A Matter of Family
4 - Challenge
Chapter 4: Challenge
A/N: Pañales means "diapers" in Spanish.
Upon arriving back at the De la Vega hacienda Diego barely waited for the buggy to come to a stop before he leaped out and tore across the patio into the sala, crying "Father! Father!"
"Diego, what is it?" replied the elder De la Vega, coming in haste from his study.
"Armed men are attacking the Ramirez hacienda. Francisco Ramirez is on his way to the pueblo to fetch the soldiers. Find Bernardo, send him to me upstairs. Then have Benito gather the vaqueros." And with that he was through the door in the sala cabinet and up the stone steps to the secret room where Bernardo joined him a few minutes later.
"My friend, I must ride as Zorro and I don't know what I am riding into just now," he said, adjusting the mask and reaching for the cape. "But," he continued, now donning the hat, "Don Diego must ride to his family's aid as soon as possible so here is what I want you to do..."
The bandidos were finishing their food when little Alejandro began to fuss. Margarita gently bounced him and patted his back, and then rose and began to walk with him, but to no avail. His crying continued louder.
"Silence that child!" snapped Viernes.
"I think he's hungry," stated Margarita, flatly. "I'll find another room and feed —"
The bandido rose from the table and turned on her. "You will do no such thing! You will feed him right here!"
Now it was Viernes' turn to be fixed by an angry stare. "I will not nurse my son in front of a crowd," she declared, her eyes blazing.
One of the henchmen, profoundly embarrassed, spoke up. "Rafael, she is a doña. The little one's father is a hidalgo. Let's not make things any worse than they already are."
"Very well," replied Viernes. He looked around and pointed to a corner near the fireplace. "Take him there and turn a chair towards the wall. Those two —" he gestured at Teresa and Valentina "— can sit with her. A chair was moved and Margarita sat down and began to loosen her bodice. Both señoritas draped their shawls over her shoulders and the baby for modesty's sake. Alejandro was indeed hungry, and he quieted immediately. Viernes poured himself glass of brandy and helped himself to one of Don Tomás excellent cubanos.
Margarita began to look around in the hope of finding something — anything — that could be used as a weapon. Sitting facing into the corner her view was limited. But then she noticed a grouping of candlesticks on the edge of the fireplace mantle. She looked up at the frightened Valentina Pérez. "Valentina, would you please bring Alejandro's basket over here? He usually needs to be changed after he finishes eating."
The señorita looked at Viernes, who nodded. Then she rose and slowly walked across the room to the basket containing pañales, extra blankets, and other baby things. As she picked it up and set it down beside Margarita's chair, Margarita turned to Doña Elvira's daughter and asked, "Teresa, could you pull one of these shawls a little farther over Alejandro?" When Teresa leaned down to do this, Margarita said in a near whisper: "Tell me about the candlesticks on the mantle. The farthest two look like they are carved wood. What about the others?"
Puzzled by Margarita's interest in these very ordinary objects, Teresa glanced up at the shelf and replied, equally softly, "Sí señora, the square brown ones are carved wood, the red ones are pottery, and the nearest one is brass."
"Teresa, in a little while I am going to stand up and then seem to lose my balance. While everyone is looking at me I want you to take the brass candlestick and hide it in the folds of your skirt. Then when I nod at you I want you to push it down into the basket with the baby things." Teresa' eyes widened in alarm.
"Señora, I don't think I can do that!" the young woman whispered.
"You can, and you must, if you want your parents and the rest of us to remain unharmed."
"Very well, señora, I will try," and she stood upright and casually moved a step closer to the fireplace.
Finally the baby finished nursing. Margarita gently handed her son to Valentina, then reassembled her bodice. Valentina started to hand the infant back to his mother, but after a meaningful glance at Teresa, Margarita started to stand up and said, "Wait, I need to adjust my skirt —OH!" She stumbled a few steps to her right, catching herself on the corner of a nearby cabinet. "I'm sorry," she declared, "I'm afraid I'm stiff from sitting so long." With everyone thus distracted, Teresa backed up two steps, snatched the brass candlestick from the mantlepiece, and hid it in the fullness of her skirt. Moments later, sitting down next to a now-recovered Margarita, she thrust the candlestick into the basket beneath the pañales.
Rafael Viernes took a sip of brandy, blew one last smoke ring and looked around the room. All of his men had finished eating and were somewhat relaxed by the food and the wine. Although they were no longer aiming their pistols at Don Tomás and his guests, all of their weapons were immediately at hand. So Viernes decided it was time to present his revised plan. Perhaps a little more relaxed than he should have been, he rose and began to roam around the room with a bit of a swagger.
"Mis amigos," he began, "it is very unfortunate that we have missed the visit of his Excellency and the beautiful Lágrimas de la Luna. However, fortune has happily presented us with another opportunity. Tonight we will lock everyone in their rooms." Here he looked at Don Tomás. "Surely such a grand hacienda as this has a few extra rooms, no?" The don's only response was a furious glare. "Tomorrow at first light one of your servants will deliver a note to the De la Vega hacienda informing Don Alejandro that the life of his grandson will cost him two thousand pesos and providing instructions as to where and when to deliver the money. While the note is being delivered, the Señora De la Vega and her son will be our honored guests at the old winery up in the hills until the money arrives."
Here Doña Maria Pérez spoke up: "You surely cannot mean to take the señora alone! What if she needs help with the baby? At least let me go with her!"
"Mamá no!" cried Señorita Valentina. "I will go with her!"
"You will not!" exclaimed her mother. "What do you know about caring for a baby?"
"Silence!" roared Viernes. "I will decide in the morning who goes and who stays! As I was saying..." he took another sip of brandy, "...we will repair to the winery until we are in possession of the money. Then we will send Don Alejandro instructions as to where to find his daughter-in-law and her little one. That is our plan, and I think it is a good one."
"Yes señores," said a silken voice from the top of the stairs, "it is a good plan. But why go to all that trouble for two thousand pesos when there is a much simpler way." All eyes turned to the black-clad figure at the top of the steps who was holding two pistols aimed down at the group."
"Zorro!" exclaimed Don Tomás, rising.
The masked man began to descend the stairs. About half-way down he stopped and the pistol in his right hand shifted its aim. "Ah! Señor," he cautioned with a grin, "I would not do that if I were you!" The bandido whose fingers had been inching closer to his weapon quickly withdrew his hand. "A wise decision," said Zorro, as he continued descending. Whatever you do, don't look at Margarita and Alejandro, he thought to himself. What was it General Morales used to say? — 'A distracted man is a dead man.'
Viernes, furious to have been caught unarmed, nevertheless maintained his composure. "You propose to provide us with two thousand pesos and then send us on our way? To what do we owe such generosity, señor?"
"I wouldn't exactly call it 'generosity'. Two thousand pesos is the price on my head. To obtain it, all you have to do is kill me!"
"No!" shouted Margarita, jumping up.
Don't look at her, he thought again to himself. Don't look at Alejandro!
"Señor Zorro," began Don Tomás, "there are five of them here — six if you count the lookout. Such a fight is madness! I will not allow it in my house!"
"I do not think the lookout will be participating. He will not be waking up for some time, and when he does I believe the rope I used will keep him where he is."
"You are serious about this, señor?" asked Viernes.
"Most serious. Five of you, one of me. Where could you get better odds?" he said, still grinning broadly.
A/N: Reviews would be greatly appreciated.