Chapter Eleven
As soon as he dismounted from Toronado and could enter the tavern by the people thanking him for his bravery—both as Zorro and as the editor of the Guardian, Diego could see Victoria's glare. Eyes were on them now. They expected her to throw him out, he knew. That or run over and kiss him.
Victoria was probably considering both.
Which would come first remained to be seen.
"I think we need to talk," she said finally, holding the curtain aside for him to head into the kitchen.
Neither was unexpected. Diego ignored the thin sliver of fear and the knot in his throat and calmly—almost blandly—walked into the kitchen and quickly found his spot where he usually stood to talk to her. Turning, he saw her staring at him.
"Victoria…" he began.
"It's hard," she said. "I have no idea how I managed to not see it. It's hard to not see it. Same everything and yet I was blind to him the entire time... to you the entire time. I had convinced myself that it couldn't be true."
"Did you suspect?"
"I did," she answered. "Numerous times, but then I'd talk myself out of it. I kept telling myself you had to be two men. I hoped you weren't two different men, but at the same time I did."
Diego was confused. "I disappointed you."
"No, no!" she waved her hands and then took a step forward. "No, never that, Diego. I love both your poetic and bookish side and your mysterious man of action side. They are two sides of the same coin. What one you show depends on the situation."
"Then why hope I wasn't?" he asked.
"Because if you were ever caught, I didn't want it to be you they hung," she answered, wiping her eyes at the same time. "Losing both of you would have been too hard to bear. It probably would have killed me. At least, if I believed you were at least safe… oh, I'm not making any sense."
She turned and slammed her hands on her work table.
"I also hoped you weren't," she answered as she turned back around to face him. "Because I wasn't sure if you could ever marry someone like me. You're a cabellero, a true noble of Spain—thanks to your mother and other family—while I am just a simple tavern owner."
Diego took a step forward and lifted her chin. "Victoria, when I was in Spain, all I could think of was you. I thought Zafira could fill in that gaping hole where you belonged, but when I was stood up, I realized she wasn't the one for me. You are. I wish I had courted you as me and not Zorro. If I had, we would have been married by now and my father a very happy man with little grandchildren running through the hacienda. Beautiful and smart like their mother."
She shook her head. "Oh, no, you're the smart one…"
"I have book smarts, and learning, but you have wisdom and work experience, and life experience," he said. "And you are smart. It takes a good head for business and math to keep a business running. You have both. Had you the same education as me, I can easily see you running circles around me in smarts. Don't you ever doubt that."
She finally took the final steps forward and wrapped her arms around his ribs, careful of the bruising, as she leaned her head against his chest. As she listened to his heart, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair.
"I take it you forgive me for not telling you about Zorro earlier?" he asked.
"Not yet," she groused, rubbing his back. "But perhaps some day soon I will. How badly were you hurt by the pretender's men?"
Diego sighed, and she could hear it in his chest. "I'll live."
"But you're not completely well yet," she realized in horror, and she pushed back a little bit to examine his face. "You should still be resting."
He lifted a brow, and then chuckled. "Plenty of time for that later. Right now, I want to catch up on the time I've let slip by while I carried on my one-man mission as Zorro."
"Fine, then, but after you sit and rest, even at the party," she pointed out.
Night had fallen, and the music that filtered out of the tavern was merry. De Soto stepped out of the office that Mexico was allowing him to hold until an election replaced him. He looked over at Alejandro and waved. Alejandro waved back, and he was surprised by the tiny pang of regret again.
Ignacio, as a Spanish citizen and not Mexican, would not be allowed to run in the election. Alejandro stepped into the street as de Soto nodded to one of the soldiers. "Feliz Navidad," he greeted quietly. "I am sorry that you have to work tonight of all nights."
"It is no trouble, Alcalde," answered the lancer. "With your permission, we can take turns on watch so that we can all have a chance to greet the townspeople and enjoy a bit of the party."
"Granted," said the Alcalde, and he turned to go find Mendoza just as Alejandro stepped onto the caurtel's porch.
He waited, not wanting to interrupt what could be Ignacio's last actions as alcalde.
It didn't take long to find Mendoza, and he came out of the office at a run. De Soto stepped up to him, and looked for a moment like he would dress the man down like he had in the past. "Mendoza, I have authorized the men to take turns on watch so that you can all enjoy Senorita Escalante's tavern—if you remain sober, that is—before she marries Don Diego."
"Why would you think she would do that?" asked Mendoza, and Alejandro remembered that the Sergeant hadn't seen Diego ride into town earlier.
De Soto had.
"Let's just say that Don Diego has a very familiar and large black horse, with some incredible tack and bridle. Black leather with silver conchos, if I'm not mistaken… and a unique saber," answered de Soto.
Mendoza wasn't a stupid man. He connected the dots quickly and his eyebrows rose. "Zorro was the younger Don de la Vega?" he exclaimed, and then he grinned as he looked over at Alejandro. "This is good news. My friend is also my friend outside of the mask… and Senorita Victoria will have the wedding she wants."
"So will you, I imagine," mused de Soto, with a bit of a twinkle in his eye. "I have a feeling your desire for grandchildren will increase tenfold, now that you know your son has the freedom—and the wife—to make your wish true."
Mendoza snorted, and he saw the mischief in the former Alcalde's eyes, but Alejandro chose to ignore it. "Si, this is very true. You should go over and wish the happy couple a very Merry Christmas," agreed Alejandro. "Both of you."
De Soto led the Sergeant to the tavern as Alejandro paused to watch. It was possibly the last time the other man would ever follow him. With a small smile, Alejandro caught up with them. They entered in time to watch Diego finish dancing with Victoria. As the music stopped, the two paused.
Mendoza pointed above their heads and pointed out, above the din and the fading music, "Don Diego, Senorita, look above you. Mistletoe."
The two looked up, and the grin on Diego's face was wolfish as he swept Victoria to him again and kissed her soundly while dipping her slightly. Her arms wrapped around his back and her hands tangled in his hair as she met his lips with equal passion.
Alejandro gasped, and then stepped out onto the dance floor, tapping his son on the shoulder. "None of that before you're married!" he exclaimed. "And then you can do that all you want to give me my grandchildren!"
