Chapter 4

Diego fell silent and Victoria stood uncomfortably to the side, wondering if she should not be hearing this conversation between father and son. She started to move away but Alejandro weakly called out to her.

"Stay, Victoria. Please."

Diego glanced up briefly and offered her a small, sad smile as she closed and latched the door.

"I have never been so - proud of you as I was today," Alejandro began, hoping that as long as he spoke, it would distract him from the pain.

"You were whipped, Father. And I could have stopped it with three simple words." The disgust with himself was evident in Diego's voice.

Victoria raised her hand and rested it on Diego's forearm, silently asking him to listen. She suspected he felt responsible for his father's condition but she also knew that, if Alejandro felt at all like she did, that he accepted the price he'd had to pay to keep his son's secret.

"And if your secret had been revealed at any other time, we would all be dead, son. It was - convenient - that de Soto was unconscious."

"And Mendoza won't tell a soul." Victoria added with a confident smile.

"I'm sure he won't mean to, but it will come out - probably sooner than we all hope," Diego said with a sad smile. Mendoza was a good friend, but this information in his hands would surely find its way out at the most inconvenient moment.

"He won't betray you." Victoria insisted.

"Nor will we," Alejandro added. "The price for keeping this secret was well worth the pain."

Diego shook his head, refusing to believe he could have done nothing to prevent his father's injuries, but Victoria squeezed his arm. He gave the woman he loved a defeated look and turned his attention back to his father.

"You did the right thing. It's over now. And we can get on with our lives." Alejandro lifted his head as far off the bed as he could and smiled pointedly at Victoria and at her hand resting on his son's arm. "Together."

Diego slowly turned his head to look at the woman he loved and said softly, "I hope so."

Victoria smiled warmly at him before nodding to Alejandro. "Yes. Together."

Alejandro smiled and closed his eyes. He was so very tired. But his son was alive, and it was clear that Victoria loved him, and that was really all that mattered. His family would go on, even if he was not around to see it.

"Diego, let me do this," Victoria took the cloth out of his hands. "The doctor hasn't arrived yet and you are the most qualified to look at the alcalde's wounds."

Diego nodded and closed his hand around hers, a moment of silent understanding passing between them. Affection sizzled in the air but went unvoiced - for now. The words could wait until the danger had ended.

Doctor Hernandez arrived a few minutes later and hurried into the room. Victoria glanced up at him as he immediately opened his bag and began removing items.

"Diego is with the alcalde. He was hurt much worse."

Diego appeared in the doorframe and called the doctor's name softly. The older man nodded and followed caballero into the other room, where a barely conscious, moaning Ignacio de Soto lay.

Hernandez winced when he noticed the cut running the length of the man's chest and the blood staining his upper thigh.

"It wasn't as deep as I feared, but it will need to be stitched closed," Diego advised as the doctor began to examine his patient. "If you don't have need of my help, I would like to return to my father's side."

The doctor nodded. "I will call should I need your aid."

Diego nodded and returned to his father's room, allowing the doctor peace and quiet as he worked to keep infection out of his patient's lacerated body.

When the doctor finally made it into Alejandro's room, he took careful note of the older caballero's condition. Diego had cleaned the wounds well, and they were not deep enough to require stitching.

Victoria pulled Diego back to sit in a chair beside the bed so that he would not be in the way as the doctor worked. She took a damp rag and brushed it across his cheek, wiping away the now dried blood.

He winced as she rubbed it and she flattened her hand against his other cheek so that she could press a little harder without his head moving.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He said nothing, only dropped his eyes to watch her mouth so very close to his. He wanted to take her in his arms and relax into her embrace, but he didn't know if she would permit such a thing. She had just learned his greatest secret. She was bound to be upset with him over keeping it from her.

But, to his surprise, it appeared she had read his mind. So he inhaled sharply when she leaned forward and ever so gently, and quickly - due to their audience - brushed her mouth against his.

Diego stared at her for a long moment before a long, low groan came from the bed, drawing his attention away from Victoria's lovely face.

"Father?" Diego moved quickly past Victoria and knelt at his father's side. He took the older man's hand and squeezed it gently.

"He's feverish," the doctor said with a sigh. "He would be much more comfortable at the hacienda but I want to make sure that the medication I have given him for the pain has had enough time to take effect."

"I have an old Indian remedy at the hacienda that will ease the pain and make him sleep," Diego offered.

"Good. Administer it to him." The doctor stood and reached up to look at Diego's cheek. "Now sit down so I can take a look at your injuries."

Diego moved back and reluctantly resumed his seat. As the doctor glanced over the caballero's torso, he realized that Diego was far more injured than he let on. He drew Diego to his feet and motioned for the younger man to follow. "Let your father sleep. I will examine you in one of the other rooms."

Victoria hurried ahead of them carrying her rags and a basin of water. Setting it on the table, she turned as Diego and the doctor entered.

"Thank you, Victoria."

The young woman nodded and stepped aside as the doctor pushed Diego to sit on the bed. At his wince, Hernandez's eyes narrowed. "Take the shirt off."

"I'll be fine, doctor," Diego answered, turning his face so that the doctor could get a better look at his cut cheek.

"Off. Now."

The doctor's tone left no room for argument and Diego slowly attempted to unbutton his shirt. Now that he was sitting down, his body relaxing, the tension was rushing out of his body. He was instantly tired, and hungry and thirsty, and for some reason, he couldn't do something as simple as unbutton his own shirt.

Victoria moved to Diego's side immediately and helped him, while the doctor looked on with a curiously raised eyebrow.

If they were any other couple, propriety would have dictated that the doctor pry them apart. But the doctor knew Diego's secret, and he suspected that Victoria did too, now. After the bits and pieces he'd overheard about what had happened, it was no surprise.

He remained silent until Victoria pulled the shirt off his shoulders and rolled it into a tight ball. That was a piece of clothing Diego would never wear again.

"These wounds have bled well, but I'm still concerned about infection setting in." Hernandez bandaged the cut on his arm, and then dabbed at the swelling cheek. "I'm afraid there may be a scar. The cut went quite deep."

"I know," Diego answered as the doctor administered a herb scented paste to the cut to help prevent infection.

"Now lay back and get some rest. It might be best for you all to stay here tonight rather than try to go back to the hacienda." Hernandez turned to Victoria, "Could you make some soup, something light, to eat?"

"Yes, I'll get to it right away." Victoria glanced one more time at Diego, who had leaned back and relaxed against the bed, before hurrying out the door.

When Victoria returned with a tray of soup, and a mug of cactus tea - which Felipe had brought with him - Diego was dozing restlessly. Felipe got to his feet and Victoria smiled, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"I will sit with him. Go stay with Don Alejandro. I put his soup and tea on the bedside table. See if you can get him to take some of it."

The boy nodded mutely and left, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Victoria pulled up a chair and sat beside Diego, unwilling to wake him. She could reheat the soup later if needed. She longed to lay beside him on the bed, comfort him - and take comfort herself - in his embrace. She didn't care about the impropriety of it all. The door was closed and anyone who wanted entrance would knock before entering. But Diego needed to sleep, and she suspected he would not sleep a wink if she were lying beside him.

Besides, this gave her the opportunity to look at - really see - the man lying before her. It was the same face she'd seen every day for years. But she knew now that beneath that calm exterior, there was an unknown passion that burned in his heart - and Victoria loved him for it. Yes, she was upset that he'd chosen to keep this secret from her - and they would have a long discussion about keeping secrets in the future - but she understood his need to not involve anyone else in his deception.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice when his eyes fluttered open and stared at her until she heard her name fall quietly from his lips.

"Diego." Victoria slid off the chair and onto the side of the bed, brushing aside a stray strand of hair that had fallen into his eyes as he slept.

"My father?"

"He's sleeping," Victoria embraced him gently, afraid she would hurt him if she touched his wounds.

But when his arms came around her and crushed her against his bare chest, she melted into his embrace with a soft sigh.

"Thank you," she heard him whisper.

She knew he was still groggy with the lingering effects of the tea she had forced into him, but she didn't care. It felt too good to be in his arms. She lifted her head and caught his eyes, leaning forward and gently brushing her lips against his. When he responded by tightening his arms, she threaded her free hand into his dark hair and deepened the kiss, careful to keep from touching his injured cheek. But as much as she wanted to remain in his arms, comforted by his strength, she knew he needed to eat. Carefully, she slipped out of his embrace and took the bowl off the table.

"You need to keep up your strength." She dipped the spoon into the bowl and held it to his lips.

He wrinkled his nose but opened his mouth to take a bite. "I'm not hungry."

"Yes, well, you can either eat this, or drink your tea on an empty stomach." Victoria indicated the liquid on the table beside her.

Diego wrinkled his nose. He despised that tea. "Uh, that would not be a good idea."

"No, I didn't think so." Victoria took great amusement at his reaction, remembering the day - in Zorro's cave - when he had asked her to drink the very same concoction.

As Victoria was feeding Diego - he didn't need help, but he enjoyed the closeness the task required - Sergeant Mendoza knocked loudly on the door. Victoria pushed the cactus tea into his hand and insisted he drink.

Diego scowled at her but she refused to answer the door until he had taken two large mouthfuls of the foul-tasting liquid.

Victoria smiled triumphantly at him and he instantly knew she was getting back at him for that day in the cave.

"Sergeant!" Diego forced a cheerfulness he didn't truly feel into his voice.

"Don Diego," Mendoza curiously didn't meet Diego's eyes and as Victoria stood to close the door behind the sergeant, Diego favored the man with a concerned look.

"Ignacio?" Diego asked, fearing the alcalde's wounds had been too serious.

Mendoza shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, he is asleep. He was lucky."

Diego nodded. "No vital organs were punctured. The cut was, for all intents and purposes, very superficial. He was very fortunate."

Mendoza glanced at his boots.

Diego exchanged a worried look with Victoria. "But you didn't come to discuss the alcalde."

Victoria sat next to Diego on the bed and slid her hand into his. Her entire posture was one that reminded Diego of a protective mother hen, and he had to stifle a chuckle as his gaze shifted from her to Mendoza.

"What is it?" Diego finally asked after a few uncomfortable moments of silence had passed.

Diego's question prompted a floodgate of words to stream from Mendoza's lips. "Zorro is my friend. He told me when he rescued me from my house. I've never wanted to see him captured. I respect him. I'm keeping the prisoner gagged so he doesn't tell anyone. But I can't starve him. And the alcalde will want -"

Diego held up a silencing hand. "Mendoza, wait. Slow down." Diego shook his head. He was more coherent than when Victoria had first arrived, but he had sipped a bit of his cactus tea since then and he knew that it would soon begin to skew his perception.

Diego extended his hand and bade the disturbed sergeant to sit. "Thank you, Mendoza. For everything."

Mendoza smiled sadly and for the first time since entering the room, met Diego's eyes. "You are my friend, Don Diego. I - I don't want to see anything happen to you."

Diego shook his head and exchanged a longing look with Victoria. "I appreciate everything you are doing, have done, to keep Thackery silent. Do not risk your relationship with the alcalde for me. We can come up with something to explain what happened."

"But - what?"

"I don't know. Give me some time to think." The tea was beginning to affect his ability to think and he was getting tired again. "The alcalde will be indisposed for a few days at least which will give me some time to come up with a plan."

"Us." Victoria squeezed Diego's hand and smiled warmly at him. "It will give us some time."

Diego nodded mutely and Victoria stood, drawing Mendoza to his feet and leading him to the door. "Diego needs some more rest. I'll come get you when he wakes up."

Mendoza smiled widely at Diego, before glancing once more at Victoria and exiting the room.

"How very smooth of you." Diego muttered, leaning his head back against the pillow and closing his eyes.

Victoria shot him a mischievous grin and pushed the mug of tea into his hands. "Drink up."

With one eye open, he glared at her, but he didn't have the strength to resist. It was as if his body knew that the immediate danger had passed and was now shutting down to regain its strength. He lifted the mug to his lips and took another few sips before wrinkling his nose and handing the mug back to Victoria. "That's enough. I'll sleep for hours, whether I want to or not."

"Good." Victoria sat beside him on the bed and brushed her hands through that unruly lock of hair that once again fell over his eyes. "You need the rest."

"What I need and what I want are two completely different things."

Victoria searched his face. His eyes were closed but his arm had snaked around her waist as she sat beside him on the narrow bed. When she leaned close to kiss his uninjured cheek, she whispered, "I already know what you need. What do you want?"

Diego forced his eyes open with some difficulty but the fiery desire burning within them was unmistakable.

Victoria's hand slid out of his hair to his cheek, encouraging him to answer.

Diego opened his mouth but he couldn't force the words past them. The proper part of him couldn't voice his desires, not now, not when he was in such a weak position.

Victoria knew the war going on within his clouded mind. And she knew she was taking advantage of his weakness in prodding him for an answer. But she wanted to hear from his own lips how much he wanted her. She leaned closer, her breath warm against his cheek. "What do you want?" She could feel a shudder go through him and he shifted uncomfortably in the bed.

"You." Diego finally admitted, turning his head to capture her lips in a kiss so passionate it stole away her very breath.

Her fingers sank into his hair and pulled him closer. For a few unrestrained moments, their passion carried them in a direction both of them knew would have to end, and soon.

When his lips fell to her neck, nuzzling and kissing, Victoria's felt as if she would explode. The feel of his mouth and moustache on such sensitive skin had to be the most wonderful feeling in the world. She desperately craved his touch now, wanting him to know that he was hers, and she his, now and forever.

But the tattered shreds of Diego's sanity remained and he pulled away with a low groan. "We must wait. I don't want it to be like this. You deserve so much more than -"

"We are betrothed, Diego, or have you forgotten?" Victoria countered with a slow, saucy smile. She suspected that he couldn't finish what they'd started anyway. She sighed inwardly, surrendering her desire to be closer to him until he got his strength back. Unwilling to completely abandon their intimate connection, she decided to urge him to talk.

Diego shook his head, as much to clear it from the tea-induced fog as to cool the desire rushing through his blood. "No as I recall, you are betrothed to Zorro." When he noticed Victoria's glare, he chuckled softly. He was tiring and he didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to stay awake. Damn the woman for making him drink so much of that tea! "I have yet to ask you."

Victoria raised a skeptical eyebrow and Diego took her hand and pressed it gently to his lips. His vision was starting to blur, and he briefly wondered if this was how Victoria remembered the last time he'd asked this question - since she had been the one under the effects of the tea that day.

Quick images of that day flashed through his mind, as he asked, again, "Will you marry me?"

"Yes, Diego," Victoria's voice was small, and he wondered if he was dreaming her answer. "I will."

Her voice seemed so far away now as his eyes fluttered with exhaustion. He knew she noticed and dimly watched, helpless to do more than lay there, as she pulled the thin blanket over him and arranged the pillows behind his head and back. The last thing he remembered as sleep claimed him was the feel of her soft lips on his and her whispers of love.

TBC

WolfDaughter - Well, it has 9 now. My beta is suggesting some lovely things to add. Heh. Oh yes, de Soto finds out in a lovely way. And his reaction is, well, you'll read it eventually.

Beverly - glad you liked this chapter. Yes, holiday events are keeping me from posting as often as I'd like.

Trollie - I didn't get anything from you. Where is more of this story? It is quite good. You should finish it quickly and start posting : ) No, I don't think I will kill anyone in this story. Amazing, hmm? But, who knows, my beta isn't done with it past chapter 5 yet, so some death could still come.

Jkl888 - Oh no, the secret won't remain secret for long. What de Soto does with this information is – well, you'll read it in a few chapters. Can't keep Thackery gagged indefinitely. He does need to eat.

Aurelia30 - yes, yes, twists. I do love them. Mendoza doesn't have the chance to - slip. De Soto finds out before that happens. . .