Diego escorted Victoria home in the buggy and greeted everyone that waved to them along the way. He shifted a little, realising that most of the people they meet were judging the closeness of their relationship by the closeness of their bodies.
"Diego," Victoria murmured, joining her arm with his. "I was wondering….Your father is announcing his engagement next week, so he says. You did ask me to marry you, didn't you?"
"Yes…" Diego murmured, staring at the road in front of him. "Yes, I did ask you to marry me. Twice now."
"Yes." She struggled to know what to say next. "You said a spring wedding would be nice."
"Did I? Oh," Diego said.
"Is that all you can say, Diego?" Victoria said, crossly. "I know what this is. Zorro is returning, and Diego is backing off again. How long will our engagement be? Until there is peace in California?"
He sighed, and turned to her. "Victoria."
"Don't 'Victoria' me, Senor de la Vega. I have wept over you enough, I have trusted you to be there for me. You have been. Now I need you, really need you, and you are turning your back?"
Diego was speechless.
"Stop the buggy. I am walking home."
"Victoria, its several miles to walk. It's hot. Let's not be stupid…"
"Now you're calling me stupid?"
Diego sighed.
"Talk to me, tell me you love me. Tell me we can get married tomorrow, or next week…."
"Victoria, we need to be sensible," Diego murmured.
"Stop the buggy, or I am jumping," Victoria threatened. Diego reigned in the horse, knowing full well she was capable of carrying out the threat.
"What are you doing, Victoria? We could still court in secret…"
"How dare you? You really are a coward, aren't you? Just not in the way I thought," Victoria said with spirit.
Diego tossed her a water skin, and turned the buggy around. "Fine, then, Victoria. Have it your way," Diego said crossly. "I'm going back to the hacienda."
Diego flicked the reins, and made the horse canter, leaving Victoria covered in dust, and ranting at him under her breath. She loved him so much, but she hated him at times.
Zzz
Alejandro glanced up as the front door rocked on its hinges as Diego slammed it shut.
"Diego?"
"Not now, Father. Leave me alone," Diego growled, as he stormed off to his room.
"Let me know if Jack is going back to work," Alejandro said flippantly. "I'd like to hire him myself."
Diego's door slammed, and Alejandro smiled a little. Diego hadn't been gone long enough to have reached the tavern and returned. Something had happened to make him mad, and likely doors were slamming in the tavern as well.
Zzz
Diego lay on the bed, and doodled with his pencil absentmindedly. Somehow the drawing became a recognisable portrait of Victoria in a happy frame of mind. He screwed it up with frustration, and then hurried to unscrew it. He didn't want to be forced to decide to forego an early marriage, but circumstances beginning what they were…
His father sent Felipe in to call him for dinner, but he shook his head at his son, and rolled over to look at the wall. He wasn't in the least hungry, and he didn't want company.
Felipe frowned at what he could only understand was a tantrum, and left Diego to his misery. Surely he deserved it anyway.
Zzz
Diego paced his room, writing poetry about tragic events, and storm clouds. He scrunched all of them up and then smoothed them out and shredded them into little tiny pieces, letting them fall where they might on the floor.
Going at last to bed, because he should, not because he was tired, he tossed and turned for hours. He was wrong, but he was also right. Wrong deeds for the right motives. If Victoria was a logical person she would understand that. She would continue to wait…if she really loved him. Of course she loved him…
Zzz
Felipe brought Diego in his bread rolls and coffee as usual for breakfast, but Diego decided to ignore his son again and the food. Felipe frowned a little more, and then left the food on the set of drawers against the wall.
Felipe went to Alejandro.
He's not eating, he signed. Is he ill?
"No, Felipe, he's not ill…at least not physically. Heartsick perhaps, but that's his own fault."
What do we do? Felipe signed.
"Leave him alone. He'll snap out of it eventually. He's just being stubborn. He'll eat when he's hungry, Felipe," Alejandro said encouragingly. "How would you like a fencing lesson, young man? That will keep your mind off that overgrown child."
Felipe nodded enthusiastically, and Alejandro grinned at him. He was a de la Vega in spirit, and a bond had formed over the past year. Alejandro secretly delighted in Diego's ability to teach, and enjoyed fencing with Felipe. Felipe had the makings of a fine Zorro himself one day. Alejandro smiled a little, as he reminded himself not to mention it to Diego. His son would have a fit – he still viewed Felipe as a little child.
Zzz
The letter arrived near lunch time, and it disturbed Alejandro immensely.
He roused himself, and knocked on his son's door.
"Diego, you have a letter…"
"Go away, Father. I'm in no mood to talk," Diego growled.
"It's from Victoria," Alejandro said soberly. "You'll want to read it, Diego."
"Push it under the door, Father," Diego said after a moment's thought.
He sighed, and did what Diego wanted. He waited for a moment, in case Diego needed him.
"No! She can't! That's….that's…no…"
"I read it before you, Diego. When you want to talk, I'll be here," Alejandro said gently.
Zzz
Diego sank onto the bed, and reread the letter. He reread it a third time, but it still did not make sense.
She couldn't just leave, not without talking to him face to face. She couldn't just turn her back on Los Angeles, where she had built most of her life – a successful business, a thriving community hub, the rants and ravings for the People's rights. She couldn't leave him behind like that.
She was leaving to move in with her brother. He was due to be married himself very shortly, and Victoria wanted to wish them every happiness of course. What was surprising was that she was not planning to return to Los Angeles. She declared that her heart couldn't take anymore waiting and hoping and praying for Diego / Zorro to love her enough to marry her, and she was hoping to meet someone else with her brother's guidance.
The letter was written to the whole family. Alejandro, Diego and Felipe. It was very polite, but he could feel the anger and hurt pride flow from the words. It was all in the furious penmanship.
Diego started to pace the floor again, folding the letter in his hands nervously. He looked out the window into the rose garden. She loved those roses. Perhaps if he made a bouquet of the red roses, she would forgive him? He shook his head. The only way she would forgive him was for him to marry her as soon as possible.
How could she be so callous as to walk away and rip him in half? He sighed. How could he? Obviously she loved him, but she needed promises kept and stability and children. He had done it to her first, and she had retaliated at full strength.
He felt winded and dizzy, and realised he needed to eat something. He bit into a slightly stale bread roll, and drank some cold coffee, and his head felt a little better.
He needed to do something, he realised. She was leaving on the first stage in the morning. He would either be on it, or riding close behind. It had been a while since he had seen Ramon Escalante. He would be delighted to accept his invitation that lay on his desk in the library. Maybe he could talk some sense into his sister.