Chapter 5

"You are so wrong." Victoria looked at Pilar smugly.

This morning, Zorro appeared from nowhere in the pueblo.
He had made short work of the punishment the alcalde had decreed for peasants who had been unable to pay the tax.
A cheer had risen from the crowd.
After Zorro greeted her and said he hoped to see her again soon, he galloped out of the pueblo seat on Toronado.

Just before lunch, don Diego had strolled into the tavern.
The tavern had still been buzzing with stories of how Zorro had come to the rescue this morning.
Diego had calmly listened to the stories and casually commented that he hoped the alcalde would not try again.

So irritating.

And now Pilar was insinuating that she would feel more for the man whose name wandered through her head much too often anyway.
"Don Diego and I are indeed friends.
It's nothing more or less than that."

Pilar looked at her with a spotted look.
"If you say so.
It's just that you're always so possessive when it comes to don Diego."

"Possessive?" Cackled Victoria in disbelief.
"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, just, you only have to think that a woman is interested in don Diego or you already start slagging her off."

"That is so not true!" Victoria responded, realizing a fraction too late, too fiercely.

Pilar pretended to only half-listen to her employer and proceeded to put away the clean dishes on the shelf.
"Whatever you say.
So you're just fine with don Alejandro hosting a dinner party next week."

Victoria stopped scrubbing the work table.
She didn't know anything about a dinner party.
Usually, she was always invited to the private de la Vega parties and was a welcome guest.

Pilar was rattling on. "I happened to hear don Alejandro inviting don Martinez and his niece. Did you see her yet?
She arrived from Monterey the day before yesterday and is called Juliana, so I heard.
It seems she is a friendly and educated señorita and would be an excellent choice to become the new doña of the de la Vega hacienda."

"I couldn't care less and hope he will succeed. " Sneered Victoria hatefully.

The day before yesterday, Victoria had been at the orphanage to bring some collected goods with the padre.
The stagecoach was not expected until late afternoon and had been unexpectedly early.
Thus, she had not seen who had been in it.
Was Pilar making fun of her?!

"Good to hear.
Don Alejandro couldn't believe his luck yesterday."

Most of the people in the pueblo knew that the old don saw in every respectable young señorita a potential suitor for his only son. Victoria almost had to bite her tongue off. She just managed to avoid asking why the don had felt lucky.

Pilar gave the answer to her question unsolicited anyway. "Juliana had tea at the de la Vega's yesterday,"

"Then I wish her and don Alejandro good luck. Don Diego has never looked at any woman before."

"She could do a lot worse. Of all the men in the pueblo, I think don Diego is one of the better choices anyway." Confessed Pilar. Although she knew that don Diego was out of her league, she could definitely see the don's assets.

"Don Diego is rather kind and not unattractive," Victoria reluctantly admitted. Then she immediately added. "But he's nothing compared to Zorro!"

Pilar looked at Victoria with a mischievous smile. "I'm not so sure about that. They both have their unique qualities."

"Don Diego is so...so." Mulled, Victoria to clarify that Diego didn't interest her at all.

"Handsome, charming, kind, intelligent, respectful..., rich?"

Victoria had had just enough time to calm down a bit. "I was going to go with being lazy, spoiled, cowardly, boring, and annoying... Rich is, indeed, a nice benefit, but money does not make one happy. And personally, I'd rather have a real man than a dull dishcloth for a husband."
Victoria was busy looking as disinterested as possible. And especially not letting on that she was actually green with envy. That's why she didn't look at Pilar and why the woman's pretentious eyes escaped her.

"In any case, I am glad to hear you have no special feelings for don Diego." Pilar continued. "Perhaps you would like to give señorita Juliana a chance to win his heart." Pilar put the last stack of plates back in the cupboard. "I'm done here. How about I go sweep the porch?"

Victoria was still frantically scrubbing the table with such force that her hands were red and sweat beaded on her forehead. "You just do that," squeaked Victoria.

As soon as Pilar had left the kitchen, Victoria tossed the brush into the sink. Another item reminding her of don Diego. Since he was the one coming up with the idea of having a sink and running water in her kitchen. He had made the design and supervised the build.
"Me in love with Diego? Even if he is the last man on earth, I wouldn't be." Victoria grabbed a dish towel to wipe the table dry. "Where on earth did she get this ridiculous idea? You'd think she'd know I love Zorro! The whole idea is so ridiculous it's almost laughable. I love Zorro. The very idea. Ha, me, in love with don Diego. Ha, ha." Suddenly, Victoria stopped rubbing and looked up, startled. "Am I... in love… with..., Diego?" Victoria stared ahead. Two, five, ten seconds. Then she continued what she was doing while muttering.
"Preposterous!"

.

Two days later.

Suddenly there was an envelope behind the counter. It had to have just been put there by someone. A few minutes ago, it hadn't been there. Victoria was sure of that. Who had put it there? She recognized the handwriting right away. Quickly, she opened the envelope and let her eyes slide over the text. Immediately, Victoria felt her cheeks turn red.

It couldn't be true.
She had been alone in the tavern when she was talking to herself. Uncomfortably, Victoria glared around. How had Zorro done this?

The tavern crowded. There were at least twenty people.
She, herself, had been constantly in the main room, and she hadn't even noticed that anyone had been behind the counter. When Zorro showed himself, it usually got spotted. He really must be able to make himself invisible to place an envelope behind the counter unnoticed in broad daylight.

At the table, near the door, sat don Diego, deep in conversation with his father and Sergeant Mendoza. Diego made brief eye contact for a moment, and the blush on her cheeks if possible turned an even more fiery red. Once again, Victoria read the note. It still contained the exact same words.

For me, you be never the last.
For me, you are the only woman in the world whom I will marry.
Always yours.

Zorro.

How had Zorro known what she had said? Please let it be a stupid coincidence, Victoria begged in silence.
Surely it couldn't be that he had heard her? Had Zorro been in the tavern at that exact moment? Had he overheard her and Pilar talking? And if so, what had he heard? Shame was on her cheeks. What did this note mean?

"Señorita Escalante,"

Victoria heard a voice say irritably.

"I want a cup of coffee, if it's not too much to ask."

Hastily, Victoria stuffed the note into her apron pocket. She hadn't seen or heard the alcalde enter, and judging by his voice, it hadn't been the first time he'd tried to get her attention.
"Sure." squealed Victoria. She coughed and tried speaking in a normal tone. "Coming right up.
Would you like to have a piece of cake?
Alicia baked a fruit cake."

The alcalde threw his gloves on the bar.
"Why not. I take a piece."

With trembling hands, Victoria cut off a piece of cake.
The note burned in her pocket.
She didn't dare think about what the note might imply.

.

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