"Your voice, Señor Capitan, tells me you are here. Otherwise, I might have missed you. What a cozy retreat you have amid these branching ferns!"
It was Señora Valentino.
The Captain's full height bowed to the lady.
"Will you not be seated, señora? Pardon me for not seeing you sooner."
"The pardon is yours. Will you not, also, be seated?" making room for him at her side.
"I thank you. The favor of your company honors me greatly."
The señora inclined her head. The gems in her hair gleamed responsively to the bright lights. The white silk of her gown lay softly against the vivid green of the ferns.
"Señor Capitan, I am impelled to come and talk with you."
"My dear lady, I am honored."
"I wish to make appeal to you."