Chapter 6

Victoria barely managed to hold the reins. Her hands were trembeling wild. It was a good thing her horse was such a tame animal. The ride to the hacienda seemed to take ten times longer than usual. Some doubts set in for a moment. Her suspicions had been correct.
Victoria reined in her horse and closed her eyes. An image suddenly appeared before her eyes that she had ignored in her mind for years. Two men share the same powerful jawline. They shared the same grin, the same posture, and the same neatly trimmed moustache. It proved not to be a false hope for something that could never be true.
In the distance, the hacienda was in sight. Victoria took a deep breath, anxious for what was to come in the upcoming hours. With a gentle tug on the reins, she was on her way again.

Victoria lifted the polished brass knocker that slammed onto the solid oak door. Ears pricked, she listened for footsteps approaching.
The front door swung open. "Victoria, Feliz navidad." The old de la Vega man greeted her.

"Feliz Navidad, Don Alejandro." Victoria smiled with nerves.

Don Alejandro took her hand and raised it to his lips to place a kiss on it. "Would you allow me to say you look lovelier than ever?"

"Thank you, don Alejandro." Victoria played with the ends of her shawl.

The man spread his arm and invited her in.
"Allow me." Alejandro offered her, standing behind her and holding his hands, so Victoria could hand him her shawl. "How are you? Are you feeling better after yesterday? You gave us quite a scare. "

"Yes, don Alejandro, thank you for asking. I think I was just a bit tired."

By now, they had walked to the library, and Alejandro offered her a chair. "It is a busy time. And, if you ask me, you work way too hard. I think, in the pueblo, you are always the first one up and the last one down."

Victoria sat down and smiled at the man who always was concerned for her welfare. "I never mind working hard. I love working in the tavern. Yesterday..., it was just the last day of a busy week."

"Well, I hope you do not forget to take care of yourself just as well as you do for your customers." The old don told her in a parental way. "Let me get you a drink and see where that son of mine and Felipe are. He must have forgotten the time again, having his nose in some book no one else cares to read."
Victoria laughed and fiddled with her hands a bit.
"By the way, Diego had some troubles of his own on our way back to the hacienda."
Immediately, fear raised in Victoria, her heart. "O, nothing to worry over. He fell off his horse again. Although this time, it wasn't thanks to his stupidity. It was de Soto and his stupid plan. Diego is just fine. Let me get him, and he can tell you himself."
Alejandro walked away in the direction of the family wing while calling for his son. "Diego, Diego!"

Victoria hadn't noticed she was holding her breath. Is this what was going to happen from now on. Every time someone mentioned his name, all she could do was make a silent pray no harm had come upon him?
She had done it by hearing Zorro, his name, for years. Every time one of the lancers had mentioned the masked outlaw, she had peered her ears, listening for every tiny bit of information.
Victoria surveyed the library looking at it with new eyes. She was searching for clues to something. She heard footsteps approaching and looked up.

Don Alejandro came back in, followed by Felipe. "I'm sorry, Victoria. Felipe just told me Diego is resting. The poor boy slept terribly this night. He still has some pain in his back after last night's fall. De Soto thought it would be a clever idea to stretch a rope at the gate to throw Zorro out of the saddle. I assume he thought Zorro would visit your tavern to wish us all a Merry Christmas."
Alejandro sighed. "Luckily, our fox didn't show up yesterday. Unfortunately, Diego fell victim to de Soto's insane trap."

"How is Diego?" Victoria hoped the tremor in her voice didn't catch on.

"I told you already." Alejandro raised his eyebrow, surprised by the tone of concern in the woman in her voice. "He'll be all right. Diego did take a hard fall. It was nothing that could not be taken care of by taking it easy for a few days. And my guess is he doesn't mind taking advantage of his fall by staying indoors and reading a few days longer than needed." Alejandro took a seat on the sofa opposite her chair. After a deep sigh, the don uttered. "Sometimes, I wish he took a bit more after his mother or me. I don't know from which part of the family he gets it."

Victoria's attention got caught by Felipe. He stood, unobtrusively, behind the sofa the don was sitting on. Something told Victoria that he disagreed with Alejandro's account.
Victoria also saw how Felipe glared into the fire, looking at it as if he hoped to see something invisible. She wished she still could hear what the boy was thinking at the very moment like she had heard yesterday.
Felipe had thought to warn Diego because de Soto was up to something. What did this mean? Could it be Felipe knew Diego was Zorro? Could it be the boy no one ever seems to notice was helping Diego, and by that helping Zorro?

After about an hour, Alejandro asked Felipe to look again at what was taking Diego so long. Victoria started wondering whether don Alejandro was aware of his son having a second identity. Why would Diego keep such a secret from his father? The men often disagreed, si. But when it came down to it, there was nothing the one wouldn't do for the other. There was a close bond between the men.
Nevertheless, Victoria started increasingly suspecting that she was right. Don Alejandro admired the hero and was as unaware as she had been about the man was his son.
And, realized Victoria didn't ask Diego herself to protect his father and not remind don Alejandro, how he once showed up in the pueblo dressed as Zorro. How he, by dumb luck, caught the Escaban brothers. Shortly followed by making a narrow escape from the gallows. Thanks to Zorro. Diego, feeling too upset by the idea of his father being a notorious outlaw.
Had Alejandro known who Zorro was, Diego could simply ask his father, only to talk about it as if it was a big joke. No, Diego had kindly requested her to maintain secrecy. And he had insisted that she announce in the pueblo don Alejandro should not be reminded of his strange behaviour. Out of fear of embarrassment. What a cunning trick. And she blindly felt for it.

"Victoria," A voice woke her from her thoughts.
Don Diego walked into the library. Elegantly dressed as always.

"So, son, did you think it was finally time to mingle with your family and guest. How's your back?"

"Much better, thank you, father."

Victoria tried to determine whether Diego was injured by a fall of a horse or something even more serious going on. "Your father told me you had been thrown out of the saddle by a wicked trick by de Soto."

Diego spread his hands apologetically. "De Soto planned to catch the fox."

Alejandro stood next to his son, slapped him on the shoulder and joked. "And to his disappointment, he caught a frightened chicken."
Diego cringed. Don Alejandro looked at Victoria and didn't see his son was in pain.
"Let us go to the dinner table. Maria will never forgive either of us if her souffle collapses."

The food was delicious. Maria had outdone herself. For dessert, Maria had made a flan, Diego's favourite. Victoria patted her mouth with a napkin, picked up her fan to unfold it, and pretended she needed some coolness. Hoping Diego would noticed she was using the fan Zorro gave to her.

Don Alejandro noticed the beautiful piece and said. "Victoria, what a beautiful fan you have there. It reminds me a bit of Brussels lace."
Victoria looked at him questioningly.
"Brussels is a city in the northern part of Europe. The city is famous for its lace. It is made mostly by women according to complicated methods. Many kings and queens only want Brussels lace to decorate their clothes."

"Gosh, I didn't know that," Victoria uttered.

Don Alejandro continued. "The mantilla Felicia wore when we got married was made of this lace. Diego can probably tell you more about the subject. He is more into fashion than I am."

Victoria glared at the man sitting across from her at the table.

Diego shifted awkwardly in his chair, clearing his throat. "I would never dare to call myself an expert in that field. Brussels is indeed known for its lace. And there are more cities in that part of Europe, Chantilly, for example. Every city has its own technique and secrets. Producing lace is all time-consuming and therefore expensive. And popular for centuries among the nobility and at the various European courts."

Don Alejandro had long dropped out, listening to his son, but Victoria absorbed all the information. The old man got bored and changed the subject.
"You know, Diego, instead of reading books filled with this kind of nonsense, you could spend your time looking for a wife. I know you're waiting for the perfect woman, as you told me. But women like that don't grow on trees, you know. Sorry, Victoria. Forgive an old man who would love to see his only son and heir happily married." The smile on don Alejandro's face grew wider. As Diego started to look displeased.
"Oh, you know what you should do? Take a trip to Monterey. Perhaps you can have an audience with the governor. My bones are too old to make such a journey, and someone in the pueblo must keep an eye on what de Soto is doing. We can't leave everything to Zorro."

"Father, I don't think it is such a good..."

"Nonsense, Diego, It is an excellent idea. Victoria, don't you agree?"

"It probably wouldn't hurt to…"

"See, that is settled. Diego, you are going to Monterey in the new year. There are many more handsome young señoritas there than there are in Los Angeles. I bet you'll find the perfect future de la Vega doña in Monterey in no time."
Don Alejandro grew more and more enthusiastic, and by the look on his face, Diego wanted to sink into the ground deeper and deeper.

"Father, we have a visitor. Do you think this is the right time to discuss this matter?"

Alejandro determined to have his way. Looking forward to seeing his unborn grandchildren, ignored the objections his son tried to make. "Victoria is a good friend of our family. We have no secrets from her. And I just got an even more brilliant idea. I will write a letter to give to my good friend Don Victor. Ask him to invite you to stay at his hacienda. He can introduce you to the highest circles of Monterey. His recommendation and our good name will open many doors. And have I ever told you about his daughters? When I remember correctly, he has four. The eldest is, to my knowledge, already married. And I guess the youngest is about fifteen years old. So probably a little on the young for your liking. But it is said they all are beautiful young ladies. And all will all be worthy of the name de la Vega."

"Father, can we discuss this some other time? It's Christmas, and we should entertain our guest. And as I told you before. I hope to marry out of love."
Diego got up from his chair, and Felipe followed.

Alejandro mentioned offended. "And I told you, to find, you first need to search."

Victoria felt relieved that Diego was so eager to change the topic of conversation.

"Again, father. Let us entertain Victoria. I have received a new music piece from Europe I hoped to play." Diego helped her get up, offering Victoria his arm, and they walked to the library together. Alejandro followed in silence.

Diego took a seat behind the grand piano and played the piece.
After this one, he played a few more melodies, and slowly it became time for Victoria to return to the tavern.
During Diego's piano playing, Victoria had had more time to think quietly. And ask and answer herself questions she never allowed in her mind before.
And the answer to all her questions was love.
She no longer needed a potion to understand Diego and his motives.

He put everything aside, denied his deepest feelings for her out of love. Because he knew it was the only way to protect everyone he loved. And simultaneously fight against the injustice, tyranny and domination in the territory. Something he had to do and stand up against because that was the kind of man he was.

Victoria swallowed her tears away. Tonight, she sensed his thoughts just by looking at the mysterious, wonderful man playing the piano.

Victoria cried herself to sleep that night. She had made a discovery she wished she had been able to see sooner. And the same time, she wished she hadn't found out. From now on, she had to guard a secret to keep her loved one safe.
Diego loved her, and he would wait and fight for her until he could safely declare his love to her.
And she would wait for him. A month, a year, an eternity? As long as was needed. And until that moment came, no mask could ever fool her again.

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