Chapter 07 Secrets in the Night Page | 5
Rating: T
A/N: I'm so sorry it has been so long. You've probably all forgotten about this little story. I feel bad that I've let this slip down on my priorities list. I'm away on vacation at the moment so RL isn't interfering like usual so hopefully I'll be able to post a couple of chapter this week. Thanks for waiting and reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Zorro in any incarnation. I am not sure who does, all I know is it is not me. No copyright infringement, or disrespect to the people who have made Zorro a legend, is intended. Thank you.
Secrets in the Night
Chapter 07
By: visions2share a.k.a. Vi
An hour later as Diego and Victoria rode along the coast back the way they'd traveled that morning, Diego still could not stop smiling. He would need to get himself under control before they reached Los Angeles or his abnormally cheery mood would alert the whole pueblo that something was going on.
Victoria, for her part, had not spoken a word since the emissary had declared he would be arresting de Sotto, accept to promise not to do or say anything to de Sotto that might cause him to become suspicious.
Diego had tried to get Sebastian to give him more details. He'd asked many questions. Who was to be the next alcalde? When would the new leadership for the garrison arrive? Was anyone else being charged as a co-conspirator? But it was all in vain as his questions were negligently rebuffed with a relaxed wave of Sebastian's hand. Diego initially believed that his old friend was still playing mind games – but, when his requests for the letters the King had sent were similarly denied, he began to have other suspicions. When Sebastian didn't offer to have them join him for a meal or to stay the night and ride back to Los Angeles the next day with military escort – Diego was convinced. Either Sebastian's manners had deteriorated to the point of being unrecognizable, or the answers to his questions and the contents of the letters, Sebastian they were better concealed from Victoria.
If that was so, Diego was perplexed as to Sebastian's reasoning. While Diego kept many a secret from his father, the people of the pueblo, and Victoria in particular, he was at a loss as to explain, in context, what secret "Sebastian" would have to keep.
There were many topics that were best not discussed in front of a lady. But Diego couldn't see where any such topic could come up. Even talking about the wildness of their school days wouldn't be so outside the bounds of propriety as to cause the type of stilted conversation the dialogue had become.
On the other hand, there were a great many topics that were perfectly acceptable in front of a lady that Diego was very pleased hadn't come up. Sir Edmund hadn't come up in conversation, and Diego had been expecting him to, since he had trained both Diego and Sebastian and had been chased from Spain to California by bounty hunters. It would seem that his demise would be a valid topic of conversation but he hadn't been mentioned. In fact, nothing had been mentioned from that time. They hadn't reminisced over other mutual friends, court parties, or the King's peculiarities. They hadn't discussed the magic shows that Diego used to put on for the court – which were really scientific demonstrations in disguise. They didn't discuss the new weapons that Diego had designed for the King's army during his time in Madrid. So many topics were not even remotely touched on. And Diego couldn't help but find that odd, even as he was relieved. Yes, Sebastian was definitely up to something. Something beyond arresting Ignosio de Sotto for treason. Diego didn't know whether whatever was going on was somehow related to that or a completely different matter, which would seem to make more sense given the way that Victoria had been purposefully excluded from the conversation.
Diego would be on his guard the whole time "Sebastian" was visiting the pueblo – he knew too many things that he didn't know he needed to conceal for Diego to be truly at ease in his old friend's presence. He would make sure that Felipe was brought up to speed on what was going on – and that, before Sebastian arrived in Los Angeles in two days time, they had updated their plans for Felipe's escape into America should the worst come to fruition.
So, with the good news of de Sotto's impending arrest came a certain nervousness that Diego couldn't help but feel, the feeling of not knowing what was coming next. And knowing that whatever it was, wouldn't maintain the status quo – things would either get much better – or, conversely, much worse. And only time would tell. It was, as Sir Edmund used to say, "a waiting game". It hadn't been Edmund's strong suit – and wasn't Diego's favorite game – but he would put on a mask of indifference and pretend.
A waiting game.
Well, alright.
May the games begin!
End Chapter 07
A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 07. I hope you enjoyed it. Chapter 08 will be up as soon as I can. Again I'm sorry for the long delay waiting for chapter 07 - I hope to be quicker in the future. Thanks again for reading!
