Chapter 31 – Isolated

"Esteban, are you alright?" Diego said when the doctor got out and his cousin was allowed back in. He was dragging his feet and the big smile had been erased from his face.

"No, not really. Your father hates me, Victoria hates me, and just wait until my father finds out… I'm going to need a helmet," he said with a bitter smile. "Do you also hate me, Diego?"

"No. I don't hate you. But I don't understand why you got involved with Lucía when you had no intention to marry her."

"I didn't! That's the thing. I know it's hard to believe with my reputation, but I have changed, Diego. I am in love with Victoria now, and I haven't touched a woman since I arrived in California. And even before that, because that ship wasn't exactly teeming with willing Spanish belles."

"My father saw you kissing her."

"She jumped into my arms, Diego. Of course I kissed her. She is too beautiful to reject a simple kiss. But I was about to when your father caught us. Honest."

"It's hard to believe she would do that, because Lucía is a nice girl," Diego said. Although, he had to admit she had been too keen to see Esteban while he seemed quite reluctant to be with her, avoiding her if he could, the same as he had done with all the other women throwing themselves at him during the past few weeks, which, admittedly, wasn't his style at all.

"Yes, that's the impression she gives, I guess: nice, innocent girl. But, I have to confess: I made another mistake."

"What did you do?"

"While we were in jail, I kissed Victoria."

"Did you?" Diego said, sitting up a bit straighter, instantly more alert. I knew something like that could happen! Damn it!

"She was crying, frightened because she didn't want to die, and I held her in my arms to give her some comfort. When she calmed down, we were so close I couldn't help myself but kissing her."

"Did she respond to that kiss?" Diego asked then, with his heart accelerating.

"She did, initially, a little, but then she asked me to stop because she is in love with Zorro. A lucky bastard he is, I'm telling you."

Diego closed his eyes for a moment, greatly relieved.

"I think you should leave her alone. Forget about her because she is taken."

"She showed me the note Zorro sent her. That's what she said, that she belongs to him. But, until the day she gets married, I won't give up hope."

"Well, you should, idiota." Especially because I don't know when we will get married. It could be a very long time.

"That's what she said too. And this is one of the reasons why I can't marry Lucía to save the De la Vega's name, as your father said, because I don't want to give up on Victoria." He made a little pause then, and changed the subject. "Now, forget about them for a moment, and let's talk about you. I am very impressed how you risked getting shot in your head to protect the doctor. What were you thinking? Because that Ramón is crazy. For a moment, I thought he could pull the trigger and then blame that on another accident."

"You can't be the only stupid but brave De la Vega antagonizing him, can you, idiota?" Diego said, laughing. "Now, seriously: thank you for taking care of Victoria. You risked your life again and you stopped the alcalde, and I am so grateful because she could have got many more lashes otherwise."

"I did that with pleasure, although she doesn't appreciate what I did anymore. And the real hero was Zorro, who got us out of jail, not me. Now, Felipe, talking about lashes: would you mind having a look at my wounds? Victoria didn't re-dress them yesterday, and I am quite sore. I think they got stuck to the shirt again."

Felipe nodded and then suggested to go to Esteban's room.

When they got to the door, they bumped into Victoria and Don Alejandro.

"Buenos días, Señorita. I'll see you later," Esteban saluted, tilting his head.

She ignored him and got into Diego's room, going straight to him to take his hand in hers.

When Esteban saw that, he shook his head. Great.

"Uncle," he saluted then, but the old don also ignored him, so he went to his room with a sombre face only to endure another session of excruciating pain to treat his wounds.

ZZZ

Diego greatly enjoyed that intimate moment with Victoria. His father had evidently left them alone when he saw her getting close to his son, and he had closed the door behind her instead of coming in, to give them some privacy.

"Diego, how are you? Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you. The doctor gave me another antiemetic. This time it seems to be working its magic, and my stomach has settled. Thank you for helping me before. I know it wasn't a pleasant thing to do, holding that bowl for me. You were very kind, gracias."

"There is nothing to thank me for. You would have done the same for me. If I recall correctly, it was you who stayed with me all night when I got shot."

"Yes, I did that because I was so worried about you then." And now I know first-hand how painful that must have been for you.

"I am very impressed how you handled this situation, trying to protect the doctor's reputation while the alcalde aimed a gun at you. I have never seen that side of you before, and I like it."

"Do you? Well, thank you. But I had to do that. The doctor was devastated when he swapped the bottles because the damage was already done on my skin and he couldn't prevent the nasty burn developing, no matter what he tried. He was talking about giving up the medical profession, retiring before his time, and I couldn't allow that to happen, so I kept his mistake a secret."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little, yes."

Victoria tilted her head then, thinking. That was exactly what Esteban had said about the obviously painful gashes on his back. And that burn in Diego's abdomen looked really sore. Funny how the two cousins seemed so casual about letting her know they were in pain, playing it down. Although, that was new for Diego, who would always go to bed at the first hint of a headache.

"Since when have you become so brave?"

"Since now, so it seems."

"Why now and not before?"

"I don't know. Maybe it is time to get into the competition."

"What competition?"

"Ahhh… for bravery?"

"Bravery? You?" she said, laughing spontaneously, although she soon regretted it. "Sorry. Competition from who? Zorro?"

"No, not him, because in your eyes nobody can compete with Zorro."

"Who then? Your cousin? Because I can assure you I had no interest in him whatsoever."

"Good. I'll let him know."

"I already did that myself. That cerdo. How could he seduce that woman before they were married?"

What about Zorro then? Is he a cerdo as well? Because he also messed with you before marriage, he thought.

"Did something happen when you were in jail with him?"

"Diego! How could you think such a thing! Of course not!"

Diego enjoyed how offended she looked, but obviously, she wasn't going to confess she had kissed Esteban, if only to avoid the embarrassment of telling him such thing.

"I have to go back to the tavern now, Diego. I'm glad you are feeling a bit better, and I really hope it lasts. Do you want me to treat Apollo for you?"

"Felipe will take care of him. But if you don't mind feeding him today, that would be great, thank you."

"I hope you get well soon to see you at the stables again. I enjoy talking to you there."

"Me too. Always a pleasure."

"Take care now," she said, kissing his cheek gently. "Good-bye."

"Hasta luego, Victoria. Thanks for coming."

He watched her go with a bittersweet feeling. She had showed signs of interest in him, Diego, while still declaring she was in love with Zorro. But, one more time, if he ever got the chance to unmask for her, she would get mad remembering that conversation: "In your eyes, nobody can compete with Zorro." Ouch.

ZZZ

Esteban was right. All of a sudden, everybody despised him. His father had gone mad about what happened with Lucía, and he had threatened to disinherit him if he didn't marry her, but Esteban didn't care about the money. To everyone's eyes, Esteban was being stubborn, irrational, and stupid because Lucía was gorgeous, nice, and her father had a lot of money, so she was a very good catch, a total keeper. And he had a responsibility towards her.

At the pueblo, over the next few days everybody gave him the silent treatment. He could go into the tavern, sat down at a table, and people in the adjacent ones would move to other tables, any table, as long as they would put some distance with him, as if he was a leper showing open sores. And going to the tavern was pointless, anyway, because nobody would serve him a drink. Still, he went through that humiliation a couple of times so he could see Victoria, even if all he could see staring back at him from the counter was an angry face full of resentment.

ZZZ

Victoria hated Esteban. She had never felt such a strong animosity for anyone in her entire life, other than for the alcalde, and she was surprised by it. While she was in jail with him, if only briefly, she had once again contemplated the possibility of marrying him and settling down with a real man, not one hiding behind a mask. Even after he had tried to kiss her, she still had enjoyed his company, feeling sorry for him and impressed with the humble way he had tried to provide her with some comfort despite his own pain. But, when Lucía said they were going to get married and she could be pregnant already with his child, she had never felt so betrayed, ever. So, now, every time she saw him, her blood boiled in her veins. She not only despised him because he had refused to marry Lucía, but also because he had made her believe some kind of future with him would be possible. How could she have contemplated the possibility of leaving Zorro to marry someone like him? She felt utterly stupid, and she didn't like it. At all.

On the other hand, over the last few days she had been closer to Diego, more than ever before. She had visited him several times at the hacienda while he recovered, and she had been taking care of Apollo for him, eagerly awaiting the day he would resume the daily visits to the tavern to tend for him. Anytime she was with Diego now, a little voice kept popping into her mind after the conversation with Don Alejandro. Should she reconsider her wows to Zorro? Especially after that narrow escape from the gallows, and the alcalde's promise to hang her alongside Zorro one day. Would Diego be suitable for marriage? Was Don Alejandro setting the stage for that, first with that conversation at the garden, and now leaving them on their own to talk freely every time she showed up at the hacienda? She had to wonder about that.

ZZZ

At the end of the week, disaster struck in the pueblo. A woman in her late twenties had died at home suffering from a heart attack, leaving two small children behind. Don Luis, her husband, was a mature but still attractive man, a few years older than her, one of Don Alejandro's best friends and his ally to overthrow the alcalde. The whole De la Vega family attended the funeral the next day, occupying the first row with the widower and his closest family; all except Esteban, who stayed behind at the back of the church with an awkward gap of empty space surrounding him, although the church was full and some people could not fit inside the building. His isolation was complete, and he had to wonder if anybody would have attended his funeral if he had died of a heart attack instead of that unfortunate woman. Probably only Diego and Felipe would have, and that was a very sad thought. Neither his father nor his uncle would talk to him at all now, or even acknowledge he was in the same room as them. Surprisingly, the only person who talked to him that morning after the funeral was Lucía.

"Hello, Esteban. How are you?"

"Fine, thank you. And you?" he said dryly.

"I have been better. Listen, my father would like you to come to our hacienda this evening to talk about the situation and try to find a suitable solution for everybody involved."

"I have no idea what solution could that be, other than the obvious, which is not going to happen."

"Please. At least come. We need to talk. This is ridiculous. I have seen how nobody wants to talk to you now, or even be near you. I'm sure you don't want that to continue."

"No, I don't. But neither I want to get married under false pretences."

"Please, tell me that you'll come. Eight o'clock?"

"All right. I'll go."

"Thank you. I'll see you later then."

ZZZ

Diego was glad Victoria seemed so angry with Esteban, but he also felt sorry for him. If he had been framed, as he claimed, it wasn't fair that everybody gave him the silent treatment when he stood his ground, but he was also being stubborn. He wished he could reconsider and marry Lucía, because that would take away the uncomfortable competition with Zorro, and now all of a sudden, even with himself. Diego was chuffed because, as a collateral of his cunning way to distract the alcalde, Victoria now thought he had some "bravery" in him. But now he was very worried about the alcalde's words, his worst nightmare: if he ever apprehended Zorro, he would hang Victoria with him. And Ramón would do that then, without a doubt, because with Zorro in jail he could not be an outside threat to keep the alcalde's evil instincts under control.

Diego had to reconsider one more time if keeping the romance going was fair on Victoria, but he could not wait to feel better and travel to the tavern to see her. During the last few days he had been taking the coca leaves, getting used to the invigorating effects they provided, and he thought the use of that drug was a wonderful discovery. After the funeral, he decided he could get another shot of that mix and go to see her that night to talk things over again.

ZZZ

For a few days Lucía had waited patiently, hoping the social pressure would make Esteban reconsider and ask her to marry him. She didn't want to have an abortion, and time was running out for her because she would start to show soon. She needed a husband immediately, and she had chosen Esteban because he was young, handsome and witty, and he belonged to a respectable family, very close to her own. She was very surprised that after the stunt she did in jail he had refused to marry her, because any respectable gentleman would had felt obliged to do so to avoid the scandal. But not Esteban, that selfish bastard in love with that tavern wench. At least the citizens of Los Angeles had taken pity on her and had blamed only Esteban for the unfortunate situation. But now, after admitting in public she could be carrying his child, her reputation was ruined for ever and she would not be able to find another husband. She was stuck with Esteban, and she had to step up her plan to get him.

She was lost in those thoughts that evening when the doorbell rang. Lucía opened the door to find Esteban at the entrance.

"Good evening, Esteban."

"Buenas tardes, Lucía. I came to see your father, as we agreed."

"Oh, yes. He has apologized because he had to go out for a moment to check on a mare, but he'll be back soon. If you don't mind, we can wait for him in the lounge."

"No tricks this time?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look, after what you've done to me, I don't trust you, all right?"

"I still don't know what you mean, but all I want to do is to sit down with you at the lounge, and have a chat while my father arrives. I don't think that should be too scary for you."

"No. It shouldn't be."

He followed her inside the house, and sat down at the armchair she showed him.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, please."

"What would you like?"

"Wine."

"Any preference? Rioja, Porto, Jerez…?"

"Any would do, thank you."

She served him a glass of rich Porto, so strong he regretted not asking for something milder, and she got a tiny glass of sweet sherry for herself. While sipping on their wine, they looked at each other in silence, waiting for Don José to arrive. He had to admit she looked stunning in that dress, which made him wonder why she was so fixated with him. She could have chosen any man she wanted, but she made the bad choice to mess about with the wrong one, whoever that was, and now she had chosen him as a quick fix to her problem. It was crazy. Why him, when any other loser would have been delighted to fall in that trap?

Then, sulking, he thought about Victoria, how much she hated him and how much she claimed to be in love with Zorro, and he had to wonder if the best choice for him would be accepting that gorgeous woman as his wife and turn a new page in his life. After all, she said he could learn to love her. Maybe she was right, if he could ever forget her trickery.

He yawned then while looking at the pictures hanging on the walls. He left the empty glass on the side table and sunk in the armchair, getting more comfortable while he waited, bored.

ZZZZZ

A.N – some readers wondered how come I am still posting when I said I wouldn't for a while, but… I wasn't counting on getting a nasty cold this week. (Plenty of time to write while I'm drifting from the bed to the sofa and back, procrastinating on life.) Enjoy while it last, because I'm quite fed up of the coughing and sneezing.

This chapter was already over 5000 words and nowhere finished, so I had to split it before it got to the most interesting part, so it looks like a "bridge chapter," but still has important bits that had to be told for later.