Disclaimers: The characters from the Queen of Swords series are copyright to Fireworks and Paramount. No infringement is intended nor revenue expected from their use. The story plot and other characters are copyright to the author, Maril Swan.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Eliza and Terry for their generous help and suggestions with this story.

"All right, Marcus, you might as well tell me. I know you too well. You are keeping something from me. What is it?" Vera moved away on the bed and looked seriously into his eyes. Though it was early in the day, Grisham was not yet on duty. This morning was one of those rare opportunities when Vera could slip away unseen, and spend some time in his quarters.

Grisham nuzzled her ear, nipping gently on the lobe. He savoured her little sigh of pleasure. "What if I told you a secret? Something that's going to make me rich? What would you say to that?" He slid his lips down her neck, searching for that special spot she could not resist, that rendered her helpless with passion. He found it and felt her arms tighten around him.

"Marcus," she gasped.

A long while later, she began to dress. "You haven't told me the secret yet," she complained with a beguiling pout. "I won't leave until you tell me," she added, sensuously brushing her lips across his.

Grisham regarded her smugly, waiting for her patience to be exhausted while she tried to seduce the secret out of him. He didn't have to wait long. Vera finally resorted to tickling his ribs which she knew reduced him to helplessness. He fended her off, grabbing both her arms and pulling her close. With his lips near her ear, he said, "Tessa Alvarado is about to lose her hacienda. It seems this other woman has proof she's the real Maria Theresa Alvarado. So Montoya has told Tessa that she has to get out by tomorrow, so the other woman can take over the hacienda until it's all sorted out. Except that..." He whispered in her ear, "Tessa is the real Doña Alvarado. The other woman is a fake, a prostitute. Sergeant Mancera told me he met her in Monterrey at a brothel. I'll bet Montoya is behind this."

Grisham pulled Vera closer and kissed her fervently. "And I'm going to be a rich man. When I tell Montoya I know everything, he'll have to pay to keep me quiet. Imagine what will happen if the dons find out what he was trying to do to one of their own. He'll be lucky to get a job mucking out the stables."

Vera broke from his embrace, her blue eyes glittering with fury. "How could you, Marcus? You would let Montoya throw Tessa out of her hacienda and blackmail him to keep his secret? I can't believe it. Tessa is my friend. I won't let you hurt her this way. You must tell her!"

He was taken aback by her vehement defence of her friend. "Wait a minute, sweetie. I'm doing this for you, for us. When I have lots of money, we can run away together, go anywhere we want. This is our only chance. Let's not blow it because of some sentimental feeling of so-called friendship. What has Tessa ever done for you?"

"She has been my friend when I most needed one," Vera said passionately. "And if you ever want to see me again, Marcus, you will tell her the truth. Or I will."

Grisham groaned, then sighed resignedly. "All right, I'll tell her."

"You must promise. I will know if you do not." Vera took his face in her hand and forced him to look her in the eye.

"I said I would. I promise. But don't you say anything to Tessa about this, or about how I know about it. Mancera knows about us too, so we keep his secret and he keeps ours." Grisham tried to kiss her, but Vera pushed away and was stalking toward his door before he could catch her. 'Women,' he thought in exasperation. 'They drive you nuts when you're with them and even more nuts when they're not.' He chuckled to himself. 'Well, this can still work to my advantage.'

---------Act Two, Scene 3

Marta threw another item of clothing into the trunk and marched back to the bureau across the room. Her movements were sharp and peremptory, her lips compressed into a hard line. She had hardly spoken since yesterday. Tessa sighed and tried to intercept the woman as she gathered another handful of clothes from the drawer.

"Marta, this is only temporary. Believe me, it will be sorted out soon. The woman is an impostor. She will make a mistake and then she will be gone. She can't keep up the pretense of being me for very long. Too many people knew me when I was a child. I have memories that she does not. It is only a matter of gathering some witnesses and making a legal case."

The Gypsy woman thrust away and continued jamming things into the trunk. "You think so! How about the fact that no one has seen you since you were seven years old? Who could tell what you would look like at twenty-two? Your godfather is dead, Ramon has disappeared, and his sister, Mona Aguilera, won't help you. Who is there to identify you now? Gaspar Hidalgo never knew you as a child even if he was a close friend of your father's." Marta placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Face it, Tessa. Montoya has won unless you do something. There is no one to help you but yourself, or the Queen."

Tessa shrugged disconsolately. She was too heartsick to argue with Marta who was probably right anyway. She sat on the bed, sunk in gloom as she tried to think of some way to save the situation. But that woman had her documents. How did she get them? They must have been stolen from the box sometime while she and Marta were out of the house. Stolen by someone who knew where she kept her valuable papers.

A musical female voice rang through the villa. "Tessa, are you here?"

Tessa grimaced, then brightened. "It''s Vera. I'll go see her. You keep packing."

As Tessa entered the main room, Vera flew to her side and embraced her. "Oh Tessa, this is too awful! How can you bear it? Gaspar and I want you to come and stay with us until this mess is sorted out. No objections. I haven't forgotten your loyalty when my husband, Bernard, showed up. Now I can repay your kindness. Bring all your things to our hacienda tomorrow. We will have rooms ready for you."

Tessa felt her eyes fill with tears. "Such a generous offer, Vera. Thank you. I'm sure it won't be long before I have my hacienda back. This is just a misunderstanding." She thought she saw a guilty look in Vera's eyes but Vera glanced away quickly and Tessa was left wondering if she imagined it.

---------Act Two, Scene 4

The packing completed, Tessa lolled in her bath, soaking away the tension and anger that had been building all day. Marta's temper had not helped. She had been taciturn then scathing by turns all day. It had worn Tessa out just coping with her own stress, without trying to keep Marta from doing something violent and crazy. Her companion was nearly beside herself with fury. Tessa had never seen her so nearly out of control. Then the generous offer from the Hidalgos had nearly undone Tessa when she was feeling at a loss for where to go.

She sighed and sunk lower in the tub. She smiled to herself. 'Marta needs this more than me. She's taken it more to heart than I have. I know it will work out. Maybe it's because her people have been driven out of so many places, dispossessed so many times, she sees it all happening again here, this time to me, and is determined to fight back. She is so protective of me, I will have to be very careful with her until we solve this problem. It just isn't possible that someone can steal your property and the law will uphold it. It just cannot happen.'

Marta entered with a long towel. "You had better get out or you will shrivel like a prune." She lifted it for Tessa to wrap herself in. As the younger woman climbed out of the tub, Marta suddenly exclaimed, "Tessa! Your birthmark!"

"What birthmark?" Tessa tried to twist around to see what Marta was talking about.

"Here!" Marta pressed her finger near the bottom of Tessa's spine. "It is shaped like a half-moon. A very meaningful symbol. Anyone who saw it would remember it. Maybe the midwife who delivered you as a baby is still living. If we can find her, she can prove who you are." For the first time that day, Marta smiled.

----------Act Two, Scene 5

Later that night, Tessa prowled restlessly through the rooms that would no longer be hers after tomorrow. She couldn't sleep. In spite of her brave act with Marta, she was not sure they would ever see the inside of these walls again. She wandered into the main room, and encountered the stern gaze of her father's eyes staring down from his portrait. 'What else can I do, Papa?' she thought, her shoulders sagging. 'That other woman has the documents, and I have nothing.'

She walked to the sideboard and poured a glass of wine, hoping it would help her sleep. A stealthy sound behind her made her turn abruptly with the wine bottle ready as a weapon.

"You shouldn't drink alone, señorita," Grisham said smoothly. "It can get to be a bad habit. I'll join you." He picked up a glass and held it out to be filled.

"It's a bit late for a social visit, Capitan," she said as she filled his glass. "Or are you here to make sure I don't take the family silver?" Tessa sipped at her wine, while watching him carefully over the rim. She did not want to wake Marta unless it was necessary. In Marta's present mood, there was no telling what she might do.

Grisham quaffed the wine down in a quick swallow and held out his glass again. When it was refilled, he toasted her silently. "I've come to do you a favour, Señorita Alvarado."

Tessa turned away with an ironic laugh. "That name already sounds strange in my ears. After tomorrow, no one will know what to call me. I'll be homeless and nameless." She turned back to face him. "What is this favour, Capitan, and what will it cost me?" she asked bitterly.

"I have information that will help you get your hacienda back. I know you are the real Maria Theresa Alvarado and the other woman is an impostor." Grisham grinned and sidled closer, taking a lock of her hair and twining it in his fingers. He moved to her cheek and gently slid his finger along her jawline to her lips. "I'm not such a bad guy once you get to know me. In fact,..." he brushed her full lips with his finger, "you'll find I can be very sweet."

As he bent his head toward her, she could feel his warm breath on her mouth. She put her hand between his lips and hers, smiling coquettishly. She leaned toward his ear and whispered, "How do you know about this impostor? Who told you she is a fake? And where did she get those papers?"

"A soldier knew her in Monterrey. She's a prostitute named Sofia del Campo. I don't know where she got the papers, but I can bet Montoya is behind this somehow."

Grisham set his glass down and placed his hands on her shoulders. She felt the heat of his hands through the thin fabric of her satin robe. He massaged gently as he pulled her forward. His thumbs circled a certain spot below her neck, and in spite of herself, Tessa felt her heart begin to race. His gentle touch, after such a trying day, was weakening her resistance. She needed to hold onto someone, someone with strength, someone who was there when she needed him, not in a town miles away.

His smile was sensuous, his eyes intense, focussed on her face, her mouth. His lips grazed her ear and he breathed softly into it, making her shiver. 'Madre de dios,' she thought as he leaned toward her mouth, parting his lips for a kiss, 'what am I doing?'

As their lips met, he pulled her tightly to him, the rough serge of his tunic scratchy against her chest. His arms nearly crushed her and she struggled to breathe. The headiness of the kiss was making her dizzy. Suddenly, he scooped her up and carried her to the sofa. His ardent kisses seemed to have awakened a storm of passion within her and she felt her resistance slipping away as she began to return them.

With feverish hands, he pulled at the drawstrings of her nightgown. Sanity returned like a splash of ice water. She pushed him away and stood up, somewhat shakily. Her voice sounded strange to her ears as she said, "Capitan, you have done me a great favour tonight, bringing me this information. But I do not see how it will be useful unless I can prove my identity. Tomorrow I must leave here. Bring forward your witness and the matter can be settled."

He brushed his hands through his hair as if in frustration. His breathing was ragged; his face flushed. Impatiently, he said, "I can't get him to testify for you. He's a married man and doesn't want his wife to know he was with a prostitute." Grisham shrugged. "Maybe I can get Sofia to confess that she's an impostor."

Tessa moved further away. Her head was clear again. She recalled the woman's eyes, the hardness there, the ruthlessness she saw in them. "No, I do not think she will confess to anything. I must find proof." Taking a steadying breath, she said, "And now, Capitan, it is time for you to go. I think you know the way out."

Grisham stood and straightened his uniform. "I think after tonight, you can call me Marcus," he said with a seductive smile. "A goodnight kiss, and then I'll go. I'll be calling on you again soon, Tessa. We have lots to talk about, plans to make."

He reached for her again but Tessa held him off at arm's length. She made sure there was a shy smile on her face as she gently chided, "I think you have had more than enough kisses for tonight, Capitan. And I'm afraid any social engagements will have to wait until this unpleasant matter is settled. We will talk then." She offered him her hand as a signal that this discussion was over.

Grisham took her hand and lightly brushed it with his lips as knowing amusement danced in his eyes. As the door closed behind him, Tessa found herself taking a deep breath. She hadn't realized she had been holding it.

---------Act Three, Scene 1

Gaspar rubbed his hand over his weary eyes. He hardly knew how to tell her what was happening at her hacienda. Watching the two young women together, sitting in the shade of the arbour, chatting amiably, he felt his heart constrict with strong emotion. His wife was so lovely, like a golden goddess. Nothing must ever harm her. But she was taking her friend's problems so much upon herself, he was distressed. Vera wanted him to rouse the dons in opposition to Montoya and force him to turn out the impostor. Gaspar sighed. He had already gone to see Montoya and remonstrate over this miscarriage of justice. Montoya had been adamant that the law was being upheld and until Tessa could prove her own identity, the hacienda would remain in the possession of the new claimant.

It had been over a week since Tessa's wagon had rolled up to his hacienda, and they had taken the two women into their home. Gaspar smiled as he watched Vera and Tessa sipping lemonade together. So unalike, the dark and the light, yet they had become as close as sisters. He almost felt a little jealous of Vera's preoccupation with Tessa, trying to make her comfortable, trying to offer suggestions of things to do to keep Tessa's mind off her loss.

Gaspar's gaze moved to Marta as she refilled their glasses. He shook his head sadly. Marta seemed like a wraith, her eyes dark and brooding; she was silent most of the time, suffering for her mistress. 'A strange woman to be a servant for Tessa,' he mused. 'What was Rafael thinking when he gave his daughter into her care?' But he had to admit, if anything ever happened to him, he would want such a fierce protector for his petal. Marta might be alien, exotic to his experience but there was no doubt of her devotion to Tessa.

Though he hated to break into this peaceful scene, Gaspar decided he could not withhold his news any longer. He moved quickly down the path to the arbour and said, "Such a lovely sight, two beautiful women enjoying themselves." He bent to Vera and gave her a warm kiss on the cheek, then sat down. Marta came up silently behind him, making him start, and poured him a glass of lemonade then moved back to sit on the stone wall of the garden.

He took a sip of his drink, then set down the glass. The affable look dissolved from his face. "Tessa, I must tell you some distressing news about your hacienda." At her stricken look, he reached across the table and took her hand, patting it paternally. "Montoya has placed a squad of soldiers there to make the peons work. They had been refusing to do anything for the other woman. The soldiers have been rough, and some of your workers have been badly injured. Dr. Helm has been called in on several occasions to tend to them. And still they resist."

Tessa stood up suddenly, and began to pace. Tears welled in her eyes as she lost her fight for control. "What can I do, Don Gaspar?" She sighed and smiled wanly. "I did not expect such loyalty. But somehow, I must get them to co-operate. To think of the soldiers hurting my people." She shook her head hopelessly, then with a quick, "Excuse me," she hurried up to the villa and disappeared inside.

Marta arose and followed quickly, leaving Gaspar and Vera sitting together in an unhappy silence.

--------Act Three, Scene 3

Marta followed close on Tessa's heels as she slammed into the bedroom which Vera had prepared specially for her. Though the furnishings were of the finest quality, this was not home. As Marta closed the door, Tessa finally exploded with fury.

"How could this possibly have happened, Marta? One minute I'm a landowner, and the next I'm thrown upon the charity of friends!"

Marta sat rigidly still on a chair, only her eyes moving as she followed the other woman's restless pacing around the small room. Marta's voice, when she spoke, was harsh with bitterness. "We know how it happened and why. What we don't know is, what to do about it." Marta tried to control her rage, her jaw tense with the effort, but she could feel the anger burning behind her eyes. She trembled with the need to do something, but there was nothing she could do. Nothing that would help the situation other than satisfying her own desire for vengeance. So she sat, and watched in silent distress while Tessa tore herself apart trying to find a solution to her problem.

Tessa finally dropped onto the bed, wearied by the painful thoughts that afflicted her. She sighed heavily and stared ahead at the wall. "What will we do, Marta? We can't stay here for the rest of our lives. I feel we've already overstayed our welcome." She shook her head and looked at Marta. The misery in Tessa's eyes drove another spike through her heart, especially when Tessa tried a brave smile for her benefit. "Well," Tessa said with a bit of bravado, "at least we still have our health."

The Gypsy woman grimaced and stood up. "If it was up to me, I know what I would like to do." She made a slashing motion across her throat and smiled grimly at the frightened look on Tessa's face. "That would solve the problem."

"Don't even think of it, Marta! It's bad enough that I lose my hacienda. But to lose you too. That would be a worse calamity. Forget about revenge. Montoya would know who killed her and we might both hang for it. That would certainly make it easier for him." Tessa pulled in a steadying breath. "We have to come up with something soon, or it will be too late. But we will not kill her. There must be a way out of this." Tessa settled into a contemplative silence as she rolled over on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"I can earn money for the both of us," Marta said decisively. "I have many skills."

Tessa compressed her lips and her brow furrowed more deeply. "Marta, I can't let you do that. I'm not helpless. If we need money, I can earn a living too."

"Doing what?" Marta asked sharply. "What could you do to earn money, Tessa? I didn't raise you to soil your hands with manual labour. You are a don's daughter, not a peasant. I would die of shame if you were to work like that. No, I will find some work." Feeling that had settled the matter, Marta started toward the door.

"And don't you think it would shame me if you worked and I was living off you." Tessa sat up, her eyes hardened and she said resolutely, "We will have our lives back, Marta, I promise you. We will get everything back, whatever it takes."

--------Act Three, Scene 4

All seemed quiet as the dark figure slipped into the small hut. She nudged the sleeping form with her hand and he came awake with a startled grunt. She clamped her hand over his mouth as he began to struggle.

"Shh," she admonished, pressing him down with her other hand. "I have a message from Señorita Alvarado. As her foreman, she commands you to get the workers to co-operate with their new mistress. No more resistance. Do you understand, Señor Casillas?" She felt his head nod and removed her hand from his mouth.

"Who are you?" he whispered tremulously.

"A friend," she answered, then disappeared into the darkness outside.

The Queen crept toward the villa. No lights showed anywhere though she kept a wary eye for any sentries that Montoya might have posted. She moved around the side of the house, and slipped stealthily into her own bedroom window. As she expected, the impostor had taken this room for herself. Her sleeping form lay among the tossed bedclothes. She was wearing a flimsy nightgown that scarcely covered her. 'At least she is alone,' Tessa thought with relief.

Drawing her sword, Tessa moved silently to the bedside. With a sudden rush of loathing, she stared at that vulnerable bare throat and remembered what Marta had threatened. It was very tempting, and the Queen would be blamed for it. The sword trembled as she raised it. Then she covered the woman's mouth with her gloved hand to stifle the scream.

Sofia's wide eyes gleamed in terror as she beheld the black figure whose hand pressed cruelly on her mouth. But it was when she spied the glint from the sword poised above her breast that she whimpered with fear.

The Queen rasped in a harsh whisper, "I have come to warn you. Your life is in danger." Tessa almost laughed at the irony of that statement as the woman tried to squirm away from that deadly sword. "Montoya will kill you as soon as he has secured his hold on this hacienda. He has done it before and got away with it. You must confess to being an impostor and leave this area if you want to live, Sofia."

Tessa felt the woman jerk reflexively at the sound of her real name. Tentatively, Tessa removed her hand from Sofia's mouth and lowered the sword. "I mean you no harm. I am a friend."

Sofia scrambled across the bed away from her and snapped, "A friend! Don't make me laugh. Friends don't skulk around at night and sneak into bedrooms. You want this hacienda for yourself. Who put you up to this?" Her hard eyes glittered in the wan moonlight that streamed in from the open window. "I am Maria Theresa Alvarado. This is my hacienda. And no one is going to take it away from me, not you, not Montoya." Suddenly, she jumped from the bed and yelled, "Help! Guards!" She stood with her hands on her hips as the sound of running steps thundered toward the room.

She smirked as two soldiers burst in. "Montoya warned me you might visit. So we took precautions. Take her!" she shouted and the soldiers rushed forward with their swords at the ready.

One of the soldiers began to pull his pistol from his belt. Tessa slammed him against her bureau, and the bride doll her uncle had given her fell and broke on the tiles. 'Oh well,' Tessa thought with a slight shrug. She tried to wrest the gun from him and it fired into a picture on the wall, shattering the glass. 'Damn!,' she thought. 'My favourite picture of Don Quixote. You're going to pay for that!" With the hilt of her sword, she cracked him on the jaw and he fell limply to the tiled floor. The other soldier raised his sword and slashed at her, missing his target but slicing through the brocade drapery of the bedstead. It tore with a sickening sound. 'Imported French brocade! It'll take months to replace,' she whined to herself. He charged with his sword lowered toward her mid-section. She stepped aside and the sword jabbed into the fine veneered wood of her dresser. 'I've got to get out of here -- they're wrecking my room!' She stomped on his foot and as he bent over, drove her knee into his face. She shoved him aside and ran to the window.

As she slid out, a soldier waiting outside grabbed her from behind, encircling her shoulders with his arms. Another soldier near the far end of the house raised his rifle, preparing to fire. Tessa threw herself back suddenly, toppling them both onto the ground. She rolled away just as the rifle fired and heard the man on the ground scream.

The soldier threw down the rifle and drew his pistol. Tessa pulled her main gauche dagger from her boot and in one smooth motion threw it. His shot went wild, and smashed her window as the knife pieced his shoulder.

"This place will be a shambles if I don't get away soon," she muttered, looking ruefully at the broken window. She ran to retrieve her dagger. The soldier lay on the ground. His eyes were wide with fear but Tessa just smiled, and said, "Sorry. Next time don't try to kill me."

She pulled the dagger from his shoulder and whistled for Chico. When her horse trotted up, she quickly mounted. She could see the workers standing outside their huts, probably frightened by the gunfire and the soldiers. She waved cheerily to them and galloped off into the night.

Shots followed her from three other soldiers who ran for their own horses, but Tessa knew their pursuit would be half-hearted at best. 'At this time of night, they probably just want to go back to bed.' She laughed aloud from pure exhilaration, the blood pumping wildly through her veins as she and the horse flew through the dark, their forms united like two parts of a single animal.

Concluded in Part 3