This story is inspired by the episode the old flame.
I want to thank Pam for her transcript, which was very useful.
What happened in the few minutes when Victoria helped Zafira, Correna, and the other man escape? What if the woman had the chance to have a little chat? Would that change certain things?
After all, Zafira knew Diego before he put on a mask.
I do not own any of the characters.
Just a little chat.
For a moment, it felt like her heart somersaulted. Victoria looked at the don sitting on his knees beside the sofa while he tried to help a wounded man. She tried to guess what his words could mean. And then, she knew it had been only a surge of vain hope she had felt for the slightest second. Don Diego could not have been talking about her when he uttered the words. "There is another woman in my life."
The hint of love Victoria noticed in his eyes, it was impossible this was for her.
Victoria wondered who the young señorita that seemed to have captured the don's heart might be. The infatuation Diego had for this woman had to be intense. Even though it had only been one sentence, there had been a lot of love in his voice, and she had seen his eyes spark with a fiery passion. Victoria had heard rumours Diego had planned to marry Zafira when he was in Spain. At the time, he must have been in love with her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have proposed to her. Don Diego was not the kind of man to give into a fling. And here, Zafira offered him her heart on a silver platter. And yet he rejected her firmly and gently without even having to think about it for a second.
Victoria shook her head. She had to remind herself what was going on at the moment. There were more important things to think of than don Diego, his love life, past or present. Lives were at stake. And not just of the six people present here in the parlour of the hacienda. Perhaps thousands of lives of all the people scattered throughout Mexico and California depended on whether Correna managed to stay out of the clutches of the alcalde.
Diego pushed a candlestick into her hands, and Victoria clutched it tightly, folding her hand into a fist.
Take them to the kitchen, he had told her in a way that sounded much more determined and confident than she was used to from Diego.
Frantically, Victoria tried to remember the shortest route to the kitchen in the immense hacienda.
With trembling knees from excitement or from how Diego had just gazed, Victoria wasn't sure which of the two, she headed towards the kitchen. The clown lifted Correna over his shoulder and got followed by the woman who could have been the new señora de la Vega had fate decided otherwise.
To get from the parlour to the kitchen, you first had to cross the corridor leading to the library. The library gave access to the dining room.
In the corner of it was a smaller door that was almost invisible in the richly decorated room and led to the kitchen.
The kitchen door to the outside was, of course, locked for the night.
The candle did give some light, but Victoria had to use her fingers to find the handle of the lock that closed the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when the lever slid smoothly out of its holder, and Victoria pushed the door handle down with a soft click.
"Over here," Victoria whispered to her pursuers, turning left to walk through the vegetable garden towards the stables.
The hacienda had two gardens. The decorative garden grew beautiful bushes, trees, and fragrant flowers like roses, honeysuckle, geraniums, and many that Victoria did not know by name.
The kitchen door opened into the vegetable garden, where the servants grew vegetables and herbs used by the cook to provide meals.
Victoria knew that don Diego liked to experiment with eatable plants growing in the new world. He also tried to grow herbs and vegetables, known in Europe for centuries.
Several times the don had given her cuttings of thyme, rosemary, mint, parsley, bay leaf and so on. She liked to take advantage of his knowledge of plants to use in her recipes.
One of his latest projects was some vines. Diego had brought them with him when he travelled to France last year. He had gone to Europe to learn about growing grape vines and making wine.
On the left side of the walled vegetable garden was a gate. When you went through that gate, you went into the other garden.
Victoria turned the corner of the hacienda to get by the gate when she saw a lancer less than four feet away.
Victoria screamed.
The lancer fired his rifle.
She heard Mendoza yell towards the other lancers that someone must have found Correna.
"We need to go the other way," Victoria told the others. "And we must hurry."
Victoria ran towards the low brick wall surrounding the hacienda and gardens.
Zafira and Victoria helped the man to get Correna over the wall. Then both women followed the men.
Victoria waited and listened intensely to hear if she could hear the lancers approaching.
Victoria's heart was pounding in her throat. She heard the lancers and Mendoza shouting orders to force the front door open.
The man panted heavily from exertion as Correna had to get carried more than supported. "We need the wagon." He uttered.
Zafira cried. "Are you crazy? Christo, it is too dangerous. We need to get the hell out of here."
"You can use my cart. It is on the other side of that stable." Victoria pointed at the white building where the de la Vegas held their horses.
The abandoned farm Diego had suggested was about a mile from here. To carry Correna on foot would not be doable.
Christo gave it some thought. He grabbed Zafira by her upper arm and growled. "You wait here and keep him still." The man pointed at Correna, moaning in pain.
"I will try to get our wagon unseen. We need our weapons and supplies."
The man put his finger to his mouth. "I'll be right back."
Zafira whispered. "Be careful."
Christo disappeared into the darkness.
"Señorita," Zafira spoke to Victoria in a penetrating tone.
"Just for the record. In the hacienda, Joaquin lied because he was, in the first place, thinking of my safety. Yes, I still have some feelings for Diego. But I do love my husband, and he knows I do. I was surprised Diego is still unmarried. He deserves to gain happiness with the woman he loves. Can you please tell him I will never forget him? He truly is one of a kind. And...," Zafira's voice faltered for a moment. "Victoria, may I call you Victoria? Don't make the same mistake. Believe me. In the whole world, there is no better man than him."
Zafira gave Victoria a shy smile.
Victoria wanted to ask Zafira why she said something like that. Don Diego was a fine man. But one of a kind? Victoria knew only one such man.
Victoria thought Zafira's words were probably due to memories of a young, fierce love that unfortunately got doomed from the beginning.
Victoria, over the years, had become wiser and more realistic about men and where love was concerned.
The women had run out of time to ask questions. Christo was coming with the wagon. He held the horse by the reins, walking beside the wagon to keep the animal as calm and quiet as possible.
"We must hurry." He whispered to Zafira and Victoria in a penetrating tone. "I heard that fat sergeant yelling at his men that he saw Zorro, whoever that is."
Victoria smiled for a moment. It didn't surprise her that the masked hero had come to their and Diego's aid. Zorro had a gift for sensing danger and injustice from miles away and always came where needed.
Victoria told Christo. "Zorro fights for justice, just like you. He is trying to help you. Ride in an easterly direction. After about a mile, you will find the farm Diego was referring to on your right. Once there, you'll be safe there. Hardly anyone ever goes there."
Victoria pointed in the direction of the location of the farm.
"I'm sure Zorro will manage to distract the lancers and send them in another direction."
Christo laughed scornfully. "I'll hope so. Señorita, thank you for your help." He gave a polite tap to the side of his head, after which he climbed onto the buck where Zafira was already seated and arranged her skirts.
Victoria replied. "Anything for a free California."
Zafira cried. "Thank you, Victoria. By warning us, you saved my husband's life. Don't forget, Diego is the best you can get."
And before Victoria could say anything more, the wagon came to a move and was swallowed up by the darkness.
.
Not much later, Victoria leaned against one of the hacienda walls that still felt warm because the sun had warmed it until sunset, still somewhat bewildered by Zafira's words.
She just hoped the three revolutionaries succeeded in finding the farm and were able to continue their escape. California needed people like them if it was ever to escape from the tyranny to which the Spanish ruler subjected this country.
A free California. A free Los Angeles with an honest alcalde. It seemed like a wonderful dream, and she hoped that in the near future, this dream could come true.
Only then was Zorro to be a free man. And would his mission come to an end.
Only then would he remove his mask. Only then could she and Zorro start a future together.
.
Los Angeles would not be Los Angeles if news of the escape of Joaquin Correna and his accomplices did not spread like wildfire throughout the pueblo the next day. The sergeant, in particular, notorious for his appetite but even more famous for his gossip, didn't grow tired in telling how, under his leadership, Correna only barely had managed to escape. According to Mendoza, had it not been for Zorro, the man would not have stood a chance.
Victoria heard it all and pretended she had no idea what had happened the night before at the de la Vega hacienda.
When the sergeant, over a leftover quesadilla from yesterday and a good glass of wine, started telling her that Zorro had overpowered and gagged poor don Diego and Felipe, Victoria knew for sure that it was not entirely according to the truth. Zorro had indeed come to Correna's aid. He would never intentionally harm anyone.
She did, however, listen to the story with pricked ears. Victoria was especially curious to find clues on how Zorro had known that Correna was in Los Angeles. And how he had known that in their hour of despair, the trio had fled to the de la Vega hacienda. As far as Victoria knew, she had been one of the few ones who had heard the lancers in the tavern yesterday.
Zorro had appeared a few minutes after her arrival at the hacienda. How could he have acted so quickly? Zorro was Zorro. The man was full of mystery, which she only hoped to unravel someday soon.
And since last night, there was another mystery to which Victoria secretly wished she knew the answer. If only to keep her own mind at ease.
So when, around lunchtime, Diego came strolling into the tavern, she couldn't resist informing the don of the stories, which the sergeant cried out the entire morning with great enthusiasm and a sense of drama.
Diego had a worried expression on his face. "They got away safely?"
To make sure no one will notice what they are talking about, Victoria only nods. Then she enquires, seemingly curious. "Mendoza told me that Zorro tied you and Felipe up."
Diego smiles as he explains what had happened in the hacienda after she had left. "Zorro made a good alibi."
"I see. I knew it didn't sound like Zorro." Victoria licks her lips. Her next question makes her feel like she is walking on thin ice. "So, who is she?" This question has kept Victoria awake for most of the night. Despite her telling herself it was because she hoped Correna would not get found by the lancers. And she merely was anxiously waiting for the lancers to return to the cartel. Victoria knew deep down inside it was an evil green monster preventing her from getting rest.
Diego uttered, surprised by the change of subject. "I beg your pardon?"
Victoria can barely hold back a moan. That man eludes everything. Even when a woman was to throw herself at his feet, he would be clueless to the fact she was attempting to seduce him. So Victoria makes it crystal-clear to the don what she is curious to find out.
"You told Zafira that there was someone else in your life. Who is it?"
It is almost like Diego has forgotten he said this. Perhaps Diego, at that point, hadn't been aware of her presence and that she might have heard about what the former lovers were talking about. He had been busy taking care of Joaquin Correna.
"It doesn't really matter. The fact is..., uh..., She's in love with another man."
Oh, that is what Victoria thinks. That's a pity. Even though she may like the don perhaps a bit more than she cares to admit, she nevertheless wishes him to find his true love. "What a shame. Perhaps you should tell her one day." Victoria carefully suggested. What do you know? Diego? In love with a woman. There was something she would never have believed. Then again, she also wouldn't have believed it had someone told her he had been engaged to be married and got left at the altar.
Diego utters, "Oh, I will. One day. Uh, you were very brave to help Correna last night."
"Well, I just hate to see a man of justice inside the alcalde's jail."
Mendoza interrupts them as he groans from his table. "Don Diego, are you coming? I'm hungry."
Diego apologetically smiles and tells Mendoza over his shoulder. "I'll be right there, Sergeant."
Turning his attention back to Victoria. "The sergeant and I had agreed to meet for lunch. By what you just said, that would include, I presume, a man like Zorro."
"Oh, especially Zorro. Not only would I help Zorro escape. I would also do anything for him."
Diego lifts his hands to stop her from praising her hero. "Please, um, spare me the details." He takes the plates of food off the counter and carries them over to where Mendoza is sitting.
.
.