Chapter Twenty-Five
"I think it's time to tell us why you're here, Olivia." Diego waited until the servants cleared away the final dinner dishes before saying anything.
After the display earlier at lunchtime, they had decided it was probably best to just let her settle into her new room and rest before dinner. She'd made herself presentable in a light pink dress with her hair tied back in its usual braid. She didn't look as pale now that she'd eaten and hopefully had taken a nap. She still didn't completely look like herself, though.
They'd made small talk through their meal while the house servants bustled around them. Don Alejandro had told her about the history of the hacienda and a bit more about their family. She'd been attentive throughout and had even asked a few questions and had even told a story or two about her childhood. She had trailed off a bit while speaking of her parents, yet that had been expected.
Now that the meal was over, they were now alone with only Bernardo standing by.
"I already told you."
He shook his head. "You didn't. Not really. All you told me was that you were looking for someone. I'm sure there is much more to tell about that. And if you want our help, you're going to have to tell us everything." His words were firm. He and his father had discussed it while she'd been resting. They were putting their lives on the line for her. She should at least grant them the pleasure of knowing why.
She looked at Diego and then at his father. Neither of them was angry, but they weren't going to back down now. She glanced toward Emily who was sitting beside her. She only nodded in agreement.
"Very well," she sighed. "But as I said, it's a very long story."
"Thankfully, we have all night to listen."
She nodded. "Alright. I was ten years old when my parents died."
Diego was stunned that that was where she'd decided to start. And interested. "You told me they died in a fire." He gauged her reaction carefully. He didn't want to upset her. But, she averted her gaze when she caught him looking at her. So, that had been a lie, then? One of many, he was guessing.
She shook her head. "That is just what I've come to tell people. It is easier than telling the truth."
"And what is the truth?" Don Alejandro wondered. His voice was even and gentle; it was a voice he had used with Diego many times before.
"There was a fire that destroyed the stables, but my parents didn't get trapped inside. At the time of their death, the structure was in the process of being rebuilt. They never could prove how the fire started but my father believed it was a nefarious plot."
"A rival business?" Diego questioned.
"Not exactly. See, my grandparents—that is, my father's parents—were involved in the Revolution. They fought for freedom and taught my father to do the same. As a child, I was never told exactly what his work entailed. I had only learned after he died. It turns out that he aligned himself with the government which gained him many allies."
"It sounds like he was a brave man," Don Alejandro lit up his after-dinner cigar and gave it a light puff.
"He was. But, because of that he also gained a lot of enemies. He'd been almost killed on countless occasions. A few years into his work, he met my mother and they fell in love. Not wanting to put her and the rest of his family in danger, he took a step back from his government duties when my eldest brother was born and decided to focus his attention on the family business. Lucky for him, my grandfather had decided that it was time to step away from the day-to-day of our ranch and handed it over to my father.
"The connections he had made had become useful though. I remember being visited by Senators and dignitaries all because of the things my father had done for his government. We were never looking for clients during his time." A soft smile formed on her lips as she lost herself in the memory. "And we lived happily."
"Until his past caught up with him, I'm guessing?" Diego wondered aloud.
She nodded, her face falling blank and her eyes glazing over as she became lost in a horrific nightmare inside of her mind. "We were setting the table for dinner the night it happened. I remember arguing with my brother Samuel because he was teasing me about the doll I still carried everywhere I went. He called me childish and I was defending myself. We were driving poor Mama crazy.
"There was a knock at the door and Mama went to answer it. I remember that she sounded angry and we heard her scream. We ran to the door to see what was happening. Two men had dragged her out into the yard. Papa came running from the barn..." she paused when she realized she'd begun to cry. She hastily swiped at her tears with her palms. "All of the workers had gone home."
Diego produced a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and passed it over to her. She accepted it and dabbed at her eyes. He and his father didn't say anything as they waited for her to continue.
"The details are a bit hazy after that. I remember that I was crying, calling out for them. Mama was able to break away from them. Then there was a shot... and she fell... and didn't get up. Papa ran to get to her... but he never reached her."
"How terrible," Don Alejandro was appalled. "Right in front of you?"
"I don't even think they knew we were there. They just killed my parents in cold blood."
"And were they ever caught?"
She shook her head. "No." The word came out in a whisper, but there was anger hidden within.
"So, how did it bring you here to California?" Diego waited for her tears to ease before asking. He didn't like that he was sitting so far away from her. He wanted to be close to her. To comfort her and ease her pain.
"It wasn't long after their funeral that I was whisked away to live with my aunt. Years later, when I finally returned home, I vowed to get revenge for my family. While in Paris, I secretly trained with a friend who was an expert swordsman. He helped me grow stronger as I became even more focused on bringing the two men who pulled the triggers to justice.
"I didn't don the hood straight away. I wasn't certain if they were even near the Capital anymore. I'd been gone for so long that many things had changed. So, I waited. For months... almost a year before they caught my eye. I knew I would never forget their faces.
"The Governor was throwing a party at his mansion and he was a target that was similar to Ramon. Incorruptible. He wasn't the sort of man they wanted in power. My brothers and I were invited to attend. The Governor had been an old acquaintance of our father. I didn't know him very well, but my eldest brother—William—did as he was now working as a member of the United States Marshal Service.
"We attended together, but I watched the men who killed my parents the entire evening. I was waiting for them to make their move. It happened just after dinner. The Governor slipped away for a moment but he didn't realize that he'd been followed. Only one of the men went after him, so I wasn't too far behind.
"I had planned for this, though. I had Emily sneak into the house when the party was being set up and leave a bag with my hood and sword in the side garden. I sneaked out to retrieve it and noticed the Governor standing out on the back patio. He was alone. But, I knew it wouldn't be for long.
"I found an empty room to quickly change in and crept back out to the garden. The Governor was speaking to someone when I returned. It was the man who shot my mother. I crept across the grounds, sticking to the shadows so I wouldn't be seen.
"As I got closer, I could hear the two of them arguing. The Governor wasn't going to fall for the man's tricks. He didn't like that. He drew his pistol and I jumped in to stop him. I pushed the Governor out of the way as he fired his shot and drew my sword. He did the same.
"The entire party came out to see the chaos of our fight, but in the end, I beat him and dropped a few bits of information for the Marshals to find before I made my escape. The man was later jailed and hanged for his crimes."
"What about the other?" Don Alejandro asked. He was sitting on the edge of his seat and his cigar had burned down so far that the ash was barely hanging on.
She gripped the arms of her chair tight as she thought of the other man. "The other has been much more elusive over the years."
"You never caught him?" Diego fought back the smile that threatened to break through at his father's eagerness to know what had happened. Of course, he was just as eager to discover the truth, so he composed himself.
"No. But, I gave him a warning. During one of our encounters, we fought. He is a talented swordsman and was able to knock my sword out of my hand before making me trip. He'd thought he'd had me cornered as he knelt down to unmask me, but I got him with one of my daggers. Directly across his left eye."
Diego and his father shared a confused glance. His left eye.
"Lieutenant Allende?" Diego asked.
"That's not his real name. Back in the Capital, he went by the name James Duncan. But, I can't say if that is even his real name, either."
"If he's the one you came to find, Olivia, then I have to tell you-" He began, but she cut him off.
"He's not."
"What?" Diego frowned in confusion.
"He's not who I came to find. It is purely a coincidence that we are both here at the same time. At least, that's what we believe. I was just sent to find a man known as the Chameleon. Up until I arrived in Los Angeles, I thought they were two different people. Now, I'm not so sure."
"It would certainly explain why he wants you dead." He hadn't meant to blurt out those words, but he had and now they were stuck in an awkward silence thanks to him. "I just thought you would want to know about that."
She blinked a few times as if trying to process what he'd said. "Well, I suppose that answers that question." She merely shrugged it off as if it wasn't important.
Diego couldn't believe it. She was far too calm about finding out about the man who tried to have her killed. And to also realize that he was the man who killed her parents; the man she had been hunting for so long. If it was him, he would be up in arms.
"That's all you have to say about it? How are you not more upset?" He felt the heat rush to his face as anger took hold of him. He was still very tired and his head was still in pain. He'd been trying to hide that fact, but his composure was slipping.
"Well, it makes sense, Diego. After all, I'm the only one who knows that he is not the real Lieutenant Allende. All I would need to do is let Ramon in on his little secret and his charade would be over. Along with the reason for why he came here."
"He tried to have you killed, along with me in the process and all you can say is that it makes sense?" He stood up from his seat and leaned himself over the table, his palms flat in front of him.
"Diego, calm yourself," his father urged. But, he was ignored.
"It isn't the first time someone has tried to kill me, Diego. As you should well understand," she retorted with a snap of her own.
"But, this is different."
"Why? Because I am a woman?" She rose from her chair, her stance now mirroring his, her eyes icy. "Because I'll have you know that women are just as capable of doing things as men."
"Diego!" his father snapped again.
This time, Diego obeyed. "I only meant..."
"Let me make this perfectly clear, Diego. I do not need your help to accomplish my mission. And at this point, I don't even want it." She inhaled deeply and slowly let it out before turning her attention to his father. "Don Alejandro, thank you for dinner. It was delightful. And I'm sorry our evening has resorted to such uncomfortable circumstances. But, if you'll excuse me, this conversation has become quite exhausting and I think I'll return to my room." Emily was already at the door, waiting for her.
"Of course, my dear. Buenas noches."
"Goodnight." She glared at Diego before turning to take her leave. Neither was surprised when the door slammed behind her.
"Such a stubborn woman," Diego groaned. Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he looked for something to throw. He paused when he noticed the amused smile on his father's face. "Don't tell me that you're on her side?"
"I am on your side, my son." The older man rose to his feet and went to pour a drink for him and Diego. "As always. But, perhaps you did overreact." He passed a glass of Rioja over and sipped from his own.
"You saw her. She just sat there as if she'd just been told the sky was blue." Diego barely acknowledged the liquid in his glass as he threw it back like it had been water.
His father took the glass from him and set it aside. "I saw. But, I also saw what you did not. I saw a brave woman who is thousands of miles away from home. And after the ordeal the two of you endured last night, she still held her composure."
"So, what? Are you saying that you are growing fond of her?"
"I find her character admirable, certainly. But, I didn't think anyone could be more fond of her than you," the elder man teased.
Diego wasn't embarrassed by his father's words. He was too angry with himself for how he acted. He allowed his anger to deflate as he perched himself on the edge of the dining table. "I only want to keep her safe. Why can't she see that?"
"Perhaps she does. And perhaps she wants to do the same for you."
"But, I don't need her protection." Diego's frustration was making the throbbing in his head return.
"And from what we've just heard, she doesn't need yours, either. Like it or not, she is strong-willed and stubborn." His father patted him on the back, trying to offer whatever comfort he could. "But, she is also incredibly brave and strong. And I cannot even imagine what it has been like for her all these years."
Diego was amazed at the admiration he heard in his father's tone. She had impressed him and that wasn't very easy for outsiders to accomplish. He was usually very critical of others from different backgrounds, but it seemed like Olivia had wheedled her way past his defenses. "I think I may be falling in love with her," he admitted.
While he was stunned by his own words, his father was not. Don Alejandro smiled in response. "I know."
Those two words made Diego want to cry. Not only because they made it sound like his father approved, but because it was an acknowledgment of his own feelings. He hadn't wanted to admit that he was falling in love with her, because her safety was far more important. Though now that he had, that one pure emotion had become so overwhelming that it needed to erupt forth in some way.
"Does that mean that you would approve of her? She is not of Spanish blood."
"No, she isn't. But, she is intelligent and comes from a family of value. That is all I have ever wanted for you."
"The problem is that I may have just ruined whatever progress we may have made." He glanced longingly toward the door from which she had made her exit.
"The two of you have had a rough couple of days and your emotions are still uncertain of how to process it. She will forgive you. All you have to do is take the first step."
Diego envied how wise his father had grown to be. His words of encouragement were always what he needed to hear and the thing to spur him into motion. He hugged him and headed toward the guest bedroom.
He didn't expect an immediate answer when he knocked on her door five minutes later. As he waited, he smoothed a hand over his hair and brushed a bit of lint from his sleeve. His nerves were getting the better of him and he almost turned tail and ran.
A minute passed before he heard footsteps. The door opened and there she was. She was standing there in a long, violet robe that was tied around her waist. Her hair flowed freely down her back, surrounding her in an ethereal aura. It was the first time he'd seen it loose. It was beautiful.
"Diego..."
"Olivia..."
They spoke at the same time and whatever tension that remained between them eased.
"Please, go on," he urged.
"You first," she countered.
"You know, we could be here all night if we continue on like this."
She frowned and Diego instantly wanted to wipe it away. "It might be best. After the things we said..."
"It is my fault, Olivia," he quickly spat out. He would accept the blame if it would help her to sleep easier. It was a burden that he was fully prepared to carry. "I let my anger get the better of me and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."
"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you. You only have my best interests in mind, I'm sure." She now ran a hand over tired eyes. She looked much the same as she had that morning. The freshness she'd shown at dinner had faded, leaving her pale once more. "These last few days have been difficult."
"If you'd like, we could talk about it some more." He was thankful that she'd forgiven him, but he still had so many questions. There was still so much that she hadn't told them and so many unanswered questions.
"Actually, if you wouldn't mind waiting until tomorrow, I just feel absolutely drained. Also, I am not exactly dressed for such a conversation." She glanced down at her attire and smirked.
Diego blushed as she pointed that out. "So I see."
"And it's not like I'll be going anywhere any time soon, so we'll have plenty of time to talk." This time when she mentioned her extended stay in his home, it carried no anger or malice. This time, it sounded as though she was looking forward to it.
"Of course. I will take my leave, then." He reached out a hand toward her but waited for her to make the next move. He was pleased when she slipped her hand into his and he lifted it to his lips. "Until tomorrow, Olivia," he smiled.
The one she gave in return made his heart soar. "Until tomorrow, Diego."