Written by Bruce Lansbury
Directed by Ron Satlof
First US Airdate 12 Jan 1990 Episode 1.2
[Shot of the de la Vega hacienda as a peasant walks by leading a donkey.]
Don Alejandro [off camera]
Diego, tell me how I look.
[Inside the hacienda, Diego is sculpting a bust as Don Alejandro walks over to a mirror that is placed so Diego can sculpt himself.]
Diego
Just as you did ten minutes ago.
Don Alejandro [fiddling with his tie as he looks in the mirror]
Huh? Tell me again.
Diego [impatiently]
And five minutes before that. You look splendid.
Don Alejandro [straightening his jacket]
Good, good. First impressions are everything..
[Diego continues to work on the bust as Don Alejandro primps.]
Diego
I still can't believe you'd consider marriage to a woman you've never even
met.
Don Alejandro
Oh, marriage is a definite prospect, yes. But the purpose of the señora's
visit is to confirm feelings we already know are mutual. [He pulls out a miniature
painting of an older woman from his jacket pocket.] For five years now, the
widow de la Peña, Francisca, and I have corresponded, sharing our
deepest thoughts. First our pens, then our hearts found each other.
[Don Alejandro is interrupted by Felipe bursting through the front door and signal for him to come outside.]
Diego
Ah, Felipe's sighted the coach.
Don Alejandro [taking out his pocket watch and looking at the time]
The coach? But it's an hour early.
[Don Alejandro rushes back over to the mirror, pushing Diego out of the way.]
Don Alejandro
Quick! How do I look?
Diego [patting his father on the shoulder]
You will dazzle her.
Don Alejandro
Good, good.
[Felipe runs down the path to the gate where a de la Vega servant stands waiting. Diego comes out of the hacienda next, followed by Don Alejandro. The coach pulls up to the gate.]
Coach Driver
Whoa!
[The coach stops in front of the hacienda. Don Alejandro helps Diego put on his jacket. Felipe goes over to open the coach door. A young beautiful woman emerges to everyone's surprise. Don Alejandro takes out the miniature of the elderly woman again.]
Don Alejandro
Hmm. Doesn't quite look like her. [He turns his attention to the young
woman.] You are Señora de la Peña?
Francisca [smiling]
I am Francisca. And you are Don Alejandro?
Don Alejandro [also smiling]
The same.
[Francisca rushes over to hug Don Alejandro as Diego looks on with concern. Don Alejandro gives his son a look that says ‘I don't know'.]
*****COMMERCIAL BREAK*****
[Diego and Don Alejandro inside the hacienda, walking up to the piano.]
Don Alejandro
You wanted me to follow a lady into her chambers?
Diego
You should have asked her earlier.
Don Alejandro [defensively]
Well, she was tired from her journey.
[Both men's attention is drawn to the sound of Francisca's door opening.]
Diego [leaning over and whispering to his father]
Ask her now.
Don Alejandro [holding out his arms]
Ah. [He chuckles.] I trust your rooms are to your liking, Señora.
Francisca
Quite beyond my expectations, Don Alejandro.
[Don Alejandro just stands and grins foolishly at Francisca until Diego notices, rolls his eyes, then bumps him with his arm.]
Don Alejandro [taking Francisca's arm and leading her away from diego.]
The north window frames the San Gabriel Mountains. Whereas to the
west, on a clear day, you will see the ocean.
Diego [breaking in between his father and Francisca]
Excuse me, Señora. My father would love to give you a lesson
on the local geography, but he refuses to ask a simple question that plagues
us both.
Francisca
It's about the cameo, isn't it?
Diego
Yes.
Don Alejandro
Yes, yes, yes, of course. The cameo. You would good enough to send
me this, Señora.
[He takes out the miniature and hands it to Francisca.]
Francisca [looking at the miniature as she turns and walks away]
I did.
Diego
You are not that lady
Don Alejandro
I.. I cannot say I am disappointed.
Francisca [turning around to face the two men]
I confess to the deception, gentlemen. Don Alejandro, try to understand.
Five years ago, I was a young widow, lost in grief, and despite the attentions
of others who sought my hand, lonely. I joined our correspondence society
and found there a man of honor, of integrity, romantic imagination.
You, Señor. The warmth of our letters grew. We reached
out and met each other at a level of intellect, reason, even affection I have
never experienced.
Don Alejandro [ardently]
So true, dear lady.
Francisca [stepping up to Don Alejandro as Diego looks on skeptically]
But our letters could not tell me what you expected of me. I am many
years younger than you, Señor.
Don Alejandro
And so very beautiful
[Chuckling Don Alejandro leads Francisca over to a chair where she sits down. He takes a seat opposite her. Diego sits down too, in a chair that faces both of them. Don Alejandro takes Francisca's hand.]
Francisca
I wanted you to desire me for what we shared in our letters.
Don Alejandro
You were testing my sincerity.
Francisca [as Diego rolls his eyes again]
The cameo is of my distant aunt, Consuela. She is happily married
and a grandmother. Can you forgive me?
Don Alejandro
Ah, of course, of course. [He stands up, letting go of Francisca's arm.
He walks over to where a decanter of wine sits on a table.] My deepest respects
to your aunt, Consuela. And her grandchildren.
[Diego blows out his breath then rolls his eyes once again.]
Don Alejandro
After all, if a man is promised silver, would he refuse gold?
[Chuckling, he hands Francisca a glass of wine as Diego makes a pained expression at his father's bad analogy.]
Don Alejandro
A toast, Diego. [Diego gets to his feet.] To a noble lady. [Their glasses
meet.] Señora, to the ties that bind sympathetic souls.
[Don Alejandro and Francisca smile at each other as they lift their glasses and drink. Diego looks suspiciously at Francisca as he takes a sip of his drink.]
[A group of four men ride wildly into the pueblo, waving their hats and shouting. They ride through the plaza where the market has been set up.]
Peasant Woman [waving her hands at the men]
[Something in Spanish]
[The men ignore her, grabbing things from the market stalls, jumping over carts and generally wreaking havoc. Mendoza emerges from the cuartel followed by several lancers.
Mendoza
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay. Gomez and his vaqueros. Always causing trouble.
Why now?
Gomez [riding his horse up to where Mendoza is standing]
Hola, Mendoza
Mendoza [as the lancers behind him wander away]
Your men are disturbing the peace. Please, tell them to calm down.
Gomez
We've been on a long cattle drive. We need to have some fun.
You tell them.
[He chuckles and rides off.]
Mendoza
Men! Seize him!
[Mendoza turns around to see that the lancers have deserted him.]
Mendoza [adjusting his uniform]
Lunch first. Then I will personally knock some heads together.
[Exterior shot of the de la Vega hacienda. Diego and Francisca are outside in the courtyard, seated at a table holding a wine decanter. Francisca's glass hold wine but Diego's is filled with water.]
Francisca [toying with a lock of her hair]
Your concern is all over your face, Don Diego. But only natural.
Don Alejandro and I have come together under unusual circumstances.
Diego
To say the least.
Francisca
As a good son, you fear for his happiness.
Diego [reaching out to pick up his glass from the table]
Letters are one thing, Señora, marriage quite another.
Francisca
He is everything I could desire in a man. And a husband.
Diego
Thank you for your candor and your understanding, Señora.
[Francisca turns away as Felipe runs into the courtyard. Felipe signals for Diego to come, then points toward the pueblo.]
Diego
Please excuse me. Felipe tells me our prized bull is loose in the
cow pasture.
[Diego gets up from his chair and leaves with Felipe.]
[Diego is untying his necktie as he and Felipe enter the cave.]
Diego [interpreting Felipe's hand gestures]
Gomez and his vaqueros are up to their old tricks at the tavern. Well
let's see if Zorro can teach Señor Gomez a lesson in courtesy.
[He removes his jacket and hand it to Felipe.]
[Zorro rides Toronado across the countryside toward the pueblo.]
[Exterior shot of the tavern. Music plays as a woman dances on a small stage. One of Gomez's men gets up on the stage and dances drunkenly. Mendoza is at a table, eating a chicken dinner. Victoria emerges from the kitchen and looks at the goings-on. Another drunk vaquero stumbles off the stage and falls onto Mendoza's table. Mendoza quickly moves his plate out of the way and continues eating. Victoria walks across the tavern and pulls Gomez from his seat.]
Victoria
Gomez, get your pigs out of my tavern and as much as it pains me, your drinks
will be free.
[Gomez chuckles and puts his arms around Victoria, intending to kiss her.]
Zorro
One moment! [Gomez looks up at Zorro sitting on the staircase railing.]
Forgotten your manners, Señor?
[Victoria pushes her free as Gomez continues to look up at Zorro. Mendoza looks up angrily from his meal.]
Zorro
On your knees before a lady.
[Zorro tosses a pitcher that hit Gomez on the forehead. Gomez crumples to the floor. One of the vaquero charges Zorro, who sends him flying with one punch. The vaquero lands on his back on a table.]
Zorro
Please, continue.
[The music and the dancing both start up again as another vaquero rushes Zorro. Zorro kicks him backward. A fourth vaquero tries to hit Zorro with a stool but Zorro uses his sword to deflect the blow. One of the stool's legs is sliced off by the sword and lands in Mendoza's dinner, splashing sauce on his face. A vaquero with a sword charges at Zorro again. They engage in a sword fight until Zorro pushes the man into a corner. Gomez is trying to sneak up behind Zorro.]
Victoria
Zorro! Look out for Gomez!
[Zorro throws a plate at Gomez, staggering him. The plate deflects of Gomez's head and knocks Mendoza's chicken out of his hand. Victoria backs into the kitchen. Zorro slashes a ‘Z' into Gomez's jacket, then punches him in the face, then kicks him in the bottom toward the tavern door. The other vaqueros flee as well.]
Mendoza [perturbed]
You might at least let me finish my supper, Zorro. Now it is my duty
to arrest you.
Zorro
But hasn't the alcalde always said a well-fed soldier is a good soldier.
Mendoza
Very true.
Zorro
Then your duty, Sergeant, is to your supper.
[Zorro sheathes his sword as Mendoza returns to his meal. Victoria is peering through the curtained doorway and steps back as Zorro pulls the curtains aside.]
Zorro [bringing his hand up to touch Victoria's face]
Anger brings a very pretty blush to your cheeks.
Victoria
Oh, anger never makes me blush.
[A noise catches Zorro's attention.]
Zorro
The alcalde's men. I must go before Mendoza finds courage in his meal.
[Zorro lifts Victoria's hand to his lips and kisses it. She places the hand on her chest as he climbs up the wall and disappears.]
[Zorro is climbing across rooftops when he stops. He notices a person on horseback who stop under a window of the tavern. Using the horse, the person climbs up the wall and into the window. Zorro makes his way across the rooftops to the window and opens it to look inside. He sees a man with the person who climb into the window. The person removes their hat and Zorro sees that it is Francisca. She goes willingly into the man's arms and they kiss passionately as Zorro look on.]
*****COMMERCIAL BREAK*****
[Exterior shot of the de la Vega hacienda.]
Diego [off camera]
All right, Felipe. Let's see what you've learned.
[Diego and Felipe engage their epees in the foyer of the hacienda. Felipe smiles as he executes a parry.]
Diego
Excellent. What a dilemma. How do I tell my father that the
woman he's in love with is involved with another man.
[Felipe shrugs]
Diego
Parry
[They engage their blades again.]
Diego
It will break his heart, but I have to tell him.
[Don Alejandro emerges from a door. ]
Don Alejandro
Tell me what, Diego?
[Diego and Felipe are standing in the foyer with crossed swords. Felipe's face is concerned at being caught but he quickly makes a move that has his sword at Diego's throat.]
Don Alejandro [walking toward them, chuckling]
Give it up, son. Try as you will, you'll never be a swordsman. [He
bends down and picks up something.] Now, you had something important to tell
me.
Diego
Yes, um. The exertion has driven it right out of my head.
[Don Alejandro rolls his eyes and leaves. Felipe gives Diego a look of disbelief. Diego gives Felipe a look of ‘I couldn't do it.']
[Francisca's lover is playing cards in the tavern with Gomez. Gomez puts his cards on the table, laughing as he thinks he has won. The men surrounding the table cheer then all get up to leave. Victoria stops one of the women who works for her.]
Victoria
Alicia, warn the customers. We can't let this card shark rob our regulars.
[Alicia nods. Francisca's lover slowly spreads his cards out on the table, revealing four aces.]
Gomez
The aces again?
Francisca's Lover
I've had a run of luck. [He pulls the money on the table toward himself.]
Gomez [leaning over angrily]
But you cheated.
[Francisca's lover pulls out a small pistol and places it under Gomez's chin.]
Francisca's Lover
I can kill you, here and now. If you swear to cooperate with me, you
live. And maybe you and your men can get your money back.
[Diego walks out the front door of the hacienda with Don Alejandro.]
Diego
An Easter wedding? Isn't that being a trifle hasty?
Don Alejandro
How ironic. It's always the young who are so impetuous. They
have all the time in the world.
Diego
What if she's not the woman you think she is?
Don Alejandro
Diego! Your tone disturbs me. Do you know something I don't?
Diego [crossing his arms]
Father, this is very difficult for me to say. .
Francisca [running up to them]
Alejandro, Diego. I've been looking for you.
Don Alejandro
Ah, Señora, we were just discussing the wedding.
Francisca
Ah we have so much to prepare.
Don Alejandro
Precisely. Now, if you'll both have excuse me, I have an appointment
with my lawyer. Francisca has suggested a contract and I've agreed.
[He lifts Francisca's hand to his lips then departs. Francisca turns away from Diego before speaking.]
Francisca
You don't trust me, do you, Don Diego?
[She glances over at Diego, then turns around to face him.]
Diego
A good friend of mine, someone I trust, saw you with your lover last evening.
Francisca
Can I convince you that what your friend saw was not what it appeared to
be between Ramirez and me.
Diego
Ramirez? Your lover?
Francisca
Once. I was younger, without parents. Easy to seduce.
Later I realized what a monster he was, but by then I was virtually his slave.
Diego
My friend did not see a master and slave at the tavern.
[Francisca turns away and wipes tears from her face.]
Diego
The truth.
Francisca [walking away]
Two months ago we are on a boat out of San Carlos. Ramirez's luck
was out, he was desperate. I regret to my dying day for having introduce
him to a kind, open-hearted woman who told of her correspondence with your
father.
Diego [stepping in front of Francisca, stopping her in her tracks]
Señora de la Pena.
Francisca
Her last letters with the suggestion of marriage were written by Ramirez,
in her hand.
Diego
So you would marry my father and this scoundrel would take over his estates.
And the real Señora de la Pena?
Francisca
Ramirez drowned her off the boat.
Diego
So he's truly a murderer.
Francisca
He'll be at the tavern later. Have him arrested. I will testify
to his crimes.
Diego
You'll be on the next coach out. You will leave a gentle but firm
message to my father explaining a change of heart.
Francisca
Anything, I swear.
Diego
And surely I will be at the tavern. And surely, Ramirez will hang.
[Diego walks away, leaving Francisca alone.]
[In her bedroom at the hacienda, Francisca places a rolled up piece of paper to the leg of a white pigeon. She tosses the bird out of her window.]
[Diego comes around the outside of the hacienda where Felipe is leaning against the building.]
Diego
Bring the carriage, Felipe. We must go to the pueblo immediately.
[Felipe starts to leave, but Diego sees something in the sky.]
Diego
Wait!
[He watches as the white pigeon flies away.]
Diego
Ring-necked doves, grouse, and quail all abound in California, but not homing
pigeons.
[Diego tips his head, indicating that Felipe follow him. They walk away.]
[Ramirez stands nervously in the plaza, a pair of pistols tucked into the front of his trousers. He sees a carriage passing through the pueblo gates. It appears that Diego is driving the carriage. Gomez peeks from his hiding place atop a building. The other vaqueros get to their feet when Gomez does. Ramirez draws the pistols from his pants as the carriage approaches.]
Ramirez
That's him! Fire!
[Ramirez and the four vaqueros all fire at the man driving the carriage. He is hit and falls to the ground. His head falls off as it is not Diego but a dummy made up to look like him. Ramirez walks over to the fallen body and picks up the head.]
Ramirez
A dummy?
[Ramirez looks up as Zorro walks toward him.]
Zorro [to the vaqueros on the roof]
Excellent shooting, gentlemen. But who are the real dummies?
Now let's see how fast you can reload.
[The men are jump off the roof and onto their horses.]
Vaqueros
It's Zorro! Run! It's Zorro. Let's get out of here!
[Ramirez watches them go then unsheathes his sword.]
Ramirez
En garde!
[Zorro salutes Ramirez with his saber. Their swordfight takes them across the plaza to in front of the tavern. Mendoza and the lancers run out of the cuartel to watch the fight.]
Mendoza
Zorro may have met his match. But if he wins, we still have our job
to do so stand ready.
[The soldiers wait and watch. Zorro and Ramirez keep their fight moving, ending up on the tavern porch. Victoria appears in the doorway to watch as well. Zorro disarms Ramirez, sending his sword flying. It sticks into a post right next to Mendoza's head. Zorro bows to Victoria before herding Ramirez up against the wall with his sword. Ramirez pulls out his small pistol and aims it at Zorro. Zorro flicks it into the air with his sword and catches it.]
Zorro
I think I'll save you for the hangman.
Mendoza [motioning to the other lancers]
All right, men, Zorro is ours. Arrest him!
[Zorro whistles and Toronado comes from out of an alley way, driving the soldiers back. Zorro pushes Ramirez at the soldiers before hopping onto Toronado's back. He tosses Ramirez's pistol to Mendoza.]
Zorro
Sorry to disappoint you, Sergeant. Keep your eye on that one.
The name is Ramirez and he's a murderer.
[Ramirez struggles to get away from the soldiers but they keep their hold on him.]
Zorro
You'll have evidence soon enough to hang him. [Zorro then turns his attention
to Victoria, tipping his head and saluting her with his sword.] Señorita,
til we meet again.
[Zorro turns Toronado around and he rides out of the pueblo. Victoria watches him go.]
Victoria
‘Til we meet again, Señorita.' ‘Buenas dias, Señorita.'
‘Adios, Señorita.' If we were able to meet for more than just
a few moments, you would not always depart in such a hurry.
[She leans against the doorway of the tavern as Zorro spins around at the pueblo gate and waves once again, then continues on his way out of town.
*****COMMERCIAL BREAK*****
[Diego emerges from the de la Vega hacienda, followed by ‘Francisca' and his father.]
‘Francisca' [to Don Alejandro]
Señor, the real Francisca showed me some of your letters. You
made her very happy. And I only wanted to say that if I met a man like
you instead of Ramirez, I might have been a better woman.
[Don Alejandro doesn't reply. Two soldiers drive up to the hacienda with a cell on wheels. Inside the cage, Ramirez is holding onto the bars. One of the soldiers walks up to where ‘Francisca' is standing and grabs her by the arm. Don Alejandro and Diego watch as she is taken away and locked up in the cage.]
Diego [glancing over at his father]
You'll be over it soon enough.
[Don Alejandro shrugs. The cage carriage pulls away with both Ramirez and ‘Francisca' clutching its bars.]
Don Alejandro [turning to face diego]
In the meantime, there's a widow in the next valley, a Moreno Gonzalez.
She has a very pretty and very marriageable daughter and I thought perhaps
you and I could take a trip over there. . .
Diego
Father, you're surely not thinking. . .
Don Alejandro
Oh no, not for me, Diego. For you, my boy. Babies, Diego.
I want babies!
[Diego and Don Alejandro both laugh. Don Alejandro puts his hand on Diego's shoulder as they turn to go back into the hacienda.]
Don Alejandro
By the way, whatever happened to that fine bust you did of yourself?
Diego
Oh, I've started another.
Don Alejandro
Why? I thought it was very good.
Diego
I'm afraid it received a rather critical public reception.
Don Alejandro
Hmm.
[They continue walking toward the hacienda.]
*****END OF EPISODE*****
Transcribed by Pamela Elbert Poland 19 May 2006
This transcription is a not-for-profit publication produced solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe upon any rights of Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.