Chapter 10
By the next morning, word had spread that the de la Vegas had returned – with two added members of the family.
As they road through the plaza, Victoria wondered where de Soto's proudly erected memorial to the dead Zorro had gone. No remnant of that disturbing image remained in the plaza.
Even Alejandro was mildly concerned with this sudden change. Surely de Soto hadn't had a change of heart?
As they hitched their horses to the rail, de Soto strode across the plaza, eyes focused on the de la Vegas.
Alejandro noticed with interest as a few friends, taking drink nearby, watched the alcalde approach.
"I hear congratulations are in order, Señora?"
The statement sounded forced but Alejandro could hear curiosity hidden behind the tone.
Victoria smiled thinly at him. "If you can bring yourself to feel such emotion, alcalde, I can force myself to accept it."
Victoria clearly had nothing to say to the man who had so gleefully dangled the death of the man she'd loved before her very eyes.
De Soto smirked, understanding immediately the reason for her hostility. Well, he wouldn't stand for it. With one, last, triumphant jab, he spat, "Rushed into marriage with the first single man who would have you, hmm?" De Soto cast a glance at Alejandro. "I admit, you couldn't have done much better, marrying into such a wealthy family."
Victoria bristled at this but de Soto continued, a look of disgust crossing his features, "But – Don Diego? Why, you'd have been better off marrying Don Alejandro. At least he has some backbone!" De Soto laughed and Alejandro stepped forward, his eyes glaring darts at the alcalde.
"And deprive my father of the grandchildren he has not so quietly been prodding me about since my return from Spain?" Diego pulled Esperanza to a halt and dismounted with a smile.
De Soto stared at the caballero, annoyed that in his eagerness to taunt Victoria, he'd not heard the indolent man's approach.
Victoria smirked triumphantly at the alcalde and moved to Diego's side as he draped an arm around her waist. Diego didn't wait for de Soto's response before he smiled lovingly down at his wife and arched his head toward the tavern door. " Shall we?"
"Yes," Victoria shoved her nose into the air and turned on her heel, allowing her husband's hand to rest on the small of her back as they walked past the growing crowd and into the tavern.
"The de la Vegas can never be divided, alcalde." Alejandro grinned proudly at his son's back before turning back to de Soto, "I thought you'd learned that by now." The older de la Vega followed his son and Victoria into the tavern, leaving an angry Ignacio de Soto staring after him, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Mendoza's eyes lit like a child surrounded by gifts on Christmas morning when he noticed Victoria walk in the door. She was back! He hoped she would begin cooking immediately. He stood quickly, nearly toppling his plate of enchiladas in his excitement.
"Señorita Victoria!" Mendoza hurried over to Victoria and Diego, oblivious to Diego's hand resting intimately at her waist.
Victoria smiled warmly at the portly sergeant and corrected, "It's Señora now, Sergeant Mendoza."
"Oh!" Mendoza swallowed, embarrassed at his mistake. "My apologies! Who – is the lucky man?"
"That would be me, Sergeant," Diego replied, grinning and for the first time Mendoza noticed how closely the couple were standing to one another. If they were not married, it would not have been appropriate.
"Oh!" Mendoza stammered, "Don Diego?"
Diego gently kissed Victoria's cheek and said, "Go inspect your kitchen, my dear. The excitement of your return has caused the good sergeant here a bit of distress. He's abandoned his tamales." Diego indicated the plate sitting nearly untouched on the table behind them.
Victoria hid her amusement behind Diego's cheek as she returned his kiss. "I am excited to be home." She disappeared behind the curtain as Diego led Mendoza back to his abandoned meal.
As Diego explained the circumstances surrounding his marriage to Victoria, knowing it would be spread around the pueblo in mere hours, Alejandro took a seat next to his son, an astonished look on his face.
"What is it, Father?" Diego asked.
Alejandro stared at Mendoza. "The caballeros forced the alcalde to take down the memorial to Zorro, hmm?"
"Oh, sí," Mendoza replied, glancing around the tavern to make sure the alcalde was no where within earshot, "the caballeros threatened the alcalde. Said if he didn't remove Zorro's things from the plaza, they would lead the people in a revolt."
Diego gawked at the sergeant and Alejandro nodded. He'd already heard this from a few friends outside.
"And, what amazes me more is that he did it." Alejandro chuckled.
"Oh, they were very convincing," Mendoza nodded. "I think every caballero in the territory came out that day. Everyone was armed and we knew that we wouldn't stand a chance against all of them. Some of the garrison even dropped their weapons, refusing to fight the people."
"Astonishing," Diego breathed.
"You can only push an oppressed people so far before they begin to take matters into their own hands," Alejandro offered with a knowing nod.
"When did this happen, Sergeant?" Diego asked, struggling think of what this news might mean for his future and for the future of Zorro.
"Oh, not long after Don Alejandro left." Mendoza cast a longing look at the kitchen curtain. "Everyone was upset over Zorro's death and the alcalde didn't care. He rubbed it in Señorita – er, Señora Victoria's face and when Don Alejandro left with her, the caballeros started to stand up to the alcalde, just like Zorro used to."
"So, what – happened to Zorro's things?" Diego asked slowly. Victoria had told him how de Soto had taunted her. She'd finally admitted to her husband what had happened to the items the smug alcalde found in lieu of the body he so desperately craved. Diego wanted them back. Everything that de Soto had taken and displayed so cruelly.
"Oh, he has them all in his office." Mendoza shrugged. "The caballeros didn't seem to mind as much if they were there."
"Out of sight, out of mind," Diego said softly.
Mendoza nodded at Diego. "But never forgotten."
Alejandro raised his glass in a toast as he rested his hand on Diego's shoulder. "No, absolutely never forgotten."
Mendoza raised his glass and said somberly, "I'll miss him."
Diego exchanged a smile with his father before raising his own glass, "So will we all, Sergeant. So will we all."
THE END
Note: There are some scenes not placed here due to their content. The complete story can be read on my web site.
Thethirdtroll – well, here is the end…mostly…there is an epilogue, which is not very long. Hope you enjoyed it.
Auriela30 – nope, nothing bad to the alcalde…well, nothing physically painful. Slowly losing control of his pueblo is far more painful than any physical blow.