Chapter 2
"Zorro! You shouldn't have come! It's too dangerous for you during the day, especially after church when everyone is in town," Victoria chided him though she had expected him to be there when she had walked up to her room, excusing herself from her helpers.
"I know, Victoria, but I had to come and talk to you after what happened today in church," he drew her in his arms. "Believe me, I had no idea what my father had planned today."
"I know that, Diego," she whispered in his ear.
"Thank you for staying calm and not saying anything in church, before I had the chance to talk to the padre in private." Holding her tight, he kissed her tenderly.
"What did you tell the padre?"
"The truth. That I'm Zorro and that I married you in Santa Paula two months ago. The padre understood that it would be my death sentence if I revealed our marriage in front of the whole parish and promised to keep it secret. How do we get out of this mess?"
He released her and started to pace up and down the room. "Everyone will want to know what I said to the padre, but that's the only thing I can't tell, because as my wife you will hang beside me. I never wanted to put you in that danger."
"It was my choice once I found out your identity. I was aware of it when I married you secretly and I didn't hesitate, because I love you," she assured him.
"I still can't believe it that you agreed to marry me, putting yourself in danger," he stopped and took her in his arms again. "I don't know if this secret marriage was a good idea."
"Do you regret our marriage, Diego?" Victoria asked anxiously.
"No, Victoria, being married to you is the best thing that happened in my life. I love you, Victoria, more than you know." He kissed her tenderly again, running his fingers through her hair. Victoria responded to his kiss and her doubts quickly vanished when everything became more passionate.
"We don't have time for that," she tried to object weakly when they landed on the bed, busy with opening his shirt and touching his skin, "It will be dangerous if you stay too long. Someone might spot Toronado and alarm the lancers."
"Toronado is well hidden and the lancers are all busy with lunch or afternoon siesta," Zorro calmed her. "There's no reason why I shouldn't spend some time with my beautiful wife."
Z~Z~Z
"I wish you could stay longer, Zorro," she whispered when they were dressed again and he had put on his mask.
"I wish that too, mi Querida. Will you come to the hacienda later? There's no way I can postpone my talk with my father any longer and we need to discuss our future. We both knew that this secret life couldn't go on for long and we need to find a solution that we can present the pueblo without the alcalde getting suspicious."
"Yes, we discussed that before, but we didn't figure anything out yet. What can we do?"
"I don't know. I need to think about what happened today and if we can use it to get married officially."
"Your father said something about losing the hacienda if you don't marry Maria. Do you think it's true?"
"I don't know. I haven't talked to him since I left church, but he is a gambler. I believe him capable of signing such a contract. I need to see the documents first."
"I'll come as soon as I can, Zorro. I need to go downstairs. The girls will start to miss me after I excused myself for only a few minutes."
After another kiss Zorro climbed out of the window and Victoria listened for any commotion outside. She breathed out a sigh of relief when there wasn't any and she could be sure that Zorro hadn't been spotted. She was always afraid for his safety, but every minute they spent together was wonderful. She missed him from the moment he left, making her feel afraid and lonely because she never knew if it would be the last time. Checking her mirror to see if she was presentable again, she went downstairs.
Z~Z~Z
Pilar looked at her inquiringly when she came down the stairs. "Are you feeling better again?"
Victoria nodded with a smile. "I must have fallen asleep. I didn't notice how tired I was."
"You're more tired lately, aren't you, Victoria? Not only when you go upstairs, but I've seen you fall asleep the moment you sit down at the kitchen table. And you had to throw up a few times too," Pilar scrutinized her. "If I didn't have such a good opinion of you, I'd guess you're pregnant. My sister had three children and I know the symptoms."
She noticed Victoria's surprised expression, who had turned white at her words, touching her flat belly with her hand. " You didn't know yourself? Is it true then?" she inquired. "Is it really over with you and Zorro or is that the reason he left you? Because he had gotten what he wanted?"
"Please Pilar, it's really over between me and Zorro," Victoria said, suddenly feeling sick.
"It's the Alcalde you have to convince, not me, Victoria," Pilar stated. "Once he hears about this, you'll find yourself in his prison as bait for Zorro."
Victoria turned even whiter at Pilar's words. Though she and Zorro had tried to give the impression that they had split up, it wasn't so easy to convince the alcalde. Victoria knew that Zorro would come and try to free her from prison, springing the trap the alcalde would plan for him or even worse he'd turn himself in. Victoria couldn't bear the idea that he'd die because of their love.
"I believe you're in even deeper trouble than Don Diego," Pilar continued. "Do you think his father will make him change his mind to wed Don Fernando's daughter when he realizes that it's marrying or losing the hacienda? It's such a large hacienda and Don Alejandro has worked hard for it all his life. Don Diego can be lucky his father chose such a beautiful woman for him. They will make a wonderful couple."
Shocked by the talk, Victoria returned to the kitchen. If Diego didn't marry Maria they would lose it all, but Diego couldn't marry Maria as long as he was married to her. She was his downfall. Diego would be killed because of her and his family would lose everything too.
What did she have to offer him? She wasn't a well educated daughter of a caballero with fine dresses but a commoner who had to work for her living. Diego had brushed aside her doubts when she had voiced them before the ceremony, but she had been right. Diego would be better off without her. Without her the alcalde didn't have any bait to capture Zorro and Diego would be free to marry a woman of his class and keep the de la Vega hacienda.
Without her..
Victoria went over to the cupboard and opened the drawer with the pistol inside. For a moment she stared at it, before she took the loaded weapon and pointed it at herself.
The shot rang loud in the tavern.
