As Mary Rose made her way back into the house to put her plan to paper, she was surprised by the woman dressed in black searching her library. "What do you think you are doing?" Mary Rose demanded, as she saw the Queen of Swords sifting through her desk drawer.

The Queen shut the drawer and straightened, into a posture of control and strength. She warned, "Montoya cannot have those cannon."

"What are you talking about?" Mary Rose asked stoically.

"I know everything that goes on around here. Your plan cannot work if it ends with Montoya acquiring cannon."

Deciding to roll with the conversation, but still reeling from the shock of the Queen knowing about the plan that hadn't yet completely been organized, she asked, "Why not? Men need their toys."

"He will fire them at innocent people."

The Queen paced around the desk slowly, looking determined.

Mary Rose asked flippantly, "He will not fire them at me, so what do I care?"

"Can you be so sure?" When Mary Rose did not respond, the Queen continued, "He cannot be armed with such a weapon. What on earth could have made you his accomplice? It will not end well for you, Seņora. You have to know that."

"I have something over Montoya. He would not dare cross me," Mary Rose said defensively, then immediately regretted it. What she knew was that Rafael Alvarado had argued with Montoya in his office just before the Don's 'riding accident.' With a little bit of asking the right people, she had found out that Montoya had called for Alvarado's execution and that Captain Grisham had been the one to pull the trigger. There were times when she was going to tell Maria Teresa Alvarado what she had found out, but what good would it do? It wasn't as if Montoya or Grisham would serve any time, or even be put out of office. They could bend the truth to fit their needs, and the Viceroy would certainly believe Colonel Montoya over the word of a female, particularly one he considered a pirate.

"What do you have over Montoya?" The Queen asked boldly, with unusual interest.

That would be the day that Mary Rose told the Queen anything. The Queen had told her not to trust Montoya, well, she couldn't trust the woman in black either. Her husband, Andres, had been very clear when he told Mary Rose many times not to trust anyone.

"None of your business," Mary Rose said. "In fact, get out of my house. You are not welcome here."

"I thought we were friends," the Queen said, with a bit of indulgence.

Mary Rose went to her desk and looked in the drawer the Queen had opened to see if there was anything missing. She made a mental note to keep private papers in the safe from now on. Who knew what riffraff could make their way in here? It was a good thing she hadn't started working out her plan for El Risa del Diablo yet.

Mary Rose looked at the woman dressed in black and wondered why she even bothered with a costume, hidden identities, and hidden agendas. Ever since her dalliance with Captain Mazar, Mary Rose hadn't had time for games. She walked to the Queen and ripped the mask off. "At least look at me with your face. Do not ever come to my house in costume again, Maria Teresa. Also, never come when you are not invited and go through my things. You can now leave."

"What on earth makes you think you can go into business with Montoya without it backfiring on you?" In order to turn the tables on the Seņora, the Queen theorized. "I thought you were a smart woman."

Feeling the rise of anger, Mary Rose took a deep breath to calm herself. She had to concede, "There are times when a man in tight pants can make me lose my head. I am only human."

"Montoya? You are in love with him?" Tessa asked, as if it was at once laughable, as well as outlandish.

"Heaven forbid, no!" Mary Rose rocked with laughter. "I just need him to teach a lesson to another scalawag."

"Do you want to tell me all about it?"

"Of course not."

"Maybe you could use my help."

"Not likely."

"Who are you in love with?"

"Are we retiring to the drawing room with tea after dinner while the men drink brandy and play poker in the other room? Forgive me, Seņorita, if I do not feel like baring my soul to a woman who feels she needs the cover of a costume. Go home, powder yourself, and wait for suitors to call."

Tessa retorted as she donned the lace mask once again, "I do like you, Mary Rose. You have kept my secret, and for that I am grateful. Think about what you are doing. Do not cross Montoya. You will live to regret it, if you live at all."

Mary Rose had only taken her eyes off the intruder long enough to sit at her desk in an authoritative posture. When she scanned her library for the Queen to tell her not to worry about her, the Queen was gone. Mary Rose searched the house to see if she was just hiding somewhere in order to sift through other things. When she glanced out the window of the living room, she saw that the Queen was riding her bay stallion up the hill at the edge of Mary Rose's property.

Do not cross Montoya.... What about crossing me? Have you ever thought of that? The anger and regret had been so overwhelming, Mary Rose hadn't been able to think straight since that pirate by the name of Captain Lorenzo Mazar had left her. Mary Rose made her way back to the library as she continued her train of thought. He didn't even have the decency to just leave when the novelty of their relationship wore off. No, he had to take Andres' gold watch with him.

Mary Rose was sure that the late Andres would be disappointed in her. He would have been the first person to tell her to exact revenge on the scoundrel. She sat back at her desk and took out a fresh sheet of parchment, then she soaked the tip of her quill in order to write out notes of what she hoped would be the perfect plan.

Montoya could get his cannon while she took control of El Risa del Diablo. She would search it for her husband's watch, let the thieves take whatever they desired, and then burn it. There was one important aspect to the plan that she had to make sure every person knew: Mazar must remain very much alive. That bastard would know that he shouldn't have stolen from her and taken advantage of the fact that she had been so lonely as of late.

Andres had been the one to build El Risa del Diablo, that he had christened The Mary Rose. He had outfitted it with every convenience available. It was a palace at sea. Mary Rose had spotted it docked as she sailed up the coast to Monterrey three months ago. She had thought much on its recovery, while she stalked the pirates who had terrorised the coastline so recently. It had a new mast and a new name, but she knew it was her Andres' ship. It might take a great deal of courage to set it afire after she was on board and everyone had pillaged what they wanted. She certainly didn't want it anymore; if she did, she wouldn't be able to think of anything other than it was her husband's prized ship, that he had lost with the flip of a couple of cards.

Mary Rose could almost envision Mazar's face as he lost control of the ship. Then, she thought of the rest of him. His thick mustache and constant stubble. His wavy black hair that reached the small of his back and had a mind of its own. His lean thighs were usually encased in tight dungarees. His eyes twinkled and his grin was knowing. His strong arms seemed to burst out of his shirts, which were usually rolled up to his elbows. His shoulders were broad; his chest was perfectly chiselled. His hands were rough and calloused, but his touch was soft and tender. His blithesome laugh caressed her ear, which was so different from his deep suggestive voice that could make her shudder when he whispered in her ear.

Mary Rose cleared her mind, remembering how he had stolen from her, and went to the safe to take out all the trinkets she thought would be grand enough for the hoodlums to be swayed to work for her on this one mission. An emerald bracelet that once belonged to Josephine Bonaparte, a ruby necklace that Mary Rose had inherited from a hated aunt, jade earrings she had won from Montoya, and the diamond ring Anton was to give to Carmina. Along with Montoya's contribution of his soldiers and that diamond necklace, fifty thieves, and Anton, Mary Rose would see fate come back to bite Mazar in the ass.

She watched the sunlight refracted through the diamond necklace, producing a prism on the wall as she put the jewels from the safe into a pouch. She wondered where Montoya had got that necklace, who had owned it, and what they had done to have to fork it over. Well, its past didn't matter. What was important now was what it would buy for her.

Seņorita Maria Teresa Alvarado sashayed through the square of the pueblo with her mind on too many things. The capture of some pirate's ship was something that wouldn't have bothered her in the least if she had learned about it after the fact; a pirate deserved to have the tables turned on him, just as he had probably turned a few on others. She would miss neither Captains Voler and Hipplewaite, nor their 'hospitality' while she had been their hostage a month ago. And she certainly felt no hostility towards Mary Rose for blowing Captain Voler's ship out of the water and capturing Hipplewaite's. But the thought of Montoya acquiring cannon frightened her. And she knew that this must be very important to Mary Rose, if the taking of El Risa del Diablo was enough to make Mary Rose McIntyre Guevara go into business with Colonel Montoya.

Cannon! He will be acquiring cannon! was all she could think as she found herself at the fountain, not even realizing that it was where she had been heading to. She took a seat on the stone and brushed her hand through the water as she gazed up at Montoya's headquarters, and she wondered what was hidden in that secret compartment in his bedchamber bureau. If she were to be so lucky as to find herself in Montoya's room again, alone, she wondered if she would be able to find that compartment, and better yet, open it. Proof of papa's death and how Montoya was behind it could be in there. She gave herself the luxury to dream of it, then announced with bitterness, "Bah! And pigs will fly!"

Tessa was so wrapped up in her thoughts that Vera startled her. "Pigs? My goodness, Tessa, there has to be something or someone more pleasant to occupy your thoughts."

Vera's sly smile greeted her when Tessa turned to look at her silhouette against the strong sun. Shielding her eyes, she asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Just long enough to know that you need some company," Vera said sweetly as she took a seat on the stone circle. "At least to make you think of something more cheery than swine." She mimicked Tessa's action of making ripples in the water. "You walked right by me, did not even look up at my call."

"I am sorry, Vera. I did not see you." She felt guilty. Vera had been too ill lately to derive much pleasure from life. It was good to see her up and in a happy mood.

Vera's light laughter complimented her cool yet sexual presentation. "I do not hear that often." She dabbed some water from the fountain to her chest and announced, "It is so hot lately. I just ordered a carafe of wine at the cantina. Let us drink it." A shadow passed over her face for just a moment, but then she seemed to shake it off.

Vera hooked her hand on Tessa's arm and pulled her to her feet. She kept hold of Tessa's hand as they walked together to the cantina. Seņora Hidalgo smiled at everyone on the way, and Tessa realized that she should do the same.

As they sat at a table on the porch of the cantina, the wine was poured in their glasses by the server. Tessa felt like her face was going to crack from the false smile she had held for so long. A third glass was being filled, and Gaspar soon joined them.

"So nice to see you again, Seņorita," he said gallantly to Tessa, just after kissing Vera on the cheek.

"How did your meeting with the Colonel go, Gaspar?" Vera asked him.

"That man makes me so angry." Gaspar looked as if he would spit tacks if it were possible. He slammed his fist to the table and it shook his glass. "We had the discussion about taxes planned for ages, then he has a servant tell me that the meeting has to be rescheduled. A servant! Montoya makes me come all the way into the pueblo only to make me look like a fool. To a servant! What is the point of forming a Council of Dons if Montoya pays no attention to us?" He gulped down half the glass of wine and Tessa hurried to refill it. If he was in such a mood, she might actually get some information from him.

"Colonel Montoya did not even give you the time of day?" Tessa took out a handkerchief and dabbed some of the spilled wine from Gaspar's reaction to the Colonel from his sleeve.

The dons had decided to have one of them go to Montoya about not daring to raise taxes this season as had been rumored. Gaspar had been chosen as messenger. She hoped she hadn't prodded him too much with her words, but soon saw that Gaspar was on her side. The side that said that Montoya was not molding to their vision. He was a 'lowly military officer' while they were landowners. The dons, as well as Tessa, had decided at a gathering at Don Ricardo's last week that it was high time they started demanding things from the Colonel instead of the other way around, despite his recent threats to report them to the Crown as revolutionaries. Some Dons felt that Montoya's repeal of his recent tax increase was not enough; they wanted to prevent any future, unilateral tax raises.