Chapter 11
Three weeks had passed since the day Victoria had nearly lost her child, and Zorro hadn't made an appearance in the pueblo since.
Diego had given up his role as protector of the pueblo, and he no longer chased bandits or challenged the alcalde over some taxes. There was still a price on Zorro's head, and he couldn't be linked to the outlaw. It also meant that he couldn't be seen riding Toronado as Diego. The black stallion was too prominent and would be recognized by the alcalde if he dared to ride on him.
Toronado had adjusted well to his new surroundings and the hidden canyon behind the hacienda where he was running free. But the horse needed to be ridden and exercised, and Diego couldn't abandon him. It meant that he still had to dress up in his black outfit, and the black rider was still roaming the countryside for some time after dusk. Both rider and mount enjoyed the time together and the freedom it provided.
Victoria didn't like it at all, but since he only exercised the horse and didn't engage in any battles, she learned to accept it. Diego made sure he never stayed away longer than one or two hours to keep her from worrying.
The soldiers claimed to have seen a black clad rider in the night while on patrol, but he kept his distance, and they couldn't prove that it was really Zorro. The alcalde didn't believe them, telling them they should stop seeing ghosts. If Zorro were still around, he would make an appearance. He probably couldn't take it that his love was expecting a child from another man. De Soto was mostly convinced that there was no more Zorro, but some doubt kept lingering.
But still the soldiers held on their beliefs to have seen him. Soon stories made the rounds that it was Zorro's ghost who was haunting the area at night, and he was even more scary than Zorro himself whom they had met and talked to.
Z Z Z
The situation was getting worse now without Zorro stopping the alcalde. It only helped a little that the governor in Monterey became more alert of the situation in Los Angeles after the King's emissary was killed there. It always took some time until the news of the newest taxes reached him and he could react.
The only resistance the alcalde still found was in the newspaper the Guardian. Making the alcalde's misdeeds public, Diego tried to hold him somehow in check, but the work at the hacienda didn't leave him as much time as before for the newspaper. He had hired some stuff to do the actual printing, but he was still responsible for it as its editor.
Victoria had recovered again and no longer needed to stay in bed, but the doctor didn't want her to do much. She was used to working all day and now with so much time on her hand she got bored, looking for something to do that kept her occupied and wasn't straining.
"Diego, let me help you with the newspaper," Victoria asked him one morning at breakfast.
"You?" Diego looked surprised.
"I have been writing the Doña Corazon column for years now, and I have learned about the work of the newspaper in recent years."
"Do you really want to do it?"
"I see how much you work on the fields now, and to work as an editor is something I can do sitting down while the doctor asks me I shouldn't exhaust myself with physical labor."
"You are right, I haven't had much time for the paper recently, and we need to show some resistance to the alcalde."
"That's exactly the point, Diego. I don't want you to fight as Zorro again. And I don't want to stay at home doing nothing and be bored, while you work so hard. I want to do my share, Diego."
"It wouldn't require any physical work, mainly reading and editing the articles," Diego warmed up to the idea. "But how will you get the information for your articles?"
Victoria smiled. "That won't be a problem. I meet regularly with Pilar to get her reports from the tavern, and she can hardly be kept from sharing all the gossip. Jaime likes visiting us and over a meal he tells everything the alcalde has planned. And," Victoria's smile broadened, "since I'm married to a caballero, I get invited to the woman's circle."
"Woman's circle?" Diego asked questioningly.
"The women of the caballeros meet regularly to do some needle craft together and have a chat among them. I participated only once yet, but there will be another meeting next week at Doña Maria Vintero's hacienda."
"You didn't tell me you got invited, but I'm happy you're accepted among the women despite the circumstances of our marriage." It was important to Diego that his wife was acknowledged among their peers despite the split with his father and that she hadn't been a Doña before their marriage.
"Some caballeros may ignore you now and not invite you to some of their parties, because they want to stay on the good side of your father, but the women have their own rules. Among them Doña Maria Vintero plays an important role. She never forgot how you saved her cattle two years ago by analyzing the water and cutting off the poisonous water from their old mine. She insisted that as a respected married woman and as a Doña I belong to them now."
"It looks like you have advantages over me gathering information," Diego laughed. "It would be a real help to me if you took over the work. I never knew you were interested in it."
"I liked it from the start that's why I took over the column, but I always had too much work at the tavern to do more."
"And now that you have married the editor you can take over the job," Diego teased her.
"Didn't you know that's the reason I married you?" Victoria replied in the same tone.
"You mean all these nightly visits from Zorro were never necessary? The roses and the compliments?" Diego feigned hurt.
"You can be such a tease, Diego de la Vega," Victoria drew his head down to her to kiss him, making him laugh.
Z Z Z
With Diego's help Victoria started to work on the newspaper, something that kept her occupied while taking care of herself and the child. It didn't take long until she could work on it alone, but she still wanted Diego to write the main article. His pointed remarks and well written articles that showed his knowledge on law and other topics were something she didn't want to go without.
When his time allowed it, Diego rode out and did some researches on an article, encouraging people to learn how to read and write and to stand up against the alcalde.