opportunity to meet them, and there's no reason for anyone to be embarrassed," Santos argued. "You want to meet everyone, don't you, Rafael?"
"Do you mind?" he asked her.
Maggie checked her watch. They were so close to the basilica there was no reason to leave an hour early, but she couldn't face another blank stare. "No, you're the one who ought to meet everyone. I'd rather have something to eat with Ana and Fox." She walked away before either man could object.
Ana and Fox were moving along the buffet, and she stepped in behind them. Ana held only a small glass of cranberry juice, while Fox piled his plate high. Maggie took a tiny sweet roll and a cup of tea and followed them to a vacant table.
Ana kept her voice low. "Why are you having the reception prior to the service? Isn't that a bit odd?"
Fox looked at Maggie, but she didn't warn him to be still. "The funeral was at seven."
"What?" Ana asked so loudly everyone in the room turned toward her. She flashed the smile that had made her famous, and after a strained moment, the conversations around them resumed. "Why were you all at the ranch, then?"
Maggie let Fox explain while she sipped her tea. Carmen's actions went way past insulting, but it hurt worse to discover her father's close friends hadn't known about her. If she'd been overlooked in a biography or film, it had to be due to careless research. What Miguel had or hadn't confided to his