ENCOUNTER 4:
THE COLONEL

RATING: PG

CHARACTERS: T/Q H M CM V Mentions of Nogales

SUMMARY: Montoya and Helm each receive visitors.

NOTES: Helm/Marta, if you want the Queen/Helm or Tessa/Helm, this AU fic isn't the one for you.

The characters you've heard of belong to Fireworks. Hope they continue the show!

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Many, many thanks goes out to Eliza who worked so hard to make Montoya make sense in this story and for making me see many lights. :-) I'm grateful.

~~~~~

LATE AFTERNOON

Tessa waited patiently in Montoya's outer office, a guard standing diligently at the door. She kept her face averted from him in case he recognized her. She was almost certain that she had kneed him in his private area during a recent altercation as the Queen. Trying not to smile, she wondered how long it took him to recover. She took special care to make sure she sat straight in the settee and gave an inordinate amount of attention to her fingernails so he couldn't make a connection. Sure, to the rest of the world, the 'Queen was dead', but why chance fate? She was there to see Montoya's reaction to her bringing up the rustling problem. If she could make him think that she was scared of a threat then he may say more than he should.

Montoya threw open the door separating them and gallantly walked to his guest. "Senorita Alvarado," he sang out. Tessa stood and offered her hand as he said, "I was just told you were waiting to see me. You have not been waiting long, I hope?"

His peck to the back of her hand was an odd sensation for Tessa, as he seemed cordial and helpful to 'Maria Teresa' but wanted to kill 'The Queen'. She would have to tread carefully. She made sure that her forehead held the appropriate crease of worry between her brows as she replied, "No, I have not. I know you are a busy man, so I am sorry to disturb you."

"Not at all," he said with a condescending smile and indicating his office door for her to enter. "What can I do for you today?"

She got right to the heart of the matter. "Colonel, I am so worried."

"What could be disturbing you, Maria Teresa?"

She would have preferred to do this in private, without that guard standing there. "Many of my friends have been losing their cattle. I am all alone at my hacienda, Colonel. Will I be next? My cattle are the major part of my fortune and I just don't know what to do."

"There is nothing that you need to do, Senorita. I am dealing with the problem as we speak," he declared. "It is terrible, what is going on." He shook his head and tisked, escorting her into his office. "The rogues have no respect for the property of others. My men and I will capture the banditos and they will hang high, I promise you."

"Oh, Colonel," she smiled with feigned relief. He had shown no guilty expression on his face that she could tell. He either didn't know he was doing wrong, or didn't care. Tessa didn't know which was worse. Colonel Luis Montoya was obviously a very good actor. For a moment, she wondered if they should start an acting troop in the pueblo with their protector in the leading role. She decided to bait him a little longer. "We are so lucky to be led by you. I cannot imagine what would happen to us if you were not our defender."

As he closed the door of his office, Montoya's pompous smile couldn't have grown any wider. "Would you like some tea, Senorita?"

"Oh I couldn't possibly bother you any more than I have," Tessa said without a lot of force, knowing the protocol of a gentle senorita. Maria Teresa didn't spend two years at court without learning something

"Oh, I insist, Senorita. I was just going to have a cup myself and would appreciate the company."

He had fallen for that little ploy, but would he make a mistake?, she asked to herself. Then, to her amazement, her mind turned to Senor Esteban Nogales. As he had stood so tall in his home, his children in their beds, he was protective, forceful, yet so understanding when confronted with the impossible--the Queen who had robbed him wasn't the genuine article.

Montoya helped her into a chair opposite his at the table, almost without her knowing as she was so lost in thought. She shook off the vision of the young Don in the unbuttoned shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal well toned arms. That was strange for a man of wealth. It made her sad to realize that because of her imposter, the Don probably had to perform manual labor as he couldn't afford his full work force.

She completely missed what Montoya had said, but saw silver thongs in his hand poised above the sugar cube bowl. "One, please," she replied, guessing at what he had asked.

"Of course," he said, smiling, and dropped one sugar cube into her cup and poured the tea.

Tessa clicked open her fan to wave away the last remnant of the handsome Don from her mind. She debated whether or not to mention the thieving Queen to Montoya. She hadn't been in town when the imposter's corpse was laid out for all to see. She didn't know what Montoya's reaction to it had been, although she was positive that it probably accounted for his jovial mood. "It's so awful," she said with a demure shake of her head.

"What is so awful, Maria Teresa?"

"There is so much thievery going on, Colonel. A single lady alone feels so vulnerable. First the cattle rustlers and then the Queen of Swords..." Tessa forgot if she should know that the 'Queen' was dead or not. If she mentioned it , what was she supposed to think about her? It was suddenly so much more confusing than normal.

Montoya clucked his tongue, "The Queen never helped anyone, only herself. But you do not worry about her. She is dead."

Tessa gasped, her hand to her mouth, "No. She is? What happened?"

"Some enterprising soul shot her. We don't have to worry about her anymore."

"That is quite the relief." Tessa clicked open her fan again and started fanning her chest. She leaned closer to Montoya to whisper, "I did not know she was dead. I had just heard gossip from my workers that she had been robbing people."

Montoya's eyes danced when he heard that. "Who?"

"I don't know, they did not say." She chuckled and said, "Colonel, it is not like I have my workers in my sitting room for tea. I just heard snippets of their conversation. They usually stop talking when I come around."

"Yes, well. The Queen of Swords was the worst kind of Robin Hood." Montoya offered her a plate of scones, to which she took one with a thankful bow of her head. "She forgot the part about giving to the poor. She only robbed from the rich. I'm surprised, Senorita, that you were not a victim."

Tessa sat back to think about what her reaction to who the Queen was--is--should be. She was too close to the matter to know. Vera and the other Donas in the county were either oblivious to what the Queen was doing or had formed the opinion of hatred because their husbands did, that she was just messing things up. "You know, Colonel," she said as she put her hand to her chin. "I have been missing some antiquities. I just assumed they were lost in the move from Spain." She gasped. "You don't think she actually broke into my hacienda and took my things, do you?" Tessa stood. "Oh my goodness! I hadn't thought of that. Could that be true?"

"I would not be one to put such a dastardly thing past her." Montoya stood and motioned for her to relax and sit again. Tessa did and daintily drank from her cup of tea. Looking at Montoya out the corner of her eye, she was satisfied that her little display had worked to her advantage. His face held the expression of concern for her well being as he again refilled her cup.

"Your job should be easier now that you do not have to deal with her anymore, Colonel."

"Yes," he agreed. "My focus is on capturing those cattle rustlers and bringing them to justice."

It still amazed Tessa how easily Montoya lied. He had perfected it to such an art that if she didn't know better, she would have believed every word he said, owing to his enthusiasm.

He continued, "Senorita, if you are afraid of being alone out in the country, maybe it is time you thought about marriage?"

"Oh," Tessa blushed. "Hopefully one day I will have a husband."

Montoya smiled. "You know that Capitan Grisham has been keeping his eyes on you."

"Really?"

"Surely you have noticed. Have you had any more dinners with him?"

"Sadly no," Tessa lied about the 'sadly' part. "We shared a drink once, but..." She tried to hide the amusement from her mind when she whispered, "He got drunk so I left."

"Really?" Montoya reacted with genuine surprise. "When was this?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter. It is the past. Capitan Grisham is an interesting man though, so strong."

"Yes. Perhaps I will have to arrange another dinner for the two of you."

Montoya's smile was so wide that Tessa couldn't help but match it. "Are you match-making, Colonel?"

"I do like to see people happy and together."

Tessa had to hold back her groan. Happy and together with my fortune in his own little secret room. She didn't know why Montoya was so eager to thrust Grisham on her, especially since Grisham would have allowed Montoya to die of fever. There had to be an angle there but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Her thoughts again turned to Esteban. He would be a perfect man to protect her hacienda. Or she could protect him. Why does every thought today return to Don Nogales??

"A fiesta!" Montoya stood and rubbed his hands together. "A celebration will lift everyone's spirits."

"A celebration?" Tessa fanned herself again to get the thought of the lonely Don out of her head and concentrate on the turn in the conversation. That the Queen is 'dead' and you're going to be even richer with the sale of the stolen cattle? Yes, you do have plenty to celebrate.

He explained, "The heat will have to break soon. We will celebrate then."

"That will be a cause for celebration." Tessa took his hand and shook it. "Well, Colonel I have taken enough of your time. I should be going. You are a busy man."

Montoya lifted her hand to his lips once again and softly kissed it. "You always do brighten my day, Senorita. Don't worry. You will be safe at your hacienda."

At that moment, Tessa decided to pay a few of her workers extra to guard her cattle at night. As she was escorted out of Montoya's office, she couldn't help but think that the Alvarado hacienda was going to be his next target.

~~~~~

Marta had been careful to ride the mare down the back streets of Santa Helena, She couldn't be seen by anyone who might want to talk or wonder why she was in town without Senorita Alvarado, or run into Tessa herself and have to explain her presence. Usually, everything about her life was an open book. Tessa and Marta had talked about everything. The only talk of romance had been about Tessa's beaus. Marta would like to confide in her, hoped that Tessa would understand the mutual attraction she had with the doctor, especially since Marta had the feeling that the young Senorita had her own thoughts on Dr. Helm at times.

Thankfully, Marta hadn't seen a soul who even looked in her direction. Sometimes it was handy to be so low on the totem pole of life. You could blend easier into the woodwork. Marta got off the mare and walked her to the livery. She told the man that Senorita Alvarado would like to leave her horse and would pick it up in the morning. Marta couldn't have that mare tied up behind Helm's office the rest of the day and certainly not throughout the night without people asking questions. After a few coins dropped into his hand, the deal was done and the man didn't need an explanation.

Marta hurriedly walked to the back of his office and softly knocked on the door. When Helm didn't answer, she figured he was with a patient. Without making a noise, Marta entered Helm's private room and waited. She didn't hear any people, just the soft hum of a tune. She peeked around the door to see no one in the waiting area from her angle of view, then no one in the exam room to her right. She thought. When she turned the corner, she saw Helm in front of a mirror, shaving.

She leaned against the wall and smiled at the sight of him with a white dress shirt's sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he completed his task. He was singing in English and she couldn't make out all the words, but it seemed to be a lullaby. "No patients today?"

He jumped, having not heard her, almost nicking his neck with the razor. He demanded, "What the hell took you so long?"

"So long," Marta teased. "I'm actually very early. I see you're busy, I could leave."

"No way." He put down the razor and walked to her. He gathered her in his arms and went to kiss her.

She quickly backed away. "Not with that cream on half of your face." He grabbed a towel to wipe it off when she grabbed his arm and gently shoved him onto a chair. "Let me."

Marta took the razor from the table and laid a towel over her shoulder then moved closer to Helm. He put his hands on her hips and repositioned her onto his lap and smiled up at her. Marta lifted the skin on the top of his cheek and carefully glided the blade down, then stopped. "You have to relax your face or I must cut you."

She wiped the blade off on the towel and waited while his expressions flowed from that delightful smile to a frown and everything in between. The smile kept returning. She rubbed her forefinger over the muscles on his face to relax them, getting one hand smeared with shaving cream. She dabbed some on his nose, then started again to run the blade down his cheek, then up from the base of his neck.

As she wiped the blade again, he commented, "You've done this before."

"Si."

"To your--."

"Don't speak," she said, continuing to shave him. She could feel him pulling her lower body closer to his and she playfully wiggled in his lap.

Helm let his head fall back and laughed then posed his head for her. "Hurry up."

When she was finished, she wiped off the last of the cream from his skin as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her face down to his. Eventually, the blade clattered to the floor and wrapped herself around him.

Helm lifted her up to carry her to his back room, but she wiggled her body to the floor and stood on her own. She looked toward the door. "Yes," he said as he went over to lock it. "No interruptions like yesterday."

There had been private moments when Marta had unexpected thoughts of the doctor but had only exchanged pleasantries while she stood alongside Tessa at society functions. Marta clearly remembered the emotions she had felt the last time she was in his office. She was embarrassed from having fallen in public, had to admit that her knee and hand hurt. It was odd to be in that same room again after the intimacy they had shared so suddenly and unexpectantly, so welcoming, both in his office and in her bed. It was just the day before that she was escorted into his office by Helm and Vera not wanting anyone to bother with her. It had only been little more than a day since her life and attitude had completely changed.

When Helm turned back to her, he noticed her reflective smile. "What?"

She admitted, "It was just yesterday morning that all you were to me was a crazy fantasy, a handsome man in town. Now, you are everything to me." Marta's insides almost exploded when she saw Helm's reaction. His smile revealed pleasure, his eyebrows rose with what must have been a hint of surprise by her words, but his eyes were captivated. Each passing second that they locked eyes drew her in more and more, she wanted him more than she ever wanted anything in her life.

Helm walked back to her, cupped her cheeks in his hands and lightly kissed her. The kiss grew into the melding of tongues, clicking of teeth as they hungrily touched and held onto each other. He grabbed her hair and then pulled her head even closer against his. Marta felt as if she wanted to just climb inside of him. She pulled the back of his shirt out from his pants, and felt his upper body respond with sudden, rapid intakes of breaths when she rubbed her fingertips up along his spine. His arm tightly clenched around her waist. He broke off the kiss and gasped in her ear the he rubbed his nose against her neck.

Then, to Marta's surprise, he released her and moved back until he walked into the table. Steadying with his hands clamped on it's edges on each side of his hips, rubbed his lips together and grunted. "We're moving too fast," Helm hoarsely said.

Marta looked off to the bed in the other room, and was going to agree with him. They weren't exhibiting proper behavior, although it was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment. She could still feel his arms around her, his lips against hers, his caressive breath on her neck. She didn't want to be brought back to reality. It wasn't fair. Embarrassed, she dropped her head, staring at her shoes.

Suddenly, a box of chocolates, the one Helm had pilfered from Montoya's warehouse while he was going to examine the dead Queen, appeared in front of her eyes. "Have one." When she looked up at him, she saw that he had slipped on a dress coat, but not the tie, and had quickly combed his hair. He looked sumptuous, more appealing than the chocolates he held out to her.

Helm picked one himself and nudged it against her lips. When she opened her mouth, he slid it in. He told her as he moved her to the waiting room, "I had this romantic evening planned. I wanted to court you first." He took her shoulders and spun her around as she savored the dark chocolate in her mouth.

Marta was stunned that she hadn't before noticed the table against the opposite wall in Helm's waiting room. Not only did it have a white lace tablecloth atop it, it also held two candlesticks, a bowl of fruit and a bottle of wine along with two crystal wine glasses. She smiled as she watched him light the candles.

"The wine was a gift from Senora Hidalgo when I first arrived in Santa Helena. I never had an occasion to open it until now."

Marta lifted up the bottle. She had seen the same kind in the Alvarado wine cellar and knew it was expensive. Such a bottle was opened only for special occasions. The Alvarado's anniversary, Easter with guests. Marta had only tasted it once, when Tessa completing her schooling and had given her a glass, much to the chagrin of the Don. "This is a wonderful vintage."

"All the more reason for you to enjoy it."

She put it back on the table and hooked her hands behind her back. "I am not used to such luxuries, for myself."

Helm wrapped his arms around her and held her hands behind her back. He lightly kissed her ear and neck. He whispered, "You're going to bathe in them from now on."

~~~~~

Tessa strolled down the street of town with her thoughts on the young Don and his children. Her eye caught the fountain and remembered the last time she had seen Maria Louisa Nogales. Her daughter and son surrounded her as she had to stop to rest, almost to the point of delivery of their baby daughter. Tessa paused at the fountain and clearly remembered the young Dona. Louisa was so young, beautiful, in love, caring to her children, and what Tessa imagined, anxiously awaiting the birth of her newest child.

She looked over at Dr. Helm's office and remembered that he couldn't save her. Vera had mentioned to her that he had been distraught when he lost his patient. Vera had learned that fact from her maid, who heard it from the milliner, who heard it from... The gossip in the county was always running rampant. It was a wonder to Tessa that not only hadn't the Queen's identity been revealed, but the crimes of the fake Queen hadn't come to light either.

Lost in thought, she hadn't noticed that Vera had appeared at her side and had spoken. "I'm sorry, Vera. What was that?"

"I was asking why you look so sad, Tessa," Vera said, fanning herself. "It must be the heat. I do not think any of us are feeling ourselves."

"Dona Nogales..." Tessa pondered aloud. "Did you ever meet her?"

"She and the Don were at the party introducing me to society after Gaspar and I arrived not long after our marriage in Spain. That was the only time. She kept to herself and her children." Vera looked at the distraught look on Tessa's face and asked, "Her passing was sad, but why are you thinking of her now? Were you close friends? Was today her birthday?"

"No." Tessa shook off her preoccupation and concentrated on her friend before her. "How are you today, Vera?"

"This heat is about ready to make me faint." Vera's fan was going at a blinding speed. "I was hoping a little air would help, but it hasn't."

Vera talked about her trials and tribulations of the morning while Tessa looked back at Montoya's headquarters. "How well do you know the Colonel?"

"Colonel Montoya?" Vera showed surprised at the turn in the conversation. She hesitantly said, "I am sure I do not know what you mean, Tessa."

Tessa took her arm and they lazily walked down the street casually smiling at the passers by. "If you were to ask him a favor, would he do it?"

"If you were to ask him a favor, he would do it. I do not know what you are asking."

"I was just in with Colonel Montoya and wanted to ask him something, but..." Tessa kept walking but Vera stopped to grab a handful of grapes from a basket outside the market and drop a coin in the grocer's outstretched hand. She popped one in her mouth as Tessa stopped to look at her.

Vera shook her head. "I thought the grape would cool off at least my mouth, but no. What do you need Montoya to do for you?"

"He's having a fiesta soon," Tessa said, trying not to convey her dissatisfaction for Montoya's real reason behind it.

Vera on the other hand, seemed pleased. "He is? It has been so long since the last one. What a wonderful way to lift everyone's spirits."

"That's what he said."

"What is the occasion?"

"The Queen of Swords is dead."

Vera darkened. "Yes. No, that is not a very good reason for a party. Are you sure that is the reason?"

"That is exactly what he just told me. What did you think of the Queen?"

Vera cautiously looked around and Tessa mimicked her, careful not to allow eavesdroppers. Vera said, "Gaspar and I never agreed on that subject. Marcus, well, it was his job to find and kill her. But..." Vera looked around again just to make sure there weren't any eavesdroppers then confessed, "I admired her. I was not born into wealth like you and Gaspar, so I may still see things differently. I think she was on the right side. But as Gaspar always tells me, she hadn't affected our dealings and plantation yet. I may have thought differently about her if she had. But silently, I supported her." She looked at Tessa as if waiting for a reaction.

Tessa could tell that Vera, not having been born to wealth and privilege, may think that her own reaction to the Queen would be quite different. Once again, Tessa didn't know how to respond.

"I feel the way you do, Vera," Tessa just told her straight out. If she can't trust Vera, besides Marta, who could she trust? "Montoya was ... gloating about her death. It was almost as if he would have liked to have pulled the trigger himself."

"Oh, he would have," Vera seemed certain.

"So getting back to the original question, if you were to ask Montoya a favor, would he do it?"

"That would depend on what it was. What do you want me to ask him, and why can't you ask him yourself?"

"I would like him to make sure that Don Nogales receives an invitation to the fiesta."

"Is that all?" Vera lightly giggled, obviously she had expected more. Then she shook her head, "Don Nogales is in mourning."

"Of course."

"He has always been invited, he's a Don. He should attend Montoya's fetes. But he has not accepted them since his beloved wife's death." Suddenly, Vera flashed a sly smile. "Are you interested in him?"

"Of course. He's one of the ..." Tessa was going to say nice ones, but how would she know that? She decided to say, "few privileged, single men in the county. Marta has been reminding me that it is time I marry. With the cattle rustling, the death of the Queen, I just... I'm nervous to be alone out there. Sure, I have workers but they live in their community and Marta... well, she has nerves of steel, but it isn't the same thing as having a man around."

Vera seemed to note Tessa's embarrassment and laid her hand on her shoulder. "It is about time, Tessa. I've tried to fix you up with available men and you have not cared for any of them."

"I would prefer one of my own generation, Vera."

"And there is Doctor Helm," Vera said as she nodded toward his office.

Tessa grimaced. "He never sees me. He tolerates me, he doesn't talk to me. And I should marry someone of my own rank."

Vera stepped back a little at that response and shortly said, "I will talk to Colonel Montoya on your behalf."

"You can't tell him that I requested Esteban's presence."

"Esteban? Well, well, well. Do you know him more than you are letting on?"

"No. That is his name."

Vera laughed. "You can consider him invited, Tessa. I'm so happy for you."

"Don't tell anyone. It may turn out that he doesn't like me either. Or he's still in mourning." But his parting words to her... to the Queen... wouldn't leave her mind. ~Come back after harvest and I will repay you... or sooner, if you so desire.~

~~~~~

Helm tore himself from his narrow bed and the woman in it to retrieve the wine from the other room. Marta wrapped the sheet around herself and crept to the door to see him standing au natural as he opened the wine bottle that they hadn't gotten to before succumbing to passion. Marta thought that he should pose for a statue. Michelangelo's David had nothing on Robert Helm. Tall, lean, muscles on his arms, legs and even back that rippled with every movement. This was the first time she actually saw him in the day light and he was a sight to behold. Before he could turn around to notice her, she returned to the bed and gathered the sheet around her as she sat with her back toward the wall. When he returned holding the two stems of the glasses with one hand and two oranges in his other. Marta shyly averted her eyes and curled her legs under her.

Helm sat alongside her. She took one glass and he let one of the oranges fall onto her lap. He then pulled part of the sheet around her over his lap. He positioned a lock of her hair behind her shoulder and clinked his glass against hers. "Cheers," he said right before drinking from the glass after she did.

Marta's eyebrows rose and kept the liquid in her mouth to savor it. After she swallowed and the wine washed down her throat, she stated, "This is exceptional."

They both leaned back against the cool stucco wall that felt good against their naked backs. Their recent exercise made the hot air even more stagnant. Marta bit into the rind of her orange and started to peel it as Helm asked, "How long have you been in California?"

"This time, only a couple of months. Tessa wanted to return after hearing that her father was dead. We had usually come every other year before that. One visit when Tessa was young, it lasted three years."

"It is usually this hot?"

Marta laughed. "Yes. It is. Although this last week has been warmer than usual for this time of year."

Helm groaned and leaned his head against the wall. "Oh God. We've been reduced to talking about the weather."

"Well, it is inordinately hot and a major topic of conversation. You are not used to the heat?"

Marta had sectioned the orange and offered him a piece. They both ate and the sweet juice felt good against the residue of the wine in their mouths. "Not at all. It rains almost every day in England. It's lush, green. That's one thing I do miss. Trees. Greenery."

Marta shifted so she looked at him straight on and cautiously asked him to fill in the blanks of the pieces that she had felt from his story the day before. "I'd like to know more about Ethan Helm."

Helm paused as he popped another section of orange into his mouth. Then he told her from the beginning about his dysfunctional relationship with his own family, his love for the nanny and her son who was more of a mother and brother to him than his own, and about Ethan. Helm continued to drink his wine, eat sections of oranges that Marta would hand him, as he related more and more of the story. After retelling his father's murder as dispassionately as he could, he realized that his wine glass was empty and both oranges had been eaten. Marta gave him her wine glass and urged him to continue with his tale. By the time he was finished with the recounting of his desertion, so was her wine.

He leaned over and set the glasses on the floor. Marta saw the imprints on his back from the wall and gently rubbed them. He sat straight again and thankfully smiled at her, then wrapped his arm around Marta to pull her closer to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and held him around the waist to let him know that he wasn't a monster. She softly said, "Thank you. I know it was hard to keep having it come back. I appreciate you telling me."

He lifted her head and softly kissed her on the forehead. "It's odd."

"Telling me those things?"

"No." Helm shook his head. "How easily I do. I'm so comfortable with you. It feels to me like you understand and I can tell you anything and you will not judge me."

"I judge you. I have that right. I just do not find blame." A tear slipped from Helm's eye and she wiped it off. "It is in the past. You have a glorious future ahead of you."

"You saw that in your cards?"

She didn't like the condescending way he said that, but understood. He was a man who saw life as it was. There was only black and white. To have faith in tarot would constitute a gray area which he was unwilling to do, for the moment. "You are a strong man, a good man. Fate would have it that you will be happy."

"With you?" Marta was so happy that he felt she needed to be in his life and she was honored also. Helm asked, "Did you tell the senorita about us?"

With a coy nod of her head she said, "Sort of."

"What did she say?"

"She seemed happy for me. But, I didn't tell her it was you."

"Are you ashamed of me?"

"Heavens, no. No. I just..."

"Why do you want us to be a secret? I may start to take it personally."

"It is so new. I am not even used to it yet." She softly laughed and played with his fingers between her hands. "And there is the class issue."

"Get that out of your head."

"It's not easy to do when you look at it from my end."

"I left all that behind."

"But you still enjoy the parties and the people. You can not leave it all behind. It is a part of you."

"Keep talking like that and I'm going to stand in the town square and declare my undying love for you."

"Undying love...," she smiled then laughed. "You really do not even know me."

Helm still hadn't shaken off the intensity of his retelling and Marta was disappointed in herself for bringing up such things so quickly or dismissing what he said. "You know a major part of my past. Something I was too shamed to admit even to myself for years. I have no secrets from you, Marta. Ask me anything."

"You do not have to," she began, then told him, "You are like no other man I have ever met."

"I'm honored. What men have you met? You say I don't know you, well, tell me. Where did you grow up? Do you have family? Are your parents alive?"

Marta smiled wide and was all too happy to tell him. "I have a family. I heard that my father Ramon died five years ago but my mother Luisa is still with my band of Gitano. I would get letters from her while I was still in Spain."

"A band?"

"Yes, we are a nomadic people. All my aunts, uncles, cousins, my grandparents until just before I left the band all traveled together. It was only when I joined the Alvarado household that I actually had a roof over my head. All my life I had only seen tents and wagon tarps. My mother is a healer, she taught me well. My father was the leader of the band after my grandfather died. I heard that my uncle Tonio has taken over."

"How did your father die?"

"He was accused of stealing a sheep. What had actually happened was the lamb was stuck in fencing. My band had heard the lamb bleating and stopped to investigate. My father freed it and saw that it had a broken leg. He lifted the lamb to carry it to the farmhouse to alert the owners that it should be tended to. The farmer came out and I suppose that all he saw was a Gypsy holding one of his sheep and assumed he was stealing it. He shot my father."

"My God. I can't even conceive of that."

"It happened many times in our history. We are third class citizens, sometimes thought of as worse than rats." Marta took in deep breath of air not wanting the injustice of others against her people to fester. He hadn't asked for a historical lesson of the Gitano, he had asked about her family specifically. She told him, "We were very close. Very happy, together. There had been singing and dancing and plying our crafts to make money to live. My father was an artist, he was so gifted. He only had to look at a landscape one day and weeks later when he finally got canvas or more paint, he could reproduce exactly how it had looked."

They heard the yells of town people outside the window and they both rose up from the bed to see what was happening. Marta knelt back down again so she wouldn't be seen next to Helm and then quickly started to dress. They heard shouts about the Queen and Marta had assumed that Tessa had decided to reveal that her 'death' was a lie and appear to them in person. As she reconnected her corset, the intense worry for the life of her charge rose again in full force. As she searched for her hair tie, she realized that they were calling on Montoya to give them the Queen's body so they can properly bury her.

Helm finally realized that Marta was dressed but before he could say anything, she said, "I must see what is happening."

She found the tie on the floor by the table and rebound her hair as Helm pulled on some clothes. In the exam room, he saw Montoya and a few of his men appear in front of the crowd. When he went to the window to watch, Marta joined him, but stood back from the window a ways to not be seen.

The soldiers quieted the crowd when Montoya began, "Friends." Marta saw him stand straight and pronounce to the people, "I know what a trauma you have all endured with the passing of the Queen of Swords. Even though she and I did not see eye to eye on many issues, I am also shocked by her murder. I assure you, her murderer will be found and he or she will hang in the square."

Some people cheered those words, others seem to look at each other with resolution that Montoya was just telling them what they wanted to hear. One men yelled, "Her body! We want to give her a proper burial."

Montoya lowered his head for an instant then lifted it to speak again. "I have done wrong, but it was only to protect you. She is already buried." People heckled, but Montoya's posture and raised hand for them to quiet made them do just that. "I wanted to give her a truly fitting place of rest for you all. I wanted to make all the arrangements and was waiting until her tombstone could be carved before revealing the information of where her body lies."

There were a few naysayers in the crowd, to which Montoya continued loudly, "The Queen had many enemies, she was murdered, the last thing I wanted was for her body to be violated, stolen, or worse. If you find my actions to be less than what you expected or wanted, for that I apologize. I was trying to make this devastating incident as painless as possible for all of you who cared for her. Please, continue lighting candles in her honor. Continue to respectfully mourn her. Once the tombstone is finished, there will be a funeral for the entire community. One that is truly fitting for a Queen."

With that, Montoya returned to his headquarters. The crowd stood and communicated with each other in a civil tone, then slowly disbursed. Helm told Marta, "That man is a sight to behold," as he shook his head. "Earlier this morning, I went to her body to retrieve the bullet and he told me that she was buried in the desert and a manzana tree would be planted on top of it. I have a feeling that the tombstone he mentioned is yet to even be ordered."

"I should go," she slowly said, not wanting to, but she had to tell Tessa what had happened and to know that she was all right. She told Helm, "The workers, they should know the news as soon as possible, that there will be a funeral for the Queen. They will be happy."

"Should I escort you home?"

"I'll be fine, Dr. Helm."

"Robert." He laughed at her slip. "I'm Robert."

Marta chuckled at the reflex of calling him as she had known him by since his arrival to Santa Helena. "Yes. Of course. Robert."

He handed her the box of chocolates and told her, "Don't forget these. Also, do not let Maria Theresa have them."

"Why not? She would love them."

"They are yours."

"We share. What is mine is hers."

"But what is hers is not yours."

"No, that is not true. You do not know our relationship."

Helm smiled, she could tell he knew he had gone too far. "Invite me to dinner so I can see for myself. To my eye, she's a spoiled brat who only thinks when things are pointed out to her."

"That is not at all fair. You have only talked to her, what? Three times? In a social situation. You do not know anything about her." Marta's instinctive protection of Tessa made her words come out too fast and hard, but he didn't know what Tessa was and what she had to deal with on a day to day basis. The only thing that Marta was happy about was that Tessa's role of playing 'Maria Teresa' had fooled even the doctor.

"True. I apologize," he quickly said. "Invite me to dinner. But then again, Senorita Alvarado wouldn't know who she's inviting to dinner if you never tell her about me."

"I need just a little more time."

"You're impossible," he said as he hugged her. After a lingering kiss, he whispered to her, "But I love you anyway."

"If you keep saying that and I will start to believe it."

"I've never meant it more in my life."

She was going to melt and tell him that she felt exactly the same, from the first moment she saw him and thought he was unattainable. But he was and she had him. For the moment. They were from different worlds and in her mind, it just could not work in the long run.

Helm lifted her head and told her, "Tomorrow. You will come to me again. Some how. Fall over another bucket if you have to, but don't hurt yourself. That way no one will suspect the carnal knowledge going on in here that you don't want anyone to know."

She laughed and wrapped her arms tight around his waist. She just wanted to hold him for a while longer. She didn't want this time to end. She didn't want the outside forces to kill what they had. His heart beat was constant against hers as they gently rocked back and forth. "I will come," she promised.

~~~~~

CONTINUED in Chapter Five - The Tarot Reading