Chapter 6

"Diego!" Alejandro called but his son was no where to be found. His bed had not been slept in, nor had any of the servants seen him most of the day. He had appeared to gather a plate for lunch and then disappeared with said plate.

The housekeeper was disturbed by the young Don's behavior and Alejandro reassured her.

As Alejandro stepped back into the parlor, he found Diego sitting on the sofa reading. The older man shook his head. Didn't he just check this room?

"Where have you been?" His voice was probably a little more harsh than he had intended and for that he was sorry. But he had to snap his son out of his mood and now was as good a time as any.

"Here reading, father." Diego looked up from his book with a small smile. " What is it?"

Alejandro's eyes narrowed. "Victoria is coming over later."

Diego took a deep breath and struggled to let it go without his father seeing the anxiety the comment caused. "Oh?"

"You two need to talk about whatever happened the other day."

"Oh I think we'll talk when she is good and ready to do so." Diego planted his nose between the pages hoping that his father would drop the subject.

He couldn't discuss this with his father now. Victoria's cold stare in the plaza had nearly cemented in his heart that she no longer wanted anything to do with him. But, he would give it some time and try once more. His burning love would not be quenched so easily.

Diego stood suddenly, deciding he didn't need to be here discussing this situation with his father, he needed to be at Victoria's door, begging for forgiveness. "You're right, father. If you'll excuse me, father. I think I will pay Victoria a visit."

Eyebrows raised in surprise and Alejandro called out as his son walked toward the door, "Make sure you're both back for dinner."

A few minutes later, Diego peered around the corner to make sure there was no one in the front room. Seeing that it was empty, he returned to the panel and depressed the hidden lever. He would go to her as Zorro tonight and see once and for all just where her feelings lay.

Victoria wiped her hands on a nearby towel as she finished clearing out her cooking pot for the evening. She was exhausted. Both mentally and physically. She was grateful the tavern had been so busy lately. It gave her an excuse to work herself to exhaustion so that she could avoid dealing with her troubled emotions.

She felt bad for the way she had treated the masked man in the plaza. But hadn't she every right to treat him that way after the lies he had told her? She shook her head and reached for another pot. This time, she was careless and no sooner had her fingers closed around the metal did she drop it with a curt yelp.

She hadn't realized that the fires were still burning. Her hand, now red from the burn, stung and she searched for her picture of water.

When she turned around, she started from the shock of seeing the masked man standing before her, a wet towel in his ungloved hand.

"Let me." He reached for her hand and grasped it, gently covering the burn with the cool material.

Her hand shook in his grasp and he wasn't sure if it was because of nervousness or pain.

After a few uncomfortable moments, she pulled away, taking the cool towel with her. The pain in her hand was abating somewhat but the pain in her heart would take far longer to heal.

"Please. We need to talk." He whispered.

She whirled on him just as Maria walked through the curtains. "I don't have anything to say to you!"

She snapped her mouth shut and both turned to stare at the startled girl in the curtain-way. The young girl vamoosed through the curtains too quickly for Victoria to stop her.

"We can't go on like this."

"We? We?" Her voice was laced with barely restrained anger. " There is a we in this relationship? And here I thought I was the only one involved heart and soul! When you didn't want to see me, you could just avoid coming into the pueblo."

"You don't understand." He reached for her but she pulled her hand away and stepped back.

"I think I understand quite well. The nights I longed to see you. The nights I simply wanted to be held and comforted and told that I was not alone in this world. That there was someone here that loved me and cared for me. Where were you then?" The tears crept down her cheek and she made no motion to stop them. She was angry and hurt and she had no other outlet. "You were not here because you didn't want to see me!"

She was unaware that her voice had risen above the whisper it had started as and she misinterpreted his glancing every few seconds toward the curtain as a sign that he wanted to be anywhere but there with her.

"Go! Get out of here if you don't want to be near me! If you can't give me your undivided attention. Get out!" Her voice was a high pitched scream this time and several patrons, including the Sergeant and his 'lottery lady' stepped through the curtain to find out just who the lovely tavern owner was upset with.

"Zorro!" Mendoza gasped.

Zorro blinked and turned sad eyes to Victoria. "Why?" He mouthed as those in the doorway were shoved aside to allow more lancers into the small room.

Zorro shook his head as the lancers leveled their rifles at the man in black.

Victoria suddenly realized what she had done and screamed when the rifles discharged.

Zorro barely had time to pull Victoria to the ground with him, as the bullets shattered pottery and mortar over their heads.

Zorro was on his feet instantly and quickly disarmed the men as they frantically tried to re-load.

He didn't give the young señorita another look as he jumped to the windowsill and disappeared over the edge. If he had, she would have seen the tears creeping slowly down his cheeks.

Victoria slumped against the wall, her legs weakening from the scene before her. Mendoza caught her and led her to a table , ordering to one of his men to bring her a glass of water.

"How could you fire at Zorro like that!" Mendoza scolded. " You could have hit the Señorita!"

"We have our orders, Mendoza." Sepulveda answered. " You were at the meeting. If someone stands in our way of apprehending Zorro, then we are to use whatever means necessary to catch him."

"Not on my watch will you harm an innocent woman!" Mendoza grumbled and Victoria thought she had never seen the Sergeant stand up for anything except more food.

As people cleared out of the tavern, ushered out by Maria and Mendoza's 'lottery lady', Victoria began to shake uncontrollably.

Of course, that was the perfectly inappropriate time a fine time for DeSoto to walk in.

"So, I heard you have spat with Zorro?" The glee in the alcalde's eyes was unmistakable and Victoria turned away.

"I'll take that as a yes." The man smiled. "What could that man ever have done to make you so mad, hmm?"

"That is none of your business , alcalde!"

"Well I, for one, am glad to hear it!" DeSoto smiled and walked out the curtain, casting a satisfying smile in Maria's direction as she passed him.

"Maria!" Victoria pulled the girl's arm. " Is that what everyone is saying? That Zorro and I are no longer..."

"Sí, Señorita." Maria nodded and Victoria lowered her head in shame.

Before Maria could stop her, Victoria bounded for the door, without a shawl or serape to cover her in the chilly night.

"Señorita!" Maria chased her but was unable to catch the young woman who vaulted onto the back of her mare.

Victoria held on tightly, it had been a while since she had ridden bareback, without reins to direct her mount, and pointed her toward the de la Vega hacienda.

Tears clouded her vision as she urged the mare as fast as possible without sliding off her back.

Alejandro was sitting in the library reading when he heard the pounding at the door. He lifted his head and looked at the clock on the mantle.

"Diego wouldn't knock on his own door," he muttered expecting to see his son returning with Victoria at any moment. . He heard Victoria's voice seconds after the thought passed his lips.

"Victoria dear?" Any further comments were lost on his lips when he noticed the wet tears slipping down dust covered cheeks.

"Where is Diego?" Victoria looked around the room and when she found no sign of the young caballero, turned her attention back to his father.

" I thought he was heading into town to speak with you." Alejandro admitted.

"I have to find him. Please Alejandro, help me."

Her pleading eyes broke his heart but he had already made the decision to help the young woman locate his son before she had even asked.

"Diego!" Alejandro called and began to search the hacienda, room by room.

Diego lifted his head from where he held it in his hands. He heard his father calling him through the walls of the cave but could not bring himself to make an appearance. He stood and walked to the mirror across from him. His eyes were wet with unshed tears and his heart felt as if it had been trampled by stampeding stallions.

Victoria had made it quite clear that she no longer wanted anything to do with him. How was he going to go on? He couldn't bring himself to look at the black clothing hanging on the rack. For the first time in his life, he hated the persona he had created.

The promise of a life with Victoria had kept him going the days when he no longer wanted to be the only man who stood between the alcalde's tyranny and the people's freedom. Now that goal was unattainable and all he wanted to do was curl up in a corner and cease to exist.

Diego was glad Felipe had gone to bed early. He really didn't want to have to explain to the loyal friend what had happened. He just wanted to be left alone with his grief.

Several minutes went by and Diego decided that he had better make an appearance before his father sent out every one of his vaqueros in search of his missing son.

Diego peeked through the eyehole and noticed that there was no one in the parlor. He quickly made himself presentable and slipped through the fireplace unnoticed.

He took a book from one of the many shelves that lined the walls and opened it. His father was no longer calling to him and he turned the corner to walk into the back of the hacienda.

Victoria, whirling around the corner like a woman gone mad, slammed straight into his chest. Diego's book slipped forgotten from his hand and he wrapped strong arms around her before she hit the floor.

As soon as recognition struck him, he released her and turned away, muttering a quick . "I'm sorry."

He retrieved his book from the floor and strode back into the parlor, Victoria on his heals like a cat craving attention.

"Diego ..."

"I don't have anything to say to you, Victoria." Diego's voice was firm as Alejandro rounded the corner.

Alejandro resisted the urge to intervene, but thought better than to get in the middle of two raging barracudas.

"You made your intent quite clear tonight." Diego's voice shook , with pain and anger at the situation he was now faced with.

"I..." She took a step closer and he backed away.

"How much do you think I can take, Victoria!" Diego's voice deepened and she was suddenly frightened by the man standing before her. His tone of voice, she now realized, was one he constantly used when threatening the alcalde. She had never been on the receiving end of this rage and she found herself frightened into silence.

"Do you think I enjoyed keeping this from you? Do you think that I enjoyed sharing those precious few moments with you in my arms." He choked back the tears that threatened to spill from wide blue eyes. He needed to say this to her, no matter how much it hurt. "I couldn't risk the danger you would be faced with if you knew. But after so many years, when the lottery idea came from reading the tumultuous history of St. Valentine, I thought that maybe I could change your false perception of me."

She opened her mouth but he silenced it with a step forward and a warning finger.

"No, it's your turn to be silent and listen to me. I've taken all the scathing and painful words that I can from you!" He towered over her and she blinked back the fresh tears that spilled down her cheeks.

Alejandro stood back, diverting the traffic that came through the hacienda upon hearing the raised voices. Their young don was normally a very quiet man, and word of mouth had spread across the hacienda grounds that he was in a rage about something. Many servants found excuses for their need to be in the hacienda so late at night just to see for themselves.

"I hoped that you would grow to love me for myself rather than just this false persona I had created."

Felipe rounded the corner, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, and ran straight into Alejandro. His eyes widened when he noticed just who his friend and mentor was arguing with.

"Diego..."

He wouldn't let her finish and she finally had to grasp his arms and hold him with all her might to stop his trembling.

"I'm sorry!" She screamed over his ranting. " I'm sorry! Diós, you could have been killed tonight because of me! I don't know what I would have done if you had been injured!"

Alejandro cast an exasperated look at Felipe, whose eyes narrowed in confusion. There was only so much of their yelling and screaming at each other that the elder de la Vega was going to tolerate.

Diego shut his mouth and let her continue. "Because of my tantrum, the lancers almost shot you tonight."

Diego blinked. Was that regret and fright reflected in her trembling voice? For the first time this evening he stared at her face. Stared deeply into the troubled eyes and at the trembling features. She had been crying. That much was evident by her tear stained face. Fresh tears spilled from her eyes and she made no motion to stop them.

"I don't understand. Please, please talk to me. Tell me what is happening to us?" She begged. She was loosing the energy to fight him and he could feel her grip on his arms weaken.

He took a deep breath and risked raising his hand to capture a fallen tear on a fingertip.

She trembled. His gentle touch awakened something deep inside that she had forgotten existed. The love and respect that this man had always shown her, with or without the mask, was buried deep within his being and could not be torn away so easily.

"Can we start over? Can we start where this all began, what seems like a lifetime ago?"

He managed a small smile. "Everything started in the garden."

She nodded slowly. He grasped her hand and led her past a silent Alejandro and Felipe out into the garden where their lives had first become intertwined with one another.

"Lets agree not to argue." Diego grinned as they stepped out into the cool evening. "I think the servants have gotten more than an earful tonight."

The fresh aroma of blooming flowers assailed their nostrils and soon they were surrounded by the lovely scents.

Victoria lowered her head and was about to throw a mean retort when he placed a long finger against her lips.

"That wasn't meant as an insult. I believe I have done most of the yelling in the hacienda tonight."

Victoria took a deep breath. She needed to relax. She was much too defensive. If they wanted to make a fresh start, then both would need to give a little ground. The man could make her so crazy! But wasn't that what she loved about him? She risked a look into Diego's face. Zorro had such a strong personality. Somewhere, deep in her heart, she knew, that if ever given the time, that they would have marvelous fights. But in her dreams, the resolution of their problems was much more pleasurable.

He stepped away from her into the shadows and for a moment she lost sight of him. He leaned back against the wall and reached out to her to stand her in the same position as she had been in the first time they had been alone together in the de la Vega garden.

"Can we start over?" His voice was a mere whisper.

His gentle probing turned her around to face him and she found herself face to face with the night darkened silhouette that she had come to know as the body of the man she had fallen so deeply in love with.

She needed no incentive to recreate the kiss that began their tumultuous romance, but this time, there was no need to rush and no need for him to pull away after tasting the sweetness of her lips.

Both were reluctant to pull away from the heady feeling the kiss created. They needed to talk about their future. Needed to find a way to come to an understanding about his secret identity.

One last nip at a rosy lip and he pulled away from her with a disappointed sigh.

"You did that last time too." She shuddered, from desire, cold or left over anger, she wasn't sure.

He felt the slight tremble and enveloped her in his strong embrace. His body warmed her like no serape could.

"And I will do it again." He bent to press a warm, wet kiss to her parted lips.

Victoria lowered her eyes when he pulled away from her a second time and led her to the small bench next to am adobe wall.

"The alcalde came by to see me after you left tonight." She said softly.

His eyebrows raised in concern.

" Oh, he didn't try to arrest me. He seems quite pleased with himself that Zorro and I are having problems with our 'romance'."

"Really?" Diego smiled. His eyes narrowed as he caught a stray thought and brought it to the forefront of his mind. "This could work to our advantage, you know."

She leaned back into the bench and shivered. "How so."

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to lean back against his chest.

"Well if you and Zorro call off your relationship, no one would think it strange if you - begin to spend more time out here with me." There , he had said it. He wanted her. When she didn't respond he squeezed her against him. He thought he needed to make his intentions more clear and he turned her head so that he could gaze into clear amber eyes.

She relaxed against him and closed her eyes when his lips descended upon hers in the gentlest kiss he had given her to date. His lips probed hers and he was relieved when they opened with little or no pressure. His soft caress coaxed a soft sigh from her and she melted into his embrace.

"Please tell me that you will give us a chance?" He whispered against her lips.

"Oh Diego. " She shivered and gave a small chuckle. " The people already think something improper is going on between us."

"Oh?" Diego was mildly surprised to hear her admit such a thing.

She smiled and leaned her head against his chest, reveling in the feel of his strong arms holding her tightly.

"Us spending so much time together because of the Valentine lottery, my fights with Zorro. Your strange behavior."

He laughed. "Well good. We'll just have to fuel the fire of gossip then, won't we?"

"I think we need to have some very serious discussions before we allow that to happen."

After several hours, Alejandro risked a peek into the garden to make sure the two strong willed people had not torn one another limb from limb.

He was pleased to see that the young couple was sitting on a bench staring off into the darkness. He could see that they were still talking and he was reluctant to interrupt.

'It may take time for them to begin to fully trust one another again.' Alejandro thought.

There had been suffering on both sides. But Alejandro was certain that the young couple would make it. After all, they had come this far. Had loved this strongly separated by the mask. Their love could do nothing but grow now that they were together.

Alejandro smiled and stepped into the hacienda once more. As he cast one last look at the couple sitting on the bench, he smiled widely when he noticed his son cup Victoria's cheek.

As a young boy shyly preparing to kiss a young girl for the first time, Diego brought her face toward his. However the kiss that followed was far from one an innocent schoolboy would give an equally innocent girl.

Alejandro turned, slightly embarrassed to be witnessing the utterly personal exchange between the two.

With one kiss, a bond was sealed and Alejandro strode back into the hacienda, confident that there would be no more troubles in his home for the duration of the night.

END