-Z-
And I can't describe
But there's something about the way you look tonight
It takes my breath away
The way you look tonight
Alicia appeared just after dinnertime to help her as agreed. She was the only one who knew the true identity of the Lady in Red. Without Alicia's help, Victoria couldn't have been this mysterious, tempting, and loving Lady in Red.
She was glad to see her waitress again, because whole day being on her own was quite a contradiction to what she was used to.
"Excited about tonight?" Alicia asked with a wicked grin.
"Why would I?" Victoria inquired innocently, while she took another bite from her delicious dinner.
"I saw you watching that creepy man," she confronted Victoria with her attentiveness. "Do you know who he is?"
"Do you?" Victoria answered by reversing the question, silently hoping Alcia indeed would.
"I haven't heard anything about him, except for De Soto trying to arrest him," she regretted not having more information to share, but she had other gossip to tell her. Victoria noticed something was wrong, which Alicia didn't seem to like to share with her.
"What is it Alicia?"
Then, Alicia spit out, that most customers were staying away from the taberna, the cook's food was terrible and everybody was missing her.
"I even heard Mendoza telling some men to gather a search party, and to look for you, if you are not back by tomorrow."
Victoria felt a little guilty, but it also warmed her heart hearing that so many people care about her.
"How does the alcalde feel about that?" she asked somewhat bitterly, hiding her true feelings.
"He doesn't know about Mendoza's plans, since he only comes in the taberna to order somebody to bring his food to his office," Alicia confessed.
While Alicia helped Victoria in her dress, she also mentioned another thing, "I have never seen don De la Vega staying at the taberna for so long, before. He just sat there!"
"Don Alejandro?" Victoria inquired, and thought This is odd. Would don Alejandro be so concerned too?
"No, I mean don Diego," Alicia corrected. "Is this tight enough?" Alicia asked referring to the corset.
"That is good," Victoria answered, though she had to get used to this stiffness.
"But, didn't he read then?" Victoria had seen him some other time for a couple of hours in her tavern, reading a book.
"Not at all, though he did read the announcement over and over again with a very displeasing expression on his face and watched a game of chess between Mendoza and Felipe. Even then he wasn't really watching the game."
"Why did he? Did he really look displeased?" Victoria couldn't comprehend it, "he hardly shows any expression, except for his happiness about his experiments or a book."
"I guess he hadn't noticed me observing him," Alicia figured out, "further he talked with some people and he asked me several times whether I knew where you are or whether I have seen you."
Easy and very handy Alicia put the blond wig over Victoria's hair and started fixating it to make a nice haircut of it.
"Please Victoria, put your hatred feelings against the alcalde aside and show your face tomorrow?" Alicia begged her.
While smiling at the beautiful lady, Alicia put the black mask with tiny feathers at the edges on Victoria's face.
Content and confidently, Victoria watched herself into the mirror and turned to Alicia, "mil, graciás. Let me help you getting dressed, now."
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And I can't describe
But there's something about the way you look tonight
It takes my breath away
The way you look tonight
This evening, Diego had decided to look for his love. She must be somewhere and somebody must know where she could be found. Maybe Zorro should search for her this night after all.
This evening, it was easier to recognize people. Once you saw people more often and hear them talking, it was not difficult to unmask them, besides some had talked so much, that they had revealed their identity. Though, many disguises were still a mystery.
Diego sipped his juice, while he observed the crowd around him. He noticed Alicia descending the stairs and decided to have a chat with her. What would be a better occasion than doing so during a dance?
Awkwardly, Alicia accepted Dracula's offer to dance with him.
While Diego and Alicia were dancing together, Victoria appeared on the balcony. Her eyes immediately fell upon Dracula and some butterflies were fluttering in her stomach again. This is not a good start of the evening. Zorro where, or better, who are you?
Victoria walked in the direction of the counter to get a glass of red wine. Even she had some changes in her habits to hide her true identity. Normally, she would get a juice, but now she would apt to the higher class and drink some wine copying the way she had seen those elegant ladies performing such a small detail as sipping a good wine and watching it with approvingly.. She liked these changes to keep her identity a secret.
The sultan had noticed the mysterious Lady in Red arriving and wanted to know more of her. By her elegance and grace, the Sultan was convinced that she would be a perfect match for his son. He could see why she had captured his son's heart, though Diego denied it in all colours and languages.
"Buenos noches, señora," he greeted politely, hoping she would correct him.
"Buenos noches, señor Sultan," the lady greeted back, with a smile half seen, since her mask only showed half her mouth. Her eyes shone brightly, but it was too dark and her mask seemed to hide them well to see their colour.
"Tell me, señora, with whom do I have the honour of getting acquainted with? I am sure you have a different name than Lady in Red?" don Alejandro's eyes pierced into hers, while he tried to unmask her.
"You're right," she admitted trying to speak with a south Mexican accent, which her brother taught her when he had visited Los Angeles. Even the sound of her voice seemed a little higher as did she speaks softly. Her haughtily accent should make others believe she was a woman of stature.
"My friends call me Mysty."
"And what brings such a lovely lady as yourself, here?" don Alejandro inquired further.
"I was just passing through, señor Sultan" Victoria answered sweetly trying to stick to her role.
Then suddenly she was out of air, when Dracula stood next to her just out of the blue. Immediately she covered her surprise with the sweetest smile she had ever smiled to a man, except for Zorro of course. "Buenos noches, señor Deadness."
"Deadness?" Diego replied amused.
"Well, you look rather pale to me," she cleared out innocently, "besides I heard you were almost thrown in jail for killing, and drinking the victim's blood." She smiled at him teasingly and somewhat challenging.
"The name is Dracula," he introduced himself courteous, bowed over her hand and left a kiss behind on the back of her hand. This gesture really took her breath away. When she faced the mysterious man's face again, she felt like she was fainting. Those eyes, … they have captured her, no less.
"Señorita Mysty," she introduced herself reading the unasked question in his eyes.
Is this Victoria? Diego questioned himself. Is she really my preciosa?
Alicia hadn't really satisfied his answers, leaving him wondering whether Victoria would come to the ball or not. At least he knew she was doing fine. Still, his conscience was getting stronger to persuade him riding out as Zorro to find his love. But he wouldn't do that anymore, since Alicia had told him Victoria would come to the taberna tomorrow.
"May I have the honour of this dance?" he inquired to find out who she really was.
When he took the lady in his arms he felt the chemistry between them getting stronger. He couldn't understand why.
Victoria was the love of his life! Where on earth is she?
He was so busy with his feelings and trying to find out the true identity of this lady, that he didn't recognize Victoria was the one and only dancing with him.
Neither did she knew her love was Diego, the man behind Zorro's mask. The man of flesh and blood with whom she was dancing now. He had also changed in appearance quite a lot. After this dance Diego took her to the counter where he got two drinks. This lady had captured his attention completely, making him forget everybody around them. How beautiful she looks, sparkling, entchanting ...
A tap on his arm brought him back to reality. Victoria was asked for another dance and excused herself, "Excuse me, señor Dracula, the pleasure was mine, I assure you."
He took her hand gentlemanlike, and kissed it softly, "I am honoured to get acquainted with you señorita Mysteria." He watched her joining other masked dancers on in the dancing area, meanwhile he tried to figure out which woman of all these women was his love.
She blushed deeply and was very glad wearing a mask. Suddenly she wondered how Zorro would feel every time he was wearing it.
The other gentleman led her to the dancing area and Diego was left behind, hoping to get Victoria in sight.
After an hour he hadn't still seen her. However he had seen nothing but those admiring eyes of señorita Mysty, making him so fussed up, that he excused himself from his father, the Sultan, with whom he had had a little conversation. He just couldn't stay anymore and just had to go away.
At home he got some of his pictures he made of his love and kept staring at them, while the memories were floating through his mind. Out of the blue he spook aloud very certain of his decision, "I should tell her who I am! This masquerade must be stopped!"
Victoria deeply regretted Dracula leaving the party. When she was dancing with Dionysus, she watched him moving to the door. At first she thought he just needed some fresh air, but when he didn't return after half an hour, she was sure he was gone. From this moment on she felt empty and didn't enjoy the party as much as she wished. Now, she was back in her room, hearing the music playing and the people still chattering. She had time to think about her encounter with this Dracula. If it weren't for Zorro, she definitely would have fallen in love with him. She loved the way he treated her, held her and talked to her. It reminded her a little of Zorro and a little of Diego. Exhausted from all these thoughts, Victoria fell into a deep sleep, dreaming about waking up and noticing a lonely red rose lying on her pillow.
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