Cèlia's story - part 2

Cèlia Vallespí was a shy and reserved woman. Her parents had always kept her quite a recluse in their country house, protecting her from the harms of the world and they rarely went to Barcelona only to visit relatives. She hardly had any friends or any contact with high society. Marrying Ferran Obiols gave her hope that her life was going to change completely, that it would be full of wonderful parties and great banquets.

Full of expectations of meeting new people, she came across the reality that she was still just as alone as she was at her parent's country house. Ferran Obiols didn't bother to introduce anyone to her aside from his close friends who were almost as dull as he was and leaving the parties and dinners so early it didn’t give her many opportunities to make any new acquaintances.

The first night Ferran left her alone at a ball she felt stupid. Cèlia didn't know anyone and her shyness worked against her to introduce herself. She felt like a pot flower against the wall, no one noticed her, no one spoke to her but still, she preferred to stay and be invisible at those parties than to be invisible at home. She preferred to enjoy the music, the drink and admire the beautiful dresses of all those distinguished ladies.

One day, Gelabert Brugaroles, one of the richest bourgeois in the city, approached her and offered her a dance. Cèlia did not know if it was right to accept his invitation but her boredom and the flattery of receiving such an invitation from such a distinguished man made her accept.

They danced a couple of waltzes and Gelabert introduced her to a couple of ladies, but Cèlia was so captivated by Gelabert's kindness and presence that she did not concentrate much on the conversation, always searching his gaze with her eyes.

Without realizing it, at every party and ball, Cèlia looked for Gelabert by just stepping in. But he wasn’t always there. On the nights he didn't come, she felt deeply disappointed, but on the nights he did attend she couldn’t wait for him to take her to another dance as he always did.

Gelabert was kind and polite to her, he gave her conversation and showed interest, something completely new in her life. It was easy for her to fall madly in love, but she knew that he would never feel the same and even if he did, she was a married woman, their love was doomed. But with those new feelings, she had enough to move forward in her lonely life. Cèlia wanted to treasure those feelings and her friendship with Gelabert. But what was Gelabert feeling?

Gelabert Brugaroles had been widowed years ago and did not seem to have any intention of remarrying. People said that they were a perfect couple and that he was terribly in love with her, which is why her death plunged him into deep sadness.

He spent years without attending any event until bored with his own company and that of the courtesans reappeared in society.

The mothers of unmarried daughters saw it as a great opportunity to marry their daughters, for he was still acceptably young and with a good fortune but Gelabert was not interested in remarrying. He knew that no woman could match his late wife.

Still, a young woman caught his attention. It was true that the arrival of Cèlia Vallespí in Barcelona's high society caused a sensation. Everyone wanted to know who Ferran Obiols another young man who was a great catch, had married.

The first time Gelabert saw Cèlia he didn't think it was a big deal, on the contrary, she was small and thin, she was also shy and reserved and she hardly spoke to anyone, always standing or sitting in a corner waiting for someone to rescue her from her solitude after being abandoned once again by her husband. It was true that her face was beautiful, her eyes were sweet and her figure was elegant, but she was just another porcelain doll who was taught how to behave in high society in the most boring way possible, nothing new.

He couldn’t help but notice how party after party she chose to remain alone instead of going home with her husband. Surely, that man of hers didn’t even know how to please her she preferred to stay surrounded by strangers than go home. It was on one of those occasions when Gelabert didn't feel like talking to anyone and to escape those matchmaking mothers he decided to take her out dancing, just to satisfy his curiosity.

He was surprised at how innocent and naive the woman was, by just taking her out for a dance her expression changed, her face was bright and the way Cèlia looked at Gelabert made a dark impulse arise within him. The desire to break that innocence himself.

He tried to get away from her, ignoring those impulses, but he soon realized that Cèlia was always looking for him, waiting for him at every social event with that sparkle in her eyes and he couldn't resist...

Seducing her was child's play, he saw the growing desire in her eyes every time their gloved hands touched each other while dancing. She did not hide, she always looked at him and her cheeks turned bright red when their gazes met. It was too easy, even boring there was no challenge and yet his curiosity about this woman craving for his attention was growing.

He took her as soon as he saw the opportunity. Gelabert offered to take her home after a party, he just wanted to have her alone in his carriage, then the rest would come on its own. Cèlia was naive and she entered the carriage without thinking, just accepting his kindness completely oblivious of his real intentions but she did not resist. She played the prude Lady “no, we can’t…” she said but it was too late for that, she was in the wolves’ den.

Gelabert first was gentle with her, she just looked like a virgin girl that was about to be deflowered but soon he saw her desire went way further than he could ever imagine. That Lady was craving for pleasure, even dark pleasures that she herself didn't even know she had, and he would give them to her.

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Since the poll was pretty tight in result I’ve decided to make a bit of both. Also, honestly, it is very difficult for me to see an actual romantic love story, I can only see a very toxic relationship between them.

Gelabert is going to love her but more in the way that he is shaping Cèlia to fit his desires. He is fascinated by how willing she is to do everything he says and wants to keep pushing her further and further determined to break that innocence. It will eventually become an obsession for him because it won’t matter how twisted Gelabert could be to her, she will keep being innocent and naive. Her feelings for him are strong and deep, he is the man who saved her from her life and Gelabert also understands so much her deepest and dark desires the ones that she can’t even admit to herself, that he is like a dangerous addictive drug.

On another note I want to talk about names and family names because I know, it can be confusing for some of you.

In Catalonia (and Spain) we keep two family names, the one from our father and the one from our mother. For example, we have Cèlia Vallespí (who would also have a second surname but I haven’t chosen it yet) marrying Ferran Obiols (again another second surname), but her surname stays Vallespí, it doesn’t change to Cèlia Obiols, she will always be Cèlia Vallespí spouse of Ferran Obiols. But if they ever got a child, God forbid!, their child would have Ferran’s surname and Cèlia’s surname, which means it would be something like Josep (random name) Obiols i Vallespí ( “i” standing for “and”). This is why, Cèlia and Ferran even though they are married don’t have the same surname. The only thing that changes is the way people address Cèlia, she is no longer a miss but a Mrs.

Read part one here