Victoria rubbed at her temples, trying to convince herself she wasn't tired. It had been a very long month. Every few days brought increasing tales of the lawlessness that pervaded the pueblo. Early on everyone had thought that even De Soto would be moved to do something about so serious a problem, but as time went on, it became clear that the alcalde was determined to do even less than usual. Most nights the lancers were prevented from patrolling at all, not even to chase Zorro.
Victoria frowned, thinking of her masked hero. Although the Fox had been appearing nearly every night in his solitary campaign to do curb the increasingly violent acts of the bands of highwaymen that had invaded their town, he was so busy in that pursuit that there had been little time for meaningful visits between them. They had stolen a few moments a few days before, but it had been obvious to her that Zorro was exhausted by his fight-and the situation was only growing worse by the day.
A single man, no matter how brilliant, how courageous and talented, could not protect an entire town on his own. As the weeks now stretched into over a month, her worry for the man she'd pledged herself to was growing into a panic. The worry was wearying on her, and it was not just worry for Zorro. The bandits concentrated most of their efforts on cattle raids which hurt mostly the caballeros who could, to a certain extent, afford to suffer the loss. But many of the smaller farmers had been hurt as well, and the road had become so dangerous that many merchants would no longer travel it. She herself was even feeling the loss of a shipment of glasses that had been either waylaid on their way from Santa Paula. A loss she could handle, but it showed how much the crime affected everyone.
She looked up and saw Felipe loitering morosely in the doorway. She brightened at the sight. It had been many days since Felipe had been to the tavern.
"Felipe," she said after he'd looked over to her. "Why don't you come in? You look like you could use some lemonade on such a hot day."
Felipe brightened and nodded quickly. She quickly brought him the lemonade, and knowing Felipe as well as she did, some quesadillas from the kitchen.
"Has Diego come to town with you?" she asked, hopeful. It had been even longer since she had seen Diego than Felipe and she found, to her surprise, that she had missed him possibly even more than Zorro.
Some of Felipe's enjoyment of his meal fell from his face and he nodded.
*He has come to see Dr. Hernandez, * he signed. *One of our men was wounded. *
Victoria was not nearly as skilled as Diego at interpreting Felipe's gestures, but she thought she'd understood. "Someone was wounded? Was it serious?" she asked, suddenly concerned.
Felipe shook his head. *No. It was just an accident. Diego is just feeling responsible for everyone. *
Victoria was certain she must have misinterpreted that one. Diego? Feeling responsible?
Just then, the object of her curiosity entered the tavern.
"Ah, here you are Felipe," Diego said. He turned and nodded at Victoria. "I am afraid, Senora, that I do not have the time to visit today, no matter how tempting the company."
Victoria blushed a little, surprised. It was the kind of thing she'd expect Zorro to say, not Diego.
Diego smiled regretfully at Felipe and ruffled his hair fondly. "Felipe should stay. He is in need of a day off, I am afraid."
Felipe yanked Diego down into the chair beside him just as Victoria began protesting.
"You haven't been to see me in weeks, Don Diego. I'd almost think you were avoiding me."
He smiled apologetically and settled more firmly in his chair. "Never that, Victoria. A man could no more wish to avoid you than the warmth of the sunlight."
His voice was tired, making it deeper and slightly rough. The change was surprisingly affecting, or at least she hoped that was why she found herself again blushing.
To hide her distraction she bustled into the kitchen and grabbed some tamales for Diego and, after remembering Felipe's drawn look, some cinnamon puff pastries fresh from the oven.
Diego was once again trying to withdraw when she made it back to the main tavern and she pushed him down with a shove.
"After so long, the least you can do is entertain a lady on a long afternoon."
Diego smiled and nodded. His eyes shone a bit at her teasing, but she was surprised at how truly exhausted he looked. She was so used to thinking of Diego in terms of the pampered life of a caballero's only son that seeing him thus was a bit of a shock.
"I trust you are well?" Diego asked, his tone light, but his expression intensely serious. "The recent troubles have not too badly affected you here, in town?"
She smiled as reassuringly as she could, a little troubled by the real worry she saw weighing on him. "I am fine, much better off than many, at least. And I do have Zorro to look after me."
Curiously, the worry didn't leave Diego's face. "I have heard that Zorro has been very busy lately. Are you sure you are safe here alone?"
From someone else, Victoria may have been offended by a suggestion that she could not look after herself. But the troubles in the town, particularly for a woman running a business on her own, were not so easily dismissed and the sincerity of his concern was transparent. She reached over and cupped his jaw. "I am well, Diego. You don't have to worry. The alcalde has at least kept the banditos out of the town itself."
Some, though not nearly all, of the worry finally left his face and his smile became more genuine. Surprised and more than a little touched at his concern for her, she took a step closer to him and ran her fingers through his dark hair. The feeling was pleasantly distracting, disconcertingly so, as was the firm warmth of him so close to her. Her breath catching, she allowed her fingers to linger a little longer than she'd intended. Diego, too, became still and she found herself leaning closer to him when her fingers found the long line of a healing wound on the side of his head.
"Diego?! What happened?" she said, withdrawing quickly.
Diego startled and nearly fell over at the sudden loss of her presence. Something like panic fluttered behind his eyes, but then as always his true emotions were hidden behind their perpetual shutters.
"Ah, you know me," he said, smiling sheepishly. "My long standing luck with horses continues."
Victoria frowned and grabbed Diego's head firmly so that she could get a better look at that scar. It was too narrow and even to get from a fall, or even from a horse's hoof.
"You didn't get that riding, Diego de la Vega. Do you want to tell me what going on?"
*He was shot * Felipe signed impatiently.
"Shot?" Victoria gasped.
Diego gave Felipe a surprisingly angry glare, but he just glared back.
*Someone needs to make you listen to sense * Felipe signed. Diego's lips compressed, but he didn't say anything. Victoria got the feeling that there was much she was missing here.
Sighing in impatience, Victoria grabbed Diego's shoulder and whirled him to face her. "You were shot?" she asked again.
"There may have been a small incident," Diego said. "It was so minor it barely warrants mention."
Victoria gave up and turned to Felipe. The boy looked like he regretted his outburst a bit, but was stubbornly refusing to remain as secretive as Diego would clearly prefer.
*There were some bandits on the ranch a few weeks back. They would have shot Miguel's son but Diego got in the way. *
"Miguel's son? You mean Tomas?"
Felipe nodded. Victoria blinked. She now remembered Miguel coming to the tavern a few weeks ago. She'd caught the tail end of the story of Tomas's rescue, but she hadn't realized just whom the boy's rescuer had been.
"That was _you_?" she said, turning to Diego again.
"It was entirely an accident, I assure you," Diego said, clearly embarrassed.
On any other occasion Victoria may have laughed to see Diego de la Vega turn as red as her best skirt. As it was she had to smile despite the seriousness of the situation.
"Sometimes you amaze me, my friend," she said, a chuckle escaping. "Who would have imagined you, a hero?"
He smiled, but his tiredness was sufficient to allow her to see the real flash of pain at her words beneath the ever present mask of urbanity.
"Diego, I didn't mean . . . " she tried to say, cursing her thoughtlessness.
Diego stood and bowed politely, pressing his lips to her hand. "Do not allow it to concern you," he said, rising. "You are right, myself as a hero is a slightly ludicrous thought. I shall gladly leave the role to Zorro."
He turned abruptly and began to walk away, but not before she registered the bitterness in his eyes that gave lie to his joking tone.
"Diego," she tried again. He paused but then shook his head and went back out into the harsh sunlight of the plaza.
Felipe's wounded look held all of the startled betrayal Diego's control would not allow him to reveal himself. He frowned at her angrily and then hurried after his mentor, leaving her there standing alone.
Victoria frowned, thinking of her masked hero. Although the Fox had been appearing nearly every night in his solitary campaign to do curb the increasingly violent acts of the bands of highwaymen that had invaded their town, he was so busy in that pursuit that there had been little time for meaningful visits between them. They had stolen a few moments a few days before, but it had been obvious to her that Zorro was exhausted by his fight-and the situation was only growing worse by the day.
A single man, no matter how brilliant, how courageous and talented, could not protect an entire town on his own. As the weeks now stretched into over a month, her worry for the man she'd pledged herself to was growing into a panic. The worry was wearying on her, and it was not just worry for Zorro. The bandits concentrated most of their efforts on cattle raids which hurt mostly the caballeros who could, to a certain extent, afford to suffer the loss. But many of the smaller farmers had been hurt as well, and the road had become so dangerous that many merchants would no longer travel it. She herself was even feeling the loss of a shipment of glasses that had been either waylaid on their way from Santa Paula. A loss she could handle, but it showed how much the crime affected everyone.
She looked up and saw Felipe loitering morosely in the doorway. She brightened at the sight. It had been many days since Felipe had been to the tavern.
"Felipe," she said after he'd looked over to her. "Why don't you come in? You look like you could use some lemonade on such a hot day."
Felipe brightened and nodded quickly. She quickly brought him the lemonade, and knowing Felipe as well as she did, some quesadillas from the kitchen.
"Has Diego come to town with you?" she asked, hopeful. It had been even longer since she had seen Diego than Felipe and she found, to her surprise, that she had missed him possibly even more than Zorro.
Some of Felipe's enjoyment of his meal fell from his face and he nodded.
*He has come to see Dr. Hernandez, * he signed. *One of our men was wounded. *
Victoria was not nearly as skilled as Diego at interpreting Felipe's gestures, but she thought she'd understood. "Someone was wounded? Was it serious?" she asked, suddenly concerned.
Felipe shook his head. *No. It was just an accident. Diego is just feeling responsible for everyone. *
Victoria was certain she must have misinterpreted that one. Diego? Feeling responsible?
Just then, the object of her curiosity entered the tavern.
"Ah, here you are Felipe," Diego said. He turned and nodded at Victoria. "I am afraid, Senora, that I do not have the time to visit today, no matter how tempting the company."
Victoria blushed a little, surprised. It was the kind of thing she'd expect Zorro to say, not Diego.
Diego smiled regretfully at Felipe and ruffled his hair fondly. "Felipe should stay. He is in need of a day off, I am afraid."
Felipe yanked Diego down into the chair beside him just as Victoria began protesting.
"You haven't been to see me in weeks, Don Diego. I'd almost think you were avoiding me."
He smiled apologetically and settled more firmly in his chair. "Never that, Victoria. A man could no more wish to avoid you than the warmth of the sunlight."
His voice was tired, making it deeper and slightly rough. The change was surprisingly affecting, or at least she hoped that was why she found herself again blushing.
To hide her distraction she bustled into the kitchen and grabbed some tamales for Diego and, after remembering Felipe's drawn look, some cinnamon puff pastries fresh from the oven.
Diego was once again trying to withdraw when she made it back to the main tavern and she pushed him down with a shove.
"After so long, the least you can do is entertain a lady on a long afternoon."
Diego smiled and nodded. His eyes shone a bit at her teasing, but she was surprised at how truly exhausted he looked. She was so used to thinking of Diego in terms of the pampered life of a caballero's only son that seeing him thus was a bit of a shock.
"I trust you are well?" Diego asked, his tone light, but his expression intensely serious. "The recent troubles have not too badly affected you here, in town?"
She smiled as reassuringly as she could, a little troubled by the real worry she saw weighing on him. "I am fine, much better off than many, at least. And I do have Zorro to look after me."
Curiously, the worry didn't leave Diego's face. "I have heard that Zorro has been very busy lately. Are you sure you are safe here alone?"
From someone else, Victoria may have been offended by a suggestion that she could not look after herself. But the troubles in the town, particularly for a woman running a business on her own, were not so easily dismissed and the sincerity of his concern was transparent. She reached over and cupped his jaw. "I am well, Diego. You don't have to worry. The alcalde has at least kept the banditos out of the town itself."
Some, though not nearly all, of the worry finally left his face and his smile became more genuine. Surprised and more than a little touched at his concern for her, she took a step closer to him and ran her fingers through his dark hair. The feeling was pleasantly distracting, disconcertingly so, as was the firm warmth of him so close to her. Her breath catching, she allowed her fingers to linger a little longer than she'd intended. Diego, too, became still and she found herself leaning closer to him when her fingers found the long line of a healing wound on the side of his head.
"Diego?! What happened?" she said, withdrawing quickly.
Diego startled and nearly fell over at the sudden loss of her presence. Something like panic fluttered behind his eyes, but then as always his true emotions were hidden behind their perpetual shutters.
"Ah, you know me," he said, smiling sheepishly. "My long standing luck with horses continues."
Victoria frowned and grabbed Diego's head firmly so that she could get a better look at that scar. It was too narrow and even to get from a fall, or even from a horse's hoof.
"You didn't get that riding, Diego de la Vega. Do you want to tell me what going on?"
*He was shot * Felipe signed impatiently.
"Shot?" Victoria gasped.
Diego gave Felipe a surprisingly angry glare, but he just glared back.
*Someone needs to make you listen to sense * Felipe signed. Diego's lips compressed, but he didn't say anything. Victoria got the feeling that there was much she was missing here.
Sighing in impatience, Victoria grabbed Diego's shoulder and whirled him to face her. "You were shot?" she asked again.
"There may have been a small incident," Diego said. "It was so minor it barely warrants mention."
Victoria gave up and turned to Felipe. The boy looked like he regretted his outburst a bit, but was stubbornly refusing to remain as secretive as Diego would clearly prefer.
*There were some bandits on the ranch a few weeks back. They would have shot Miguel's son but Diego got in the way. *
"Miguel's son? You mean Tomas?"
Felipe nodded. Victoria blinked. She now remembered Miguel coming to the tavern a few weeks ago. She'd caught the tail end of the story of Tomas's rescue, but she hadn't realized just whom the boy's rescuer had been.
"That was _you_?" she said, turning to Diego again.
"It was entirely an accident, I assure you," Diego said, clearly embarrassed.
On any other occasion Victoria may have laughed to see Diego de la Vega turn as red as her best skirt. As it was she had to smile despite the seriousness of the situation.
"Sometimes you amaze me, my friend," she said, a chuckle escaping. "Who would have imagined you, a hero?"
He smiled, but his tiredness was sufficient to allow her to see the real flash of pain at her words beneath the ever present mask of urbanity.
"Diego, I didn't mean . . . " she tried to say, cursing her thoughtlessness.
Diego stood and bowed politely, pressing his lips to her hand. "Do not allow it to concern you," he said, rising. "You are right, myself as a hero is a slightly ludicrous thought. I shall gladly leave the role to Zorro."
He turned abruptly and began to walk away, but not before she registered the bitterness in his eyes that gave lie to his joking tone.
"Diego," she tried again. He paused but then shook his head and went back out into the harsh sunlight of the plaza.
Felipe's wounded look held all of the startled betrayal Diego's control would not allow him to reveal himself. He frowned at her angrily and then hurried after his mentor, leaving her there standing alone.
