Chapter 4

After the mass in church, Victoria hurried back to the tavern to welcome her guests. She had hired two more girls, both about fifteen years old, for extra help for tonight. Experience had taught Victoria how to tackle things, and the evening ran like clockwork. So good, Victoria began to relax a bit. And she had time to glare at the corridor every few minutes to see if there was any movement. Surely it wouldn't be long now before Zorro would appear. As she walked past, Victoria glimpsed at the mirror to see whether she still looked her best.

"Señorita Escalante, may I have the honour of having this dance with you?"

Victoria turned and saw that don Diego was the one asking her to dance. As a precaution, she let her eyes glide over the corridor one more time. But Victoria didn't detect any movement or dark shadow. So she smiled and willingly stepped forward towards the tall caballero. "But of course, don Diego."

It would give her some distraction for now, as the minutes before Zorro appeared seemed to last forever.

The many qualities Diego de la Vega did not possess were countless. But dancing was not one of them. Given his stature, he danced surprisingly gracefully. And Victoria almost floated across the dance floor, placing one hand in his and the other resting on his shoulder. Her feet barely touched the ground.
Diego was a closed man who rarely allowed anyone to get a sense of his exact thoughts. Victoria had never paid attention to it before, but now she wondered what Diego was thinking. What were his reasons for adopting the safest and most wait-and-see attitude? Never for a moment to lose his self-control.
Diego's thoughts would probably not be silent, as Corporal Sulpevelda was. No, Diego thought about everything before saying anything.
And he knew when it might be better not to say anything. Calm waters run deep, was something her mother had often said.

Would she dare? Before making eye contact, she made sure one more time, all was quiet in the corridor. After Victoria had checked, she asked.
"Don Diego, what do you think of the party?"

"It's perfect, Victoria. Everything is well taken care of. Down to the last detail. And all the food taste delicious."

Handily, Diego dodged sergeant Mendoza, who had persuaded Pilar to dance with him. Victoria didn't even have to try to make eye contact with the poor woman to know that Pilar regretted giving in to the sergeant's offer. The expression on her face was telling and painful. Victoria suspected Mendoza wasn't performing all the dance steps properly, leaving his dancing partner with sore toes.

Diego turned to the left and mentioned. "Looks like sergeant Mendoza could use a dance lesson or two."

Victoria giggled. "Poor Pilar. I had myself persuaded last year. That was a mistake I will not make again. Every three steps, Mendoza was standing on my toes, and we were constantly bumping into people."

"He's doing his best." Diego defended his friend.

"Yes, but I like to be able to walk tomorrow. Diego, you dance excellently."

Diego seemed uneasy at the compliment she was making to him.
"Thanks to my dance teacher at the university. He believed dancing was the most important skill a man should master."

Once again, Diego spun her around unexpectedly. Victoria was sure that her feet got lifted briefly off the ground. When she looked over her shoulder, she just saw Pilar wincing with a sore face and Mendoza appearing to be apologizing. Apparently, Diego had narrowly avoided a collision.

Since Diego was almost a foot taller than she was, Victoria had to tilt her head back to face her dance partner. It was only now that she was so close to him that she noticed how tall the man was. His shoulder also felt surprisingly muscular. Her curiosity no longer could be tamed, and she was curious to find out what Diego's thoughts were at the moment.

His voice interrupted her thoughts. "A centavo for your thoughts." Diego nodded up. "I notice you keep looking at the corridor. Are you expecting more visitors?"

"Uh, maybe. You know, in previous years, Zorro has come to wish us a Feliz Navidad."

"Indeed he did. And you think he is coming this evening?" A feeling of regret made its way up from his stomach. Of course, Victoria thought of Zorro. How could he have hoped she would pay any attention to the most ordinary man she knew?
Diego skilfully manoeuvred around a dancing couple who paid more attention to each other than to the people on the dance floor.

Victoria shrugs shyly. "I hope so." A sigh escaped her. "And a part of me does not."

Diego lifted his eyebrow in the hope to get an explanation. "What do you mean?"

"For myself and the people, I hope Zorro comes along. But by wishing us a merry Christmas, he is needlessly endangering his life.
I also hope Zorro can also be at his home for Christmas, where ever that may be. With his family and people who care about him."

Diego couldn't help it. He had already forgiven her. How could he not after such a sincere confession?

"You think Zorro has a family?" He asked casually.

It was, with a pedantic tone in her voice, Victoria answered the question. "Diego, everyone has a family, including Zorro. And I pray he can be near them this time of year."

Diego, however, seemed more interested in the dance couple behind her. Don Carlos was dancing with Sophia del Camero.

Victoria licked her lips and was thinking hard about how to get back Diego's attention. And to get him to make eye contact with her. "Diego?" His name rolled down her tongue.

That helped because his gaze slid across her face. The next second, a pair of ice-blue eyes burned directly into her soul. All of a sudden, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. The music stopped, and the surrounding people dissolved into a suddenly rising fog.
His blue eyes had caught hers and refused to let go.
Victoria no longer blinks, move or think.

She is so beautiful. I love her.

Victoria was shocked. Diego had looked at señorita Sophia just before. Was she the woman who had touched his heart? Was that the reason Diego had never made any overtures? The girl was only sixteen years old. She was pretty, lovely, and very charming, but also on the young side.
The age difference wouldn't matter if the love was mutual. Surely, Diego was willing to wait until she was old enough to be courted. Diego was an attractive match, and the age difference between man and woman was often several years. Victoria felt a sharp twitch in her heart. Why it was there, she could not tell. It almost felt like some strange kind of jealousy. Which was nonsense. She loved Zorro! And Diego meant nothing special to her.

.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone, de Soto had been digging a narrow trench in the sand. On the outskirts of the pueblo under the entrance gate.
It was Christmas Eve. Everyone was in the tavern. The drink flowed freely, and De Soto was convinced of one thing.

That self-righteous, flamboyant brush, the annoying excuse of a criminal, was sure to show itself. As was customary for the obnoxious know-it-all, he would like to make the best possible impression. His horse would appear out of nowhere. The show-off would humiliate the lancers. Receive the applause and cheers of the mob with enthusiasm. And finally galloping out of the pueblo, on that black ass of his. At a fast pace through the entrance gate.

Not this time. Even if de Soto had to wait all night, it would be worth it.

De Soto tied a rope to one side of the gate and ran it through the newly dug trench to the other side of the gate. He covered it in the sand with his boots and took a seat behind one of the thick pillars. All de Soto had to do now was wait for a loud noise to come from the tavern. Then he would count down the seconds until he heard galloping horse hooves and tensioned the rope.

The chance of success was a hundred per cent. It was a moonless night, and De Soto was almost invisible in his dark grey suit.
He had never been a patient man, but tonight he would wait, wait and wait for his moment of triumph and victory to arrive.

.

Victoria had seen Sophia was very much in love with don Carlos. And Victoria felt it was mutual. Relief was raised in Victoria. The stab she had felt must have been sorrow. Of course, it pained her. Diego was her best friend, and she hoped for him to marry out of love. Poor, poor Diego. Poor don Alejandro, he would love nothing more than to see his only son happily married, just as she did.

How I wish I could make this moment last forever. Hold you in my arms forever. I wish I could tell you my secret.
Not a day goes by that I don't pray for it to end. That the moment finally has arrived for me to tell you the truth about whom I am.
My soul, mind, body, and heart all are yours, querida, and yours alone.
Time stood still. No one moved or made a sound as Victoria listened in amazement to the words Diego wasn't saying.
You are my other half. Oh, if only you could understand. You love Zorro. I'm Zorro. As long as I can't reveal to you my secret, you'll never see me for who I am. Do you love the man or the legend? Will there ever come a day when you love the ordinary man? I hope so. Oh, God almighty, I hope so.

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