Chapter 2
A lamp was lighted and a woman began to scream when she saw his black figure. "Who are you, Señor? And what are you doing in my bedroom?"
A middle aged man in his nightshirt grabbed a pistol from his nightstand and pointed it at a confused Zorro.
"Your room? Where is Señorita Escalante?" Zorro asked surprised.
"Ah you're looking for your lover, Señor! I must disappoint you, but this is no longer her room nor her tavern. If you don't leave at once, I will shoot you!" Threatening he pointed the pistol at Zorro's direction, slowly pulling the trigger. Zorro ducked quickly and vanished through the window.
Z Z Z
It was early in the morning that Victoria woke up to the sounds of banging on the door. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't in her own room, but in the small back room. Hastily she covered herself before she opened the door to see Gonzalez standing outside.
"Señorita, you will leave this house at once!" Gonzalez ordered her angrily. "I thought you were an honorable woman, but tonight your lover came into our bedroom looking for you!"
"Zorro?" Victoria asked confused and not fully awake. "Zorro was here tonight?"
"I don't know his name." Gonzalez replied. "And I don't care. But I can't have a whore living under my roof. This is an honorable house."
"I'm no whore!" Victoria contradicted him.
"A midnight visit from your lover is proof enough for me! You have an hour to leave!"
Z Z Z
Diego was deeply concerned after his encounter with the couple in Victoria's bedroom. Unable to figure out what had happened, he thought of Victoria. Where was she? After a night with little sleep he got up early, surprising his father who for once got up later than his son.
"Are you joining me for breakfast, Diego? You're up early."
"No thanks, Father. I already finished breakfast. I forgot an important article for my paper and have to finish it."
"An article? But, the next edition of the newspaper isn't due for more than a week." Alejandro shook his head. "I don't understand you, Diego. Some days you don't get up before noon and on other days you are up earlier than me."
When Diego arrived at the pueblo, the plaza was still deserted. Some early merchants started to set up their stalls for the market. Tying his horse in front of the tavern porch, he curiously looked at some bags piled up in front of it. Then he saw Victoria come out of the door carrying a coat and a small box.
"Victoria, what is going on here? Whose bags are those?" Diego inquired.
"Diego? Why are you here this early? Did you hear already?" Victoria asked him with trembling lips, trying to suppress her tears.
"Heard what?" Diego asked.
"That I have lost my tavern!" Victoria burst into tears.
"Victoria, tell me what happened. How can you lose your tavern?" Diego wanted to take her in his arms, but instead he only gently touched her shoulder.
Victoria told him, through her tears, how Gonzalez and his family had arrived in the tavern yesterday, and thrown her out of her room.
"And now he's throwing me out of the tavern and telling everyone that I am a whore because Zorro wanted to see me last night." Victoria gratefully took the handkerchief that Diego handed her.
Diego looked at her horrified. What a mess! And, he had added to her misfortune by coming to her bedroom last night as Zorro.
"Diego, please, you must believe me, Zorro and I, we never…" Victoria couldn't stand it if Diego believed the rumors. "What can I do now? Please, Diego, I need your help!" Pleadingly, she looked at him. "Can I stay at your hacienda for a few days?"
Diego looked at her, with her belongings gathered around her on the dusty ground. Some guests leaving the tavern threw her glances. Obviously, the gossip was making the rounds already. He knew that it wouldn't really help her if she moved to the de la Vega hacienda and stayed there with three unmarried men and no chaperone. "No, Victoria, I don't think that you can come to the hacienda, unless you marry me right now."
Victoria looked at him, shocked. "Marry you? Now? Why are you doing this to me? I thought you were my friend! You know that I can't marry you! I am in love with Zorro and you are in love with someone else too!"
He wanted to take her in his arms and explain everything, but he saw the alcalde and some lancers standing a short distance away, pretending not to listen to their conversation.
"You have no choice, Victoria." He declared, more brusquely than intended. "I'm offering you the chance of becoming my wife and making you an honorable woman. Or, you can stand here on the street with nowhere to go! Unless you get married as soon as possible you are ruined. You must realize that Zorro can never marry you!"
"Diego, why are you so cruel to me? Please, you must believe me that I haven't done anything wrong!" Did Diego really believe she was a fallen woman? It was the only reason, that she could imagine, that would make him act so cold towards her.
"I think that we should go over to the church now, Victoria. Padre Benitez can marry us before he is occupied with his morning duties." Diego offered her his arm, which she took, reluctantly. She knew very well that she had no choice.
The alcalde stopped them as they passed him by. "Don Diego, you must excuse me, but I overheard your discussion. I assume that congratulations are in order. What a surprising turn of events. I always knew you had an eye for the senorita. But, why would you take her now, when she's spoiled goods?"
"Don't say anything more, alcalde." Diego said in a sharp voice. "You're talking about the future Señora de la Vega. You will treat her with the respect my wife deserves!" Without any more words, Diego led her across the plaza into the empty church. They were quickly followed by the alcalde and other curious onlookers, who wanted to see if Diego would really marry Victoria.
Diego sighed. He had hoped to have a moment alone with Victoria before they got married to explain everything to her, but it wasn't going to happen. Hopefully, Victoria would forgive him later.