The Dream Fulfilled
1 - Confiding
The Dream Fulfilled
A/N: This story takes place about a month after Seeds of Forgiveness. This one is far more about Diego than it is about Zorro (although Zorro does show up briefly) with a little Don Alejandro thrown in for good measure.
Chapter 1: Confiding
It was Don Alejandro's custom to ride out and personally inspect his herds at least three times a year. He was normally accompanied by Benito and perhaps one or two other vaqueros, but this year the old don was especially happy that Diego had agreed to come along. The ranch hands were also pleased. Now that Don Diego had a wife, they thought it was high time he took an interest in the running of the rancho.
This inspection typically took place over a number of days, since the cattle were run on several locations. But on the third day, the men were surprised when Don Diego announced that he had invited Doña Margarita to accompany them on the following morning. "She has been tired and preoccupied lately, and has not ridden for the better part of a week. I wish her to have some fresh air and sunshine. She need not be with us all day. If she becomes weary or bored, I will escort her home."
Having often visited her uncle's farm when she grew up back in Maryland, Diego's wife had a reasonable, although not expert, knowledge of cattle. Yet by early afternoon she declared that she had seen enough cowhide for one day, so she and Diego bid the rest of the party goodbye and headed back to the hacienda. Shortly thereafter Diego turned off to a small lake surrounded by trees, saying: "We can water the horses here." He helped her dismount and they led the horses toward the lake.
"What a pretty place!" exclaimed Margarita.
"It's one of our better sights. I used to swim here as a child," he said, smiling at her. "It's also one of my favorite places. I can't believe I haven't brought you here before now." He took the reins and led both mounts to the very edge of the lake. The horses lowered their heads to drink. He stood idly beside them, stroking his palomino's back and occasionally glancing back at his wife. Margarita sat down on a nearby log and watched him. He brought the horses up and tied the reins to a bush, then he turned to her, a look somewhere between amusement and concern on his face. "Margarita, you have been looking at me so very strangely. Is something wrong?'
She patted the log and he sat down beside her. She gazed into his hazel eyes for a moment and then asked: "Mi corazòn, do you suppose Benito or one of the other vaqueros could handle exercising Thunderhead for me?"
"I see no reason why not. Benito is an excellent horseman, as are several of the others. But why would you need someone to exercise Thunderhead for you?"
"Because I won't be riding for a while."
"You will not be riding?" He became alarmed. "Are you ill? Have you hurt yourself in some way?
"No, Diego, I'm not hurt or ill," was all she would say, with an enigmatic smile.
He continued looking at her with great concern. He had never seen an expression quite like this on her face before. "Well if you are not hurt and you are not ill, why else would you forgo riding?" Her only response was the smile. "You have been so tired lately and I'm sure the exercise would help you feel — " He stopped in mid-sentence as one other beautiful possibility erupted into his thoughts. "No!" he cried in happiness and amazement. "You are... you are?...Are you...?" he could not finish the question for the joy bursting in his heart.
"Yes, Diego," she replied very quietly, nodding and draping her arms around his neck. "Husband, I believe I am with child."
His face lit up as she had never seen it before, the brilliance of his smile outshining the sun. He stood and pulled her to her feet and then took her in his arms and hugged her so tightly that she had to push him away so she could breath. He was overwhelmed with so many emotions at once, and every odd bit of information he had ever heard about expectant mothers came crowding into his mind. "I'm not sure what to do next! Do you want to stay here while I fetch a carriage? Should I rub your shoulders? Can I still hug you? Do you want something to eat?" And then, in a great burst of excitement: "We must tell my father!" he practically shouted.
"Corazòn, you don't need to do any of that just now. I don't need the carriage, although if I travel any distance I'll be using it from now on. As far as the hugging goes, some things will have to change in the future, but not anytime soon. And as for telling your father — not quite yet. I believe I am with child, but I'm not absolutely sure. I'll know in another three weeks or so. And then we can make both of our fathers very happy! But I couldn't keep it from you any longer", she said, hugging him and resting her head on his chest. "In the meantime we just need to go about our normal everyday lives, and wait."
