Chapter 12

When Diego entered the tavern the next day he was eyed curiously by the customers, and from the way conversation suddenly stopped, he knew they had been talking about him.

It was the alcalde who addressed him first.

"There comes our reluctant bachelor. Don Diego, please satisfy our curiosity? Tell us why you changed your mind about the lovely señorita? Who, by the way, has unfortunately already left us." De Soto tugged at his vest sitting up straighter in his fine suit. Diego smiled inwardly at the display. Obviously, the alcalde had hoped to try is chances with Señorita Gonzalez, only to find out she had already departed yesterday.

"I know my behavior was a little strange that night, but I can give you an explanation. A friend of our family took the effort to do some investigation of Don Pedro in Monterey. He hinted the possibility that everything wasn't as well with Don Pedro's hacienda as it seemed. The friend couldn't sent me a note in time to cancel the party. Don Pedro is in fact ruined and he needs a wealthy son-in-law to save his hacienda. You can understand that I was a little shocked to find out that the Gonzalez' were mainly interested in my money."

"Ruined, you say?" De Soto seemed to be less disappointed about the departure of Maria Gonzalez after this disclosure.

"Yes, Don Pedro was desperate and hoped to change my mind by the point of his sword, but I won't be forced to a marriage."

"I can imagine you'd rather die," de Soto chuckled. "No wonder you're still unmarried." Still chuckling, he headed for the exit.

"Hola, Diego," Victoria greeted him, trying not to show her feelings in his presence as they had agreed upon yesterday. "You're father has not joined you today?"

"No, he went with Felipe to Santa Paula on business for a few days."

Diego went over to the bar to talk to her, something he hadn't done since the arrival of Maria Gonzalez, and it was not unnoticed among the customers. In a lower voice he added, "I think he feels embarrassed finding out that he really went to town as Zorro and doesn't want to come to the pueblo until he has some time to think about everything that happened yesterday."

Victoria understood Diego was referencing not only to the duel, but also the revelation that his son was Zorro.

"Don Diego, how are you today?" Mendoza asked him. "I heard the your duel with Don Pedro yesterday didn't go too well for you?"

Diego sat down at Mendoza's table. "Victoria, coffee please, for me and the sergeant."

"Unfortunately Don Pedro stabbed me in the shoulder with his sword," Diego grimaced with pain. "Maybe I should have stayed in bed."

"You should take fencing lessons if you want to be safe from angry fathers, Don Diego." Mendoza advised him."

"You can be sure, Mendoza, I have learned something from this. Life can be very short and if I want to get married I'd rather do it sooner than later."

"That's all too true, Don Diego. If you were a soldier like me, you would have learned that lesson much earlier." Mendoza looked at him knowingly. "When I think of all the times I nearly escaped death. So, you still want to get married, Don Diego?"

"Yes, but before I'll court someone in the future, I'll make sure she hasn't a father who is quick with the sword. No father at all would be even better." Diego's eyes wandered across the room, resting on Victoria, who came out of the kitchen with a tray in her hands.

"There aren't that many unmarried señoritas who fit that description, Don Diego. Señorita Escalante of course," Mendoza added, following his look.

"You want something else, Mendoza?" Victoria arrived at their table with the coffee.

"No, everything is alright." Before Mendoza could say more, Diego suddenly made a sound of pain. He reached with his hand inside his jacket to touch his shoulder and when he took it out again, his hand was red. "I think the wound on my shoulder has opened again." Victoria looked at him with surprise on her face. "But Diego, I thought.."

"I know you thought the wound wasn't so severe, Victoria. But would you be so kind to give me some bandages, then I can take care of it in one of your rooms." Diego seemed to be in pain.

"You should have Dr. Hernandez take a look at it, Don Diego," Mendoza added.

"Just my luck, Sergeant Mendoza, that he is out of town."

Victoria threw him a strange look. "I'll bring it up to you."

"You're too kind." Diego managed a smile.

Z Z Z

A few minutes later, Victoria went to the room where Diego was waiting for her to bring medical supplies.

The moment she had closed the door she snapped at him. "Diego, you'll tell me immediately what this is all about! You weren't injured yesterday and we both know it."

"Doesn't a man deserve some uninterrupted minutes with his fiancée?" Diego smiled mischievously. "You know how hard it is to get a minute alone with you, now that my father has set himself to the task to chaperone us, and I can't kiss you as Diego in the kitchen yet." Diego made it obvious that he planned to change that soon.

"So, how much time do you think you would need to take care of that imaginary wound of mine?That is exactly the time I'm planning to have you in my arms and kiss you. And, if it takes a little longer you might say that I'm quite a difficult patient."

"Diego, you're impossible." Then, she was silenced by his kisses.

"I don't think we can stay here any longer without raising suspicions," Victoria moved away reluctantly and headed for the door.

"Wait a minute, Victoria." Diego stepped to the washbowl and poured some water into it. Then, he pulled a small vial from a pocket in his suit and added some drops to the water before handing the bowl to Victoria, who looked surprised at the red colored water inside.

"Take that down with you. It will convince everyone that you did nothing else than clean and dress my wound."

"What do you plan to achieve with this charade, Diego?"

"Except for a few minutes alone with you?" Diego grinned and Victoria couldn't resist his smile.

"Yes, besides that?" she smiled.

"Well, I thought we might discover our love for each other, now that I'm injured and need your help."

"You're planning to start rumors, so you can court me?"

"That is my intention. You should have seen Mendoza's face when I told him that I prefer women with no fathers from now on."

"You didn't say that, Diego?!" Victoria exclaimed.

"Of course, I did, and it was Mendoza who said you'd fit that description."

"You're impossible, Diego!"

"You said that before." Diego couldn't stop grinning.

"What would you have done if Dr. Hernandez had been available?"

"I checked, he will be out of town for a few days. I think I must rely on your tender hands over the next few days." Diego kissed her hand, making her blush before he followed her down the stairs, putting on a serious face again.

Z Z Z

Victoria had started to like the game Diego had initiated. The next day, she asked Diego about his shoulder.

"It is better today, I think. I can move my arm a little again." Diego lifted his arm, but grimaced as if in pain.

Victoria marveled his acting abilities. "Do you want me to change the dressing again?"

"I don't want to bother you with that again. I'm sure I can wait until my father and Felipe return from their trip to Santa Paula tonight." Diego seemed reluctant.

"Don't be so shy about it. I don't mind, and you should really be careful with it to avoid infection and change it a least once a day."

"If you insist, Victoria." Diego hid his smile successfully behind a glass.

"I do." Victoria said firmly. "Now go up and wait for me."

Mendoza grinned, listening to the conversation. "You'd better do as the Señorita says. She's not one to be contradicted if she has set her mind on something."

Diego sighed. "Maybe it was an error to ask her yesterday." Loud enough for Victoria to hear, he added, "but I must admit she has tender hands, she is much better with it than my father or Felipe."

Victoria couldn't hide her blushing that went not unnoticed by neither Mendoza nor the alcalde who was sitting at the table next to them.

The alcalde couldn't refrain to comment. "If you have set your mind on Señorita Escalante, Don Diego, you should think twice. Don't you know that words from the Señorita can sting as much as the tip of a sword of an angry father? But, I doubt you'll ever learn, Don Diego!" With a smug smile, he dropped some coins on the table and left.

Diego had been about to reply the alcalde, but his attention was distracted when he saw Victoria's slumped shoulders as she headed for the kitchen. Ignoring the alcalde for the time being, he followed her through the curtain where he found Victoria crying, her good mood having evaporated like dust.

"Pilar, why don't you serve Mendoza another wine on me?" Having understood the hint, Pilar left the kitchen to give them a minute alone.

"Diego, De Soto is right," Victoria cried, "I hurt you so much with my remark.."

"Victoria, I forgave you, now you must forgive yourself. And, I hurt you as much when I left you without a real explanation. We will leave that behind us now." He took out his handkerchief and softly dried her tears. "And, now my shoulder needs to be dressed again."

"You want to continue with it?"

"I insist! Pilar will be back any minute and I don't like interruptions." Diego made her smile again, and when she mockingly tried to hit him, he cringed with feigned pain when he saw Pilar return.

"Ow, my shoulder is hurting again."

Z Z Z

Zorro made an appearance one of the next days. It was obvious that he was in good health when he came to town to have some bandits imprisoned. There were no efforts from him to win Victoria back, although he started to notice her again, but it never went beyond an occasional polite greeting any more.

The next few weeks Diego's shoulder was improving and so was his relationship with Victoria. It became obvious that Diego was no longer indifferent to Victoria's attention and valued it even more now that he had nearly lost his life.

It was no surprise to anyone who had seen Victoria's jealousy when Diego was about to marry another woman, that she said yes to his proposal and married him two months later.

Z Z Z

The wedding was a big celebration, and to Victoria's joy, her brothers were able to attend and Francisco gave her away.

Those who had thought Diego to be the unromantic type were surprised by the the bunch of red roses he gave Victoria as bridal bouquet. Obviously, he had learned something about women during his Monterey affair, as his near engagement to Maria Gonzalez was called in general. Altogether, it had been a good thing for both. Diego had opened up, and Victoria had turned away from the outlaw to discover her heart for her best friend, Diego.

Alejandro thought he'd never seen them so happy as the moment Diego kissed his wife at the altar.

No one expected Zorro to appear, since the two of them had obviously split up, but the alcalde wouldn't miss the chance and put some guards outside just in case he appeared anyway.

Z Z Z

Among the many guests was also Diego's cousin, Rafael. He came over from Monterey to attend the wedding, but without his wife who had stayed at home with the children.

"Diego, I'm happy you finally got married. My wife sends her best wishes and her apology for having missed the wedding to stay with the children. Maybe there will be a christening in this house soon?" He winked at him, looking in Victoria's direction.

"You left my house in quite a hurry, but you're welcome to return any time with your wife. I assume you got to your appointment in time after you left?"

"I met Maria and her father in Santa Paula at midday two days later, so I was in time." Diego tried to play it down.

"There was a lot of laughter when the news of Zorro's latest encounter with the alcalde reached Monterey. He made him a laughingstock in all of California having him hang from the church tower in his nightshirt." Rafael seemingly changed the topic. "He probably won't threaten a certain tavern owner any more, now that she is your wife."

"Zorro has split up with her, so she was free to marry me," Diego said nonchalantly.

"So, you're the lucky man to get the most beautiful woman in Los Angeles." Rafael smiled conspiratorially. "I think you really deserve some happiness, Diego." He lifted his glass for a toast before he went away to have it refilled again.

"Diego, what was your cousin talking about? What did he mean you left in a hurry for an appointment?" Victoria eyed him suspiciously. "Don Emilio arrived in Monterey only a day before Zorro freed me from jail. Don't tell me you rode from Monterey in one day just to free me and then back to Santa Paula the same night?"

"I couldn't let you down, could I? And, Felipe made me sleep before I returned to Santa Paula," Diego defended himself.

Victoria was speechless at his admittance. "No wonder you were ready to drop at the jail. How could you take that upon yourself when you were convinced I wouldn't love you? Were you ever going to tell me of your 'little' ride? What else didn't you tell me?"

Diego sighed at little, almost wishing he hadn't invited his cousin to his wedding. Once her curiosity was awakened, Victoria wouldn't stop questioning him unless he could distract her.

"I never stopped loving you. Today is our wedding and we should think of much more important things than worry about something in the past." He drew her close and started to kiss her passionately, turning their thoughts to the night that lay ahead of them.