Author's Note: Hope I haven't lost you all. This is really two chapters. Or one and a half. I know you wanted Diego and Victoria so that's what you get. Though I do hope you also like Rebecca and Luis. :) Thanks to my Facebook group for talking about spices. Katie and DietMJ gave me lots of help and gave me the spices.

So we left Diego and Luis in the living room last chapter, but the chapter before we left Victoria and Rebecca talking in the kitchen just after Charlie the little boy ran inside. We pick up with Victoria and Rebecca from that point, and then the guys come back.

Zzz

Rebecca took the untouched bowl of soup and replaced it with something creamier from a smaller pot. "Sit and eat something before you collapse. You have family now. Friends. We're all here for you. Everything will be fine."

Victoria played with her soup for another moment. "Was that your son?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No, my baby died. I'm sorry, I thought Diego would have told you."

Victoria felt terrible. "I'm sorry. He never told me anything about friends outside of Los Angeles. I shouldn't have assumed."

Rebecca smiled weakly, then tried to shake away the guilt. "Charlie's here every day anyway. I do a lot with the school." Rebecca sat back at the table and picked up a few beans. "Zara got sick on the ship from England. I should have made sure there was a better doctor on board, or waited a year or two." She snapped the beans nearly in half and grabbed a few more. "But we're happy here. Luis makes toys for the local children. Maybe one day God will let me carry a child again."

Victoria frowned into her soup, a shiver going down her back as she considered for the first time that her baby might die. What if she couldn't get pregnant? She couldn't have a baby if she didn't let Diego touch her. She'd have to stop being so jumpy. Alicia was right. Diego was a nice man. He wouldn't hurt her on purpose. She turned a little pink, then felt guilty at her thoughts when Rebecca was sitting there with such a sad story. Victoria finally took a bite of the soup, more to change the subject than from hunger. Her eyes widened.

"This is wonderful." Victoria glanced up at the pot and then at Rebecca as she brought the small bowl up to her nose to smell. She took another bite, trying to figure out how she'd never tasted this before.

Rebecca smiled, happy for the distraction. "I thought you might like it."

"What is it?" Victoria was suddenly ravenous.

"Sesame soup. Diego read about it years ago, he likes it. I usually make it when he comes."

"It's sweet? Can you give me the recipe?" Victoria pouted at her empty bowl. It really was only a large cup. Oh…right. Rebecca didn't want to upset her stomach. She'd forgotten for a moment. She wouldn't need the recipe because she'd no longer run the tavern. Diego had a cook. How odd was it that she now had a cook? Servants? She was friends with a few of the women who worked in Diego's house. How would that work?

Rebecca watched Victoria deflate, and wondered why the sudden change. She took the bowl since Victoria's hands had folded on the table, and refilled it. She set her few remaining sesame seeds beside the bowl next to Victoria's fingers. "Sesame seeds. From Asia. Diego gave me the recipe, of course you can have it."

Victoria shook her head. "No, it's alright. I …"

Rebecca leaned forward, trying to encourage Victoria to open up. Victoria peeked curiously into the small bag of sesame seeds. "He told you I run the tavern in Los Angeles?"

Rebecca nodded. "He always said if we came to Los Angeles we should stay with you. I always figured he wanted the excuse to be in town with you. If he wasn't courting you, though…" Rebecca shrugged, still confused at Diego's behavior.

"I guess I don't need the recipe. I won't be running the tavern anymore. I don't know what I'll be doing. Diego should have married someone his father picked out. Why would a caballero marry me?" She turned her hands over, felt the callouses and rough skin, held them up for Rebecca to see. "His wife should have soft hands. I have the hands of a woman who has worked most of her life. I didn't stay in school because my mother needed help in the tavern."

Rebecca took Victoria's hand and held it in both of hers. "School is overrated. It takes a lot of smarts to run a business, I know. I went to school, but I could never have done this without Luis and Diego's help. I don't know how you do it." She placed her palm next to Victoria's. "Hands get rough. It's a sign that you work hard. My hands bled when I had to start doing my own chores. Growing up a sheltered debutante in London is not all it's cracked up to be."

Victoria's eyes widened as she realized Rebecca's life had probably changed as much as hers was about to, only in opposite directions. Rebecca continued. "Diego's not like most caballeros. He'll be perfectly happy if you never throw a party. I think if it weren't for his father and his tenants, he'd be happier in a small house. Leave him to his books and his—"

Rebecca closed her eyes when she heard a crash on the other side of the door. "As I said…boys and their toys." She stood and put a hand on Victoria's shoulder. "Diego's not going to try to change you. He chose you. You chose him. If you're worried about something, tell him. He's sensitive, and if you really haven't been courting, you need to learn to talk to each other. Marriage is compromise, but it's absolutely wonderful to have a man to call your own, who needs you as much as you need him. I'll give you the recipe. His hacienda will be yours—if you want to cook, cook. If you don't, don't." Rebecca smiled. "I won't tell him you have the recipe. A wife always needs something up her sleeve."

"Why?"

Rebecca smiled at her young friend. "You might think Diego is without fault right now, but he can be stubborn. You disagree with something? Make him this. He thinks your cooking is amazing. I keep trying new things, but he still talks about your kitchen creations. I've been quite jealous, actually."

"Jealous of what?" Luis asked as he strolled back into the kitchen.

Victoria glanced up when Diego followed. Had she ever seen Diego this happy? This playful? He was always so reserved…she liked seeing this side of him. Maybe he was right. They needed to get away from Los Angeles, to spend time just the two of them together. He smiled at her, and she felt like she was the luckiest woman in the world.

Diego felt ten feet tall when she smiled at him, and he turned to Rebecca to thank her for whatever she said. He took a step back instead when Rebecca scowled at him. Diego held up one finger. "Nice."

Rebecca kept her eyes on Diego as she spoke to Victoria. "Are you sure you wanted to marry him? Richest man in California and he can't give you a decent wedding?"

Rebecca felt bad when Diego looked panicked at Victoria. She turned and saw Victoria's eyes as large as saucers again staring at her.

Diego was at Victoria's side in a heartbeat, scowling over her head at Rebecca. "Do we need to go somewhere else?"

Luis took pity on his friend. "Victoria, forgive us. We're surprised, that's all. Diego should be too immature to keep a secret." Luis laughed when Diego took a step forward. "He's a good man, though. Best friend a guy could ask for. He's saved my life a few times. Welcome to the family. Maybe you'll be a good influence on him."

Victoria looked down at Diego's hand where it rested on the counter next to hers. She carefully slipped her hand under his, lacing their fingers together. "It's alright. I'm not changing my mind. I know you're a good man. And I know you are a wealthy caballero."

"That's not who I am, Querida. Just like you're not going to change into some caballero's wife. I love who you are. Don't worry that I want to change you."

Victoria smiled up at him and let go of his hand, though she did lean back against him as she finished her soup.

"Victoria and I thought we'd take a walk along the water."

"Sounds lovely," Rebecca said.

Victoria scraped the bottom of the bowl and sat up, finding it easier to relax with Diego standing so close behind her. He was a solid wall at her back, full of heat and support, just what she'd wanted. When he placed his hands on her shoulders, gently rubbing, she closed her eyes and relaxed.

Rebecca took her bowl. "I'll copy the recipe for you."

"No, I don't… I guess I don't need it." She sighed. "I thought I could make it at the tavern. I guess I have to get used to someone else doing the cooking."

Diego squeezed her shoulders. "You can cook whenever you want. And Rebecca can still copy the recipe for Alicia. It's not like you're never going to go to the tavern again."

Victoria leaned her head back so she could look up at her incredibly tall husband. He smiled at her, and all was right in her world again.

Zzz

Diego looked down at the sand, smiling even though the wind kept blowing Victoria's hair in his face. The wind blew and tangled Victoria's skirts in his legs, but he didn't mind. It was showing him more of her legs, and he could see her feet since she'd let him take off their shoes to walk barefoot. She was walking close to him. She'd stumbled in the beginning and grabbed onto him, and they'd stuck. She held onto his arm with both of hers except to point out something or fix her hair or shawl. He absolutely loved the wind.

They'd circled back to where they entered the beach after a nice long walk. It felt good to dig their toes into the sand after so long in the carriage, and they paused on the beach to watch the sun go down. She listened as he talked about the motion of the planets and realized she liked having things explained to her. Then he stood behind her to block the wind and wrapped his arms around her waist as he quoted poetry about the stars. She rested her hands over his on her stomach and felt herself relaxing, growing accustomed to his presence.

The whole time on the beach, it was only Diego and Victoria. No one intruded, no one talked about how close they stood to each other, no one drew a sword or talked about politics.

"It's beautiful, thank you."

Diego smiled and kissed her hair. "I would take credit for it, but I doubt you'd believe me."

Victoria laughed, then shivered when Diego placed a kiss where her neck met her shoulder. That was all he did, though, before he lifted her shawl back over her shoulders from where it had fallen. She glanced up at his face, but he was smiling casually, looking out over the water as if nothing were out of the ordinary. She turned and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. She'd never spent this much time with a man, especially alone. She'd also never been so happy.

She pulled away to look at him, giggling when she saw his hair. She reached up to try to smooth it into place, but the wind was still blowing. His hands locked together behind her back, bringing her closer to him once again. Victoria stared at her hands resting on his chest, unable to hold his gaze. What would he say if she told him about this morning? What if he found out anyway? Would he change his mind? She saw his eyes drop again to her lips.

She'd kissed another man this morning. She didn't know who he was. She didn't know how Zorro would react to her rushed marriage. She didn't know how Diego would react, either, if he knew. Alejandro didn't stop the wedding, but he hadn't been happy about Diego's haste. Ramone had all but said it this morning. Diego thought the best of everyone. What would he think if he knew the truth? What if Zorro was the type of man to cause a scene when they returned?

She took a step back, gently insistent when Diego tried to hold onto her. She didn't want to see his disappointment if he found out. Would it be worse if he found out later? From a man who claimed to be Zorro? What would happen when they returned to Los Angeles? Victoria pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and put a hand to her stomach, feeling a little queasy. Victoria crossed her arms over her stomach as she turned back toward where they'd left their shoes.

"Victoria?"

She bent to pick up her own shoes when it didn't look like he was going to. She lifted her foot when he took them from her, but he had set them back down again.

Diego put a hand to her cheek and brought her eyes back to his. "Is something wrong?"

She saw his worry, saw the love shining from his eyes with the concern as he examined her face.

Her vision clouded, guilt warring with the fear that he'd be angry with her. Wouldn't it be better to find out now, though?

"Victoria, I'm your husband now. Your family. Please tell me what's upsetting you." Diego stroked a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "You have to trust me, we have to be able to talk to each other to make a happy marriage. Whatever it is, please tell me."

Victoria dropped her eyes, staring at the white silk of his shirt. He was the polar opposite of the man who wore black, but he was her husband. She'd kissed a stranger, and refused to kiss the man who had stood up in church with her.

"We were married so fast."

Diego sighed and dropped his hand. "I'm sorry. I just…this afternoon…I couldn't go to Monterey without you. I was so afraid someone else would take you away. After the alcalde…" Diego shrugged. "I didn't see a reason to wait."

"I mean…you didn't ask me any questions."

"Questions?"

"You really don't care about Zorro? Everyone…"

Diego interrupted her. "I don't care. I never heard the rumors or I would have put a stop to them." Diego grimaced inside, knowing he was crossing the line. He remembered this morning in her pantry, how quickly she'd pushed him away. Yeah, they'd kissed, but he had the pent up frustration to prove the alcalde's remarks were unfounded.

"It was this morning." The words rushed out as she stared at his tie. "I'm sorry. I wasn't going to tell you…" Victoria turned a little pink as she met his eyes briefly. "I wanted to marry you. I didn't want you to change your mind. But if he's angry, he might tell you when we get back to Los Angeles. I didn't want you to find out from him. I don't know his name, but…" Victoria bit her lip, and she reached out to take his hands, desperate to keep him, but knowing she had to come clean. "I kissed him. A few times." She looked up into his eyes, glad not to see anger. "I wanted you to hear it from me, and to know that we didn't do anything else. I promise."

Guilt squeezed his chest till it was difficult to breathe. He should tell her, but she was finally reaching out to him. She still seemed to think Zorro was a threat, he didn't want her to see him as violent, too. She'd also just given him some hope that she loved Diego, not Zorro. His thumbs stroked over the back of her hands. If he told her now, she might demand to return home right away. Later he could explain that Santa Monica was his refuge. Maybe she'd understand that he didn't want to spend his entire honeymoon answering questions about Zorro. She knew how curious she was, didn't she? She'd understand that.

"Querida…"

Loud thunder crashed and lightning lit the dusk as the sky opened up in a torrential downpour. Diego took off his jacket and covered her head, bending to pick up her shoes before they ran for the cover of the house a short distance away.

Victoria shook out his jacket and pushed her hair out of her face when she reached the large porch, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. She stared at his wet jacket, saw Diego soaked to the bone, watched lightning rip open the sky again. This was her fault, God's way of saying she'd gone against the church by kissing a man not her husband.

She sniffed back tears, telling herself Diego was a good man. He might not kiss her the same day she'd kissed a stranger, but he wouldn't demand an annulment. He loved her. He said he did, didn't he?

She met his eyes again, but Diego stepped into her and took her mouth before she could utter another apology.

Zzz

Author's Note: So my friends in the FB group said this is a great place to end it. I was afraid I'd bore people with just the kitchen scene. Most of the stuff from here on out is Diego and Victoria, and I know that's what you want to read.

Thanks again to all the wonderful people who helped with this story.

Hope you enjoyed, hope you review.