Chapter 2
A few days later, the tavern was simply bursting at the seams with the single young men and women who had placed their names in the lottery box. Something new and exciting was always welcomed in the pueblo by the people, if not by the alcalde.
The box was sitting on a small makeshift stage that had been constructed just for this event. The table, on which the box sat, was covered in a beautiful red brocade tablecloth that extended all the way to the floor.
Alejandro stepped forward to make a few announcements, nearly stepping on a small hand underneath the table.
"There have been some changes made since the publication of the Guardian. " Alejandro smiled , casting a sidelong glance at his son, who was leaning against the tavern counter drinking a glass of cool orange juice. "Instead of the men pulling the women's names out of the box, as was the tradition in ancient Roman times, the woman are going to pull out the names of the men."
Victoria beamed with happiness at this new development. How nice to know that this 'lottery' would not be remotely similar to the one held in ancient Rome.
"We will start with the youngest ." Alejandro extended his hand toward a young woman and she walked shyly up to the elder de la Vega.
There were about sixteen names in the box and she pulled the name out and gave the slip of paper to Alejandro.
The young man's name was called out and he stepped forward from the waiting crowd to press a kiss to his ladies hand.
As each name was called out the new 'couples' stood next to each other waiting for the drawing to end, all eager to see which single man ended up with which single woman.
It would be the beginning of a week long courtship that many in the pueblo thought was a good idea.
Many of the girls fathers would use this as an opportunity to possibly marry off their single daughters. Others would use this as a way to get to know someone they did not know very well. Perhaps good friendships would come out of this very old tradition.
There was only two other woman older than Victoria and they were widowed ranch owners. Victoria stepped up to the box and reached her hand into the remaining names.
She noticed Diego's polite stare and silently cursed herself for not asking him before if he was going to participate, being an eligible single man himself.
She didn't know what other eligible men had agreed to participate but she could only hope that it was not anyone who would repulse her. Since the stipulations of the 'lottery' were that the 'couple's spend a week in one another's company.
For a fleeting instant she imagined pulling Zorro's name out of the box. Her fingers closed around the slip of paper and she pulled it out.
Diego looked away and took a deep breath, hoping that Felipe had been able to complete the task assigned to him.
Resisting the urge to look at the slip of paper, she immediately handed it over to Alejandro to call out the name of the single man with whom she would be spending most of her week.
Alejandro's eyebrows lifted when he read the name. He didn't think his son was planning on entering the lottery. But, this had been his son's idea so maybe he was not giving the young man enough credit. But spending a week with Victoria would probably wear down his studious son. Alejandro thought amusingly. She was a firecracker, for sure.
He turned his head to his son and smiled. "Diego."
Victoria's eyes widened. So he had put his name in the box. Well, it could have been worse. She could have drawn the name of a man much younger than she. Much less attractive. Much less interesting. Wait a minute, she had picked the least interesting man in the pueblo! Well, at least the two were already friends and there would be no awkward courtship moments between them.
Victoria, along with the rest of the crowd, were awed when Diego bent, took the Señorita's hand and placed a kiss upon the soft skin.
Victoria blinked back the confusion. She had never seen him give respect to a woman in that way before and she just added that to her list of his strange behavior over the last few days.
Alejandro nodded to the widowed ranch owner and she stepped forward and pulled out DeSoto's name.
The last woman to pull out a name was also a widower who owned a ranch near to the de la Vega's land. She pulled out Alejandro's name.
"Well, now you can celebrate this Roman holiday any way you wish, but it is our hope that you will get to know a little better those who have drawn your names out of the lottery box." Alejandro smiled at the woman beside him. His last look was directed toward his son and Victoria.
"Well what are we supposed to do, now?" Victoria asked, not meeting Diego's eyes. She had been unable to look at him since she had pulled his name.
He leaned toward her and whispered into her ear. "Close the tavern and take an evening off."
A shiver raced down her limbs as his hot breath tickled her ear. Her eyes widened and for an instant Alejandro feared that his son had whispered something not quite proper to his friend.
"I can't do that, it's the middle of the day."
"A perfectly good time for a siesta." He smiled and Victoria looked away once more. She couldn't understand why his gaze was so disconcerting when he used to be the one who couldn't hold her gaze for longer than a few seconds. She was used to the shy caballero looking away from her when she favored him with a simple, polite smile.
"Why don't we start with a dance." Alejandro announced, attempting to break some of the tension the young people were feeling. He motioned to the guitarist in the corner of the tavern and he began to play a lovely waltz.
Alejandro was the first to take his lovely companion onto the floor and begin twirling her like an expert. He had, of course, been schooled in Madrid and had attended many a court dance.
Diego stepped away from Victoria and then turned fluidly, extending his hand. " Shall we?"
She smiled nervously and slid her small hand into his. "Why not. I love to dance."
She was surprised to find that he gripped her waist and her hand as if he was holding a fragile flower. For such a large man, he had the most gentile touch she had ever seen. His grip was firm but not tight as they waltzed across the floor.
The other couples joined the de la Vega's on the dance floor and an aura of celebration settled over the small tavern. The uneasy feelings surrounding the couples eased a bit and they found themselves laughing well into the night.
The de la Vega cooks had brought over a scrumptious feast, since the whole idea for this lottery had been published by Don Diego's newspaper. Alejandro still had not able to drag the identity of the author of that particular article out of his son.
As the night wore on, Alejandro allowed himself a few glances in his son's direction. He and Victoria seemed to be getting along quite well and he was pleased. After all, they had grown up together and knew one another well. But the old Don had hoped something more would develop when his grown son had returned from Spain, but, it just hadn't been in the cards.
All too soon, the tavern was near closing and the patrons were ushered out the door by a very adamant de la Vega cook.
Diego smiled warmly at the woman by his side. "Maria and the girls will take care of it tonight. You deserve a night off."
"It just feels so strange." The young woman admitted as Diego led her to a small table in the corner of the tavern.
"What is that?" He asked politely.
She was getting used to that incredible stare he had seemed to perfect over the last few days, and she met his eyes bravely. "I am not used to taking time of for ..."
"For fun?" He chuckled and took a sip of his juice.
"Makes me feel lazy." She returned his smile and turned to stare at the dwindling crowd.
"Well than enjoy your week of laziness because Maria and the girls will be taking over every evening for you."
"Oh Diego, I couldn't." She shook her head and then chuckled to herself. "Besides, what will you and your father eat with your cook here?"
"There are events planned for every evening for the rest of the week, to make those who participated in the lottery feel more comfortable with each other." Diego smiled. He could tell she was uncomfortable with spending so much time with him. He wasn't sure why, and added . " It looks like these events might benefit us as well."
She stared at him through lowered eyelids. "Are you uncomfortable too?"
Diego grinned, his eyes dancing. "Victoria, we have been friends for a long time. What is the difference between this night and any other night?"
Victoria didn't miss the twinkle in his eyes and the smile that played widely, too widely, across his mouth.
"But there is nothing more and isn't that what this lottery was created to do? Bring couples closer together?"
Diego shook his head. That had been his intention, but it was too soon to reveal that to Victoria. "Not necessarily. Many of these people," Diego indicated the couples talking or silently munching the delectable food set out for the occasion, " Have never even met. Maybe some deep friendships, if nothing else, will come from this event. A lot of people have moved here recently from outlying territories."
"And is that what you were looking for when you entered the lottery ?" She could not meet his eyes.
"Why Victoria." Diego smiled warmly. " We are already good friends. At least I think so."
She was used to being the center of attention with so many men that she often found Diego a breath of fresh air. He'd never really attempted to court her but he was always his normal, cordial, gentlemanly self. Maybe he was put off by her interest in Zorro. He had been engaged, she'd come to learn, but apparently she had broken his heart. And more recently than that revelation was that there was some woman in the pueblo that held his heart, but she didn't return those same feelings. What a shame. After all, he was a handsome man.
Diego watched the myriad of emotions cross her face and realized that he could not read any of them. He desperately wanted to kiss her, to taste her soft lips yielding to his own. 'Hold yourself in check for just a little while longer.' He told himself.
She changed the subject and stared at Mendoza and the woman who had picked his name from the lottery box. "They seem to be having a good time."
Diego smiled. He noted her change of subject and vowed to bring it up with her later. "Yes, they do appear to be very comfortable. Señorita Morales is a very sweet woman."
"And her father has been trying to marry her off for years now." Victoria chuckled and Diego grinned.
"Weeeelllllll." Diego leaned back in his chair as his family's housekeeper ushered the last of the crowd out of the tavern.
"You don't agree?" Victoria turned her head toward the young caballero, ready to answer a disagreeing challenge.
His reply was not necessary as Maria glared at him.
He chuckled. "Ah. Looks like I am being thrown out." Diego stood and bent over Victoria's hand for the second time that day, causing her heart to flutter with not unwelcome uneasiness.