Chapter 11
When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she looked up to see Don Alejandro coming through the door of the tavern. One thought after another tumbled through her mind. Did Diego's father know? He'd have to! No, Zorro would protect him as he had always said he protected her. His father couldn't know! What should she do? But Don Alejandro was already walking toward her.
"Victoria! I got finished with the blacksmith in no time at all. I'll go up and wake Diego now. Which room is he in?"
"Uh…he's in…" She pointed rather weakly toward the door and then added, "Perhaps you'd better knock first, he may still be sleeping."
"Well, it's time he was up. I do believe he'd sleep all day long on some days. You'd think he'd been up all night. But I'll do as you say." He started up the stairs and turned to ask, "Is there a chance you might have that chicken dish for lunch that you served last week again today? I've been craving it ever since, it was so delicious."
"Yes, of course. I'll make sure I have all the ingredients. Don Alejandro?"
"Yes?"
"Oh nothing. I just wanted to wish you a good morning again." Why was she feeling guilty? She wasn't the one who had deceived Don Alejandro!
"And good morning to you too, Victoria." He gave her a big smile, and she slinked into the kitchen as he vanished up the stairs.
He knocked on the door. "Diego?"
The man inside took a deep breath. How was he going to explain? "Yes, Father, come in."
Don Alejandro waited until he closed the door behind him to begin. Even if he had not been told already about his son's drinking escapade the night before, it wouldn't have been too hard to deduce. "Son, this is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into!" It was all he could do to keep his voice stern and not laugh. Diego was so obviously suffering from the lingering effects of a monstrous hangover. It was evident in his tortured eyes and his furrowed brow. "So what have you to say for yourself?"
"I'm… I am sorry. I misjudged—"
"Indeed you did! I would have thought you'd have gotten this sort of thing out of your system in Madrid!
"I never got drunk in Madrid!" Diego was indignant at the thought.
"So you decided to made up for it here? I just hope Lord Hodge understands—"
"He tricked me!"
Don Alejandro shook his head and smiled. "Yes, he most certainly did. A little more experience and you'd have known you were being goaded into drinking."
"He drank four, no five times as much as I did, and he—"
"But he has developed a great tolerance. You, my son, have none."
"Don't I know it now!"
"Well, Son, lesson learned. Never again?" his father asked brightly.
"Absolutely never again." He emphasized every word. "I hope I never see another drop of liquor!" He moaned and grabbed his head at the sound of his own raised voice.
"Good! Now I do have one small question." He paused and looked pointedly about the room. "What's happened to your clothes? Hmmm?"
Diego opened his mouth to reply, twice, but couldn't think of an acceptable answer to that one. He finally shrugged. "It is a long story."
"Please tell me they're not scattered all over the pueblo!" Don Alejandro affected a pained expression.
"Father! Of course not! I…you see… Victoria took my pants to mend them—they got torn. And my shirt…" he hesitated. His shirt was under the bed actually, but he couldn't very well show the black silk garment to his father.
"Son, you didn't, by chance…shall we say, compromise Victoria in any way?"
"Heavens no! Father,—" but even as he spoke vehemently, he thought at least I hope not! He really couldn't remember much of the night before, now that he tried.
"All right, all right, I'll spare you the extra headache of trying to remember it all. I'll have Felipe bring you another change of clothes. Maybe he can sneak them up here without anyone noticing."
"Thank you." Diego heaved a heavy sigh of relief.
"Now, about Victoria…"
"Yes, Father?" He braced himself for an onslaught of criticism.
"Just a word of advice…..Apologize. Apologize profusely! It's the only way."
"I am not sure that will be enough this time. She is very angry."
"I know. For that matter, the entire pueblo knows!" Alejandro smiled and Diego groaned again. "You couldn't have picked a more public place to have witnesses for your disgrace." He saw his son's whole body slump further down into the bed. "But, don't worry, Son. The talk will die down soon enough. A 'nine-day's wonder' they call such things. As long as Victoria forgives you, that is. They will be watching for that." He turned to go. "Oh, and Diego, the deadline for the Alcalde's census - it's tomorrow. He's reminded me twice already that you are one of the few caballeros left who has not completed the papers. I'm not sure what he's up to, but you might do well to comply this time."
"Yes, yes, I shall try." He had forgotten all about the problem that had led to his present situation. What was he going to do about that?
Victoria was going in and out of the kitchen and keeping an eye on the stairs, waiting for Don Alejandro to reappear. She didn't want him getting away before having a word with him. But she need not have worried, for Don Alejandro made straight for her after leaving his son's room.
"Victoria?" He gestured toward the kitchen and she followed. "Victoria, thank you for looking after him. I am in your debt."
"Oh, it was nothing. Are you very angry with him?" She didn't want this to cause friction between them.
"Are you?"
"Well, I was…but…"
"You know, he's going to be even harder on himself. Harder than you or I can ever be. And that hangover…well, that's punishment enough in itself. My father used to say every man should experience that just once in order to learn the lesson of moderation in all things. You know, I'd venture to guess that Diego hasn't eaten since yesterday at lunch. Could you prepare him something light? It might do him good. There's something on the bedside table, but I don't think he touched it, and it's cold now, at any rate."
"Oh, no! I hadn't even thought about that. He's got to be starved!" She began hurrying about the kitchen. "Yes, I'll see to it. Some albóndiga soup! He likes that."
Don Alejandro was glad to see her reaction. He hadn't thought she could remain angry with him for long, regardless of the impression he'd given Diego.
"I'll have Felipe bring him a change of clothes. He said his were … torn?" He watched her face carefully and saw the outright embarrassment his question caused. What exactly had happened to Diego's clothes?
"Good, Don Alejandro. I was not sure I could even repair them." She smiled nervously.
"Hmmm." Perhaps he would never find out about this. After that answer, he wasn't sure he wanted to anyway!
As she mounted the stairs, she could feel a dozen pairs of eyes boring into her back. There was nothing to do but ignore them. She knocked twice and announced herself before going on in, more for the benefit of the people watching than for Diego's. She doubted he had moved from the bed. He didn't seem the type to traipse around the room naked.
"I brought you some soup. Your father thought you might be hungry." They were both avoiding eye contact with one another and there was a long, awkward silence.
She placed the tray on the bed, and he murmured a very quiet "Thank you". Another long, awkward silence followed.
It was Diego who broke through it first. "We have to talk about all this." He glanced cautiously up at her face. "Perhaps later…" he began, and gave her a half-hearted smile, "I think I would feel more comfortable having such a conversation dressed."
She answered with a giggle and as he watched her turn and leave, he found a smile. So, all wasn't lost, after all.
It was close to two in the afternoon before he heard a tap at the window. Felipe pushed the bundle of clothing through to him from atop a ladder. Then he came around and through the front door of the tavern and on up to Diego's room. It was better this way. It was more embarrassing for Diego this way, having people think him indisposed for this long, but less so for Victoria, since she had actually been in the room with him alone.
Felipe was grinning from ear to ear. He wanted to know everything that had happened and he could barely wait as Diego got dressed. The more Diego explained, the more Felipe dissolved into silent laughter. Having witnessed Zorro's ignominious performance in the street the night before, he had assumed Diego had found refuge at the tavern somehow. But he would never have guessed that Diego had been drinking! The thought was just unbelievable!
Before going downstairs, Diego decided that humor was the only way to handle the situation. So, as he descended the steps, aware of all eyes upon him, he made a comical, elaborate bow and saluted the whole dining room crowd. He was awarded with a fair amount of applause and some hearty laughs before several of the men came forward and gave him some friendly pats on the back.
Within minutes, Victoria's customers had returned to their tables, their meals and their own conversations. Diego thought, for just a moment, that he might slip into the kitchen and see Victoria. But he decided he'd save that scene for later. Besides, right now he needed to see Lord Hodge and finish their conversation. With a few inquiries at the tables, he found out the man's whereabouts and proceeded over to the church.
"Diego! Feeling better?" The Padre was in deep conversation with the English peer, but greeted Diego with a beaming smile.
"Does anyone not know what I did last night?" Diego chuckled.
"Afraid not, Lad! That kind of news spreads like wildfire in a town like this." Lord Hodge gave the young caballero a patronizing slap on the back.
"Diego, you must be satisfied in knowing that people think this little…er...episode was enough out of line with your character to regard it as impressive enough to spread," consoled the Padre.
Lord Hodge gave a sheepish smile. "But considering my part in this 'episode', that line of thinking doesn't speak too well of me, Sir!"
"You are not one of my flock, Lord Hodge. If you were, you would have, hopefully, seen the error of your ways before getting to this point in your reputation." The reprimand was delivered good-naturedly, but both men knew the Padre was totally serious too. None of the church-going men in the pueblo could come close to Lord Hodge's familiarity with the bottle.
"Did you wish to see me, Diego?" The Padre had turned his attention to Diego and wanted to make himself available if he were needed.
"Actually no, or rather, not just yet." He did want the Padre to know he'd be by later for a very interesting confession. "I came to find Lord Hodge. We never really finished our conversation."
"Then, my boy, let's hie into the garden, a perfect setting for a little conversation. No drink to be found, alas, but I don't think I'd talk you into that again, heh?"
"No, you would not!" Diego inclined his head and then took his leave of the Padre.
