Katherine sighed, and rolled onto her side. Her eyes flickered open, and she found herself wrapped up warmly in her own bed.

"Diego?"

There was a movement across the room.

"Katherine? Are you awake?"

"Y…yes," she stammered a little. Diego's voice was so concerned, so deep and gentle.

"I had a dream again," she sighed.

"That Zorro….I could strangle him with my bare hands. Did he throw you off the cliff this time?"

She smiled, as she was sure he wanted her to.

"You did scare me though, Katherine. You fell from the horse again. You were lost in a storm."

"He was mean," she said with a half sob. She sighed again. "Nasty man."

"Yes, the alcaldes always thought so," Diego said softly. "You had a fever last night, after you were found and brought home. You caught a chill in the rain."

"I wanted to find Zorro. That's why I…" She yawned a little. "He accused me of wanting 'more'. The nerve of the bandit…"

"More?"

She watched him carefully. "I wanted him to help me, with Edward. He wouldn't help. He said you were rivals…that he shouldn't help. Maybe that was not what he said, but Diego? He told me to trust you. He acted like I had….propositioned him…"

"The nerve of the man!" Diego said, gently.

"I am sure it was a dream this time," she said. "Because I recognised him…"

"Recognised him?" Diego said with mild curiosity. "Perhaps I should take you to see the alcalde."

She chuckled a little. "I should hope not. He was you."

Diego laughed, and poured a glass of water for his wife.

"That's amusing," he murmured, after a few moments. "How was he, me?"

"That scar on your arm was there," she said softly. "And he had your clothes with him. He folded his arms, just like you. His eyes are hazel and he is as tall as you."

"The mind is a wondrous thing," Diego murmured. "You still want to get Zorro to help with Edward?"

"Only because you were not taking it seriously. Will you take it seriously? Will you believe me?"

"Yes," he agreed. "I believe you."

She sighed with relief. "Good. Because how will I ever persuade such a stubborn ghost?"

She snuggled into the blankets again, and watched her husband take up a book. Her eyes rested on him, settled in the chair near the bed, until tiredness overtook her body and she slept again.

Zzz

Alejandro was watching his son carefully. Diego was well aware of it, behind his newspaper.

"Well," he said with a sigh, putting the paper down. "What have I done this time?"

Alejandro frowned at him. "I didn't say anything."

"The heat of your glare is burning holes through the paper," Diego complained. "What is it?"

"What was Katherine doing out there in the storm?"

"Looking for mischief, as usual…"

"What is going on with you two?"

"I have no idea what you mean, Father," he murmured, raising the paper again.

"Hiding behind the San Francisco Herald isn't going to stop me, Diego."

"Worth a try," he muttered.

"You need to let her find her feet in the pueblo, Diego. As your wife, she does have a degree of social standing. Church on Sundays is frankly not enough social activity. You are going to have to move yourself."

"Move myself?"

"And I thought you lazy and unmotivated before your marriage…" Alejandro shook his head solemnly.

"Hold on a moment," Diego said, putting the newspaper aside. "I have been working harder than I have ever worked…Roping cattle, chasing lost calves, whatever needs doing, I do it. I am not lazy."

Alejandro smiled slightly. "I have vaqueros to rope cattle, Diego. I have only one son. I have no grandchildren…not from your marriage."

Diego smiled an answer. "So…that's what the problem is."

"Your wife is not comfortable in your marriage. I am only seeking to advise you."

"She is becoming comfortable," Diego said, after taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Thank you for your 'advice' Father, but I am doing well enough in my own way."

"Perhaps if you were to take a more decided interest in her comings and goings…?"

"Social activity is boring. Father, I have no interest in it."

"Nevertheless, your wife may not find it so. She may have an interest in it."

Diego glanced towards the bedrooms where Katherine slept. "You are not talking balls, and parties, and whatever…are you?"

"Would that be so troublesome? If it brought laughter to your wife's eyes and lips?"

"One or two would not hurt too much," Diego said, more to himself than to his father. "But there haven't been parties and balls in the area for decades."

"There hasn't been a hostess in the hacienda for decades," Alejandro answered.

"I'll ask my wife when she is feeling better. Perhaps too many people would simply overwhelm her anyway?"

"Hmm."

Diego watched as his father walked away from him, towards the stables. He smiled slightly. How long had his father bitten his tongue about balls and parties? One or two would be a harmless trifle, Diego thought slowly. No one would find it troublesome.

Zzz

Katherine stared at him when he mentioned it to her later that day.

"We can't possibly, Diego. My cousin is out there. Edward wants to kill you."

"How do we know this? I have accepted that he is in California. I will not jump to the conclusion that he wants to kill me. I will not cower in fear at the mention of his name."

"Don't you see? He could sneak into the hacienda and murder you in the middle of the party. He'll make it look like an accident."

"You are still confused by the head injury, Katherine."

"I am not, Diego." She stared at him for a few minutes. "Could we…compromise?"

Compromise? In what way? He was listening.

"Perhaps, if we held the party at the tavern?" She held her breath.

The tavern? Where Victoria used to be? He paled, and swallowed. He frowned, and stared back at his wife. Was she trying to say that he was being a coward? That he couldn't face the building? He knew he couldn't, but why was she throwing it back at him? Having the tavern full of people, brimming with the pueblo residents, and not having Victoria there with them, would pull at his heart, reminding him of what he had lost.

He smiled suddenly. He could lead by example. Katherine was terrified of Edward, for some inexplicable reason. He was terrified of the emotions held in that building, in the whole pueblo. If he could master himself, surely she could follow his lead?

"If Edward wanted to kill me and make it look like an accident, he could still do so," Diego tried.

"Less likely. The soldiers are so close. The barracks are across the road from the tavern. Any sound of drama and someone would react."

Diego thought about it. As if he would be murdered by someone who could make it look like an accident? He'd fight back. Not that the pueblo should be encouraged to think so, of course.

"I am not trying to say you can't defend yourself," she said, as an afterthought. "Diego, I saw you fence in England. I know you are good."

He turned towards the window, and gazed out into the rose garden.

"I am not trying to say you are stupid," she added softly. "It's just that he is underhanded and…evil. I have heard things….seen things."

"What things?" Diego said softly, making his way back to the bed. Whatever the man had done, he had terrified Katherine. She was shaking just recalling what she knew of the man.

"I am being silly."

"My father informed me I have to spend all day with you," Diego said, bending the truth a little. "He has enough vaqueros. I have all day to listen to long tales."

She stared into his eyes doubtfully. He covered her shaking hand with a firm, strong hand that spoke of calm strength and power.

"The man will never hurt you. I am here."

Zzz

She breathed deeply, staring into her husband's hazel eyes. The words he spoke were so confident, but she had heard them before. Robert had said them. Robert was dead. His words had no power.

His eyes were so brown today. She felt warm under his gaze. She felt protected, but it wasn't enough. If she told him what she knew, maybe he would finally understand. That no one was safe, not even Diego.

"He was married before," she whispered. "She was beautiful. A tiny lady. She's dead now."

"That's sad. Was she your friend?"

"No. Eloise wasn't allowed to have friends."

Diego was a little startled, and his hand flinched over hers for a moment, before he moved it.

"Edward was in the city, and Eloise was always kept at home. She sent me a message once, and I went over to her. She was with child, and she was excited. The nursery was being opened, and baby clothes were to be made. I made an outfit for her."

"What happened to her? Did she leave Edward?"

Katherine sighed. "She was frightened of Edward, but she so desperately wanted the baby. She was too afraid of Edward to love him. Maybe she thought she could love his baby. Her baby."

"Marriage of convenience?" He asked.

"Marriage of father's debts, so I was told."

"Oh…"

"I was there when she died."

He waited. After a moment of silence, he moved his hand back over hers. She had begun to shake again.

"He was screaming at her. Something about having a lover, planning to leave…She was pleading, begging in French, sobbing, denying everything he said."

"And?"

"She slipped on the staircase. Eloise fell to her death."

"Her death," Diego murmured. "Might not have been an accident."

"Everyone said it was. A horrible, terrible accident."

"That's not going to happen to me. Or to you, Katherine."

"He asked me to marry him. I refused. Robert helped me when he discovered I was running away. My father would have forced me to marry Edward. That was when we were abducted. When…when…"

"When Robert was killed," Diego answered. "Could it have been Edward who abducted you?"

"I…I don't know…he wouldn't…surely not…"

Diego decided to steer his terrified wife away from the topic as soon as possible. Her whole body was beginning to tremble.

"Do you mind if I read in here, Katherine? Just for a while. I am not disturbing you, am I?"

"Diego," she whispered, holding onto his hand firmly for a moment. "I am never leaving this hacienda again. You'll stay too, won't you? Forget what I said about the party. I am too old for such nonsense anyway. Please?"

"Fears are to be vanquished, Katherine. That is why we are plagued with them. Have some sleep. You are still a little shaken from your accident. I won't leave you to your fears, and I hope you won't leave me to mine?"

She smiled at him slightly. "You are like a lion. You will conquer your own fears."

He'd conquer hers easily, he thought. His were far more intangible.