Chapter 5
The coach that arrived in the pueblo de Los Angeles was bursting at the seams with passengers. A family of four and two servants had crowded the tall, thin, gray-like man for the entire trip. Breathing a sigh of relief, he disembarked lastly from the coach. He was still straightening his cravat and dusting imaginary dirt particles from the front of his suit when the Alcalde walked up to him and bowed from the waist.
"Señor Hodge, I presume?""You may not! It is Lord Hodge to you, Sir. Lord Percival Bradley Hodge, that is. And who might you be?" He peered disdainfully over the rims of his glasses at the elaborately uniformed man before him.
"I am Ignacio De Soto, Alcalde of this fine pueblo. I was the one who sent for you." He offered the last bit as an aside, as if to indicate that some sort of conspiratorial relationship already existed between the two men.
"Indeed, Mr. De Soto." After the journey he had just endured, Lord Hodge was not very willing to accept any show of familiarity. "I trust you have arranged for a decent place for me to stay."
"Of course, my lord, I have the very best room reserved for you at the inn. Mendoza!" he yelled loudly, and Lord Hodge shrank back in disgust at the common behavior.
"Sí mi alcalde!" Mendoza appeared from out of nowhere at the Alcalde's elbow.
"Sergeant, you will take Lord Hodge's bags to his room." De Soto gave another exaggerated bow. "After you, my lord." The Alcalde swept out an arm and bowed. "Once you are settled in your accommodations, Sergeant Mendoza will escort you to my office where we can get down to business."
"Business? I will have you know, De Soto, what I do isascience, an artbut it is definitely not a 'business'." He let his lips curl into a sneer around the word.
"Of course, Lord Hodge, of course. But you do think you can do this, do you not?" De Soto licked his lips at the thought.
"I do not see that your small problem will present me with any great degree of difficulty. I have achieved results wherever and whenever I have endeavored to apply my findings in the capture of notorious outlaws. I do not see why your Zorro should be any different. You will capture him with my help. I assure you of that.
"Excellent! Excellent. This way, Lord Hodge."
Diego had watched the entire interchange from across the plaza. Pretending to adjust the reins on his horse, he was able to hear every word.
Diego sat at the piano in the sala, setting to paper the notes of his composition as he went along. The song was coming along nicely and he was so absorbed in the whole process that he never even heard the visitor being let in through the front door by Felipe.
"Diego!" Victoria stood in the archway, feigning anger.
"Victoria!" he greeted her warmly. "How nice of you to—"
"You have not had a lesson in days!"
"Victoria, I have been rather busy late—"
"Oh yes, I see. But we must not neglect your studies." She smiled at him invitingly and he rose from his seat. "What are you doing? Learning a new piece?" She walked toward the piano and he deftly barred her way.
"No, just …just…uh, Victoria, you came all the way out here to give me another lesson?"
"Actually, no. Maria and I are trading some preserves and since Teresa was…but you know it's not a bad idea. Why not? You could still use a dance lesson, I believe." As she spoke, she craned her neck around him, trying to see what he was hiding from her. "What was that piece you were playing when I came in? It was lovely."
"Oh that?" Diego turned and gathered up the pages quickly, and it was obvious he wanted to hide them from her view. "Just a little something I was working on…" His apparent embarrassment piqued her curiosity even more. "So, a dance lesson? But what would we do for music? I don't think—"
"We don't need music. We can just go over the steps…" She turned away from him as she spoke and at the sound of rustling papers, turned back around quickly to grab the sheets from his hands.
"Victoria! Don't! You can't—"
"Oh, but I can—" She stopped as she straightened the papers out before her and read the title. "Lady of the Pueblo? You wrote this, Diego?" She kept her voice steady.
"I am working on it. It is not very good. I am afraid I lack the talent—" He began to fumble with the quills atop the piano nervously. "It really is just for my own …" His voice trailed away feebly.
"So you are writing songs for her now?" She forced a smile she did not feel around her gritting teeth. "How sweet!" She handed the papers back to him and he replaced them carefully on the piano bench.
"Yes, well…"
"You know, Diego, I just remembered I can't stay for any lessons just now. I need to get back—"
"Oh?" Diego relaxed visibly. "Perhaps tomorrow? Maybe you could come for dinner?"
"Yes, that might be nice. But for now, I had better be getting back to the tavern." She turned to go and then thought of the jars in the wagon. Turning back around quickly, she found her face right up against Diego's chest.
"Oh, sorry," he apologized as he backed away from her. "I though I would see you to the door."
Victoria smiled sweetly. "And I was just going to ask if you'd be so good as to carry the jars in for me."
"Of course!" And with that, Diego went quickly through the door to do her bidding.
"Victoria!" Alejandro greeted her as he walked up behind her. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company, my dear? It is so good to see you." He extended a hand to her as she whirled around to greet him.
"Don Alejandro! How nice to see you. I've brought preserves and some of that plum jam you like. Maria and I have been doing some bartering to keep you men supplied."
"How thoughtful and how lucky we are. It is getting late. You should stay for dinner, Victoria."
Diego came in with his arms loaded with two baskets of jars. "She cannot stay, Father. But I have asked her for tomorrow night." He tossed the comment over his shoulder as he headed down the hallway toward the kitchen.
"Then we shall look forward to that."
Victoria made her exit from the hacienda with haste, leaving Alejandro standing there wondering. His reverie was broken when Diego returned.
"She's left already?"
Now, how could his son sound relieved and disappointed at the same time? Don Alejandro wondered to himself. But aloud, he merely stated, "Yes, I think she had things to do at the tavern. A pity? Heh?"
Then he wandered casually over to the piano and picked up the music sheets and began looking at them thoughtfully.
"You know, I heard your conversation and I think you did not want the señorita looking too closely at this. But I don't see anything… Oh wait!" Alejandro's voice was playful. It was clear he was teasing his son. "I know! It's not the front of these pages that you didn't want her to see. It is this drawing on the back of one of them!" He finished with a triumphant laugh.
"Father, please, I—"
"Oh, why not let her see this, Diego. It is quite good. Anyone could tell it was Victoria. She would be flattered."
"Perhaps. But it may be too soon to let her know that—"
"That you care for her? Nonsense! It is never too soon for that. Believe me, women never tire of hearing they are desired. And it is high time that you make it plain to her about your feelings. Look, Son, it is not going to get any easier the longer you wait. You need to take the bull by the—"
"Spare me, Father, the metaphors. I will. I will. I told you I had decided to do this and I will. I just was not quite prepared tonight."
Alejandro sighed loudly.
"It is just not as easy a situation as you think, Father. I have to do this at my own pace."
"Just don't take too long. The moment could slip away before you realize it." Alejandro handed his son the music sheets and left him standing in the sala alone.
It was getting late. So it was that after a few moments of indecision on Diego's part, Zorro set out on Tornado to assure that Victoria made it back to the pueblo safely. The air was cool and the ride was pleasant even though he found himself holding back the horse at several points on the trail because Victoria kept stopping. Keeping to the shadows along the way, he watched her and wondered why.
Victoria's conflicted feelings were at war within her own heart and mind. She recognized a bit of jealousy there and it surprised her. Surely she was not so petty as to begrudge the same happiness for Diego she would surely have in her relationship with Zorro. She would just have to make up her mind to push forward with Diego. Now he was writing songs for his lady. Never mind that Zorro had never done such a thing for her. Zorro was different – a man of action. And Diego was apparently a more romantic man than she had ever imagined him to be. It was just surprising, that's all.
Zorro waited outside the archway into the plaza for a long while. He had his own thoughts to keep him company, and those thoughts were churning away inside him.
"Here I am about to break into the quartel with armed soldiers all about and am I afraid of that?" he whispered to himself. "No, not at all, for I am Zorro." He said the name of his alter ego with a flourish before he added sheepishly, "But that slip of a girl! How on earth are you going to proceed with her?" He bowed his head and shook it slowly. Then he knew it was time. He edged Tornado around the gates and into the plaza.
The strong moonlight streamed into the Alcalde's office through the open window, and the catlike form of the caped man melted into the shadows near the walls. Zorro knew the lay-out of the office well.
An hour later, Zorro was finished with his inspection of the Alcalde's office and had confirmed the purpose of Lord Hodge's visit. The Englishman was apparently an expert of some repute concerning the subject of analyzing handwriting, and the census was a means to compare Zorro's handwriting with every man's in the entire pueblo.
With the work of the night done so quickly, Zorro found himself once more outside the building. His eyes were caught by the lights of the second floor over the tavern. He knew the window belonged to Victoria's room and he could see the flickering of the candlelight as she moved about in the room. She was awake.
He came through the window effortlessly. A slow bow over her hand, and he was touching her face tenderly with a black-gloved hand. "Victoria, you light up the darkest night with that smile."
"Oh, Zorro, I've missed you. It seems like forever since—"
"I have been rather busy. And, so it seems, have you." His even tone didn't sound accusing, but her head lowered in embarrassment. "I understand you have a pupil?"
"Oh, that's nothing!" How had he found out about that? "Really! I'm sure whatever you've heard is—"
"So I have nothing to worry about in this?"
"Never! You should know that." But what was she feeling that prickling of guilt at the base of her soul?
"Yet, there are some that say I should call the man out. I should not like to think Don Diego has been forcing his affections on you. I can take care of it?" She saw his hand resting on the hilt of his sword and grew alarmed.
"No!" she cried out forcefully, then lowered her voice with some effort. "No, Diego is in love with some lady in the pueblo. I am just helping him…develop…a technique. That's all. There is no need to—"
"I do have a reputation to protect." He let the hand fall to his side. "But I am first, last, and always, your servant." He put two fingers to the brim of his hat. "Still…" Turning his back on her, he began to pace about the room. The look on her face was absolutely priceless. But he couldn't risk showing any amusement. "I would not think that young de la Vega would need any instruction from one such as yourself. He was, I understand, in Madrid?" He turned back around to see her nod affirmatively, but her face showed confusion. "Even I have heard of the off campus delights at the University there." He smiled broadly, finally relieved he could do so.
"Off campus delights!" she repeated in horror, her eyes growing huge. "Diego! No! He wouldn't--" Then it dawned on her that it was perhaps not a good thing to be discussing Diego with Zorro.
"Oh, but, Señorita! He is a man. For all his piety, he is still just a man." He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "It would be well for you to be cautious. One such as he might 'swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire'. One never knows."
"Well, the 'rage' I can attest to! Diego's done that often enough with me. He can be so maddening at times. But 'kindle my desire'? No, no, not Diego. No, no…" She caught herself, wondering if she was protesting too much? "Why, he's like a brother to me." She expressed herself with sweeping hand gestures, as if to emphasize her point. So wrapped up in her own explanation and in trying to reassure him of her fealty, she missed entirely the hurt look that flitted across Zorro's face, not totally hidden by the mask.
"Well, then, it is good to know I should have no concerns about all this." He smiled a smile he did not feel and thought it was a mistake to have come here tonight. "I must leave, Señorita. The lancers are not all in their beds tonight and my presence here is not wise.
"No, don't leave just yet. You only just got here. It's not fair! I never get to see you anymore for more than a few minutes. You always go rushing off into the night—"
"But—"
"And besides, you could help me with Diego."
"I?" Zorro felt a warning tingle run up his spine.
"Yes, you could. You certainly know how to …well… to please a woman. So you could tell him how to—"
"Señorita! I am not at all sure I should be the one to ask to do something like this. Besides, I think you underestimate Don Diego. He may not need your instruction.
Her eyes narrowed on him. "What do you know about Diego that I don't?"
"Just that you would be wise to be careful. But trust me in this. I am not the one for this task."
"But I worry about him so," she complained. If only she could keep Zorro talking, he wouldn't leave her and she needed his presence tonight.
"You worry?" Zorro turned back to her and said, "And what is it that concerns you about him?"
"Well, this woman, of course! I don't know who she is, for one thing and—"
"Why does it matter to you who she is?" Zorro settled himself upon the windowsill.
"Because," she drew out the word as she collected her thoughts, "I would like to make sure Diego is… choosing wisely this – this – this woman that he would make his wife."
Zorro noticed with relish that her hands were clasping, unclasping and balling into fists as she spoke.
Surely there was more to her concern than would be normal for a "brother"? It gave him heart.
"Victoria, I do not quite understand why you—"
"Oh! Men! You and Diego are two of a kind!" She turned and began pacing, rubbing her palms together. "You can't see that he's in danger? I mean, that he needs to be careful of this woman. Who knows if she—" Her voice was rising in note and the tone of it reached her own ears and caused her to halt. "Why, she could be after his money! It's not as if she's out there openly trying to catch him. No, she's sneaking around behind my – I mean – everybody's back and who knows what kind of lies she's been telling him, what kind of—" She whirled around and shook her finger at Zorro just inches from the masked eyes. "Do you know she cooked for him?"
He could not help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips, and he coughed nervously and covered his mouth quickly with his hand. But not before she saw it.
"Zorro!" Her furor was still in force and now she turned it on him. "This is not amusing! OH! I can't believe that you can be so unfeeling about this." She stood there fuming, hands resting on her hips and shifting her weight from side to side.
"Forgive me, Victoria. I do see your problem and I am sure it will all work out for the best. As for me, I fear I have already stayed longer than I had intended. I shall say goodbye for now." He turned to the window and slipped through it with ease. Turning back to her, he tipped his hat. Then seeing the look of anger on her face, he said no more and disappeared into the night.
Victoria stood there looking at the open window, the curtains to either side of it moving slightly with the breeze. Her breathing was still heavy and she could not believe he had left her with no kiss, no farewell embrace. She could also not believe that, for once, she was relieved he had not. Sometimes he made her so mad! No, that wasn't right. Zorro hardly ever made her mad. It was Diego that brought that emotion out in her so often. It was Diego who was making her mad tonight. It was Diego…
But it was Zorro who had laughed at her tonight. And she had reacted toward him the same way she would have if Diego had laughed at her. The thought was not a pleasant one as she readied herself for bed. She had a feeling she would not be sleeping well tonight.
