There and Back Again
(The Devil's Fortress)
Part 2
Three days after he left Los Angeles, Zorro was pursuing Luis Ramone through the interior of the Devil's Fortress, wondering at how he'd gotten to this point. His bad luck seemed all to have started with his rescue of Rosalinda de la Fuente from bandits. Who would have thought that something so simple as accepting a handkerchief would have gotten him into so much trouble? When it came to women he was always a bit too trusting and too polite. But why should he suspect her of wanting to capture Zorro? Even if he'd known Señorita de la Fuente was the daughter of the commandant of Devil's Fortress, he wouldn't have suspected her of being so ungrateful as to try to have him arrested when they met again when he wasn't wearing a mask. It was lucky that despite that overly trusting quality he always maintained an extra bit of caution and had used an alias, otherwise he'd be finished as Diego de la Vega. At least now, she only knew him as Salvador Guillaranz.
Once he escaped that trap, he knew there was no hope of accomplishing his mission except as Zorro. His one piece of good fortune had been in running into Victoria's brother Ramon who'd received his letter while on the way back to Mexico. Considering the heavy guard around the Fortress, he was grateful for an ally, especially one who could gather supplies without drawing undue attention to himself. Between the two of them they'd managed to make their way inside the Fortress and down to its dungeons, where to his surprise he saw the end of a fight between Victoria and the commandant's daughter. He barely had time to wonder how she'd gotten there before he was busy fighting again and had a smaller surprise in meeting up with Sergeant Mendoza who he'd sent to free the prisoners and protect Victoria.
He'd ended up fighting with the commandant, whose skill was very unequal to his, so it was easy enough to keep him distracted from the prison break. He toyed with him, until he saw Victoria appeared at the head of the group carrying her father's body. Then he knew it was time to finish the fight and disarmed him for the last time. The man seemed to expect to be killed, welcomed it in fact, but Zorro wasn't about to oblige him, especially since for a man like de la Fuente being left alive would be a far worse fate. Instead he slashed a Z into the commandant's uniform before punching him and knocking him to the floor.
It was after that that he'd seen Rosalinda standing above looking down at the scene, and it was then he'd in an almost petty humor had tossed the perfumed handkerchief that she'd given him on the floor, even though he knew he'd end up having to explain that to Victoria later. It was the next events that left him in stunned horror and confusion and led to this chase through the Fortress.
They'd all started to leave. His "business" with the commandant and his daughter finished, he'd ignored them. It had been foolish. He'd only realized that Rosalinda had a pistol when he heard her father command her to kill him. Even then he hadn't been too worried about being hit; his main concern was protecting Victoria. Then he got his final surprise when Luis Ramone appeared out of nowhere, an almost mad look in his eyes, as he approached Rosalinda. The two had struggled for the pistol, before Rosalinda ended up falling over the edge of the balcony to land with a horrifying thud on the floor.
When he'd looked up from the scene, he had seen Ramone staring back down, seeming even more deranged than before, a rolled document sticking out from inside his coat. Then he disappeared from sight. It was at this point that Zorro had begun his pursuit. It had been when he'd discovered that the door to the deed room had been forced, that he'd realized why Ramone had made the journey to the Devil's Fortress— he wanted to get his hands on someone's land grant. Determined to prevent the alcalde from succeeding in his scheme, Zorro followed him up the stairs.
Exiting cautiously onto the roof, Zorro spotted a gloved hand clinging to the outside of a decorative stone spire. How did the alcalde think he was going to climb down the outside of the fortress? Even he wouldn't attempt it without a rope. Zorro couldn't resist smirking as he watched Ramone try to pull himself back over the parapet, and the shocked look when he spotted his nemesis was priceless to behold.
"Just get out of here!" Ramone said, before slipping a bit. "If you're not going to help, just stay away, Zorro."
Having Ramone trapped for the moment, Zorro smiled and said, "Buenos dias, Alcalde." Ramone simply stared back at him. Zorro kept his voice low and sinister. "The document."
With a ridiculous confidence, considering his precarious position, Ramone refused. "Never."
"Never may be sooner than you think." In order to demonstrate more fully, Zorro smacked one hand and then the other with his saber. Not enough to make him fully lose balance, just enough to encourage compliance.
Finally, Ramone gave in and said, "All right! All right! Help me, and I'll give you the document."
Zorro couldn't believe that Ramone thought he'd be that gullible. "You haven't been paying attention, Alcalde. The document first."
Resigned, Ramone nodded and carefully reached into his jacket to pull out the rolled paper, clinging to the stone as he did so. Zorro moved forward to take the document, confident that the alcalde was in no position to make trouble, which is why he was unprepared when Ramone yanked off his hat and mask with his other hand.
For a moment the two stared at each other, before Ramone said in a tone of disbelief, "De la Vega?" His hold too precarious with the mask and hat in one hand and the document in another, the alcalde slipped from the wall, while Diego watched in horror, unable to do anything to stop it. As he fell, Ramone exclaimed, "Nooo! I should have known!"
Diego looked over the parapet, stunned by the turn of events. This shouldn't have happened. He should have done something to prevent it. And now he had to find a way down to get his mask back without being seen. Fortunately, the Fortress now seemed to be deserted, and it wasn't difficult to make his way to a lower window unseen. Easily making the climb down, Diego managed to make his way to where Ramone's body lay on the ground. He stared at him for a long moment. All this time and he was gone just like that.
Forcing himself to move, Diego picked up his hat and mask from the ground and then pulled the document from the alcalde's hand. He could hear people approaching, so quickly he replaced the mask. Through the gap in the hedge he could see a group of people walking past, including Victoria and her brother and Mendoza. Still shaken, he waited until they were past before stepping out, placing his hat back on his head.
Deciding to take a moment to see just what it was that the alcalde had been so determined to steal, Zorro pulled off the ribbon and unrolled the parchment. He was actually shocked to discover that the alcalde had taken the record of the king's deed of gift to his grandfather Sebastian. He had been trying to get hold of the de la Vega lands. While this was not the only copy of the deed of gift, it was the primary one, and its loss would make it very difficult for the family to retain control of the property. Deciding he could best keep it safe back home, Zorro concealed it inside his shirt, before following the group carrying Victoria's father.
Coming up to the group he quietly took the place of one of the men carrying the stretcher as they walked towards the mission visible in the distance. No one said a word until after they reached the mission grounds, where the priests were coming out to aid the injured. The stretcher was carefully placed on the ground near the church. Zorro reflected that Alfonso Escalante was beyond the need of any help they could provide. As the escaped prisoners moved away leaving the Escalantes, Mendoza and Zorro alone, it was Mendoza who managed to speak first.
"Uh, Zorro," he said hesitantly. "I don't like to ask, but do you know where the alcalde is? I don't think he's going to like..."
"Sergeant," Zorro interrupted, a little more forcefully than he liked. "I'm sorry, but the alcalde..." He had to pause a moment before trying again. "The alcalde... while trying to climb down from the roof of the Fortress... he fell. I'm afraid he's dead." He could feel Victoria's eyes on him, though he kept focused.
"Madre de Dios!" Mendoza exclaimed, crossing himself. "What am I going to do?"
"I imagine you'll need to report his death to the nearby garrison. While they are going to be rather occupied by this mass escape, I'm sure they'll be able to dispatch a message to the governor," Zorro replied calmly.
"Si, you're right, and I'm going to have to get the alcalde's body. Madre de Dios, this changes everything," Mendoza said, looking unsure.
"It certainly might," Victoria said, thoughtfully. She glanced at Zorro for a moment before letting her gaze fall back down to her father.
"I'm sorry," Zorro said softly.
"At least we got a chance to say good-bye to him," she said.
Ramon looked at Zorro. "I don't think you're going to want to stay much longer."
"No, you're right. I'll draw a little too much attention once the authorities start regrouping."
"That could be a while, Zorro," Mendoza said. "They were pretty well scattered."
Looking at his sister, Ramon said, "It might be a good idea for you to leave, too, Victoria. I can handle our father's burial."
"But..."
"You were there when everything happened, and you're not exactly inconspicuous. I don't think any one will notice a son who's just come in time to bury his father."
"Si, Señorita Victoria," Mendoza added his agreement. "It would be safer for you to travel now. Things could get ugly in the next day or so."
Victoria looked at Zorro for a moment. "I'm sure Diego will get here soon. I could always travel back with him."
Zorro had to repress a sigh. It would not be a good idea for Diego to show up. Rosalinda de la Fuente might be dead, but if any of the soldiers who had arrested "Salvador Guilleranz" saw Diego, it might turn dangerous even more quickly. And Ramon and Mendoza were right; Victoria would be much safer leaving with him now.
He cleared his throat and hoped that Victoria would understand the underlying meaning of what he said. "About Don Diego," he said. "I ran into him after a rather unfortunate encounter with the commandant's daughter and suggested that since I'd stirred things up, that it might be better if he let me continue alone. It no longer seemed to be a job for diplomacy." He paused for a moment to try to figure out what was the best way to deal with the situation.
"Then he's not too far away," Victoria interjected. "I know he wouldn't have started back home without knowing what happened."
"Si. I can escort you to him, Señorita," Zorro said carefully. "He'd certainly be a less conspicuous traveling companion than I would."
Victoria didn't seem entirely sure. "Ramon, I should..."
"I'll make sure it's properly done," her brother insisted.
She finally agreed. Zorro turned to Mendoza. "We're going to need to get your horses." He looked at Victoria. "Is there anything of yours left in the Fortress?"
She thought for a moment. "I left my coat in one of the guest rooms." She described the location quickly.
Zorro nodded. "I'll get that while Sergeant Mendoza gets the horses. Stay here with your brother and talk to the priests. We'll be back soon. Come on, Sergeant," Zorro said commandingly.
Mendoza just nodded and followed him. They returned to the Fortress in silence. As they neared the stables, Mendoza turned to Zorro hesitatingly. "Uh, Zorro, I was wondering. Señorita de la Fuente— did she really know your name?"
Zorro glanced at him. "No, Sergeant. She didn't know my name."
Mendoza looked very relieved. Zorro could only guess that Señorita de la Fuente had told the alcalde the name he'd given her. Again, he was grateful for the caution that had prompted him to give a false name when he'd approached her unmasked.
They parted at the stables, and Zorro made his way back inside the Fortress for the last time. It seemed quite deserted now, but he continued to move cautiously, as he had no desire to meet any stray soldiers or the now disgraced commandant. It didn't take him too long to find the room that Victoria had been in or to grab her coat. He looked around to make sure there was nothing else. Looking outside, he realized it would be easy enough to scale down that way, so he did, while pushing away thoughts of the alcalde's fall. He still hadn't absorbed the fact that Luis Ramone was gone.
Zorro made his way back to the mission and found that Mendoza had already made his way back with the horses. He must have taken longer than he thought. Alfonso's body had been moved, and Ramon and Victoria weren't visible at the moment. He took the opportunity to tell Mendoza where he could find the alcalde's body, and Mendoza went off to find some men to help him retrieve it. As he moved away, he saw Victoria and Ramon exiting the mission. Ramon was talking with a priest.
Victoria walked quickly towards Zorro, who handed her jacket. Shrugging into it, she asked, "Do you really think it's too dangerous for Diego to come here?"
"I'm afraid so. There are guards who might recognize him under another name."
"I see," she replied. "But Diego will be the one riding with me, won't he?"
"Oh, most definitely. It's the least he can do all things considered..."
Ramon had finished talking to the priest and walked up to them. Victoria hugged him. "Is everything arranged?" she asked.
"Sí, there's nothing to worry about. It will all be done properly."
"I wish we could take him home," she said sadly.
"So do I, but this is best," Ramon replied.
"I know."
Ramon reached out a hand to Zorro, who shook it cordially. "Watch out for my sister, and tell Don Diego to do the same. I'm holding you both responsible."
Victoria interrupted. "Ramon, stop that. I've already told you I can look after myself. I have for years."
"I still worry, Victoria," he replied, giving her another hug.
"And I love you; don't worry. Now take care, and write me."
"I will," Ramon said. But he still directed a sharp look at Zorro before walking back towards the mission.
She looked at Zorro. "I suppose we should be leaving. Where's Toronado?"
"Not far away," he said. "Within walking distance, if you don't mind."
"I don't," she said.
Without another word, he took the reins of her horse, and they started walking away from the mission and the Fortress. It wasn't too long before they reached a small grove of trees. Zorro whistled, and in a few moments, Toronado appeared. Victoria smiled at the white forelock.
"Felipe's idea," he said. "We didn't want him to be recognized." He looked around carefully. There was no one on the road near them, and the trees were close enough that they blocked any view from the Fortress. He pulled his other clothes from Toronado's saddlebags. "I think it's time for Zorro to take his leave."
Victoria looked at him with a sly smile; for the first time since she'd seen him in the Fortress, she felt like teasing him. "Don't let me stop you."
He glared at her for a moment before disappearing behind some bushes. More quickly than she thought possible, he reappeared fully changed, carrying Zorro's clothes.
"How do you do that?" she asked.
"Practice," he replied, as he started packing Zorro's things away. "More than I've liked, in fact." He also slipped the parchment into the bag.
Once he finished, Diego turned around to see Victoria standing quite close to him. He stared at her for a long moment before reaching out to hug her very tightly. Relieved when she returned his embrace, he placed a light kiss on the top of her head. He felt as if he should apologize for failing her. He should have brought her with him in the first place. She shouldn't have had to follow him. He should have been more cautious. The alcalde should never have been in a position to unmask him at all. He shook his head to try to clear it. They needed to move on quickly while it was still light if they wanted to get past the furthest of the patrols before either they learned what had happened at the Fortress or it got too dark to travel safely.
Gently releasing her, Diego said reluctantly, "We can't afford to wait any longer. I'd feel better if we're a lot farther north before nightfall."
Victoria looked up at him with an odd expression, but all she said was "Let's go." She mounted her horse as Diego mounted Toronado.
As they rode, Victoria watched Diego out of the corner of her eye. Something was bothering him, and she wondered if it had to do with the alcalde's death. While she believed the fall was an accident, she felt that there was something more to the story, but she would wait until they stopped for the evening. This was not a conversation she wanted to tackle on horseback, not when he needed to concentrate on making sure they stayed out of trouble.
It was late in the day before they were past the range of the perimeter patrols, and Diego had taken several detours to keep them unseen. Victoria was amazed with his skill in navigating previously unfamiliar territory. She was still getting used to seeing the true Diego. Stopping at a junction, Diego turned to her.
"We have a couple of options for where we can spend the night. If we keep this way, we should reach the next pueblo shortly after sunset. However, in the unlikely event someone is following us, they'd probably expect us to stop there, and it will make the trip back a bit longer."
"And the other option?" Victoria asked.
He looked a bit hesitant. "If you don't mind camping, we can head more directly north this way, and there's a small cave we can use for shelter. I spotted it on the way down."
"Of course," Victoria said with a smile. "You know, Diego, if I didn't know your secret, I might wonder why such a studious caballero would have such a wide knowledge of abandoned windmills and empty caves."
"Admittedly, it comes in handier for Zorro, but I can think of several good reasons why a knowledge of the territory would come in handy even for a scholarly man."
"I'm sure you can," Victoria said in a light voice. "I can also think of several bad reasons why the son of a caballero would want to know the locations of lonely refuges."
"Victoria, you don't think..."
"Of course not, I know you too well. But I take it you'd prefer the more northerly route."
"Well, it would be faster, but after trapping you in an abandoned windmill when you wanted to stay in Santa Paula, I thought this time you should choose."
"Oh, let's take the cave. The sooner we get back the better, and I rather liked the windmill."
He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at her. "If you're sure."
"Of course I'm sure. What's the matter?" she asked.
"It's just that we're traveling alone— again," he said. "I'm afraid that sooner or later there's going to be gossip. I don't want to do that to you."
She smiled at him. "Don't be silly. We're not traveling alone."
"No?" he asked.
"No," she replied, holding up her fingers as she spoke. "There's you. There's me. There's Zorro. And..." she paused. "Salvador Guillaranz. So no one's going to think anything scandalous about such a crowd. Now let's go."
Diego sighed before urging Toronado forward. Victoria rode beside him as they headed away from the road. Now that he didn't have to exercise quite so much caution, Victoria wanted to get a few answers.
"So, Diego, when do I get to find out precisely what happened with Zorro and the commandant's daughter and Salvador Guilleranz? What did that handkerchief have to do with any of it?" Victoria asked, calmly, despite the fact she felt like she should be annoyed with him.
He was silent for a long moment. "It's a bit embarrassing, but I'll tell you." So he told her the story about rescuing Rosalinda de la Fuente from bandits and her giving Zorro a scented handkerchief which gave him away after he came back unmasked to help her.
Victoria shook her head a little disbelievingly. "Diego, you are far too trusting when it comes to women," she finally said.
"I may be trusting, but I'm still cautious."
"Which explains Salvador Guilleranz. But still— taking the handkerchief?"
He squirmed a little. "I was trying to be courteous."
"And that courtesy nearly did you in. Next time..."
"There may not be a next time."
She sat up a bit in her saddle. "That's true. If we get a good alcalde..."
"Zorro may finally be able to just disappear," Diego said.
"And there wouldn't be any need for you to pretend any more."
"I'd still rather change gradually, but no, I don't think I would." He went quiet as if lost in thought.
Victoria wanted to ask about the alcalde but decided to wait. They rode on in silence again. It was close to dark when they arrived at the cave he mentioned. It wasn't very large but it offered a little protection from the elements. She was glad though that the sky was clear, and the weather wasn't too cold. Diego set about gathering wood for a fire, while Victoria got some food out of the saddle bags.
After they'd eaten, they both were sitting leaning against a cave wall, watching the fire. Glancing at Diego from the corner of her eye, Victoria finally decided to ask the question. "Diego, what really happened with the alcalde? I know it was an accident, but there was something more to it, wasn't there?"
He looked at her, a guilty expression on his face. "I'm afraid so," he said reluctantly. "It really was an accident; he had been trying to climb down from the roof. I don't know why he was trying to get down that way. He didn't have the skill, and he was trying to get back up. I'd figured out that he'd stolen something from the deed room and was insisting he give it to me before I'd help him back up. He'd agreed, reluctantly, and when I went to take it from him, he... he..." Diego forced himself to continue speaking. "He snatched my hat and mask instead."
"Dios, no!" Victoria exclaimed.
"Yes, and because he had the document in one hand and those in the other, he lost balance and fell. I tried... but I was too slow to be able to stop his fall," Diego said, and then slowly in a softer voice, "Maybe I was too afraid to try to help. After all, he'd seen my face and knew who I really was."
Victoria put her arms around him comfortingly. "Diego, I know you. You'd never deliberately let someone die. The alcalde was responsible for his own fate." She kissed his forehead.
Diego returned her embrace. "I know you're right, but I wish I'd done things differently. I certainly should have brought you with me; if you hadn't come on your own..." He looked at her. "Or was it with the alcalde and Mendoza?"
Victoria leaned against him. "After you'd left, the alcalde said he was going to 'intercede' for my father. I didn't know what he was really up to or what might happen if you met along the way, and I couldn't just stay away. I caught up with them on the road south. And I don't want to talk about the trip; I would have preferred being in the company of a rattlesnake. Mendoza's the one you should pity though; he was the one stuck in the middle."
"I'm sorry, Querida," he said softly but with a trace of humor. "I should have thought this through more carefully."
"Oh, Diego, you can't anticipate everything, even if you are Zorro," Victoria said. "It all worked out in the end, and that's the important thing."
"I suppose it is," he replied. He caressed her cheek with one hand. "And I think we'd better get some sleep. If we get an early enough start in the morning, we might just make my great aunt Catalina's hacienda by tomorrow night." He stood up.
"And actually have somewhere comfortable to sleep? That would certainly be a change for us," Victoria said teasingly, standing up as well.
"Well, I don't like being too predictable," he replied. "Good night, Victoria."
He leaned down to kiss her cheek. Before he could straighten back up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Good night, Diego," she replied.
He looked at her for a moment before moving over to his place on the other side of the fire. Tired from the day's events, he was soon asleep.
Much later, he awoke with a start. He'd been dreaming of the Devil's Fortress, but instead of the alcalde he'd been the one who'd fallen. As he lay trying to catch his breath, he could hear a soft sound near by. After a few moments, he realized that it was Victoria crying. He sat up and moved over to where she lay near the far wall.
"Victoria?" he spoke quietly as he gently touched her shoulder.
Pushing herself up, wiping her face, Victoria said, "I'm sorry, Diego. I didn't mean to wake you. Please go back to sleep."
"You didn't wake me. What's wrong, Querida?" Diego said, pulling her into a gentle embrace, softly stroking her hair.
She didn't say anything for a while. When she finally spoke, it was so softly he could just make out what she was saying. "My father. All this time I thought he was dead. I should have realized, should have found him, done something. He shouldn't have died there."
Diego held her tighter. "Oh, Querida, There was no way for you to know, and once you did, you did everything you could. You were there for him in the end. No one could ask for a better or more dutiful daughter." He kept to himself the gloomy thoughts that even if she had known, things would probably have ended no better and possibly worse. There was no point in that.
She didn't say anything more, just hid her face in his shirt. As he held her, he tried not to think about how much he wished he had the right to hold her all the time or how very alone they were. Very soon, he could tell that Victoria had fallen back asleep. Not wanting to risk waking her, he settled back, planning to wait a few minutes before trying to move back to his blanket.
The first light of dawn hit his eyes, and Diego woke up disoriented. It took him a moment to realize where he was. Victoria lifted her head sleepily at his movement.
"Oh," she said quietly, sitting up. "I didn't mean to fall asleep like that."
"I didn't either," he said trying work out the stiffness in his shoulders. "I suppose we should get started."
Victoria sighed. "Yes, we should. This really is starting to become a habit for us." She stood up and started gathering the blankets.
"I think it's one I'd like to break," Diego said wryly as he made sure the fire was out.
"I don't know," Victoria said, flirtatiously. "I'd rather like to be able to make sleeping in your arms a habit."
He smiled back at her. "I'd like that too and soon, I hope."
It wasn't too long before they were riding back north. Now being more familiar with the territory, Diego found the return trip went faster, and it was certainly more pleasant with Victoria by his side. He found it almost ironic that they ended up arriving at his great aunt's hacienda not that much later in the day as he had on the way down.
This time though he found Roberto outside with one of his grandsons almost as if they'd been waiting for them, and when he greeted them, Diego found out it was close to the truth. "Doña Catalina thought you might return either this evening or tomorrow." Roberto looked at Toronado. "I wanted to be prepared. I expect they've had a hard day."
"Thank you," Diego said.
Roberto took charge of Toronado, while his grandson took charge of Victoria's horse, leaving Diego and Victoria to go to the hacienda. Doña Catalina was waiting in the sala. She greeted them both warmly.
"Diego. Señorita Escalante, this is an unexpected pleasure. It looks like you two have had a tiring day."
"It was a long one, but the thought of reaching you, Aunt Catalina, made it worthwhile."
"Flatterer. But I imagine that what you would like, Señorita Escalante, is the chance to wash away the dust of travel."
Victoria smiled a little uncertainly. "I don't want to be a bother, Doña Catalina."
"Nonsense. You're no bother at all. You can borrow some of my granddaughter's things. Just let me tell the servants." Diego's great aunt left the room.
"I did promise you a comfortable place to sleep," Diego said.
"Yes, you did," Victoria replied. "And after today's ride, I am glad of it."
"I am too."
They stood a little apart. Diego almost reached out to take Victoria's hand but resisted as he was unsure when his aunt would return. Everything seemed so awkward again now that they weren't alone. He hoped that it wouldn't be much longer before he wouldn't have to pretend at all.
Victoria looked up at him curiously and seemed about to say something, when Doña Catalina reentered back into the room, followed by a maid.
"Señorita Escalante, Juanita will show you to your room. I hope you'll find everything you need, but if not, don't be afraid to ask."
"Thank you. You're too kind. Good night, Doña Catalina." Victoria looked at Diego for a moment. "Good night, Don Diego."
Diego took her hand for a moment. "Good night, Señorita Victoria," he said politely, hating how formal he sounded.
Victoria smiled at him slightly before leaving the room. Diego looked at his great aunt, who had a curious look in her eyes, but she didn't say anything until she'd sat down in a chair.
"Now, dear nephew, tell me what happened. You returned very quickly, which I expect means that your errand did not end well, and you brought Señorita Escalante with you, which was also unexpected as you certainly implied she was staying behind. I want to know if there was any trouble."
Diego sighed as he took a seat near her, trying to figure out what exactly he could or should tell her. He finally decided to keep it as brief as possible. "Apparently the alcalde of Los Angeles decided to go after I left and Victoria got worried and followed me separately, and it was a good thing she did as that meant she did get to see her father before he died. She and her brother Ramon were with him in the end. Ramon stayed behind to handle the burial. And in the course of everything there was a mass escape of prisoners from Devil's Fortress and the alcalde fell to his death, both of which might be blamed on Zorro who also happened to be there. It seemed best to head back to Los Angeles as quickly as possible."
"I see," his great aunt said in a tone that indicated that she understood more than what he was saying. "I think you were wise to be in a hurry."
"You seemed to expect it, at least Roberto says you did."
"Well, though I didn't want to say it at the time, I thought it was more probable that you would not find Señor Escalante there alive, and in that case you'd want to return as quickly as possible to Señorita Escalante," she said, evenly. "I am glad that she was able to say good-bye to her father. I'm sure that was a comfort to her." She leaned back in her chair for a moment, then turned towards Diego. "Do you expect any of the troubles at the Fortress to follow you back to Los Angeles? If so, I am certainly willing to say that you and Señorita Escalante have spent the last several days here. And no one here would contradict me."
"Thank you, Aunt Catalina, but I don't think we'll need you to lie for us. At least, I hope not," Diego said a bit uncertainly.
"I will if it's necessary," she said. Then she looked at him closely. "You're looking very tired, Diego. Go get some rest; it's the same room as before. I hope you don't intend to leave too early tomorrow because I expect to see the two of you at breakfast."
"As you wish, Aunt Catalina," Diego said, standing up tiredly. "Good night and I'll see you in the morning."
"Good night, young man," his aunt said with a smile.
Diego made his way to the guest room, wondering vaguely which room Victoria had been given. He hadn't dared asked his aunt, and he wasn't going to go looking for her. Not now. She'd probably been given one of the rooms near his aunt's. He sighed a little, regretting the awkwardness of their parting. Perhaps soon...
As he entered his room, he was struck with the thought that his aunt hadn't asked a single question about Zorro. More than ever, he wondered just what his aunt might suspect. He knew that she would never do anything to harm him, but he wasn't about to give away his secret willingly to yet another person. Too tired to want to worry about this anymore, Diego decided to try to get some sleep.
~Z~Z~Z~
Victoria woke up early the next morning, feeling much refreshed. It had been a relief to sleep in such a comfortable bed after the long trip down and back. It was amazing that she'd slept so well, considering that she was worried a bit about Diego. She knew he was still feeling guilty about the death of the alcalde, even though it wasn't his fault. On the other hand, all she felt was relief that the tyrant of the pueblo was gone and a hope for a future with justice in Los Angeles.
Oh, if Zorro could finally fade away and Diego could stop pretending to be less than what he was. On the ride back, Victoria had finally gotten a chance to start getting to know Diego as he really was, and it had finally hit her that it was the disguise he wore as Diego that caused him the most difficulty. She winced as she remembered times when she must have hurt him without meaning to, and she knew that he felt the barbs of his father's disappointment as well. While Alejandro was never deliberately cruel and in fact often seemed to try to suppress his irritation, Victoria knew that Diego was still hurt by it. It was the main reason she wanted Diego to tell his father the truth.
But Diego was so insistent about keeping the secret until Zorro was no longer needed. She knew he wouldn't have told her if she hadn't figured it out for herself. Even now she could tell he was still uncomfortable with trying to balance their private and public relationship. That awkward parting last night in front of his great aunt. She was looking forward to not having to hide her feelings or having to worry about acting a part.
As hopeful as she was feeling at the moment, Victoria knew that they could just as easily get another bad alcalde as a good one. But at least there would be a respite, and during that time some things could be changed, if she could only convince Diego of that. It was strange to realize that he could be more stubborn than she was. He'd done such a good job pretending to be mild-mannered and malleable that she'd managed to overlook that fact.
Finally, Victoria got out of bed. She knew they would be starting back for Los Angeles sometime later in the morning. However, Diego hadn't been clear about the time. Getting back into her traveling clothes, Victoria debated for a moment what she should do. She decided to go to the sala.
The hacienda was relatively quiet. She could hear the sounds of people moving around, but she didn't actually see anyone as she entered the sala, which was why she was surprised to hear Doña Catalina's voice from the corner of the room.
"Good morning, Señorita Escalante," she said. She was sitting on the sofa near a window, a book in her lap.
"Good morning, Doña Catalina," Victoria said. "I didn't mean to disturb you."
"Nonsense. Please sit down. I could use the company," Diego's aunt said, putting her book down on the table beside her, as Victoria hesitantly sat down in a nearby chair. "Wakefulness is a blessing and a curse of age. More time to do and think but also more time to miss those who've gone before us. It is on days like today that I most feel the absence of my dear Everardo." She sighed before turning to look at Victoria. "I'm sorry about your father, señorita. I remember him. A good man always ready to fight for what he believed in."
"Gracias, Doña Catalina," Victoria said a little sadly.
She didn't know what to say. Her feelings were still in a jumble of sorrow, guilt, and even anger. For so long she had thought her father dead and that she'd cried all her tears for him, only to lose him a second time, and she couldn't even stay to see him buried. And on top of that, there was the death of the alcalde that could mean a brighter future. It was too much to figure out at once.
Doña Catalina reached out a hand to touch her arm gently. "There's no need to say anything at all." She sat back and changing the subject said, "I hope you slept well."
"Yes, very well, gracias."
"I'm glad. I know you've got a long day's travel today, though I suspect not nearly as long as you rode yesterday."
At this moment, Diego made his appearance. "Good morning, Aunt Catalina," he said.
"Ah, Diego, right on time," the old woman said cheerfully. "Though I think your father would be surprised. He seems to think you're a late riser. At least according to his letters."
Diego gave her a crooked smile. "Well, we would like to be back in Los Angeles before dark, and I know you're an early riser." He looked at Victoria brightly. "Good morning, Señorita."
Victoria smiled at him. "Good morning, Don Diego. I wasn't sure what you had planned. We didn't have time to talk last night. I didn't want you to have to look for me."
Doña Catalina grabbed her cane from beside the sofa. "I'm going to go tell Dolores that we're ready for breakfast."
"I can do that, Aunt Catalina," Diego protested.
"True, but I'd rather do it myself. Dolores is feeling a bit touchy this morning." She pushed herself up and left the room.
Diego quickly crossed the room to Victoria who had stood when Doña Catalina had. He took her hand in his. "Good morning, Querida," he said again. This time he kissed her hand as he would as Zorro.
"That's a change from last night," Victoria said with a slight blush.
"That's why," he said softly. "I'm sorry. This is still new."
"And we still need to be careful. I know," Victoria replied. "It's all right." For now, she thought.
Diego took a step back. He could hear his aunt's cane tapping along the floor. She stopped at the edge of the room. "Come along, you two. I want to be sure you've eaten before you go on your way."
"Yes, Aunt Catalina," Diego said politely offering his arm to Victoria, who took it without comment.
~Z~Z~Z~
By mid-afternoon, Diego and Victoria were nearing Los Angeles, though Diego was taking a slightly round-about route. Reining in, he turned to Victoria.
"I'm going to have to switch horses before any one sees me on Toronado," he said. "Do you want to ride into town alone or come with me?"
Victoria laughed. "You expect me to miss out on seeing where Zorro hides himself?" she asked incredulously. "Besides, Diego de la Vega, Zorro promised you'd see me all the way home, and I don't think you want to make a liar of him."
"No, I don't," Diego replied. "I just wanted to give you the choice."
"Well, now you know," Victoria said. "How much further is it?"
"Actually not much. We could be there in half an hour at this rate."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
It was just over half an hour later when they reached the hidden entrance to the cave. As there wasn't room for all three horses inside the cave, Diego and Victoria dismounted at the entrance. Victoria was a little startled when the door slid open after Diego stepped heavily on the plank.
"It's part of an old escape route from the hacienda," he explained, taking her hand to guide her inside.
After they were all the way inside, Victoria looked around in amazement. "This is part of an escape route?"
"Yes, I think my grandfather wanted not only an escape but a place to take refuge in case of attack."
Victoria walked over to the table that held his scientific equipment. "And this must be where you do your experiments as well. I had wondered."
"Most of them," Diego said. "Especially those most useful to Zorro. There's an old outbuilding where I do some token experiments, mostly so no one wonders where I actually do my work."
"Where do the stairs go?" Victoria asked.
"Up to the fireplace in the library." He crossed the room. "There's a viewing hole to check to see if anyone's there."
"Really?" Victoria went to look. Standing on the step she looked through and saw the library which was empty. "This is truly amazing," she said turning back to Diego. "Almost like something from a fairy tale."
"I must admit it has been something of a refuge for me," Diego said. "It's not just a place to hide Zorro's things, but a place where I can be myself without a disguise."
"That is another thing, Diego," Victoria said somewhat haltingly.
"What is?"
"Your disguise." She took Diego's hand in hers. "I understand your need to keep your secret from your father, but you often make yourself look worse than you need to. Your father loves you very much. Did you ever think that might be hard on him?"
Diego pursed his lips. He was usually so caught up in whatever was happening at the moment that he had not thought about it quite like that before. "I suppose you're right. But...what should I do?"
"For a start, let me be the one to tell your father a version of what happened at Devil's Fortress. I promise it won't give away your secret."
"As my lady wishes," Diego said with a grin as he leaned in to kiss her gently.
"I do wish." Victoria gently stroked Diego's face. "I think you've lost sight of the fact that your father doesn't need to know you're Zorro to know the man you really are."
"You think so?"
Victoria put her arms around Diego and rested her head on his chest. "I do indeed."
THE END
Next up: "The New Broom." It may be a while as I've just started it.