Chapter 7
The plans and preparations for the celebration took over a week. Everyone pitched in and helped all they could. The señoritas from Spain had come at a time when the pueblo had been subdued by the fever epidemic. It was time to show them a brighter side of Los Angeles and its people. It was also time that they got to know all the men who had awaited their arrival.
The streets lining the plaza were full of tables brimming over with foods of all kinds. The women had been baking for days and preparing all the specialties that they had learned from their mothers.
There were paper streamers, colorful lanterns and flowers everywhere one looked. A huge banner that read "Welcome Señoritas!" in large red letters hung across the street. Chairs had been set up for the musicians across from the tavern. There would be music and dancing.
Victoria was directing her girls with the placement of all the dishes on the long, covered tables beneath the projecting roof of the tavern. She was amazed that her own contributions were being overshadowed by the dishes brought one at a time by many of the young señoritas from the dormitory.
"Do you want it here, Señorita Escalante?" one asked timidly.
"That is fine, uh…I'm sorry. I don't think we've met?" Victoria prompted.
"Oh… I'm Juliana. Juliana Sanchez. I am so honored to meet you."
"Honored to meet me?" Victoria was taken aback and stopped to look directly at the young girl.
"Oh yes! All the girls talk about you all the time."
"They do?" Victoria carefully put down the dishes she carried and gave the girl her full attention.
"Oh yes, of course. Why, you are such an example for all of us. You run this tavern!" Juliana spread her arms and looked around her.
The delight in her eyes was transparent and Victoria could not help but feel more kindly toward the girl.
"And," Juliana stepped closer to Victoria and lowered her voice, acting as if divulging in a secret, "you know Diego de la Vega!" She sighed happily. "Isn't he just so handsome!"
Victoria's mood deflated visibly.
"Handsome?" She turned to Teresa who had just come out of the tavern with another pie. "I suppose so," she admitted as she took the dish from her and placed it down carefully. Then she smiled at the young girl and said, "But Diego —"
"It is rather strange he hasn't married…do you know if he has a novia? Has he ever been engaged?" The other girls wonder about him all the time, but no one seems to know for sure. He is so nice. It's just unbelievable that no señorita has snatched him up before now! He's everything a girl could ever want!"
"Hmm. Well, when he gets here, you will just have to ask him yourself." She said the words dismissively. The last thing she wanted to do tonight was get into a discussion about Diego with these women!
"And what about Zorro?" Juliana mused.
Victoria spun around and asked sharply, "What about him?"
"Well, the girls talk about him sometimes, but he's rather mysterious. Maria and some of the other girls just don't think he'd make a good husband, always running around fighting the lancers…"
"He doesn't just fight with the lancers!" Victoria said indignantly. "He fights for justice, for the people. He protects the people from the oppression of — "
"But aren't the lancers the soldiers of the King?" Juliana asked simply. "That makes Zorro an outlaw of the crown. And dressing all in black, wearing a mask…sounds so ominous and just like what an outlaw would do. It just doesn't seem right that —"
"Zorro is not —" But Victoria stopped, bit her lip, and asked, "Who have you been talking to? Where are you getting these ideas?"
"Well, Ignacio says —"
"Ignacio!" Victoria's eyes grew wide and she rolled them skywards in disgust. "And you believed that…that snake!"
"You think Ignacio is —"
"Yes! Yes, I do. And you will too once you've spent enough time around here. Look, Juliana, he is the most ill-mannered, loathsome, cruel-hearted —"
"Ahh, Señorita Escalante! Talking about that scourge of the pueblo again, are we?" The two women turned to see Ignacio De Soto standing a few feet away, smiling charmingly.
"That I am, Alcalde!" Victoria agreed.
De Soto cleared his throat and gave Victoria a bitter grin and a warning look. Then he turned to address the young señorita sweetly. "Juliana, isn't it? My dear, I thought I'd ask for your first dance. Am I in time?"
The girl blushed, giggled and smiled up at him shyly. "Oh, Ignacio, of course you are. It will be a pleasure."
De Soto shot a triumphant look to Victoria over his shoulder as he led Juliana away toward the dancing area. Victoria watched open-mouthed as the two walked arm in arm, talking to each other in hushed whispers.
Turning her attention back to the tables, Victoria began picking up and moving almost every dish, her movements easily suggesting her mood had deteriorated greatly after the exchange.
"Victoria?"
Victoria let out a sigh before turning to find the voice was Diego's. "Oh, Diego, it's just you."
"Yes, it's just I," he said, successfully hiding his own disappointment at her greeting.
"Oh, Diego, I didn't mean —"
"You know, I think you did," he said thoughtfully. "But, no matter." He drew himself up to his full height and reached for her hand. She watched him, puzzled, as he held her right hand in his left. With his right hand, he began to slowly and softly draw several small circles on the back of it. Then his hand closed upon hers for the briefest moment, squeezed lightly, and brought it up to his lips for a feathery, soft kiss. When she looked up, he was gone.
As she stared up at the space his tall form had just vacated, she realized she had been holding her breath. She forced herself to take one. Turning toward the plaza, her eyes searched for Diego, but he was already across the street and fast approaching a group of young señoritas.
"Señorita?"
Theresa was at her elbow, asking questions about the flan. But Victoria just turned and made her way slowly back to the tavern door, and, with every other step, she stopped and looked back at the sight of Diego being surrounded by smiling, giggling señoritas.
Diego stepped up to the waiting bevy of señoritas, steeling his own nerves for what he was about to do. At once, they surrounded him, all chattering at once, and he relinquished himself totally into their light, teasing, and pleasant world. For once, he was just going to try to enjoy their attentions.
Sarita brought him a glass of lemonade. Beatriz made him laugh. Eva batted her eyelashes at him every chance she got. But it was Andrea that managed to separate him from the crowd of women and draw him into the dance area.
Andrea was all of twenty-four years old and just that much more experienced than most of her rivals, so it was fairly easy for her to garner Diego's attention. She was taller than the others too. A raven haired beauty from a family of old money, she was used to getting her own way in almost everything she did. Her features were sharp, and if you took them one by one, none were very exceptional. But the total effect gave her a look of some exotic and forbidden flower, lovely yet possibly deadly.
After that first dance with Diego, she very expertly steered him toward the least crowded corner of the plaza so she could have him all to herself, at least for a while.
The other señoritas watched and seethed. Many of the caballeros and vaqueros had arrived, and had already approached many of them, but they had barely managed to capture the attention of any of the young señoritas. Yet they persisted. Gradually, it was clear that Andrea had won for now the all-important prize of the night, and the remaining young women turned to the young men around them.
The young people began pairing off under the watchful eyes of the ever present dueñas. The area that had been set aside for dancing filled quickly, and soon the plaza was alive with the sounds and sights of young people talking, laughing, and delighting in getting acquainted with one another.
As Victoria came out of the tavern, she felt the excitement in the air swelling with the music. She had changed into her best dress, a deep blue, embroidered linen that had been a gift from Zorro. He had told her it was the latest style, imported from England. But sadly, that had been three years before, and she wondered briefly if the young señoritas, so newly arrived from Spain, would see it as old fashioned.
Trying to calm the hope that had flared within her when she had decided to wear the dress, she still looked for Zorro. He could be here, she thought. Of course, he would be here as his other self, that unknown man she had so often tried to discover.
Her gaze moved over the crowded plaza, and she sighed contentedly as she saw the people enjoying themselves. But as her eyes alighted on one tight group, her smile vanished; for there, in the middle of a group of about fifteen señoritas, was Diego. His head towered above the women and it was easy to see he was enjoying himself immensely. Gone was the nervous embarrassment she had witnessed when he was surrounded by the women earlier. Diego was clearly enjoying himself.
Unable to draw her eyes from the sight, she watched as her childhood friend, in effect, held court. With the girls standing around him, hanging on his every word, it was easy to guess he was relaying some story to them. They laughed every few moments. Some clapped their hands in glee, and some wiped at their eyes as if whatever he was saying was so amusing, it evoked their tears.
"Señorita Escalante, I believe?" A voice cut through her concentration and she turned to see a woman of perhaps forty years of age, resplendent in lavender silk.
"Yes, that's right. And you are?"
"Señora Ruiz," the woman replied. "I am dueña to several of those señoritas you were watching." The woman smiled.
"Oh. I suppose you are being kept busy tonight, watching for unbecoming behavior from the señoritas. They are certainly having a nice time, aren't they?" Victoria smiled sweetly at the woman, but her eyes drifted back to the sight of Diego amid all those lovely señoritas.
"Yes, but they are good girls. They are here to seek husbands, have families. It does take some interaction with the men to accomplish that. I'll not be stepping in unless things progress too quickly. After all, all the people of the pueblo desire the same thing for my girls, no?"
"Oh, yes, of course," Victoria said absently as she wondered just what Diego could be saying that could be so outlandishly humorous.
"So," Señora Ruiz leaned closer to Victoria's ear, "how long have you been in love with Señor de la Vega?"
Victoria's head jerked around quickly to stare at the woman. "In love with Diego?" she repeated, her tone implying that the idea was quite ridiculous. "Whatever gave you that idea? I am in love with Zorro. Everyone knows that. Zorro and I —"
"That's not Zorro that I see you balling up your fists over as you watch him talk with other señoritas," Señora Ruiz stated. "That's not Zorro you've had your eye on for the past twenty minutes while you've been standing there."
Victoria opened her mouth to object, but her words sputtered as she said, "I…no…you don't…look…Diego…"
"Oh, deny it if you will, but I know that look. Your whole being declared to me quite plainly your love for that young caballero before I even walked over here. Your speechlessness just confirms it." The señora winked at her.
Victoria stared at the woman as she digested the woman's words.
The señora patted the señorita's shoulder. "Oh, don't be upset, hon. I suppose it's something easy for me to spot. That was how it happened with me and my dear departed husband. I ignored him for years, but he never gave up on me. He kept pursuing me until I gave in and said yes." She sniffed and Victoria saw a glistening in her eyes. "And I am so glad he did. Our years together were so short, but I am very thankful now I have those memories."
"Señora, I …can sympathize with your loss. But you… are mistaken if you think that I am in the same situation. Diego is an old friend of mine. He's like a brother to —"
"A brother? That was not sisterly devotion I saw in your eyes. It was jealousy, child!"
"Jealousy?" Victoria echoed.
"Oh, no, don't tell me you didn't know!" The woman shook her head and clucked her tongue at the surprised look Victoria returned. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but if someone had only opened my eyes about Pedro and given me more time with him, well, I would have been grateful." She searched Victoria's face for some spark of realization. Then appearing very satisfied, the señora walked away as Victoria just stared after her.
"How absurd!" Victoria said under her breath. Then, almost against her will, her eyes shifted back to the same spot across the plaza.
But Diego was gone.
Victoria's eyes darted back and forth, trying to find the tall man, but she couldn't see him. The señoritas that had been standing with him were scattered here and there throughout the crowd, talking to others. Diego was nowhere in sight.
As she looked to her left, she saw Señora Ruiz watching her with a knowing look. Victoria felt the hot blush of her cheeks and turned quickly away as she berated herself for getting caught looking for Diego. She has no right! Victoria thought, as she made her way back toward the food tables.
With her thoughts spinning out of control, she stood there, rearranging the filled plates for the third time, for only a few minutes when, again, she heard her own name called.
"Victoria!" Don Alejandro reached across in front of her and grabbed a small pastry from a plate. "How are you, my dear?"
"Fine, just fine, and you?" Her tone belied her words, and could have told anyone in hearing that she was anything but fine, but Don Alejandro failed to notice.
"Running a little late. This is quite an event, isn't it?" He bit off a corner of the pastry. "Mmm, this is so good. Have you seen Diego?"
"Not lately," she said, carefully keeping her voice even. "He was just over there a while ago." She tossed a look over her shoulder. As she slipped the last plate into the very spot where it had been before she moved it, an idea occurred to her. "Don Alejandro, would you like me to go look for him?"
"Oh, no, my dear, it's not that important. I just —"
"Oh, it's no trouble, no trouble at all. I'll go find him for you." Even as she offered, she felt some momentary shame at her own eagerness to search for Diego.
She quickly ran down the couple of steps and into the street. Making for the spot where she had last seen Diego, she had to dodge people who greeted her as she walked by them. Some of the vaqueros who were very good customers at the tavern reached out to stop her progress with all the familiarity of friendship.
"Señorita, have you met Rosalinda? Please, let me introduce you…"
"Oh, Señorita Escalante, you must meet Olivia. She is …"
"Susana, allow me to introduce Señorita Escalante. She runs the tavern…"
Victoria's replies were immediate and polite, and as soon as she made them, she trudged ahead through the crowd, aiming directly for the last place she'd seen Diego. Arriving at the spot, she looked around hopefully, but there was no sign of him. Giving an exasperated sigh, she started to walk slowly to her right, her head straining to see above the heads of the people, her eyes searching for that one certain tall man.
With the celebration in full swing now, the music could barely be heard above all the talking and laughing. Couples filled the dancing area, and many more lined the perimeter of the plaza, just talking and getting to know one another.
So it was just by chance when there was a sudden lull in the din of sound that she heard the light giggle from behind her. With a smile, Victoria realized there was a couple just behind the bushes at her back.
There it was again, a girl's musical trill of laughter. And Victoria covered her own smile with one hand, embarrassed that she was inadvertently eavesdropping on a tender scene going on between one of the señoritas and her beau. Then as she was about to walk away to keep from being in such a position, a distinctively familiar male voice came clearly from the bushes.
"There you are, Andrea. It was certainly hard to get it out. If these pants were not so tight, it wouldn't have taken nearly so long. Satisfied now?"
"Oh, yes, Diego. Completely."
Victoria's mouth fell open as she listened to the girl almost purr her reply. Feeling her own heart speed up, she could not help herself as she leaned even further toward the bushes and the voices.
"Thank you, Diego. Are you sure you're all right. That still looks awfully swollen to me."
Victoria's eyes widened.
"No, I am fine. Besides, it won't show when I do this."
Victoria's hand flew to her mouth, and her heart sank to her stomach as she heard the unmistakable sound of ripping cloth.
Then everything happened at once.
Victoria lost her balance and fell into the bushes. The thin branches gave way under her weight and she was sent sprawling on the ground just inches from Diego's feet.
Andrea screamed. The kitten in her arms screeched and leapt from the señorita's grasp, landing on Victoria's back. Sharp tiny claws dug into her back, ripping at the smooth delicate cloth, and Victoria screamed.