Epilogue.

Six weeks after Diego was crowned Marqués, he was saying farewell to both his father and his friend, Ignacio. His father having decided that it was time to return home to Los Angeles; he had been away for four months and he couldn't stay away any longer from his responsibility to the ranch. While Ignacio had been ordered to return to his posting at the Spanish Embassy in England since the threat to Diego and his family had vanished with the death of de Toledo. Both men had decided to travel together to Cadiz where Don Alejandro would take a ship to the Americas and Ignacio would take one to England.

"I'm going to miss you father." Victoria said as she walked arm in arm with her father-in-law towards the front door where their carriage was waiting to take the two men to the stage coach depot in the heart of the city.

"And I'm going to miss all of you too." Don Alejandro replied. It was the truth, he was going to miss them a great deal and wished that they weren't going to be on opposite sides of the world but they had their own lives to live now; he couldn't expect them to stay just to keep him company in his large home. He was just going to have to visit his friends a lot more, he mused to himself.

"Well I have some news that you can think about on the way home." She said with a warm smile.

"Oh what news would that be?" He asked curiously.

Her smile widened. "The news that you are going to be a grandfather." She had wanted to save the news for this very moment to tell her father-in-law and not the previous night when she had told Diego and he had agreed; although he had been bursting to tell his father the news all morning. She wanted the older man to leave with happy news.

Don Alejandro stopped and stared at her. "A baby? You're having a child?" he said with a smile that grew even wider when she nodded. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her fiercely. "That's great news, just absolutely wonderful. I'm so thrilled, so happy for you both." He said as he pulled back. "So that's why Diego couldn't stop smiling this morning. I thought it was very strange that he should be so happy considering that I am leaving today."

Victoria grinned as they started walking again. "He couldn't stop smiling, could he? You know that I haven't been feeling well lately and that Diego thought it was because of the food we have been eating, it is different from we are used to back home..."

Don Alejandro nodded. "Which was why he was reading all those books, to see what food was affecting you. Oh my lord, he mistook your sickness for some kind of food poisoning. Did you know yourself what it was?" he grinned.

She giggled. "Yes, I had some suspicions but Diego was so determined that it was the food that I didn't have the heart to tell him until I knew for certain. You should have seen the look on his face when he realised that it wasn't the food after all and that he had wasted his time reading up on it."

Don Alejandro roared with laughter. "I'm never going to let him forget this." he said as they walked outside and saw Diego and Felipe standing by the carriage with Ignacio. "So, my son, I don't think you would have made a good doctor after all. Fancy thinking that Victoria had food poisoning, it just goes to show that you can't learn everything from a book." he teased him.

Diego grinned sheepishly. "Oh I don't know father, I was just reading the WRONG books." he replied as he hugged his father tightly.

"I'm so pleased with the news Diego, so happy that you are going to be a father yourself." Don Alejandro said.

"Gracias. I am going to miss you father." he whispered.

"I will miss you too son." Don Alejandro replied as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

Ignacio crossed over to Victoria. "Diego just told me the news, congratulations, I think you will make a great mother."

She beamed. "Thank you Ignacio. I hope I will." she replied. "Perhaps one day you will know the joy of becoming a father." she said.

He smiled warmly. "Perhaps one day I will. You know that all of you would be welcome to come to England for a visit, there are a number of guest rooms at the Embassy that you can stay in."

She nodded. "I think we would like that Ignacio."

He leant over and kissed her cheeks. "Buenos dias Victoria, take care of yourself."

"You too." she replied as he climbed into the carriage.

Don Alejandro pulled his grandson into a fierce embrace. "I'm going to miss you Felipe."

Felipe held tight to the older man. "I will mi..miss yo..you too." he replied with misted eyes.

Don Alejandro nodded as they pulled apart and went to join Ignacio in the carriage. "Take care of each other and make sure you write to me about my new grandchild." he said as the driver flicked the reins and urged the horses on.

"Don't worry father , you'll be the first person we'll write to." Diego replied with a smile as he placed his arm around Victoria's waist, while Felipe stood beside them and together they watched the carriage go down the driveway and after one last wave, the carriage turned down the road and disappeared from view.

Diego let out a sigh, he was going to miss his father a great deal and he was even going to miss Ignacio's company; it was strange that even after all they had gone through, they had become firm friends; which had been a surprise to both of them.

Victoria squeezed his hand. "He's going to be fine Diego."

He nodded and planted a soft kiss to her hair. "I know he will be. Come lets go inside, Teo will be here soon to discuss our plans for the future." he said as he guided his wife and son inside their villa.

The End of part 2

A/N - I may have unintentionally misled a number of you to think that I've stopped writing this story by saying that there was only 1 chapter to go - what I meant was that there was only 1 chapter left in this middle part of the trilogy, so I'm on my knees begging forgiveness from my loyal followers. LOL.

And just to make it up to you here's a little teaser of what's to come, just to wet your appetite :) I've only just started writing this final section so it might be some time before I get it posted

z.z.z.z.z.z

Madrid, Spain.

Senorita Josefina Moreno was in the dusty attic of her father's home going through his belongings when she came across an old trunk in the far corner. She opened the heavy lid to see what treasures that might be hidden in it and at the bottom, under some old clothing, she discovered a small leather satchel and as she lifted it out and untied the straps, several small notebooks, in her father's handwriting, fell out. She stood up, with the notebooks in her hand and moved to the small window to read them. She opened the first one and read the covering page.

I, Sebastian Moreno, travelled to Los Angeles, California in the Spanish colonies in the New World in the summer of 1818, in search of a legend and to write a story but in doing so, I discovered more about myself than the identity of El Zorro. I had been willing to do anything in order to gain that knowledge and in the end, it had been El Zorro who had saved me from my own foolishness. I had thought to destroy my notes but I have kept them for posterity's sake. Perhaps, in time, the truth can be revealed but not at the expense of the man himself or his family. This much I owe him.

"So father HAD discovered the identity of the bandit." she muttered...