Part Four: Los Angeles
When they reached the pueblo de Los Angeles, Magdalena had spent the entire ride in the coach choking back tears.
This had changed her mood greatly and she simply felt overwhelmed by everything. A fat, clumsy sergeant waited to inspect their luggage and inquire of their names and business. Inez was still tired; she had not slept well, and so Magdalena had to take care of this, wondering why the sergeant needed this since Inez was a resident of Los Angeles and had been for many years. Magdalena refused to meet the sergeant's gaze, kind as it was, she was afraid the tears that threatened would spill out onto this clumsily helpful man.
Her father was there then, just as she finished with the sergeant. He stopped in the doorway of the tavern, which they had entered to avoid the noonday sun. He simply stood there, looking at her for a moment before Magdalena catapulted herself into his arms, clinging to him and letting her tears fall free. "Oh, father, father!" She gasped, feeling overwhelmed at all the emotions roiling in her. He, too, cried to have his daughter back with him after all this time.
She did not know how long they stood there, clinging to each other, tears running down their faces even as they smiled with joy to see each other. People smiled to see this joyous reunion. The sergeant patted her shoulder clumsily as he left he tavern to go on his rounds. Finally, she pulled away, and Inez handed her a handkerchief, which she gladly took. She was so glad to see her father, he was so loving and wonderful and hers. She stopped envying Anna Maria then. Her father was not half so nice.
They started talking then, walking to a table, their words spilling over each others in excitement. Then her father seemed a bit hesitant. "I told Don Alejandro that we might visit today, if you were not too tired from your journey," he finished, looking at her anxiously.
"Si, but may we see your hacienda first?"
"And Magdalena and I must change first!" Inez told Francisco.
He nodded. "Oh, of course." He said. "Then let us go my hacienda, where you may do that."
As they rode out to the rancho Montes, she realized the reason Inez had been so insistent they change. Diego de la Vega. In truth, he had not crossed her thoughts since her conversation with Alenez about him.
What exactly do I know about Diego de la Vega? She mused. I do not know when he returned from Spain, or when he originally left to go there!
"Tell me about Diego de la Vega." She stated.
Her father chuckled. "You do know why I was so insistent to see Alejandro so soon. All right. I hear that in childhood he was a bit of a rascal, but a gentlemanly one. He was not immune to playing pranks but only on those who could handle it. He was forever banging about with a wooden sword, Alejandro always said."
He paused. "That was how Alejandro always described him in letters. We kept up a regular correspondence, you know. Of course, when I returned he was already, oh, fifteen and had calmed down somewhat. He still practiced with swords but was not remarkable. He was very good with his studies and rode horses almost constantly. Back when I first returned you'd see Diego de la Vega riding horses at breakneck paces almost every day. He was very active and friendly. He went to Spain when he was eighteen, I believe, and returned, oh, three years later, almost completely changed. Not in a bad way, but he is very different. He seems to have lost all skill with a blade, and with it, all interest. He dresses like the worst sort of dandy and reads poetry constantly. He usually rides in a little carriage with his mozo now, instead of on horseback. He does still ride but not like he used to."
He paused again. "But he is still a very warm, friendly young man. He would be the first to help someone in need, the first to see the need. Diego de la Vega is a good man, one of the best I know, he simply no longer takes after his father." He finished, and then added, "But considering Alejandro's temper, that might not be a bad thing."
They reached the Montes hacienda and Magdalena was suddenly pushed into motion. Inez frantically supervised her dressing—making sure her hair was perfect, not one hair out of place, and picking her dress. It was lavender with black trim on the bodice, and tight at the waist. When Magdalena looked in the mirror, even she smiled.
The ride from the pueblo had given glorious color to her cheeks and there were twinkles in her eyes that she could never remember having been there before. Her whole being seemed to radiate with happiness and beauty. The dress was her best, and it showed off her figure to perfection. Though Magdalena was not a vain woman, she knew that she was beautiful, and more than that, she knew the effect she could have on men. And this dress, making her look voluptuous and slim at the same time, would be a deadly weapon when facing Diego de la Vega. Knowing men, he would not know where to put his eyes.
As Inez handed her white gloves and her shawl, her eyes twinkled too. "Diego is very handsome." She whispered. "And kind. It would indeed be a wonderful match."
The ride to the de la Vega hacienda was short and pleasant. When they reached it, and her father offered his hand to help her down, she took it slowly. The de la Vega hacienda was definitely bigger and grander than any other she had seen on the ride over, but it spoke of hard earned wealth and generations of fighting Spaniards instead of inherited money like certain homes in Mexico City.
And then there was Don Alejandro himself, a jovial silver haired man, who greeted them all like family.
"Francisco!" He said, coming from the sala and embracing him. "And Magdalena." He said, turning to her. He kissed her hand briefly, giving her a once over. "You did not exaggerate her beauty, Francisco. Hello, Dona Inez."
"Don Alejandro," she returned, offering her hand with a smile.
"Diego rode into Los Angeles but he should be back soon," Alejandro assured as he led them into the sala.
Indeed, they had only been talking a few minutes when they heard hoof beats, then footsteps going up the outside stairs. "That will be Diego." Alejandro said, rising. "I will fetch him. Con permiso?" He said, and hurried out of the sala to go up the stairs.
Perhaps it was her imagination, but it seemed to take longer than it should have for Alejandro to return, and when he did, his irritation was obvious. "Diego will be down in a moment." He said briskly, and poured himself a small glass of wine.
Obviously Diego had showed reluctance to come down. Why? She asked herself, but had no time to dwell on it for Inez was speaking. "Why don't you go over to the piano?" She said cajolingly. "Play that lovely tune you played my first night in Mexico City."
Magdalena nodded and headed to the piano. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and began to play. A soft, wistful sounding tune rose from the piano. The music took her back to one of the only happy days she remembered from her years without her father in Mexico City, spent shopping at a street market. She had heard a street musician as he walked play this tune, and had stayed for the whole thing, asking him to play it again and again so she might memorize it. She had spent that whole evening playing it over and over, making sure she had it right, and memorizing it.
The door to the sala opened. She heard a rich, baritone voice greeting her father and Inez. She heard footsteps get closer to the piano. Her father was saying, "As you know, she was raised in Mexico City."
"That is an excellent recommendation for Mexico City." Diego offered, as he reached her side and looked down at her. She turned her head to meet his gaze but words failed her as she did, and she quickly turned her attention back to the piano. My, he is handsome, isn't he? She thought, her cheeks flushing at his proximity and seemingly intense scrutiny of her.
"That's beautiful; what is it?" Diego asked. Her heartbeat seemed to quicken. "I don't know. I heard it played by a street musician, and, I loved it," she told him. Her heartbeat wouldn't slow.
"It's much too pretty to be just a tune, it should be a song!" Diego declared, his voice exuberant. She met his eyes again and what she saw there surprised her. He did not want to be here, he did not want to like her. Her heartbeat slowed momentarily. Rumors must have reached him too. Well, she might as well confirm his suspicions, if he was the type of man to judge someone based on the rumors people told about them.
"But you need words for a song." She protested, trying to sound coy and, to her ears, failing. And you need knowledge for judgement, she added bitterly in her mind.
His tone was easy. "I find that you need words for almost everything. However, I have some that I should like to suggest."
Her heartbeat started a staccato beat in her chest. His voice was so…compelling. "What are they?" She let huskiness creep into her voice as she met his gaze again. She saw him swallow.
"Welcome home, Magdalena." His voice got noticeably deeper. He was being conquered.
Served him right. If he wanted her to play the flirt, she would.
"I feel as though I am home now. But still, I am glad you did not know me in my awkward growing up stage."
He laughed. "We might have had a beautiful childhood together." He leaned in to say these words, his eyes sparkling.
Don Alejandro spoke then, mentioning 'Diego's' desire to take her for a drive. I do not think Diego wishes to take me anywhere, she thought, adding, yet.
Diego was saying how his father spoke his mind so well, and then requested something to eat. Inez spoke up, requesting 'something for her, too'.
"My aunt will watch over us as duena." Magdalena stated. "Whatever fun we might have had, we are not children now."
Diego reached for her hand to help her up. She felt grateful she'd taken her gloves off to play the piano. His hand enveloped hers.
"I find that the older we get, the more watching we need." Diego said as they started to the dining room. Her hand tightened on his. She could hear his sharp intake of breath. Magdalena knew that he truly meant his seemingly blithe statement.
Something to eat was soup, a fowl and rice. The soup turned out to be delicious and she greatly enjoyed it, lingering over her bowl.
"I had a terrifying encounter in de pueblo this morning." Diego announced. "A man was murdered in broad daylight, with Sergeant Garcia not twenty feet away!"
"How terrifying!" Inez exclaimed.
"Who was it?" Alejandro inquired,
Diego shrugged, cutting off more meat. "I don't know. I'd never seen him before."
Magdalena lifted another spoonful to her mouth just as Diego looked over at her. She couldn't help licking the spoon. Diego seemed unable to look away as she did so, his mouth parting slightly. She lowered her eyes and put down her spoon. Diego had to shake his head to clear it and she fought the urge to do it again. Once could be considered chance, twice, he'd know she did it on purpose so he'd see. Besides, her soup was gone.
Diego had taken a leg from the fowl, and he ate that with his hands, but Magdalena had been given breast meat and used her knife and fork to cut it. She cut it into small pieces, and ate it slowly, now paying more attention to the conversation instead of the food.
"You were ill then, and never left your hacienda, so maybe you don't recall." Alejanrdo was saying to her father. "But Monastario was a tyrant! In the year you were bedridden—"
Her father had been bedridden? She glanced over at him. Well, he looked well now. He was pale though.
Alejandro was continuing. "Monastario taxed the peons out of existence. All those laws and penalties, it was madness! Everyone who could leave did! It was only when things escalated, when Nacho Torres was arrested, that Zorro appeared and fought Monastario's reign." He nodded emphatically. "May God ride with Zorro."
"Zorro?" Magdalena asked curiously, remembering Rafaela's words, and feeling surprised that this Zorro was something real. Across the table, Diego dropped the spoon he had been raising to his mouth back into the bowl. It clattered loudly. Diego jumped slightly; it seemed he had been so deep in his thoughts he hadn't meant to drop the spoon and was just as startled as the rest of them. But why had her mention of Zorro caused his attention to jump back to the table conversation?
"A masked man, a crusader for justice. No one knows his identity; he only rides when he is needed."
"I still don't understand." Magdalena said.
"His horse, as black as his clothes, is the fastest in the country. When someone is arrested or persecuted wrongly, Zorro rides on his black steed to correct the wrong. He even battled straight against Monastario! He protected the people and caused the end of Monastario's reign." Alejandro said. "He saved Nacho Torres' life, and mine."
"Yours?" Magdalena asked, her meal forgotten.
"Si. The other dons and I—excepting your father, he was still bedridden—hatched a plan to free Torres' wife and daughter, who Monastario had imprisoned. It was a trap, though. Zorro saved my life and the others dons by riding in and telling us so. I was not so quick though, and Monastario shot me." Alejandro's voice grew grim. "If Zorro hadn't still been there, I would have died. He whisked me away on that black horse of his and…" his voice faded.
'He saved your life the next day too, didn't he, father?" Diego asked. He had a pensive look on his face.
"Si. I stumbled out of my hiding place, delirious with fever, and Monastario found me. He would have finished me off, but for Zorro's coming." Alejandro looked down at his wine glass, thoughtful.
"How terrifying," Magdalena said softly, wondering if Zorro could help her. "I am glad this Monastario is not still here."
"Indeed!" Alejandro exclaimed vehemently. "It's funny, but at the end Monastario was convinced that Diego—my Diego—was Zorro! He dueled him in front of the Viceroy even. Of course, the real Zorro rode by then. The Viceroy arrested Monastario immediately. He got what was coming to him."
Diego now looked uncomfortable. "Please, father, let us speak of other things."
"Did you enjoy growing up in Mexico City?" Alejandro asked Magdalena, turning to her.
"It was very busy, always, and everyone hurried. Before my father left, it was wonderful. We lived outside the city, on my grandparent's rancho. But when he left, I lived with Valentina, in the heart of town. I missed the outdoors. Still, it was all right. Even outside of the city, we'd come in often enough so that I'd never known anything else to compare it with." Magdalena told him, speaking slowly.
Alejandro nodded. "Si. You left us at too young an age to have memories of here. But you and Diego have met before, though neither will remember."
"Oh?" Magdalena asked. Diego also turned his attention to his father.
"At the funeral," Francisco added, and Alejandro nodded.
"And when you were just about to leave Los Angeles," Alejandro continued. "I believe Diego could not understand why Magdalena didn't speak, like Rosarita and Moneta did."
"He was quite entranced with her, and she with him, I believe." Francisco chuckled. "He kept patting her hair, and even kissed her forehead as you left."
Diego was flushing now. "I believe we should be going if I'm taking Magdalena all around the pueblo." He said, standing. "Are you ladies ready to go?"
"Just let us freshen up a bit." Inez said hastily.
When Inez had done her freshening up, they walked back to the sala, where Diego waited with Francisco and Alejandro. He had taken this opportunity to fetch a hat and gloves. He looked even more handsome now, Magdalena reflected, as he took her arm to lead her through the patio to the waiting carriage. Inez was walking hastily in front of them, but Alejandro and Francisco had stayed in the sala. He gave Inez his hand to help her up but when he turned to Magdalena a devilish light was in his eyes. Grasping her waist firmly with his hands he swung her up into the front seat of the carriage, letting her move over so he could get in. Inez looked distressed at this turn of events. "I believe Magdalena should sit with me—" she began.
Diego shook his head. "I am planning on picking up a friend of mine. He shall sit in the back."
"Ah—" Inez said, but Diego started the carriage and her protest died. She kept her eyes squarely on them, however, talking loudly to keep them from having a private conversation. Her voice grew ever louder every time Diego tried to move closer or moved his arm towards Magdalena.
Indeed it was pleasant enough and they still sat close together. It was a wonderful feeling to have Diego's muscular leg pressed against her. As they rode, over Inez's inane chatter, Diego pointed out places of interest, such as the mission church and the more notable haciendas.
"That is the Barbarossa hacienda." Diego said, pointing with the whip handle. "Franco Barbarossa is a self-made man. He started out with nothing, a little mud hut and some public land, and now look!" It was indeed a grand rancho. "He sold almost as many hides as my father last year."
"What a wonderful achievement," Magdalena said. "How long did it take for him to get this far?"
"About ten years, I believe." Diego said. "I guess I am not quite certain."
They reached the pueblo then. Diego halted the carriage in front of the cuartel.
"I'll just be moment," he said, his hazel eyes meeting her gaze quickly before he jumped down. Magdalena turned in her seat to watch him as he walked. For a man who was said to no longer have interest in physical activities, he was very fit, with broad shoulders, narrow hips and wonderfully long legs. She her gaze travel up and down his body before Inez noticed what she was doing and reached forward to jab her in the ribs with her fan.
"Don't be indecent." She hissed.
The fat sergeant from earlier was approaching Diego, and they talked a bit before Diego turned the sergeant's gaze to them. When the sergeant looked upon her, he did not seem to recognize her as the sullen woman he had met earlier.
She nodded to him and his eyes grew big. He seemed to start to say something but Diego interrupted him. The sergeant's gaze returned to the carriage, now alighting on Inez. Her eyes widened to have the men's gazes on her and she quickly adjusted her shawl and smiled at the two. The sergeant turned to leave but Diego said something and both started to the carriage.
"Dona Inez, this is Sergeant Garcia, Commandante of the pueblo, a gallant soldier, and for some time, your admirer." Diego said gallantly. Magdalena didn't miss the surprised look Garcia shot Diego at his last words. She grinned brightly just as Diego turned his head. Their gazes met, and caught; he had started to turn back to Garcia and Inez but didn't seem to be able to, and the smile faded from his face as he looked at her. Because of that, she turned her attention back to the back seat, letting the smile fade from her face also. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed a small man come up behind the carriage and start signaling to Diego. Diego also noticed him. "Excuse me," he said, walking to meet him.
"That is Don Diego's mozo. He is deaf and dumb but very loyal," Garcia explained, following Magdalena's gaze.
"It must be so hard to be a soldier. All that marching and sleepless nights. How do you stand it?" Inez bubbled.
"Well, I—" he stumbled.
"You must be a great man to live your life in the service of the King. You must truly live the life of sacrifice." Inez continued.
"It is true, Dona Inez, a soldier's life is one of sacrifice," Garcia began, untangling his tongue. "Your aunt is a very understanding woman, Senorita Montes."
Inez frowned to see Garcia looking at Magdalena and quickly spoke up. "Did you know Diego saw a man murdered today, right in de pueblo?" Inez said.
Garcia sighed. "These are bad times."
Diego had returned and tapped Garcia's shoulder. "Get in, Sergeant." He said as he did so, rejoining Magdalena in the carriage. She moved over, just a bit, smiling at Diego as he settled in beside her. She didn't move too far; she still wanted to feel him against her. And feel him she did, for Garcia stepped on, tipping the whole carriage. She fell with a jolt into Diego's lap. His hands shot out to steady her; one hand going to her hip, the other to her arm. Her whole body burned at his touch. No man had ever touched her so…intimately. Though people said she was loose, all she truly done was dance more heartily than she should have with some vaqueros of questionable character and gone riding with those same men. But no man had ever touched her thusly, his hand on her hip and thigh. Even through her layers of skirt and petticoat she felt his hand there as he helped her straighten.
She readjusted her shawl, feeling Diego's gaze on her. He quipped about Garcia's presence carrying weight and started the carriage, and they were off with a bit of a jerk. On an impulse, and seeing that Inez was rather occupied with Garcia, she slipped her arm through Diego's, keeping her hand firmly on his forearm. Mostly Diego had to concentrate on his driving but he would slide his gaze over to her for brief periods while they drove. Inez and Garcia kept up a steady conversation—with Inez talking quickly, Garcia agreeing, and occasionally interrupting her to tell of some exploit he'd been part of in his soldier's life.
They drove all over Los Angeles, it seemed, seeing everything from the meanest peon's hut to the grandest haciendas. None were as impressive as the de la Vega rancho, but the Esperon and the Torres haciendas came close. Magdalena spotted several men and women on their ride, and Diego named them as Margarita—"She will be at the fiesta tomorrow."
Moneta—"Her father might still be away, so she probably won't come."
Isabella—"She definitely will." All the women had been accompanied by either a servant or a handsome caballero and duena. Upon seeing their escorts, Magdalena always tightened her hand on Diego's arm, smiled wider, and let pride flow through her: Diego was the handsomest of the lot.
They stopped briefly at Inez's little orange grove. Inez had exclaimed upon spying it, "It has been so long! May I get out, to see how they are doing? I wish to make sure they were well cared for!"
Diego nodded and quickly got out to go and help her down. She didn't wait for him, though, scrambling down by herself. Magdalena watched in wonder. Inez was like a whole new person. She walked among the orange trees quickly, sometimes pausing to handle an orange briefly, inspecting it. She came back bearing two. "These were the best looking. Jaime has taken excellent care with my oranges!"
She handed one to Magdalena and started to peel the other herself, not getting back into the carriage. Diego was still standing, waiting for when Inez would wish to get back in. He was on Magdalena's side of the carriage, leaning against it, and if she wished she could have leaned an arm down to run her fingers through his hair. She took off her gloves to peel the orange, quickly and efficiently. Oranges had been Valentina's only weakness. She split it in two and handed one half down to Diego. "Inez is known for her wonderful oranges." She told him.
He grinned up at her. "I know." He took the half and split it into sections, eating it quickly. Magdalena did the same, watching as Inez handed the orange section by section to Garcia. She kept half for herself, and ate it delightedly. "I missed my oranges. They had some on the ship and in Mexico City but they were not as good as mine." Her face flushed. "I did not mean it like that. It is just that oranges are the one thing I can truly take pride in."
"You have right to take pride in them. They are excellent." Diego assured her. Inez smiled shyly. "We should be going on now." She let Diego help her back up. Magdalena wiped her fingers on her handkerchief and pulled her gloves back on.
Diego climbed back into the carriage. "Where are we going now, Don Diego?" Garcia asked.
"I have a place in mind," Diego said with a shrug, and that was all he would say.
At what seemed their last stop, Diego halted the carriage. He pointed his gloved hand to the beautiful lake surrounded by trees they had come to.
"One of our better sights," he announced, jumping down from the carriage. Probably because Inez had been joined by Garcia and Diego didn't want to set tongues wagging, he didn't take her by the waist again; he hooked his hands under her arms and she placed her hands on his shoulders for leverage as he lifted her down. Garcia asked why they were stopping. In a moment that made the breath catch in her throat, Diego focused his gaze completely on her, letting it travel up and down her body. "To admire the view." He said, and it was blatantly obvious he wasn't talking about the lake. Inez frowned but Garcia didn't catch on.
Magdalena walked around the carriage and down a slight hill to the edge of the water. There was a tree there, which she leaned against when she spied Diego striding toward her.
"I used to swim here when I was a child. It seems like such a long time ago." He said as he reached her, glancing toward the sunlit and sparkling water.
"I would love to come out here sometime to swim." she said back, and Diego's eyes widened. It was his fault for bringing up swimming! "Oh, but I'm afraid that would shock my father very much! And Inez, oh! Does it shock you?" She asked him, leaning in closer to him.
He seemed unable to speak for a moment, and he reached to lean an arm on the tree next to her, so that he was leaning over her. "Well, let us say that I am not entirely…unmoved…by the idea."
His eyes flashed darker and she laughed gratefully at his words. "What would entirely move you, then?" Her tone of voice seemed to suggest she was daring him.
"If I were with you as you swam." The words slipped from his mouth, seeming to surprise both of them. Diego's face flushed, just a bit, and Magdalena could feel the heat spread over her face and down her neck. "I've never met someone like you." Diego said softly, letting the hand on the tree move closer to her arm. "You seem so bold, yet blush so easily."
Magdalena shrugged. "It's funny how things happen and how people can change." An example for you, Diego, she thought as she continued. "You were very determined not to like me when we met today."
Surprise showed in his gaze. "Oh?"
She didn't want to tell him, so she merely tipped her head. "Mmhmm."
He tried again. "And how do you know?"
"Mmm." She paused. If she said her next words she felt fairly certain she knew what he would then do. "How do you feel now?" She said them anyway. His eyes jerked to hers.
"Determinations…change too." He said, his voice deepening. His voice still held playful tone but his eyes flashed like fire as he leaned down to kiss her. Their lips had barely touched, his mustache had barely brushed her upper lip, and she could feel their breaths intermingle, time slowing down to the barest caress of his lips against hers…and:
"Don Diego!" Came Garcia's bellow. Diego jerked up in surprise, staring toward the carriage. His right hand had come up to grasp her shoulder when he had kissed her and now it clenched her arm for a moment as he relinquished hold on her; hold on the moment.
They started back to the carriage, and his arm slipped around her waist for the moment they were out of sight of the carriage. She shivered to feel it there and regretted its loss when they crested the hill and he pulled it away again as they came back in sight of Inez and Garcia. Diego slowed his pace. Glancing at him she saw a scowl on his face. He had not liked their interruption. That knowledge caused her to smile to widen considerably.
"Dona Inez thinks we should be getting back," Garcia said, somewhat apologetically.
"Commandante Garcia is hungry. You know how it is with these men of action—a big man, a big appetite." Magdalena was surprised to hear such words spoken in that sort of tone by her aunt. She wasn't actually falling for the Sergeant, was she? Garcia looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Not such a big appetite, I just appreciate good food."
Diego raised his eyebrows and spoke quickly, his tone sharp. She had the feeling he was getting back at Garcia for interrupting them. "The sergeant's appreciation is boundless." He turned back to her and they both laughed together, gazing at each other.
When Garcia spoke Diego dragged his gaze from Magdalena to Garcia. "Now you seem happy, Senorita Montes." Garcia said cheerfully. "But this morning, when you arrived on the coach from San Pedro, I did not think you liked our little pueblo."
Diego stiffened at her side. Magdalena felt confused at his sudden reticence and her smile also faded, more so remembering how sullen she had been with the sergeant. She hoped Garcia didn't mention that, just as Diego spoke.
"Oh, then you came on yesterday's boat?" He asked, a strange, wary tone creeping into his voice. She nodded slightly.
"Did you have a nice trip?" What had gotten into him? He was acting so…different. His tone seemed almost accusing.
Fear crept into her heart when she remembered his words earlier. "A man was murdered in broad daylight…I'd never seen him before."
"It was a long one," she said.
"I had an encounter with a fellow passenger of yours." He said.
She was struck with a sudden, new fear. Someone couldn't have gone to Los Angeles not in the coach, could they have? The Verdugos were wealthy enough for a private coach. "A fellow passenger?" Her voice now matched his in wariness.
"A small, dark man, with a rather French looking mustache." He indicated his own upper lip as he spoke.
"Oh, Senor Mendoza!" Magdalena spoke with relief, thankful it hadn't been the Verdugos.
"Yes, he's the one. He's dead."
No, it couldn't be! "Dead?"
"Shot with an arrow." He then turned to Garcia to speak but Magdalena didn't listen as she considered.
Arrows had feathers. Galindo was said to quite a sharp man, with many personal henchmen. And Mendoza, even when he had rebuked her, had been apologetic. She had still held out hope he would relent and help her. Too late now.
Diego was speaking; his voice sounded like it was coming from a long tunnel. "Oh, forgive me, Senorita, I did not know he was a friend of yours."
Her head felt muddled and she struggled to find words to piece together. "Oh, I barely knew him. On shipboard you meet everyone." She managed. "It's late, I think we better be getting home." Her throat hurt thinking of Mendoza. "Thank you, Diego, for a very instructive tour." She said, feeling her throat try to close up again. It was another struggle to get the words out. She felt much as she had that morning with Garcia. This time she had no excuse for tears, though.
Diego barely met her gaze. His smile looked pained. It was only out of courtesy she listened to his words.
"It has been most instructive for me, too." He led her back around the carriage and gave her his hand to help her up. She didn't even register the change from earlier. Her thoughts swirled on the way home, as she thought of the feather.
Everyone was silent on the way back, she realized with a jerk, coming back to herself as they reached the cuartel and dropped Garcia there. They went on to the Montes hacienda. Diego helped Inez out first, and she hurried through the gate. He turned to Magdalena then, and she realized he was waiting for her. Of course, stupid! She rebuked herself, and stood in a hurry, quite unintentionally tripping and falling into Diego's arms. His arms clamped around her in reflex as they both caught their breath. Her feet dangled over the ground, emphasizing their height difference. She felt how hard Diego's chest was beneath hers and felt a blush coming on as he released her, again wondering why a supposedly inactive man would have such a muscled body.
"I am sorry, Diego, I did not mean to fall." She said as her feet touched the ground.
"No matter," he said, but some of the coldness melted from his gaze as he looked down at her. "Adios, Magdalena." He jumped nimbly back to his seat, saluted her and drove away. She found herself looking after him before she realized what she was doing and dashed inside the hacienda.
A/N: And in one fell swoop, the word count doubled.