It was a cold morning when Victoria arrived in Monterey. Running there, leaving everything behind was her only option at that point. She hadn't even dared tell Don Alejandro where she was going, but he had enough to deal with at the time, and she didn't want to be either judged or pitied. She didn't pity herself for she had neither been deceived nor forced to do what she had done. Nor did she regret the consequences of her actions. On the contrary. All she regretted was she hadn't done it sooner.
Now that the man she loved was gone, though, her one chance of surviving was Juan Ortiz, a man who, despite her decision to leave him at the altar, was still in love with her, as demonstrated by his letters, which kept coming. He was still a lieutenant, yet had exchanged his career in the Navy for one in the Army, and was, officially, the second-in-command of the Presidio in Monterey. With his commander gone to New Mexico, though, he was, however, the de facto commander of the garrison, the Governor the only one he answered to.
The young man eagerly agreed to see Victoria the moment she was announced and had two cups of coffee brought for them as he invited her to sit in a large armchair in his office. She sat down but didn't utter a word for a few minutes, trying to collect her scattered thoughts. When the coffee was brought, she accepted it with a trembling hand.
"Victoria? What is wrong?" Juan eventually asked, and kneeled next to her at noticing the state she was in.
"Many things are wrong Juan." She confessed. "For one, Zorro is dead."
"I… Yes… The news of his passing reached Monterey a little over a week ago." He replied. "I'm sorry for your loss. I know how much you loved him. Enough to choose him over me." He added that last part a little bitterly, but she was too deep in her own thoughts to notice.
Victoria dared look straight into his eyes for the first time since she had stepped into his office. "I still do. He was the love of my life, even if I have never seen his face... never known his true identity. When he died, a part of me died with him. Yet, before that happened, he left me a piece of him." She confessed. "I am carrying his child, Juan."
"I see… You weren't married, I assume?" Juan asked as he stood up.
"No. We were engaged." She answered. "What happened between us, happened because we were certain we'd both die.
"It was just after the last earthquake." The young woman remembered. "I was trapped in a sinkhole. He tried to rescue me, but an aftershock caused him to fall in, as well. It was raining and already night so the chances for a rescue were slim at best. We were certain we wouldn't make it until morning.
"Perhaps it was love that saved us then, for we did survive despite the cold and the pouring rain. When I woke up, it was already late morning, I was wrapped in a blanket and we were both riding on Tornado. I'm still not sure how we got out of there, but we did. By some miracle, we survived.
"After that night, and considering what had happened between us, he promised he'd find a way for us to be together, a way for him to give up the mask and build a life with me by his side. He even tried to tell me his true name the following time he came to me, but I refused. I said I wanted to know it only when he'd be able to marry me.
"Then the flood happened. He gave his life to save a mother and her baby, and, in doing so, he abandoned me and left our child without a father. He didn't even know…"
"I see… I'm sorry you have been suffering, Victoria. I may not have known him well, but I know De Soto's reports portrayed a very different man than the one I met in Los Angeles and was described to me by the people there." Juan told her kindly. "How far along are you?" He then inquired.
"A little over two months now. It's why I dared to come here. Since Zorro's been declared dead, after over a month of useless searches, De Soto has been keeping his eyes on me. He's been suspicious… even more than usual. If he finds out I am carrying his enemy's child, who knows what he might do?
"I don't care what becomes of me, Juan. Without the man I love, my life hardly makes sense anymore. Had it not been for the certainty that I was pregnant, I would have already followed him to the afterlife…" She told him, her words revealing the torment in her heart and frightening the man she was talking to.
"Victoria!" Juan exclaimed, again kneeling by her side.
"But I care about this baby." The young woman continued. "I want my child to be born and have the chance to a life its father was too quickly denied. I want it to know about him. I want it to know he was the bravest man I have ever met, a true hero of the people. And that he was kind, and generous, and gave everything to help others." She confessed. "But for that to happen, I can't stay in Los Angeles, not for now, at least. I… I don't know how to ask this of you." Victoria wiped a tear as she said those words. "I need to protect my child… and for me to be able to do that, somebody must claim it as his own, and offer me the protection of his name."
At this point in their conversation, the young woman could no longer look up, and was staring at the floor, waiting for what she was certain would follow: a refusal. It made sense. Why would Juan, a man she had humiliated, agree to marry her and claim Zorro's child as his own? He had no reason to. It was a mistake for her to come all this way only to confess everything to him. She shouldn't have said a word. She should have done as many other women had, and say the baby had come early. But that was not her. Victoria Escalante was honest and would have never deceived a man in such a way.
"It's that why you came? You want me to claim your baby?" Juan asked.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked this of you. I shouldn't..." She uttered as she stood up and headed for the door.
"Wait!" Juan asked, then let silence fall for a few moments as he was trying to make up his mind. "I'll do it. I'll marry you, and claim your child, Victoria. I'll do it… as long as you promise you'll give me a true chance... Give our marriage a true chance to lead to happiness for us both." He uttered.
Surprised, she turned around to look at him, almost unable to believe she had heard him say what he had just said. Shocked as she was, she couldn't even mutter the 'yes' on the tip of her tongue, but only nodded instead.
Juan took a few steps to stand right next to her and embraced the young woman in the hope to make her feel safe once more.
She thought about how different his embrace was from the ones Zorro had given her, then started sobbing, a reaction he misinterpreted, taking it as gratitude for his acceptance.
