PART 2
"I was fifteen years old--had just turned fifteen--when my father and brothers left the pueblo. They left me all alone. Alone and responsible for the tavern. I was frightened." He could hear the remembered fear in her voice. "I was a young girl. What did I know of running a tavern? I knew I was going to fail. The bank would take the tavern, and I would be the one that lost the family business." She grinned the whole time she told the story. Maybe tonight would not be as bad as feared. She already seemed to be in a better mood. Maybe she could even find it within herself to forgive Diego, even if she would never trust him.
"But you managed to make it into a successful business. It has been far more profitable under your guiding hands than it was under your parents," he reminded her, not caring that he was letting her know that he had grown up in Los Angeles.
She nodded, letting him see the confident woman he knew she was. Victoria Escalante was a successful business owner, running a tavern at an income the governor could envy. "I have Don Diego to thank for that, too."
"Diego? He knows nothing about business!" He was truly amazed that she believed he was in any way responsible for her success. Books and fighting he knew, but business was an area of weakness for him. He could manage, and would do a good job of it after his father was gone, but he knew he would never have his father's brilliance with business matters. Victoria was the only person in Los Angeles that matched Alejandro.
"No, but he gave me the strength to do what I needed to do." She rubbed her arms, smiling softly. He almost felt a moment of jealousy against himself. "He came into the tavern to tell me goodbye before he left for Madrid. He even ordered a bowl of soup." She giggled and this time it held joy. "It was truly terrible, but he ate every bite. Then, he complimented me on how clean the tavern was. I had spent hours cleaning it in my nervousness. It was the one thing I knew how to do well. I don't know why--it wasn't like me, even then--but I broke down crying. I'm glad he was the only customer I had. I was bawling like a baby, and he looked so--so stunned. He had not even told me good-bye, yet. He just walked around the counter and held me. His strength helped me to get a hold of myself."
He remembered that day like it was yesterday. After all, it was the day he realized how much he cared for his childhood companion. True, they had not spent many hours together. He was often at the de la Vega hacienda, and seldom came to the pueblo. Sometimes, he was allowed to go with his father into the plaza and sometimes Victoria visited the hacienda with her mother, but usually he wanted to play with her brothers. Still, even as a small boy, he had admired her courage, and thought that she was all right--for a girl. When she started crying in her fear that long ago day, he had wanted to take care of her. As he watched her regain her spirit and courage, he was reminded of his mother and knew that she would make someone a wonderful wife.
"He sat me down at a table, and served me some of my own lemonade--which actually wasn't bad," she continued with a smile on her face. "He gave me a chance to catch my breath by telling me why he came. I think he knew whatever I was feeling at the moment would help dull the pain at the thought of his leaving. I don't know. Maybe, he didn't even know how much I cared. We so seldom saw each other." He was touched, having honestly believed that his departure was something of little importance to her then.
"Anyway, I confessed all my fears to him. I told him that I would probably be a servant at his hacienda when he returned. He got so angry with me. He told me that if I was, it was because that I had decided to be there. He told me I had enough education to learn how to run the tavern. He told me I had the ability. I just had to make the decision to use it. The only thing I lacked was the knowledge, and I had friends who would help me there. He said his father would help me deal with the tradesmen until I knew all I needed to know.
"He told me Maria and some other ladies of the pueblo would just love to be able to share their secrets with me. They took great pride in their cooking and would love to know that so many people got a chance to enjoy their recipes in the tavern. Usually, only their families would get to taste their wonderful creations. He was right, and I knew it. I made the decision that I was going to run the best tavern in the territory. I told him that, almost expecting him to laugh. Instead, he smiled and told me that when he returned from Spain he would look forward to a meal at the best tavern in the territory."
She sighed. "I had almost forgotten that somehow. When he returned from Spain, he seemed so different. Well, not at first, but . . .."
He smiled, remembering his own thoughts and feelings. He had walked into the best tavern in the territory the day he returned from the University. "So, Don Diego has a pocket of passion that he doesn't let many people see." He hoped she did not hear the self-directed mockery in his voice.
To his surprise, Victoria looked thoughtful at his comment. "He has tremendous passion. I don't think people care to see it. Living like we do, being oppressed, it is easy to overlook the quiet labor. Diego has a great passion for knowledge, but with the way things are, we admire people like you who have a great skill with the sword more."
He could only stare at her. Tonight was definitely not going as he expected. He had thought that she would rage at his unmasked self and his stupidity. Instead, she was saying things about Diego that amazed him. She appreciating him for whom he was instead of hating him for what he had done.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, looking back at the creek. "Anyway, we left Santa Paula right after the meeting was done. I thought we should take rooms there, but Diego was determined to get back and let his father know how the meeting had gone. His determination surprised me. I had assumed I was in charge of our little expedition. Since he had given in so easily on my demand to go, I assumed he would give in to any demand I made."
She lay back--as far away from him as she could be and still be on the blanket--and watched the clouds, too. She had relaxed around him, but she was still uncomfortable. Zorro knew she would have to finish her "confession" before she would allow him to touch her.
"However, I was right." He heard the amusement and self-mockery in her words. He briefly allowed himself to wonder what she would have said if he had turned to her in Santa Paula and told her they could not stay because he did not trust himself alone with her for that long. As he spent the long night on the cold ground in that windmill, he wished they had stayed in the safety of the pueblo. At least then they would have been in two separate rooms.
"We ran into a storm. Diego knew of an abandoned windmill, so we sought shelter there. It was horribly cold, much colder than tonight. He brought in some little sticks and started a fire. He was being so proper." She snorted. "He even laid two blankets on the floor and separated them by a bench."
"He was just concerned about your reputation, as he should have been. He was trying to be a gentleman," he said in defense of himself. The game was definitely getting confusing.
"I know. He even argued the point about gossip before we left for Santa Paula. I laughed at the thought of people gossiping about Diego and myself." She shook her head.
"Apparently you were right. I have not heard a word of gossip about your trip and everyone knows that you made it." He looked over at her and smiled. Even though she was obviously still worried about something, she had a pleased look on her face about being right.
"Well, Corporal Garcia tried to start some rumors, but everyone laughed."
He tensed, more at the name than the fact someone had tried to start rumors. "Corporal Garcia has been reassigned to the garrison?" He did not fear that Garcia could hurt him, but he was afraid that the lancer might go after Diego with a vengeance. How could he protect himself and remain the bookish scholar he had always shown himself to be?
"No, he was passing through on his way to Mexico City. Did you know that Diego stood up to him when he first came home? Garcia had grabbed me, and Diego forced him to let me go. He told him he was home from Spain where, among other things, he 'learned how to treat a lady.' He was wonderful that day, too. He almost challenged the alcalde!" She looked away, a thoughtful look on her face. "I guess that was before he realized how useless it would be."
His heart dropped to his boots. "You think challenging the alcalde is useless?"
"No! Of course not. I wouldn't challenge him myself if I believed that was the case. I just mean--it would be useless for him to physically fight with the alcalde. He does not have your skill with the sword, but he does fight him in other ways. He uses the Guardian to say what needs to be said, and he does it such a way that he is never arrested, but he always writes the truth. He gives legal advice, and he provides aide to those in need. You come in and do the fighting that is needed, but Diego stays and helps the people recover. He helps them to grow stronger like he did with me."
Both were silent for several minutes. It thrilled him to hear what Victoria thought of Diego. Especially since it was a much better picture than he expected. She always seemed so frustrated with him. "What do you ever do anything?" she had asked him that night in the windmill. Perhaps, now she was able to see the good in Diego's knowledge after all. But the knowledge of her feelings also devastated him, because he knew that they would be unable to be friends anymore. She might forgive him, but they could never go back to the way it was before. He had shown her that tonight.
"We were in that windmill all night. I tried to talk to him, to find out more about him, but he was unwilling to let me in." She sighed, shaking her head. "He claimed he only wanted sleep, but I knew he was not that tired. It hurt that he refused to reveal himself to me," she admitted. "I kept pushing him, but--The wind's bad tonight, but it was worse that night. It even blew the door open." She shivered. "The air blew in and made it so cold. I'd only finished warming myself by the fire, and then I was freezing again. So, Diego put his jacket around me and I--I looked--" Victoria took several deep breaths. He seemed unable to breathe himself, knowing what was coming. He really did not want to hear what she was about to say.
"I looked in his eyes as I thanked him, and I saw something there I had never saw before, something that amazed me. Then, then he leaned towards me and we--we kissed. I was shocked. I had never--" she said, her voice trembling. She held her chin up as if she were a criminal awaiting her sentence.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to speak, wanting to reassure her. "I know that you did not ask to be kissed, Bella. You didn't--"
"No!" She stood, agitated. She began to pace, clinching her hands by her side. "You don't understand. No, I didn't ask to be kissed, and at first I did nothing because I was so amazed. Then, I deepened our kiss. I lay on that blanket all night trying to tell myself the lie that I didn't want him to kiss me. I tried, but I couldn't lie to myself then, and I cannot lie to you now. I welcomed his kisses with as much passion as I welcome yours."
He somehow managed to sit up. Watching her pace, he tried to think. Not able to get his mind to work, he tried to speak, but his tongue felt as if it weighed as much as a bolder. She welcomed Don Diego's kisses? Welcomed--his mind could not process the thought. Maybe she did not want him to be angry with Diego? Maybe she was afraid that he would harm her friend for touching her in an inappropriate manner?
She continued to speak, as if unaware of his confused state of mind. "I think that maybe--no, I know things would have progressed farther, but there was a large clap of thunder that brought Diego back to his senses. He looked at me with such a pitiful look, and his apology broke my heart. You would have thought he had murdered my horse. I could not find the words to tell him that it was all right. I think--I don't know, maybe he was shocked by my responses. He is so proper, and my reactions to his kisses were not at all proper. Maybe I disgusted him."
She thought her wonderful, passionate responses disgusted him? Where on earth would she get such a horrible idea? Did he really come across as such a prude? "Victoria--"
"No, I'm going to finish what I have to say." He watched as her nails dug deeper into her hands. He winced at the pain she must be feeling. "I have so much to say. I don't know how--Anyway, the next morning we began heading home. Our journey was miserable. We've always been able to talk to each other. He would always listen to me tell him about the people in the pueblo, and I would listen to him describe his newest discovery. That day, coming back from the windmill, I was miserable. I couldn't find anything to say to him, and he refused to even look at me. It was on that trip that I realized something that I had never realized before, had never let myself even think about the possibility. I realized that I--" He heard her breath tremble.
"I'm in love with Diego de la Vega, too."
END OF PART 2