The Secret of Zorro Diego's Decision Chapters Four and Five by Ella Christian @1999-2001 Contact author at EllaChristian@aol.com Chapter Four - Runaway Bride Despite his hopes to the contrary, Diego left Rancho de la Vega alone on his mission to find Capitan Solano. He genuinely wanted Elizabeth's company on the search. His desire came in part out of his continuing feeling of protectiveness over her, and in part because he knew that revealing the news of his decision about El Zorro would upset her. Then there was the third part. He simply liked being around her. Once all the drama over the Verdugos and Diablo ended, their weeks in Monterey had been pure magic for him. Despite her stubbornness about the horse and her often miserable bouts with morning sickness, Diego discovered, during those weeks, that living with Elizabeth was exciting, comforting, hilarious, aggravating and completely endearing. Whether she was drawing sketches in her notebooks for gardens she wanted to create, or making silly charicatures of poor Marta, or trying in vain to learn how to make a stew, she fascinated him. In Spain he had become accustomed to women throwing themselves at him. Since returning, he had alternately had to fend them off or try unsuccessfully to woo them, depending on which of his personas he was in. Elizabeth wiped all of those experiences off the map of significance with one toss of her dark chestnut hair. He had learned early in their marriage that she had an uncanny gift for mimicry. She could reduce him near to tears of laughter in no time, with her imitations of Sergeant Garcia, Marta Verdugo, his father, her father, and numerous well-positioned members of Monterey and Los Angeles society. Her Corporal Reyes imitation had such perfect timing and tone that just seeing her get "the look" on her face broke him up completely. As he rode towards San Pedro thinking about her, he realized that her prank with the punch was yet another example of her capacity for sending up the society in general. Perhaps it was her American side, the part of her that had only a limited and somewhat disdainful view of the aristocracy. Though she refused to admit it, he was certain that she had known exactly what would happen when she handed the recipe to the servants. Of course, she could not have foreseen the auction of poor Consuelo's hand. But she certainly knew she was setting a great deal of mischief in motion. It was the sort of prank that sent El Zorro into gales of laughter, even if Diego himself was somewhat stuck with having to partially disapprove. He shook his head to himself as he nudged Apache's side, urging his horse to a faster pace. He hated riding in any direction that took him further away rather than closer to her. She had won his heart all over again the night before, once they finally reached a point where their need for sleep prevailed over their other impulses. She had done something that always made his heart melt, which was kiss his breastbone lightly, lay her head on the center of his chest, and begin to make her purring sound. *** Back at the hacienda, Elizabeth had seen him off with the excuse that "I must get Consuelo pulled together and back to her home." However, the moment he was out of sight, she hurried not to Consuelo's room but to Alejandro. She found her father-in-law in the library sipping coffee and reviewing his schedule of tanning appointments and hide sales. "I must talk with you," she said, seating herself across from him at his desk. "What is it?" he asked. "Have we yet another crisis around that punch you made?" "Alejandro," Elizabeth said seriously, "Diego is doing something...something dreadful. We must stop him." Alejandro put down his pen, removed his glasses, and looked at her thoughtfully. "He no longer rides as Zorro," he said. "He has told you!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Alejandro shook his head. "He has not said a word. But I have known it. Since the day both of you returned from Monterey." "But how....? What can we do?" He sighed, looking down at his accounting book and then back at his daughter-in-law. "I have considered this for almost four weeks now, my dear. I have waited for him to tell me, but he has not." He paused. "I suppose he has finally said it to you. Which was the right place for him to start." She nodded, tearing up. "Just this morning. He can't do this," she said. "There was a time not so long ago when I would have, and did, say the same thing," Alejandro said gently. "But I cannot argue with him now. He has you. He has his first child on the way. And what happened in Monterey...." he shook his head. "But..." "Elizabeth, he will never again take any chance around the sort of thing that happened up there, to you. I know my son." "But that was not his fault!" "It does not matter. He will always feel he could have protected you, he will never forgive himself." He paused, looking beyond her for a moment, and then went on. "Diego was a very happy child, Elizabeth, and he had a wonderful life here on the rancho. Being an only child, he was the center of attention, he was a natural leader, he made friends easily, he took care of....well, first it was little animals, eventually it was horses and other children. He has a very big heart." "Si, I know," she said tearfully. "But you see, his world collapsed when his mother did not come home from Santa Barbara. And I could never get him to understand that it wasn't his fault, that she would have taken ill whether he had gone on that journey or not. But after I came home, and told him his mother had died, he withdrew for three months. He barely spoke to me, he spent his time either alone or with Windhawk, who almost never talks. They would disappear into the hills for days and I could not scold or threaten him into behaving himself. Something inside him broke." He sighed. "So you see, I don't believe he will take this chance with you. He loves you as he has never loved anyone since his mother died. I can see it all over him, my dear. You walk into the room, he lights up. I cannot argue with his happiness." "But it should not put an end to El Zorro!" she said, still crying. "You know, he never said a word about her, the whole time we were in Santa Barbara. Isn't she buried there?" Alejandro pushed himself away from the desk and walked over to the portrait of Matilde de la Vega that hung over the fireplace in the library. "Some people go to a graveyard to talk to the dead, but I talk to her here. I think perhaps Diego does as well, though we have never spoken of it. As far as I know he has never visited her grave." He looked from the portrait to Elizabeth and then back to the portrait. "When you came into Diego's life I told her, 'I think this girl may be the one for our son, Matilde. She has spirit.'" He looked over at her. "I was right." Elizabeth came to stand next to him, looking up at her mother-in-law's serene gaze. "She is where Zorro comes from," she said. "In a way," Alejandro agreed. "The part of Zorro that stands for helping the weak and doing good deeds of charity. His impulse for justice....and I think the larger part of his mischief...come from..." he chuckled. "From some other part of his heritage." "But Alejandro, he cannot put it all aside! He cannot step back now and simply be Don Diego, the de la Vega heir from the northwest edge of the basin." Alejandro sighed. "It is a time when Zorro is surely needed," he said. "It may be a year or two away, but the Mexicans will come. It will not go well for us when they do." He looked at Elizabeth. "But we cannot force him, Elizabeth. I am sure that he has not come to this decision lightly. And....I am also sure that it is a great burden for him to continue to appear to be a rather weak person in this community. When he was single I think somehow there was less at stake. Now he is trapped by his own success." "But he isn't a weak person!" "Of course he isn't, but think how he is seen in the pueblo. And he has the stories about you and Zorro to contend with. The whispers are everywhere, Elizabeth." He smiled. "Although I must admit he scored some points last night, carrying you up the stairway. Not that most of the people who witnessed it will remember, given their condition last night." "It isn't fair..." Elizabeth said. "He says he doesn't care about the rumors!" "Perhaps that is what he says. But he is a man, Elizabeth. He has his pride." Elizabeth suddenly became exasperated with her father-in-law. "Is it his pride?" she snapped. "Or is it his worry over yours?" Alejandro looked at her sharply. "I do not expect you to understand this, for you are young and you still have a foolish streak. I tried to get you and Diego to see the dangers in what you were doing, back when you decided not to kill the rumors about Senora de la Vega and El Zorro after that episode at the cabin." "So now you are blaming me?" "I am not blaming anyone, I am pointing out the results of the decisions you two have made! And I am telling you that Diego will not allow you to be endangered again." "I could be endangered by walking into the plaza and...and being shot by a bandit who broke his way out of the cuartel because Zorro wasn't there to stop him, too!" It was at this moment that Bernardo entered the room. Both of them looked at him at the same time and said "What?!" very loudly. Bernardo winced. "Why didn't you go with Diego?" Elizabeth asked him. Bernardo pointed at her and shrugged. "I had something else to do!" she cried. Then she looked at Alejandro. "But I can't seem to find any allies!" With that she rushed out of the library and they heard her climbing up the stairs. Bernardo looked at Alejandro quizzically. "Oh, she is upset because Diego...." he sighed. "Diego. Diego is putting El Zorro behind him, it would seem." Bernardo nodded sadly. "You know, too?" Alejandro said. "Has he told you directly?" Bernardo shook his head. Then he pointed at the secret passage doorway and shook his head. He gestured a horse underneath him, again pointed at the passageway, and shook his head with a shrug. "I know, he has not gone out there or ridden Tornado for many days," Alejandro said. "But what are we to do? It is his decision. I think he fears any more harm coming to Elizabeth." Bernardo nodded, again sadly. They stood there for a moment, rather forlorn. Then Bernardo looked suddenly at Don Alejandro, and put his finger to his head. "You have an idea?" Alejandro asked. Bernardo nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. *** "I am just going to...to run away!" Consuelo was shouting as Elizabeth entered. The two cousins were still in the guest room. At least Clementia had managed to get Consuelo to dress. "What is wrong with you?" Consuelo cried, seeing Elizabeth. "Nothing," Elizabeth answered. Clementia frowned. Her friend definitely looked flushed and upset. "Where is Diego?" Consuelo asked. "He's...he's gone to San Pedro, to find Capitan Solano," Elizabeth said. "I wanted to find out if you are all right, and if you need me to send Bernardo or one of the other servants with you to see you home." Clementia came over to her. "Elizabeth, are you sure you're all right? You look....strange." Elizabeth sat down on the bed. "I'm fine, really. I just...." She realized she was suddenly feeling nauseous. This hadn't happened in so long that she was quite taken by surprise. "I think I need to go lie down for a little while." "We can get home just fine," Clementia said. "I am sure Diego will get everything straightened out." "He had better!" Consuelo cried. Clementia glared at her cousin. Then she sat beside Elizabeth. "You look so flushed." She touched her friend's forehead. "I don't think you are feverish, but Elizabeth, you do not want to take any chances, with your baby on the way. Go on, lie down." Elizabeth nodded, and stood up slowly. "I will tell one of the servants to bring your carriage around. Consuelo, do try to keep your head." "And could you keep your head if you woke up on morning to discover you are married to that fat man?" Consuelo cried. "Please!" Elizabeth said, holding her hand to her head. "Elizabeth, something is really wrong," Clementia said, taking Elizabeth's arm. "Consuelo, you must stop insulting Sergeant Garcia. Go on downstairs and wait for me, I want to help Elizabeth to her room." "I'm coming with you!" Consuelo said, seeing an opportunity to look into Elizabeth and Diego's room. The three of them made their way onto the balcony and several doors down, and Consuelo opened the bedroom door. They went in, and she looked around. The large bed was made, covered with a heavy purple brocade spread. Everything looked quite tidy thanks to the Maria's faithful work each morning. Over the fireplace table was a portrait of Matilde de la Vega, holding her young son in her lap. Two large chairs were set before the fireplace. It looked like a room where the young de la Vegas spent a great deal of time in good comfort. "Stop staring," Clementia said to her cousin, as she helped Elizabeth to the bed. Elizabeth lay down on it. "I don't know what happened," she said. "I may have run up the stairs too quickly. It is very strange, what I can do and what I can't, now." "Perhaps I should call Don Alejandro," Clementia said. "No!" Elizabeth said. "It isn't anything, I just need to rest for a little while. I get tired easily, that's all this is." "Your color is better now," Clementia said. She looked over at Consuelo, who was making her way around the room slowly, looking at everything on the wall and on the dressers and tables. "Consuelo!" she said. "What?!" Then she spied something on the dressing table, beside Elizabeth's combs. "What is this?" she asked, holding something up. Elizabeth looked over at her. In her hand was a large black glove. "It's...a glove," Elizabeth said. Consuelo looked at it closely. "Is it Diego's?" This got Clementia's interest. "Diego wears tan riding gloves," she said. Consuelo looked around on the floor. "Where is its mate?" she asked. Elizabeth got up and came over, retrieving the glove from Consuelo's hand. She looked at it. "It's....I think perhaps Diego got this in Monterey. The other one must be around somewhere." She looked at her friends. "He throws clothes around," she told them. "It is one of his less charming habits." Clementia was still looking at the glove. So was Consuelo. They both looked at Elizabeth. "Oh, come now," Elizabeth said. Clementia could not resist, and rushed over to her. "Tell us the truth," she said conspiratorially. "About what?" Elizabeth asked. "Did El Zorro visit you last night?" "Visit....?" Elizabeth repeated. "I was here with Diego last night! I am here with Diego every night!" "No, really," Clementia said. "We were all so out of our minds last night, El Zorro could have walked right through the middle of the courtyard and we would not have known it." "Clementia!" Elizabeth cried. "Is this his glove?" Consuelo asked. Elizabeth looked at the glove. She had no idea how it had gotten from the secret room onto the dresser. "I told you, I think it is Diego's! He got some gloves in Monterey. I didn't realize he had kept them, he doesn't like wearing black." "That is true," Clementia said. "You never see Diego in black." Consuelo looked from her cousin to Elizabeth. "Never?" Elizabeth shrugged. "He doesn't like it." "He doesn't like El Zorro, if all that I have heard is true!" Consuelo said. "He admires the work of El Zorro as much as the rest of us do!" Elizabeth cried. Then she suddenly needed to sit down again. She went to the chair, still holding the glove, and sat down. "Elizabeth, you need to take your siesta early," Clementia said. "Si, I think you are right," Elizabeth said. "Tell Maria to get Bernardo to bring your carriage around." "We will," said Clementia, patting her friend's shoulder. Consuelo looked at Elizabeth. "What is he like, really?" she asked. "Who?" Elizabeth answered. "El Zorro!" Elizabeth got up, exasperated. "He's.....I haven't seen him in so long I hardly remember!" she cried. Both women were taken aback by her sudden surge of energy. They looked at one another, and back at Elizabeth. "Please," Elizabeth said, "just let me...." she walked to the door and opened it. "Just let me rest." Clementia and Consuelo walked out, Clementia pausing to squeeze her friend's hand. "If I see Diego, I will tell him you found one of his gloves," she said. Elizabeth closed the door and went back to the chair and sat back down. Whatever had come over her was gone now, she felt fine. She looked at the glove in her hand. Had Diego put it on the dresser, by her combs? Was it a message of some kind? What was going on? *** The buggy ride home to the Bocca hacienda was spirited, between Consuelo's continuing anxiety about her "marriage" and Clementia's growing certainty that somehow El Zorro had drugged Diego and spent the night with his wife. "Didn't you see how she looked when we first showed her that glove?" she asked. "She was shocked! Embarrassed! She knew what it was!" "Do you really think it was Zorro's?" "I am telling you, Cons, Diego doesn't own a pair of black gloves. He never, ever would even think of buying such a thing. Elizabeth would have been better off telling us he had borrowed them from his father or something. But buying them? In Monterey?" She laughed. "That is not Diego. He might buy a new guitar or a new blue jacket with gold embroidery....but not black gloves." Consuelo considered this. "So....if she is really Zorro's lover, then she can't be all that committed to Diego." "I told you, it was an arranged marriage. She will stay with Diego because their fathers made it all happen. And he does love her, you see that when they are together." "But surely he would rather be with a woman who loves him, too." Clementia looked over at her cousin. "Don't even think what you are thinking." "It isn't fair that Elizabeth gets Diego and El Zorro, and I am stuck with big fat Sergeant....what is his name?" "Garcia!" Clementia cried. "He is such a sweet fellow, you must stop being so harsh about him!" Consuelo eyed her cousin. "You really rather fancy him, don't you?" "Oh, I have known him for years," Clementia scoffed. "He is the town buffoon in many ways. But in his heart he is very kind, and I do not believe he is as stupid as people think he is." And thus the conversation went, back and forth between speculations about Elizabeth and Zorro, Diego's gentlemanly habits, Consuelo's sad fate, and Clementia's secret affection for the good Sergeant. *** The two young women would have benefited from being many miles away in San Pedro, to hear first hand the discovery that Diego was making. He found Capitan Solano on the Maria Cruz, overseeing the loading of a large shipment of lumber. It was not until noon that the Captain was able to break away for a meeting, but when the loading was suspended for the midday meal he greeted Diego and invited him to come to his quarters to eat. As the food was spread before them, Diego said, "I must ask you something right away, Javier." "Oh, let's eat first, before we do any business." The Capitan was notorious for enjoying his meals and his drink. "This is not exactly business," Diego said. "It has to do with what happened at the hacienda last night." "Oh!" Solano boomed, taking a huge bite out of a large roasted turkey leg. "That was quite a remarkable party! I must get the ingredients for that amazing drink that was being served." "Yes, the drink," Diego said. "The drink....Elizabeth calls it a punch, managed to bring a great deal out of people last night, don't you think?" "I don't remember very much, to tell you the truth," the Capitan said, taking a huge swallow of wine. "I do remember waking up in one of your guest rooms this morning and realizing I needed to get back to my ship. I left before most people rose. I did not even see your father, to say good morning or thank him for the party. Terribly rude of me, really. Your father is such a fine man." "Si," Diego said. "But we understood you had to leave. And that is why I have come to find you." "Well, what is the problem?" "It is the problem of the marriage ceremony you performed last night." Solano looked at him in great surprise. "Marriage ceremony?" "Si," Diego said. "My father and Carlos Matteo both say you conducted a wedding last night. Between Sergeant Garcia and Consuelo Perez." Solano stared at Diego for another ten seconds and then burst out laughing. "Marriage?!" he cried. "That was bogus! I didn't marry them! It was all a joke!" Diego started laughing too. "Ah, well...." he said, taking his first bite of food. "So there was nothing legal about it?" "Legal?" the Captain howled. "Garcia and that little enchilada from Mexico City! I would have my commission removed for marrying those two! The navy would laugh me all the way to Patagonia! Just think of it! Garcia married to anyone!" Diego nodded, making himself continue to laugh. In fact he mostly felt relief, plus a tinge of regret for Sergeant Garcia. There was no marriage. The Sergeant would be disappointed, but Consuelo had dodged the bullet and would be glad. And it meant that Elizabeth's prank had done no permanent harm. He lifted his glass and said, "Here is a toast, then. To freedom, for Consuelo and the good Sergeant." "To freedom!" Solano agreed, clinking his glass to Diego's. They drank, and then the Capitan leaned over. "Now, tell me truly, Diego, do you think that Consuelo might like a ship's captain for a husband?" Then they both laughed again, and proceeded with their meal. *** On reaching home, Clementia and Consuelo entered the hacienda to discover that Clementia's father, Don Francisco, had departed for business in town. Clementia's mother, Leonora, wanted to sit the young women down immediately. "We have to determine where Consuelo will live now," she said. "What do you mean?" Consuelo cried. "Well, you will need to take up residence with the Sergeant, of course," she said. "But I understand he lives in the barracks at the cuartel and that will not do for a lady. So we need to meet with him to learn how he plans to re-order his living arrangements." "But Mama, we don't even know if they are married for certain," Clementia said, trying to hold the dyke back from bursting. "Diego has gone to San Pedro to talk with Capitan Solano, we cannot start making these arrangements, they may be completely unnecessary." "I witnessed the wedding myself," Dona Leonora said firmly. "I watched them go into their room together. The Sergeant carried her up the stairs the same way Diego carried Elizabeth up the stairs." Consuelo flushed, horrified. She had not remembered that. Clementia waved, trying to get her mother to stop talking, but in vain. In a further attempt to defuse her cousin's anxiety, Clementia said, "Mother! Do you know what! We found El Zorro's glove in Elizabeth's room!" Leonora's eyes widened. "But how can that be! El Zorro has moved to Monterey!" Consuelo burst into a new fit of tears. "I want to go home to Mexico!" she wailed. "We have to wait and see what Diego finds out," Clementia said, trying to be reassuring. "How do you know it was El Zorro's glove?" Leonora asked. "I can't be married to that Sergeant!" Consuelo wailed. "It was a very big, very black glove," Clementia said. "It would not possibly fit Diego's hand. Consuelo, please, you need not be so upset...at least not yet..." "Maybe El Zorro gave it to her when he said goodbye to her in Monterey," Leonora suggested. "They say he has not seen her since he killed Diablo." "But why would she have it out on her dressing table!" Clementia said. "Mother, I believe he was there last night! I think he drugged Diego!" "I want Diego!" Consuelo wailed. Leonora looked at her niece, horrified. "He is married!" she cried. "And so are you!" With that, Consuelo jumped up and ran out of the room. "Oh, now see...." Clementia said, starting to go after her cousin. "No, wait, tell me more about the glove!" her mother said, grabbing her daughter's hand. Clementia looked after Consuelo, and then concluded there was really nowhere for her to go. She sat down again beside her mother. "We saw it beside Elizabeth's combs on the dressing table," she began, "and Elizabeth was very upset that we saw it. Mama, I am sure El Zorro was there last night....you know how he can appear out of nowhere...." Through the open window they heard the front gate slam, and then the sound of horses' hooves. Clementia looked at her mother in alarm, and ran outside, across the patio, through the gate and into the road. Beyond her she saw the buggy she and her cousin had just arrived in rattling away in the dust, the horses running as hard as they could. Given the angle of the road, Clementia could see the edge of her cousin's arm inside the buggy, raising the whip and urging the horses on. Her mother came up behind her. "What?!" she cried. "Did the horses run away?" "Oh, no!" Clementia said, realizing what had happened. "I think....I think perhaps Consuelo has just run away." Chapter Five - "For Want of a Shoe..." Diego departed the Maria Cruz in the late afternoon, having spent far more time there than he meant to. He and the Capitan had consumed their midday meal late, and then had continued to talk about the political situation between Spain and Mexico over a cigar on the deck of the ship. When Diego finally managed to get back to shore, he found that Apache had thrown a shoe, which necessitated a stop at the San Pedro blacksmith's shop for a temporary replacement that would get the horse and thus his rider home. By the time he was on his way, it was nearly 4:00 and he was in danger of reaching home later than sunset. He knew this would worry Elizabeth, so he urged Apache into a canter to try to make up lost time. As Diego approached the crossroads that led him to the western turn in his journey, perhaps halfway home, a rabbit leaped across the path and Apache lurched to avoid it. Diego heard a loud thud against a rock and felt the horse's gait alter. Realizing something was wrong, he stopped his steed and dismounted. He discovered, to his dismay that the temporary shoe had been thrown. Diego dropped the horse's foot and sighed unhappily. They were on a remote part of the road. Apache would go completely lame if he tried to ride him the rest of the way home without the shoe. They could hardly walk back to San Pedro. But the walk home was long as well. Very long. Diego patted his horse's nose, feeling a great longing for Tornado. "Well, boy, we are in a mess here, aren't we?" Diego said. "I suppose we shall have to hope we can either find a place to stay for the night, or have some good luck by running into someone who can help us, with a wagon or a horseshoe." *** Back at Rancho de la Vega, Elizabeth arose from her afternoon siesta feeling far better than she had in the late morning. Zorro's glove still lay on her dressing table where she had replaced it after the cousins left. She felt sure that there was some message in it, but she could not think what. Going into the secret room beyond their bedroom, she found the glove's mate in its usual place on the table beside his cape, sword, and other clothing. Perhaps it was Diego's way of telling her he would reconsider. She decided to check on her gardens, hoping that perhaps she would spy her husband on his way home and lure him up to the grove of live oaks on the hillside for another talk. Lying still all afternoon and getting some deep sleep had cleared her head enough to think about what she wanted to tell him. Surely he would listen. It was as she exited the stable yard and began her way down the path to her garden that she heard a horse approaching, and looked up expecting to see Diego on Apache. Instead, Clementia Bocca was astride her small brown mare. "Elizabeth!" Clementia cried, dismounting and rushing to her friend. "What?" Elizabeth asked. She was still quite annoyed with Clementia for her nosiness over Zorro's glove. "Consuelo....we have looked everywhere for her. She has run off. Has Diego gotten home? We need his help. And we need to know if that marriage is legal!" "What do you mean, she ran off?" Elizabeth asked. "As soon as we got home in the buggy, she ran away. In the buggy. It was awful." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "She cannot have gotten too far, in a buggy. Why would she do that?" Clementia sighed. "My mother started talking about moving her into town, with Sergeant Garcia." "That would make any woman run away," Elizabeth observed. "Why are you all so mean about him?!" Clementia cried. "Oh, come now," Elizabeth said. "We all find the Sergeant endearing to a point, but living with him?" Clementia groaned in frustration. "Let's go find Diego's father," Elizabeth said. "Perhaps he will know what to do. Or perhaps we should just find Sergeant Garcia and let him go after his bride." She turned back to the hacienda. "Diego isn't here?" Clementia asked, following her. "No, he isn't back yet," Elizabeth said. "I expected him by now, but...." she shrugged. "I have learned that things sometimes take him longer than he expects." "Elizabeth...." Clementia said, taking her friend's hand to stop her. "There's something else." "What?" "She...she took the money." "What money?" "My father keeps a large amount of money hidden in the house. It appears that Consuelo took it with her." "How much?" "Twenty thousand pesos," Clementia said miserably. "She knew he keeps it in a little bag hidden behind a brick in the patio wall." "He keeps twenty thousand pesos hidden in a wall in your courtyard?" Elizabeth said, incredulous. "He did until today," Clementia said miserably. "We didn't realize she had taken it at first. We might still not know, but Papa got back from town and went to get it as he wanted to use some of it for the purchase of a new set of hide racks and...it was gone." "Are you sure it didn't disappear before today?" Clementia nodded. "Papa had just checked it this morning. No one else in the hacienda knows about it, and the only reason Consuelo knows is because...." her chin began to tremble. "...you told her," Elizabeth finished. Clementia nodded again, inconsolable. "Please don't tell anyone," she said. "I was hoping Diego would be able to help, perhaps to find her without telling anyone...right now no one knows except my parents and our head vaquero, Manuel. He can be trusted." She fought back more tears. "My father says he will send her back to Mexico as soon as he finds her. He wants to send Sergeant Garcia after her. I told him to wait until I could find Diego and see if he could help." "Well, Diego isn't here and I don't know when he will return. Do you want me to go to his father or not?" Clementia hesitated. "Come on," Elizabeth said. "We don't have to tell him about the money, just that Consuelo has....disappeared herself." Clementia grimaced. "All right," she said. They proceeded to the sala, to find Alejandro taking an early evening glass of wine with Don Carlos. "Oh, Daddy," Elizabeth said. "I didn't know you returned." She kissed her father's cheek. Then she looked at Alejandro. "Apparently Consuelo has decided to deal with her disaster by taking off in a buggy for parts unknown." "Oh for goodness sake," Alejandro sighed. "Has Diego come home yet?" Elizabeth shook her head. "When did she leave?" Carlos asked. "Around noon, I would say," Clementia answered. "We sent our vaquero after her but she must have taken an obscure road...." "What direction was she headed in?" "South." "Sounds like she's trying to go home to Mexico!" Carlos said. "Si..." Clementia said. "Sounds like you need to get Sergeant Garcia to find her," Alejandro suggested. "Perhaps he can persuade her that Los Angeles is a better place than she imagines. Why are you here?" Clementia looked at Elizabeth helplessly. "We think that getting the Sergeant involved would only make things worse, until we know what Diego finds out," Elizabeth interceded. "Daddy, can't we get on some horses and go after her?" "Now Elizabeth, you shouldn't be making such a long ride, the sun is beginning to go down." "We have to find her!" Clementia said desperately. "I can send Bernardo," Alejandro offered. "He has some time on his hands at the moment, since Diego is away." "Oh, could you?" Clementia said. Then she frowned. "But he can't talk to her or make her understand she has to come home." "Oh, you would be surprised at what Bernardo can accomplish, given his silence and deafness," Alejandro stated. "And I can go with him. I could use an evening ride." He looked at Carlos. "Do you want to come, too?" "Who will stay here to watch out for my daughter and my grandchild-to-be?" Don Carlos asked. "Why don't you come to Casa Matteo for the evening, sweetheart? It has been a long time since we have had a dinner together, just the two of us." Bernardo looked hastily at Alejandro, recognizing an opportunity. Alejandro caught his glance and nodded slightly. "I think that is a fine idea, Carlos," Alejandro said. "Senorita Clementia, I suggest that you travel with Don Carlos and Elizabeth, they will see you home, and then they will go on to Casa Matteo. Bernardo and I will ride south to see if we can find Consuelo." "Don't tell Sergeant Garcia," Clementia pleaded. "It will only upset Consuelo, if he shows up." "Bernardo and I will find her," Alejandro assured her. "But what about Diego, Father?" Elizabeth said. "He will get home to find no one here." "We can leave him a note, my dear, and word with the other servants. But then," he added, "perhaps we will encounter him on the road and he will want to come with us to help find Consuelo. Do not worry, Elizabeth, if he does not get home early." Elizabeth sighed, looking at her father. She wanted to go along, but knew that the ride might be a harder one than she cared to make, given the search for Consuelo and the lengthening shadows. "All right, then, Daddy, let's go to your hacienda. Clementia, let us go and tell your father know that Consuelo is nearly on her way home." *** Many miles away, Diego was walking to the north and east, leading Apache. The sun was continuing to lower behind his back. Though it was still warm now, he knew the chill in the night air would overtake them soon. Wearing only his buckskin trousers and jacket and a shirt, he was not dressed to spend the night in the great outdoors. Ahead, he heard the sound of a horse's hooves and the rattle of wagon wheels. "Ah," he sighed, looking at the horse. "I think we are in luck." He led Apache to the side of the road, and waited. Beyond a tall jaciranda tree, a pair of dark horses pulling a covered buggy came into view. Diego's eyes widened. Seated on the bench, the reins in her hands, was the lovely Consuelo Perez. Her hair was fallen around her shoulders, and she looked anxious. He stepped out into the road. "Senorita!" he greeted her. To his amazement, she pulled the horses to a stop, leaped out of the buggy and raced to him, throwing herself in his arms. "Don Diego!" she cried. "Oh, I am so glad to find you!" "My goodness, what?" he said, half-laughing and trying to get her off of his neck. His hands came to her waist and he held her there, looking into her face. "What are you doing these many miles south of your Uncle's hacienda? It is going to get dark soon!" "I am returning to Mexico," she said, still clinging to him. "My aunt wants me to move into town with that fat Sergeant!" "Oh," Diego laughed, trying again to get her at arm's length. "You have nothing to fear, I have seen Capitan Solano. You are not married!" She looked up into his eyes, instantly overwhelmed with relief. "Oh, Diego," she said, her hands on his upper arms. She smiled sweetly, showing off her even white teeth. "You have just made me the happiest woman on earth." "Si, I thought you would be glad to have this news," he said lightly. "And you are an answer to prayer for me. I am trying to get home and my horse is lame. Perhaps we could return to Los Angeles together?" She stared up into his face, and felt her heart begin to pound anew. "Back to Los Angeles?" she said. "Si..." Diego said, trying to lead her towards the buggy. "That is where we live, isn't it?" "I don't want to go back," she said. "Take me to Mexico." "To Mexico!" he repeated, going to get Apache and tie his reins to the back of the buggy. "Why would you want to go there?" "It is my home!" she cried, following him. "You must take me to San Diego, I can get there on my own from San Diego. I will find someone to take me to Tijuana. But please, please..." "Consuelo, I can hardly take the next three days to accompany you to San Diego!" he said. "And then it would take me three days to get back!" "You can, you can," she said, pulling at him. "I cannot face anyone else in the pueblo of Los Angeles ever again, it is too humiliating." "You must keep your sense of humor about what happened, Consuelo," he said. "You have lost nothing, except perhaps for a little bit of hurt pride. You can get over that." He took her elbow. "Come, let us get into the carriage. It will be a great relief for your family to see you." Consuelo looked suddenly into the carriage. Then, to Diego's puzzlement, she climbed into it quickly and grabbed something, shoving it under the bench behind her feet. "What is that?" he asked. "What?" she asked back. "That," he said, pointing at her feet. "They are my feet!" "Behind your feet?" He walked around, climbing in from the other side. Taking the reins, he looked at her again. "Under your shoes, perhaps?" She tucked her feet under the bench. "Nothing. Just a little bag I brought with me, to take to Mexico." "I see," Diego said, flicking the reins on the horses' backs to get them to start walking. He guided them to turn around, and then urged them to a trot. "So, you plotted your escape enough to decide to bring something along, eh?" "I don't want to go back to Los Angeles," she said mournfully. "Then perhaps we should take you home and you can discuss it with your family, and your uncle can purchase a passage for you on the next ship...." This gave Consuelo an idea. "The next ship!" she cried. "You said Capitan Solano was still in San Pedro! You could take me back there, and I could sail with him back to Mexico." "I cannot go back to San Pedro now, Consuelo. Your uncle would never forgive me...and neither would my wife. She is expecting me home tonight and I would hate to disappoint her." "Oh...." Consuelo said weakly. This was his first mention of the wife. The pretty Elizabeth. The one who had Diego's heart and Zorro's glove. Consuelo looked up at him sideways. His eyes were on the road, and in profile his jawline was solid, his cheek smooth, his handsome head noble. "Please..." she said. He looked over at her, slowing the horses to a walk. "Consuelo, really, it does not make sense for us to turn around and go back to San Pedro now." "I think it does," she said, looking into his eyes hopefully. "I have no one else to turn to, Diego. Please help me." He sighed. It would be after dark before they got anywhere at this point. He knew it would worry Elizabeth and his father if he didn't get home; on the other hand, they knew him well enough to assume that something had happened which delayed him. He hated disappointing anyone, and this was a night when someone was certain to be disappointed. He stared ahead of him. He could suddenly hear Elizabeth's voice, saying, "you try too hard to keep everyone happy." Apache whinnied softly from behind the buggy. "Consuelo," he said, "we simply cannot go to San Pedro tonight. We have nowhere to stay once we get there, I have a responsibility to your uncle, and the truth is I want to go home." He flicked the reins again, asking the horses to speed up. "You will be able to get all of this arranged. The Maria Cruz will return soon, if you wish to go back to Mexico." They rode in silence for a while, Consuelo fighting tears and trying to think of another way to get him to turn the carriage around. She considered mentioning Zorro's glove, but admitting she had been in his bedroom would lead to revealing that Elizabeth had seemed unwell. That, she knew, would only cause him to hurry more given how smitten he seemed to be with his wayward young wife. Finally she took hold of his forearm and said, "Please, can we stop for a moment. I need to...." her voice trailed off. "Oh!" he said, reading what she was saying. "Certainly." He pulled the carriage to a stop, and got out to help her step down. "I won't be long, I will just go beyond those trees over there," she said. "All right," he told her. He turned his back as she made her way out of sight. The air was cooling greatly, but it had the sweet, fresh, winter smell that Diego loved. The shadows were dark and long, the sunlight a deep golden color, low on the horizon. He took it in for a moment, feeling grateful that though he was delayed, he could get home to Elizabeth tonight. Things were so fully settled in his mind now that he actually felt happy with his situation. Even the nonsense over Sergeant Garcia and this comically hard case of a senorita was soon to be resolved. Life was starting to mellow. And before long they would have a new baby. Thinking about that made him smile. Apache caught his eye and he frowned. Here remained a problem. This horse, versus the horse he truly loved to ride. How could he introduce Tornado as his new mount in Los Angeles? He didn't have that worked out yet. He went over to Apache and bent over, lifting the horse's foot to check for bruising. Nothing seemed to be worse, he was glad to find. He straightened up, and glanced towards the trees where Consuelo had disappeared. Then he remembered her strange shoving of something under her feet when they first got into the buggy. He walked back around and leaned over, feeling underneath the bench on this side where she had been sitting. His hand settled on a small bag, which he pulled out on the floor of the buggy and looked at. It appeared to be a money pouch. It was quite heavy. He pulled the sides apart and looked down into it, to see a very large pile of pesos. He did a double-take. "Ai yi yi," he said. Before he could straighten up, a heavy chunk of lumber crashed into the back of his head, and Diego de la Vega crumpled unconscious to the ground. "Well," Consuelo said, dropping the log to the ground and standing over him. "If you are not going to cooperate with me I suppose I shall have to make this happen my own way. So much for getting home to your wife. Maybe this will give her another free night to spend with El Zorro." With that, she shoved the money pouch back under the seat in the buggy. Then she dragged Diego by the ankles to the side of the road. She desperately wanted to take him with her, but knew that she lacked the physical strength to hoist his long, solid, inert body up into the buggy "Some day, once you face the truth about your marriage, you will wish you had come with me," she said to him where she left him on the dusty ground. Then she got back into the rig and, keeping Apache tied to the back, reversed directions to resume her southward quest. *** Once Elizabeth, Clementia and Carlos left, Bernardo and Alejandro hurried into the back passages of the house and retrieved El Zorro's clothing and sword. "Saddle Tornado and bring him," Alejandro instructed. "This is the perfect opportunity. But we must be extremely cautious, as it will not do for us to be seen leading Zorro's horse around! You will have to ride ahead of me, and we will have to stay on back paths above the main road. We are sure to spy Diego on his way home. I know the route he always takes." Bernardo nodded as he folded the black cape and slid it into the saddle bag. His plan, to create a circumstance wherein Zorro's help was needed, had nearly invented itself. Chasing after the runaway niece of a proud don was very certainly something Zorro would do. How could Diego refuse? They got their own horses and brought them around to the box canyon, where Bernardo retrieved Tornado. "All right, then," Alejandro said, "let us wish ourselves luck and trust that our little scheme will work. I just hope that my dear son does not take a new route home from San Pedro." *** Diego woke in twilight, still lying on the ground. Everything looked very dark and once he managed to adjust to the darkness he realized that he was seeing double. He tried to stand up, and shook his head to try to clear it and get his vision back. He felt cold. "Ohhhhh," he moaned, putting his hand to the back of his head. The lump was huge and it hurt. His entire head felt like it was split open. He shook his head again, painfully, and opened his eyes once more. First everything looked blurry, then the double-vision set in again. He tried to stay upright, but then slid back down onto the ground, his consciousness once again leaving him.