Chapter 36

Over the next few days in the evening, Victoria and don Alejandro ate together in the dining room. Then they played some chess until Maria came to tell them that she was going home.
After about ten minutes, the door by the fireplace swung open, and Diego and Felipe stepped into the library.
Here they discussed with each other the plans for the coming day. Felipe and Diego gave a detailed report on how their trip had gone.
And Victoria and Alejandro told of things that happened and were going on in the pueblo.

Diego enjoyed his kind of minibreak.
At night, he slept, holding Victoria in his arms.
In the morning, well in time before the arrival of Maria, Diego sneaked into the cave, where not much later, Felipe joined him.
Daytime, got spent on catching up on six weeks of overdue correspondence and long rides on Toronado.

His father had lunged the animal daily during his absence. Still, that was different from riding, and Toronado yearned to get back into their familiar training rhythm.
The remaining time got spent on Felipe's studies, which had also been virtually at a standstill for the past few weeks.
And the further elaboration of his plan to do more with the food preservation in glass jars.
The idea was, to try to introduce it in the tavern and organize some dinners for the dons, to serve vegetables and fruits out of season.
It was a subject that would not arouse suspicion since it was the kind of invention in which don Diego would be more than averagely interested. For years, Diego had been trying to find ways to improve harvests.
The biggest problem was not getting the food but getting suitable glass jars. Diego had written to the glassblower who made their wine bottles, hoping he might be able to help. The man lived about thirty miles away.

Victoria and his father left Felipe and Diego alone most of the day. Although, yesterday afternoon, Victoria had slipped into the cave while telling Maria to go rest for siesta and did not wish to be disturbed.
Diego and Victoria first had a picnic together, after which they had watched Felipe lunge Toronado.
Last night it had been the last night of a full moon this month, and Zorro had done his nightly patrol.
Diego had decided that it was best he and Felipe would return in three days.

This morning his father, Felipe, and he had practised swordfighting. Over the past year, Alejandro was improving his skills quite a bit at his son's instruction. All three men had got pleasure from holding small tournaments among themselves.
To keep it somewhat fair, Diego fought left-handed.
Another advantage was that Zorro could further improve his technique and balance.
The three also regularly held two-on-one fights.

At that moment, Diego was writing a letter to a friend in France.
Muffled female voices penetrated the cave from the library.
Diego stood up to peek through the spy hole.

"Returns." He heard Victoria say.

"I'm sure it won't be long now, doña Victoria." spoke the housekeeper in a reassuring tone.

"You must be right, Maria. Don Alejandro says the same thing," responded Victoria sighing.

"And you need to start taking better care of yourself. Your face looks more tired by the day."
Startled, Victoria looked at the housekeeper dusting the piano and slammed the lid.
"You are starting to get circles under your eyes. I think you are worrying far too much. Don Diego may be a clumsy klutz, but he's also like a cat with nine lives and somehow always lands on his feet.
Don't ask me how he does it. That boy is a walking disaster in many ways. But he seems to be born for luck. And he has Felipe with him. He is not stupid either. Thrust me, Felipe has enough sense of direction to make up for don Diego's lack of it. Sorry, dõna Victoria, for saying so."

Victoria smiled a little wryly but said nothing else.

Maria had now made her way to the large cabinet and began to take off dust there out of Diego's sight.
"I merely hope it's not all a wasted effort. And that strange doctor can indeed do something for our poor Felipe. For years, we have hoped for a miracle. Personally, I have little faith in it." Continued Maria, meanwhile dusting.

Victoria defended her absent husband.
"Diego wouldn't make such a long, dangerous journey when he thinks there's no chance."

Maria shook her head pityingly. "Let's hope for the best. I lit a candle in church for it this week. Personally, I put more faith in that. Should it be the will of God, their journey will be successful." With the feather duster in her hand, Maria made a cross sign. "But I mean what I said. You need to think a little better of yourself and get some rest."

Smiling, Victoria rose to her feet. "I get your hint, Maria.
When don Alejandro asks, tell him I am in my room and do not wish to be disturbed. Could you arrange for me to have a bath at five o'clock?"

Maria gave a respectful nod. "Of course, dõna Victoria."

Diego grinned. Felipe was skirting Toronado.
"Are you managing on your own?" He asked.

Felipe nodded.

Swiftly, Diego left the cave at the back. He sneaked through the corral and the thick bushes behind it, down a barely visible path leading into the garden. The garden was deserted, and the bedroom window was open.
Diego quickly slipped in through the window and lay stretched out on his side on the bed as he watched the door open.

Victoria saw him, quickly closed the door behind her, and turned the key. Her eyes began to shine.
"What are you doing here? You said you'd be busy all day."

Diego stretched out his long body. "I heard you and Maria talking about having a bath."

Victoria grinned. "And then you thought, I hope Victoria wouldn't mind sharing hers?"

"Among other things."

Victoria came walking toward the bed. Rocking her hips. "So, did you also hear that she advised me to take more rest?"

Diego patted the mattress beside him.
"I wasn't planning on leaving this bed until five o'clock either."

Victoria placed a knee on the bed as Diego held out a hand to her.
"I don't think that's the kind of rest about which Maria was talking." Victoria let out a yelp as Diego turned onto his back, pulling her on top of him.

"She thought you were worrying too much about your husband." Diego slipped a hand under her skirts. "I intend to make you forget all your worries. Exactly as she instructed."

.

Three days later, while resting, there was a loud knock on the bedroom door, after which it flew open.
Victoria had been waiting for this moment.

Maria raised her voice to the point that everyone in a wide radius could hear her, and Victoria couldn't pretend to not have heard her. "Dõna Victoria, dõna Victoria, wake up, por favor!"

"What is it?" Answered Victoria sleepily.

"I am sorry to disturb you. But oh, wonderful news. Please, come quickly! Don Diego and Felipe have returned! And…, oh, no, I'm not going to say anything. You'll have to come and see for yourself."

Victoria rose to her feet. She realized why Maria was almost jumping out of her skin in excitement. Still, she said as calm as possible.
"Tell me, you make me curious."

Maria's hands were shaking so violently that she barely managed to help Victoria get dressed.

"Does it have to do with Felipe?" Asked Victoria curiously. "Can he speak?"

Maria's body language spoke volumes as she said. "I'm not saying anything. You should come and see for yourself."
Maria almost ran back to the library.

Victoria followed at a slightly slower pace.

In the library, she found don Alejandro as he continued fanatically padding Felipe on his shoulders, embracing the boy and utter. "I can't believe it."

Victoria waited at the door opening for Felipe to notice her. "Halo, Victoria." Felipe greeted her in a whisper.

Victoria ignored Diego, who spread his arms and pushed don Alejandro away to embrace Felipe first.
"Felipe," she stammered. "This is, this is great! I don't know what I'm hearing. You can speak. I could hear you." It cost her no effort to let tears run down her cheeks.
Victoria released Felipe, turned to Diego, and asked. "Did it work? Can he hear as well?"

Diego grinned widely and said. "Why don't you ask him yourself."

Alejandro couldn't find words to express his enthusiasm.

Victoria watched as Maria also continued to sob and occasionally mumble.
"It's a miracle. A miracle, I am telling you."

Alejandro cried. "This calls for a fiesta! Manuel, ride to the pueblo and tell Pilar I want to rent the entire tavern for tomorrow evening. The whole pueblo is invited!"

Diego started uttering. "Father, do you think it is wise…"

Alejandro pointed his finger at his son as if in a warning. "Si, I do. Felipe's hearing and speech are healed, and I want everyone to come and celebrate."

Every word the de la Vega's made was a play they had practiced a couple of times. And Diego was pleased by the excellent performance they all gave.

.

It was only at the annual Christmas ball the tavern got as packed as it was the following evening.
The drinks flowed abundantly. Alejandro had two barrels of wine transferred from his wine cellar to the tavern. Thanks to the help of Maria, the helpers and several women from the pueblo, they managed to prepare enough food to feed the numerous revellers. On the stage at the side, a small four men played cheerful tunes.

Felipe was only too glad that the de la Vegas had allowed him enough time to practice his speech. He would be even more grateful when the evening was over. He literally could not take two steps without someone insisting on shaking his hand, slapping him on the shoulder, and telling him how happy the person before him was for, after all these years, he had regained his hearing and speech. Some of these people apparently did believe he was hard of hearing because some were talking to him in a slow, loud tone. They meant well, and Felipe forgave each one wholeheartedly.
Diego had assured him that all this attention would diminish, little by little after this evening.
Felipe hoped his mentor was right.

Felipe saw how Diego had finally managed to claim Victoria for a dance.
She had opened the ball with Felipe. And then his father had preceded him, followed by several more dons.

Diego had had to tell time and time again just as Felipe had to tell the story of how it was that Felipe suddenly had his speech and hearing back.
The complicated explanation about centuries-old Japanese medicine, the means of stimulating nerve tracts that he set off, followed by some quotes from a book written by a European doctor in Latin, made everyone drop out after a few minutes.

Victoria had a happy smile on her face.
She looked enchanting in a pale yellow gown decorated with gold thread. It accentuated her lightly tanned skin and dark hair. Diamond earrings twinkled in her ears, more apparent because she had her hair up. A few curls had escaped from her hairstyle. Diego himself wore his dark blue suit and had the cufflinks Victoria had given him. Victoria spoke softly enough that only Diego could hear her.
"Do you know, tomorrow, will be exactly a year ago?"

"That day is etched in my memory." Diego lowered his voice a little further, leaning closer to her. Victoria felt his breath brush past her ear. "The night, in particular, I will never forget."

The disguised promise from his words sent a shiver down Victoria's spine.
"In the end, my impulse worked out pretty well, don't you think?" Victoria blinked her eyes, a mischievous smile playing around her lips.

Diego admitted. "Particularly well."
All bystanders seemed to disappear in a mist, and the two of them felt they were all alone dancing to the sounds of the music.
Diego's mouth was still close by her ear as he whispered. "Since that night, I consider myself the luckiest man ever lived."

Victoria's eyes grew moist. Since his return, Victoria had become a lot more emotional. She had assured him that came from the joy she felt. Father had confirmed this by telling Diego he remembered during Felicia's pregnancy, she had also been able to burst into tears at the slightest.

The rest of the evening flew by.
Victoria got asked to dance several more times. Since there were almost six times more men in the pueblo than women, there was a lack of female partners. It was a fate every married man had to endure, allowing his wife to dance with other men.
Victoria was now dancing with Rafael. A vaquero who worked at the de la Vega rancho for years.
Diego sat at a table where he was unnoticed by the sergeant questioning him. After his fourth glass of wine, the sergeant was getting an increasingly loose tongue.

When the dance was over, Victoria came to sit beside him, waving herself some coolness with a fan. "Phh, I feel like I have no feet left to dance on," she uttered.

"Let me get you something to drink. " Diego offered, getting up immediately.

"No, let me get it. Don Diego, you stay put." Gestured Mendoza, and he walked over to the bar.

Diego leaned toward Victoria, whispering to her. "Now my father is paying for it all, he offers to get us drinks."

Under the table, Victoria put her hand on his thigh. "It's the thought that counts.
Ah, gracias, Mendoza. I was in need of it." Spoke Victoria as Mendoza came walking up with a glass of wine and two glasses filled with juice.

The party lasted into the early hours.
On the way back from the pueblo to the hacienda, Victoria fell asleep on Diego's shoulder.

Alejandro sat on the bench across from the couple. "Diego, you are lucky to have found a woman like Victoria."

Diego looked at the lovely creature he held in his arm. "I know that. She was well worth all the waiting."

"In my opinion, it was rather the other way around, and you should be thankful she waited so long for you." Brought Alejandro to remind his son.

"Diego was also worth the wait." Mumbled Victoria with closed eyes.
Immediately after, she sat up straight and confessed with a mischievous grin. "It can pay to keep yourself asleep."

Alejandro cackled. "Son, I think Victoria may be the only woman to outwit you time and time again."

.

Victoria sat at the dressing table, getting ready for the night. Diego was already in bed, reading a book.
"By the way, Estaban told me some good news during the dance." Diego looked up. Victoria sat half turned toward him. "He received a letter from his brother. Francisco has been offered a job in the governor's office and decided to accept it."
She had pulled the last hairpin out of her hair.
"Estaban also told me that he didn't yet know what he will do. Go back to his father in Spain, to Monterey or stay in the pueblo. For now, he has decided to stay in Los Angeles for the time being."
Victoria saw how a little muscle next to Diego's mouth twitched in a grimace. Victoria had discovered, some time ago, that when this almost invisible muscle twitched, it meant something was bothering him. "I hope he will decide to stay. I think that will be in the best interest of the pueblo, don't you agree? Diego?"
Something had put Diego out of his mood.
"Don't you think that's good news? It means in Monterey there is a contact we can trust and has the best interests of the people of California at heart?" Victoria asked, surprised at Diego's cold response.

"We'll have to wait to find out what time will tell us." Growled Diego and put his book on the night stand as he noticed that Victoria was ready for bed. Invitingly, he snapped back the covers on her side of the bed.

"I suspect Pilar has something to do with Estaban's desire to stay here. What do you think? Have you seen them dance?"
Dressed only in her favourite garment, Victoria got into bed. She flattened her hand across his chest on his heart. She felt him relax.

Diego muttered. "I have seen you dance with him."

"I'd love to see the two of them getting together," she said.

"For all I care, he can leave for Monterey today. Or better yet, Madrid."

Victoria pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"Don't tell me you're jealous. They make such a cute couple." She remarked casually.

Through gritted teeth, Diego said. "A husband never likes it when an unmarried man kisses his wife's hand more than once and asks her to dance."

"More than once? Exaggeration is a skill, I guess. You make it sound like Estaban kisses me all the time. It happened only twice."
Victoria got the pillow behind her back and slapped it, fluffing it.

The tiny muscle at the corner of his mouth began to twitch again.

Victoria laughed, placing the pillow the way she liked it, bowing her head toward Diego's.
"So what. Why, on earth, would I be interested in a man like Estaban when I have you?
Foremost, he's absolutely not interested in me.
Second, he doesn't have blue eyes that can see right into my soul. My heartbeat doesn't quicken at the sound of his voice..."
Victoria took Diego's bottom lip between her lips and nibbled on it.
She stared into his eyes, which glared at her, full of love.
"When Estaban kissed my hand, I felt absolutely nothing. When you kiss my hand...,"

Diego grabbed her wrist, brought her hand to his mouth, and turned her palm upward. And as he continued to look at her piercingly, he whispered. "Go on. If I kiss your hand then..." Diego used his tongue to trace over the blue line shimmering through her skin. His lips glided over the sensitive part on the inside of her hand.

Her breath caught, and Victoria stammered. "Then... you make my toes curl."

"And what happens if I do this?"

Diego cupped her head and planted a kiss on the dimple on her neck.
In thrilling torture, Diego let his tongue slide to the skin behind her ear, took the earlobe between his teeth, and bit tenderly.
"Tell me, what then." He asked her.

"If you..., do that... then..."

"What then...?" With his fingers, Diego was now stroking featherlight down her spine.

Groaning, Victoria moaned... "Then my whole body shivers."

Diego continued to caress her, Victoria being like wax in his hands. She was melting for his touches. "Diego."

His mouth followed the trail of his fingers. First, Victoria felt his rough fingertips, followed by soft lips. It drove her crazy.
"Die-e-go." She uttered his name in sighs of excitement.

His fingers touched her between the folds of her most sensitive area.
Victoria rocked her hips and moaned his name again as his fingertips caressed just beside the little button begging for his attention.

After almost a year of marriage, Diego still found it exhilarating to watch his wife as she responded to his touches.
He took a nipple into his mouth and began kissing it at the same pace as he moved two fingers into her vagina.

Victoria was going crazy. Diego knew exactly the kind of touches that drove her wild with desire.
She felt his hand massage one butt cheek.
She felt how wet she had become and how Diego smeared the moisture between her vulva.
Victoria moaned again. "I love you," and kissed his shoulder blade. Her arms squirmed between his and her body. Encircled his erect manhood and began stroking it.

"Patience, my feisty one." Diego hissed.

Victoria had no patience. She wanted Diego to stop teasing her.

Diego did it deftly so that Victoria was lying on her side, like a spoon against him, before she had noticed what he tried to do.
His fingers searching for the entrance to her vagina, Victoria tilted her pelvis. He slid in, in one smooth motion. The sensation was so pleasurable, that a moan eluded her throat.
Diego wrapped his right leg around her knees. It limited Victoria in her movements to take Diego deeper inside her. She could scarcely move her hips. What she could do was tense her internal muscles around his manhood.

Diego growled. "You minx." And he buried his face in the silky hair.

He shifted his leg and pushed Victoria's legs apart. Like a rose, she unfolded before him.
Diego let the hand wrapped around her waist slide down her body. Victoria seized his wrist and pushed his hand to the curls between her legs.
This time he didn't make teasing circles around her clit. At the first touch, Victoria was moaning his name. "Diego."
Victoria tightened her vagina as much as she could.

"You... are... so... hot." Murmured Diego a word with each thrust. "I..love...you..."
Victoria turned her head as far as she could in his direction. She was hungry for his kiss and wanted to feel his body underneath her palms. Diego stuttering. "So... much..."

She made an awkward move to stretch out her free arm to embrace Diego's neck and direct his head toward her.
Diego kissed, licked and sucked at her neck. Victoria shuddered with pleasure and excitement.
He continued to move within her, meanwhile stroking her nerve centre.
Wave after wave of pleasure engulfed Victoria.

Suddenly everything came together at precisely the right moment. Diego was thrusting into her in the exact right place. Her muscles contracted, and his fingers pressed with the right amount of pressure.
Every muscle in her body seemed to contract. "Die eeeeh goooh…oh, ooh, OOhOOHhh oooh." she squeaked.

For a moment, Diego stopped moving. Victoria took a shaking breath. As she exhaled, he hit her innermost flesh again. With a trembling sigh, Victoria thrust her buttocks back against his groin.
Diego continued to stroke her clit, her breathing quickened, and just as she closed her eyes to get engulfed in a new set of waves, she felt that Diego was no longer in command of his movements either.
Victoria squirmed her body, crying out his name as Diego reached his climax.

.

"Don't move," Diego said, savouring the afterglow of their lovemaking.
His eyes searched for hers in the mirror of the dressing table, which he had positioned so they could make eye contact with each other while lying in bed like this.

Victoria's throat was a little sore.
"Diego, I love you. There's no reason for you to be jealous. I thought you were aware of that."

"Of course, I'm jealous. I'm jealous of every man you smile at."

Victoria wanted to say something until she saw the mischievous grin on Diego's face.

"I know there's no reason for it. I do however envy any man to whom you pay attention."

Victoria sat up straight, covered her upper body with a part of the sheet, and gazed at him in bewilderment. "Do you mean to say that...?"
His eyes twinkled teasingly. Victoria reached for her pillow and began pounding on his chest with it. "You wicked, dirty, lying bastard!"

Diego pulled the pillow from her hands, threw it next to the bed, and pressed Victoria backward against the mattress.
"You remember that you married the fox, don't you?" Diego struggled to hold back his laughter.
"The temptation to seduce you under false pretences was too strong.'

Quasi angrily, Victoria said. "Mmm, you don't say. I guess I'm the one who should be angry now. You took advantage of the situation."

Victoria snuggled closer to him again. During their playful struggle, the sheet had slipped off him and lay in a shapeless heap on the floor.

Diego was ready to admit it. "I couldn't agree more."

"So what, señor, do you have to say for yourself?" Victoria muttered harshly.

"That I'm sorry?" Diego bent down to kiss her until both were gasping for air. "And I hope you can forgive me."

Softly panting, Victoria licked her lips. She glared at Diego playfully before saying. "Sorry isn't good enough."

"Then allow me to make it up to you." He bent forward to claim her lips again.

Victoria put her hand in front of his mouth and held him at a distance.
'You'll have to think of something better than a kiss. How had you, señor, thought to do this?'

"Allow me some sleep, and I'm sure, in the morning I have thought of something that will meet your approval."

Victoria giggled, looking forwards to the prospect of his promise.

.

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