Note: Due to some changes added to Chapter 5, some content in this chapter has been revised and uploaded.

Chapter 6

"Doña Juanita," Alejandro smiled slowly. "To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

"I've come to demand that my daughter be acknowledged by your son as his betrothed." The woman's eyes never left his.

Alejandro stared at the woman for a moment before finding his voice. "Señora, Diego's affections are currently otherwise engaged."

"Yes, yes, Zorro's woman." The Señora sashayed into the hacienda without turning back to look at Alejandro. "Well, your son was caught in a compromising position with her, that is for sure. He was a bit more subtle in revealing his affections for my daughter, however."

Alejandro blinked. This wasn't happening. Again. Alejandro swallowed nervously and against his better judgement asked just how and why she felt Diego had overstepped the bounds of honor with regards to this lady's daughter.

"Well, at your dinner party, of course. He took her aside and they had a very long conversation about the books in this very library." The Señora brushed long fingers along the spines of a few volumes before continuing. "He said things that gave my shy and innocent daughter an idea that he fancied her!"

"What things, Señora?" Alejandro muttered through gritted teeth.

She was the third chaperone who had made such a claim in the two weeks since the dinner. Apparently, they'd all been encouraged by the lack of a betrothal announcement between Victoria and his son. These conversations were beginning to grate on his nerves, and they were beginning to put a strain on whatever relationship that Diego had been building with Victoria.

"Why, all the right things to turn a young woman's head, of course!"

"What, specifically?" Alejandro was trying desperately not to insult the woman but he wasn't going to haul Diego into the discussion again unless he was given a darn good reason. Thankfully, Diego was currently at the tavern and would not have to endure these accusations.

"He shamed my daughter. And now he's carrying on with another man's woman! You need to rein in your son, Señor de la Vega!" The woman's shrill voice grated on his nerves even more than her accusations.

"Diego and Victoria will be betrothed as soon as they are comfortable with such an announcement." Alejandro lied, but it was a convincing lie and the woman huffed at him. "I will not push them."

"And leave my daughter scarred for life?" The woman turned accusing eyes on him. "This is hardly proper behavior for such an upstanding family!"

"Nor were the two visits from other concerned chaperones whom I've received this week, Señora."

The woman's jaw dropped and she exhaled an insulted huff of air. "You mean your son behaved improperly with more than just my daughter and Zorro's woman!"

Alejandro drew himself up to his full height and stared at the rude woman. "Her name is Victoria and my son has behaved like a gentleman through all of these . . . unfounded accusations."

"Unfounded? You insult me, Señor!"

"And you insult my son, as well as myself, with these lies," Alejandro shot back, waiting for the woman to back down. Enough was enough. He was tired of this. "Now if you will excuse me, Señora, I have a ranch to run."

"Still no sign of Zorro?" de Soto asked even though he knew the answer. He shoved a recently read letter back into its envelope and slammed it onto the table.

"No, Alcalde," Mendoza answered nervously. The man's temper had worsened since he'd seen him last.

"Very strange." De Soto leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. "I was certain that he'd have paid Don Diego a visit. I find it hard to believe that he would consent to let that weakling court his woman."

"He has not been seen there. We've had the hacienda under the strictest guard." Mendoza assured de Soto. "It is very strange."

"A result of Don Alejandro's sudden desire to see his son married, no doubt." De Soto chuckled at the prospect of any woman marrying the boring de la Vega heir.

"Probably, Alcalde," Mendoza agreed, not knowing what else to say.

"I think its time to draw the fox out of his lair," said de Soto absentmindedly tugging at his goatee. "Since the lovely Señorita allowing Don Diego to court her has produced no sightings of the masked fiend."

"How, Alcalde?" Mendoza asked, confused. "If Zorro doesn't want to show himself . . ."

"Arrest his woman, Mendoza." De Soto rolled his eyes at the incompetence. "How else."

"Oh. You've tried that before. He never likes it when you do that."

"Exactly."

As the sergeant saluted and left to find lancers to carry out his order, de Soto chuckled to himself, thinking, Once I catch Zorro, I can return to Madrid a hero and leave this dusty little excuse for a pueblo behind.

Diego was leaning against the bar having a quiet conversation with Victoria when de Soto entered, flanked by two lancers. Thankfully, they'd not mentioned the events of the previous evening, but they both knew it would have to be discussed eventually.

Diego's smile faded, and Victoria's eyes flashed, as de Soto ordered the soldiers to arrest the taverness.

"What are the charges?" Diego asked, eyes narrowing.

"Conspiring with the bandit, Zorro, of course." De Soto shot the caballero a challenging look then chuckled when the man didn't respond.

After a moment, Diego pulled himself to his full height and placed himself between Victoria's 'escort' and the alcalde. "Ignacio . . ."

"Do you intend to interfere with my orders?" de Soto secretly hoped Diego would act rashly so he had a reason to arrest him as well. It wasn't often that he had a man of de la Vega's station in his jail.

Victoria watched Diego expectantly, encouraged by the way he stood up and defended her.

"Of course not, Alcalde." Diego shook his head.

Victoria's heart plummeted into her stomach and she glared at Diego's back, clearly annoyed with his unwillingness to do something.

"But I can attest that nearly all of Victoria's spare time has been spent in my company, not Zorro's," came the swift, well thought reply.

The anger subsided and Victoria smiled triumphantly at de Soto. Diego was right. She had spent nearly all of her free time with Diego in an effort to salvage their reputations. It was curious that she had not seen Zorro at all during this time. She didn't dare think too long on why she hadn't seen him. Her conclusions, in the past, had been ones of incredible impossibilities.

"No matter." The alcalde waved his hand dismissively. "She is still under arrest."

"Not without charging her with a crime, Ignacio." The tone of Diego's voice changed and Victoria's brows knitted together in suspicion. Thankfully, de Soto was more incensed that Diego would attempt to interfere rather than notice the tone of voice in which he'd done it.

"I have done nothing wrong, Alcalde!" Victoria seethed as the lancers grabbed her arms.

The tavern had gone strangely quiet as the customers eagerly watched the unusual event unfold before their eyes.

Diego turned and glared at each lancer. "Remove your hands from my fiancée, now. I will not ask you again." His tone left no room for argument and Victoria inhaled sharply, recognition sweeping across her face before she was able to mask it completely. She had heard that tone before. She caught Diego's eyes and held them for a split second before he glanced away.

The lancers dropped their arms instantly and a flurry of whispers erupted at Diego's sudden announcement.

De Soto's eyes widened and Mendoza's mouth gaped open.

Victoria stood rooted in place, frantically trying to comprehend the myriad of emotions sweeping through her slender frame. Why had Diego made such an announcement?

Because you are his fiancé, stupid woman. You have a ring to prove it.

Before she could gather her thoughts enough to respond, Diego continued, his tone noticeably softer.

"Victoria is under the protection of my family." Diego stepped back and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

"And just who will be protecting you?" De Soto shot back. "Mendoza, arrest Don Diego and put him in a cell with his . . . fiancée."

Victoria noticed Diego tense and she slowly slid her hand around his wrist to stop him from doing something rash. He glanced back down at her, his expression softening, and nodded slowly.

Diego stared wordlessly at de Soto as Mendoza apologetically closed and bolted the cell door shut.

"A jail is no place for a woman, Ignacio." Diego began slowly, "Keep me and let Victoria go."

De Soto laughed. "You clueless fool. I didn't want you in my jail. Your interference just made it possible for me to arrest you. You're hardly appropriate bait for Zorro, after all." The alcalde regarded Diego curiously for a moment before adding. "Although, with that little announcement tonight in the tavern, you may have just moved to the top of my list."

"Let her go."

The demanding tone send shivers down Victoria's spine and she desperately hoped that de Soto would not recognize the familiarity for what it truly was.

De Soto tilted his head, allowing Diego to think he was considering doing just that. But the man simply laughed. "No, I think not. She will hang at dawn if her masked lover does not come for her."

Diego bristled and stepped away from the bars, clenching and unclenching his hands. When de Soto had left, he turned apologetic eyes on Victoria, who was standing still as a statue, eyes wide as a frightened deer.

When he took a step toward her, she backed away, a look of disbelief etched into her pretty face. She glanced momentarily at Mendoza standing on the other side of the door before whispering, "He won't come for me, will he?"

Diego closed his eyes a moment and willed himself to remain calm. "Of course he will, Victoria. He's never allowed you to be harmed." He'd backed her against the wall and she had no place else to go. He rested gentle hands on her shoulders and watched her with as blank an expression as he could muster, under the circumstances.

But tears came unbidden to her eyes and she blinked them away. A few slipped down her cheeks and Diego inhaled sharply as they glistened in the moonlight. She'd been fighting a losing battle for weeks as she tried unsuccessfully to rein in her growing feelings for her friend. Now, she knew that it wasn't truly two men she loved, but different sides of the same man.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she finally whispered, her voice cracking.

Diego shook his head and feigned ignorance. "Victoria, what are you - ?"

"Do you not have the courage to admit it even now?" Her hands began to shake and she clenched them into tight balls at her side.

"Victoria . . ." Diego shook his head but her despair broke his heart and he gathered her into his arms.

She stiffened but allowed the embrace, resting her cheek against his solid chest. He could feel her tears wet his shirt but couldn't find the words to console her. He simply held her head gently and pressed a kiss to her hair.

After a few silent moments, punctuated by only her sobs, he bent and whispered a low, "I'm sorry," into her ear. When she didn't answer, he continued, his voice barely audible. "I will not let anything happen to you."

She glanced up at him, an unreadable expression glowing in her tear-filled eyes.

With a wry smile, he confirmed her suspicion. "I never have."

"You may not have a choice, this time." She glanced up into his eyes.

"There is always a choice." He bent closer and brushed his lips against hers, encouraged when she didn't stiffen or pull away. Their eyes locked, and he searched them for any sign of hesitation, of discomfort. When her arms slid around his waist, their lips met again in a union born of desperation and longing. He trailed long fingers down her cheeks before winding them into her hair and pulling her deeper into his kiss.

Her knees buckled and had she not been pressed against the wall, she would have collapsed under the emotional overload. She clung to him, drinking in his all too familiar scent, touch, and kiss. She should have known. All of the strange circumstances that flooded her mind in fragmented pieces caused her to gasp against his mouth and he reluctantly pulled away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against her lips. "Please forgive me." His eyes held hers and were filled with such sadness that her anger began to fade almost immediately. "I know you're upset, but please . . ."

She rose on tiptoe to press her lips to his to silence him. She glanced at the closed door and pulled him even further into the corner, into the shadows, so that Mendoza couldn't see them. Thankfully, he wasn't paying attention anyway.

"I understand, Diego." she whispered and pressed her cheek against his chest. "You can explain later."

"Querida . . ." He whispered into her hair.

Victoria trembled at the endearment she was so used to hearing come from Zorro's lips. It would take some getting used to hearing it come from the lips of the man behind Zorro's mask.

"I will get us out of here." He smiled down at the woman he loved, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth for the first time in hours. He pulled her into the corner of the cell, as far away from the door as possible, and sat down on the cot.

Victoria giggled as she recognized the all too familiar look and she had to blink several times to make sure he was real. She leaned into his arms and he was all too happy to drape them around her shoulders and pull her close. "Of all the times I've wanted to lay like this with you, how fitting that it is on a cot in the alcalde's jail."

"I'd hold you in my arms no matter where we were." Diego admitted with a heavy sigh and a lingering kiss to her cheek.

"However, we have no time to waste," he whispered, relishing the feel of her small body pressed tightly against his. "Convince Mendoza that you need to get into the tavern. Tell him you want to make us a last meal…and you will make him some as well." Diego shot an amused grin at the door. "It's quite late, I'm sure he won't turn down a midnight meal."

Victoria listened carefully, committing to memory every ingredient he asked her to bring. It seemed strange to listen to Diego speak with such knowledge, such passion and determination. But it quickly became very easy to reconcile her image of the cunning fox with the scientific-minded, studious Diego. She watched him carefully, catching easily now all of the mannerisms that she had come to associate with Zorro. Very little of the Diego she had come to know was sitting before her now and she wondered just how deep his deception had gone…how much of his true self had he masked to become Zorro.

When he stopped speaking, she smiled at him and he gave her a curious look. "What?"

"All this time," Victoria leaned close, trailing a slim finger over his jaw line, across his lips, "you were standing right in front of me."

A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I've never been far from you." He glanced down nervously, but then met her eyes once more. There was no need to mask the longing, the desire and she was taken aback by the intensity that burned in his dark blue gaze. "I love you."

"I love you, Diego," she whispered, the intensity in her own voice taking him aback. "So very much."

Their mouths met once more and clung, explored, probed for several long moments before he released her with a reluctant sigh. "Go, now. We must be gone before daybreak."

"Sergeant!" Victoria called while Diego rolled over on the cot and pretended to be asleep.

"Sí, Señorita?" Mendoza unlatched the outside door and came in, rubbing tired eyes.

"Mendoza, I'm bored and hungry. Would you mind escorting me to the tavern so that I can make a midnight meal for us?"

Mendoza glanced at Diego, who appeared to be sound asleep. "Oh, I don't know. The alcalde told me to stand guard."

Victoria frowned. "Mendoza, Diego isn't going anywhere, he's asleep! And I'm hungry." She wrapped her fingers around the bars, a pleading look in her eyes. "Please? I'll make your favorite?"

Mendoza licked his lips and nodded. "Oh. Alright." The hungry sergeant rubbed his stomach and unlocked the cell door. "But don't tell the alcalde."

"Of course not." Victoria hid a conspiratorial grin as she walked out of the cell.

"Oh, this smells so good, Señorita Victoria." Mendoza took the tray from her after she was locked back in her cell once again.

"I hope you enjoy it, Sergeant, because it will be your last if the alcalde hangs me tomorrow." Victoria sighed heavily, shooting the sergeant a sad look.

"Oh, Señorita, Zorro will come for you. He would never let you hang."

"I hope so, Sergeant."

The door closed and before Victoria could turn around, her back was pressed into Diego's chest and his fingers had brushed her hair away from her neck. When he trailed his lips down the smooth skin, she trembled.

"Mendoza is right. Zorro will never let you hang."

Victoria arched her neck and pressed her head against his chest with a heavy sigh.

"And neither will I." He turned her around and took the tray. Setting it down, he searched the food and frowned when he didn't find what he'd sent her to get.

"Do you think I would make it that easy to find?" Victoria knelt beside him and whispered into his ear. "What if someone had wanted to search the tray?"

Diego regarded her with a lopsided grin. "You are a perfect match for the fox, you know that?"

She licked her lips and pressed them to the corner of his mouth. "Yes, I know." When she reached down the front of her blouse and procured not one, but two, small corked bottles, Diego rolled his eyes and laughed. "Were we not sitting in the alcalde's jail, you would need to work a bit harder for these."

Diego's eyes sparkled and he grinned wickedly. He covered her hands with his own and drew her against his chest. She tilted her head and eagerly received his kiss, relishing the feel of his lips holding, clinging to hers. Diego broke the intimate moment all too soon and Victoria sighed. He brushed his lips reassuringly across hers and whispered, "There will be many more like that to come when I get you out of here."

He pulled the stoppers from the small vials and poured the powder on the ground beneath the window. "Now stand back for a moment." When he poured the vinegar over the powder it began to hiss immediately and a plume of smoke began to billow up from the floor. "I'm going to call for Mendoza." He pulled her to the floor and positioned her in just the right way. "Now, pretend this smoke knocked you out."

"Mendoza!" Diego rushed to the other end of the cell and gripped the bars tightly, forcing fear into his eyes.

"What is it – " Mendoza peered in through the door and his eyes widened in shock. "Oh!" He noticed the smoke and immediately ran through the door and opened the cell with trembling hands. "Señorita Victoria!" Mendoza pushed Diego out of the way, completely missing the small smile that appeared on the young caballero's face.

When Mendoza leaned over Victoria, Diego's large hand came down on the back of his neck and pinched tightly. The Sergeant collapsed immediately and Diego rolled him onto the bed while Victoria scrambled to her feet.

"Let's go." Diego took her hand and led her out of the jail, grateful there were no other lancers nearby. When they rounded the corner, Diego noticed just why there had been no other lancers inside the jail. They were all stationed outside, to prevent anyone from getting in.

TBC