Chapter 12

Like he really was…. Zor…

No, no he wasn't going to do it. He loved Diego and was no longer going to compare Diego to someone he could not be.
Alejandro took a step backwards. "Son"… swallowing that big lump in his throat away. "Let's play some chess."

During the game his father started questioning Diego about every subject he could think of. The vineyards, his visits to the Indian camp. Him helping at the mission and orphanage.
What he was planning for the next edition of the Guardian.
What experiments he was working on and his opinion about the Rancho. During the second game, his father changed the subject to Spain and the university. How he had never felt drawn to studying and joined the military.
Slowly the conversation came on his mother. Alejandro telling he still loved Felicia, but was indeed beginning to have feelings for Augusta Quinones.
Diego assuring him that if Augusta was to become his stepmother, he would only be happy for his father. The old don very aware after Augusta had told him today the chance for it to happen was very slim.

It was getting later and later. Diego had wanted to visit Victoria and check the south part of the pueblo tonight. His father somehow determined to catch up for all the missed time with his son in one evening, or so it felt.
After two games of chess Alejandro, Diego and Felipe had dinner together.
Diego going to the library, telling his father he wanted to read a book. Normally his father would go to his office to do some work, this time simply joined son.
Even when Diego start playing the piano the old don remained in the library, reading the novel Robin Hood his son had suggested a long time he should give a try.

Diego went to his rooms just after ten, went back to the library a quarter of an hour later. Expecting his father had gone to his rooms.
His father was still sitting by the fire. Reading his book and so Diego went back to his rooms.
It was way after midnight when the old don finally retired. And Zorro was able to ride.

He rode to the pueblo and saw all the lights in the tavern were out.
Zorro made his way to the first floor, lower himself into the kitchen.
Placing a rose on the kitchen table for Victoria to find.

.

Victoria had not much slept that night. Too many thoughts running through her head. Had the Augusta woman been right? She remembered Diego before he went to Spain very well. How she had a secret crush on the handsome young man back then. Actually she had been head over heals in love with him.
Dreaming about how on the day he was going to come back from Spain, she's standing at the porch in her most beautiful dress. In her dreams she had worn her golden earrings. Her hair nicely curled, a red flower in it.

The day don had returned to Los Angeles and walked in the tavern, she had been wearing an old work dress, an dirty apron and her hair as she wore normally. She just had poured a canteen of milk over a soldier. And was arrested by Luis Ramon within 10 minutes after Diego had greeted her.
The days that followed she had started to notice how much her biggest hero had changed in Spain.
Zorro had appeared, and the more she saw him, the more she was reminded Diego not being the same man she had fallen in love with years ago.

.

As Victoria had planned for weeks now, early in the morning she left for Santa Paula to get some new supplies. And pay the mortgage.
Diego had been in her head all night and now even the wheels of her cart had turned against her. They were making a rhythm sound.
Diego loves you, Diego loves you, Diego loves you.

It went on and on.

She urged her horse to a slightly to bigger speed, so the sounds the wheels were making would change.

Diego, you love. Diego, your love. Diego, you love.

Frustrated Victoria forced herself to hear something different.
Zorro, I love Zorro. I love Zorro, over and over repeating it in her head. He had come to the tavern late at night. She had found a rose in the kitchen this morning.
I love Zorro. I love Zorro...

See that was better.
Diego, you love. Diego, you love. Diego, you love. Diego, you love

No, no, no, no!
Stupid wheels! The minute she was to arrive in Santa Paula she was going to buy cotton balls to put in her ears!

.

Diego was in the far corner of the garden with Felipe practising with Felipe to speak. When they noticed a rider was coming in the direction at full speed.
When the rider came closer Diego recognized Augusta.
His father had seen her coming to, for the second she stopped her horse at the gate, the front door swing open.
"Señora Augusta, what an unexpected pleasure."

His father clearly very pleased to see the woman.

Getting of her horse her eyes flashed to meet Diego's. Something was wrong he saw.
"Well, eh I have come to return a book." looking at her hand she realized she had not brought any. "Borrow! I mean, I came to borrow a book."
His father did not see Augusta was acting rather strange. Loves blinds.
"Señora, then by all means come in." Alejandro leading the way into the hacienda.

Diego realized she had come for him. Something must have happened in the pueblo.
"Father perhaps Señora Augusta would like some refreshment."

"Si SI, don Alejandro I would love some juice to drink." Augusta reacting too quickly.
"O Felipe will get some from the kitchen."
Felipe was already away to get it.
Augusta still looking restless.
"Water! I changed my mind. I would like some fresh water. Don Alejandro can you please bring me some." She gave him a breathtaking smile.
"It will be my honour." the old don had not even left the library when Augusta started talking.

"Diego, Stark escaped when he was loaded into the prisoner wagon."
This was why she had come, Diego was already on his way to the fireplace when Augusta grabbed his arm.
"No wait. Victoria is on her way to Santa Paula and Stark knows. He overheard Mendoza when he said he was going to miss her food today."

Diego felt how blood was freezing around his heart. "Don't worry I'll find her. When she left?"
"I don't know, she was on her way before I got up. That was at dawn."
In the distance footsteps were to be heard. Augusta looked in the direction of the hall.
"Hurry go, go, go. I'll distract your father and Felipe."

Diego had not told her yet, Felipe also knew Zorro's secret. They simply had not come to that part yet. And there was no time now.
The hidden door had just closed when Alejandro walked in carrying a glass of water
"Where did Diego go to?" Alejandro looked around to see where his son was.
"The book! The book I want to borrow. Diego said he has it in his room."
Gulping away her glass of water Augusta smiled nervously.

"Why don't you show me that new foal you were talking about." Giving Alejandro a wider smile.
She placed her arm at his elbow and almost pushed him out of the library.
Alejandro looking over his shoulder.
Where had Diego gone? It was no manner leaving a guest not entertained. He needed to have a talk with his son about that. They were limits to what he was going to let his son get away with!

.

Spending the afternoon with Augusta was a unexpected pleasure for Alejandro, who forgot his son had disappeared again.
He showed Augusta the stables and garden.
Alejandro asked Felipe where Diego had gone Felipe signing he didn't know.

When Augusta excused herself for a minute and came back, she claimed the book she had wanted to borrow was left by Diego on the piano.
And so Alejandro stopped thinking about his son. Chatting some more with the pretty woman. Enjoying spending half the afternoon and first part of the evening with her.

When Felipe signed he was going to the pueblo Alejandro was very pleased. For it was giving him even more time to spend with this remarkleble woman.
"Augusta I hope you can forgive me, I am starting about yesterday again but I have been wondering about something?"
"Please ask Alejandro."
"When you were so… upset, you told me you could not stand being touched. I didn't even dare touch you, because you were so upset.
Yet the previous days and today we have been walking arm in arm and…"

"I understand why you ask." Augusta closed her eyes.
"I can not stand being touched. It scares me, keep thinking things will happen I do not want. When I touch someone I do not have that problem. Not as long as I feel I am in control of the situation. It has nothing to do with you. I avoid being the one being touched by someone all the time.

Alejandro, I want to thank you. I still not know what came over me yesterday. And I like to apologize for behaving like that."

"No, Augusta. Do not say that. The way you acted yesterday, it reminded me of how I felt when my beloved Felicia passed away. I told you yesterday sometimes we just need to cry. You only have been holding it in longer."
She smiled, Alejandro tried to understand what had happened. She had liked it when he said, sometimes we just need crying.

"Perhaps a little too long. Felicia must have been a remarkable woman, you still talk with so much love about her, after all these years."
"She was, the minute I met her I fell in love with her. I still miss her every day. The missing is less intense since I met you."
Augusta glared at him. "Alejandro don't, I know you mean well and I like you a lot as a friend. But I do not have to rethink your proposal. I promised myself I will never be owned again."

Alejandro needed to let her know not all men were thinking like that.
"I have never seen a woman as my property. And I never will" Alejandro tried to reassure her. She had to know he would never harm her. She needed to regain trust in men. That was no easy task.

"I know you do not think like that. My head knows that, it is something else inside me that has trouble trusting someone my life too. You see, I am a woman. And the law still states women are to do as their husbands tell them. That will never change.
Even señorita Escalante, the minute she gets married she is will lose her tavern to her husband. Become incapable of running it. Only because the law said so. She has run it successfully for over a decade. Marriage doesn't change a woman into a brainless hallow shell. That is what men like us to believe."

Finally, really understanding what Augusta was talking about
"You right I suppose, I will not ask again. If you ever change your mind I will be waiting."

"Gracias Alejandro for trying to understand."
For a second Augusta placed her hand on his chest.

"In my office I have a portrait of Felicia. You like to see?"
"I would love that."

Standing in the office side by side Augusta was looking at the painting of Felicia. Diego had inhered her eyes Augusta noticed. "She was a beautiful woman."
"Si, Diego reminds me of her so much. Just in the way he acts. He has changed as he grew older. As child, he never backed away if someone needed saving."
"He is a good man."
"Yes he is, I could not have wished for a better son. I didn't see it until you told me. I have missed so much of his life. But that is all going to change. I will work on it, try to make us come closer. Like we were before he left for Spain."

Augusta was playing with the locket she always ware around her neck.
"That is good to hear. Every child should be cherished. For every child is a gift from God."
"I am very sorry to hear what happened to your son. You should have been allowed to marry a good man, and be a mother. A child could not have wished for a better one."
"It has been so long, still no day passes when it doesn't hurt."
Alejandro nodding.
"I lost my daughter when Felicia died. Helena was her name. She is buried with her mother on the cemetery. She was only three days old. It was Diego who gave me the strength to carry on. Hadn't it been for him... He was my only reason to live.
Now I also have Felipe. He is not my son but it sure feels like it."

Augusta had grown very found of the young boy.
"Not many men would take in a deaf mute boy and treat him as a son."
"It has grown over the years. Felipe has always been so much closer to Diego than to me. For years, we have hoped he would regain his hearing."

Augusta was still convinced Felipe wasn't deaf and perhaps even able to speak. He only wasn't ready to tell yet. And she had promised not to tell. And so she didn't.
"Perhaps some day it will happen. Never give up hope Alejandro. Miracles do happen."

A peaceful silence was filling the room. Both persons lost in thoughts for some minutes. It was Alejandro who started talking first.
"Why did your father or brothers never helped you?"
"My father was the man who forced me to marry Ferdinand in the first place. Juan, my oldest brother is just like him. Women must do as men tell them. And that is final.
Carlo my other brother was 2 years younger than Juan and almost nine years older than me,he was a little better. He tried to help and visited me sometimes together with Ignacio, his daughter and my sister-in-law. But what was he to do? He had a woman and two young children to take care of.
There was no money in the family for him. Then he got sick, and was unable to travel. He died when Ignacio was I think sixteen or seventeen years old. It was just before he went to university."

"I still can not believe de Soto is your nephew. You are so different." Words were outspoke softly.
"Ignacio is in many ways like my father. They even share the same eyes.
It wasn't like that when he was a child. He has changed. I guess hard life made him more selfish and more blind from the needs of others.
I came to California because I promised my sister-in-law to help her son. And I am gonna, I still need to think about how. But I will help him."
"He is not the kind of man to accept help easy."
Alejandro carefully said.
"I am working on it. You'll see, I know what I am doing."
All Alejandro did was look at her and saying
"Then I hope you succeed for de Soto and for the pueblo."

.

.