# Carlos Riego — Romance character guide > Carlos Riego in Romance by Joseph Conrad. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Don Carlos, Don Riego, the old Don **First appearance:** 0004-part-i-the-quarry-and-the-beach ## Snapshot A charming, ruined Spanish scapegrace sailing to Cuba to inherit a fortune and a cousin he's never met, wearing his debts and his graces lightly. ## Who they are Carlos Riego arrives aboard ship in threadbare finery, bound for an uncle he has never seen — a dying Grand d'Espagne who owns the whole town of Rio Medio and an only daughter named Seraphina. He laughs off the police, the watch, and his own ruin with Byronic ease, insisting he is in no scrape while his companion Castro clearly is. His romantic story — the inheritance, the promised marriage, the family name — is the engine that pulls the narrator and the reader toward Cuba, even as his careless charm hints at what it will cost. ## Relationships ### [Tomas Castro](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/tomas_castro) _friendship_ Close companions with frequent interactions, likely allies in shared endeavors. ### [Sir Ralph Rooksby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/sir_ralph_rooksby) _rivalry_ Notable interaction count implies conflict or competitive tension. ### [Seraphina Riego](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/seraphina_riego) _family_ Shared surname indicates siblings or close relatives with protective bond. ### [Juan Kemp](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/juan_kemp) _friendship_ Frequent interactions indicate a strong male friendship or co-conspirators. ### [Don Balthasar Riego](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/don_balthasar_riego) _family_ Shared surname and honorific suggest father-son or uncle-nephew relationship. ### [Father Antonio](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/father_antonio) _professional_ Religious advisor or confessor relationship with a priest. ### [Veronica Rooksby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/veronica_rooksby) _romantic_ Interactions with a Rooksby suggest romantic interest despite family rivalry. ### [Tomas Castro](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/tomas_castro) _friendship_ Close companions with frequent interactions, likely allies in shared endeavors. ### [Juan Kemp](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/juan_kemp) _friendship_ Frequent interactions indicate a strong male friendship or co-conspirators. ### [Seraphina Riego](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/seraphina_riego) _family_ Shared surname indicates siblings or close relatives with protective bond. ### [Tomas Castro](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/tomas_castro) _friendship_ Close companions with frequent interactions, likely allies in shared endeavors. ### [Sir Ralph Rooksby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/sir_ralph_rooksby) _rivalry_ Notable interaction count implies conflict or competitive tension. ## In the story ### [Romance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/romance) Father figure whose plans and sacrifices influence the romance. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/i) A mysterious Spanish kinsman of Rooksby, who visits the Priory and later needs to escape the country. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/iii) A Spanish fugitive who invites Juan to join him on his journey to the West Indies, speaking with a musical voice. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/iv) Reveals his uncle's wealth and plan to marry Seraphina; shows affection for Juan; coughs violently, indicating illness; remains calm during the storm. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/v) Tries to persuade Kemp to join him in Rio Medio, intervenes to stop Castro from killing Kemp, and leaves with a promise to return. ### [Part II: The Girl with the Lizard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/part-ii-the-girl-with-the-lizard) Likely present as her father or guardian, involved in the events surrounding her. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/ii) Ill and dying; discusses his cousin Seraphina, O'Brien's ambitions, and his uncle's plans. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/iii) Carlos observes the exchange between Kemp and O'Brien, later implores Kemp not to denounce O'Brien for the sake of the family's honor, and asks Kemp to accompany them to Rio Medio. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/iv) Participates in the kidnapping; avoids looking at Kemp out of shame; follows O'Brien. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/vii) On his deathbed, reveals his love for Veronica Rooksby and his plan to use Juan to thwart O'Brien's schemes. ### [Part III: Casa Riego](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/part-iii-casa-riego) The aging patriarch of Casa Riego, grappling with his legacy and the safety of his family. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/i) The dying man who has entrusted Kemp with a great responsibility; mentioned as sleeping and having given orders. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/ii) Dying; reveals O'Brien's schemes and his own helplessness against the impending crisis. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/iii) Dying; urges Juan to take Seraphina to England for her safety. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/iv) Deceased; his deathbed wish for Juan and Seraphina's union drives the chapter's emotional and moral conflict. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/vi) Deceased; his funeral provides the cover for the escape. ### [Part IV: Blade and Guitar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/part-iv-blade-and-guitar) Seraphina's father; his deathbed plan sets the stage for Kemp's escape and the chapter's events. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/i) Deceased; Castro's heart broken by his death; his aloofness left Seraphina isolated. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/chapters/ix) Mentioned indirectly through Seraphina's reference to her father's gold and the peons of the estancia. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters/carlos_riego - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/romance_se/characters