As she walked into the servants' entrance, she was glad that there were few people about. Quietly, so as not to awaken anyone, she crept through the halls to Rosa's suite. Anna closed the door to the anteroom behind her without a sound, turned, and almost tripped over the cot she wasn't expecting.
She crossed the room to find the washtub when a flash of color caught her eye. Turning back to the small bed, Anna saw a single red rose lying on the pillow. She furrowed her eyebrows as she walked back to the cot and picked up the flower. The smell was wonderful, although any change from horse smell was good at that point.
A small smile crept onto her face when she noticed that the tips of each of the thorns had been removed. How sweet! Anna brushed the petals against her cheek, and then laid it back on the pillow. She wondered who had left the rose as she went to the kitchen for hot bath water and returned to the room to fill the tub.
Anna slipped out of her clothes and climbed slowly into the steaming water. Her muscles were so tense; they quivered when they contacted the hot water. With a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. Her thoughts ran through her head at maddening speed. Roberto. Matthew. The States. Martinez. De la Vega. Zorro. Victoria. Felipe. Felipe.
She reached again for the rose, and rolled it between her fingers. Anna grasped a petal and plucked it from the stem. It turned in the air when she dropped it and landed on the surface of the water. Soon she had filled the tub with the petals and dropped the stem to the floor.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled the perfumed steam and allowed it to cleanse her mind. Slowly, her thoughts calmed and her mind cleared. She washed and dried herself off, then dressed in her finest gown. Well, she called it her gown, even though it was still made of plain homespun.
During the trip from Europe, she had sewn a few ruffles and accents on the plain blue fabric in her spare time. She supposed that the dress was still fairly drab, but she could imagine that it was made of the finest silk and lace. Matthew said it flattered her and made her eyes shine, but then he always said things like that about her.
Anna was surprised at how quickly her hair dried. It's so hot and dry here, she thought. When the bath water had been emptied and her hair had dried, Anna brushed it and stood in front of the mirror. She looked tired, but she was feeling refreshed.
She pulled her hair back away from her face. She began to secure it the way that she always did, but changed her mind. If I'm going to be in this elegant hacienda today, I might as well feel elegant. So, Anna pinned her hair up in an intricate twist. Her hands dropped to her side, she took a deep breath, and nodded to herself in the mirror.
The servant girl walked to the door to the bedroom and peeked in at her mistress. The curtains were pulled and the room dark, but Anna could just make out the Rosa's form in the huge bed. The woman's breathing was even; she would be asleep for a while still.
Anna closed the door quietly. I wonder what Matthew's doing, she thought. Anna left the suite to return to the stables. More of the servants were out and about now. She met several in the hallways, but they didn't meet her gaze.
Wandering through the halls, she suddenly found herself back at the library. All those wonderful books! She could have spent days, weeks, in that room. Anna dared not go in—she might get caught up in a book and lose track of time.
Anna walked to the room across the hall. Shyly, she glanced in the room, and, immediately, the residual smell of sulfur pricked her nose. Her curiosity overcame her and she pushed open the door wide enough to walk through. Glassware and test tubes littered the tables, books neatly lined the walls, and papers were everywhere. A chalkboard was hung on the opposite wall and covered in equations.
Anna walked to the board. She could follow the equation easily enough, but when she reached the end, she came to the same conclusion the writer had: a big question mark. The girl sat on one of the lab benches and read through the math again.
Oh, there it is. A copying error had been made in the upper right corner of the board. Anna stood and reached for the chalk. Should she? No, probably not, but the desire to solve the equation was so strong she couldn't help it. She hadn't done anything like this since she had left England.
Compromising with her conscience, Anna simply circled the mistake and laid the chalk back in the dust rail. Rubbing her hands together to clean the dust from them, she turned and left the room. Time to go to work. I'll just have to find Matthew later.
De Soto stretched his arms over his head, took a deep, refreshing breath and returned to the task at hand. Begrudgingly, he had remained at the de la Vega hacienda for the night. Now he was making use of the wonderful cherry desk that Alejandro had in one of the many reading rooms.
Carefully, he outlined his plot, writing clear details and instructions on the paper. Nothing must be left out, or left to chance. Everything planned for. Si, that's how it must be. That's the only way to catch Zorro. Steps resounded on the tile floor outside the room where De Soto worked. The door flew open and Victoria rushed into the room and stomped straight toward the alcalde.
"I want Roberto Martinez out of my tavern!" she commanded. De Soto sighed and leaned back in the chair.
"Mendoza!" The portly guard waddled into the room.
"Si, mi alcalde?"
"Mendoza, you are not to allow interruptions while I am working! I'll never get anything done!"
"Mi, alcalde, it is only Senorita Escalante."
"I'm aware of who it is, Sergeant, but it makes no difference!"
Victoria stamped her foot. "Did you even hear what I said?!"
"Si, you want Roberto to leave your establishment. You told me that yesterday, too." De Soto remarked with an exasperated look.
"Si, I did, and now I want you to listen to me. He attacked a girl last night!"
A new voice entered. "What is this about my son?" Martinez strode into the room.
Mendoza placed a chubby hand on the elite Spaniard's chest. "I'm sorry, but you cannot come in here. The alcalde is working."
"Sargeant! Martinez may enter."
"But you said—"
"I know what I said! Shut up!"
"Si, mi alcalde."
Martinez turned to Victoria. "You said my son attacked someone?"
"Well, it's not that simple, I suppose." Victoria began. "He allowed another man to attack Anna."
De Soto rolled his eyes. "Oh, please! Senorita, that little wench is his slave. He can do whatever he pleases with her for all I care."
"Of all the pig-headed things I have ever heard—" Victoria sputtered.
"What's all this?" Alejandro strode into the room.
"I'm sorry." Mendoza said, addressing the elder de la Vega. "But you cannot come in here."
"It's my hacienda!"
"Mendoza, of course Alejandro may come in here! Go back to your post." Commanded De Soto.
"Si, mi alcalde."
"What were you saying about pig heads?" Alejandro asked Victoria.
"Roberto Martinez, with whom I have had trouble before, allowed a man to attack his servant girl last night in my tavern. I want Roberto out of my cantina!"
"Alejandro," De Soto countered. "Surely, you understand my position. The girl is Roberto's possession; under the law, he is free to control her any way he likes."
"Assault is illegal!" Alejandro said.
"On a person." Martinez clarified. "Anna is not a person; she is English and a possession."
"How can you say such a thing?" Victoria sputtered.
De Soto countered. "Besides, who witnessed the attack? You were here last night Victoria, si?"
"Si, I was. Zorro told me. He stopped the attack." De Soto and Martinez guffawed with laughter.
"My son should have arrived by now. Let's ask him about last night." Martinez offered. De Soto called to the Sergeant. "Mendoza! Bring Roberto here!"
A few minutes later, Mendoza returned with Roberto following closely behind him. "Father, you wished to see me?" he asked.
"What happened last night?" Martinez asked. "Last night? I went back to the cantina, took evening refreshment, and went to bed. Why?"
"What about Anna?" Victoria questioned. Roberto turned to the woman.
"What about her?" he sneered.
"How about how you watched complacently as a drunken man attacked your own servant girl!?" she demanded.
Roberto threw back his head and laughed. "Attacked?! Ha! Oh, my no!"
"What happened then?" Alejandro asked. De Soto sat smugly behind the desk.
"That immoral girl threw herself on Pedro like a harlot. It was shameful." Victoria's mouth dropped open. Alejandro looked shocked. De Soto, Martinez, and Roberto maintained the same smug expression on their collective face.
"I'll put a stop to this right now." Martinez said, turning to the doorway. "Anna!" he yelled.
"What- what about Zorro?" Victoria sputtered.
"Oh, him?" Roberto said. "I suppose he wanted his turn, too, or maybe he was drunk—I don't know. He drew on me first, so I fought him. He ran like a scared cat. How pitiful!" Alejandro placed his arm around Victoria. She looked as if she was about to claw Roberto's eyes out. He couldn't blame her.
"What's all the yelling about?" Diego and Felipe walked into the room.
"Mendoza, you cannot let so many people in here!" De Soto called to the Sergeant.
"But, mi alcalde, it is his hacienda, too!"
"I know! Shut up!"
Diego glanced at the faces of each person in the room, settling his eyes on Victoria's. "What's going on?" he asked again.
Alejandro answered calmly and steadily, his eyes never leaving Roberto's face. "Victoria says that Roberto allowed Anna to be attacked last night. Roberto says that Anna is a loose woman and tried to attract attention on herself. He also says that Zorro provoked him, that he defeated Zorro, and that Zorro ran away."
Diego felt Felipe wrench to attention behind him. The caballero placed a cautious hand on the young man's arm. Roberto jeered, "Are you going to believe the word of a caballero, or the word of a tavern wench and a bandit?"
"Senorita Escalante is an upstanding citizen in this community. I will not have you disgrace her name in this house." Diego said, rage filling his voice and silence filling the room.
Light, tapping footsteps could be heard. Anna appeared in the doorway. Eight pairs of eyes turned to meet hers. Blood drained from her face and she stepped forward with timidity and trepidation into the room. De Soto slammed his fist on the desk. Anna started with surprise. "What have you to say for yourself?!" he commanded. Anna was silent, eyes wide.
"Well??" the alcalde bellowed.
"The girl doesn't speak Spanish." Alejandro said, watching the girl tremble before them all.
"Diego, do you remember any English?"
"Yes, father, I do, but I don't think that they would listen even if she did say something."
"Are you calling me unjust?" De Soto countered, rising to his feet and walking from behind the desk, his sword clinked in its scabbard at his side. "Of course we will listen—if she has anything worthy to say."
Diego stepped forward toward the girl. Anna stepped away in fear and pressed her back against the cold, stone wall. With De Soto at her left, Roberto to her right, and all of the others in front of her, there was no place to go.
"+It's okay. I won't hurt you.+" Diego said to her softly. He could see that she was terrified. Her breath was quick and ragged, retractions showed at her collar bones. "+We are concerned about what happened last night at the tavern. They want you to tell exactly what happened+."
Anna looked back at him, her eyes begging for help. Diego nodded in encouragement. "I- I-" she stammered.
"+Yes, go on.+"
"+I w—went to get Miss Rosa's dress, but I forgot th- the mending so I went back.+"
"+And what happened then?+" Anna's eyes implored him to stop. "+It's okay. Go on.+"
"+One of the men called to me. Roberto indicated that I should go over to them. I- I didn't want, I didn't want to go, but he said I should. So I did. Must I say more, Senor?+"
Roberto impatiently shifted his weight to the other foot. "+Please go on+." Diego said gently.
Anna's eyes dropped to the ground in shame. "+He grabbed me, and—and--+."
"+Okay, that's enough. What did Zorro do?+" Anna looked up confused.
"+What did Zorro do?+" Diego prompted again. "+He let me leave, so I came back here.+"
"+Thank you, Anna+." Diego smiled. Anna did not smile back; she looked around the room at the various people who studied her intently.
Diego addressed the group, "Anna says that she went to Victoria's to get Rosa's dress and that the man attacked her after Roberto called her over."
"LIAR!" Roberto yelled and lunged violently at Anna, as turmoil flooded the room. He struck the girl with the back of his hand; she cried out and fell to the floor. Victoria shrieked as he lunged again knocking over a vase, which crashed into shards upon impact with the tile. The de la Vega men clamored to gain hold of him. Felipe grabbed Roberto's arm and spun him away from Anna and towards himself. The young man's fist was clinched to strike the caballero.
The sound of a sword being drawn silenced the room and stilled all motion. "Remove your hands from him, boy." De Soto said in a level voice, the point of his sword aimed squarely at Felipe's throat. Felipe's arms slowly dropped and he stepped back away from the blade. Roberto straightened his jacket with a jerk. Martinez stood stoically in the corner. Victoria's hands covered her mouth. "Now." De Soto began, putting away his sword. "Obviously, we won't find out exactly what happened last night." He turned to Martinez.
"I return Anna to your custody and," he turned to Diego, "I release the boy into yours. I suggest we all go about our own business."
"I want all of you," Alejandro began, his voice starting low and then rising with anger, "out of my house! De Soto! Martinez! Roberto! All of you! Now!" De Soto pursed his lips, gave a curt nod, gathered his papers, and strode from the room. Roberto and Mendoza followed.
Martinez strode over to where Anna leaned against the wall. Looking down to her on the floor he ordered, "Go to Rosa," and left. Victoria turned to Alejandro and Diego.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"I'll walk you to the door." Alejandro said, taking her arm and guiding her from the room.
Diego and Felipe were left alone in the room watching Anna's crumpled and silent figure. The girl was too terrified to move. Felipe took a hesitant step forward. With no reaction from Anna, he walked the rest of the way across the room and knelt beside her. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his, a single tear on her cheek. Tenderly, the young man reached his hand out to her face; Anna started at his touch, but relaxed as he gently brushed the tear away. His hand lifted her chin ever so slightly, and their eyes met again.
Anna lifted her shaking hands. "*What… happened… why*?" she began. Felipe shook his head slightly and motioned for her to be quiet. With a glance at Diego, the older man walked over to them, and with Felipe, helped Anna into a chair. The girl sat delicately on the edge as she always did.
So elegant, thought Diego, even in this. He noticed Felipe take her hand, and that she didn't pull away. The caballero knelt in front of the chair. "+Let me see.+" He said softly and took her face in his strong hands. Diego turned her head to the left, no marks there. Turning her head to the right, he saw that her ear and jawline were bright red, but that the bones were not broken, and the skin seemed to be intact. "+I think you're okay.+"
"+What did I do+?" Anna asked, looking at the floor.
"+Nothing to deserve that, sweetheart.+" Diego answered. She lifted her gaze.
"+Then why did it happen?+"
"+I don't know. Roberto was trying to blame you for his faults.+"
"Anna?" a voice came from the door. Anna stood as Matthew walked toward her. Her brother's arms engulfed her and she laid her head on his chest. "Mendohza tohld me wha' `appened." Matthew said quietly to Diego and Felipe.
"+I'm sorry it happened.+" Diego said. Matthew looked surprised to know he spoke English. "+I don't think she is hurt though; I think she's okay.+"
"+Okay?! Of course, she's not okay!+" Matthew said forcefully. "+Anna is a shadow of what she was at home. These men are destroying her, if not in body then in mind and spirit!+"
Anna pulled from his grasp. "+Matthew. Please.+"
"+Anna, go back to the stable. I'll be there in a minute+."
"+No. I must go to Rosa.+"
Matthew grasped her hand. "+Don't worry about her. Go to the stable+."
"+No!+" she pulled away. "+I'm fine.+" Quickly, Anna left the room.
“+Anna!+" Matthew called after her.
"+Let her go+." Diego said.
Matthew swung around to face him. "+What do you know about her+?!"
"+Calm down.+" The two men were almost nose-to-nose. "+I just think she may need some time alone.+"
Matthew sighed and stepped back. "+You're right. I'm sorry. It's just that Anna… she's my whole world+." He dropped his hands to his side, impotently. "+And I can do nothing for her.+"
"+It must be very hard+." Diego said with concern.
"+Yes, it is.+" Matthew looked over to Felipe. "+I think it's time that we talk+." Felipe nodded. To Diego, Matthew said, "+Will you stay and translate?+"
"+Of course+." Diego motioned to a table and chairs by the window. "+Shall we?+" The men took their seats. "+*Where are you from originally, Matthew?*+" Diego signed as he spoke, so that he was sure Felipe would understand the English thoroughly.
"+Wyclythe Manor, Gloucestershire, England. Just south of Wales.+"
"+*Ah, I thought so.*+”
"+May I ask how you know English?+"
"+*I learned a bit while at university in Madrid.*+"
"+Madrid.+" Matthew repeated, his eyes far away.
"+*Have you been there?*+" Diego asked.
"+We were there briefly, yes.+" Matthew shook his head slightly and returned to the present. He addressed Felipe. "+Did you travel with him?+"
"+*No. I remained here with Senor Alejandro*+." Felipe replied, via Diego. "+*How did you come to be with the Martinez family?*+"
Matthew considered the question. "+Anna and I used to work for Lord Wyclythe. I worked in the stables and garden and occasionally as a butler. Anna was tutor and companion for Lord Wyclythe's daughter Kathleen. About a year ago, his Lordship was invited to speak at a medical conference in Spain. He was a doctor, you see. Kathleen, Anna, and I went with him—he was most generous. His lordship was accused of espionage and brought to trial. His assets and property were frozen, and upon conviction, redistributed. Kathleen returned to England; Anna and I were `redistributed' to the Martinez family just before they left for Spanish California. And so we are here+."
The men were silent as the story sunk into their midst.
"+You hope to return to England?+" Diego asked.
"+With all my being.+"
"+*Anna is to return with you then*+." Felipe said.
"+Yes.+" Felipe's expression fell.
"+*You will not permit me to court her*+?"
"+No. It would only hurt her when she returns to England+."
"+*Is there anything I could do to change your mind about returning?*+"
"+Only Anna could do that. Besides, there are other considerations, as well. I want her taken care of. How would you provide for her?+"
"+There are many positions here that I am sure Anna would be qualified to fill. Their wages would be sufficient.+" Diego interjected.
"+That is reassuring, but I still feel that it is best that she return to England. It is her home and heartland. It is where we belong+."
"+There's nothing I can do+."
"+No, I'm sorry. I must do what's best for her.+"
"+*I understand. So be it*+."
"+Matthew, has Roberto always been so… violent?+" Diego asked, changing the subject out of hope to spare Felipe any more heartache.
"+You must remember that I haven't known him long. I do know that when we began our journey, I did not suspect that anything like this would happen. He has started drinking heavily, every night. There has been a definite progression+."
"+Have you noticed any other psychotic behavior?+" Matthew shook his head in thought.
"+No. But Anna would notice that better than I. She may have seen something. I will ask her.+"
Rosa swept into the room. The three men stood at her entrance. "Buenos dias, senorita. You look lovely." Diego said, bowing and kissing her extended hand.
"I do, don't I?" she said, fanning herself coyly. "Do you like my dress?"
"Si, it is very nice." Diego replied, stifling a yawn.
"It's French. It took an entire bolt of fabric to make the ruffles!"
"Really."
"It's so beautiful outside today, Diego, won't you show me the garden?"
"Actually, I-"
"I knew you'd love to!" Rosa grabbed his arm, entwined her own, and led him from the room.
Matthew and Felipe were left in the room. Their gaze met and both men maintained a steady stare. Finally, Matthew extended his hand. Felipe shook hands. The Englishman turned and walked through the door toward the stables.
