El Casamentero de Los Angeles by JuliaBC
Chapter Three
Magdalena left Sergeant Garcia's office satisfied. He'd promised to do what she'd asked, and she knew that she could trust him to carry it out to the letter.
Across the plaza, she saw Diego talking to a petite woman, and hurried over to meet them. "Diego. Please introduce me to your friend."
"Magdalena, this is Senorita Nina Amantero. Senorita, this is my wife, Dona Magdalena." Diego introduced to each other with a worried frown on his face.
Magdalena wondered at it, but merely greeted the lady. "Buenos dias, Senorita Nina. May I ask what brings you to Los Angeles?"
"It is private business," Nina said. "I only asked Diego because he knows so much about this pueblo's residents."
"Si, I do," Diego said, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Would you like to sit down in the tavern? It's rather warm out here."
"No, I do not think so," Nina said. "Gracias for asking. I think I must be getting on, though. I assume that he will be in the cuartel."
Her eyes pierced Diego. Magdalena saw how anxious her husband was becoming, and quickly interrupted. "My husband feels uncomfortable letting you sit out here in the sun. Please, join us in the tavern to have a bite to eat."
At the mention of food, Nina perked up. "Well, just for a few moments. Just let me speak to the driver, Senor Diaz." She hurried back to the coach, and Magdalena stared at Diego.
"Are you going to tell me what on earth is happening?" She asked.
"I'm not quite sure myself," Diego began. "She is looking for Sergeant Garcia."
"Oh, trouble?" She asked, gazing after the lady's diminutive figure. "Is that why you are worried, because Zorro might have to get involved?"
Diego laughed, a worrying sound. "I only wish that it were that simple. I cannot explain right now, Magdalena."
He patted her arm. "Could you go on home? I want to speak to her alone."
Puzzled, Magdalena stepped back. "I suppose. I was wanting to get back early anyway. Adiós," she said, and walked back to her horse, hoping that Diego would run after her to say a proper goodbye. Or, preferably, an improper one.
But he didn't.
Diego offered his arm to Nina, and almost dragged her inside the tavern to get her situated at a table.
"What would you like?" He asked Nina when Clara walked up.
"Oh, their best lunch will do," she said, removing her shawl from her head.
"Dos," Diego said to Clara, and she nodded, shooting Diego a bitter glance that made his already uneasy stomach wince.
"And a bottle of your best wine," he called after her. I think I'll need it.
"Now, why do you say you are to marry Sergeant Garcia?"
"I received a letter with betrothal money in it," she said complacently. "It was an offer my father couldn't possibly refuse! He gave me my dowry and I boarded the next coach to Los Angeles."
"Pardon, but your family has never met the Sergeant," Diego said.
"There was a beautiful letter of recommendation enclosed," Nina said. "Signed from someone we did know, so we decided to trust it."
"What someone?" Diego asked. "May I see the letters?"
"No," Nina said, drawing her reticule close to her chest. "They are my possessions."
"My apologies, I did not mean to insult," Diego said, hurriedly making his amends. "But shouldn't you have someone verify their authenticity?"
Nina shrugged. "I believe the words said, and why should I let you read them? You might steal them to use on your own lady, and just change the names."
"I'm married, you just met my wife," Diego reminded.
"I have heard that you dons sometimes do not care if they are already married," Nina said, and sat on her reticule.
Diego closed his eyes in frustration. "Where on earth do you get that piece of information?"
"From a don, of course," Nina said. "From the person who wrote the recommendation."
"And who is that?" Diego asked, and her answer floored him.
"Ah, Magdalena, you are home," Alejandro said, hurrying to meet her. "I was thinking. Don Marcos is again having his annual masquerade on San Valentin's feast day. I need help with my costume."
"You do not wish to be a soldier, like last year?" Magdalena said.
"I felt foolish enough then," Alejandro said. "But how do you know about that?"
"Diego told me," she said slyly. "He said you looked quite dashing, as a soldier of the King! I forget, whose uniform did you borrow?"
"I borrowed no one's!" Alejandro said, exasperated. "I had it made for me."
"Ah, never mind then," Magdalena said. "I was having trouble imagining you in Sergeant Garcia's trousers!"
Alejandro opened his mouth to scold her, then burst out laughing. "Oh, you can always make me laugh, mi hija."
"I know," she said. "As a matter of fact, I do have an idea for your costume. But first, can you tell me if the name Nina Amantero is familiar?"
Alejandro tried the name out. "Nina Amantero. No, I do not remember that name. Why?"
"Just someone I met in the plaza," Magdalena said. "Diego was talking to her."
"What was Diego doing in Los Angeles?" Alejandro said. "He said he was going to the North...Oh." He smiled. "I would not worry over it, Magdalena. He has some business."
Feeling unsure, she traced a 'Z' and he nodded. "But in the plaza..." She began, then gave it up. "Never mind. Here, what would you think of dressing as a knight?"
"In armor?" He asked.
"No, with a tunic over leggings," she explained.
"I'm not sure, I'd have to see a picture," he said, and she nodded.
"I thought you'd say that. Come along, I know the book."
Diego left the tavern after having put up Senorita Nina in a room. She had protested at first, but he'd told her that Garcia was not in Los Angeles at this time, and she'd acquiesced, huffing at the assumption she couldn't pay for a room herself.
"I brought pesos," she snapped.
"Well, it's just because you won't stay at my hacienda," Diego said. "I would welcome you as a guest."
"No," Nina said, and that was the end of that. She'd stormed up to her room, and Diego had discreetly slipped Teo the pesos needed for her room.
"Let her pay, if she wants to," Diego said, speaking softly. "But change the price, eh?"
Teo had nodded, and Diego left the tavern feeling like strangling one certain person.
Or cutting him a little around the throat.
No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to escape Ricardo's hijinks. All he'd wanted to do was help Garcia with Clara, and Ricardo's sixth sense for trouble had felt it and sent Senorita Nina here, just to bother Diego!
Diego sighed, mounting Torcedor slowly. It wasn't Ricardo's fault. In fact, it was quite warmhearted of the Practical Joker.
But his timing was so uncanny.
And his handwriting, as Nina had said, was lovely.
Diego urged Torcedor homeward. He had a feeling Magdalena would be expecting an apology...
Magdalena was in the sala when he got home, and had changed from her riding outfit to a pink day dress.
"Hola," he said cautiously, walking forward.
She only tipped her head to indicate she'd heard him, keeping her gaze firmly on the book in her hands.
"Magdalena, it was an odd situation," Diego explained. "I can explain everything, but know that I did not mean to slight you."
Magdalena turned her head a bit. "What kind of situation?" She asked, and Diego captured the moment by leaning forward to kiss her.
"Don Diego!" Cresencia called, and Diego bit back a groan as he pulled away.
"I thought that was you," Cresencia said, coming into the sala. "I have a question."
Magdalena stood up, and as he spoke with Cresencia, he saw her leave. He felt something stab at his heart when he realized how often that had happened these past few days.
Senor Diaz, the coach man, stepped down from his post with a grunt of relief. He'd been sitting too long. This ride from Monterey to Los Angeles got harder every time. Yet, he dreaded the day he would be compelled to hand the reins over to his son.
He moved to head for the tavern, knowing something to drink would make his aches and pains lessen considerably. But in the late afternoon shadows, he spied a man, and knew that a trip to the tavern would not be on his agenda after all...
He wouldn't have the pesos.