Chapter Two
The History Of The Diamond Necklace
She woke up a while later and found herself laying on her own bed. She looked around. Yes, this was her room. But the last memories she had were of being outside with the masked man. "Was it a dream?" She wondered. "No." She told herself quickly. She could still smell the smoke from the fire on her dress. She sat up and went to the door of her room. After entering the hall she went down to the family room. There she found her mother sewing and her step- father doing book work. They both looked up as she entered.
"Why Catrina, what are you doing up so late?" Her Mother asked. Catrina had resolved not to tell them of her adventure with Zorro.
"What do you mean?"
Catrina asked.
"Its nearly twelve o'clock, dear." Her mother informed her. Catrina thought quickly. She had forgotten in all of the excitement of the night that she had climbed out her window a few hours before with the diamond necklace to go to the church. But how had she ended up in bed again? Zorro must have...... Her mother cut into her thoughts once more.
"Catrina, I said it's nearly twelve o'clock."
"Yes, Mama. I know. I..... I just got up to get a drink."
"But your still dressed."
"I didn't undress when I went to bed. I was to tired." Catrina thought up quickly. Her mother smiled.
"Good night then, dear." Catrina went to kiss her mother on the cheek.
"Good night." She said. She went through the kitchen then out the back door to the well. The night air was refreshingly cool. As she sat on the side of the well to drink she thought how lucky she was that neither of her parents had noticed the smoky smell of her clothing. Her thoughts then turned to the Masked Man, her rescuer.
"After I fainted he must have brought me back home and left me in my room. But, how did he know where I live? And which room was mine?" She shivered then smiled. Even with his mask on she could tell that Zorro was handsome. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wooden pole of the well cover and relived in her mind everything that had happened that night.
At ten o'clock she had gone to her room, telling everyone she was going to bed. After putting on her black dress and cape she had fastened the diamond necklace around her neck and put the lace veil on her head. Then she went out on her balcony and climbed down the trellis that led from her window to the ground. After having a little difficulty with the roses that grew on the trellis she made her way silently to the church where she had intended to pray for the safety of the journey she was going to make that night. The reason for her journey was to take the diamond necklace far away and hide it from someone who wanted it very much. Someone who had been willing to leave her in a burning church for it. He had obviously found her before she could complete her mission.
Catrina's heart beat a little faster at the thought of that deep laugh that had been right next to her ear. She shivered again but this time not from the cold. That laugh haunted her. It seemed to be everywhere she turned and she was powerless against it. For the laugh belonged to a horrible man. A man who wanted the diamond necklace and now had it. The reason he wanted the necklace so much that he would kill for it was because the diamonds were a map. The map told the way to the hidden diamond mine where the diamonds in the necklace had come from. The man and Catrina where the only two people in the whole world that knew about the map.
The map-necklace had been given to Catrina by the old man who had owned the mine. He had been a friend of Catrina's Grandfather. One time when she was visiting her Grandfather, this man who owned the mine had fallen and had broken his leg. Catrina had volunteered to stay with him while his leg healed but it never had. The man died from an infection that had developed in the broken leg. But before he died he had slipped the necklace into Catrina's hand and said it was payment for the kindness she had showed him.
He also told her that if you took all of the diamonds out and set them one by one on a magnet they would be pulled special places and form the word of a road and a map of where the mine was. Then he died.
Suddenly from behind a curtain the man's son, Antonio, came out and demanded that she give the necklace to him. She told him no. He came toward her menacingly and demanded again that she give it to him. She picked up a pistol that had been laying on the table and pointed it at him telling him that if he stepped toward her again she would shoot him. He turned to leave but before he left he turned back to her.
"If you ever tell anyone that you have that necklace I will personally come and kill you."
"You wouldn't dare!" She had snapped back. An evil smile lit up his face.
"Oh, wouldn't I?" He asked, then he had laughed that horrible laugh that she had heard again this night.
When she had heard him laugh she was deathly afraid that he was going to kill her right then and there on the alter steps in the chapel. He had tried to by knocking that candle over, (she had already guessed he had done this.), but he hadn't succeeded thanks to Zorro.
She opened her eyes and stood up. The necklace was now in the hands of Antonio Rodregaz. And there was really nothing she could do about it. But she would still try.
