Chapter Three


They Meet Again


As Catrina stood up her thoughts turned again to the daring masked figure. She had so many questions about that mysterious man. One of which was, how had he known she was at the chapel when even her own parents didn't know?


Another question that kept burning in her mind was where had Antonio gone after taking her necklace? She had no doubt how he had know that she was going to the chapel. He seemed to have spies everywhere. When she went walking she sometimes saw men watching her from behind trees. And just on the way to the chapel she had been afraid that she had seen one peering from behind a building.


She crossed the courtyard and went around to the side of the house where her room was. She had decided to climb up her rose trellis and then get into her room through the balcony door. She rounded the corner of the house and started climbing the trellis. Finely she got to the top and stepped over the high railing. Just as she layed her hand on the door knob and was about to go inside, she felt a hand on her arm. She almost cried out in surprise but a gloved hand was gently pressed over her mouth.


"Shhhh." She heard from the bush of roses on her right. The hand was removed. She stared at the roses.


"Who are you?" She whispered.


"It is I." Said a man as he stepped from behind the roses. She gasped. It was Zorro! He thought she had gasped in fright. "Do not be afraid. I won't hurt you." He said to reassure her. She had recovered herself now.


"I'm not afraid. Just startled. Its not a common thing to have a masked man standing out on your balcony." In the little bit of light that was coming from the lamp in her room she saw him smile.


"It is also not a common thing to see a beautiful woman climbing up her own balcony." Catrina laughed.


"I suppose not." She said. "Excuse me if I seem rude. But why are you here?" He stepped closer to her, making his cape swish.


"I wanted to make sure you were all right. I only left you unconscious because something very important came up and I was the only one who could attend to it." He looked down at her. "I see that you are perfectly fine."


"Yes, and thank you so very much for making it so." He bowed low, then took her hand and raised it to his lips. He lifted his eyes until they met her's.


"It was a pleasure to rescue so lovely a hand from the terror of the flames." He said. He kissed her hand again then went to the railing and stood there a moment with one foot resting on it. He turned and touched the brim of his black hat then leapt over the rail to the ground below. She rushed to where he had just been standing and watched him as he ran to a black horse that was waiting near by. After mounting and riding a few yards away he wheeled his horse around and it reared up on it's hind legs while he touched his hat again. Then as Catrina watched they sped off into the darkness that covered the world.


After he had disappeared from her view she lingered a moment more then turned and went into her room.


She looked at the clock that hung on her wall. It was almost 1:15! She unbuttoned her dress and threw it across the back of a wooden chair.


"What am I going to tell Maria about why my dress smells like smoke?" She asked herself. Maria was her personal maid. "Oh, well," She decided "I shall think about that later. Right now I'm just to tired." She unbuckled her corset and slipped in between the soft covers of her bed.