And for once, she does as she’s told. She nods, holding out her hand, and Andrés de Guzmán’s mouth splits into a haughty grin, like he’s the one who played the game, and won. And as he bends his head to kiss the bare skin of her knuckle, where the wedding ring will go, María imagines the road curving away beneath her feet, and smiles, too.
VES has a thing for bygone marriage practices and women's freedom, e.g. Addie LaRue
