Chapter 9
Victoria had learned to read Diego by the way he kissed her. She could tell now if he was troubled or in a happy mood. And she noticed that she wasn't the only one who was getting more anxious the closer they came to Los Angeles. Diego didn't say anything, but she felt his desperation growing each day they neared the end of the journey.
"What's wrong, Diego?" Victoria asked. "Why don't you want to return to Los Angeles?"
Diego faked a smile. "Who says that I don't want to return?"
"You can't hide your feelings from me, Diego and I know that you're not happy about it. So tell me what bothers you! First you wanted us to return earlier and now you're delaying our arrival!" Victoria put her hand on his. "Why are we stopping here in this small little grove beside the road when the pueblo is only an hour away if you're not stalling? We could easily go on without this break."
"It's alright, Victoria." Diego lied. How could he tell her that he feared losing her? As soon as they were back, Victoria would hear about Zorro. She'd either remember her love for Zorro or she'd leave him because he hadn't told her about Zorro and courted her himself. In both ways their love would come to an end while he lost her to his alter ego.
"Don't lie to me, Diego, please. Is there someone else waiting for you in Los Angeles? Have you lied to me about marrying you?" She asked with a trembling voice.
"No, there is no one else, Victoria. You're the only one I want to marry if you will have me. It's just that life is much more complicated in Los Angeles, Victoria." Diego sighed.
"What do you mean by that, Diego? Please, I need to know!"
"Nothing I can say will change anything. So let's be happy for the time being. Just promise me that you won't talk about what happened with the settlers and our trip to San Francisco." Diego drew her close. He couldn't let the pueblo know about his fighting and hunting abilities or the alcalde might get suspicious. It was bad enough that Zorro hadn't taken any action while he was away. He had asked Felipe to ride out as Zorro and let himself be seen without getting involved in fighting, but he wasn't sure if it had been enough.
"I promise if it makes you happy, Diego." Victoria kissed him, realizing he wasn't willing to tell her what troubled him.
"Thank you, Victoria," he smiled a little, holding and kissing her desperately for a long time. "The last weeks with you were the best days of my life and I wish they'd never end." Victoria was concerned about him. In addition to her fears about the unknown life in Los Angeles that she couldn't recall, she started to wonder what it could be that troubled Diego so much. Why was it important for him that she didn't talk about their trip together when it was mainly her reputation at stake? He had been so happy and relaxed during their travel, no matter how uncomfortable and straining it had been. And now the responsibility he felt for the pueblo, which he had been able to put aside for the length of their journey, dragged him down - and maybe there was something else he hadn't told her. But as long as there wasn't another woman waiting for him, everything would be alright, wouldn't it?
