Chapter 17. It wasn't enough.

Victoria woke up early. In the tavern, there was talk that the river had swept away some people, and that a woman and her baby had spent the night in the mission. The soldiers had left in search of the missing father and daughter.

Doña Carmen went over to talk to Victoria. "Today you hear all kinds of rumors. Some people say that the river swept Zorro away and he drowned. Is he all right?"

"Don't worry. Diego is safe. It's true that he intervened and is injured, but he will recover."

"Gracias a Dios. Are you going to see him later? Do you think I can join you?"

"Of course you can, I'll be out in half an hour. Stay and we'll go together."

They went to the hacienda as soon as Victoria finished putting out the breakfasts. They found the doctor there, talking to Don Alejandro.

"Good morning, doña Carmen. Señorita Victoria, I was just explaining to don Alejandro how don Diego is. He has many bruises and a cut on his shoulder, but despite the fall, he has not broken his hip. He also has a bit of a cold. He'll need to rest for a few days and I don't think he'll be able to ride for two weeks. Don't worry, he'll be fine. He's lucky the horse didn't fall on him."

"Thank you, doctor." Don Alejandro said. "Doña Carmen, thank you for coming to be interested. You are very kind."

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"Diego is very well taken care of, we don't need any help, but I appreciate it in any case. I'm afraid he's too beat up today to argue with me. It's the matter of him not getting on a horse for two weeks that worries me. He broke his leg once and still went out to capture some bandits. Of course, back then we didn't know what he did when he was supposed to be studying or taking a nap," doña Carmen smiled, "If you'd be so kind as to keep on accompanying Victoria when she comes to see him, that would really help. You know, a single woman visiting her fiancé in his bedroom..."

"I'm taking over. I'll chaperone. Don't worry."

Victoria stayed with Diego for a while, but returned to town accompanied by doña Carmen to serve the food at the tavern.

zzZzz

A party of soldiers led by Sergeant Mendoza arrived at the square. They were all very downcast.

"Get the wagon and some blankets." The sergeant ordered a corporal and a soldier.

When Victoria heard from one of the tavern patrons, she approached the sergeant. "What happened, did you find them?"

The sergeant nodded, about to cry. "They drowned, señorita. We found them almost at the mouth, covered with mud. The cart and horse were were much further upstream. Poor animal, he too died trapped in the current." He showed something he was holding in his hand, a black hat, but deformed and stained with mud. "This was near them. Zorro may have drowned too, although we haven't found his body."

When she saw the sorrow in Sergeant´s eyes, she felt sorry for him. "We have believed before that Zorro was dead and he has always appeared safe and sound. Do not suffer for him, Sergeant. I am convinced that one day we will see him here."

"Do you think, señorita? Well, I hope you're right. He's supposed to be an outlaw, but what kind of a crook risks his life trying to save strangers?"

In the afternoon Victoria returned to the hacienda and gathering all the courage she could find, she told Diego that they had been found. She wished she would never see Diego's tormented look again.

zzZzz

The father and daughter's funeral was held in the morning. Although he had a fever, Diego insisted on attending, and seemed devastated. They told everyone the same thing as the doctor, that a tree uprooted by the storm threw him to the ground.

After the funeral, the widow went to a small group, including the priest, de la Vegas and Victoria.

"I have heard that this man, Zorro, ends up learning the things that are said in the village. That is why I want to tell you that if you have the opportunity to talk to him, thank him on my behalf. I have lost my husband and my child, but I have my son to give me strength to go on. If he hadn't been there we would all have died."

Diego said nothing, but squeezed Victoria's hand, holding back his tears. Victoria realized that he had been hiding his feelings for years. She didn't know what else she could do to help him.

Padre Benitez seemed very upset. "It's possible that he drowned too. We haven't heard from him."

"No, he didn't drown," replied the widow. "He came out of the stream clutching the saddle of that huge black horse, it was he who left my son and me at the door of the mission. At that moment I was so dazed that I didn't thank him."

"I'm glad to hear that," said the priest. "If I see him, I'll give him your message."

Then the woman looked at Victoria. "Thank you for offering me accommodation at the tavern until I decide what to do. You're very kind. I'll find a way to pay."

"It's nothing, you don't have to pay for the room," she replied, moved. "You can stay as long as you need."

Diego looked at her tenderly. "That was a nice gesture," he said as they stepped away from the others.

"I'm trying to live up to it," she said quietly.

"You would have done it even if you didn't know me, I'm sure."

Padre Benitez found an opportunity to speak with Don Alejandro.

"Excuse me, Don Alejandro, but I'd like to talk with you about a matter.

Don Alejandro approached him. The priest pointed to the mission garden, where at that hour there was no one else.

"I spoke to your son a few days ago, and although he assured me that everything is fine I remained worried. Is he all right? He seems very distressed."

"He told me that he saw how the river was dragging those people, but that he didn't arrive in time to help." Don Alejandro improvised. "He was very impressed. He values life above all else."

"Yes, I remember how upset he was when that man died and nobody cared. Diego is very compassionate. I'm also concerned about his relationship with Victoria. Do you think they're fine?"

"Padre." said Don Alejandro. "We know of the horrible stories circulating about Victoria, and I can tell you they are self-serving lies. I'm sure she's sincere."

"I recognize that she seems to feel affection for him, but she has loved Zorro so long that I miss such a radical change. If more time had passed, perhaps she could have overcome it, but a wedding so sudden..."

"Well." said Don Alejandro. "Much less sudden than when she said she would marry Juan."

"I was just thinking about what she did, Don Alejandro. What if she's not capable of marrying him or, even worse, realizes afterward that it was a mistake? I don't think Diego could bear such a disappointment."

Don Alejandro was full of doubts. He was so eager to ask the priest's advice about Diego that he could hardly contain himself, but he could not betray the secret. Every person who knew about Zorro increased the risk of everything being discovered, assuming he could convince him. The priest noticed something and asked him again.

"Would you like to tell me something, Don Alejandro?"

"No, Padre, thank you very much for your interest. Good day."

The widow would return to the tavern where she was staying. Her baby wouldn't stop crying. The mother was so exhausted that she staggered. A man next to her held her and doña Carmen, who was on the other side, instinctively grabbed the baby that was about to fall from her mother's arms. Doña Carmen cradled him and the baby stopped crying. The woman could not stop looking at him.

Don Alejandro came over to help, but other people were already accompanying the mother to the tavern to take her to her room, so he walked behind them with doña Carmen who was still cradling the baby. When they arrived at the tavern, Victoria had also come, and accompanied the mother and doña Carmen to the room. The baby's mother said that she was feeling better and doña Carmen returned the child to her with tenderness.

When she went down the stairs, don Alejandro saw that doña Carmen had tears in her eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Of course, I'm a bit affected by the loss that woman has suffered, but I'm fine. Thank you."

She went home and Don Alejandro asked if he could accompany her.

"It will not be necessary. My house is right here."

"I insist. I'm convinced you´re not well."

Doña Carmen reached into her pocket, increasingly nervous. Finally, she found the key and opened the door.

"I'm home now. Thank you again, Don Alejandro." She entered and closed the door behind her.

zzZzz

A week later Victoria and Carmen were at the hacienda. Victoria was waiting for Diego in the cave. When he arrived, he took off his mask and went over to kiss her, but it was a short kiss. He immediately parted from her.

"I'm going to change. Will you wait for me upstairs?"

"Sure." she said a little weirded out. She went up to the library.

Don Alejandro approached Victoria. "He shouldn't go out on horseback, he hasn't quite recovered yet."

"He's promised me he won't make too much of an effort, but he doesn't want people to think Zorro is hurt at the same time as Diego."

"We have to find a way to make Zorro no longer necessary. He deserves to move on with his life. You both do."

Once in the room Diego sat down in front of the piano and played a tune. It was soft and full of sadness.

Don Alejandro approached her. "You know, Victoria. I realized that I hardly knew him. Now that he has told me his secret I think I am beginning to understand him, but not completely. He was already like that as a child, he only opened up to his mother. He became very secretive when she died, and I think it was my fault, because I couldn´t understand he is different. Losing her was very hard for him."

"I'm sure she was a wonderful woman."

"Yes, she was. She loved music too. They spent hours together every day practicing. When she died, he went months without playing. I told him that she would have liked him to continue enjoying music. He looked at me very seriously and sat down at the piano. When he started playing again, he was even better than before. His feelings were expressed while he was playing. If you ever want to know how he feels, encourage him to play and what his words don't tell you, his performance will."

"Thank you, Don Alejandro. It's very kind of you to share it with me."

Doña Carmen also listened to the music, and Don Alejandro could not help but notice that she seemed very distressed.

zzZzz

Zorro came to the village in the morning, ten days later. Cattle drivers had been bothering the tavern and the streets. The inhabitants of Los Angeles greeted him with joy, because for most it was the first time they had seen him after the river had flooded. He greeted them with kindness, and he also greeted Victoria, but he did not dedicate any witty phrases to her, no smiles. They crossed their eyes and he passed by. She felt a little sad. Padre Benitez was in the square when everything happened and he was worried.

When he returned to the hacienda don Alejandro was waiting in the room with a letter in his hand.

"I have received this letter from Monterrey. My friend has been found dead in strange circumstances."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't think he was in danger. We should have warned him more seriously."

"He knew the danger he was in, don't torment yourself with this too. The point is, we'll have to find another way to defend ourselves."

"I'll think about it."