"Nothing, Capitan. I was sleeping. You woke me up."

He was going to open that cell and pound the truth out of Eladio when the ruckus outside occurred. "I'll be back," he told Eladio, with a stern look and a pointed finger. "You will tell me why you didn't make a sound while the Queen was breaking men out of jail. She must have thought you were not worth it," he chuckled as he walked to the door.

Outside, he saw Gaspar Hidalgo standing on his wagon, offsetting its balance, and couldn't help but let out of laugh. The bite of jealousy hit him when Gaspar was welcomed by his wife's open arms. One day, she wasn't going to pretend to be happy with that dumpy excuse for a man when he could afford her.

Grisham hurried to Montoya's side as Don Rodriguez marched to him. Don Ricardo was pulling a man in uniform off the back of one of the three wagons and Grisham about fainted when he recognized the man as Alfonso. No respect! What's going on?!

The crowd of people circled them as Rodriguez, with Hidalgo stalking up and grabbing Alfonso's other arm, faced Montoya. Grisham wanted to know first-hand, but to be so obvious near Montoya might make Alfonso say something that would be best left unsaid. "Montoya," Rodriguez said. "Colonel Balthazar Alfonso."

"I know who he is," Montoya spouted. "What is the meaning of this? Unhand him."

"He is a kidnapper," Hidalgo said.

The crowd gasped as Grisham saw Vera standing next to Maria Teresa and Marta, as well as that British twit on the sidelines. "Kidnapping? Who?"

Hidalgo cleared his throat and said, "We do not know her name. We let her off with her father."

"They will all be held--and not only for accosting an officer, Montoya," Alfonso declared. "They murdered my unit!" He struggled against the men who held him, and thankfully had not noticed Grisham as of yet.

During this struggle, he faced Seņorita Alvarado, who was pushed into the circle from a soldier coming late to the party. Before she stepped back, Grisham noticed a look on her face that could only have meant concern and anger for the man. She said, "I know he kidnapped a girl. I saw her." She didn't glance at Grisham, so it must have been when he hadn't been there, thank the Lord.

The crowd gasped again and all looked to her. "Today, after Seņora Guevara was shot, I followed the real gunman to his camp along the shore."

"Really, now?" Montoya said with amusement. "Why is this the first I have heard of it?"

"I did not think you would believe me, Colonel," she said, bowing her head, "considering that it was another Colonel that I was accusing."

"He did it," Rodriguez said, and was immediately backed up by the rest of the Dons and ranch hands who had rescued the girl.

Montoya looked to Alfonso, whose eyes were trained on Seņorita Alvarado. "Who are you?" Alfonso asked forcefully, pulling against the men holding him, who now numbered four.

"Maria Teresa Alvarado," she replied with pride.

Alfonso laughed, then said, "Chismosita, you are just like your pig father. Montoya, enough of this, let me go!"

Tessa stepped forward. "What did you say?"

"You are Rafael's daughter?"

"Yes," she responded, her head held high.

"He is roasting in Hell as we speak."

Tessa's eyes flashed and Grisham was really enjoying this, but not for long. He was scared that Alfonso could be so angry at his treatment that he would spill all sorts of beans. He was one to get riled easily. Grisham was surprised to see that Alfonso had actually held a sense of decorum until now.

"My father is not!" Grisham had never seen Maria Teresa so angry. Her eyebrows were curled, her face tight, her eyes flared. He really wished he could do something to make cooler heads prevail here. He looked to see a sergeant under Alfonso's command being pulled from the back of another wagon. This was the last subject that Grisham wanted to hear discussed in public. Everyone who was a witness to Don Alvarado's death was either dead or reassigned, each having sworn their confidence as Grisham had pointed out that if he went down, they would as well--except for that one sergeant. What sweet things had the man been whispering in Alfonso's ear? Alfonso might not have known about Alvarado's execution, but he must have heard enough 'stories' about some of Grisham's activities to seek him out and recruit him. Grisham hoped that his name wouldn't come up in the heated conversation that was being exchanged between Maria Teresa and Alfonso. He didn't need Alfonso to put ideas into anybody's head, especially Helm's. The Doc hated Grisham and would happily see him hang. And if anybody ever did hang for old Rafael's death, it would most likely to be Grisham.

Montoya was just standing with amusement watching the exchange. It figured.

"He died squealing like a pig," Alfonso said. "And it was not a moment too soon." He began to laugh.

Just then, a shot rang out. Alfonso stopped laughing and fell. The crowd scattered. When the smoke cleared, Tessa was holding a pistol she had obviously taken from the soldier next to her and fired. Helm took it from her shaking hand, as Tessa stared with horror on her face at the now-dead Colonel.

Marta rushed to her, but Tessa pushed her back and held her head high. She put her wrists together and walked to Montoya. "I am guilty of murder," she said, her voice cracking. "Arrest me."

All was silent as the Dons and Montoya all stared at each other. The sergeant looked like he could be next on the agenda, and was taken away. Grisham made a note to arrange an 'accident' for him later on. He had to give Seņorita Alvarado points for courage. She didn't even blink when she told Montoya, "Arrest me! I killed him. Everyone saw it."

Marta cried out as Vera held her. Helm stepped forward and said, "I did not see anything."

"Neither did I," Gaspar stated quickly, shaking his head.

Don Ricardo shrugged. "No one will miss that criminal."

Don Rodriguez nodded his agreement and told Montoya, "Colonel Alfonso was killed during the rescue of the kidnap victim."

Grisham looked to Montoya, who had the life of a landholder in his hands. If he wanted to convict, there really could not be any reason why the Viceroy wouldn't believe Montoya's eyewitness account over the Dons'. The Viceroy sided with Montoya over the Dons all the time, even when he seemed to side with the Dons. If Montoya convicted Maria Teresa Alvarado, there wasn't anything to stop him from obtaining her land. Montoya looked down at Alfonso's body and then cleared his throat. "Tragic," he said. "He had everything, and he did not know how to use it."

"What are you going to do, Montoya?" Rodriguez asked sharply. "If he had insulted my father in such a way, I would have castrated him with my dagger."

All eyes were on Montoya, who was clearly debating both options. Then, he shrugged. Grisham glanced around covertly. The mob was too big to control, and he just bet that Montoya knew it. "Oh, the paperwork." Montoya shook his head. He took Seņorita Alvarado's hand and patted it. "Go home, Seņorita. As we all agree, none of the events of the last few moments ever happened."

Marta instantly took Maria Teresa into her arms and walked her away. Helm seemed to nod his thanks to Montoya as he turned and followed the women. Grisham, relieved that his part in the matter hadn't come to the fore, asked, "Colonel? What would you like me to do?"

"Get rid of this filth," Montoya said, indicating Alfonso's body. "Seņors," he told the Dons, "you are, of course, welcome for a nightcap...while you explain all that transpired this evening."

"With pleasure," Rodriguez said, patting Montoya's back. "The good brandy, Montoya, not your usual substandard vintage you try pass off on us."

"I would be unwise indeed to try to get anything over you in the future."

Grisham could tell that Montoya was pleased beyond belief about the events. He not only had Seņorita Alvarado owing him, but maybe the rest of the Dons as well. Grisham was pretty happy, as well. His name hadn't been brought into it. There was only the matter of that sergeant, who was being pulled to the jail by officers under Grisham's command. Definitely time for him to meet with a sudden, fatal accident.

Epilogue

Marta was a godsend. For the years since Marta had come to work for her father, she had been a surrogate mother, advisor, and friend. Now more than ever, Tessa loved Marta and was thankful for her presence. After killing Alfonso in cold blood, Tessa felt like falling down a deep hole, not believing what she had done. It was only as Helm was driving their wagon back home and huddled in the back with Marta and Eladio did Tessa start to feel something again.

They had arrived back home without fanfare of welcoming workers, as they probably were retired for the evening. Marta had thanked Eladio for all his help that day, as she helped Tessa down from the wagon. Tessa fell into Helm's arms when her feet hit the ground.

He had examined her face quickly and asked, "My diagnosis is that you need a sedative. Marta, do you have something that will help her sleep?"

"Of course," Marta had replied and they walked her into the sitting room and deposited her on the sofa. Their voices seemed as though they were coming from another room even though they were both close. Helm had sat with her, holding her hand, while Marta disappeared, probably to whip up spiked hot milk.

"Do you think worse of me now?" she asked him, as he had always been abrasive whenever the Queen had injured or accidently killed someone.

"You reacted as any loving daughter would." His voice was gentle and comforting.

She dared look at him and didn't see blame or disappointment. "Why do you think that Colonel Alfonso insulted my father like that? Do you think that Alfonso killed him?

A strange look came over his face. "No," he said, after a moment. "How do you feel?"

Tessa could only shake her head numbly. She was speechless. Ever since her return to California, she had had suspicions that her father was murdered, and at times, hadn't thought she would ever find out the truth. And she had killed a man in cold blood, deliberately, just as she had killed Raoul the deserter, the only witness she had ever found to her father's death, with a pitchfork, and for the same reason. But she had killed Raoul on her own lands, and had buried him in secret. Alfonso, she had killed in front of all the Dons. And with him had died the evidence of whatever Grisham had been doing at Alfonso's camp. Her hands were shaking as it all came to her, then a rush of shivers went through her body.

Helm lifted her into his arms and carried her to her bedroom. The suddenness of his motions took her by momentary surprise, but then she went dead again inside as she laid her head against his strong shoulder. He set her down on the bed and said, "You will feel better after a good sleep. I will get Marta to care for you."

"You do not want anything to do with me," she surmised.

He stroked her hair. "That could not be further from the truth, Tessa. I will return to check on you in the morning. Sleep well."

After Helm left, shutting the door behind him, she sat up in bed and finally knew how he had felt during this time in the war. He had talked about how he had shot men at close range. Because he had to never made it easier. The violence had made him turn his back on it all and turn to medicine.

Tessa went to her bureau, needing comfort from her family, and pulled out her mother's brooch and hair comb that she had recovered from Montoya's drawer. She pinned the brooch on her neckline and pulled up one side of her hair to put in the comb. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw Marta open the door and come in with a mug of white liquid with visible steam.

She stared at herself in the mirror, wondering how her parents would have reacted to what she had done. As the Queen, she could pretend that the deaths were not real, but as Tessa, she had no such shield. Tears came to her eyes as she said, "Papa. I have killed." Marta's hands on her shoulders gave her comfort. "I am so sorry that I killed, but I avenged your honor."

"You did what you had to do." Marta's forceful words made Tessa cry.

"But does that make me any better than Grisham or Montoya?" she asked Marta, looking at her in the mirror. Marta nodded with a smile. Tessa asked, "So, do I still need to ride as the Queen?"

"You must do what is in your heart, Tessita."

Tessa knew she didn't have to decide anything tonight. For now, all she wanted as to get out of her dirty riding habit, crawl into bed, and drink that hot milk that she hoped would put her right to sleep.

Watch for the next exciting adventure, Love, Roman Style, part one - Episode #308, starting on December 15, 2002.

If you have missed any episodes, you will find them in the Season Three Archives section.