Victoria was flushed. Was that a blush on her cheeks? He was a little unsure of himself. In the corner looking a little judgemental, was the promised chaperone.

Diego pulled himself together and joined Victoria at her large table. He sat awkwardly and folded his hands in front of him.

"Well," Victoria said softly.

"Well." Diego repeated, his voice sounding strange to his own ears.

"What circles does your lady live in?"

Diego shook his head cryptically. "If I told you that, you would be tempted to find her. You might even let slip something about me, and that won't do at all."

"I just ask because, well. If she was ordinary, like me, she wouldn't have time to be flirtatious."

"Flirtatious?"

"There are codes. Women use codes to communicate, because otherwise...Well, flirting wouldn't be tolerated by society."

"Codes to communicate? Can't they just use words, like normal people?" Diego said, with curiosity.

"You are being dense, Diego. I just told you. Communication of their feelings can't be done with words."

Diego thought for a moment. It made sense. Some families were extremely old fashioned, and young people were never allowed to see each other without someone older in the room.

"Go on," Diego said, reminding himself to take it seriously. "What about these codes?"

"There are many code systems. There are ones for flowers, gloves, handkerchiefs and fans. A few more besides, but I haven't found out anything about those yet."

So the codes were for gatherings, and balls.

"Do they work out here? We are a long way from Madrid."

"We all follow the customs of our families. Your father's friends would try to follow the customs of Madrid, wouldn't they? I heard that Senorita Francesca was trying to copy the fashions of Paris. That is a bit scandalous, isn't it?"

"Very," Diego said with raised eyebrows. Since they were at war with the French it was pretty improper, in his opinion, to be copying the fashions of the enemy.

"I will stick with the clothes I know suit the work I do, myself."

"Of course, that is very practical, Victoria." Diego found it hard to imagine her in any other clothes, but if they actually did get married one day, she would be wearing the finest clothes he could afford.

"Well, which code would you like to start with?"

"Whichever one you'd like to start teaching me. We can scale up to more complicated ideas later."

"Don't start teasing me," Victoria warned, a little irritated by something in his words.

"Forgive me, this is unusual. I am trying to concentrate," Diego said, apologetically. "I'm not trying to tease you. This is all new for me."

Victoria cleared her throat, and sighed. "I am not a good teacher. I never have been."

"We can learn together."

"I have something on my mind, I'm a little distracted," Victoria said, glancing away.

"You know you can come to me with anything. I will always try to help you," Diego said, resisting the urge to cover her hand with his. She had gone pale. He was getting worried as she struggled to find the words or confidence to speak.

"I am not sure I should be telling you this. It is just there is no one else I can trust…"

"I hope I am worthy of such an honour," Diego said, an idea slowly dawning on him.

"It is Zorro."

Diego startled a little, and forgot about not covering her hand. His large hand covered hers reassuringly despite himself. Whatever he had done, he would rectify, although what it could be he didn't know.

"I won't tell a soul," he said, in a softer tone. She sighed, and put her head in her hands for a moment. He squeezed her hand to remind her that he was there, hoping that she wasn't about to dissolve into tears. It could very well undo him completely.

She sniffed once, and recovered herself.

She smiled, a little shakily.

"What has he done?" He asked seriously. As a brother would, he told himself. As any brother would, seeing his sister so distressed.

"N...Nothing," she said. "Just let me say what I need to say."

She glanced up at him a little shyly. She smiled, and squeezed his hand in an effort to reassure him.

"If he has hurt you…"

"You'd challenge the finest swordsman in the world for offending me? You, an inexperienced man of town? You flatter me, but I do not need you to get yourself hurt for me."

"Still…"

"You are being very noble," she said gently. "Your lady probably doesn't even deserve you."

She deserves a lot better than me, Diego thought.

"Besides he didn't hurt me," Victoria said, in a voice much more herself. She was obviously pulling herself together. "I somehow hurt him."

"How?"

"That is what I want to find out. That, and something else…"

Oh, Diego thought, remembering his words of the other night. What else was she referring to?

"He said that if I truly loved him I would know who he truly is," Victoria said, removing her hand from his, and getting up to tend to a pot on the fire.

"That was unfair of him," Diego said firmly. He had regretted those words almost immediately at the time, and now it hit him how she had taken it. She may have been content dealing with her tasks in the tavern, but she was fighting fierce emotions within her all the same.

"Was it?"

"The man wears a mask, he deliberately shields his identity," Diego said. "He does everything he can not to reveal himself. What can love do to undo a mask?"

"But he is right, Diego. If I truly loved the man behind the mask, I would recognise him anywhere. I would feel like I loved two men, wouldn't I?"

"He doesn't truly want you to discover him. Otherwise he would tell you who he is. It must have been a fit of passion or whatever," Diego said. Did he believe that?

"It has been a long time, over five years now. Perhaps he is tired of me? Perhaps he is tired of the whole charade? Maybe he doubts my love?" Victoria was talking to the wall, hiding her face from him. Her voice was breaking a little.

He strode over to her, and let her rest against him, his arms going around her for comfort. He was at a loss for what to say. He couldn't speak for another man, even if that other man was truly himself.

"What I want you to do for me, is help me discover who he is," she whispered into his chest.

He felt like laughing at the craziness of the situation, but all he could do was rub her back as he had done so many times in the past, as Diego. Zorro would be able to kiss all her doubts away, but Diego could only hold her and rub her back.

"What if he doesn't want to be discovered, Victoria?"

"You are the smartest man in the district, maybe even the whole of California," she said. "You can find anything out about anything."

My, smarter than even her fox, Diego thought with a small smile. That was something new.