To everyone who is following my story and to those who have reviewed it, thanks for your support. I am glad you all like it so far. Yes, you can say love is blind and that things are obvious, but realistic, one could have figured out the identity of Zorro long ago. Ain't that just the fun... I hope you will enjoy this chapter also.
-Z-
With that smile
You pull the deepest secrets from my heart
In all honesty
I'm speechless and I don't know where to start
Quite early in the morning, sergeant Mendoza found Victoria in her kitchen.
"Con mio, Buenos dias señorita Escalante, you're back!" he called out, very glad to see her.
"Buenos dias, sergeant," Victoria greeted back as if she had never left her establishment.
"You know, this morning your kitchen really smells good!" the sergeant stated, inhaling the air of roasted chicken and other backed vegetables. Victoria smiled warmly at him, and stirred the food in the pan.
"We have really missed your cooking," the sergeant continued.
"I am sure you did, sergeant," Victoria replied ironically.
"Oh, but señorita," the sergeant protested, understanding the misplaced remark he had made, "we missed you too, of course. I am sure don Diego will be very pleased to see you've returned."
Victoria smiled again; this man was so excited and so friendly. "I hope he won't be the only one!"
Mendoza looked at her with an odd expression on his face, which made Victoria laughing. "Everybody has missed you, but don Diego seemed to be very worried about you."
Victoria stopped stirring. Her friend sounded so serious, besides she had heard this before. She suppressed the suggestion that Diego had a crush on her. "Oh, Mendoza, we have always been good friends," she lectured him.
"True, true," the sergeant admitted, though he sounded doubtful; "To me he seems to be very protective of you…."
"Sergeant, he has always been like a brother to me," she cut in and changed the subject, "Here, taste this."
"What is it?" the sergeant asked before he took over the spoon.
"Taste it," Victoria got a very little impatient. She was curious to know how the sergeant would react to this new recipe.
So the sergeant put the spoon in his mouth and tasted the food, "Con mió! This is truly delicious!" He seemed to be in heaven now, since he had closed his eyes and tried to taste the food again, after he had swallowed it.
"This, Mendoza," Victoria answered his former question, proudly, "is my new recipe."
"Oh, señorita Escalante, this is great, it's the best food I have ever eaten! before."
Then he saw her unsatisfied expression, "except for your other meals, of course."
Victoria smiled warmly at him, enjoying her moment of glory.
She heared more noise coming from the other side of the wall of the taberna and decided to leave the preparations for lunch up to the sergeant, and showed her face in the other room.
When Victoria left the kitchen, her eyes fell upon her handsome, tall caballero friend who was standing at the bar. She noticed him looking a little distressed, but on the other hand he seemed to be happy or maybe in love. At least he was not on this earth.
"What's on your mind, Diego?" she suddenly addressed him.
He was startled, "I beg your pardon."
"Where were you with your mind?" she asked him, thinking his behaviour was a little strange. She observed him suspiciously from head to toe.
"Hola Victoria," he greeted with a warm smile. "I see you are back again."
"Really, Diego, you're not thinking that I would leave the tavern totally in the hands of our alcalde?" she asked him ironically.
"No, I don't think you would," he stated.
"So what brings you here to town, today?" she inquired, hoping her friend will open up with her. "I heard you were here all morning, yesterday." She looked playfully at him, "Did you come to see me?"
Diego was caught off guard. "Why, yes, I was wondering where you have been," he admitted, stumbling over his words. "I am glad you're back."
"Gracias, Diego," she thanked him with a sweet smile and added, "Oh, Diego, you know I can take care of myself."
"I know," he answered sternly, "but I don't like the idea of something happening to you and nobody nearby to help you. How about Zorro? I am sure he would feel terrible if something happened to you."
Victoria thouhght about it for a moment and had to agree with him, though she didn't admit it, "I am sure Zorro knows too, I am capable of taking care of myself."
Diego had to laugh inwardly, "You have told him twice, now." Instead of saying this, he smiled warmly at her and asked her for some lemonade. This woman could make him so crazy.
"My other reason to visit town is to get some nice stories about the ball for the newspaper. I heard that everyone has been greatly interested in a certain señorita," he informed her innocently.
Victoria had an idea about whom he is talking, but she pretended to be ignorant about it. "Why is that, Diego?"
"I think she is too mysterious," he answered lightly. "Did you, by any chance, check in some new female visitors a few days ago?"
"I would have to check," she replied.
"If you please," Diego asked her with a charming smile.
"You know I respect my visitors' privacy," Victoria answered with a smile, and she asked him why this woman was so mysterious.
"I guess it must be because no one seems to know her whereabouts. I have also heard that she would look like an angel."
"Aha," she looked at him, understanding his real question, "why don't you ask me whether I will give you her room number so you can speak to her yourself?"
Diego's cheeks turned red and he almost choked on his juice. This was really embarrassing. All he wanted today was to find out who this Lady in Red was and see his sweet, lovely soon to be wife again.
"That wouldn't be necessary," he replied, coughing over his juice and deciding to drop his search for this moment.
Victoria sensed that Diego had lost his heart to a woman, maybe this one. She couldn't really tell why; maybe because of this reaction or maybe because he was acting more nervous around her.
"You're not telling me you lost your heart to this woman, are you?" she inquired, getting closer to him, her eyes piercing into his.
"Really, Victoria, me and women?" His laugh sounded like music to her ears, but she also heard a sad undertone. "I just seem to scare them off," Diego added dryly. "It doesn't matter how I behave or what I wear."
"How about your love?" she suggested. "You told me once that there is a woman in your life." Her voice sounded comforting and understanding.
His deep blue eyes stared at her, while he hung on her counter. After a short silence he said slowly, "If there was a way, Victoria…." He sighed deeply.
"Is a way? Why, Diego," Victoria interrupted, "you're so smart, I thought you would have a solution for convincing her that you would be the one for her."
Diego laughed since he felt a little embarrassed again and shook his head to hide it. Besides, it was kind of funny that she was giving him advice to steal her heart.
"Mí bella amiga, if only I could find a way to make her look through my appearance, I am sure no solution would be necessary. I am afraid she has different opinions on me and I don't know which one will stand, if I tell her my true feelings."
Victoria was taken aback by the depth of his feelings and the openness with which he spook to her. Con mio, who would have thought this.
"I know exactly how you feel," she tried to hearten him and let her distressed feelings go.
He looked at her, his eyes telling her that she had his complete attention.
"What do you mean?" Diego asked, alarmed, wondering what he had done wrong as himself or as Zorro.
Victoria looked over Diego's shoulder to see where Mendoza was hanging out now and to see if there were any soldiers around to overhear her private conversation with her friend. The taberna was almost empty. The few customers had gathered in one of the corners far from the counter. Diego followed her eyes and suspected that she wanted to talk about Zorro. "Is it about Zorro?" he whispered to encourage her.
She lowered her eyes and nodded almost invisibly.
"Did you happen to see him at the ball?" Diego asked, after he had averted his eyes and was scratching behind his ear innocently.
She faced him again and started telling him what was bothering her. "I can't believe Zorro hadn't picked me out at the ball."
"Why not?" Diego asked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"He always gives me red roses. I thought he would recognize me by my wearing a red dress."
Diego took another sip of his juice and swallowed hard. He was really amazed. How could he have not recognized her!
"I don't know what to do anymore, it just seems he doesn't want to know me anymore; it has been two weeks since I last saw him." She sounded desperate and her eyes were pleading for him to help her.
"I think you should be patient; he will show himself. " Diego tried to comfort her by putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Neither of them had noticed that three caballeros had entered the taberna for lunch. They sat quietly at one of the tables.
"Do you think he will come tonight?" she asked a little hopefully.
"I don't think he would leave a beautiful señorita like you waiting," Diego answered confidently and drank his last lemonade.
She wanted to ask him how he knew that, but he didn't give her a chance, since Diego stood to take his leave. "I need to see whether my experiment is working."
This was only half a lie, since he wanted to pay alcalde de Soto his regards as Zorro without even being dressed as Zorro. He didn't really mind cutting off this conversation, all of a sudden. Victoria was getting too close to guessing his secret.
He really should tell her who her hero behind the mask was, but he had better tell her as Zorro; not as Don Diego.
"Well, good luck then," Victoria replied, a little disappointed. She should have known this would happen after their great conversation.
"¡Gracias!" he replied, laying a coin on the counter. Which she wanted to swift into her palm by laying a hand over it. A large hand stopped her action and forced her to look up to its owner, flabbergaisting her even more when she met Diego'sfaces. His warm smile caused a strange feeling in her stomach.
"Shall I see you at the ball?" he inquired, pretending he hadn't found out her secret.
"Tonight, I will be at the ball, don't be afraid of not dancing with me anymore," she answered a little mysterious.
He looked shyly at her, "it would be a loss indeed."
"You will come too, won't you?" She hoped to find out who he would be, since she hadn't seen him the other nights.
"Of course I will," he assured her so confidently she couldn't misunderstand him. "See you tonight."
"Until tonight, Diego." She watched him leaving and after that she headed back to her kitchen to prepare lunch. She felt much better having talked with him and wondered even more what his disguise was. She couldn't help replaying those two nights and faces to find out.
Unfortunately, Mendoza gave her less time to pay a second thought to it, since he had eaten all her food for lunch.
"Mendoza, you've eaten all the food!" she exclaimed, quite upset.
"Did I?-no, I could never eat that much," he said, feeling ashamed.
"Oh, Mendoza!" Victoria put her hands on her hips and thought how he could make it up to her.
"I am really sorry, señorita Escalante," he showed his remorse, trying to be friends with her again.
"You'd better," she raid her voice, while she headed to the vegetables and started chopping them. "Now I have to make this lunch all over again! And you will help me!" She pointed with a knife into his direction. He wouldn't refuse her demand, now.
"Of course, I will," he swallowed his pride away, "but will you please put that knife away, señorita, you could hurt somebody with it."
Victoria had made her point and laid the knife back on the table. She teld him to start preparing the meat and to put some water for the rice on the fire.
-Z-
And I can't explain
But there's something about the way you look tonight
Takes my breath away
It's that feeling I get about you deep inside
Victoria couldn't wait to be at the ball this last evening. Before dinner, Victoria disappeared with the excuse that she needed to rest before the ball. Alicia came to her rooms some hours later to help Victoria get dressed in the large, beautiful dress Victoria made herself a year ago, after Zorro asked her to marry him. Then, she was sure that he was a true caballero. The dinner he brought to the cave was so good that she was sure he had tobe a caballero. Besides, he always behaved like a caballero, except for the way he entered her establishment; he often used the window. In addition, he had entered her room more than once, which is absolutely not appropriate for a gentleman to do.
After this very romantic affair, Victoria decided to surprise him by having a very elegant dress. She made it herself when she had some lone siestas. She had bought the cloth for this dress on some markets in Santa Paula and San Diego, when she was there for business. Unfortunately, she had never had the right moment to wear her beautiful red dress, since Zorro always comes and goes whenever it suits him. The only time she was able to spend more time with him than a fleeting moment, she ruined it.
She saw someone was stealing the poor box. Zorro wasn't around that moment, so she turned to the cuartel. But when she had told Sepulveda, Zorro was stopping the thief. Zorro couldn't stay any longer, since the soldiers were getting ready to hunt the hero down, again. Returning her attention on getting ready for the evening, she wondered whether Zorro would show up this night. She sighed deeply out of frustration, while she helped Alicia getting dressed, too.
"What is troubling you?" Alicia asked a bit concerned.
"Well," Victoria started, "I hope Zorro will come tonight."
"Why do you doubt he will be here?" Alicia asked over her shoulder.
"I have a feeling that the alcalde is up to something," Victoria admitted with some venomous tone in her voice. "Why do you think that these lancers are guarding my tavern day and night? Zorro must know something about it; why else wouldn't he have picked me out?"
"Sí, I have noticed those lancers," Alicia admitted, and wanted to cheer up her friend's spirit, "I am sure he will come. Besides, you told me Diego will come tonight, too! I think he looked much better after you had spoken to each other. He seemed content to me."
Victoria thought about her friend's words. "You are right. I wonder how Diego will be dressed."
"Why don't we find out at once?" Alicia suggested with a smile, looking almost as elegant as Victoria in her red dress and black mask. This night Alicia was wearing a different costume than the day before. Victoria offered to change Alicia's dress to make it look more like hers. After Mendoza had made up with her, she got a great idea to make the Alcalde pay for troubling her. She discussed her plan with Alicia, who totally agreed and loved to play the game with her.
Victoria smiled wickedly at her twin, "But first we're going to play with the alcalde!"
First, Victoria went downstairs and walked straight towards the alcalde, who was dressed as Satan again. Victoria still thought this is not his colour. She asked him to dance, though there were a few people around. During this dance she tried to make him believe she admired him. De Soto felt really flattered, making Victoria enjoy her wickness.
"May I have the great honour of having this dance with the great Master?" she asked Satan in a humble way.
"In fact," Satan replied, "the honour will be mine." The alcalde took the Lady in Red toward the dancing area.
"I guess you must be very powerful, señor Satan," the Lady in Red stated in a south Mexican accent, after a short silence.
"That is true." The alcalde was flattered at this perceptiveness, however, at the same moment, he was afraid of her knowing who he was. What if she was one of the citizens of pueblo de Los Angeles? He was aware of some strangers being in the pueblo, so he hoped she was one of them, who had no opinion on him. "What makes you say that?" he inquired interestedly.
"Who could not obey the great Satan, Ruler of the underworld?" the Lady in Red remarked playfully and added with mock seriousness, "one must be very scared of you."
At first, the alcalde felt awkward, but he was a gentleman and remarked, "I notice you're not one of them."
Victoria grinned at the thoughts of her own, and agreed, "I love power and stature." She observed Satan's red painted features, "Besides, money is my ally."
"Really?" the alcalde asked approvingly.
Victoria looked straight into Satan's eyes, ignoring the question, "I am fortunate to have found a man with vision in these dusty colonies."
Victoria lowered her eyes a bit containing a little displeased expression and turned her face slightly to her left and right at her surroundings to make a point.
"I thought you were from Mexico?" the alcalde asked confused, wondering what brought her here, and hoping he would be able to persuade her to stay.
"That's right," Victoria agreed, sounding like she regretted it. "I should never have left Spain..., long ago."
"What brought you here?" Now, the alcalde feared she must have a husband, who brought her to Mexico.
"That's a long story," Victoria cut off the conversation politely. "If you will excuse me, I am in a need of a glass of water."
As planned, after the dance, Victoria left to go to the kitchen to get some fresh water. She refused Satan's assistance. De Soto wanted to guard the door, but Pilar suddenly started a conversation with him. De Soto was so occupied with Pilar that he hadn't noticed Alicia coming downstairs. She walked towards the alcalde and wanted the next dance with him. "Of course, I could dance all night with you if I got the change," De Soto replied greedily taking the opportunity of having the honour to dance with the Lady in Red so soon again. He even forgot thinking about how fast she had returned. Alicia also was flattering him in a way that he felt that she was returning his feelings.
Before she was able to start flattering him, she had to cut off the questions about her whereabouts. "I don't want to spoil this evening with such a charming companion, do you?"
"No of course not, pardon me," Satan replied a little embarrassed.
"You are forgiven, señor Satan," Alicia laughed inwardly. Normally, the alcalde wouldn't care a bit about her feelings. This power felt so good.
"Did I tell you what a good dancer you are?" Alicia changed the subject to a safer one.
After this dance, Alicia turned to Mendoza asking him whether he had a good red wine in the kitchen and asked him to come with her to check the wine. Mendoza was shocked when he met the other Lady in Red standing in the kitchen.
"Don't say a word about us, Dionysus," Alicia warned holding up a finger.
"Oh, no, of course not!" he stumbled, wondering why these señoritas look the same.
"Dionysus, here is the best wine there is," Victoria remarked with a wink towards Alicia. Mendoza was confused. How could the other señorita know about the wine, or have they switched in front of him so fast that he hadn't noticed?
He allowed the other woman to take him back to the party, leaving the first one in the kitchen behind.
De Soto almost ran towards the Lady in Red, who was receiving her glass of wine from the wine god.
"Would you care for the next dance," Satan almost begged her. Pretending to be eager, Victoria accepted his request and set her wineglass aside.
During their dance Victoria noticed Dracula standing in one of the corners of the taberna. Her cheeks flushed at the sight of this dangerous looking man. Something in his appearance had changed. His mood seemed to be better than the evening before.
She smiled at him and returned her attention back to Satan, telling him he was the greatest and most powerful man in the world; the world of death.
After this dance, she asked Dionysus for after a snack. "I heard you have the best recipes in the territory. I hope you can get me a fine snack. I will follow you to the kitchen."
Before Mendoza was able to protest, he was on his way to the kitchen with the mysterious and beautiful woman leading him by his arm.
"Dionysus, your recipes are truly a feast for the mouth," Alicia said, excited about their performance, confusing the sergeant even more.
With a tortilla in her hand, Alicia took the sergeant back to the crowded room.
"Dionysus, pretend nothing is going on," Alicia told him with a smile.
The very moment they had returned from the kitchen, De Soto stood next to the Lady in Red asking for the next dance again.
Before Victoria entered her kitchen she looked over her shoulder and noticed her admirers watching her. She smiled a little wickedly in the direction of Satan. Her game was working; he is totally blinded by love, and had no idea that she and Alicia were playing with him. That would make him think twice about trying to capture mió precioso by confiscating my property. Her smile was getting warmer, when she looked around into the taberna, hoping to get a hint from her love. But all she captured was a charming smile in return from the mysterious, dangerous man Dracula. It completely took her breath away for the second time. She really had to do her utmost to keep her attention on the trick she was playing on the alcalde. She already felt the excitement at picturing the disturbed, disappointed, and maybe insulted face of the alcalde's.
-Z-