Chapter 4
Diego was up and out of the hacienda before his father woke. When Alejandro inquired as to his son's whereabouts, Felipe only signed something about needing to go to town.
Alejandro groaned, hoping that he could have a few more words with Diego before he saw Victoria again. Apparently, his son was determined to take care of this mistake on his own. Alejandro smiled as he recalled Diego's explanation of what had transpired the evening before and how the chaperones had clearly misunderstood what they'd seen. Alejandro had believed him. But he could also see through the carefully veiled desire that Diego held in check where Victoria was concerned. He had suspected for a long time that his son had feelings for the fiery tempered señorita but not until last night, when Diego had nearly slipped in his concern over causing her so much distress did Alejandro receive the proof.
Alejandro tried to hide an amused grin. Well, if this little indiscretion on his son's part got him a wife out of it, Alejandro wasn't going to complain. He loved Victoria as a daughter already and would just love to see her married to his son. Unfortunately, he knew the probability of a wedding ever taking place between Diego and Victoria was about as slim as Alta California becoming a part of the United States.
Still, Alejandro allowed himself a very tiny measure of hope.
Diego ignored the stares as he walked briskly into the tavern. A few of the men nodded and clasped him on the shoulder but other simply stared at the caballero. News had indeed traveled fast if these early morning customers were shooting him unfavorable looks.
Victoria nearly ran into him as she hurried out of the kitchen, her arms laden with trays filled with the morning meal.
Diego caught her as she stumbled and grabbed one of the trays before it tipped over. "Diego!" Victoria's gasp echoed around the tavern and she winced. "Oh, thank you." She smiled politely as he removed his hand from her waist and re-positioned the food-filled tray in her hand.
He waited patiently as she served her customers and then leaned across the bar to speak to her as she poured a few glasses of juice. "We need to talk."
"Right now?" Victoria asked, glancing around the tavern. It was unusually busy this morning, no doubt because of the events of the previous evening. Everyone in the vicinity was going to be in the tavern today wondering what was going to happen with her and Diego.
"I think it would be best." Diego nodded and ignored the curious glance of a couple who had just walked in the door.
"I'm so busy already this morning, Diego." Victoria sighed. She didn't want to talk to him right now. Couldn't he see she was busy? "I don't have time. Pilar isn't in yet and I'm swamped."
"Then I'll help you." Diego removed his jacket and began rolling up his sleeves "What would you like me to do?"
"Oh, no, Diego, that wouldn't be-"
"Proper?" The laughter in his eyes couldn't be masked and she giggled briefly before pointing to the kitchen.
Victoria realized how silly it all sounded in the light of day and capitulated to his offer for help. She really did need it. But, Diego? What could he do to help her? "Start on the dishes, I'll be right back."
Victoria shook her head and delivered the beverages to her customers and took a few more orders before disappearing behind the curtain.
She absently brushed at a few stray strands of hair that had fallen into her face and when Diego looked up from his dishes, he smiled warmly. Victoria stood next to him now, dropping a few more dirty dishes into the water.
"It never ends, does it?" He asked slowly, inhaling the fresh rose scent of her hair.
"Never."
"You're welcome." Diego said with a smile after a few uncomfortable moments had passed.
"For?" Victoria glanced at him a she ladled some soup into a bowl.
"Well, you wouldn't be so busy this morning if it weren't for my lack of propriety last evening." The devilish grin that spread across his features made Victoria's heart thud sharply in her chest.
"And today!" Victoria's eyes narrowed. "Just think of the gossip now! You're in here with me all alone!"
Pilar walked in at that moment and gasped softly when she noticed Diego.
"Not anymore," Diego grinned at Pilar who dropped her eyes and tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. She quickly ladled some soup into a bowl and vacated the room.
Diego procured a towel from the table and dried his hands. "Victoria, I was thinking." He touched her arm very gently and she glanced up at him with a wary expression. "Let me court you while I work on a way to undo this mess I've created."
Victoria stared up at him, trying to look aghast at such a suggestion. Let him court her? Willingly? "Diego . . ."
But he placed a quieting finger to her lips before she could say anything further. "Perhaps if I can simply court you, no one will press for a betrothal or marriage announcement. Eventually, people will forget this happened."
Victoria tilted her head and regarded him with a quizzical look. He seemed genuinely concerned about rectifying this mistake. But, she could see something else in his eyes, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She'd seen that look before, she just couldn't remember where. She was inclined to allow this façade to continue. Her conversation with Zorro hadn't gone as she'd planned and perhaps if he found that she was allowing herself to be courted by another it would push him to act. Yes, she would let Diego court her – for now.
"All right, Diego," she said slowly and was taken aback when he smiled so sweetly at her that it made her knees weak. The words of that young, shy señorita she'd met last night echoed through her mind. Don Diego is very handsome and very kind. You're a very lucky woman. "Yes." The word's double meaning didn't hit her until he took her hand and placed a lingering kiss upon her wrist. Yes, she would let him court her and yes, she was a very lucky woman.
She trembled at so intimate a gesture, not even Zorro had kissed her there, but he simply dropped her hand and turned back to his dishes.
A few moments later, the loud voices echoing through the taproom were too difficult to ignore, even from the kitchen.
"Diego de la Vega, courting Zorro's woman?"
"That fight will be no contest."
"I'd like to see it, though!"
"Oh, I think she'd leave him standing at the altar just like she did with Juan Ortiz!"
"Now that would be embarrassing!"
Diego shook his head and closed his eyes, hoping Victoria could not see the flash of pain that passed through them. He needed to remember that he'd brought this all on himself by being willing to play a lazy, timid, weak man to keep his identity as Zorro a secret.
"Zorro will stop that wedding with a blade through de la Vega's heart!"
Victoria bristled at this comment and stormed through the kitchen curtain before Diego could stop her. She knew the voice of the man who'd made that remark and she stalked straight up to Corporal Sepulveda and stared down at him with a withering glare.
"Well, hello Señorita." The corporal chuckled and nudged Mendoza, who simply shoveled another mouthful of Victoria's delicious breakfast into his mouth.
"You know very well that Zorro does not draw blood. Do not spread such vicious rumors around my tavern." The anger in her eyes was unmistakable and the rest of the men at the table ceased their laughter.
Diego resisted the urge to help Victoria. Instead, he simply stood behind the curtain, watching quietly through the small break in the material. If she needed his help, he would offer it, but she appeared to be holding her own with the rude lancer.
The lancer simply chuckled and drew himself to his feet. He roughly grabbed her hand and gruffly quoted the only line of poetry he knew, mimicking his false image of the bookish Diego. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" The Corporal chuckled and pressed an unseemly kiss to her hand.
Diego winced, swiped at the towel that lay over his shoulder and stalked out of the kitchen.
"Corporal," Diego quickly removed the man's rough, unwashed hand from Victoria's and gently cleaned it with his towel. "It's not the words themselves, but your tone, your inflection. The way you speak the words, look at the lady . . ." He smiled warmly at Victoria and repeated the poem. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? "His voice was low, the timbre of his voice had dropped. "Thou art more lovely and more temperate."
"That's for sure," The corporal snarled at the fiery tempered woman but Victoria ignored him, entranced by Diego's words.
"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too short a date." Diego found her eyes and caught them, demanding her complete and undivided attention.
"Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, and often in his gold complexion dimmed," Victoria's lips parted slightly but she couldn't move. Her breath caught as the meaning of his words echoed in her ears.
"But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st," He took her other hand and held them gently, brushing his thumb over the sensitive skin. "Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade. When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st."
Victoria swallowed hard, unable to take her eyes off him. She watched his mouth say the words but in her mind, she imagined another saying them as he kissed her neck, her cheek, her lips.
"So long as men can breathe and eyes can see," Victoria was stunned as his voice rippled over her, intoxicating her. "So long lives this, and give life to thee." When he lifted her hand to his lips and gently placed a kiss to the skin, Victoria inhaled sharply. A shiver of familiarity rippled down her spine and she swallowed hard.
Alejandro stood in the doorway, mouth open, gaping at his son. Similarly, the patrons in the tavern were all speechless, except for the impolite Corporal who huffed in annoyance. Even Mendoza's mouth hung open in shock.
Diego's gaze lingered on Victoria for another long second before he turned to the corporal with a small smile. "That is how you render a lady speechless." He turned back to Victoria, who was still staring at him with an unreadable expression. "Pardon, I'll finish my dishes and leave you to your work."
Victoria watched him walk back into the kitchen and willed her weak legs to move. Only when Alejandro stepped to her side and led her to the bar did she tear her eyes away from the kitchen drapes.
"What was that all about, my dear?" Alejandro couldn't think of any way to delicately probe for information about what he'd just witnessed.
"He – Diego, well, he - " Victoria swallowed hard, her mouth dry.
Alejandro chuckled at the woman's obvious lack of ability to form a coherent thought. That his son had been able to render any woman speechless, much less this woman, simply flabbergasted the suddenly very proud father. He reached for a cask of wine beneath the bar and poured a generous amount into a nearby glass. When he pushed it into Victoria's hands, she accepted it wordlessly and took a slow sip.
"Thank you." She finally said after a few moments of silence. Alejandro was very aware of all the stares and the quiet whispers throughout the tavern but he was certain Victoria hadn't noticed a thing.
"De la Vega quoting poetry to Señorita Escalante in the middle of the tavern?" De Soto laughed. "That's as ridiculous as-" His eyes narrowed as he stared at Mendoza.
"I was standing right there, Alcalde!"
"Hmm, so the rumors I've heard about last evening are true?" he absently tugged at his goatee.
"Oh, sí." Mendoza was just a twitter with excitement. "Someone saw Don Diego kissing señorita Victoria and told Don Alejandro, and now he might have to marry her."
"Well, have banns been posted?" de Soto's eyes narrowed.
"No, Alcalde. I went and checked myself."
"De la Vega being caught in a compromising situation with any woman, much less Zorro's woman, is a bit hard to swallow, don't you think?"
"Sí, Alcalde. I don't think Zorro is going to be too happy when he finds out."
De Soto laughed but noticed the frown slowly passing over Mendoza's face. "What is it, Sergeant?"
"Don Diego is my friend. I hope Zorro doesn't get too upset with him."
De Soto rolled his eyes. "Oh, we'll be ready if he shows his face in town to challenge the meek little poet."
"He probably wouldn't come to town." Mendoza offered innocently. "He'd just go visit Don Diego at his hacienda, I think."
"Yes," de Soto stared at Mendoza, lost in thought. "Yes. You're right. He would. Send two lancers at once to the de la Vega hacienda and rotate them every eight hours. If I can't capture that masked fiend in town, I'm sure I'll be able to catch him when he pays Don Diego a little visit."
'Sí, Alcalde!" Mendoza saluted sloppily and turned toward the door.
"Oh, and Mendoza . . ."
'Sí, Alcalde?"
"She cannot marry Zorro, but just remember, if Señorita Victoria marries Don Diego, you may be deprived of the wonderful cooking you love so much." De Soto leaned back in his chair, amused at the emotions that played across his inept sergeant's face – from excitement, to shock, to despair at losing the one thing constant in his life – Victoria's cooking – spurred him into action and he rushed out the door to complete his task.
TBC