Chapter 5

Victoria returned to the hacienda.
She handed Esperanza to Juan. The old groomsman gave her a strange look but said nothing.
In the privacy of her room, Victoria saw in the mirror a woman she barely recognized and looked haggard. Doña Felicidad's clothes got ruined forever after she had worn them one day. Red on her cheeks, Victoria realized she'd stolen her best friend's horse. Well, not stolen, borrowed. Don Diego would surely understand why she'd done it.

What she didn't understand about herself was why it had felt more than pleasant when Diego had tried to comfort her. She'd felt things that had nothing to do with friendship. And Victoria couldn't possibly dismiss them as sisterly feelings either. What she had felt there, Victoria refused to give a name. For the first few seconds, nothing had happened. It had gone wrong when she felt a comforting hand caress her back. The sympathetic, innocent gesture had stirred up emotions in her that she couldn't and refused to name.

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Diego had watched Victoria vanish from view on his horse. He knew Victoria was startled by something. He also knew what it had caused. Diego had also felt the physical tension between the two of them. He wanted to comfort her. That had gone wrong. Diego had no choice but to follow her as quickly as possible in the carriage. That would have worked if it had not been for his father. The man had noticed something happening between the bank employee and Victoria in the distance. He came to his son to inquire what the man had wanted.

Diego quickly told what don Miguel had said, and the steam of anger came out of Don Alejandro's ears. The don's face turned a dark deep colour purple. His father grumbled, his jaw clenched. "How dares he? The tavern has always been creditworthy. They were never short of a centavo. And when the going gets tough, they're rushing on Victoria like a couple of hungry vultures."

Diego tried to calm down his father, mainly because the interest of the bystanders had not diminished. As was often the case with his father, Diego's well-intentioned efforts eventually passed the man, and Alejandro kept on shouting.

"Diego, tomorrow you and I will travel to Santa Paula. We're going to close our bank account there! And I will advise all my friends to do the same. How dare they treat poor Victoria in such a way after she just lost everything! It is an outrage!"
The tirade continued for some time before Diego managed to calm his father enough for the men to head back to the hacienda.

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Over dinner, the don's anger flared up again when Alejandro announced his plans for the next day to Victoria.

Victoria responded right away by saying. "Don Alejandro, I appreciate what you want to do, but I don't think that is necessary."

Alejandro reacted fiercely again. "It is necessary! The bank has earned more than enough money from you for years. They can at least understand the situation and try to minimize the damage for both themselves and you."

"They do," muttered Victoria.

"Only for themself, yes. They are determined to ruin one of their most reliable customers. Only because of a little setback." With every word, Don Alejandro's voice grew louder. "Victoria, you can't pursue me otherwise. My decision is final.
I'll take my accounts to the bank in San Diego. That's barely a few hours' rides further. I want nothing to do with those vultures in Santa Paula ever again. And Victoria whether you like or not, I pay those three thousand pesos."

Naturally, Victoria objected. The don ignored her arguments.

"I have nothing to do with that. You are almost like family, and family helps you in times of need. Think of it as a birthday present or something." Alejandro now turned his attention to his son, who had been remarkably quiet.
Ever since childhood, Diego had become wiser as trying to argue with his father when the man was in such a state. "Diego, go pack your things. You are coming with me. We leave tomorrow at first daylight. So don't you dare oversleep."
The old don stepped out of the library, snorting.

Diego looked at Victoria apologetically. "I told you he'd insist on helping you."

"And you approve? I don't mind getting help. The entire pueblo is trying to help me. But nearly three and a half thousand pesos? It's a small fortune! How do I ever repay him? And when I can, the tavern still needs to be rebuilt." Victoria spoke softly and felt relieved there was a wide table between them. It provided enough distance. The hint of tension that had been there in the afternoon was gone. Diego was his distant self again. "Any idea on how much that will cost? I am not even mentioning the new furniture and other materials I shall need to buy."

"Victoria, please accept our help." Diego insisted.

"How can I do that? It's not like you're helping me by pouring a barrel of wine or anything. If your father wants to lend me money for rebuilding the tavern, we are talking about perhaps more than ten thousand pesos. I am already in your depth by staying at the hacienda and at least have a roof over my head.
You all are so good to me. Maria is busy all day adjusting clothes. Your father, Felipe, you. How can I ever show how grateful I am after so much goodness? And then you also expect me to accept a loan? It is just too much."
Victoria stared at him wide-eyed.

Don Diego was always a gentleman. Nothing ever seemed to upset him. Sometimes she would like to shake him up and scream. Even right now, he smiled politely and distantly. "Simply, by accepting our friendship and help. As you said, my father is talking about a loan, so you don't just get the money. And…," He paused for a moment. "I think he would appreciate it if you are willing to bake us a flan? You know how much we all love your cooking."
Diego's heart skipped a beat. The reward for his words was her brightest smile.

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The next day, the men had been on their way to Santa Paula for nearly three hours before Victoria awoke.
Maria had altered a simple dress from one of the two chests.
Victoria washed, dressed, and walked into the dining room.

Maria came over with a pot of fresh coffee and a leather pouch.
"I found this one by the back door this morning. I assume it is for you." Pointing to the Z scratched into the pouch.
The clatter and weight made it clear that there was money in it.
"I didn't open it. I wanted to tell you sooner, but don Diego told me not to disturb you until you were awake."

Victoria knew right away that this was all her savings, nearly a thousand pesos.
With trembling hands, Victoria untied the frayed rope. There was a piece of parchment in it.
Victoria unfolded it. In clear handwriting was written,

My dear Victoria,
I wish to be by your side be of more support in this difficult time. Here is the money I was able to find in the tavern.
In thoughts, I am with you.
Love, Z.

Victoria stared at the little note whose letters began to dance before her eyes. How had Zorro done this? Had he entered the tavern during the fire? Highly unlikely. He would have told her, wouldn't he? And she hoped it was not. The flames had rapidly spread wildly. Horrified, she remembered the moment don Diego had managed to get her out of danger just in time for her to enter the building. Had he come slightly later, she wouldn't be standing here today. The lancers and dozens of people had worked hard to try and get the fire out.
Had Zorro gone searching for the money once the flames had gone out and the danger of collapse still was huge?
Victoria knew don Alejandro had ordered his vaqueros to watch the tavern as long as there was the chance of valuables hidden in the pile of briskets. None of the men had reported seeing Zorro. Victoria knew one thing for sure. Once again, Zorro had risked his life for her benefit.

Victoria used the morning to write letters to her brother,s informing them of what had happened. She had made it clear that there was nothing wrong with her and that a second letter would soon follow with more news about how to proceed. After this, Victoria went into the kitchen and asked Maria if she could bake a flan to thank the men for their generosity.
It was nothing compared to what they did for her, but Victoria didn't know how else to thank the men for all the help and hospitality.
Being busy in the large kitchen gave her enough distraction from all the worries that had kept her awake at night.

Felipe happened to walk into the kitchen just in time to lick the bowl empty.
Victoria had to laugh. How often had she and her brothers been on the lookout to snack on the leftovers of cream, batter, or dough when her mother made something sweet? Almost daily had there been something drawing the children to the kitchen like a bunch of greedy flies.

By the time Victoria had finished the flan, it was past noon. Victoria decided to take a look at the pueblo. She was curious how the work was progressing to clear up the remains. She also hoped to search among the remains once more for things that had survived the fire. A specific object, in particular, was of the utmost importance to be found. She walked to the stable but did not see Sophia, her mare, anywhere.

Juan, the old groomsman, came limping. He walked with a bent back and had O-shaped legs.
The man had been working on the rancho for as long as Victoria could remember. And Juan had even served don Alejandro's father. She knew that don Alejandro had offered several times o the man to retire. And Juan was allowed to enjoy his old age in a small house on the edge of the large rancho. The man simply refused, saying he was not old yet and perfectly capable of working. These days he didn't do much other than light chores in the stables. Juan spent most of the time napping while sitting on a chair.
Don Diego had remarked during their many small chats in the tavern he suspected Juan stayed at the rancho mainly because he didn't want to be alone.

"Señorita Victoria, are you searching for your mare? We have put it in the corral. She could use some exercise. Don Diego told me to saddle Athena should you want to go for a ride." Juan muttered a little gruffly.

Victoria said. "That's very kind of him. I would like to go to the pueblo, but I like to go on my mare."

"Yes, I understand. It's a nice animal. Not like any of the de la Vega mares, but she is not bad. If you can wait a minute, I fetch and saddle her."

Half an hour later, Victoria was on her way to the pueblo. When she got there, it was still difficult for her to see the remains of the tavern. Yesterday the walls got pulled down. All it was was a gigantic pile of rubble at the side of the plaza.

Victoria again began to search for anything she could find.
Zorro had found her money, but not the ring she kept on her dressing table. She clambered over the stones in the corner where her bedroom had once been. No matter how much Victoria searched, she couldn't find the jewel decorated with diamonds and a large emerald. She did find the remains of what had once been a black mask. It was barely recognizable. Victoria stuffed it into her pocket. She refused to give up hope on finding the ring. The mountain was at least four feet high. The ring could be anywhere. Any chunk of debris she lifted could reveal it. For now, it was untraceable. Zorro had managed to find her money. Could he have also found the ring? The next time she saw him, she would ask.

The alcalde came along and reported that they had found her cash drawer containing nearly sixty pesos.
Furthermore, more crockery got found, mostly intact, and some bedpans. Several women had struggled to get the charred pans clean.
When Victoria looked at all this stuff, tears welled up in her eyes again.

She asked everyone she saw if they had found any jewellery, her father's cufflinks and her mother's gold ring.
Victoria gave as little detail as possible. There hadn't been that many golden rings in the tavern. Only one, and it hadn't belonged to her mother, but nobody needed to know that detail.

During the siesta, the work stopped. Victoria continued to search, helped by some children.
She found a half-burnt book that had become unreadable by the water. And she was happy with one thing she did find back. They were remnants of what had once been her silver hand mirror. The mirror had changed into a twisted, partly molten piece of metal. Due to the broken glass, the object was no longer recognizable as a mirror. The mirror had always been dear to her. It had been given to her by her parents on her twelfth birthday. It felt nice to find something that has sentimental value.

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After another two hours of searching, during she found nothing of note, she heard horses approaching. Victoria scanned the plaza and saw don Alejandro and don Diego riding up.

Don Diego got off first and came to stand next to her. "Did you find anything?"

Victoria shook her head sadly. "Just some crockery and bedpans that survived the fire. I hope to find my mother's ring and my father's cufflinks. They were in my dressing table but so far, no result." She swallowed some tears and went on. "The only thing I value I'd find is this."

She showed Diego the remains of the hand mirror.
"It was a gift from my parents."

"How dreadful it is broken." Diego was also clearly shaken. He seemed to hesitate to hug her or something. And for some reason, Victoria hoped he would. Immediately thinking, it was better not. The sensation Diego had stirred in her yesterday still disturbed her.
At the same time, it would be nice to suck in all of the physical strength Diego was willing to share.

Diego coughed and changed back to his old self, standing beside her like a wooden figure. His arms clenched tightly against his body. Victoria wanted to scream, just hold me for a second. Instead, she stared at the broken mirror in her hand, clamped her fingers around it and swallowed her words.

Moments passed that felt like an eternity before Diego began to speak again. "We do have good news." the don smiled encouragingly.

"As soon as they heard at the bank that my father wanted to close his accounts, the owner quickly changed his tone. You do not have to pay off your mortgage for the next six months, and your interest gets halved during those months."

Wearily Victoria brushed a strand of loose hair from her face and tried to smile. She failed miserably.
"That's good to hear. I doubt it is going to help, though. I also have some good news Zorro has found my savings. It is a little over a thousand pesos."

On Diego's face appeared a smile. "That is nice indeed. You see, in time all will turn out fine."

"It is something but not nearly enough to rebuild the tavern. And the bank is certainly not going to give me an extra mortgage. Even if that were successful, six months would still be too short to get the repayment together." Victoria sighed. "Things only are a little less hopeless."

Diego stretchted his arm out a bit as if he wanted to touch her, halfway in motion he stopped to fidget at his tie. Instead, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Victoria, it is a start. I told you before, my father and I would like to lend you the necessary money. You know that."

"And I told you and your father a thousand times it is too much." She didn't want to take money from friends.

Diego suggested, "At least let me make a drawing and an estimation on the costs of rebuilding. It might be less than you think. Some of the old materials can get used again. It is a good way to keep the costs lower."

Victoria stuttered. "Don Diego, that's very kind of you. But I don't know if I want to."

"How do you mean?"

Victoria cried. "I don't know! I just don't know!?" She just wanted her old life back. She didn't want to start all over. Again for years needing to save every peso she earned. To start over again by paying off an immense debt. Again, lying awake night after night figuring out where to get enough money to pay her helpers and buy new ingredients and supplies, Victoria thought frustrating, all that and countless other things.
And she wanted to drink something because she was dying of thirst.

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While Victoria drank large gulps of water, Mendoza came and stood next to her.

"Señorita Victoria, if there's anything I can do. I like to help."

She wiped the drops of water from her chin with the back of her mouth. "Thank you, Mendoza."

She had heard it had been the sergeant who had discovered the fire. However, it was already too late by then. The fire had started at the back of the tavern, and before the first plumes of smoke had become visible on the plaza, there was no saving it. She had also gotten confirmed Zorro hadn't shown himself in the pueblo that day and that the alcalde had simply been lying, trying to frame the local hero. Mendoza was now overseeing the clearing. The alcalde had ordered some lancers to help, and many inhabitants continued to offer their help selflessly.

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At dinner that evening, Victoria presented an idea she had gotten that morning to don Alejandro. The thought had come to her while preparing the flan that morning. "Don Alejandro, may I use your kitchen? I have been thinking. So many people are trying to help me. I want to give something in return."
Diego didn't seem to listen because he was too busy spooning the third bowl of flan empty.
"I can never do enough to thank them, but I can make sure everyone who helps gets a decent meal at noon."

Don Alejandro had just finished his bowl of flan and, heaving a satisfied sigh before laying his spoon on the table.
"Victoria, you don't have to ask. My entire hacienda is at your disposal.
I want you to feel at home. It sounds like an excellent idea to me. You can discuss the options with Maria, and feel free to use whatever you may need." Alejandro gave her a wink. "And count me in for lunch ."

"Thank you, don Alejandro. Tomorrow I will go to the pueblo first thing in the morning to buy the necessary ingredients. I think I'll first make albondigas soup. That's a simple recipe. And at the same time, I can buy and prepare for the day after. What do you think of enchiladas?"

Diego cleaned his mouth with a napkin. "I think the one supervising the works shall be thrilled by hearing your idea."

All sitting at the table burst out in laughter.

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