Chapter 4

Sleep did not come easily that night. Diego tossed and turned, his mind kept replaying every single minute of his encounter with Victoria. Perhaps he shouldn't have gone to her until he was more familiar with the persona of Zorro. Perhaps he should have waited for Felipe to return… or perhaps… his headache had returned with a vengeance. Well, if he could get no sleep tonight, he could at least do something useful with the time.

Morning found him in the cave, deep in study of the most recent advances in the medicinal arts of pain relief. He was most impressed with his own laboratory and the accompanying library of reference books. There was an ample supply of the various chemicals and equipment he was going to need to exact a duplication of the experiment in question.

By lunchtime, he was ready to begin and had everything he needed except for the raw ingredient itself. Now, all he needed was some bark from a willow tree. Luckily there was one just behind the kitchen door. "Oh," he thought, looking at his watch, "I'd better be making an appearance before I worry the servants."

But apparently the de la Vega household was well used to the unusual sleeping habits of the young caballero. The cook had waited for word before beginning a meal for him, so Diego made a request of what he wanted. By the time he had returned from the wine cellar with his selection, the basket was ready.

Arriving in town, he was well aware of the reaction he was eliciting from the citizens, but he didn't quite understand it. People weren't exactly staring at him; they quickly averted their gaze once he caught their eyes. But he did feel he was the center of attention. He returned the acknowledgements from those that he saw and bowed to the señoritas that he passed. It was a relief when he finally reached the tavern and escaped all those prying eyes.

He stood in the doorway, watching Victoria as she worked, filling glasses and taking care of her customers. She really did look like she enjoyed running this tavern. But today, he noticed with some concern, she also looked tired. When she turned and saw him, she immediately crossed over to him, took his arm and guided him to a table.

"Just in time for lunch, Diego" She smiled at him. "You sit here and I will bring you some soup for starters. And then there's some delicious—"

"Victoria, I had hoped that maybe you and I could…well… get away… for a few hours. Perhaps a picnic?"

"Why, Diego! That sounds like a lovely idea. I'll go and let Maria know. And I will pack some lunch for us."

"No need for that. I've already taken care of it. Just meet me outside in about twenty minutes. There's something I have to do before we leave." Then he excused himself and left her standing there, shaking her head at this unexpected offer from him.

Diego walked casually across the street, greeting people along the way and hoping he could make it though this afternoon without making some mistake that would expose his deficient memory.

As soon as he neared the door of the alcalde's office, De Soto emerged.

"Don Diego!" De Soto was all smiles. Until he could elicit the help he needed from de la Vega, he had to carry on this charade of friendship.

"Alcalde," Diego nodded, "I was just wondering…for my article, of course… just how the quartel would be enlarged to accommodate the sleeping arrangements for the added soldiers? Would you be likely to add on to the building in this direction over here?"

"Yes, yes, that would be the plan. We would be utilizing the funds requested with the utmost frugality, to be sure." It looked like Diego would be helping him out after all!

"Well, I just thought I'd look around and get some ideas, if you don't mind. I will try to stay out of the way of your men, Alcalde." Diego smiled his most innocent smile.

"Not at all, not at all. Just feel free to conduct your inspection. I'll tell my men to give you a full run of the place!" De Soto turned to go find his sentry to give his orders. "This is going to work out fine after all," he thought to himself. "With a de la Vega on my side, how can I lose?"

Diego wandered around the perimeter of the building for a few minutes, before entering by a back door into the alcalde's office. He withdrew the book he had under his jacket and returned it to the drawer of the desk. It hadn't even been missed. With that done, he made his way back to the tavern.

Victoria had changed into a pale yellow dress that caught his eye even from down the street. How perfectly beautiful she looked! Diego couldn't wait to get her alone all to himself, if just for a little while.

"Finished with your business?" She put just the tiniest bit of emphasis on the word. And it had just the intended effect on him. He was taken aback, but only for a moment. After all, it was a common word.

"Yes, all done. I am yours for the afternoon." He mounted his horse and extended his hand to her. As he lifted her up easily onto the saddle in front on him, she was reminded of all the times he had done this very same thing as Zorro. This was sheer heaven! She could feel the solid strength in the arms around her and she felt his light breath on the back of her neck.

Many heads turned to see the two on horseback as they left the square. There was no whispering gossip, however. Knowing glances passed from one to another as each silently voiced their approval of this development in the romance between the two young people. It was the only solution to Zorro's problematic romance with the Señorita. He would have to let Don Diego have the girl!

Diego guided the horse through the gates of the pueblo and on down the road for a couple of miles. Then they turned off the road and stopped near a small stream that lay sheltered amid a stand of cottonwood trees.

He dismounted and with his two hands spanning her small waist, gently lowered her from the horse.

At once, as if on cue, they both felt the awkwardness of the situation. Then Diego remembered the food and quickly went about retrieving it from the saddlebags. They spread a cloth on the cool grass and soon they had a small feast before them. Maria had done her job well. She had even included the wineglasses.

Before long, they had taken their fill and were leaning up against a tree trunk sipping the wine and reminiscing about childhood events of long ago. They had relaxed to the point that they could even argue.

"No, that's not how I remember it. It was you. You were the one responsible. If it hadn't been for—"

"Very well, Victoria, I confess. It was I. But if I hadn't—"

"Will you listen to us?" She smiled at him sweetly. "After all these years, we can still argue about those apples!" They both laughed.

"We had some good times back then, didn't we?" They gazed into each other's eyes as the smiles left their faces and the world turned serious.

"You were always there for me, Diego."

"And I always will be." His mouth closed the difference between them and they were lost in each other's embrace. Some of the hunger for each other that had been denied for so long was temporarily sated.

Before long, it was Diego that pulled away and reined in their passion.

"Victoria ….you're not….promised …to anyone, are you?" Was that the right question to be asking? He wasn't sure of anything just now.

"Well, not exactly," she answered him, as she thought, "only to your other self!" How was this ever going to work out the right way? One of us has to go first and tell the other. But should she be the one?

"Not exactly?" He searched her eyes. "I'm not sure I should be encouraged by that answer." He looked down as he stroked her hand. "Victoria, we need to be totally honest with each other right now. You know, more than anyone else, that I …have …well…lost some memories. And some of those lost memories are very important ones. They're important to both of us. You are the keeper of those memories. Please. Tell me about him."

"But Diego, you are him." She cupped her hands around his face. She could see his alarm. "I thought you had remembered that much. You came to me as Zorro last night."

"So… you knew… that I…" He was trying to work it all out in his mind.

"Yes. I've only known since that day of the shootings. I only wonder that I didn't guess before. I'm just so afraid of saying the wrong thing to you. I think I'm a little ashamed that I never figured it out before. You gave me clues and I never guessed. I was so busy pushing you—Diego, away…keeping you from becoming more than a friend… that I never even….."

"Well, if I gave you clues. That means that part of me must have wanted you to know. This is exactly the kind of thing that I need you to tell me."

"Diego, you truly haven't remembered….? Just what is the very last thing you do remember? Now it's your turn to be completely honest with me!"

"The last thing I remember…" he began, as he reclined back against the tree trunk and stared up at the clouds, "is arriving from Madrid five years ago. I have had some flashes of memories….almost like dreams… about a lot of things… but nothing as real as the memories of stealing those apples!" They both laughed. "I figured out quite a bit from those shadowy memories and from listening and watching. Oh, and I stole a book from the alcalde's office that told me of my 'crimes'. And it was surprisingly easy, too!" He chuckled. "I guess, once a Zorro, always a Zorro!"

"Definitely!" She leaned over and planted a long passionate kiss on his lips.

When they finally broke for air, he asked, "Victoria, last night, you said something about a ring. Zorro gave it to you? What was the promise that went with that ring?"

"You promised that when you took off the mask, you would declare your love for me and we would be together forever!"

"Well…would you be terribly upset… if Zorro keeps his mask…Diego declares his love for you…and you and I are together forever and ever?"

"Oh, Diego!" She gave him her answer with her lips but not with words.

"You know there is a risk that you will be taking, and I can't believe I am asking it of you. But if I continue as Zorro, and if I am ever caught—"

"I know, I know…but it is a risk well worth taking. Until justice reigns in Los Angeles, Zorro is needed. But," she continued on a more personal level, "what about the ring? Does this mean I can actually wear it in public now?"

"Yes, Querida, you may wear it openly now. Is it the emerald ring of my mother's?"

She winced. "Yes, and it doesn't exactly excite me to know you can't even remember the glorious day you gave it to me!" She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Ouch! Then tell me about it. And don't leave anything out."

They talked until the sun was low on the horizon. Victoria playfully gave Diego some "Zorro" lessons. She coached him on his own mannerisms, speech patterns and inflections. She told him the true stories behind his crimes and gave him a thorough account of the real crimes committed by the two alcaldes, De Soto and Ramon.

"Thankfully, I don't have to tell you how to use your saber!" she teased.

"No," he laughed, "I think I remember that part pretty well! At least my skills did not desert me as my memory did. I was amazed last night just how simple it was to break into the Alcalde's office, steal the book, and elude the lancers. It felt like I had been doing things like that all my life."

"So you have!" Her easy laughter was like a melodic shaft of sunshine flowing over him. "But when I think of all those times you showed up just a few minutes later as Diego—"

"I must have gotten the wardrobe change down to an art! But I marvel that I got away with it with you. How in the world could I have hidden my feelings from you all this time?"

"Well, maybe that part you didn't do so well. I've always known you cared for me. I guess I just held you at arm's length because I—"

"Because you considered me to be like a brother?" He leaned over her and kissed her firmly on the mouth. When they drew apart a few minutes later, her breathing was erratic.

"My brothers never kissed me like that!"

Diego laughed, "Well, I should hope not!"

They laughed and kissed and even shed a tear or two. But when Victoria tried to stifle a yawn, Diego pulled her to her feet and prepared to go back to the pueblo.

Their perfect day together had to end, for tomorrow was another big day. Don Alejandro and Felipe were due back the next day and something had to be done about those bandidos.

He took her back to the tavern and even took the chance of following her to her room. There, she took out the ring. But this time, it, was Diego who placed it on her finger.