Chapter 18 – Tough
Business was slow at the tavern that morning, and Victoria wondered if that would be a good time to return to the hacienda De la Vega to visit Esteban. She was hesitating because, despite feeling sorry for him and what had happened, and genuinely concerned for his health, she didn't want to get too close to him. That was the reason why she had been ignoring Esteban for the last few days after the accident at the circus, never visiting him at the hacienda, because she felt inconveniently attracted to him, and she wanted to focus her love in Zorro, and only Zorro, as she had promised herself she would do until they could finally be together, whenever that could happen.
When Esteban appeared at the tavern the day before accompanying Diego and Felipe, she had to make an extra effort to avoid him, and she didn't like her own rude behaviour. That was one of the reasons why she had felt so bad when he had been abused by the alcalde, and why she had felt so sorry for him, staying at the hacienda until he woke up.
"Why don't you go to see Don Esteban now while we are so quiet here?" Alicia said, as if she could read Victoria's mind. "Find out how he is doing, please. I am so worried about him."
As many young women in the pueblo, Alicia fancied Esteban, and Victoria wondered if her employee could fall in love with him as well.
"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"
"Of course. But, if you don't want to go, you can stay here and I'll go myself," she said, winking.
"No, I promised him I would visit again today, and you are right, now is a good time. I'll go, thank you."
"You are so lucky, Victoria. He likes you. And so does Zorro. While me… Never mind."
"Don't talk like that. I'm sure you'll find someone to love soon."
"I hope you are right. But finding someone to love is not the problem; I can do that fine, anytime. It's finding someone to love me back which is the difficult part. Come on, hurry up. Go now."
She ushered her boss to the door then, and Victoria found herself on her horse on the way to the hacienda still mentally and emotionally unprepared to face Esteban.
During the short journey, thoughts of a family life with him kept creeping into her mind. However, after witnessing the swordfight with the alcalde, she had more doubts. She admired him for his courage, but, if she was going to leave Zorro for someone else, wouldn't it be better to do it for someone who would not run into danger head on at any occasion? Someone "safe", someone like… like Diego, perhaps? Yes, like Diego. Maybe boring sometimes, but a husband she would expect to find at home at the end of the day, every day, and not dead in a random duel at the side of the road leaving her a premature widow?
At the entrance, she reminded herself she should not repeat the spontaneous kiss she had planted on Esteban's cheek the day before when she left, and avoid giving him any hope for romance. That would be the easiest way to nip the potential problem in the bud before it could grow. However, all that was forgotten when she got into his room to find a pretty, young blonde woman all over him, feeding him porridge with a spoon. He looked ghastly pale, and obviously uncomfortable resting on his back propped up on the pillows, but she insisted to shove one more spoonful in his mouth. Despite looking so unwell, his eyes brightened up when he saw her.
"Buenos días," Victoria said.
"Good morning, Victoria," he said when he swallowed the porridge. "I think I had enough, Lucía. Thank you."
"Are you sure? You only ate half of it. You should eat a bit more."
"Yes, I am sure." He shifted his body down to lie on the bed, grimacing while trying to get more comfortable.
"Are you alright? Let me help you," Lucía said, leaving the bowl at the side table. She then pulled from the pillows clumsily, making Esteban gasp in pain when they rubbed on the sore wounds on his back.
Victoria took charge and shoved Lucía to a side to help Esteban up with one hand while rearranging the pillows quickly with the other so he could lie on his side.
"Thank you. That's much better," he said, sinking his flank on the pillows with a deep sigh. "Much better."
He enjoyed the smug look Victoria threw at Lucía then. It would be cheap, but he could always play the jealousy card with her, as he had done using Sonia, the trapeze artist. The petite brunette seemed to be quite perturbed by any potential competition —especially by gorgeous, tall blondes— and he could always use that to spur her interest.
The two women seemed to be measuring each other, so he introduced them.
"Victoria Escalante, this is Lucía Beltrán, the daughter of Don José, Don Alejandro's new best friend," he said sarcastically. "Victoria is —."
"I know who she is," Lucía interrupted. "She's the tavern wench."
"Excuse me? I think you meant the tavern owner," Victoria said with her hands on her hips, fuming. Lucía was wearing an expensive dress, jewellery and perfume, in contrast with Victoria's simple, comfortable, working clothes, but she would never allow a rich woman to look her down like that. "At least I am an individual on my own rights, and not only the daughter of."
A nasty cat fight could have ensued then if Diego had not entered the room.
"Thank you for taking your time to feed our little hero, Lucía, but I think we should let him rest now. Your father is waiting to take you home," Diego said. He bowed slightly then saluting the new visitor. "Victoria."
"All right," Lucía said. "Will I see you both on Friday for dinner at our hacienda? It's my father's birthday."
"I don't think I will feel well enough for socializing only three days from now," Esteban said.
"Oh, no, you'll feel much better by then. I'll make sure of that," Lucía said with a possessive hand on his arm. She leaned then to kiss his cheek, as Victoria had done the day before. "Rest now. I'll see you later. Come on, Victoria, my father and I we'll keep you company on the road on your way back to your tavern," she said with the fakest smile ever.
"I just arrived here," was Victoria's dry reply.
"But Esteban needs to rest. Diego said so."
Diego had caught on quickly on the animosity between the two women, and enjoyed the way Victoria stood her ground. However, he didn't want to leave her playing patty-cake with his rival.
"Sorry, Victoria. As you can see, he is fine but still very weak, and he just took another dose of laudanum on his porridge. We should let him rest. I'll keep you company on the way back to the tavern myself because I am going to check on Apollo now. Shall we?" he said, offering his arm.
She hesitated before she took it, staring daggers at Lucía, who replied with a triumphant smirk, but another quick look at Esteban was enough to convince her Diego was right. He looked tired, and it looked like the laudanum was already making him too sleepy, as he could hardly keep his eyes opened.
"Thanks for coming," Esteban mumbled, drifting off to a heavy slumber.
"You are welcome," the two women replied at the same time. The looks they threw each other right then made Diego wish he would never have to face an enemy so venomous.
"After you," he said, showing Lucía the way to the door, dragging a reluctant Victoria along by her arm.
ZZZ
On the way back to Los Angeles, Victoria was in a sombre mood, mulling over what had happened. Why did she fall again in the jealousy trap to behave like that? What did she really care if Esteban hooked up with someone else? In theory, nothing, as she was engaged to Zorro. But in reality… she could not stand the thought he could pay attention to someone else. Especially someone as obnoxious as that dumb blonde.
"Who does she think she is?" she cried then, speaking up her thoughts.
"Lucía? She is Don José's daughter," Diego said, trying hard to maintain a neutral expression on his face.
"I know that! But what else is she, other than a pretty object? And how dare she call me tavern wench? I can't stand rich heiresses and their sense of entitlement! I really can't!"
"Don't worry about her."
"Easy for you to say. You have not been insulted like I have been."
"No, not in this occasion, no."
His bitter, sad words made Victoria think of all the times she had been rude to him, and she stopped complaining and changed the subject.
"Diego, what do you think the alcalde is going to do tomorrow? Do you think he will flog those poor farmers?"
"I don't know, Victoria, but I hope he doesn't. Although it doesn't matter: I'm sure Zorro will be there."
"Yes, but that will be a trap for him. Ramón always does the same. Setting traps for Zorro, luring him to show up."
"Don't worry about it. Zorro is also aware of that. He won't bite the bait. He's not a fool."
"No, but sooner or later his luck will run out. Of course I'm worried."
Her words upset him to the core. Once more, she was telling him how distressed she felt about waiting on a side for Zorro to do his job safely. It wasn't fair on her. But this time, he had to be there to restrain the alcalde, especially after what he had done to his cousin. Zorro could not let him get away with that, even if he was going to walk into another trap the next day.
"He'll be alright. As always."
"Que Dios te oiga. I'll pray to see him safe and sound by tomorrow night."
They reached the tavern then, dismounting to take the horses to the stables.
"I'm going to check how Alicia is doing on her own. If she is not struggling, I'll come back to help you with Apollo, alright?"
"That would be great, thank you, but don't fret if you can't. I think I'll manage on my own."
"All right. I'll see you later."
He watched her go, with an ominous feeling clenching his stomach.
I'll make sure that at least you see Zorro tonight, just in case.
ZZZ
Under the moonlight, Zorro reached for the best looking rose to cut the stem. While doing so, he inadvertently pulled from a small string and little bells started to ring merrily. It looked like his father had rigged the roses with a rudimentary alarm system, which proved to be very effective because Don Alejandro got out to the garden almost immediately with a triumphant look on his face.
"A-ha! I knew that would work! I was sure you would be the culprit. Shame on you, Zorro."
"Good evening, Don Alejandro. I hope you don't mind if I take one of your beautiful roses for Victoria," Zorro said casually.
"As a matter of fact, I do mind, actually. This has been going on for too long. And you never asked permission to take them."
"You are right, and I am very sorry. But I am asking you now: can I take one, please?"
"No, you can't."
For a moment, Diego looked at his father, totally speechless. He could expect that man to be so harsh with his son, but not with Zorro, the acclaimed hero of the pueblo. It took him a while to answer back.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. I said NO." The old don came closer to face the masked bandit, taking a defiant stance, lifting his jaw. "Look, Zorro, I have meant to talk to you about this for a long time, but as a rule, I don't like to interfere in other men's businesses, but in this case, it concerns me. I always treated Victoria like a daughter, and in the absence of her real father, I should take on that role fully. Tell me: what are your intentions with her? Give her my roses from time to time? Steal some moments with her here and there? The odd kiss… —and I hope that nothing else, because I consider you a gentleman, despite all the talking constantly going on about you two—, and then what? Perpetuating a romance that is heading nowhere?"
"Well… I… I…" He could not believe he was having that conversation with his father for real while he was impersonating Zorro. Sure, it had to be a bad dream and he would wake up any time soon.
"Don't dilly-dally! Tell me, because I want a straight answer: are you marrying her? If so, when? How are you going to do it? And, if you are not planning on a marriage, please leave her alone while she can still create the family she deserves with someone else!"
Diego resented the innate ability his father had to put his finger at the sorest of the spots, like this one, the one he had been mulling over for so long himself without reaching a satisfactory solution. It looked like he had been thinking about the situation with Victoria after that conversation at the library with Esteban. Cross, Zorro shouted back.
"Like who? Your nephew?"
"For example. Or even my son, if he could for once get his head out of his books and tell her he loves her. But he would never do that while she is mesmerized by you in this hopeless situation!"
Zorro laughed then.
"So, it's now my fault your son is a spineless coward, is it?"
"No, but it doesn't help his case she's your girlfriend. But, enough about my son. We are talking about you. Are you planning on marrying Victoria or not?"
"Yes, I am. We are engaged, actually," Zorro said serious, calming down a bit. "But it's complicated. I can't marry her while I am still wearing this mask, because the alcalde will punish her if I ever get caught. And, I'm afraid I may have spoiled her chances of marriage altogether, even to someone else, because whoever she chooses will always be suspicious to the alcalde, and he could make their life hell."
It was Don Alejandro's turn to laugh bitterly then.
"Maybe, but if she married my son, I don't think that would be the case. There would be no suspicions of him being Zorro whatsoever." While chuckling, he didn't see Zorro's eyes rolling behind the mask.
"Why not?"
"Don't get me started. Well, I can see your point. It is complicated. However, if it will be so difficult for you to marry her, why don't you set her free? Break the engagement. And then maybe you can court her later on as yourself, and nobody will know your secret."
"I can't do that either. Not until Zorro is no longer necessary in this pueblo. Look, I was shot the other day. Only superficially, but that got me thinking: if I ever get caught, it won't matter if she knows my secret identity or not. The alcalde won't believe her. And she will be hanged, regardless."
"Then break the engagement and forget about her. Do the honourable thing."
"I tried, but I can't. I love her too much. As you said, it is really none of your business, but we already discussed all this, and she is happy to wait for me as we are."
"Happy? Really? Is she?"
"In a way, yes, so to speak. Not happy, but she has agreed to it. As happy as she can be under the circumstances."
"Look Zorro, I appreciate you greatly, I think you know that, but in this matter, even if I'm not a young man anymore, I do feel the urge to punch your face," the old man said, dead serious now. "No more excuses: you either make an honest woman out of her, or you leave her alone."
"I just explained to you I can do neither at the moment." He turned to the rose bush and quickly cut the stem of the closest rose, making the bells ring again. "If you'll excuse me, I have some important things to do tonight."
"I told you not to touch the roses!"
"Tough," Zorro said, walking quickly away from him into the darkness. Don Alejandro heard Toronado's hooves shortly after, and he then came back into the hacienda, fuming.
ZZZZZ