She is pining
Chapter 1
"Why are you so interested in that man, Victoria?" Diego asked her, pointing at a tall stranger who was standing at the bar with a drink as she approached his table to take his order.
"Is it that obvious?" Victoria asked, alarmed.
"At least it is to me," Diego said. "You couldn't stop staring at him."
"Diego, can you keep a secret?" Victoria asked conspiratorially as she sat down at his table in the tavern, turning her head right and left to make sure they weren't overheard.
"Sure, I can. You seem to be very excited. What is it?" Diego leaned forward.
"I know who Zorro is!" she whispered. "I know you won't tell."
"You do?" Diego tried to keep a straight face why he frantically tried to think what had given him away.
"Yes, he told me today," she said excitedly. "I never thought the day would come when he'd tell me."
"He did? When? Who is he?" Diego asked, confused.
"It's him," she whispered, hinting at the man Diego had pointed at before who was just leaving the tavern. "He came to the tavern today and told me."
"How can you be sure that he is ... you know? Have you ever seen him without the mask?" Diego asked in a low voice, evading to call Zorro by name.
"No, I haven't seen him without the mask, but he fits, you know, the beard, the height,..." Victoria said dreamily, not looking at Diego while her thoughts were occupied by Zorro.
"But what if he isn't really Zorro? How can you be sure until he unmasks in front of you? Even then, you don't know." Diego remembered the time he had dressed another man in Zorro's clothes to be captured instead of him, and when he had been unmasked, she had believed he was Zorro, only to realize it wasn't true. "Will you faint again when you realize it's not him?"
"I'm sure it's him. Why else would he take the risk and tell me who he is? It must be him. I'm sure. And I'll be careful not to stare at him any longer." Victoria smiled again to herself, ignoring Diego's annoyed look.
"You should be careful of the man. What if he isn't Zorro and wants to take advantage of you?" Diego warned her.
"That won't happen. He agreed to come to the tavern after siesta to talk."
"Talk! I thought you knew better to be careful after working in a tavern for so many years."
"He is Zorro, and I know what I'm doing. Why can't you just for once believe in the man? Whenever I talk about Zorro, you're annoyed. Why can't you be happy for me?"
"I care for you, Victoria, and I want you to be safe."
"I will be safe with Zorro, and the rest is not your business." Victoria angrily rose from her chair to take care of her other customers. Annoyed, Diego put some coins on the table and left the tavern without waiting for his order.
