Chapter 3

The note in Diego's pocket worried him. The words could be interpreted in many ways. It could have been written by the culprit who had wrecked the sacristy at the church. At least, that's what he hoped. The message, "I know your secret", could involve so much more when you were someone who led a double life. But Diego was willing to bet that the note had nothing to do with Zorro. It had more to do with someone seeing him kissing Zorro's girl. He made his way back to the church to check the scene one more time, this time with a more wary eye.

"Diego! Two visits in one day! Come in, my son. Come in."

"Padre. Have you had a chance to go over the sacristy yet? I was wondering if you had found anything to be missing."

"No, everything seems to be accounted for. If it weren't for the mess, you'd never have known anyone was there. I think someone was in there and maybe saw something that surprised them. Then they turned too quickly and overturned the table by the door. They probably then thought they might be in trouble for it, and caused even greater commotion in their effort to get away quickly. Seems plausible, doesn't it? But why the interest, Diego? You looked as if you had more than enough to occupy your mind this afternoon." Padre Benitez's eyes twinkled at his own joke. "My garden is a nice retreat for a romantic interlude, is it not?"

The color flamed in Diego's cheeks. Of all people, the padre could look into his heart. Padre Benitez had heard his true confessions for a long time. He was an intelligent man and would make good assumptions just as he had just made about the unknown intruder. There was a distinct possibility that the good padre even knew that Diego was Zorro. Diego was sure that, even if he did, he would never divulge that fact. Probably not even to Diego. "Yes, it is, and I hope I may put it to good use again." He gave an embarrassed smile.

"Of course you may. You know, Diego, you can see the whole of the garden from that window in the sacristy." The padre pointed to the window just by the door. "You might bear that in mind the next time you bring the señorita here. And I hope you do. I'm also hoping that today you made some progress with the young lady?" He intoned the statement like a question.

"I am afraid I am not doing particularly well at all in that area." Diego scratched an imaginary itch on the back of his head.

"No?"

"No. Victoria…well…it is common knowledge that she is in love with Zorro." He spread his hands as if this explained everything.

"True. True." The friar sat down on a bench and motioned for Diego to join him. "But it has been a very long time for those two and they are no closer to marriage today than when they first met. Is it not true? But you, Diego, you have so much to offer her."

"That may be, Father, but the lady wants Zorro," Diego said quietly.

"What we want is not always what we need, or what we should have. Diego, Zorro is but a dream, a concoction of someone's fantasy. The results he achieves are real enough, to be sure. But the man—he is merely a person who wears the mask and hides his real self, his true self. But the dream, that dream is a part of a very real man and if Victoria is in love with that dream, wouldn't it follow she'd be in love with the man who concocted the whole fantasy?"

Diego had been thoughtfully staring at the altar before him, trying to follow the Padre's reasoning, but on hearing the last sentence, he turned to the man to examine his face.

The padre only displayed an enigmatic smile. He reached over and patted Diego's hand. "Use my garden, Diego. It is a fine setting for a courtship. Win her heart. Replace her dream with reality. Don't be afraid to show her more of yourself. And don't waste any more time!" He stood to leave.

"By the way, Diego, I have been meaning to ask you if you would mind coming next week to the children's class to help with the more classical side of their education. I would like to expose them to some poetry and you have such a gift for that sort of thing. Maybe a recital of sorts? And if you could possibly even do some sketches for them too? A pity we have no piano in the classroom or I'd ask you to play as well. A visit from a dashing young caballero would make them feel so important. Poetry, art and music! Such romantic endeavors! Enough to turn a young girl's head, I should think! Maybe you should consult Victoria on which poems to read for the children. Women do so love poetry and music." He smiled mischievously at Diego and laughed. "Good day, Diego."

The next day when Diego came into the tavern, there was a telling moment to anyone watching when his eyes locked and held Victoria's for just that one second more than was normal and customary. Victoria had been wondering all morning long how Diego would act toward her after the day before and their unusual afternoon together. She fully expected to see a blush rise in his cheeks. He was so very proper! But his complexion remained pale as she felt the warmth and color flush in her own face. Looking away quickly, she dismissed the unwanted reaction as a result of working all morning in the hot kitchen. She certainly didn't want Diego to think she was in any way affected by his sudden presence.

"Victoria?" Diego had moved up behind her silently.

"Oh, Diego, I—"

"I was wondering when would be a good time for your break. I have a couple of errands, but I could arrange to be back whenever you say."

So he was willing to go on with the lessons! Victoria cast a look about the room and mentally ran through her present customers' preferences and the cooking times required. "Oh, I think in another hour, I could be—"

"Good. In an hour then." Diego took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, spun on his heel and left.

"Well!" she thought, "he didn't have to be so business-like about it!"

Precisely one hour later, Diego was back in the tavern waiting for her. Only two customers remained and Teresa was already seeing to them. Victoria pulled off her apron and she and Diego slipped unnoticed out the back door.

But this time, the short walk down to the church was dominated by an awkward silence. They were almost to the gate when Diego finally steeled himself to break it.

"Was I that bad a student yesterday?"

"What—?" He had startled her.

"We didn't have this much trouble finding things to talk about yesterday… or are you dreaming up some new 'techniques' for me to refine?" He gave her a crooked smile with raised eyebrows and she laughed easily.

"Diego, I think you did just fine yesterday. You surprised me, actually. Now, if we can only get you confident enough to begin courting your lady, I think her response would surprise you. I almost envy her." Victoria opened the gate and walked through it into the garden, ignorant of the fact that Diego had stopped in his tracks. Then she noticed him standing there lost in thought. "Diego? Aren't you coming in?"

"Oh, yes, of course." He closed the gate behind him and watched her as she went slowly down the walkway, stopping here and there to smell a blossom. "You think I have a problem with confidence?" he asked.

But she didn't answer.

Shaking his head, Diego smiled to himself. He had already lost her attention to their surroundings. If he were the man he had been pretending to be, his confidence would certainly be taking a beating now. He cleared his throat loudly.

"What? I'm sorry, Diego. What did you say?"

"I asked if you thought I have a problem with confidence." He offered her his hand and led her over to the bench.

"Yes, I suppose I do," she admitted. From out of nowhere, the memory of that fiery speech he had given in Santa Paula came to her mind. No, he had been filled with confidence then. He had even inspired it in others. "But then, I don't think you do in some areas…" she murmured.

"What was that?" Diego asked.

"What I mean is that you just need to be confident with the ladies—"

"You mean 'lady'," he corrected. "I only desire one."

She frowned. "Yes, 'lady'," she repeated with a big exhale as she pronounced the word. "I think," she turned toward him, "I think that maybe I should know a little more about her so I could—"

"And what would you like to know?"

"What she likes? You know, her likes and dislikes. What's her favorite color? Does she like music?

"Hmm, let me see, her favorite color…" He looked down at the ground momentarily and then brought his head up slightly, looking at her through dark lashes. "What is your favorite color?"

"Mine? Oh, I like blue and deep reds and—" She looked at him sharply. "Oh, no you don't. You're changing the subject again!"

"I was not!" Diego replied indignantly. "I was merely trying—"

"You were merely trying to change the subject from this mysterious ladylove of yours. And here I am trying to help you! I should just give up right now and let you—"

"Victoria, very well, I give up! Just…just tell me what would impress you. What would make you realize that some caballero was interested in courting you? What would he—"

"A caballero! Courting me? Oh, Diego. Since when do you think I would be courted by one of the caballeros? Why that's imposs—"

"It is not! It is not impossible!" Diego had to catch himself to avoid letting his voice slide into the one he used as Zorro. "Victoria, you should never think—"

"Diego, I don't think that is the case. I know it." Diego started to protest again and she reached up and pressed two fingers to his lips to quiet him. "No, it is only the truth. I am not of the upper class of the caballero, of your class." He started to protest once more, but she went on before he could. "I know, I know. I am not of the 'lower' class either. There's somehow a place for me in the middle. I own a tavern." She looked at him sharply. "And I do my job very well! It is a very profitable little business that I run. I see and talk to all the caballeros and their families on a daily basis. They wish me well in church and at gatherings. But that does nothing to elevate me into that special realm they…you…exist in just by being born to the right families."

"But, Victoria, surely you do not think that—"

"You know one of my greatest fears? It's that Zorro belongs to your class. For if that's the case, he and I can never—"

"That is just not true!" Diego swallowed hard. He had to be careful here. He wanted her attention off of Zorro and onto himself as Diego and here he was about to defend Zorro's right to court her! "Zorro does not see 'class' when he looks at someone. He looks into a person's character. He defends the oppressed, but—"

"Yes, isn't he wonderful?" she sighed and turned dreamy eyes to the garden around them.

Long seconds passed before she was aware there was silence. She turned to see Diego standing there, deep in thought. "Diego? What's wrong?"

"I just cannot accept what you say as true. Such things are not as they are in Spain. This is a new land, a land of promise for everyone. If we let ourselves be chained to the old ways of dividing people into classes and confining them within those stations for the whole of their lives, what progress have we made? No, I cannot accept that and neither would Zorro. I think I know him well enough to say that!" Diego let out a huge breath. He felt as if he had just made a decision for the whole of Alta California. And he knew he was fully capable of seeing a positive outcome of such a decision.

Victoria was staring at him. Something was tugging at the back of her mind again. What was it about Diego just then? Then she remembered that speech again. That was it! He had that same fire about him then that he was displaying right now.

Before she could even wonder at the change in him, he was changing once more into the playful Diego of late.

"Now, shall we get back to our lesson for today? What is it to be? How about the correct way to embrace a woman? I am sure you have definite ideas on that." He grinned at her expectantly and held him arms open wide. "So?"

She entered into his embrace meekly, still in awe of the change she'd just seen in him.

"Am I doing it correctly?" He enfolded her in his arms, holding her loosely, lest she rebel. But he felt her relax as he looked down to see her eyes close as she melted into him. One hand around her small waist and one hand gently rubbing small circles on her back, he simply held her a few moments before he again asked, "Is this acceptable?"

"What? Oh, yes, yes, this is fine, just fine. I think you must be a very quick study." He could barely hear her murmuring as she snuggled further up against his chest.

Suddenly, her head jerked upwards and she pulled away from him. "I never realized you were as tall as Zorro!"

"Really? Yes, I think we are much of the same height. Now, what comes next? Do you think we should practice—"

"No!" she said firmly, gathering her thoughts firmly together. "No, I think that will be enough for today. I need to give this some thought, you know, as to what we should cover next. But I'm sure I need to be getting back to the tavern right now. Siesta should be over and business will be picking up. I can't leave the girls to—"

"Of course not. Then let us be going." He gestured toward the gates, and began picking a nice little bouquet on his way as he walked in front of her.

"What are you doing? Picking a posy for your lady?" she teased.

"For the lady before me," he said as he turned and placed the small bunch of beautiful flowers in her hand.

As they went through the gates and back down the street toward the tavern, Victoria wiped a single tear from her eye. It was nice to know Diego considered her a 'lady' even if she knew she was not.