Chapter 4
"You love my sister," Francisco said, watching Diego from his seat on one side of Victoria's sick bed.
"Of course," Diego answered quietly from the other side. "She has been my best friend for years and –"
Francisco interrupted with a shake of his head. "That's not what I mean and you know it." Diego had barely left Victoria's side, even when her blood relation had arrived. And then it was only at his father's insistence. It was not difficult, during the long hours they sat in mutual misery waiting for Victoria to wake, to deduce that Diego harbored more than friendly feelings for his sister.
Diego slowly picked up Victoria's hand and brushed his fingers across the smooth skin.
Francisco watched his childhood friend carefully. "You're as upset by her condition as I am – maybe more so." The younger man cocked his head and regarded Diego thoughtfully. "Since I arrived, you haven't left her side, except when your father has come to drag you away. You look terrible. You haven't had any sleep and –"
"All right, all right," Diego shook his head and raised a hand. "There's no need to go on. You're right, Francisco, I do love your sister."
Francisco also knew that Victoria was in love with the man known as Zorro, so it was no great surprise that no one knew about Diego's feelings for his sister. Perhaps Victoria didn't even know. If she did, she'd never mentioned it and she was very frank and opinionated in all of her letters to him. She would have at least mentioned it.
Even though Francisco had come to respect and even admire Zorro for his courage, he couldn't help but want his sister to be married and happy with a husband not afraid to hide his face. A husband who did not break the law, even if it was for the good of the people.
"Have you ever told her?" Francisco already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it for himself.
"Not – exactly." Diego brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed Victoria's unmoving fingers gently, hiding a sad smile behind them.
"When she wakes, tell her."
"I plan to."
Francisco forced a smile and stared at Diego just a moment longer before focusing on his sister and taking her other hand in his. "See, gatita, you've got so much to live for. Come back to us."
The endearment tugged at Diego's heart and he hid a sob behind their joined hands. He leaned forward and rested a large hand along her pale cheek. "Yes, querida, come back to us."
Francisco smiled satisfactorily as he watched the tenderness and care with which Diego spoke to his sister.
He took another long look at Diego, scrutinizing his exhausted appearance, the tenderness in his touch and in his eyes. He remembered something else his sister had told him long ago. How Diego had stayed by her side day and night the last time she was shot protecting the man she loved. She had expressed her gratitude clearly in that letter to him and Francisco now wondered if she had ever expressed it to Diego personally. Strange that Zorro had not come to visit the woman he loved after she was shot protecting him.
"Has Zorro been to see her?" Francisco held his breath, hoping the answer would be not as he feared.
A moment of hesitation passed before Diego answered. "No."
Francisco's eyes narrowed. If this masked man loved his sister so fiercely, why was it that he never so much as came to see her when she was injured protecting him? Twice now she lay near death and the bandit didn't have the courtesy to come –
Francisco inhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Diego.
Diego looked up slowly and looked away just as quickly.
With a jolting shock of recognition, Francisco found himself looking into the eyes of the man his sister did love – only without the mask.
"Madre de Dios," Francisco whispered.
Francisco walked into the garden, his eyes searching around the spaciously cultivated area for Diego.
Alejandro had kicked him out of Victoria's room, telling him he needed to step outside for some fresh air. The older caballero hinted loudly that he go out into the garden, obviously knowing that his son was out there.
The two boys, now grown men, had been friends since they were children, and Alejandro knew that they could comfort one another now. Francisco knew it too. But first he had a few very important questions to ask his friend.
Diego hesitated in his cutting for only a moment before resuming his task. He could sense someone else in the garden, and assumed it was Francisco. Each morning, he cut a few roses and placed them on the table beside Victoria's bed. If his voice could not bring her back to consciousness, in his desperation to try anything, he thought perhaps the scent of the roses she loved so much would bring her back instead.
"She doesn't know, does she?" Francisco leaned against the adobe wall, watching Diego carefully cut the roses and remove the thorns.
"She does." Diego answered, catching his friend off guard with the immediate confession. If Francisco didn't truly know his friend was Zorro, he did now. But Diego continued before Francisco could ask another question. "She found out the night she was shot. I didn't have the chance to ask her how –" He took a deep, unsteady breath. "How she felt about her hero turning out to be only her dull friend Diego."
"Do you think knowing the true man beneath the mask would make her love you any less?" Francisco asked, truly curious. Diego had changed remarkably since they were children. Victoria commented on it incessantly in her letters, how much Diego didn't involve himself when there was trouble in town, how much he had reverted to a quite, peaceful life spent at home with his books and experiments, rather than exhibit the same restless energy he had had before he left for Spain. Why, she talked about him almost as incessantly as she talked about Zorro. How ironic that the two men who never failed to be a part of each letter had turned out to be two sides of the same man.
"I've always feared that it would," Diego admitted sadly. "I told her that the day –"
Francisco stared at his friend with a curiously raised eyebrow. Brotherly instinct to protect his little sister kicked in and he prompted, "the day . . ."
A snort of cynical laughter escaped Diego's lips as he shook his head. "The day Zorro asked her to marry him."
Francisco's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that confession. "He asked my sister to – without my permission?"
Diego turned his head and regarded Francisco with a wry smile. "You weren't available for consultation at the time."
Francisco laughed and stepped forward to rest his hand on Diego's arm. "You have my permission, my friend."
Diego nodded, a small smile curling the corner of his lips. "When she wakes, take us to the middle of the desert so that no one can overhear her angry tirade at discovering my deception all of these years."
Francisco chuckled. He knew how his sister could be. When she was mad, oh, she could give a raging bull a run for its pesos. "It's a deal!"
The two men stared at one another for a long moment, relishing the few moments of happy laughter they'd had, before remembering the lady they loved lay near death a mere few feet away.
The stage arrived on time, as it did every week, kicking up the sand and dirt in the plaza as it came to a stop in front of the tavern.
Juan Ortíz stepped down first and held out his hand to a lovely young woman who smiled down at him.
"Thank you, Señor." The young woman smiled politely, her eyes lingering on his face before she was whisked into the arms an older, grey-haired man.
"Juan? Juan Ortíz?" Mendoza stepped out of the tavern and gaped at the officer.
"Sergeant Mendoza!" Juan clasped the older man on the shoulder and glanced down at his waistline. "I see Victoria's cooking is still as wonderful as ever!"
"Oh." Mendoza's eyes fell as he glanced forlornly at the tavern door.
"What is it?" he asked with a concerned smile. "Did I arrive during siesta? I'm sure Victoria will open the doors for an old friend."
"Oh, it's not that, Juan." Mendoza's eyes were sad and Juan immediately felt an unsettling fear in the pit of his stomach. "Señorita Victoria was shot. Over a week ago."
"What!" Juan's eyes widened. "Where? How?"
"She's staying at the de la Vega hacienda. She hasn't woken up yet." Mendoza sighed.
"Thank you, Mendoza." Juan untied his horse from the stage and swung himself into the saddle. "I will pay them a visit."
The doorman pulled open the ornate wooden doors immediately after Juan's knock. When Alejandro rounded the corner to see who had arrived, his eyes widened upon seeing the naval officer.
"Juan? Juan Ortíz?"
"Sí, Don Alejandro. I've just come from town. I sail for Spain next week and I wanted to see Victoria before I left. But – I ran into Sergeant Mendoza and he told me she'd been shot?"
Alejandro nodded sadly. "She's been here for over a week. We've kept constant vigil by her side but she hasn't yet awakened. Francisco arrived a few days ago."
"Tell me how it happened?" Juan asked. "Why would anyone shoot Victoria?"
Alejandro motioned for him to take a seat in the library and almost instantly a servant was there with cool beverages. People came and went at all hours since Victoria's injury and the servants were always prepared.
"From what I've come to understand, she was shot while trying to protect Zorro. De Soto himself tracked them to some mysterious location that he will not reveal and then stepped out of the shadows. She 'got in the way', according to de Soto." Alejandro scowled. "But we won't know what really happened until Victoria wakes. The alcalde is not known for speaking the truth in any matter concerning Zorro."
"He shot an innocent woman to catch a criminal?"
"He's not a –"
Ortiíz raised his hand. "I know, I know. I've heard the reports. I met the man myself, remember?"
Alejandro nodded, remembering the day Victoria almost married Juan. She had a change of heart at the last possible moment, and then seconds later Zorro had appeared and she'd flown into his arms. Alejandro was grateful Juan wasn't too bitter about the whole thing.
"But regardless, the government is not put in place to go through its people to reach criminals."
"De Soto obviously interprets the mandate of his appointment quite differently."
"Then perhaps I need to remind him." Juan's eyes hardened and for the first time Alejandro noticed that the former Lieutenant Ortíz now bore a different rank.
Being a military man himself, Alejandro smiled in appreciation. "Congratulations on the promotion, Lieutenant Commander."
"Thank you. It was recent. I now report directly to Admiral Augustin Ramirez."
Alejandro's eyes widened. He knew of the Admiral. He was a well loved and well respected man at Court. "The chief of the King's Naval Fleet in the colonies. Very prestigious title, my friend."
Alejandro took a slow sip of his juice before motioning to a passing housemaid. "Please tell Diego and Francisco that Juan Ortíz is here and would like to see Victoria." He turned his attention to the young Lieutenant Commander as soon as the maid left and leaned forward. "Perhaps I can convince you to hand-carry a letter back to Spain?"
Juan nodded. He knew the de la Vega name would be well received at court. "Of course. Anything."
"A letter to the King. I fear my other correspondence over the years has been stopped in some way. Otherwise, I cannot believe the King would care so little for his colonies to allow a man like Ignacio de Soto to remain in dictatorial control here."
Juan shook his head. "Well, the King has grown tired of the uprisings in the colonies. Perhaps he thinks the troubles here have to do with the revolution."
"If he had received my letters, he would know they do not."
Diego rounded the corner, coming from the hallway that led to one wing of the hacienda's bedrooms.
Juan stood respectfully. The Lieutenant Commander was startled by the somber appearance of the normally very cheerful, carefully groomed younger de la Vega. While they hadn't been close growing up, they had known one another, being friends of the Escalante family.
"Juan," Diego extended his hand, "welcome back. I'm sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances."
"Sí," Juan took the offered hand. "I was appalled when I arrived in the pueblo and Sergeant Mendoza told me what happened."
"So were we all." Diego added sadly, giving Juan additional pause. The caballero was acting as if it were his wife, and not a family friend, who was shot.
A housemaid appeared and Diego joined his father in the library motioning for Juan to follow the maid down the hall to Victoria's room.
Before too long, Juan returned, his eyes hard. He turned to Alejandro. "Could you write that letter immediately? And give me leave to show it to Admiral Ramirez?"
"Yes –" Alejandro said slowly and moved to his desk to begin composition of his letter to the King.
"What are you planning?" Diego asked, his curiosity piqued.
"I want to launch an investigation of Alcalde's de Soto's activities since his arrival in the pueblo. That Victoria was shot is – inexcusable. Especially if this Zorro's activities are truly to aid the people from their oppression of a corrupt government appointed official. If the Admiral approves my request, I will begin gathering statements immediately."
"Perhaps an escort should accompany you," Alejandro glanced up from his letter. "Every time I have tried to ride to the governor with a complaint, de Soto has sent a detachment of soldiers to intercept me."
Juan's eyebrow rose. "He will find himself at the painful end of a firing squad if he even considers such a thing."
"Ride fast and hard, Juan," Diego rested his hand on the Lieutenant Commander's shoulder. "And may you bring back the news for which we have waited and hoped for a great many years."
"I will leave as soon as Don Alejandro completes his letter."
"This is outrageous!" de Soto slammed the letter onto his desk and stood, eyes blazing.
"I assure you, it is not." Juan Ortíz stood on the other side of the alcalde's desk, flanked by two of Admiral Ramirez' personal guards. "You will submit to any and all investigation into the matter or you will be arrested. As it is, I may have enough evidence already to convict you on the spot and have you extradited back to Spain in chains."
"You have no right –"
"If you haven't noticed, Alcalde, I outrank you and my commanding officer far outranks you." Juan Ortíz leaned forward and stared down his nose at de Soto. "I can, and I will, begin this investigation. If you resist, I will consider it an admission of guilt and forgo any investigation."
"Who put you up to this? De la Vega? He has always tried to interfere with this government's administration!"
"Care to back up those accusations with fact, Señor?"
"Fact? His constant interference in matters concerning Zorro are well known in this pueblo!"
"As are yours." Juan opened a leather bound book and began to write. "And since you bear the rank of a court appointed official, and are due the respect of such a title, I will take your statement, and that of your men, first."
De Soto's eyes narrowed and understood instantly what Lieutenant Commander Ortíz was attempting to do. He wasn't being given time to speak with his men about this situation. He needed to buy some more time.
"No need. I have paperwork to complete and an inspection to perform. Unless you intend to halt the duties of this garrison during this farce of an investigation?"
Juan's eyes narrowed but he could not impede the smooth running of the garrison. "Finish your duties and return here at once."
De Soto hurried out the back door, intent on reaching his soldiers and informing them, upon pain of death, that they must corroborate each and every statement he made.
TBC