Chapter 2

Almost three hours later, there was a pounding on her bedroom door. "Victoria, Victoria, are you okay?" Pilar called out from the other side of the door. She had arrived at the tavern to begin work and to her surprise she had found that her employer had not yet risen. It was very unusual for Victoria not to be up and getting the tavern ready for the coming day so she had gone upstairs to her room to see what was wrong.

She was about to knock on the door again when Victoria opened it. Pilar gasped at the gaunt appearance of her friend. Victoria was still in her nightshirt and robe, she had red puffy eyes as though she had been weeping, her face was very pale, and her hair looked tangled. There seemed to be an air of anguish about her as though something terrible had happened.

"Madre de Dios, Victoria what's wrong, has something happened? Are you ill?" Pilar asked worriedly as she reached out her hand to her friend.

Victoria pulled her robe tight around herself and nodded. "Si, Pilar, I'm not feeling very well. I think I will keep the tavern closed today." her voice hoarse.

Pilar nodded. "Of course, is there anything I can get for you? Would you like me to get Doctor Hernandez?" she offered.

"NO." Victoria replied more sharply than she meant to. "No, Pilar. I'm just tired." she continued more evenly. "I guess that I have been working too hard lately and it's catching up with me." she tried to convince her friend.

However, Pilar wasn't convinced. She knew there was something bothering her and it wasn't just tiredness, it was something serious. "Are you sure Victoria?" she tried again to find out what was wrong.

Victoria gave her a small smile. ""Si, I'm sure Pilar. I'm tired that's all. I just need to rest. I'll be okay tomorrow." she could not bear to think about what had happened the night before, let alone speak about it, no matter how tempting her friend's offer was.

Pilar sighed, if she wasn't going to tell her what the problem was, there was nothing she could do about it. "Okay but if you need anything, just send word to me."

This time Victoria's smile was more warmer. "Gracias Pilar, you are a good friend." she reached out her hand and squeezed the other lady's arm to re-assure her.

Pilar smiled back. "So are you Victoria." she replied as she gave Victoria's hand a quick squeeze before she left her alone.

Word spread quickly of Victoria's mysterious illness and of her decision to keep the tavern closed for the day and many of the citizens prayed for a quick recovery. Mendoza was heartbroken when he heard that the tavern would be closed, because it meant that he would have to eat at the garrison mess, something he didn't want to do. The lancers rotated kitchen duties on a regularly basis and at best the food was barely edible, at worst, well eating leather would have been more appetising than some of the food that was served in the mess. There was no-one in the entire district that could cook better than Senorita Victoria and he added his prayers for a speedy recovery.

Mendoza knocked on his Commandante's office door.

"Enter." came the muffled voice.

He entered the office and stood at attention in front of de Soto's desk. "Excuse me Alcalde, have you heard about Senorita Escalante?"

de Soto looked up sharply from the paperwork on his desk, peered intently at the portly Sergeant to see if there was any indication that he knew what had transpired between him and the senorita, but there was no sign of it. "What about her?" he asked harshly as a wave of shame and guilt flowed over him.

If Mendoza heard the harshness in the Alcalde's voice, he gave no sign of it. "Senorita Escalante is feeling ill and has closed the tavern for the day."

de Soto wasn't very surprised to hear that. "Oh. Well, I hope she feels better soon." he turned his gaze back to the paperwork on his desk. After several seconds he noticed that the Sergeant was still in front of him. "What is it Sergeant?" he asked exasperatedly.

Mendoza squirmed. "Well, with the tavern closed, you will have to eat in the mess hall." he said apologetically.

de Soto frowned, he disliked eating in the hall with the common soldiers. "Just bring me a tray of food at noon. I'll eat here." he ordered.

Mendoza nodded. "Si Alcalde, I'll bring whatever you like." he saluted and left his commanding officer to brood.

As de Soto reached for the quill, his hand shook hard, he clinched his fist and closed his eyes. He knew he had to apologise to her but how, when? It wasn't easy to admit to his mistakes and it had been a mistake. He couldn't believe that he stooped so low to take a commoner to bed. He shook his head as a sudden image of her beneath him, entered his mind. He groaned and tried to think about something else other than her soft skin against his...

"So father, how long has it been since you have seen your old amigo?" Diego asked as he entered the stables along with his father and began to saddle their horses for the journey into the pueblo. They were to meet an old friend of his father's, who was arriving on the midday stagecoach, before he was to spend some time at The Guardian office to prepare for the next issue of the weekly paper.

Don Alejandro chuckled. "Many years Diego, more than I like to think about." he replied as he patted Dulcinea on her neck and pulled the saddle blanket over her back. "It's been almost ten years since we last saw each other." he paused as an idea came to him. "You know, he does have a daughter around your age, that he hasn't managed to marry off yet."

Diego sighed at the mention of his unwed status again but thankfully Jose, their foreman, came up to them at that moment to stop any further mention of his future wife.

"Excuse me patron, have you heard that Senorita Escalante is ill and has closed the tavern for the day?" Jose said.

Don Alejandro exchanged a concerned look with his son. "No we haven't heard. Is the Senorita okay?"

Jose shrugged. "Si, Pilar said that she was tired and needed a rest but she would open the tavern again tomorrow." he replied before he left them.

"Father, perhaps I can visit Victoria, see if she needs anything." Diego suggested.

Don Alejandro nodded. "Yes, yes that's a good idea Diego. I'll get Maria to cook up some broth for her. If Victoria is feeling ill, she won't feel like cooking for herself."

"Si, perhaps some chicken broth." Diego replied with a worried look on his face. It was rare for Victoria to be ill, in fact he couldn't even remember the last time she had been.

An hour later Diego knocked on the back door of the tavern, in his hand he carried a small pot of chicken broth. As he waited, he shifted the still warm pot from one hand to the other; Marie had just finished cooking it before he left. He was about to knock again when he heard movement on the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" Victoria called out.

"It's Diego." he called back.

Victoria sighed, she didn't want to see anyone today, not even her closest friend but she couldn't be rude to him, so she unlatched the door and opened it.

Diego was shocked at her haggard appearance. "Victoria what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

She shrugged and gave him a small smile. "I'm okay Diego, I'm just tired. There's nothing to worry about." she tried to convince him.

He frowned, it was more than tiredness, there was an air of torment about her.

Victoria saw his concern. "Truly Diego, I'm okay. I just need to rest, I'll be okay tomorrow."

He sighed, Victoria was a stubborn lady and if she wasn't going to tell him, there was nothing he could do about it. "Well, we heard that you were ill and we had Maria cook up some broth for you." he smiled as he handed over the pot to her.

Her smile was genuine this time as she took it from him. "Oh gracias Diego, that's very kind of you and your father." she replied as she removed the lid and inhaled. "Chicken broth, that's just want I needed, please thank Maria for this." she replaced the lid.

Diego smiled back. "I will. Victoria, if you need anything or if you need to talk to someone, please send for me and I'll come back. Whatever else I am to you, I'm always your friend." he added softly.

Victoria felt tears well in her eyes at his sincerity, although she wasn't sure what he meant by his words but he was a good friend and if only she could talk to him, it might make things clearer. But she just didn't believe that he would understand what happened, no one would. "Gracias Diego, I will."

He nodded and squeezed her hand in support. "Adios."

"Adios Diego." she watched him disappear around the corner before she stepped back and closed the door. She leant her forehead against the wood and cried. How was she going to tell Zorro about what happened? How would he react? She shuddered to think what he would do to her and to his rival. Should she even tell him? She sank to the floor in pain, cradling the pot of broth in her arms. She could never lie to him. Their strange relationship was based on a number of things but importantly, they had never lied to each other. She never thought of his reluctance to unmask as a lie, she knew it protected him as well as her from the hangman's noose.

Later that evening Zorro climbed up to the high kitchen window and leapt quietly to the floor. He saw the fire was out in the kitchen but there was light coming through the curtains and he stepped through. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. His lady was sitting forlornly in front of the low burning fire in the main taproom, with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders and his heart broke at her obvious suffering.

"Victoria" he said softly

She gasped as she stood, turned and faced the man she loved "Zorro" she whispered. She had been dreading this moment for she knew that HE would come, if not tonight, then tomorrow. Zorro always knew what was happening in the pueblo almost before he was needed. But not last night, he hadn't been there to stop him, to stop her. She shook her head, it wasn't right to blame Zorro for what happened, it wasn't his fault, it was hers.

Zorro crossed the tavern floor and was about to enfold her into his arms when at the last moment, she stepped back from him. He was stunned, never before had she shied away him.

"Querida, what's wrong. Are you ill?" he asked worriedly.

Victoria bit her lower lip as she tried to hold back her tears at the concern and the love in his voice. All she wanted to do was to fall into his arms and let him sooth away her troubles but it wasn't that simple. Nothing could ease her soul.

"I'm okay Zorro." her voice shook slightly.

He knew that she wasn't all right and took another step closer to her but again she moved back. "Victoria please, let me help you." he pleaded.

She shook her head; no-one could help her. "I'm sorry Zorro. Perhaps I'm coming down with a cold, I don't want you to catch anything." she replied as she walked towards the bar.

Again Zorro was stunned by her strange behaviour. "Victoria...?"

She interrupted him. "Please Zorro, I'm tired." she pleaded with him.

He gazed at her, wondering if he should leave or not. For she was obviously very upset about something, something she didn't want to talk about. "Has something happened to one of your brothers?"

She shook her head. "No, they are okay."

"Then what is it? Has something happened to you." he paused as another thought crossed his mind. "Dios, you haven't been...been...assaulted." his voice shook with dread. It was one of his greatest fears, that some troublemaker would take advantage of a woman all alone in a tavern, without him being there to prevent it. It had almost happened once before but thankfully two Señores had stopped the assault before serious harm had come to her.

"No, nothing like that." her own voice trembled. She couldn't do it, she couldn't tell him. It would break him and he would end up hating her. "I'm just tired Zorro. I really do appreciate you coming tonight but there's nothing to worry about."

He narrowed his eyes, he had a strange feeling that she was lying or at least she was hiding something from him, but he decided not to push her and hoped that she would tell him in her own time. "Okay Victoria, I'll go." He reached out, took her hand in his, and was stunned at how hard her hand shook as he raised her hand and planted a kiss to her soft skin. "I love you querida."

She shivered at his gentleness, of his love and his concern. "I love you too Zorro." she replied as she held back her tears.

He kissed her hand once more and left her alone.

Victoria let her tears flow as she watched him go. She just couldn't tell him, she couldn't. She slowly made her way up the stairs and stopped at the doorway of her room. Her heart pounded as she stared at the bed with horror, she had changed the bedsheets but she no longer wanted to stay in that room. She fled and entered the last of the guest rooms, threw herself down onto the bed, and cried herself to sleep.

Victoria woke the next morning with a new determination that surprised her as she prepared the tavern for the coming day. She had accepted what she had done, she still despised herself but she couldn't undo what she had been done, no matter how much she wanted to. She had made an inexcusable mistake in allowing de Soto to make love to her and nothing could change that. She had to get on with her life.