FicWad

"She said what...?"

Don Alejandro clenched his teeth, but at the same time he threw his son a very weary look. He then let out a small annoyed and despondent sigh.

"Please Diego, don't have me repeat that."

Yes, Diego could imagine what being turned down could have done to his father's self-esteem. And by someone people would then see as a fallen woman, no less! Admittedly, he had 'fallen' with her, but still... anyway that wasn't the point.

Yes, being turned down was probably painful, Diego thought. Almost as painful as being jilted at the altar, he reflected with some sour bile spreading in his chest and a bitter taste in his mouth...

Well, he reasoned, recalling his own sad experience, technically himself hadn't been jilted at the altar, he had been stood up at the altar... Still, it hurt all the same... even after all these years: he might not be in love with her anymore, but with the enthusiasm, the freshness and the naivety of his young years, he had wholeheartedly believed in this sweet dream...

And now what concerned Diego was to know whether his father's dejectedness at the memory of being turned down was a matter of wounded pride, or worse... of wounded heart...?

Still, Diego had trouble figuring a lone and pregnant woman refusing the offer of marrying the rich and respectable father who was willing to right his wrongs... He couldn't fathom that.

He just couldn't make up his mind about her.

She didn't seem to give too much importance to people's opinion about her person, as long as she still could afford for her way of life. And she apparently had money, according to the refined dresses she and her daughter had been wearing today, but even more to the fact that she travelled with a chambermaid. And since his father said he didn't financially keep her, then her money had to come from elsewhere... Inheritance, probably. Her late husband's? Yes, in all likelihood. Or was it her parents'...?

On the other hand, Diego remembered that she talked about her business, back there in San Diego. And when she told him about her household knowing about Leonor's paternal parentage, she also talked about her 'other employees'. Without elaborating any further.

So another question suddenly sprouted in his mind, and he was sure he didn't like the answer that was beginning to form in the back of his mind...

Exactly what kind of business was Araceli Ximénez de Valdès running?

z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z

From her counter, Victoria glanced at Señora Valdès and her daughter. She was holding her child in her lap, and little Leonor was snuggling against her mother's chest, her head pillowed in Araceli's bosom. Señora Valdès had her arms around her daughter gently keeping her close to her heart. She had managed to get the child to nibble some bread and cheese as well as two biscuits.

From time to time the woman sipped her wine, looking idly around her, running her palm along her daughter's hair in long and slow strokes. Victoria wondered what happened to the child's dark hair: it was now undone, tangled and very unevenly cut at neck's length. Still, the both of them quietly cuddling in a secluded corner of her tavern with the rest of the world going on around them were making a very nice picture. A sight which filled Victoria with some sort of... longing.

On the other hand, she noticed that the feeling of unwellness she had been stuck with all day had disappeared. When did it happen? She couldn't remember exactly, but in her memory it had to be around Zorro's earlier appearance, when he brought back little Leonor to Don Alejandro. Then the stunning news about the girl's real parentage had occupied her mind enough to make her totally forget about her own condition. Well, whatever it had been, it was now over and she was again feeling perfectly well, just like twenty-four hours earlier, before the stagecoach arrived.

She looked again at Señora Valdès. She had to admit she still had some trouble imagining that Don Alejandro and her...

Don Alejandro was such a decent and proper man! So seemly, so respectable... so serious! And to imagine that he could have a mistress! A young mistress! She was what... Diego's age, more or less? Don Alejandro of all people, having a mistress! Having an affair with a woman who could be his daughter! Or rather, his daughter-in-law...

Victoria unintentionally made a face at this last thought.

Don Alejandro de la Vega had a secret love child... She still had trouble wrapping her mind around this idea... And poor Don Diego, it was probably ten times worse for him! He had a sister who could be his daughter!

Again she made a face. Was it becoming some sort of reflex?

Poor man indeed: two months ago he suddenly discovered he had a twin brother no one had ever known about, he lost him immediately after, and now a baby half-sister was turning up?! That was a bit too much for one man, and he would probably wonder how many other siblings of his would show up in Los Angeles! Really, Victoria reflected, Don Alejandro shouldn't have hidden his sister's existence from him, even though he didn't want to make it public for the whole pueblo to know! Don Diego deserved to know!

Well, she sighed inwardly, what was done was done, and wouldn't be undone. Yet she couldn't help but wonder how she would feel if someone close to her hid something that big to her. No doubt that when she'd finally learn the truth, she'd feel awfully betrayed! Thinking about that, she understood that Don Diego would need some time to forgive his father not only his moral lapse, but also – and probably even more – the secrecy. And the lies.

Yes, that would certainly hurt a lot, and Don Diego was probably right now experiencing this feeling. She made a promise to be extra kind and considerate toward him in the following days. And patient too, if she was capable of that...

She looked again at Señora Valdès, puzzled. Granted, Don Alejandro was a wonderful man, but, well... he was... uh... old; Victoria couldn't find any other word to state things more diplomatically. And anyway, diplomacy had never been her thing...

But yes, Don Alejandro was admittedly a very nice man with impeccable manners, granted he was still charming and dapper-looking, yet for a young woman, choosing to have an affair with a man this age when there were gentle and good-looking much younger men around... She still couldn't fathom this. Unless, she thought, unless it had something to do with his status? With his prestigious position and name? Or... with his money?

Looking around her tavern, she saw that she hadn't been the only one glancing at the woman. And in some of her patrons' eyes, she could read their thoughts as though they were voicing these aloud. They were saying: mistress, mistress, mistress! easy-to-get, easy virtue, loose...

Whatever she was thinking about her, whatever she had done, Victoria didn't like to see a woman being cheapened in the presence of her child – even silently so. Señora Valdès, for her part, didn't seem to care. Or was she just unaware of these looks? She was still holding her daughter close and slowly caressing her head and back with long strokes of her right hand, kissing the top of her head from time to time. Victoria could barely see the child's face, buried as it was in her mother's chest. But she noted that Leonor's breathing was even and deep, in rhythm with her mother's stroking motion. Was she drowsing?

Victoria went to their table, if only to make the stares stop.

"Is everything to your liking, Señora? Do you want something else?"

"Everything is perfectly all right, Señorita, gracias," Araceli answered in a low voice. "Leonor has barely eaten what I have tried to give her, so no, thank you. Oh, by the way, your wine is still as excellent as yesterday's! Quite a good supplier you have there, Señorita!" she added with a smile.

"Indeed," Victoria replied, careful not to raise her voice so as not to wake up the snoozing child.

Señora Valdès took a bite of a biscuit and said:

"These are excellent too, congratulations Señorita."

"My father's recipe," Victoria explained with a smile. "This tavern was his before I took over..."

"Ah... family...!" Araceli replied... "There's nothing like that! Parents, siblings... they will always love you unconditionally," she added with a soft and fond smile.

Victoria smiled by way of agreement. Then she gestured at the little girl in the Señora's lap and said tentatively:

"Now that I know, she looks like her father."

Señora Valdès smiled and nodded slightly.

"Like her brother, too," Victoria suddenly added.

"Ah...? I wouldn't know, I haven't paid much attention to Don Diego I'm afraid. With all that's happened..."

Victoria looked at her for some time.

"He's a nice man, you know..." she then told her. "I don't know how he's reacting to... hum... well..."

She made a vague sweeping gesture, meant to evoke the general situation.

"...but he is a kind man," she went on. "I'm sure everything will be all right... eventually!"

"I hope so. I'd hate for Alejandro and his son to have a row because of me or of Leonor... I'd hate for any bad blood to be between them, to pull them apart," she said in a sad voice. "But," she added resolutely, "I wouldn't let Don Diego take it out on Leonor!"

"Oh!" Victoria retorted a bit too heatedly, "he's absolutely not like that! There is no kinder man in Los Angeles, except perhaps his father of course. I assure you he's not the kind of man who would bear a grudge against an innocent child, and even less who'd lash out at her! He's the gentlest person I know, don't worry."

"Hmm, I don't know... he didn't seem too pleased," Araceli added with a nod of her head toward the kitchen.

"Give him time..." Victoria wisely replied. "You must admit it's quite a shock for him..."

"Yes, I guess so..." She let out a heavy sigh. "I kept telling Alejandro that he should tell him, that he should have told him long ago, that the later he'd wait, the worst it would be for both of them..."

Victoria nodded gravely. Araceli went on:

"We all have our little secrets, things that are no one else's business, but something as big as that... his son had the right to know. I kept telling it, but he always had a good reason to postpone... or rather an excuse! According to him, that was never the good time." She had a small amused smile and chuckled. "I knew he was just plainly terrified."

Victoria had a hard time picturing someone as brave as Don Alejandro being terrified of Diego; well, truth be told, she was having a hard time picturing anyone being terrified of Don Diego... She chuckled, but quickly sobered: we're always afraid of disappointing those we truly love... Her heart went to Don Alejandro, torn between his obligations toward his two children, between his wish to share his secret with Diego and his fear of his son's reaction.

Twice or thrice, she had heard some loud bursts and raised voices come from her kitchen, but without being able to catch what they said. What if things turned sour and they fell out?