Chapter 23

Slightly upset, Victoria returned to the hacienda. She had heard de Soto make some snide remarks. Just loud enough so that he was sure she would have heard them.
She and Diego have been married for over seven months now. De Soto was right about one thing.
She was still not pregnant.

The most important job of a woman, especially married into a family like the de la Vega's, was to give birth to a son. And at the moment, her belly was still as flat as ever. Diego had not mentioned a disappointment or anything that could upset her. Don Alejandro left her at peace, for now. The question was how much longer. But when she was in the pueblo, Victoria increasingly felt steely glances peering at her back. In the beginning, some rumours circled that she could be pregnant with Zorro's child. Those gossips had fainted. The person holding on the longest had been de Soto.

Today, she had heard de Soto murmuring don Diego probably needed some explanations on what was expected of a married man in the bedroom. He had suggested the couple would do well to visit the padre.
She, not being pregnant, was certainly not due to a lack of commitment or enthusiasm from neighter Diego or herself.
The hacienda came into sight, and Victoria made a quick prayer that she would soon be able to carry a new life within her.

Diego had left early this morning to wait for the stagecoach from San Juan. Felipe had overheard plans that men were planning to ambush the coach. A glimpse at the little table next to the fireplace informed her Zorro had not yet returned.
The hacienda was empty. Alejandro had arranged to meet the Carvajal brothers to work with some vaqueros on a fence between the two estates.
Felipe had also gone along to help. Estaban Carvajal had expressed interest in buying some cattle to breed, Alejandro had offered his help.
It was Wednesday and Maria's day off.
Victoria had brought enough food from the tavern to feed her men in the evening.

Over the past few months, Victoria had taken pleasure in working in the garden. The weather was nice, she decided to put on some old clothes and try to clear some flower beds of weeds. It would help her to get rid of the anger she hadn't shown de Soto.
She had little knowledge of the large variety of plants. Diego had explained to her with angelic patience how most of the plants growing in the large courtyard garden had not only ornamental value. But also medicinal one, or other effects that benefited Zorro. It was another of Zorro's well-hidden secrets that had stunned his father.
Diego had remarked in passing that he had once told his father you could not judge things just by their looks to see their value.

Victoria vented her frustration on de Soto by frantically raking the weeds. She wiped a tear from her cheek. Why did de Soto's remarks bother her so much? She had nothing to complain about her marriage. Her thoughts wandered from de Soto to her husband and the celebration of their six-month wedding anniversary.

Diego had suggested they celebrate the day by taking a trip to San Juan.
They had travelled under the pretext of getting supplies for the tavern. Diego had taken the opportunity to replenish Zorro's supplies.
It had caused for a funny situation.
Both she and Diego had thought of using the trip to buy a present for the other.
Neither of them knew of the idea of the other. And both had struggled to find a means to slip away from the other's attention.
In the end, Victoria had succeeded by saying that she wanted to buy some spices. Diego had been as relieved as she had been by the excuse.

Victoria had rushed to a clockmaker. She had thought of buying a pocket watch for Diego.
In the display case, there had been a curious instrument that had caught her attention.
The clockmaker explained to her the use of the strange instrument. She had then changed her mind and started negotiating about the price. In the end, the man had agreed. It was an ink chronometer ordered in Spain by someone who had sadly died of typhus. It had left the clockmaker with the instrument, hoping someone would show some interest.
After the purchase, Victoria had hurried to the other side of the city, where spices got sold.
Diego had been delighted with her gift. He had recognized the mechanism immediately. And though never seen it, he had heard of it and knew its purpose.

His gift to her had been a beautiful one.
He gave her a beautiful golden brooch that had a diamond in the middle.
The piece could also be worn as a pendant on a necklace or as a hair ornament.

Diego found his wife in the garden.
Sitting on her knees in an old blouse with a discoloured skirt underneath. A straw hat on her head protected her from the sun.
Diego always enjoyed the moment he came home and found Victoria somewhere in the hacienda.
In fact, he loved every moment in her company.
It felt wonderful to find her in the building he considered home and hoped she felt the same.
Whether he found her in the library or the garden. In the kitchen, the dining room, the bedroom or the cave, every time he saw her, Diego felt an indescribable moment of joy surge through his body.

Victoria heard footsteps approaching and looked up. Diego had returned safely to her.
She got up and wiped the sweat from her forehead while she asked.
"Has everything gone as you wanted?"

"The stagecoach is safely on its way. Felipe was right. Pedro Sanchez had indeed planned to commit a robbery. Zorro was in time to change his mind."

"That's good to hear."

"Zorro reminded him of the ad in the Guardian, don Diego, asking for assistance in publishing."

There had been an ad in the paper two days earlier specifically for that reason.

"Then hopefully, you'll get some more time for yourself, and Pedro will get a steady income."

"Indeed." Diego had approached her and held out his hand to wipe a smudge of dust from her cheek.
"You've been busy, I see." Pointing to the basket of lavender blossom, the different smaller piles of leaves and flowers neatly sorted and bundled.
Victoria looked at him, smiled, and every fibre in his body responded.
They had managed to dispel the unpleasant experience. If possible, the relationship had become even more intense.
Diego pulled Victoria closer to him. "I thought you said you were planning to stay in the pueblo all day."

"I was," Victoria confessed. "It was quiet in the tavern, and I heard de Soto make a few nasty comments. So I decided it was for the better to pretend not to have heard him and keep my emotions in control. I needed to let out some of my anger, and the weeds had taken it."

Diego glimpsed at his left. The pile of weeds was impressive. "Did he offend you, or do you think he is up to something?" Diego inquired.

"No, not that. The comments he made were actually more condescending to you." Diego raised an eyelid. "De Soto reminded people that we have been married for over half a year, but I am still not pregnant. He was questioning your knowledge of activities concerning the bedroom. These are his words, not mine."

Diego chuckled. "Is that all? Can't he come up with something better?"

"He might have a point." Victoria played with her skirt. "We've been married for almost eight months, and well, I hoped I'd be pregnant by now," Victoria confessed somewhat bemusedly.

"Victoria, the first three months of our marriage de Soto gossiped you could be pregnant carrying Zorro's love child. You didn't care about it a bit. Why are you so upset about him making those insults?"

"Me getting pregnant by Zorro. Well, we both know how true that can be. But what will happen if I am unable to bear you a child?"

Diego took her in his arms, placing a kiss on her shoulder.
"Then we'll happily grow old together, and my father will just have to accept it and start to bother Felipe with his wish for grandchildren."

"Don't you want an heir?" Victoria created some distance, allowing her to look into his eyes.

"All I want I hold in my arms for the rest of my life. I am married to the woman I love. Should our love ever get blessed with the birth of a child, boy or girl, it will add to my happiness. But only because it will be our child. You are the one making me happy."

"That is so sweet of you to say."

"I can search my books to see whether I can find something that increases the chance for pregnancy," Diego suggested, not sure whether he had much on the subject. "I know there are some ancient remedies they say might help. I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you. We have only been married for seven months. Sometimes it happens quickly, and sometimes it just takes a little longer." A boyish grin appeared on his face. "Until it does, I hope you take pleasure in me making efforts."

"Diego," crowed Victoria, half amused, half annoyed.

"Perhaps we should extend our efforts to daytime." Diego let his finger slide over the edge of her blouse.

She smiled mischievously, sensing what was to come.

"After all, you married a creature of the night. Think of all our missed opportunities. We could try to make up for them during the day."

Diego had resumed his nightly patrols as Zorro. Albeit less frequently than before. Still, at least once a week, it happened that it was almost dawn before Diego returned to her side, exhausted, to catch a few more hours of sleep.

Victoria giggled while Diego removed her hat and got started to twist a finger in her hair.
"I don't think it's so much of a lack of effort." She mumbled, slightly out of breath.

Diego peered around him. As far as he knew, his father and Felipe were in the fields. Something to do with fences and the Carvajal brothers. He and Victoria had the hacienda to themselves.

"We better make sure to rule out the possibility. Let's see, where were we before you were so brutal as to ask me whether it was time for Zorro to go out riding."

"I didn't want you to miss out on Pedro. Diego, stop it."
He had already agonisingly slowly undone the ribbon holding her blouse in place. Then he kept staring at her and unbuttoned his shirt.
So mean. Diego knew full well that she would not be able to resist running her fingers over his muscular chest and through the fine hairs covering it.

Diego took her further into the garden to a more secluded corner.

"Diego," Victoria spoke more insistently now. "We can't do this."

He grabbed her hips and pulled her against his lower body, causing Victoria to feel his manhood pressing against her lower abdomen.
"Why not? We're alone, in love and married. I don't see the problem."
Diego pulled her skirts up, and a moment later, Victoria felt his searching hands moving between her thighs.
He kissed her to make her forget every objection she could think of.

"Diego!" tried Victoria again, aware she was fighting a lost battle.
His skin felt smooth.
Diego was not the only one who enjoyed every moment of being together.

"Victoria."

She pushed his shirt over his shoulders and started unbuttoning his trousers.

Knowing he had won, Diego grinned. "Lift your legs, circle them around me."

Her back leaned against the wall of the hacienda. Victoria had her arms around his broad shoulders and her legs wrapped around his hips.
She groaned while Diego encompassed her buttocks, lifting her a little higher to get his manhood in front of her entrance.
His moustache rubbed against her jawline as his mouth traced a wet trail.

Her scent was intoxicating.
Diego heard her panting in his ear. She had his earlobe between her lips.
He could tell from the sounds she produced, Victoria was enjoying herself.
In his haste to get away this morning, he had not yet shaved. A day's growth of beard rubbed the skin of her breasts.

His moustache that normally tickled her skin excitingly now made her cringe in pain.
Victoria's face twitched, and she gasped for air.

Diego stopped his movements.
"Am I hurting you?"

"Yes..., no..., go one," Victoria answered stiffly.

"Victoria."

She folded her hands around his face. "Please." Kissing him full on his mouth.

His chest was squashing her breasts and was plain painful. Instinctively, Victoria wanted to push Diego away from her and wrap her arms around her breasts, protecting them. Suddenly, the idea of anyone touching her there was horrifying.

Diego noticed her reaction. "I did hurt you. What did I do?" Yes, he had been passionate, but as far as he was aware, he had not done anything unusual or handled her in a way to cause her pain.
His arousal disappeared like snow melting in the sun.
Cautiously, he lowered Victoria back to the ground. Supporting her till he was sure she wasn't going to fall.

"What is it? If I did hurt you, it wasn't intentional, and I'm sorry."

Victoria swallowed tears that had sprung to her eyes. What was going on? Usually, she loved all the attention Diego paid to her body and wouldn't burst into tears over something so trivial.
"I don't know. It's my breasts. They just seem more sensitive than usual. It hurts by you merely glaring at them."

Diego was worried. He had some medical knowledge, but he had little understanding of female complaints. "Maybe you should see doctor Hernandez. He'll know if there's a cause for it."
Victoria was busy putting her clothes back in place. It made Diego aware of how ridiculous he looked with his trousers around his ankles and his shirt half-open, partly hanging around his waist.
He, too, quickly began to put his clothes back in order. "Shall I fetch the doctor?" he offered.

"Ah, no, never mind. It will pass. I am sure I will be fine." To reassure Diego, Victoria smiled.

Diego looked at her with concern. "It would make me feel better if you did go see Hernandez," he uttered.

"And I think the man has better things to do. Let's see how it goes for a few days. If it still hurts next week, I'll see him." Victoria mediated. She didn't feel like going to the old man with the complaint my boobs hurt.

"Monday, unless it gets worse, than we visit him sooner." Diego insisted.

Taken aback by his concern, Victoria gave in. There was nothing wrong, and it would probably all be over in the morning. "I will." She wrapped her arms around him for a kiss. "And if you want to touch me, please, just not there."

.

Three days later, De Soto stood contentedly, watching as the lancers yelled orders at each other. This morning had gone splendid. It couldn't have been better.
It had taken eight men all their strength to try and control the proud animal. In the end, one of the lancers, being either very brave or an idiot had managed to tie the animal's hind legs together.

Its rider was caught, cuffed around his wrists and ankles, and thrown in prison. Of course, he had denied being the outlaw. The evidence was obviously overwhelming. He had caught Zorro, red-handed. De Soto had to admit he never imagined being tricked by this moron. He was willing to admit he did feel some admiration for the man his cleverness.
His mission got accomplished, and Spain awaited.
After all these years, he had done it. He had captured Zorro!
De Soto was gloating. He had won!
The battle had reached its ending.

In his imagination, the moment of victory had always taken place in the middle of the plaza.
Him, removing the mask, a large crowd witnessing.

The actual capture happened in an open field, a few miles south of the pueblo. Close, if not on the de la Vega grounds.
It had been a stroke of good luck. It didn't change the outcome.
Ignacio de Soto was to return to Spain shortly, celebrated as a famous hero.
All that was left to do was supervise the building of the gallows, and make sure the outlaw got hanged at sunset.

.

"Patrón, Patrón!"

Alejandro de la Vega looked up from the letter he was writing while enjoying spending some time outside. He wanted to finish before the weather would become too warm when he heard a voice calling for him.

"Patrón!"

In the distance, a rider approached at a brisk gallop.
Instantly, the don recognized his foreman, Manuel. Alejandro saw, over and over again, how his foreman urged the horse to an even faster pace. It worried him. Something disturbing must have happened in the pueblo.
Early this morning, he had sent Manuel to Los Angeles to discuss with the blacksmith when he had time to shoe some horses.
Manuel was a good and thoughtful man. It wasn't like him to ride a horse in such a manner unless lives were at stake.

The old bones in his body creaked as Alejandro raised himself from the chair. As long as it had nothing to do with his son. Diego had gone out as Zorro before sunrise. As long, it had nothing to do with him, all was going to be fine.

Manuel pulled hard on the reins, the horse dashed through the entrance gate of the de la Vega hacienda.
"Patrón! It is Zorro!"

The old don overcame with fear.

"The lancers have captured him. He is in jail as we speak and will get hanged tonight." Manuel jumped off the horse.

Zorro! His son! The greatest hero in California.
The man who selflessly opposed the injustice caused by the authorities, especially Alcalde de Soto. Caught! A nightmare!

"Tell me?" Alejandro insisted, feeling desperate for the tiniest speck of encouraging news.

"The lancers have injured Toronado and captured Zorro. I've seen Toronado in the cuartel stables. The poor animal has gone totally wild. I wouldn't be surprised if he manages to destroy half the stables." Manuel spoke fast, trying to give all the information he had quickly as possible.
"I have not seen Zorro myself. He was caught this morning near the Carvajal property. All lancers are standing guard. De Soto has ordered for the entire cuartel to be surrounded. He leaves nothing to chance. No one can even come close. And the lancers are forbidden to say anything. It is said that whoever does so will be executed for insolvency. The gallows are getting built as we speak. The sentence is to be carried out before sunset."
Manuel caught his breath and stroked the horse he had ridden to an inhuman speed. He admired Zorro. Just like almost every citizen of Los Angeles. He was never cruel to animals. But in his desperation to do anything, he had crossed a line, and this horse was the victim. He hoped his patron had enough authority to do something. Someone had to stop the alcalde. His patron was next to the alcalde, the most important man in the pueblo.
From the corner of his eye, Manuel noticed dona Victoria. She was holding on to the doorpost.
Her face looked paler than the bright white bedsheets hanging on the drying line.

.

.

I wanted Victoria to give Diego something special.
What to give him?
I found my answer on a TV program.

It is a program in which a Dutch scientist recreates science experiments done in the past that changed the world, using as much as possible the same technics they used back then.

In this episode, he redid the experiment done by Gerrit Moll to improve the measurement of the speed of sound.
It was 1823 and Gerrit Moll used an ink or Rieusse chronometer. It is some kind of stopwatch.
The invention made in 1821 by Nicolas Rieusse made it possible to clock the times at horse races.

My first idea was Diego had worked with this type of clock at the university.
Back then, I didn't know it got invented in 1821.
I only knew it was around in 1823.
In the end, I thought to keep the timeline slightly believable would be more accurate had Diego only heard of it, never seen one.
I believe a man who has the kind of interest in science as Diego does should find some use for it.

Maybe to improve his time-delay devices?

Diego was able to find a better use for it, I, am sure of it.