The Letter

Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.

Don Alejandro sat down in his leather chair behind his big mahogany desk and looked through the mail at his desk. The post had just arrived from Monterey this morning. Among some letters from his friends there was one from his lawyer in Monterey.

He took the small knife with the silver handle and opened the letter carefully. Enfolded were several official looking thick parchments and a short letter. As soon as he started to read, he realized his mistake. The letter was addressed to his son Diego. He wanted to put the letter aside but when he glanced at the first sentences he was compelled to continue reading.

Dear Don Diego,

attached to this letter you will find the documents you requested me to set up at your last visit. Besides the documents to legalize the adoption of Don Felipe, I have included a changed version of your will. In case of your death your son and your fiancee are now well provided for as you requested. Due to your changed familiar situation, I strongly recommend you to undo the waive of your heritage, you made me set up five years ago, before you get married, even if I must assume that the special circumstances you find yourself in are still valid.

I would like you to visit me in my office again, so we can discuss the situation in detail.

Yours sincerely,

Luis Cristobal

Lawyer

Alejandro slowly put down the letter only to start reading it again. He was stunned and couldn't believe what he was reading. The whole letter made no sense to him.

Diego wasn't engaged, he would have told it his father, wouldn't he? Nothing would please him more than the prospect of grandchildren. Why did he expect to die before getting married? What reason was there to set up his will when he was a young and healthy man? And why would he disinherit himself? What special circumstances was the man talking about?

The questions were whirling in his mind, but he was unable to figure out an answer. He knew his son, and he would never take such profound measures without telling his father. He turned the letter around and checked the address once more. I didn't change under his inspection. The letter was addressed to his son.

He couldn't make the written words vanish from the letter. If the letter was true, then he didn't know his son at all. He had a son, who expected to die any time, and who was secretly engaged. What else didn't he know about him? What was the reason for this secrecy?

He might understand that his son hadn't told him about his engagement yet. He could think of reasons that lay in the bride's family, but what shocked him most was that his son had disinherited himself. His son was a de la Veg,a who should be proud of it, and there was no reason to deny that. What could drive a man to take such actions? Was it shame or desperation?

Why couldn't Diego trust him? Was he such a failure as a father that he didn't know his only son at all?

He must have read the letter a hundred times, and the questions had multiplied each time he did.

He went to his son' s room to talk to him, but his bed hadn't been slept in. Diego must have been out all night. Had he spend the night with his woman? Who was she that his son couldn't admit his engagement?

After he returned to the living room there was a knock at the door, and Juan Perez, one of his peasants, entered the hallway.

"Hola, Juan, what is it?

"Don Alejandro, I wanted to bring you the news from the pueblo."

"Some new tax from the alcalde?"

"No, not this time. Some bandits were causing trouble in the tavern last night, and one of them tried to shoot Senorita Escalante."

"How is she? Was she injured?"

"No, the Senorita is fine, but only because Zorro was able to turn away the pistol. He chased the bandits all night and brought them to jail in the morning. I have never seen him that angry, he was close to killing the man. When the alcalde made a bad remark about it, he had to find out that today is not a good time to start an argument with Zorro because he had instantly Zorro's sword at his throat."

"Then the alcalde should better keep that in mind. No sane man would willingly face Zorro's anger. Everybody knows how dear Victoria is to him. Thanks for stopping by, Juan. Have you seen Don Diego today?"

"No, he wasn't in the pueblo."

Alejandro let Juan to the door and returned to the living room when he saw Diego coming from the library. Diego was finally back. The questions that were burning in his mind needed an answer, and he called out.

"Diego, I have to talk to you."

Diego approached his father's desk. He wore the same blue suit as yesterday, and he looked tired with his disheveled hair falling in his eyes.

"Father, not now, please. I am not feeling well, and I need to get to bed. Let's talk later."

"No, Diego. I have been waiting the whole morning for you, and I want to know where you have been all night."

"I don't think this is your business, and I really need to go to bed now."

"Not my business?" Alejandro grew impatient. "Maybe it is my business when my son is spending his nights with some whore he intends to marry."

"Don't you ever dare calling the woman I love a whore! You will never say that again!" Diego growled, threateningly, with a much deeper voice.

Diego was angry as Alejandro had never seen him. Diego stood straight in front of him and looked down on his father. This was not the docile Diego he knew, but a very dangerous man, who was on the verge of attack. Alejandro felt as if he was at pointed end of a very sharp sword. The anger in his son's blue eyes made Alejandro's throat go dry.

Suddenly, Alejandro knew who he was facing, and he remembered his previous conversation with Juan. 'No sane man would willingly face Zorro's anger.' And he was exactly doing that now. He had seen the alcalde at Zorro's mercy, and now he knew how it felt like. He had the answers he wanted, but it was more than he had expected. Slowly, he backed up.

"I'm sorry Diego, I didn't mean that. Maybe it is better if we talk later when you feel better."

Diego calmed down a bit and in his normal peaceful voice he said: "No, I'm sorry. You are my father, and I shouldn't talk to you like this. But, if you excuse me now."

Diego turned round and headed for his door, leaving his shocked father behind. Alejandro heavily sat down again in his chair, picking up the letter again that suddenly made sense so dreadfully, now that he knew that his son was Zorro.