Note:I have edited this chapter from its original version. A lot has been added to the end. I've noted where the original end was.

Chapter 5

"I can't believe de Soto thinks I will allow armed lancers to parade around outside our hacienda," Alejandro muttered as they ate.

"No doubt an attempt to catch Zorro." Diego said around the rim of his wineglass. "Ignacio thinks Zorro will come here to challenge my courtship of you, no doubt." Diego answered Victoria's unspoken question and she lowered her eyes, embarrassed.

"Well, he's an honorable man," Alejandro said as he sliced his beef. "If he cannot, or will not, court Victoria in his own name, then perhaps it's time for him to allow others to do so." He glanced pointedly at his son then turned to Victoria.

I wish he wouldn't, Victoria's mind screamed, but she remained silent.

"You've waited for him for a long time, my dear."

Diego quickly covered her need to reply by saying, "Oh, I'm sure he realizes I'm harmless and will release her to resume his courtship after I have assured that Victoria's reputation will not be permanently damaged by my impropriety at the dinner party."

Alejandro stared at his son but said nothing and soon they were talking about far more comfortable things like politics, cattle, the tavern, and the nefarious alcalde.

After dinner, Alejandro excused himself from the table murmuring something about needing to talk to the vaqueros about the upcoming cattle drive to San Diego. He motioned to Felipe and pulled the boy up from his seat, anxious for the mute to learn a bit more about the running of the ranch.

Diego rolled his eyes at the blatant attempt to give him some time alone with Victoria.

"Well, since my father has decided we need a bit of time alone, what say we go take a walk in the garden?" Diego stood and offered his hand to Victoria and she took it with a small smile.

"Actually," Victoria stood and led him to the library. "I'd like to know a bit more about the poetry you quoted today."

Diego's eyes lit with a brief, passionate fire that was not lost on Victoria. She carefully hid a smile by glancing at the numerous volumes that lined the shelves. This was the Diego she knew. This is where he felt most comfortable. Immersed in books and poetry. But she couldn't help but wish that he would show a bit of that fire towards a woman instead of simple poetry.

She sat on one of the antique divans, large enough to seat two grown men, and watched as he carefully scanned the well-worn volumes.

Didn't he show you some of that passionate fire today when he quoted that passage of poetry to you?

Victoria shook her head, eyes watching Diego carefully as he pulled a book from the shelf and returned to her side, taking a seat next to her. Yes, she admitted to herself, he had.

"So what would you like to know?" He was looking at her earnestly, clearly excited.

"Oh, well," Victoria fidgeted nervously, glancing at her hands. "I wanted to hear more."

Diego smiled down at her, his heart in his throat. "Well, I can quote you many from memory, or was there a specific one you wanted to hear?"

Victoria shrugged, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. What had possessed her to want to hear poetry! She couldn't look up. Couldn't meet his eyes.

Diego sensed her nervousness and set the book aside. He lifted her hands to his lips and smiled warmly when she glanced at him through thick eyelashes. "This one is by Alexander Pope." He brushed his fingers lightly over her skin and when she met his eyes, she saw the same fire and the same passion radiated within their blue depths as she had seen this morning. But, it wasn't the only time she had seen that look in a man's eyes.

"Where'er you walk cool gales shall fan the glade, Trees where you sit shall crowd into a shade." His voice was tender, low, full of passion for the words he spoke. "Where'er you tread the blushing flowers shall rise, And all things flourish where you turn your eyes."

"That's beautiful," she whispered.

"Indeed it is." Diego said softly, his voice dropping. He searched her face and was mildly amused when she didn't meet his eyes. "Would you like to hear another?"

Victoria stood suddenly and Diego let his hands fall away. "I'll take that walk with you now." Her voice was distant, as if she was thinking of another, and Diego sighed.

"Very well." He offered her his arm and led her out into the garden. The sun had nearly completed its descent below the horizon and brilliant specks of yellow and red lit the night sky.

"I would like to thank you for allowing this to continue, Victoria." Diego said slowly, not daring to look down at her reaction. "It will no doubt spare me from having to endure endless days and hours spent in unpleasant company."

"Well, at least I'm pleasant enough," Victoria smiled sideways at him.

"I've always been very comfortable with you." He admitted, wondering if he should pause to give her a chance to respond. His nervousness made the decision for him and he continued, "But I assure you, I won't let this – façade, go on any longer than needed."

"Oh, Diego." Victoria smiled warmly at him, easing his tension instantly. "This hasn't been at all unpleasant."

He smiled gratefully and she thought she could catch a glimpse of something else in his eyes. But he simply said. "Good." And left it at that.

A few more moments of silence continued before she finally spoke again.

"I've always admired this garden, even as a little girl." The smile that slid across her face at the remembrance warmed his heart.

"I remember digging large, dirty holes in this garden. My mother would scold me for days." Diego chuckled. "It took a long time for me to appreciate its tranquil beauty."

"It is so very peaceful here." Victoria sighed and Diego led her to one of the walls that contained a myriad of different climbing roses. She leaned in to breathe the sweet fragrance of the roses and closed her eyes.

Diego's gaze darkened as he watched the emotions flit across her face. She was content in the garden, safe, welcome, and comfortable. He snapped off a low hanging rose and began to absently pull the thorns from the stem. He wet suddenly dry lips and struggled with his next words. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you today."

Victoria's eyes snapped up at his voice and regarded him with a curious look. "Embarrassed? Diego, if you embarrassed anyone it was that rude corporal and he got what he deserved!"

A small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth but he said nothing. They walked along the wall in silence until Victoria broke it with a hesitant question. "I've never heard such passionate romantic words before, Diego." They stopped and she looked into his eyes. "Your recital made my legs weak, imagine what they would do to a woman you truly wanted to court, a woman you were truly interested in building a life with."

They heard, rather than saw, the approach of the lancer de Soto had stationed at the hacienda.

Diego rolled his eyes in the direction of the sound and a small grin crept into the corners of Victoria's mouth. Guilt crept up her spine as a plan formulated in the back of her mind. When she'd last seen Zorro, their parting had not been as romantic as she'd liked. And, much to her chagrin, he had not ventured out of his cave to assure her that he didn't mind if Diego courted her. Well, perhaps giving the pueblo a little more gossip was all that was needed to spur the frustrating man into action.

Victoria leaned against Diego's chest, ignoring the warning bells echoing in her mind, and wrapped his hands around her cheeks. She dropped her hands to his chest and felt his racing heart. A brief, momentary pang of regret flitted through her mind at using her friend in this manner, but it was quickly replaced by annoyance at the eavesdropping lancer as well as Zorro's obvious disinterest at Diego's apparent courtship.

Diego swallowed hard and glanced at something, anything, over her shoulder to hide the growing passion he would not be able to mask in his eyes.

Victoria caught a glimpse of that quickly hidden desire and watched him curiously. She mimicked his earlier action of today and kissed each and every finger, drawing those eyes sharply back to hers as they widened in shock.

"Diego," she whispered and he had to bend to hear her.

"Yes?" The voice that answered was full of emotion.

"Would you kiss me please?"

She saw him swallow nervously, saw the desire fire within his eyes once again. She was all of a sudden very nervous. Perhaps she should not have asked this of her friend. If he had any kind of feelings for her, this would only encourage him. Well, maybe she wanted to see her seemingly unromantic friend exhibit some kind of passion.

"That would not be wise, Victoria." Came a husky whisper.

Her eyes flashed with annoyance. Was he refusing to kiss her? She was incensed. She slipped her fingers between the buttons of his silk shirt and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath, which caused a wide, satisfied smile to spread across her face.

She was not prepared, however, for the tantalizingly slow kiss that he bestowed upon her upturned lips. It was her turn to gasp as his mouth covered hers, drawing her lips between his own with a gentle kiss. His hands held her cheeks in a gentle but firm grasp and she couldn't pull away even if she wanted to. Her legs buckled but somehow she stayed upright, his firm body supporting her as she swayed.

A snap along the wall drew them apart and Diego looked down at her with a sad-eyed grin. "Is that what you wanted, Señorita?"

She stood breathlessly gaping at him as he stepped away and glanced toward the wall where he knew the lancer had been watching.

"I'm sure we've given him enough to talk about for the next week," Diego offered Victoria his hand and she took it wordlessly. "It's getting late. I'll have Miguel bring your wagon around and I'll escort you home."

They walked out of the garden with Victoria still gaping at him wordlessly. Her lips still tingled from his kiss and she couldn't understand why everything about tonight had seemed so familiar.

-----original end of the chapter---------

"Thank you, Diego." Victoria said slowly as he dismounted Esperanza and lifted her from her wagon seat.

"Is there anything else you need?" He asked, silently hoping she wouldn't send him home – and hoping that she would.

The last few days had been as close to heaven as he thought he would ever reach with her and he didn't want to see them end. But the more time he spent in her company, the harder he tried to let her see some semblance of who he truly was – behind both of his masks. She was coming to see a change in him, but he couldn't tell if she welcomed that change – of if she feared it.

"No, Diego. Thank you." Victoria smiled sweetly at him.

You want him to stay.

As Diego turned away, he could hear a small sound escape her lips. He was beside her in an instant, gazing at her with concern.

"I'm alright," Victoria stammered nervously, her mind frantically searching for an excuse for why she'd made a sound. "Just a small creature startled me."

A smiled tugged at the corner of his mouth as she unlocked and opened the door.

"Thank you for a lovely evening, Diego." She turned and regarded him with a grateful smile. He stood close to her, as if ready to defend her from whatever little critter might dart out of the shadows and dance around her feet. Try as she might, she didn't feel uncomfortable by his closeness, instead, she welcomed it.

"Thank you."

She was startled, though she realized she shouldn't be, by the warm, longing look radiating in his eyes. As if control of her body was not her own, she reached up and trailed a hand down the side of his cheek. When she felt him lean into the gentle touch, she fought the urge to pull her hand away. Something was so very wrong with this situation, or very right, but she couldn't place just why her emotions were so conflicted whenever she was in such a private setting with her friend.

You want him to be more than a friend to you. You want his calm, steady presence in your life. You want his love.

Victoria closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. I have Zorro's love!

Diego misinterpreted her action; he couldn't hear her mental argument, and slowly bent to brush his lips against hers.

Her body trembled at the contact and she found herself responding to the gentle pressure. Her eyes snapped open when they parted, and she watched as an element of wonder, desire and humiliation passed across his face.

"My apologies, Victoria." He stepped back and dropped his eyes. "I shouldn't have - "

He did that often, Victoria realized. He didn't look at her. Now, she knew why. His eyes could not mask the longing in his heart. Victoria swallowed hard at this new realization. He loved her.

Why was she not disconcerted by this revelation? Did she want him to love her? Want him to spend his life waiting for a woman who was promised to another man? The thought was not unappealing. She did want him to love her and she found, to her great surprise, that she could easily see herself loving him in return.

She shook her head at the absurdity of it all. But the look of horrified despair on Diego's face caused her heart to soften and she opened her mouth to reassure him that he had done nothing wrong. He was courting her, after all.

"It's alright, Diego. I did nothing to discourage it."

It took a long moment before his eyes lifted to meet hers. "Perhaps you should."

Victoria blinked. Was he asking her to rebuff his advances?

Wouldn't you do the same if you knew the heart of the one you loved belonged to another?

Victoria clenched her fists. Shut up!

"Diego," She closed the distance that had opened up between them when he'd stepped away. "I wouldn't have given you permission to court me if I didn't want this - " Her voice trailed away and she found herself unable to finish. She noticed him watching her closely, his intense blue gaze never leaving her face.

His voice was low, barely audible as he whispered. "I wish you did."

In that moment, his true feelings for her were confirmed. She swallowed nervously and answered, before common sense stopped her. "Some part of me wishes the same, Diego."

When she realized what she'd said, she inhaled sharply. She could see his eyes flash with confusion at her admission and she suddenly needed to be alone to sort out her confused feelings. Abruptly, she turned from him, muttering a quick, 'Goodnight, Diego," before stepping through the door and closing it behind her.

She didn't see the bewildered look on Diego's face as he watched the woman he loved walk away from him once again.

You love him.

"Stop it!" Victoria hissed to herself as she readied herself for bed.

Admit it.

She couldn't even bring herself to deny the accusation. Her mind was in turmoil and her body tingled from the all too brief contact with Diego.

"I can't be in love with two men." She muttered sadly as she slipped into bed.

Why not?

Victoria's eyes narrowed and she cursed the voice in her head as she lay down and contemplated that very question.

Sleep didn't come easy for her as she tossed and turned with the shocking realization that what she wanted so desperately to have with Zorro, she had found in Diego; A good, kind, and caring friend who loved her without a mask.

Victoria wasn't the only one who slept little that night.