Thank you for the kind reviews. I love reading them. It is nice to know the effort you put into a story gets appreciated.

I know some of you are more for advertures stories. I sometimes think give the poor man a break, and let him deal with his own problems first.

Chapter 10

Zorro entered the cave on foot through the back entrance, snatched something silvery from his pocket and flung it across the cave.
Again he reached in his pocket, took out a red velvet box and threw it in the same direction. Frustrated, he turned around, walked up and down twice, pulled the mask off his head, hesitated for a moment and picked the box from the floor. Then he walked to his desk, pulled open the bottom drawer and threw the box in there.

His greatest wish would come true in eighty-four minutes and, he hated it. But did he have a choice?

Yesterday, after a long wait, Victoria had finally fallen into a restless sleep next to the fire. He had dared to relieve himself of the painful tension that had gripped his body for two days.
In the morning, after a short night, he had woken up next to Victoria. Not entirely unexpectedly, it turned out that she could not walk sufficiently to continue the journey. To make matters even worse, Toronado's leg had not improved. The exertion of the previous day had taken too much toll on his horse.
Good advice was expensive, and after a short consultation with Victoria, Zorro was the only one to walk to Los Angeles in search of help. Unobstructed by Victoria or even Toronado, he was able to take the shortest route. Zorro had reached the hacienda in less than two hours.

He had slipped in unseen and dressed as Diego. Then he had hitched a horse to the small wagon, tossed some drawing supplies in the back, and set out again.

His story was that Diego had crossed the ravine to make some drawings near the ocean. When he wanted to return, the bridge was gone, and on hi not surprisingly, he got lost. When he was almost home, he had run into Zorro, who asked him to return and help Victoria.
No problem so far, and well before noon, Victoria and Diego were on their way to Los Angeles.
Less than two miles away, it had gone horribly wrong.

They had run into Don Efrem, along with three of his vaqueros. And the old man had noticed that Victoria was not fully clothed. The alcalde was a star at jumping to erroneous conclusions. This talent paled at the speed with which Don Efrem proceeded. Within the hour, there was no stopping it. Don Diego and señorita Victoria were both found with a horse and carriage. After nearly three days with no sign of life from either one.
And, it wasn't the first time this couple had spent the night together, the rumours abounded.
Victoria's desperate attempt at an acceptable explanation of what had happened got dismissed as a lie.
No one had seen the two men who had kidnapped her. And Zorro had been spotted by several lancers the previous night.

Somehow his father had heard the rumours that spread like wildfire. When Diego thought about that conversation, his anger flared up again. How dare his father say such innuendo aloud. Red on his face, Diego hadn't had any other choice.

"Diego, don't you think you have something to confess to me?"

"What do you mean, father?" Diego had tried to sound innocent. Not that his father even noticed.

"If anything I hear in the pueblo is true, I demand you to marry señorita Victoria today. Padre Benitez says he can have the papers in order at six."

"Father, surely you don't believe such nonsense gossip."

"Diego, it doesn't matter what I believe. What matters is what the people believe. I know you and Victoria are good friends, but things are getting out of hand. It's been already said that Victoria could be pregnant! Bets are being made whether the possible child is yours or Zorro's. People remember the trips the two of you took to Santa Paula, the Indian camp and whatnot else. They know you used to be good friends. All these seeds are like a breeding ground for weeds that will proliferate more and more. Don Efrem has already talked to Victoria, and she agrees to a marriage."

"What!?" Of all things that had happened since sunrise, this was the hardest thing to believe.

His father had tried to sound calm as he had explained himself. "At my request, Efrem talked to Victoria. He simply told her the benefits of a possible marriage between you. You know she is considering adopting Paco. I can't imagine you objecting to that. "

"You can't be serious. Victoria never wants to marry me, even if I was to agree."

"Diego, Victoria, is a dear friend of the family. Plus, I promised her father I take care of his daughter as if she was my own. Your need for arty fiddling and talent for getting lost on a straight road has destroyed her reputation. If she was my daughter, I would insist you marry her or challenge you to a duel!
And since we both know how that will end!" Don Alejandro looked at his son and uttered. "Diego, I don't want to duel my son, so you marry her."
Don Alejandro had taken a firm grip on his son's arms and was shaking him. "You can save her. Don't tell me you've suddenly met someone you want to share your life with? If you care at all about Victoria, you'll marry her today. You are found with Victoria, and don't forget, Zorro was seen riding after the both of you had disappeared."

"What does that have to do with it?"

A wry smile was on don Alejandro's face. "It means whoever was with Victoria the past two nights, it wasn't Zorro."

What could he say to this?
Had Don Efrem really persuaded Victoria to marry him? She must feel very desperate.

Somewhere in his heart, a glimmer of hope began to glow. During yesterday's conversation, she had mentioned don Diego. And Victoria had been less negative than he had expected. In fact, she had been full of praise. She had even hinted that there might have been more between her and Diego if it wasn't for Zorro.
When they got married, he would have what he wanted for years, Victoria, with him every day.
A plan or where it excuses to proceed began to form. As long as the marriage did not get consummated, dissolution was possible. Victoria would have her own bedroom, and the door separating her room from his could remain closed. It gave Diego time to try to win her affection.
And until then, they would live together as brother and sister.

When the day arrived, Zorro could reveal himself, and she was rejecting him, she would be free to go her way. Victoria would be furious, but if she loved Zorro and could accept he was Diego, she would forgive him, wouldn't she? And maybe the day would come when she'd be glad to be married to ordinary Diego. He smiled as he remembered Victoria telling Zorro Diego was exceptional. The only flaw in it, there were a lot of maybes, perhaps too many.
It could go horribly wrong.
But at the moment, there was every day the risk that Victoria got tired of waiting for Zorro and decide to marry another man. The name Juan Ortiz came to his mind. He had almost lost her once before.

"I will think about it." Diego snapped at his father and quickly left the room.

.

Where don Alejandro had always been like a responsible father to her. Don Efrem has been more of a rebellious youthful uncle.
He had also helped and supported her where he could. But where Don Alejandro had always stayed neatly within the lines, Don Efrem had more than once pushed the boundaries of the descent and went against the rules. This behaviour had led to many disagreements with Don Alejandro.

"Don Efrem" Victoria was saying. "As much as I respect you. I have to ask, why are you doing this to me?"

Victoria thought he would deny it. Don Efrem stared sadly into his glass of Madeira. "Because you can't avoid destiny."

Understanding even less, Victoria stared at him. "I don't get it. You know, don Diego and I are just friends. He wouldn't think of dishonouring me. So why are you putting us in this impossible position? You know my heart belongs to Zorro."

Don Efrem moved his hand over her glass of water standing on the table, shoved it closer to her, and offered her a sip.
"I just told you. Victoria, I've always cared for you. Your father and don Alejandro have always been my best friends. And I would have kept my mouth shut if I wasn't sure that your father would support me if he knew and were still alive. Do you remember your seventh birthday?"

Victoria emptied the glass. She wanted to cry. "What does that have to do with it?"

"Everything. I'll never forget. You ran up to me and jumped into my lap. You told me you were to marry Diego."

Victoria was feeling upset. "So because I said something foolish as a child, you think it is my destiny?"

"And you told me you would refuse the day it was to happen, but you made me promise to convince you and make you marry him." He smiled. "You won't leave until I did."

"Don Efrem, I was a child! You can't seriously think this is something I want because I said something stupid years ago?!"

"No, and I even said so back then. You kept on insisting. I had to promise to keep it a secret. You said very firmly, I am going to marry Diego."
The don looked at her with a pitying look. "I know you admire Zorro in a way that feels like love." Victoria opened her mouth, Don Efrem shushed her. "Quiet, Victoria, listen to me.
Trust me, don Diego is the one with whom you will find your happiness. It was written in the stars long before you were born." Victoria opened her mouth again, no words were coming out.
"Victoria, you cannot escape your destiny, I know.
It might not feel that way at the moment, but you have to trust me, child." Don Efrem peered thoughtfully into his glass of Madeira, then emptied his it in one gulp.
"Don Diego will give you everything Zorro never can. In a good marriage, love is not the most important foundation. Friendship, trust and mutual respect are ultimately more important. It will take some time, but the two of you will get there.
Give your marriage a chance, and I promise you, in..." Don Efrem glanced at his gold pocket watch that was a present of his father.
"One year, four months, and let me see eight. No, my mistake, thirteen days. That day I will come to visit you, and you will thank me. Who knows, I might ask my brother to come along. He will love to see your husband again." Don Efrem winked at her.

Victoria opened her mouth, intending to give don Efrem an unmistakable foretaste of just how grateful she was for his involvement.
When with a speed and agility that was surprising for a man his age, he squeezed her shoulders, kissed each cheek and left as he had done countless times when she was a girl.

Don Efrem looked at his watch again, put it back in his jacket and said. "I have to go. One year, four months and thirteen days. And then, you'll realize what I did, I did it for you, Diego for…, and even for Zorro. And you will thank me."
He walked away quickly, and before Victoria turned, he had disappeared through the door.

Diego had fled in a straight line into the cave where Felipe had already been. He had angrily asked the boy if he had ridden on Luna dressed like Zorro. The black mare was a daughter of Toronado and very similar to her father. Felipe had denied it.
Faster than ever, he had dressed up as Zorro and rode a dark brown horse toward the tavern.
It had been a siesta. The conversation between Zorro and Victoria had been brief.
He had expected more resistance. Apparently, don Efrem had struck a chord with Victoria. In the red velvet box that was now at the bottom of his desk was the emerald ring.
Victoria had returned it along with the silver bracelet. She had seemed absent. As if she had already resigned herself to the inevitable. There had been tears in her eyes. She had mumbled something about following her destiny.

His heart got torn, and yet he was determined to persevere.
If Victoria were willing to marry Don Diego, he would become her husband. He simply couldn't give up on her.
She was going to be his wife, but not his to have and hold. Maybe someday in the future.
He was expected to be at the church in sixty minutes. His only dream turned out to become a nightmare.

As if in a trance, Victoria had walked to the altar. She saw no one, heard no sound. Answered the questions in a steady voice, not a trace of doubt.

.
In the first fortnight after the marriage, a pattern unfolded.
Victoria woke up early, had breakfast in the dining room with or without the company of don Alejandro and Paco. Paco had moved into the hacienda the day after the wedding.
The boy went to school and don Alejandro to the lands.
After that, to pass the time, Victoria went for a morning ride on Pandora, the brown mare Diego had given her as a wedding present.

She returned just before noon, where usually a sleepy Diego had just finished his breakfast.
Diego avoided her and hurried to the pueblo, where Paco was already waiting for him at the newspaper office. Paco was an increasing admirer of the young don. And from the first time his new adoptive father asked him to come to the office, he became fascinated with the newspaper. Paco was happy to help in the printing process.
He was eager to learn and quick. After a few days, the boy had mastered the art of reading mirroring letters better than Felipe. Who was pleased he no longer had to do this. After printing, cleaning and sorting the letters was a boring, time-consuming job.
If it got done carelessly, the letters got mixed up and in the wrong places for the article in the next edition. It was then an almost impossible task to make an edition without errors.

Meanwhile, most days, Victoria was killing her time in the tavern. Or, on the days she did not want to get exposed to nasty looks, insinuating remarks and whispers behind her back from the lancers, customers and even her helpers, she stayed at the hacienda.
On those days, she read some books that couldn't get her interest. She moved the furniture in the doña's bedroom until they were more to her liking to rearrange them the next day.

She had married Don Diego. The memories of what happened that faithful day was vague. Victoria remembered not having a choice. Once don Efrem had seen the horse-drawn carriage with the passengers approaching, there was no escaping it. That same evening, Don Diego had married her.

Even after weeks, it was still felt as if she had been a spectator of a play barely managed to captivate her.
She remembered that Don Efrem had walked into the tavern during siesta and talked with her until she had felt marriage was the right thing to do. Somehow don Efrem had done this to her.
Victoria hadn't seen the man ever since. Pilar had told her, her former employer had left for Monterey to visit his daughter.
When she tried real hard, Victoria had some memories of Zorro coming to the tavern.
How he was always aware of everything so quickly had always been a mystery. He had heard of the unintended marriage very quickly.
Zorro hadn't blamed her. After all, he knew better than anyone what had happened. And that he was the one responsible for Diego finding her and running into don Efrem less than two miles further down the road.
Zorro had said it might be for the best. She was to marry a close friend, someone who had more to offer her than he could ever give her.
She had argued, trying to convince him that she didn't care how long she had to wait.
Zorro had shaken his head and asked for his ring back.

Victoria remembered suddenly standing next to Diego at the altar. She had heard herself say I do.
The rest of what happened that day was a black hole. Supposedly, Diego had taken her to the hacienda, escorted her to the doña's bedroom. She had woken up in the morning with the worst headache she ever had and a thin golden ring around her finger.

Every day she saw don Diego and had a feeling several times a day he avoided her. Not that she minded. He was more a victim than she was. He was an outsider in the whole situation. It was less his fault than it was hers or Zorro's.

In the evening, Don Alejandro, Felipe and Paco withdrew early. Tension in the library then rose to a climax. Usually, it was Victoria who gave up first and rushed to the relative safety of her room.

To lie there for hours mesmerizing to understand what happened, never finding a satisfying answer, and falling asleep crying.