Chapter 4 An unplanned encounter

Early in the morning on the day of Carmen's departure Zorro was guarding the northern road to Santa Paula. He had heard of some attacks on travelers, but the lancers hadn't been able to catch the bandits. From his vantage point he had a good overview over the road, but there weren't any travelers in sight.

It didn't take long until the the small wagon appeared he had been expecting. There was no need to wait for it to came closer to identify the woman who was sitting on it. Victoria who was on her way to Santa Paula on some business as he had heard her say yesterday in the tavern.

The bandits who he hadn't been able to catch sight of until now left him no more time to think. The moment they emerged from their hiding spot to attack the wagon, he set Toronado into motion. The moment of surprise on his side they were no match for him. Easily he overcame them and bound them backwards on their horses to send them to Los Angeles where the sergeant Mendoza would know what to do with them after he saw the Z on their clothing and found the message he left for him.

Only after this was finished he approached Victoria who had steered the wagon into the shade of the small grove beside the road.

Ever since that fateful day when he split up with her, he had gone out of her way as Zorro and now he didn't know what to say. They never stopped looking into each others eyes when he offered her his hand to help her down the wagon. Victoria didn't say anything either but the moment she touched the ground she was in his arms. He couldn't let go of her after all these weeks he had been longing to hold her. Kissing her frantically she melted in his arms and they forgot the world around them. He showed her how much he had missed her and how much she meant to him by kissing and caressing her. Several times he released her to leave, only to turn around again and like a drowning man he kept on kissing her. They didn't know how much time had passed one hour or two when they heard a group of horses on the road.

"You should try to forget me," he whispered after he released her. They were the first words he said to her.

"Never," she said defiantly.

After he had revealed so much of his feelings to her she knew that it broke his heart as much as as hers to say that. They had never been so close to each other and there was no way they could deny their love. She saw the tears in his eyes before he finally turned around and this time he didn't look back when he rode away to escape the nearing lancers.

Her lips were burning from his kisses and she felt the chill winter day now that she was no longer in his warm embrace. Blinded from tears she continued her journey to Santa Paula although it was nearly to late for the journey and she would have to stay there until the next morning.

Z Z Z

As in a trance he returned home from the most happy and at the same most heart tearing morning of his life. Never before had they spent so much uninterrupted time together and knowing that it had to be the last time had made it only so much more bittersweet. But how could they part now when the display of emotions this morning had tightened them closer than ever before? Why had he acted like a fool today? He should have left the moment he had captured the bandits. Now he would never be able to win her as Diego and how else could they get married without the alcalde becoming suspicious?

Contemplating he sat in the library unaware of his surroundings and didn't hear his father's words.

"Diego, where have you been? You missed Carmen's departure to Monterey. She was here to say goodbye to you and she was disappointed that you weren't there."

"Who left?" Diego asked trying to understand what his father was telling him.

"Carmen. Where are you with your thoughts, Diego."

"Carmen who? Oh yes, she left." Diego replied absentminded.

"Don't tell me you suddenly don't know any more who Carmen is, after you spent so much time with her recently. Is everything all right with you, Diego?"

"Yes, everything is fine, Father." He wanted to go to the cave, but in the last moment he remembered that he couldn't open the secret passage in his father's presence.

Concerned Alejandro looked at his son who headed for his room. Something was bothering him deeply or he wouldn't be in such a state. He only wished that Diego would confide in him and tell him of his troubles. He would have thought Diego was sad about Carmen's departure after they had gotten along so well, but obviously he didn't care about her as much as Alejandro had hoped. Diego hardly seemed to remember who she was today.

To distract himself Diego went to the cave to ride out as Zorro again. When he went to the rack to change his outfit he found his black clothes missing. He looked around but they were nowhere to be seen. A few minutes later Felipe emerged from the entrance to the hacienda.

"Felipe, where are my clothes?"

'You took them?'

"Why did you do that?"

'To protect me?'

"Felipe, I can take care of myself, there is no need for that."

'You think that I'm too distracted tonight? That I'm somewhere else with my thoughts?'

"Felipe, maybe you are right, but that is no reason to take my clothes. Now return them."

Stubbornly Felipe sat down in a chair and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Diego sighed. "Felipe, why must we have this discussion tonight. I know what I'm doing."

Felipe shook his head.

'You don't think that when it gets to Victoria? That I get injured when I'm too distracted? That I should rather drink some cactus tea to sleep than ride out into the night?'

"So you are going to insist that I stay home tonight?"

Felipe nodded vehemently. Then he went to the table and poured some cactus tea into a small mug that he offered his father.

Diego sighed again and shook his head. "No, I don't need any cactus tea. I'll try to sleep without it. I think I'm tired enough."

Slowly he rose from his chair and headed for the exit. "Only this time I'm going to give in to you if you promise never to hide my clothes again."

Felipe agreed with a nod.

"But don't think you can make a habit out of it," Diego admonished him.

Felipe hid his relieved smile behind his hand.