Chapter 39 – Gossip
The whole pueblo attended the double funeral the next day. Everybody felt sorry for the little orphans, who looked devastated and lost, not fully understanding the implications of what had happened. At the service, they both held tightly the hand of their trusted nanny, who had also moved to live at Don José's hacienda with the children, now employed by him.
At the time of the speeches, the alcalde talked about the troubled young woman, and he wasted no time accusing Zorro of her despicable murder.
"Zorro is a criminal! A murderer! And he should pay for this hideous crime!"
"Excuse me, Alcalde, but Zorro didn't murder that woman," Doctor Hernández said out loud from the back of the church, with his words echoing inside the building. Everybody turned their head to find out who was talking, surprised to see that the powerful, firm voice belonged to the doctor, who usually avoided attracting any kind of attention on himself. "Zorro slaughtered her, certainly, but it was an accident. All he wanted to do was bringing her to justice. Don Luis told me so before he died."
A loud rumour spread then in church. Everybody talked at the same time while Ramón looked enraged like a raging bull. But, before he could say anything, the doctor carried on.
"I think Lucía knew it was hopeless, that her lover would die with the poison, so she killed herself thrusting her own body into Zorro's sword. He could do nothing to avoid her, and by the time he reacted to withdraw his blade she had already cut her throat too badly to be saved. And she didn't mean to kill Don Luis either, as most people mistakenly believe. That was also an accident. She threw the poisoned dagger at Zorro, not Don Luis, but unfortunately that dagger hit his arm when Zorro deflected it with his sword."
"I don't believe that! That man never recovered consciousness to tell you anything!" Ramón cried, too furious to keep the composure.
"Of course he did, if only briefly, right before he died. Sergeant Mendoza also heard Don Luis saying Zorro didn't mean to kill señorita Lucía, didn't you Sergeant?"
Mendoza gulped, frightened by the angry, menacing look the alcalde sent him, but he stood up nonetheless, backing the doctor up.
"Yes. Don Luis said that at the cottage. The alcalde was there, but maybe he didn't hear it so clearly because he was behind me and Don Luis only whispered," he said, trying to give Ramón an easy way out.
"Yes. I didn't hear Don Luis saying that," the alcalde said quickly while tugging at his collar.
"So, Alcalde, you can dismiss that alleged new crime from Zorro's list and move on. That man never murdered anybody. He was only trying to help, as always," the doctor said, sitting down on his pew again, obviously chuffed with himself.
Victoria started clapping then, and most people in that church copied her. Even Diego, who could not thank the doctor enough for his timely intervention.
ZZZ
After nearly six weeks of confinement, the time had finally come for Apollo to walk back to the hacienda de la Vega.
"I am going to miss you, boy," Victoria said, offering the horse a carrot. "Both of you," she added, looking back at Diego. "I got so used to your visits you'll have to promise you'll come around more often for tea, or I won't know what to do with myself."
"You can always come more often to the hacienda with the excuse of visiting Apollo," he said. But please, don't come with the excuse to see my cousin. I can't stand that anymore. During the last week, Victoria had visited Esteban almost on a daily basis while he recovered, and her growing affection for him was painfully obvious.
"Yes, I may do that," she said, patting the horse's neck while he finished the treat. "You did an excellent job here. At the beginning, I had my doubts this could ever work, but you proved me wrong. Well, you proved us all wrong. I am so glad you didn't let your father put Apollo to sleep."
"Me too. Come on now, boy. Let's go back home. I think Zeus misses you. See you later, Victoria. Thanks for everything."
"You are welcome. Hasta la vista."
She watched them go then, both walking slowly, taking their time. Diego held a long rein, walking at the horse's side instead of riding on his back. It would take them a while to get home at that pace, but Diego said he didn't want to push it because riding would put too much extra weight on Apollo's leg too soon, and he preferred walking by his side rather than riding on another horse to watch him more closely. Victoria agreed, admiring his dedication and his patience greatly.
"Missing you both already!" Victoria said when they still were within earshot. Diego turned to look back at her, waving his free hand and sporting one of his best smiles, one she had not seen for a long time, which made Victoria feel the warm fuzzies again.
She waved back at him and then walked inside the tavern, still with a silly smile on her face.
ZZZ
By the end of the second week Esteban had regained his full strength but, unfortunately, he kept suffering from seizures, sometimes more than twice a day. Neither Diego nor the doctor knew exactly why, but it looked like the poison had triggered something in his brain and they didn't have a clue how to treat his condition, only hoping the seizures would gradually decrease in frequency or stop altogether with time.
Esteban sulked most of the time now, angry with the world and especially upset by the women who visited him every day because they reminded him too much of Lucía. While waiting for the next seizure, he spent most of his days indoors, only venturing out as far as the back garden, and he would only show interest in life during Victoria's visits.
"Ouch! Careful!" Esteban complained at the library while Diego cleaned the last wound he had got at the side of his head when he fell over a table during the last fitting episode. "You are enjoying this so much, aren't you?"
"No, not really. Listen, I have been thinking —."
"Surprise, surprise! You? Thinking? No way!"
"Shut up, idiota. Yes, I have been thinking, and I do wonder: do you realize in advance when you are about to have a seizure? You seemed to stop and have a particular expression in your face, like empty, just before you drop to the floor and start convulsing."
"I think I'm starting to get aware when I'm going to have a fit, yes. It is a vague sensation, but I think I am getting better at recognizing it."
"Then I suggest you use that sensation as a warning and stop doing whatever it is you may be doing at that moment and lie down immediately, so you stop banging your head against the furniture or the floor. And you could also carry that stick in your pocket and put it in your mouth yourself while you still can. I don't think getting all these bruises and bumps is helping your condition at all."
"I suppose I could try that, yes. It will be better than enduring your roughness every time you clean one of my wounds."
"If only because of that, yes. Or you could wear a helmet all day long," Diego said, laughing. "I think you'll be alright without a stitch this time. You'll live," he said when he finished, standing up, tapping his cousin's shoulder.
"Thank God for that."
Esteban headed for his room to rest, sulking again, while Diego cleaned up the mess in the library. He didn't like seeing his cousin so depressed, so he decided to cheer him up with a surprise visit. But, before he could do that, he would need another dose of the coca powder. He walked through the fireplace to get some from the cave, cursing when he saw his supplies running so low. He had used all the leaves supplied by the doctor and almost all the ones supplied by the local Indians, and he was quite sure there wasn't any single coca leaf left in the territory around Los Angeles. He had ordered a large amount from Los Andes, but they would take a long time to get there. Conscious of the fact he had become so dependent on the stuff and it affected his mood so much, he dreaded the moment when he would finally run out of it.
ZZZ
"Esteban, can I talk to you for a moment?" Don Alejandro said after entering his nephew's room. Esteban was lying in bed, awake, looking at the ceiling with his hands under his head and a sad expression on his face.
"Yes, sure," he said, sitting up in bed with his back resting against the headboard.
"Do you remember that conversation we had shortly after you arrived here?"
"Which one? Was it one of your lectures?"
Don Alejandro chose to ignore his disdainful tone and carried on.
"Yes, a lecture. The one about Victoria. Do you remember what I said?"
"Yes, that I should leave her alone and find someone else to marry. Good advice, but look: I did follow it, and this is the result," he said, opening his arms. "Now I spent most of my time in here, afraid I am going to have another seizure."
"I don't like the way you are getting closer to her again. I think she feels so sorry for you she wants to nurse you back to health, but that doesn't mean she's interested in you, not really. After all, remember she is still Zorro's girlfriend."
"I am aware of that, thank you. She already told me she loves him and I should forget about her, so I don't need you reminding me of the obvious."
"People are talking about this, you know? I heard them, and so will Zorro. And he is a man in love, with lots of problems to carry on his shoulders, and he is not going to like what they are saying, especially because he has been helping you so much to be stabbed on the back like this. Please, leave Victoria alone. Don't encourage her."
"I don't put a gun to her head so she comes here to see me, do I? If she comes, she must have her own reasons, and not you, nor me, not even Zorro can tell her what she should do or feel."
"And why are you here all the time now, confined indoors, anyway? You should go out and get some fresh air. That will make you some good."
"I would like to go out for a ride, yes, and maybe go to the tavern to give the gossipers some new material to talk about, but I am too afraid I could have a seizure while riding or driving the cart, fall off and break my neck. Don't you understand that? Although, letting that happen might not be such a bad idea… Not at all."
"Don't you even think about it," Don Alejandro said pointing his finger at him, looking worried and dead serious.
"I'm only joking, Uncle. I have no intention of killing myself, so don't worry about it."
"Good. Why don't you go for a walk then instead?"
"All right, I will, if that puts an end to this annoying conversation," Esteban said, standing up to get out of the room, walking past his uncle.
Don Alejandro sighed, shaking his head, and followed him out, heading in the opposite direction along the corridor. His brother was about to return to Spain and he would be in charge of that impertinent, unruly young man who could be such a handful. He wasn't looking forward to that.
ZZZ
Esteban took a stroll in the back garden, considering venturing out of the hacienda into the fields for a long walk, but he decided against it because Victoria had not been at the hacienda yet that day, and he didn't want to miss her visit if she came in the late afternoon. However, if people had been talking about them, maybe she would not come to see him anymore. Ever. After all, he was much better and she could expect a visit from him anytime now instead. And, she would not want to upset Zorro. He stopped to curse the gossipers for interfering in his non-existing love life, and then carried on walking to the far end of the garden. There, while trying to calm his stormy thoughts he got startled by the black cladded figure.
"Zorro! What are you doing here?"
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