And so, what had transpired upon that foothill passed as though it had never been.
Francisco and Catalina had, of course, heard the distant gunshots. Catalina, however, trusted Francisco—and Francisco, in turn, trusted his servants. Between that quiet confidence and the deliberate calm of the moment, they chose not to dwell upon it.
When the servant returned and reported what had occurred, Francisco could not suppress a low chuckle.
"So," he said, with a faint shake of his head, "the Spanish and the British have fought one another to the death for the right to abduct me… and we have not lost a single man." He exhaled lightly. "That is fortunate. Though I doubt such fortune will favor us again. Hanover belongs to the British—they may bring more men whenever they please. The Spanish, on the other hand, have likely exhausted what forces they have sent this past year."
