Conquering Fear

 

Chapter 2

 

Alejandro was not that surprised to find his son still in bed later that morning. Did the man ever get up before noon? “Diego, I was going to the tavern to meet Don Esteban for lunch. Why don’t you come with me?”

 

“I’m sorry, Father, I can’t. I’m not really up to it today.” Diego barely looked up from his book. “I wanted to finish this book. Padre Benitez wants to read it when I’m done.”

 

“Can’t you finish it later? You usually like eating at the tavern. I’m sure the padre will wait for you to finish.” Alejandro tried to keep the impatience out of his voice.

 

“No, I have to watch the clock. I’m doing an experiment and I need to check it regularly.” Diego made a show of looking at the clock before he picked up his book again and resumed reading. “Maybe you can bring me back something. See if Victoria has any apple pie.”

 

“Didn’t Andrea bake apple pie last night?” Alejandro asked, speaking of their cook.

“It’s not the same,” Diego mumbled, barely loud enough for Alejandro to hear.

 

Alejandro smelled something awful and turned to see Felipe entering the room with a tray. “What is that stench?” Felipe smiled at Alejandro as he walked into the room.

 

“It’s just some herbal tea. It’s quite good for you. Another one of my experiments. Would you like some?” Diego tried to muster a smile as he watched a look of horror cross his father’s face before Alejandro quickly left the room.

 

“Glad he didn’t want to drink it,” Diego managed a chuckle as he sat up and took off his shirt. It wasn’t too bad, but the cart had left a few bad scrapes and some bruises. He sat still while Felipe covered the area with the thick, smelly paste to try to speed the healing.

 

“I snapped at Victoria, Felipe.”

 

Felipe stood and looked at him in shock.

 

“I know. She had little Nadia in the kitchen with her. She wants children. I want children,” Diego sighed into the pillow. “She never even looks at Diego with a hint of interest. I’m rich. I’m single. I’m around her all the time. She doesn’t even see me. Everyone else wants me to marry their daughters. Victoria wouldn’t miss me if I disappeared.”

 

Felipe naturally protested. I think she likes you.

 

“Oh, so why don’t I tell her then?”

 

Felipe rubbed the back of his neck, hesitant now.

 

“Yes, I know she has a temper. Why didn’t you tell me this was a stupid idea when I first put on the mask?”

 

Diego smiled at Felipe’s response. “Oh, so now you’re just a boy and I shouldn’t listen to you. That’s not how you talked yesterday.”

 

Go outside. You’ll feel better.

 

“Alright. From what I read, this paste should make the bruising go away pretty quickly. My father’s gone. Maybe we can give you a lesson or two in the courtyard.”

 

Felipe perked up at that idea, and soon they were out in the courtyard playing with staff weapons. Felipe was getting pretty good defending with the staff, but he still didn’t like to attack. The afternoon was spent trying to teach offense in a boy who didn’t like to show aggression. The afternoon did cheer Diego up, but the argument from this morning never stopped creeping through his mind.

 

Alejandro drove up to the courtyard just as Felipe was doing a victory dance after finally disarming Diego. He turned to his father. “Did you bring any pie?”

 

“No, but Victoria said she’d bring you a fresh one. She wants to talk to me about something. She’ll be by later.” He walked toward the house but paused in front of Felipe. “Please don’t injure my son too badly, okay?” Felipe nodded confidently.

 

Diego had wandered away and Felipe jumped when he heard Diego’s staff snap against the wall. He turned to watch Diego swing again and shatter the solid wood into tiny pieces. Then he picked a longer piece and sat on the low adobe wall, drawing in the dirt as if his fit of rage hadn’t just happened. Felipe offered his staff to be shattered, but Diego waved him away.

 

“I told Victoria I see her all the time without the mask. That she should have realized who Zorro was by now.”

 

Felipe drew a finger across his neck and sat next to Diego on the wall.

 

“Yes, she wasn’t too happy about that. I don’t think that’s what I meant to say. But maybe part of me is angry she hasn’t figured it out.”

 

Felipe reminded Diego how he usually dressed and acted, and Diego had to chuckle at Felipe’s impression. Diego was dressed for comfort now, in a plain loose shirt which wouldn’t hurt his back and comfortable cotton pants. None of the fancy embroidery or expensive material which was a part of Diego’s disguise.

 

Diego glanced at some books they’d brought out to the courtyard with them. Some on martial arts, some just to read. “I’m not that different. The only thing fake about the Diego she knows is his cowardice.”

 

People laughed because Diego was always more interested in books and music. He really did love those things, though not above defending the people Diego appeared to ignore most of the time. Victoria didn’t know the real Zorro. What if she couldn’t love him?

 

“What do you think she’d say if I told her who I was?”

 

Felipe shrugged. I think she’d be mad at first. But you will be sorry and she will forgive you. You could get married.

 

“Are you so sure?” Diego looked at the boy who was his only confidant. He sighed when Felipe shrugged helplessly.

 

Felipe used his staff to mess up Diego’s dirt art. He jumped up from the wall and once again offered his staff to Diego. You will feel better.

 

Diego chuckled and took the staff. He slammed the staff against the wall again, but this time there was little aggression in it. He took half of the stick and told Felipe to throw him a rock. Felipe was confused until he managed to explain the cricket concept, and soon they were taking turns hitting rocks with the stick.

 

“I have a cricket bat, which is fatter, but this is better to improve your coordination.” Diego watched as Felipe sent a small rock flying out of the courtyard. “And see? Who needs a bigger bat?”

 

Diego tried to forget his troubles as they started competing to hit the “ball” farther. Diego hit one in the wrong direction and Felipe laughed as it almost broke a window. Diego rose to the challenge and smashed another toward the house instead of away from it, and they both watched as it went sailing over the hacienda.

 

They heard a crash and a muffled exclamation, and Diego and Felipe silently wondered if they should run and hide. When no one came yelling, Felipe started to look for more rocks as Diego attacked a bush with his stick/bat which was now also a pretend sword.

 

“Who is throwing rocks?” Victoria’s angry voice entered the courtyard.

 

Felipe scuttled over to cower behind Diego, who still held the bat. Diego quickly thrust the stick at Felipe and they both pointed to each other at the same time, pushing the stick back and forth and claiming innocence.

 

“We didn’t hit you, did we?” Diego relented and took the stick from Felipe.

 

Victoria crossed her arms as she glared at the boys. “No, but I don’t think you deserve the apple pie I brought.”

“But I love your apple pie,” Diego complained. “We were just playing a game. We’re sorry if we hit something or surprised you.” Diego tossed the stick into some bushes to hide the evidence.

 

“A game throwing rocks?”

 

“Well, no.” Diego shrugged at Felipe. “The game is more complicated. We were umm…hitting some rocks with a stick,” Diego mumbled. Felipe dug the stick out from where Diego had tossed it and gave it to Diego with a rock. Diego threw the rock in the air and hit it, barely clearing the wall a few feet from them.

 

Victoria looked behind her at the hacienda, and at the trajectory the previous rock must have traveled. She held out her hand. “Can I try?”

 

Diego grinned. He loved this woman!

 

After Diego stood frozen for too long, Felipe nudged him forward. Diego walked over to hand the stick to Victoria, and she took it delicately. When he turned to walk several paces away from her, Felipe was making faces at him for being too afraid to get close to her.

 

Felipe grabbed the rock out of Diego’s hand and pushed him back toward Victoria, who was holding the stick one-handed as Diego had done a moment ago. Diego took the stick from her and showed her how to hold it, then handed her the stick back. Felipe slapped a hand over his face at Diego’s hopelessness. Behind Victoria again, Diego shrugged. “What?”

 

Felipe shook his head sadly and threw the ball where Victoria couldn’t possibly have hit it.

 

“Felipe, do it right,” Diego scolded. Felipe pointed and essentially told Diego this was his chance to get close to Victoria.

 

Then Felipe was forgotten as Diego did as instructed. He touched her arms, touched her hands. Used his own legs to position hers, held her shoulders and could smell her hair. Felt her body move as he directed her. Diego quickly forgot the game as he felt her body heat so close to his. There were reasons Diego always kept a safe distance from Victoria. She didn’t see Diego without the mask, but Victoria was always beautiful to him, and it was the passion of Zorro that always reacted to her.

 

Victoria accidentally whacked him in the shoulder with the stick and Diego crashed back to earth. He took a few deep breaths as he stepped back from her, clenching his fists. Why didn’t she care when he got so close? He was still a man, even if he wasn’t wearing black, wasn’t he? No shy grin, no blush, no higher pulse rate. The mask didn’t change him that much, did it?

 

He shook away his thoughts and managed to recover enough to congratulate her when she hit the rock solidly back at Felipe. He was also happy to see Felipe’s smirk disappear when the boy had to jump out of the way or get hit.

 

Victoria wasn’t as thrilled with the result. “How did you hit it so high, though?”

 

“I didn’t hit it. Felipe did. You saw he was holding the bat. He’s quite good.”

 

Victoria watched Felipe roll his eyes and dig around for another rock. “I don’t believe you. You were holding it.”

 

Diego shrugged innocently but she held the stick out to Diego. “I’ll give you the apple pie if you can hit a rock out to my cart again. Otherwise I’ll take it back to the tavern.”

 

Diego rubbed his neck as he looked at Felipe for answers. Felipe didn’t see what the problem was. Felipe dropped the larger rock and picked up a smaller one. “Felipe, use the bigger one…the small one will be too hard to hit,” Victoria said, still concerned about Diego’s ability.

 

Diego’s eyes narrowed at Victoria’s back. Felipe crossed his arms, and Diego gave up the fight. Back in position to hit the ball over (or at) the house, Diego thought about missing. The Diego she knew wouldn’t be as coordinated. But Victoria was watching him. The ball went flying over the house, and Victoria stared after it in awe.

 

“How did you do that?”

 

“Physics.” Diego shrugged, swinging the stick confidently. At her confused expression, he changed his mind. “Practice. Too much free time at university.” No one had any respect for science. Zorro used physics and chemistry all the time and she was impressed. What was so different with Diego? He narrowed his eyes at Felipe’s grin, then turned hopefully to Victoria. “So does that mean I get some pie?”

 

Victoria looked confused, her thoughts turned inward again. “What’s wrong?”

 

His question only seemed to bother her more. She looked at the stick. “Why are you playing with a broken stick?”

 

Diego nodded into the corner where a few other intact staffs rested against the wall. “I broke one of those.”

 

Victoria looked around, even more confused at the appearance of weapons in the De La Vega courtyard. She took a deep breath and faced Diego again. “Yes, you can have some pie. It’s in my cart next to some broken wine bottles.”

 

“Empty wine bottles?” Diego hoped.

 

Victoria smiled. “Yes, empty. I was returning them to Don Alejandro.”

 

“Great. So you don’t have to tell Father I broke anything. I’ll make sure you get the right amount of wine to take back. Whatever you want. Your choice.” Victoria smiled, laughing inside at a grown son not wanting his father to find out he’d broken something. Then she frowned because his words had reminded her why she’d come.

 

Diego frowned, too. Your choice, he’d said. He wound up his arm and hurled the stick out of sight, as if he could send his anger and confusion with it. Would Diego be her choice? He stretched his shoulder at the pull in his back when he overextended, but his torment was all inside. Diego glanced back at her, innocent expression back in place. “Getting rid of the evidence. Father doesn’t have to know, everyone is happy!”

 

Victoria shook her head, bewildered. “I needed to talk to Don Alejandro. Can I see him?”

 

“Yes, he said you were coming by. Anything I can help you with?” Diego asked.

 

“No, I’m sorry. It’s personal between Don Alejandro and me,” Victoria admitted.

 

Diego wished he had another stick to shatter. He didn’t look at Felipe, but he wanted to shout see what I mean? Diego wasn’t even a friend she’d come to about a personal matter.

 

“Alright,” Diego said, trying not to sigh. “I’ll take you to the library and go find him for you.”