"Really the nerve of the man! He said his orders and his rank make it a necessity for him to make this pueblo his base. He has taken over my garrison, and my office!" The alcalde complained.
Diego nodded thoughtfully, and poured some more wine. "Thank you, Diego. You are very kind."
"You're staying at the tavern for now, alcalde?" Alejandro said softly.
"Yes. It is all temporary of course. Once the stupid bank robbers have been caught the man will be leaving."
"Let's just hope he doesn't set his sights on Zorro. He'll be here indefinitely," Diego said with a smirk.
"It's not funny, Diego. Zorro has brought a lot of pain and suffering upon this pueblo in the past."
"How so?" Alejandro asked.
"Well…well…it doesn't matter…"
"Gilberto Risendo was the example you might have referred to, alcalde. I don't think my father and I want to be reminded of such a time of trial."
"Well, if the emissary hadn't been obsessed with the capture of Zorro, we might have responded a little faster to the real threat."
"Alcalde…" Diego began. He sighed, and waved his hand distractedly. "It doesn't matter. The point is, the faster the man arrests the bandits, the faster he is out of our hair. Perhaps we could prevail upon Zorro to act with you and make the problem go away."
"Ally myself with an outlaw?"
"What's the problem? You must have done so in the past," Diego said softly. He knew very well that the alcalde had relied on his help without verbally begging for it more than a few times in the past. Ramone had even begged for his help with dealing with Thackeray – he'd almost received a pardon that time… He smiled a little at the memory. He had never relied on the promise at any time. Luis Ramone had always been a liar.
"Actually, I thought it was rather careless of you to support the emissary in trying to capture Zorro, when the masked man could have been your salvation."
The alcalde snorted. "We do not all have your wonderful powers of foresight, Diego."
"It might be a good idea," Alejandro said softly. He glanced at Diego's worried frown, and wondered at the boy's short temper.
Alejandro much preferred Zorro's involvement than his son's. Zorro had more experience at dealing with ruffians and cut throats, for one thing.
"Let's get the newcomers out, and encourage and support Zorro – just for the time being. I'm sure Zorro distrusts you enough not to expect anything to come of it. He is probably well aware of the problem already. He always seems to react to threats to the pueblo."
"I'll think about it and take all your points into consideration – both of you," De Soto said to the surprise of both the other men.
Zzz
Alejandro watched Diego stretch obviously tired muscles, and breathe deeply, as the alcalde left the table.
"Are you alright? Diego, I am quite worried about you," Alejandro said gently. Diego turned and watched people bustle about the pueblo. The patio was bright with sunshine and the fresh air was a welcome change.
"Have you been sleeping?" Alejandro asked, knowing the answer already. His son was restless and not in bed for half the night. He wasn't getting much sleep at all.
"The newspaper demands a lot of attention, Father," Diego murmured.
"Hand it over to someone else, Diego."
Diego turned and looked at his father for the first time in a week. He saw the seriousness in his eyes, and sighed.
"You are making yourself ill, Diego. Look at you. Have you even considered your appearance today?"
Diego shrugged, glancing down at himself. His suit was a little crumpled, having lived in it for several days. He hadn't thought to change, or shave. He ran a thoughtful hand over light stumble on his chin, and sighed again.
"I'll go home immediately and change."
"You'll go home and rest, Diego. I'll come with you. Rest and then change and shave. You'll feel better," Alejandro said sternly.
Diego stared at him for a moment.
"If you wish to yell at me, please at least wait until we get home, Diego." Alejandro rose, and went out to the buggy, expecting Diego's obedience. Diego waited for a moment, and then followed.
Zzz
Alejandro paced the library, as Diego stood in the middle of the room.
"I am sick of your interference, Father. I am a grown man, and I have a life to live. I need to make my own choices, not be treated like a child or an imbecile."
Alejandro didn't react. Diego was being irrational as far as he was concerned, and he was not going to add fuel to this particular fire.
"All this overprotective rubbish…all this marry and have children…all this don't try to impress anyone, you'll appear foolish…all these jokes at my expense…"
"I have never once…" Alejandro began, and then flushed. He remembered the times where he had laughed to himself at Diego's general clumsiness.
Diego shot him a hard stare.
"Diego, you are grieving for your friend. It is completely understandable to be angry. Suppressing it is making you irrational. You have never been angry like this before. Francisco's murder just was too much for you."
Diego turned and stormed off to his room, slamming the door with gusto.
Stefano and Felipe stood just inside the library and shrugged.
"Don Alejandro?"
"Stefano?"
"No riding practice then?" The teenager asked a little bewildered.
"Diego was going to take you riding?" Alejandro asked with surprise.
Felipe nodded, a little doubtfully. His eyes went towards Diego's room with concern.
"Never mind him, Felipe. Leave him to himself. Hopefully he will have a rest for the afternoon," Alejandro said softly. "As to the riding, I'll take you both. Whatever you want to learn, I'll see what I can do. I taught Diego all he knows, and a lot of what he's forgotten."
Felipe smiled.
"Thank you so much, Don Alejandro," Stefano said. "And then sword practice?"
"Diego's been teaching you the sword?" Alejandro said with a half-smile. It was lucky none of them had been seriously hurt.
"He's rather good, though it is out of a book, and he is going slowly," Stefano explained.
"I see," Alejandro said. "I suppose I can give you some pointers. It is Diego's project, so I won't do too much for you both. I can fill in for him when necessary."