Part 3

Sweating, Diego woke up. Whole night he had been reliving last evening in his dreams. Every time the dream started all over again, the dream changed and got worse. Finally it ended up in a complete lifelike nightmare, while there seemed to be no connection with the happenings of the day before.

However, under the surface there was one similarity; he would never be able to marry Victoria. He felt like hiding away from this powerless feeling. All his dreams made him feel that he was having no control over his life anymore. His life was lived by nature and his choices were made by everybody but the young caballero himself. Even Victoria had decided in his dream that he had to marry the ugliest and youngest señorita among their guests.

Distressed and a bit upset over his father's attitude, Diego quickly got washed, pulled on his favourite blue suit and decided to have his breakfast in town. He didn't look forward to hearing more encouraging words from his father about his courtship. At the same time he wanted to have some confirmation of Victoria. He wanted to know whether she would be able to love Diego de la Vega as well as Zorro. He was not going to ask her straight to the point though, therefore her acting as a good friend would just do. Diego couldn't believe she would behave any differently, and so he knew that simply seeing her would warm his frozen heart and calm his nerves. He had never felt so haunted before.

On his way to the stables he almost ran into his father. "Son, where are you going?" the old caballero asked obviously not having lost his impatience with his son.
Ironically, while he was still walking, Diego replied as blunt as his father had approached him, "to the pueblo, hunting for a wife."

Don Alejandro couldn't laugh at this and sternly he remarked, "Be back before lunch. All our guests will be here at one."

Diego rolled his eyes when he was on his way out and called over his shoulder that he would.

While riding to the pueblo, Diego felt an increasing need to apologising to Victoria for everything. For the fact that he hadn't been able to marry her earlier, for the fact that he started courting her as Zorro, and so he came to the point that he really wanted to make excuses for his father's action and therefore for all the trouble those señoritas surely were about cause. He should have said something before this all started. He should have told Victoria who he really was. Even now Diego was determined not to tell her, she should love him for who he really was; the poetic scientist and the hero.

Because of his anger toward his father, but above all towards himself, the ride to the pueblo seemed very short. Way too soon he arrived at the pueblo, with the large beautiful taberna centrally located at the plaza as other buildings, where money had to roll.
Diego passed the blacksmith just before he reached his destiny. On his way from the gates to the centre of the pueblo he greeted some passengers, while doing so he noticed that it lightened his mood a bit.

Sergeant Mendoza and a few of his men met Diego as they returned to the cuartel after having had their breakfast. "Buenos diás, don Diego," the sergeant greeted cheerful. "But isn't this a bit too early for you?" he asked concerned not being used to seeing him around eight in the morning.

Diego had to smile at the sergeant's observation. "Business, sergeant, they always need to be done early. You know what they say about the early bird, huh?"

"They catch the early worm," Diego finished patiently in a soft voice, when the good sergeant observed him in wonder.

Mendoza wrinkled his nose, "Nah, I don't want a worm. If I were you, I would ask señorita Escalante for her huevos rancheros, they were absolutely delicious this morning!"

Diego had a good laugh at the sergeant's easy-going manners and stepped over the taberna's threshold. "I will sergeant," Diego called over his shoulder. At this gesture Mendoza and his men headed back to the cuartel.

The taberna was empty. Even Victoria was not present in the taproom, so Diego walked over to a table to calm his nerves. He was very occupied with the idea of courting Victoria, but the most attention went out to the question how he should court her.
He was so deep in thought that he jumped up when Victoria greeted him after entering the taproom. Just after putting one step into the taproom she noticed him being far away.

"You're rather early, Diego."

Then she noticed the bewildered look on his face. "You must have a bad conscious. Now tell me what is keeping you so distracted?"
She looked at him with the sweetest smile, causing her friend look away. Then Victoria got serious, remembering the struggle with his father the night before, "it is about your father, isn't it?"

Hearing these words he automatically faced her. He didn't want to tell her everything now, so he told her that it was not the case. "We know where we stand."
She just stood there facing him, silently supporting him to go on with the story. She absolutely didn't believe that nothing had happened. Not after suggesting don Alejandro to propose a fake marriage.

After a short hesitation her friend added, "I think."

"And where would that be?" Victoria sensed that there is more than Diego was telling her.

Diego just sighed.

"You will have to court a señorita, won't you," she concluded understandingly with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Soberly, Diego looked her in the eyes. "Si, it seems I will have to."

Victoria got silent and some cold air streamed through the room, chilling her body. Still she thought it being an odd prospect; Diego being married, him having a wife and children.

"It's not that I don't want to be married, but I don't want to be forced to!" Diego suddenly admitted to Victoria's surprise.

"Are you still in love with the woman of whom you told me once?"

The question was so sudden that Diego was quite taken aback by it and averted his eyes, "What would be the point?"

"Why can't you tell your father? He may understand you then."

"Why would he, hmmm?" Diego asked impatient, while his feathers start getting ruffled. "You were there when he told me how to live my life."

Victoria was a bit pleased to see she was having such a reaction to her friend. Despite of him trying to prevent it, he was really opening up to her.

"The only thing father would do then, will be supporting me badly to court her," Diego continued.

"It just makes me wonder why you wouldn't give it a try," she cautiously suggested and noticed his incredulous stare for just one second and faced his hands again. "I am serious Diego, you are kind, intelligent and rather handsome. So, if you do your best, you may be romantic as well."

This statement made Diego look up to her again and studied her features a bit longer now, before he innocently he averted his eyes, "if that is your opinion … do you think I could beat Zorro if I wanted to court you?"

He faced her again to see her reaction to his unsaid intention. Now, she was the silent one, while she was studying his face. He can't be serious!

His expression was blank and expectantly until he set an answer. Victoria wondered whether he was serious or not. If so, how would she feel about that?

"Why Diego," she started stammering, "you are my best friend … what would your father say about that?"

Diego cut in, "what are you talking about, why would father say anything about that?"

"Well, I … I am … I am nothing like those fancy señoritas your father invited."

"Is that all? Are you worrying about class differences? Victoria, he wouldn't even mind if I get married to the poorest woman of the world."

"He must have been very hopeless."

Victoria noticed her friend's desperateness and was taken aback by his statement.

Diego silently agreed with Victoria's observation. Now his father really felt at a loss with him. "Honestly," Diego continued, "I think he never really cared about whom I married, as long as it was for love, but that must have changed for some reason."

"So what are you going to do?" Victoria asked curious.

"Court a woman, I think," Diego replied ironically, but truthful, however added seriously, "Nay, Victoria, I don't know how I am going to solve this slight problem. All I know is that I don't want to marry a woman, because my father wants me to."

Victoria looked thoughtful while she tried to hide her restlessness. She still couldn't see him being married. Her life would change a lot, she concluded last night. Having a wife, he surely wouldn't be so brotherly close to her anymore. She would have to accept that. As for now, he needed help and she would give it to him, like he had helped her many times in the past. While Victoria was pondering for a way to assist her friend, the young man next to her was just sitting next to her, hopeless. However knowing that there was a way to get out of this bad dream and prevent it becoming the worst nightmare he had ever had.

Suddenly Victoria had an idea, and got Diego out of his misery. "If you need help to conquer a woman's heart, just let me know." She had to help him find the right woman. She would help him! He absolutely has the right to be happy. In her enthusiasm she didn't hear his gratefulness.

"Gracias Victoria you're too kind." As an afterthought he thought, "but you can't help me the way I want to be helped." This was such a great opportunity and Diego let it fall right between his hands. It was not that Diego was so clumsy, but the thing was, he still couldn't find the courage to ask Victoria for her hand. He had made such a mess of his life and he couldn't tell anyone or ask somebody for advice.

"I didn't come here to ask you for such help," Diego politely changed the conversation into another direction. "I came to discuss the party." Diego's voice sounded lightly as he spook, making Victoria believe that he would be all right. She also remembered his promise now.

"Or did my father settle everything?"

Victoria avoided viewing contact, but faced him directly when she started to speak. "Eh, no, we hadn't talked about that anymore. Didn't he tell you?"

"We didn't talk much last night," Diego confessed sadly and cheered up by having found a way to forget his sorrows by helping Victoria.

Victoria understood that Diego didn't want to say any more on the subject and accepted his change of conversation.
"Right," she agreed with a warm smile and fetched her notebook.

Diego remained seated to gather his thoughts together. This is just business!
Together they made a list of things Victoria needed to have in her taberna and of the things, which needed to be done before the families were arriving. In the meantime Alicia and Pilar had entered the taberna and took care of the customers who dropped in every now and then.

After Diego and Victoria had made a plan, Victoria asked Alicia and Pilar to join them. Victoria definitely would need some more help for the next month. Alicia told Victoria that her younger sister would surely like to help them. Pilar's cousin had been in town since a month. Her husband had died during a battle in the south of Mexico. Immediately after hearing the news the young widow drove off and went to where she was born, here in Los Angeles. The broken hearted woman had been looking for a job after arriving in the small pueblo, but still she hadn't found one. To help the family and to contribute in the costs she helped the family with the cattle. She even helped making clothes for the market. Still it may not be enough for the family to keep their head above the water.

Today it would be a very busy day, so Victoria really needed some more help not only for today, but also for the coming month while the families were staying in town.

"Pilar, you will have to get your cousin at once. Today all rooms need to be repaired and you and I cannot do that all by ourselves."

"No problem, I'll be on my way at once." At that Pilar left the taberna to fetch her cousin. Victoria turned to Alicia to give her some other instructions. "Alicia I want you to take care of the kitchen and taproom today."

"No problem," Alicia agreed. She was glad that her employer had great confidence in her.

"If you need me, I will be upstairs to make a start with cleaning the rooms." Victoria called after Alicia who headed to the kitchen. It is nearly lunchtime.

Before Victoria was able to get her tasks done, Diego touched Victoria's shoulder asking her for attention.
"What is it, Diego?" she asks hurriedly.

To Diego it became clear this month would be a stressful one for Victoria. She seemed so hectic right now, as if she had lost control. He knew this was definitely not the case, whereas they had only two hours to get things ready.
"Relax, we'll get everything ready Victoria," he soothed, "else we can escort the families straight to the hacienda."

Victoria sighed visibly as she relaxed a bit under his tender look.
"For now I have to leave you alone for only half an hour to get everything from the hacienda we put on the list. Will you be all right then?"

"You will need more than half an hour, so you'd better rush," Victoria contradicted, while asking herself whether he had lost his mind already by the prospect of getting married.

"Why let a beautiful woman wait when it can be done in a whistle?" Diego gave her his Zorro wink and added softly "hasta luego, señorita."

"Hasta luego," Victoria replied confused, while she stared at his retreating back. He definitely has lost his mind. At the same time he was rather charmed at his way of contradicting her and wondered whether he would really be back as quickly as he made her believe. A call from Alicia made her go back to her duties.

-Z-

As promised, thirty minutes later Diego reappeared with everything they put on the list. He had even brought Felipe with him to help unloading the cart and to help serving the customers later on.

Diego decided to help Victoria preparing the rooms. He knew it is far from his job, men just didn't do such things, and therefore one may not agree at all, but he insisted upon preparing some rooms himself. While he was doing his job, Victoria checked him a few times and had to correct him. "Oh Diego, you really have to put those sheets tighter around the mattress. Like this!"

Diego looked a bit confused at the bed. He thought he really did well, although he had to admit that the sheets on his own bed at the hacienda were looking tighter than he just proceeded. He scratched behind his ear. "Well, I'll try harder on the next bed."

His intention was rewarded with a bright smile. Victoria appreciated his help. Despite of correcting him a few times, his help saved her a lot of time. "Oh you don't, let's do this together."

With open doors they were making up the beds to make sure they didn't cross the bounds of etiquettes. They were having a good time though.
When they were done, Diego's opinion of Victoria had increased. It was not just a piece of cake cleaning up the rooms and making sure that new guests had a nice place for the night.
Despite the hard work, Diego really enjoyed getting instructions from Victoria, especially now. She was a good distraction for his problems, but at the same time their friendship was able to deepen.

Content, Victoria smiled at her caballero friend. The taberna was ready and they could receive the guests. It had been a long time since so many caballeros and their wives had visited the pueblo at the same time.

"Thank you, Diego, for helping me." Victoria was sure the taberna could never have looked so good without the help she had.

"Oh well it was nothing," Diego stammered a bit in contradiction and faced her with an intently look. "I should thank you for helping us out! Without your taberna and your excellent services we wouldn't know where to have our guest staying."

"Oh nonsense," Victoria retorted. Her reply faded when she noticed the time, "shouldn't you go home to get dressed more elegantly?"

Diego's face fell, not looking forward to the prospect of playing another role instead of living the life he really wanted to live, "I guess you are right."
He laid a hand upon her shoulder, "call for me when you need help."

With a warm smile she thanked him again for his offer, while her heart missed a heartbeat by his obvious concern. Diego mounted his horse elegantly and saluted a goodbye for now.
She greeted back and watched him leaving, while some worry washed over her. It was odd, but true, but some jealousy tinkled in her body. Somehow she was sure that Diego cared less about all those señoritas invading his father's hacienda. She had carefully listened to him when he spread out his thoughts to her. Some determinedness was glowing from her friend during those speeches.

It reminded her of something she had seen before, but when? Wait a minute, it reminded her of that time when Zephira was at the hacienda and confessing she was still in love with Diego, hoping he felt the same. In fact he told the woman he didn't. Yes, that was the moment, when she noticed this firmness before. Diego was fairly determined, when he told this woman, and later confessed to herself, that he was in love with another woman. When she asked him about this mysterious lady, he was not about to reveal her anything.

This truly was something to admire in a person, and even more in Diego, who was known as a weak-willed man, lacking any backbone.
Now, she questioned herself again with whom Diego could still be in love with. She really couldn't tell, but she could tell, she completely understood why he was showing her quite some character of which she had never given him credit for having it. Somehow she was convinced he wouldn't give up his dreams. Why else would he have been waiting for her, this mysterious woman, all this time? It made her wonder. Why is this woman so special to him? And why is he still pining for her after all this time? It seemed a hopeless case to her, but apparently not to Diego?

Still, there was something missing. Why doesn't Diego tell his father what is on his mind?
This worried her even more. Don Alejandro could be very stubborn and now to her it was obvious that her friend truly inherited the famous De la Vega temper. So, if Diego refused to tell his father about the feelings he still had for this mysterious señorita, then she feared for the outcome. A bomb might explode in the beautiful hacienda.

"This may never happen, or else the Escalantes wouldn't be true friends to the De la Vega's!" Victoria vowed and watched the sky, "Pappa, mamma, you will be proud of me!"
Yes, she definitely would honour her family name and help the friends her parents always admired.
Then a falling pan brought Victoria back to her duties and returned to her establishment to give her employees some more instructions.