Diego sat at the bar and drank lemonade, and watched Victoria. She seemed to be avoiding him a little. She served all the customers, and glanced back at him reluctantly.

"Diego, it's been a while since I've seen you," she said softly. He heard the undercurrent of resentment, but she shook her head at herself in confusion. Diego smiled a little, and sighed.

"It's been a very busy couple of weeks, Victoria. Hardly a moment to relax…"

"It's good to see you. You look well," she said with a smile. "I missed you…"

Diego glanced at her a little bemused, and then shook his head. He took a sip of lemonade to distract himself.

"Isabella looks well," Victoria said. Diego glanced at her with interest. "She looks very beautiful."

"Really? I hadn't really noticed," Diego said.

"Diego," Victoria began. "She is a very eligible lady. She really likes you," she added.

"I really like her…"

"So what's the problem?"

"What do you mean?"

"When are you going to propose to her? She's the ideal wife for you…"

Diego paled and glanced down. "I am in love with someone else," he murmured. "I can't just marry someone for the point of marriage. I will always be wishing for the woman I love. It's hardly fair to a lady – her husband should be in love with her, not someone else."

"Diego…you must either tell the lady, or forget about her."

"Could you forget about Zorro?"

She sighed, and glanced away. "Zorro has obviously forgotten about me…"

"His life is busy, Victoria. Sometimes he must be away for weeks…"

"No…He has never been away from me for so long. He is alive and alright, because he is always patrolling the hills. Sergeant Mendoza mentions it when he catches a glimpse of him."

"He loves you," Diego said.

"I doubt that."

Diego found himself staring at the lady with disbelief. "How long has he been avoiding you?"

"It's been a month and a half, Diego."

Diego glanced down, a little bewildered. "Perhaps he has other things on his mind?"

Victoria huffed a little. "A man in love doesn't have other things on his mind."

Diego found himself nodding slowly. "I suppose not…"

Victoria glanced at him. "Does your lady even know you exist, Diego?"

He nodded. "Yes," he murmured. "Although, she would never consider me as a suitor. Under any circumstance."

She sighed. "We are so badly served in love, Diego."

"We are indeed, Victoria."

Zzz

Victoria turned from the finished washing up with the satisfaction of a job well done, and dried her hands. She glanced around the kitchen and shook her head. Her imagination and her heart were trying to convince her to stay up a little longer. Perhaps this time Zorro would come? Why would he come tonight, surely this night was no less special than all the other nights he had failed her? He had forgotten her. She sighed, and paused in the curtain of the doorway, and glanced around the kitchen once more. One more night with no welcome embrace, no heated kissing, no tender words of love. She missed him more than she could say.

She walked wearily up the stairs to her small room. She had stayed up too late again, and she had to wake up at dawn to set the place in motion again. She really needed to stop doing this to herself. She would make herself ill.

Opening the shutters to let in some fresh air, she glanced out at the quiet pueblo, half hoping to see a blur of black among the shadows, and know that he was out there. She wasn't sure what she had done to offend the masked man, but it must have been serious.

Perhaps she had asked one too many times for him to remove the mask? That might just be it. She needed to stop insisting. Perhaps he could give her one more chance?

She sat on the single bed, and stared out the window. Stars twinkled in a black sky, and a soft breeze whispered through the window.

"Querida," the breeze murmured, and she startled. It wasn't the breeze. The masked man stood in the shadows of her room. "My beautiful one…"

"Zorro?"

He came a little closer, and stood in the middle of the room, just out of reach. She stared at him for a few moments.

"You haven't visited in such a long time."

"I would never forget you, querida. Never. I have dreamt of you constantly, and you've been in my thoughts almost always."

"Almost always…?"

He smiled a little, and opened his arms, inviting an embrace from her. She turned her head. She was upset with him. He used her terribly, and he had neglected her. She ached to be in his arms, imagining their warmth and strength around her. She had craved it every night for a month, and had been disappointed every single time.

"You hurt me," she whispered, despite her heart ache. "You forgot me so easily."

"I have been very busy, Victoria." He put his arms down, and the smile faded. He approached her slowly and carefully. He sat beside her on the bed.

"I have longed to hold you for weeks," he murmured. She could feel his warm breath, and she could imagine those warm arms drawing her closer to his warm body. Still he didn't touch her, and she didn't move, although her heart pounded, and her mind screamed at her to hold him.

"Why didn't you then?"

He stared into her eyes for a long time, and she wondered at the intensity of that brilliant blue. He no doubt saw the ache of disappointment, of hurt pride, of complete and utter separation. He reached out slowly for her face, lifting her chin, and brushing her lips with his.

Victoria sighed, and breathed in the familiar smell of his perspiration and the distinct fragrance of soap, which had always bewildered her. She reached out to draw his face closer to hers, and returned the kiss with more fire and more passion than just a hesitant touch.

She felt his arms wrap around her, and she surrendered her pride, allowing herself to rest against him. His arms were so comforting, so strong. His heart beat fast and strong, and it beat for her.

"I am so sorry, querida," he murmured into her hair. "Will you, can you, ever forgive me for hurting you?"

She nodded, breathlessly, and kissed him again, wondering how she had ever survived without him. How could she not forgive him? She loved him with a passion that frightened and delighted her. She would always forgive him.